A Possible New Local Concert & Concert Venue, More Concert Videos, And Much More!

How's everyone doing? In what could be the last post of the month, I have scattered news stories to share with everyone today! One of those days, nothing super major, but there's enough stuff I haven't mentioned here before to warrant a new post! And we'll start with some intriguing possibilities, for a concert and for a venue!

Firstly, the concert: Toronto metal band Skull Fist are looking to play here in May! They have a "TBA" date listed for here on May 8th during a short Northern Ontario tour stretch, and you know what that means: They need a venue! If you wanna know how these guys sound, expect a really cool classic metal sound, they sound straight off an old vinyl record, and that's not a bad thing! They describe their sound as "chariots ripping through The Great Lakes" and named their E.P. "Heavier Than Metal", and really, doesn't that sound promising in itself? They'd fit very nicely here, especially with the popularity the classic-sounding bands have here, so why not help them get a booking?! If you're interested in booking Skull Fist for a concert here on May 8th, send them a message A.S.A.P. at their official MySpace page! Remember, the more metal, the better, and these guys bring it in spades! I'll keep you posted if I hear more!

...speaking of bands looking to play here, when I was browsing the MySpaces of bands looking for a show here in the coming months, I noticed something intriguing: New Brunswick experimental hard rockers Cop Shades, who are hoping to play here on August 8th, have none other than locals Sykotyk Rampage listed as playing with them on that show! Not kidding, check out their MySpace page! A very promising sign, just one problem though: No venue yet. Help make this show happen, click here to send Cop Shades a message if you want to book them and Sykotyk Rampage for August 8th!

Next up, might we have a new local concert venue? Maybe, maybe not, and I'll explain. According to a topic on The705Scene forums, Twist N' Shout Bar & Grill on McDonald Avenue is getting a four day trial run for concert bookings, with the potential to become a regular concert venue if the shows are successful. The four dates in question are four consecutive Saturdays: April 24th, May 1st, May 8th and May 15th. Now I don't know full details, but if all goes well, we'll have another venue to hit up for shows! And who's playing on those Saturdays? We don't know, and that's where you come in. If you or your band are interested in playing one of those Saturdays, or you know someone that is, e-mail pegu66@hotmail.com to show your interest! Hopefully we can get a metal band or two on one of those weekends, so we can rock another local venue! Remember, the original topic is at this location, but because The705Scene forums are now restricted from view to non-members, you'll have to log in or sign up to check it out.

Next up, we have some new (well, new to the SMS) videos from local concerts of past years! Firstly, YouTube user osXzealot uploaded another clip from this past December's Three Days Grace concert at The Essar Center online! It's of their performance of the song "World So Cold", and the audio is pretty good, but it was filmed from very far away, looks like a seat in the far corner. That combined with their on-stage lighting, and you cant even make out the band! Still, the audio makes up for it, check out the video below!



The other new video I have is actually an old concert clip from The Oddfellows Hall! You don't see much videos from shows there, and especially not many of this quality! It's a two minute clip of the now broken up Sudbury hardcore band Three For Fallacy (remember them?) performing their song "Best Before Dates" in support of Blind Witness on August 21st, 2008! I've seen this video twice online: YouTube user katefantham uploaded it on YouTube the day after the show, while Three For Fallacy guitarist Kai Kinos uploaded a better quality version of the same clip onto Vimeo, though it's not as reliable to watch. Things that strike me about this video: I like their lighting, frontman Kyle Blake's attire is....interesting, and the crowd is really small. Where is everyone? Still, it's great quality for an Oddfellows Hall show, usually videos I see from there are very dark and/or choppy! Check it out below, and Kate also uploaded their performance of "Eleda" onto YouTube, click here to take a look! Always great to find old concert clips like this!



Two more items to get to, and it appears that Social Play have lost another member. Apparently, bassist Tiffany Emmerson has also left the former Browbeat. This leaves frontman Dutch Vanderploeg as the sole remaining member, and he's still looking to get the band back out there! He's looking for a dedicated hard rock bassist and drummer each, and having equipment is not a requirement, he has a bass and drums. He really wants to get Social Play going and play live again, and I'm sure many of you want to see Dutch back on stage, like myself! So if you play bass or drums, or know of someone that does, message Dutch on Facebook today!!! Let's not make it another year before their next show!

