I have surprise concert review for you guys on this Sunday! I decided to slightly postpone the "Going Underground" review to slot in my thoughts on last night's Blizzard of Ozz tribute show, as I wanted to partly repay you guys for the delays from earlier in the week. Oh, and I picked up a copy of "Soo Stories" by Duane Roy too, so we'll have two book reviews soon as well! And yes, tonight we'll have a Sault Michigan-centric post as promised, so let's get everything going to kick off the week!
I never found room to slot this in before last night, but there was short notice openers last night at The Canadian Nightclub, and the band in question was local punk trio Motion Carried, featuring Scary Uncles frontman Justin Langlois, Frightlight guitarist Rick White on drums, and veteran local bassist Jamie Whalen. I'd heard a grand total of one video by Motion Carried since their launch, so I wasn't too sure how they'd sound on the whole, but I'd say they mostly sound like a more covers driven version of The Scary Uncles. The set included punk renditions of songs like "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and "Folsom Prison Blues" as well as covers ranging from Green Day and Social Distortion to The Ramones and The Vaselines, even throwing in The Scary Uncles' "Labatt 50 for good measure"! Punk fans would absolutely dig these guys, I assume, but I think the guys in Motion Carried knew they were playing to a different crowd, given their amusing self-deprecating banter. Justin's a very good punk singer and knows his way around some great punk riffs, and Rick and Jamie were also solid last night! You can't go wrong with a straightforward punk rock, and these guys brought it! Hopefully I'll see them around town again soon!
The main event, of course, was Toronto based Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Blizzard of Ozz, and I have to say, I really enjoyed them last night! On first impression, the cosmopolitan band makeup will get some notices, but their set and energy spoke for itself! Scotty Osbourne looked the part and had the on-stage moves down to replicate Ozzy, except for throwing water on the crowd, of course! It's odd though, he sounded great live, but listening to his performance on the video I shot, he sounds more offkey than he sounded live. I guess that's a testament to the fun that the small (but lively) crowd was having! Roland "Black Zakk" Murray tore it up on guitar, he had every song down pat and had a great stage presence, but maybe with a little less pinch harmonics than Zakk had. Jenn "Lady Evil" Butler's bass work was really good too, and her backing vocals added to the harmonies, while Niall Kerslake was awesome on drums, and had a nice theatrical flair to go with it too, though catching drumsticks seemed to be a bit off. I liked how the band tried to replicate an Ozzy show, and I liked that they included a mix of Black Sabbath and Ozzy solo songs you wouldn't expect into the set, like "Fairies Wear Boots", "Believer", and "Ultimate Sin"!
The first set definitely had a more diverse list of songs, but set 2 was almost all classics, with "Crazy Train", "Paranoid", and "Mama I'm Coming Home" all coming late to send the fans home happy! Blizzard of Ozz were really fun last night, and even if the vocals seemed to sound more off as the night went on, we didn't notice, and they visibly enjoyed rocking out for us. In the end, that's what matters most! If you weren't there, you missed out! For my photos from last night, click here, or visit The Sault Metal Scene's Facebook page! And yes, I have videos, so here's Motion Carried covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Crackerman" (who said they didn't play a little hard rock?) and Blizzard of Ozz playing the Ozzy classic "Over The Mountain"!
That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new Sault Michigan-centric post later tonight! Thanks everyone!
One day down, at least four more to go in this marathon of 10 posts in 5 days (maybe more?), and kicking things off today is previews of this weekend's concerts! By this weekend, I mean TONIGHT through Saturday only, as I tentatively plan to preview Sunday's Dancing With Paris & Half A Man shows separately on Saturday in the same post as the March Mayhem tournament conclusion, so stay tuned for those then. Now, onto the previews, starting with a show TONIGHT!
The fifteenth Roosevelt Hotel metal night is TONIGHT! For the first time since the first Thursday show at The Rosie in November, there will be out of town headliners, and there will be multiple out of town bands for the first time as well, so here's what you should know! Headlining tonight are Guelph hardcore quartet Farewell To Freeway, who are hitting Sault Ontario in the latest stop on their All Or Nothing Canadian tour! With Victory Records label support, their aggressive brand of metalcore will be sure to get some pits going at The Rosie tonight! Also joining them on this tour are California hardcore quintet No Bragging Rights, who I'm really digging with their old-school influenced sound and impression! As well, Toronto death metal band Hallows Die have been moved from tomorrow's now-cancelled Foggy Notions headlining show to join the lineup of tonight's Rosie concert. Their progressive style of death metal will be a different, but welcome, taste at this concert, so don't miss them! And in their eighth Rosie metal night appearance, local hardcore quintet As It Stands will open the festivities, three days after opening for Fuck The Facts, shortly before they plan to hit the studio! Though a frequent sight locally, they're always entertaining, so be there early to catch them!