And finally, I meant to mention this days ago, but it slipped my mind way too many times. Popular heavy metal website Metal Storm has recently ran it's annual Metal Storm Awards, and this year, there was a local connection! In the category of Best Black Metal Album of 2009, the sixth place finisher was none other than.....Woods of Ypres, for their newest release "Woods IV: The Green Album"! Now technically, this was a doom metal album and the black metal days are behind them, but who am I to argue semantics when they got this kind of press? David Gold and company were just 10 votes out of third place, with first place going to Immortal's new album, "All Shall Fall"! Even though they didn't win, it's awesome to see "The Green Album" continue to grow and gain attention! Buy "The Green Album" today!!

That's all I have compiled for today, but mark my words, there's more on the horizon! This weekend will have my review of Garden of Bedlam's concert this Friday, along with any news and updates I come across throughout! And next week, stay tuned for my review of Integrated System of Machines' debut album, and much more! Keep your browsers pointed here!

Garden of Bedlam's April 2nd Openers, A Possible New Show, A New Destroilet Video, And More!

Back to assorted news this afternoon at the SMS, and we'll start with a new band on the lineup for an upcoming show! Afterwards, a potential new local metal concert, another local concert video, a band's search for a new drummer, and photos from a recent major concert!

Remember yesterday when I mentioned that there would be openers to be announced for Garden of Bedlam's April 2nd website launch concert? Well, I can now confirm that it will be Half Past! It's on the Facebook event page and the band have announced their involvement on Facebook themselves, so there's my sources. This will be Half Past's first concert since last month's weekend set at Foggy Notions, and if I'm not mistaken, will also be their first ever concert at The Canadian Nightclub! Great to see them booking more shows, they should deliver some great hard rocking tunes! So there's all the more reason to head out to The Canadian on Good Friday! Remember, it's at 11:00 PM that night with Crank Sound Distribution and The Rad Zone in tow, it's likely 19+, no cover charges have been announced. I'll be there, and I'll keep you guys posted with any more updates I have on this show! As for the fundraiser in Garden River, I've heard things about the rescheduling, but I won't announce anything until the band does. Stay tuned!

Next up, yet another band is looking to play here this summer! I don't know how the other bands I've mentioned are doing in their venue search for here (click here for which bands are on the hunt), but we have another, so here's what you promoters and venue staffers should know! Toronto progressive metal trio The Isosceles Project are hoping to play in Sault Ste. Marie on their Ontario tour on August 11th! They're bringing a locally familiar band with them on this leg: North Bay's own Thekillingfield, last seen locally last March at The Oddfellows Hall! They're also scheduled to back up Derelict in May, so we could get them here twice in four months! Anyone out there interested in booking The Isosceles Project and Thekillingfield on August 11th? Send them a message at this location! The Isosceles Project are really good, lots of long (by long, I mean 10 minutes+ long) progressive metal songs with tempo changes and dynamics! They're also unique in that they have no singer, they're an instrumental band! I really like these guys, it'd be awesome to have them here, hopefully some bookers out there are interested in getting them here in August!

Thirdly today, new live video from Destroilet! On Saturday, you may remember that I shown you guys a video from their December debut of their Fist Magnet cover "Evil God Hater" (It really is cool that they covered a local band, that doesn't happen enough!) Well, the band have uploaded another video from that concert at Coch's Corner onto their YouTube channel, this one being a cover of the song "My Erection" by The Dayglo Abortions! And if you're offended by the song title or band name, don't blame me! Also, why hide the truth? Same cameraman that filmed the Fist Magnet cover, so the same video issues are present: The backs of my and everyone else's heads are clearer then the band, though the audio is good! However, it is affected a bit by chatty concertgoers nearby. More punk than the last one, good energy, though I wish I could see the band. Check out the video below!



Next up, it appears that Social Play drummer Chris Smith has left the band, as confirmed in frontman Dutch Vanderploeg's Facebook status. That in itself is news, as Chris is a good drummer, a nice guy, and it's sad to see him leave the former Browbeat after only one show since their return! I won't pry into the reasons in case there's anything touchy, but at least you can still see Chris on bass in the local rock band Wishbone! That being said, Social Play are looking for a new drummer! Dutch says that you don't even need a kit, all you need is the will to give it all, be serious about drumming, and be able to learn around 35 original songs. As Social Play don't have a band page at present, e-mail Dutch on Facebook if you, or someone you know, are interested in drumming for Social Play! Hopefully someone comes around, I've always been a fan of Browbeat/Social Play and it'd be great to see them back on stage!

And finally for today, some great pro-quality photos have been posted online by Nixxon Dixxon from their supporting performance at the Pop Evil benefit concert last month! Six photos are now up on their MySpace page's photo album, which take some interesting angles you don't see too often at local concerts, like this one from the side of the stage! They were taken by Dan Dodge from Evart Michigan's Photography By Dodge, so the photography isn't by anyone local, but Evart is Graveyard Tan's hometown, and they were also on the bill for this show, so there may be a connection there! I haven't seen any of Dan's other photos from the Pop Evil show, saying that he took more, but if I do, I'll have them here! For now though, check out the six Nixxon Dixxon photos at this location!

That's all for now, just to spread things out a bit! Remember, tonight is The Cancer Bats at The Essar Center in support of Billy Talent! Sure, it's not a total metal concert, but it's a major show with one metal band playing, so it's worth re-mentioning! If any Cancer Bats videos surface after the show, I'll have them here too! Next post will also have a new event page for an upcoming show, and much more, so stay tuned for all that!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ultraviolence & Caveman/Tym Morrison), And More!!!

Hey guys, it's time to spread the updates around once again! And today, I have a triple shot of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know! (And afterwards, a Woods of Ypres story!)

The Ultraviolence related news continues, as it looks like they are indeed coming back to Coch's Corner, just a month sooner than I was thinking! J.D. Pearce from Coch's Corner has confirmed to me in an e-mail that Ultraviolence are apparently playing there on February 6th, which is just one week from Saturday! He also said a local band was asked about opening, but I'll hold from mentioning that until something official comes out. Seeing as this is a Coch's Corner show, don't expect a cover charge, start time of around 11:00 PM seems likely. Now I've only heard of this show from one e-mail, so there's more gaps to fill in, but as I hear more, you'll be sure to find out along with me! Who knows, if they're coming on March 6th like drummer Alexis Von Kraven's MySpace page implies, we could get UV for the third time in three months!

Meanwhile, two local hard rock acts have scheduled a concert each in the next few months, both of which involve Tym Morrison in some fashion! Firstly, local metal cover band Caveman Morrison will be back at The Rockstar Bar on, coincidentally, February 6th! (Ultraviolence or Caveman Morrison...tough call!) Expect 4 more hours of great covers of your favourite songs from all over the hard rock spectrum! There is no cover charge announced, you must be 19 to get in. Nothing radically different from past Caveman shows, but it should be a great time! It might be tough for me to hit either of the February 6th shows (what can I say, it's UFC 109 that night!), but it sure would be fun to make it to either or both! Hopefully they both draw great crowds! Confirm your attendance for this concert at the Facebook event page!

Then on March 13th, Tym Morrison will pick up his acoustic guitar once again and head to The Bottoms Up Lounge for another acoustic solo show! 4 more hours of more intimate rock and other genres, this will start at 10:00 PM that night (as does next month's Caveman show), and there will be no cover charge! Never hurts to cool down every now and then, and what bettwer way then to hear to The Bottoms Up Lounge for some acoustic hard rock? Might hit this, it was fun seeing Tym's acoustic set the last time, I'll have to check it out again, might be a good time! Once again, confirm your attendance at the official Facebook event page! If I hear any updates on the shows I just talked about today, I'll be sure to tell you guys!

Next up, remember on Friday when I mentioned that Woods of Ypres would be profiled in the next issue of Exclaim! Magazine? Good news for those of us that can't track down the February issue: The article is online for free! It features a short review of Woods IV: The Green Album by Exclaim!'s Laura Taylor, as well as an interview with Woods frontman David Gold, in which he discusses what makes "The Green Album" so green, David's year living in South Korea, sound influences on the CD, and the challenges of releasing albums independent of major labels. Nice interview with long well detailed answers, though it'd have been nice to see Laura ask more questions! Check out the full article at this location, or if you know of somewhere that carries Exclaim! Magazine, read it in the brand new issue!

And finally for today, I just got word from Social Play drummer Chris Smith that the band have decided to look for an official singer! They're looking to drop covers entirely and get a full-time frontman to sing with them, so he asked if I could help out at all! I do like Dutch Vanderploeg's singing, but if this is something they really want, all power to them! They're not looking for anyone underage, female, or with "screaming vocals", so keep that in mind if you're interested. Click here to check out one of their originals! If you're interested in singing lead vocals for Social Play, message Chris Smith on Facebook by clicking here!