Check the above links to preview each band playing tonight! There will be a $2 cover charge, but considering the value of bands you'll be getting, it's completely worth it, so don't sweat a toonie for this amount of music! As always, everything should start at around 9:30 PM, and there's a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Dismembertainment have a great lineup booked tonight, so absolutely head out to The Rosie if you can, as there's lots of quality hardcore (and death metal) to go around! For a preview, here's Farewell To Freeway's music video for their song "The Desperate Age"!
Now to the bands playing Friday & Saturday nighters, and first, it's the return of Caveman Morrison! After a seven month break from the stage after their last lineup's collapse, the local hard rock trio will make their long awaited return to the stage this weekend at The Nicolet Tavern! These shows will mark Caveman Morrison's live debuts with new bassist Jacques Marceau and drummer Willie Bellerose, and though we have yet to hear them publically, I've heard great things about their talent and abilities, so we'll have to see how they do this weekend! They're on at 10:00 PM tomorrow & Saturday night, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend either show. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Caveman Morrison back, I know Tym's put in a lot of work to get the band going again, and here's hoping this lineup lasts longer than their last few have! Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's the band covering Living Colour's "Cult Of Personality" in October at Foggy Notions!
Also this weekend is another pair of concerts at Docks Riverfront Grill from local classic hard rockers That's Chester, in what's becoming a seemingly monthly run for the band! I still find it odd that they haven't played a venue other than Docks since last year, I wonder why that is? Still their music speaks for itself, no matter where it's played! This quintet of talented local music veterans will have loads of classic and newer hits to rock out with this weekend, including a bunch of heavier songs, so don't miss them! As always, these Docks shows (tomorrow & Saturday night) will have a $4 cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and everything starts at 10:00 PM or later! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds good to me, That's Chester should have a great weekend of shows this weekend, so if you're looking for come classic tunes to part with, Docks is the place! Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's That's Chester covering Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times" at Docks in March!
Finally for the hard rock weekend sets this weekend that I know about, Sault Michigan quartet Monkey's Uncle are apparently playing at Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird) this weekend for a pair of shows! Though not cited on their MySpace page (no Bird shows have been since before their name changes), new singer/guitarist Donny Newell confirmed with me via e-mail that they would in fact be playing at The Bird this weekend, and if a band member says it, there must be truth to it! I believe these are the band's first Bird concerts featuring Donny in the band, where he will share singing responsibilities with the band's mainman Henry Switzer. I'd expect these shows to have 10:00 PM-ish start times and 21+ age limits, and I have heard nothing about a possible cover. Check the above links for more on the band and venue! Though I don't know a great detail about these shows, I'd say head on out to enjoy some hard rock if you're in the mood for it across the river, and especially to check out Monkey's Uncle's new lineup! For a preview, here's a Jager-era lineup of Monkey's Uncle covering Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer"!
Finally, here's a big show on Saturday night that should get you Ozzy Osbourne fans excited! Continuing with their high reputation for bringing in quality tribute bands, The Canadian Nightclub is hosting Blizzard of Ozz: The Ultimate Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne on Saturday night! This Toronto based quartet features veterans of other notable Canadian tribute bands, and present a quality sounding version of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath classics to their fans! Though not perfect sounding compared to the real deal, especially vocally, they do a quality job and should deliver a good night of music for everyone at The Canadian on Saturday night! This show is a 19+ event, it'll start at 10:00 PM or later, and though a cover charge isn't advertised, I would bring $5 or so, as I expect admission to cost something. For more details, click here! This should be a fun show, and though this may be an unpopular opinion, I actually prefer Ozzy solo to his Black Sabbath work, so I might hit this show if I can fit it in! Check the above links for more, and for a preview, here's Blizzard Of Ozz playing "Bark At The Moon" in Etobicoke in 2009!
That's all for now, but stay tuned later tonight for our Destroilet EP review! Thanks everyone!
Hey guys, the post marathon continues with another news post! After clearing out the initial Cinderella stuff, poll news, and feature posts, we'll focus on news today, including some updates to one of our monthly feature series, a surprising return that spearheaded those updates, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! Here's what you need to know!
The Canadian Nightclub has always been the most dependable spot for high level hard rock tribute bands, and the latest should be no different! On May 14th, Toronto-based Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Blizzard of Ozz will hit The Canadian for what should be an awesome night of classic Ozzy & Black Sabbath hits! Featuring veterans from other major Canadian tribute bands, look for a faithful and heavy night of Ozzy classics on May 14th! This show will have a 10:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and a cover charge of $8, which is higher than usual, but it'll be worth it if you love Ozzy Osbourne's work! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It may be an unpopular opinion, but I enjoy Ozzy solo more than Black Sabbath, and as I stock up on concerts leading up to my 22nd birthday, I this will fit in nicely! Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates when and if they come in!