That's all for now, more news and updates are coming very soon, including my review of TONIGHT'S Stillbroke concert at The Speakeasy (hope to see you guys there!), and my review of Detroit's "Brace To Impact" on Monday! Stay tuned!

Social Play Concert Review & Gates of Winter's Last Released Studio Song!

How's everyone's Saturday going so far? Remember to go see 40 Sons or Tym Morrison tonight if you wanna enjoy some live hard rocking music! Today's post is short, but I don't have a lot of new stuff, so let's start with my review of last night's Social Play concert at The Rockstar Bar!

This was Social Play's first local concert since August 2008 at The Canadian Nightclub for the Rock 2 Roll skatepark benefit, when they were known as Browbeat, so it's been a very long time coming! Soundwise, not much has changed with the band, but that's a good thing! They started at around 10:00 PM, and played for a solid four hours with breaks, leaving everyone with a nice big shot of music! Attendance was slow at first, maybe a dozen people in the first hour, but after 11:00, the crowd started filling up! There was even some girls dancing, which was fun to see! Social Play's set consisted of about even levels of originals and covers, with a mix of both new originals and Browbeat classics like "The Pessimist" and "No Vacancy"! Covers-wise, Social Play had a very wide variety of bands to play songs from, everyone from Pantera and Megadeth to The Cars and Loverboy! More wide-ranging than I remember, but it's all good!

Frontman Dutch Vanderploeg has a unique voice for hard rock, I can't really place what makes it different, but it works, especially on their originals! Some of the covers didn't match up well vocally, like "Man In The Box", but he was never off key, and always sounded good! Guitar work was great too, he was hitting some good solos and had some nice melodies and riffs to throw around! The guitar was a bit washed out at times though, some pinch harmonics didn't come through on the speakers. Bassist Tiffany Emmerson was really good too, the bass was nice and clear, and she had some good grooves going on some songs! Chris Smith was solid all night on drums, he supplied much of the band's on-stage energy, and gave some good backing vocals as well! I also was lucky enough to get one of his broken drumsticks, no one else ran to get it after he thrown it to the crowd, so yay me! And of course, nice gargoyle out in front of the stage!

I had to leave earlier than I'd have liked, but I had fun overall! It was fun hearing some of those songs again after 16 months, and the band looked like they were having fun back on stage after such a long wait! They're neither the heaviest or most technical band out there, but they are a very fun hard rock trio, and hopefully we won't have to wait a year plus to see Social Play live again! Also, and this is just a personal like here, I liked the on-stage interaction between Dutch & Chris and me, that was cool! That's one plus you'll get out of concerts with low attendances, the band will get more personable with the people that are there! Here's hoping they'll be back real soon! Yes, I took photos, 30 to be exact, you can check them out by clicking here or visiting our official Facebook page! And thanks to my new 2 GB SD card, I can now take as many photos as I want and still have room for videos longer than 3 minutes! With that said, check out this clip of Social Play performing their original song "Walk Away" last night!



On a side note, I've noticed that The Rockstar Bar were still advertising Lion Ride as playing there on February 6th in paper ads, the LED marquee board there, and on their Facebook group, even though the band pulled the concert from their listings. Can anyone clear this up for me? Lion Ride must have pulled it for a reason, but you'd think The Rockstar Bar would remove it from the listings if it wasn't on anymore.

Finally for today, I have uploaded another new video to YouTube that should interest those of you that miss Gates of Winter! You may remember that Gates of Winter were working on a second studio album in 2008, but then they went on hiatus. Well one demo from those sessions is online! It is the song "From Nothingness", which they played a handful of times in their last concerts in 2008. Very heavy song, Lee Maines never sounded better vocally, I'd have liked it to have been longer though, with a guitar solo too. David Gold drummed on this song, his only appearance on a released studio Gates song, and he's awesome on it! Great keyboards from Brian Holmes too! It's too bad they broke up, this could have been better than "Lux Aeterna" if they'd finished this record! Check it out below, all credit for the song and image go to Lee Maines' MySpace page! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!



That's all for now, more news and updates are on the horizon, so stay tuned for lots more!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Derelict), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!

First of all, a reminder to check out the details on the Hope4Haiti benefit concert event in the post below. In short, many local concert venues will host many local bands on February 20th to raise money for the Canadian Red Cross towards helping Haiti in the aftermath of their devastating earthquake. Foggy Notions were the first to confirm their involvement that I know, they were looking for interested bands on their Facebook page. Tickets will be $10, for more information or to get your band/venue involved, e-mail slackhopper@gmail.com! But read my post or click here to get more details, let's help make this a success!