Next up, here's some very surprising news concerning one of my favourite bands that few of you know about, as Life's Eclipse are back! Yes, the Eckerman, Michigan metal band that I glowingly praised in December in a Defunct Local Band Profile have been resurrected! Frontman Jason Mills messaged me through the new Werehold Records YouTube channel the other day and let me know some details about what's been up with the band. Apparently, Life's Eclipse has been through a lot of downtime due to some internal band conflicts, which caused them to never finish the recording sessions for their "Shadow Over Superior" album, which actually wasn't their first "album". The band had recorded four demos/albums before "Shadow Over Superior" without label support, two of which were 2004's "The Chemicals To Make You A Better Person" & "Invasion", which featured the song "Red Dawn" from their MySpace page. Whether those ever saw a real physical release or not isn't known to me, but I'd love to get my hands on more old school Life's Eclipse recordings! Jason & his brother, bassist David Mills, recently resurrected the band with new improved studio gear and have uploaded some older audio tracks online to gauge audience feedback!
Both the Werehold Records YouTube channel linked above & David Mills' channel feature some newly uploaded Life's Eclipse videos, including "Red Dawn" on the Werehold channel, and (thankfully) a newly posted instrumental demo on both! Entitled "Undefeated", it confirms the instruments that Jason & David play as well as the involvement of guitarist Joe Semasky (the drummer isn't credited by name on purpose), and mentions that the song was from "The Chemicals to Make You a Better Person". I have to say, I REALLY like this song, it's heavy with a catchy groove and it's very well played! Love the solos too! I wish there was vocals, hopefully they add some soon! There's also some interesting comments during the later part of the video describing the song's inspiration too, so definitely give this song a look below and at the above links! Life's Eclipse deserve it, they're one of the most underrated bands across the river!
As such, this means that for the first time in SMS history, a band we profiled in the Defunct Local Band Profile Series has been resurrected. What happens to that post now? Well, I updated the post to reflect the new lineup details, the new videos and songs, the new biographical information that Jason told me and that's included on the new links, and edited much of it to reflect the fact that they're not really "inactive" anymore. Click here to check it out, hopefully it's totally up to date now! Also, to note that they're no longer "defunct", I added an asterisk (*) to the title and listing for this profile, which will be the future icon that we'll use in the event that a band in that series comes back.
While we're at it, I updated some more profiles from this series, so here's what's changed! I edited the AtrophiA profile to further distance them from Bring The Fallen, as I don't believe the two bands were really ever connected beyond sharing two members, and I added some new remarks about their sound and style. I edited the M7K profile to include references to guitarist Mike Vincent's current bands and remove ones to some of his older bands and his old last name. The Lower S.E.S. profile now refers to drummer Mikey Bishop's current work with then-bandmate Erik Rintamaki in their current local band Half A Man. The joint Death Rise/White Knights profile has been updated to reflect the more recent work of members of both bands, notably Rick White's current work in Motion Carried. The rest of the profiles (Life's Eclipse notwithstanding) needed no changes, as either nothing's different or I've found nothing new that I could add. Check the above links for the newly updated profiles!
I was hoping to fit some Mike Cliffe news in here too, but I think the post got fuller than I expected, so I'll definitely have it soon! That's all for now, stay tuned for a Woods of Ypres centric post later tonight! Thanks everyone!
I never found room to slot this in before last night, but there was short notice openers last night at The Canadian Nightclub, and the band in question was local punk trio Motion Carried, featuring Scary Uncles frontman Justin Langlois, Frightlight guitarist Rick White on drums, and veteran local bassist Jamie Whalen. I'd heard a grand total of one video by Motion Carried since their launch, so I wasn't too sure how they'd sound on the whole, but I'd say they mostly sound like a more covers driven version of The Scary Uncles. The set included punk renditions of songs like "Leaving On A Jet Plane" and "Folsom Prison Blues" as well as covers ranging from Green Day and Social Distortion to The Ramones and The Vaselines, even throwing in The Scary Uncles' "Labatt 50 for good measure"! Punk fans would absolutely dig these guys, I assume, but I think the guys in Motion Carried knew they were playing to a different crowd, given their amusing self-deprecating banter. Justin's a very good punk singer and knows his way around some great punk riffs, and Rick and Jamie were also solid last night! You can't go wrong with a straightforward punk rock, and these guys brought it! Hopefully I'll see them around town again soon!
The main event, of course, was Toronto based Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Blizzard of Ozz, and I have to say, I really enjoyed them last night! On first impression, the cosmopolitan band makeup will get some notices, but their set and energy spoke for itself! Scotty Osbourne looked the part and had the on-stage moves down to replicate Ozzy, except for throwing water on the crowd, of course! It's odd though, he sounded great live, but listening to his performance on the video I shot, he sounds more offkey than he sounded live. I guess that's a testament to the fun that the small (but lively) crowd was having! Roland "Black Zakk" Murray tore it up on guitar, he had every song down pat and had a great stage presence, but maybe with a little less pinch harmonics than Zakk had. Jenn "Lady Evil" Butler's bass work was really good too, and her backing vocals added to the harmonies, while Niall Kerslake was awesome on drums, and had a nice theatrical flair to go with it too, though catching drumsticks seemed to be a bit off. I liked how the band tried to replicate an Ozzy show, and I liked that they included a mix of Black Sabbath and Ozzy solo songs you wouldn't expect into the set, like "Fairies Wear Boots", "Believer", and "Ultimate Sin"!