Today, we have a bunch of stuff to get to, including previews for all four metal shows this weekend in Sault Ontario and a new page for a band I recently mentioned. But first, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Montreal death metal band Derelict are coming to Sault Ste. Marie! They will be at Foggy Notions for the first stop of their Northern Shores Tour on May 6th! What better way to spend a Thursday night than with some good old Canadian death metal? A start time of 8:00 PM is given on their MySpace page, though I'd think it'd be later than that. No word on cover charges or any possible additional bands, I'll let you know if I find out! Very brutal band, but in a good way, death metal fans will want to mark this on their calendars! If I'm in town, I'll be there! Check out some of their songs on MySpace, or click here to visit their official website! I will keep you posted with updates on this concert as I hear them!

And now, it's time to preview this weekend's concerts! We have four different metal shows this weekend, two tomorrow night, two Saturday night, all at different venues in Sault Ontario! Let's begin at The Rockstar Bar, when a notable local band returns, if a week later than we'd have hoped. Social Play, the hard rock band formerly known as Browbeat, will finally return to the concert stage a week after their planned dates last weekend were cancelled. A start time of 7:10 is given on Facebook, but I doubt it's that early (maybe I'm wrong?) No cover charge is listed, and it's not all ages. As I said in my preview of the cancelled shows last week, this will be the first concert for this band since their 2008 appearance at the Rock 2 Roll skatepark fundraiser at The Canadian Nightclub! They used to be a frequent sight locally, having backed up Econoline Crush during one of their shows here,and playing local bars throughout the mid 2000s! Drummer Chris Smith told me that they'll play some older Browbeat songs and new material, which should be great to hear! For full details on this concert, visit the Facebook event page! I don't have video to share, but this will be a good show, you have my word!

Meanwhile, at The Speakeasy, Guns N' Roses tribute act Gunz N' FN' Rosez will come to welcome the Sault to the jungle! Doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow night, with the concert starting at 10:00 PM! Tickets are $10 in advance unless you're an Algoma University student, then you only pay $8. Both ticket prices jump $2 if you pay at the door. You must be 19 or have Algoma student ID to get in to this concert. Tribute bands are always fun to see, and these guys do a pretty good job of covering GNR hits, even donning the looks of the classic lineup (save for Izzy Stradlin, Buckethead's in his place!) Check out more from Gunz N' FN' Rosez at their official website! For full details on the concert itself, click here to see the Facebook event page! Solid tribute band, not perfect, but they're well worth seeing if you get a chance! For a preview, here's a clip of their rendition of "Paradise City"!



And then there's two metal concerts on Saturday night! One will take place at The Bottom's Up Lounge, where Tym Morrison will return for another acoustic solo set! Expect to hear many of Caveman Morrison's covers and more in an intimate setting! Chances are we all could use more softer stuff here and there, and Tym's got the metal cred and covers, so why not go see him on Saturday? He'll be on at around 10:00 PM, there is no cover, and I assume it's 19+ too, as it is a bar. So there's an idea for you guys on Saturday night, it should be another fun set! For full details on this concert, visit the official Facebook event page! Check out songs and video from Tym and Caveman Morrison at his official website, which was recently updated!

And finally this weekend, a hard rock band from Hamilton are returning to Coch's Corner! 40 Sons will be there Saturday night, just 3 months after they last played there! I was still unsure about this concert's validity, given the band's failure to post it, but it is still in Sault This Week, and J.D. from Coch's Corner was plugging it on Facebook, so it's on! I don't think there's a cover charge, I'd expect a start time of 10:00 or 11:00 PM on Saturday. Remember, 40 Sons are a pretty successful band, notably having won last year's Bodog Battle Championship, and getting airplay on various Ontario radio stations! Solid band, I like the singing, helps set them apart from other bands with a similar style! Check them out on MySpace to hear even more from 40 Sons! Another concert well worth considering, it is definitely on, hopefully there's a good turnout! For a preview, check out this live clip of 40 Sons performing their song "The Weight of the World" from a show this past June!



And finally, thanks to an anonymous comment on my post Tuesday, I can tell you even more about the local band SBD! I told you that their frontman is No Arrow's Dann Pichette, but the band also includes former No Arrow bassist Brad Griffith, and Shane Triplett on drums! Their first names seem to make up the band's name (Shane, Brad, Dann), just in case you didn't catch that! A link was given for the band's Soundclick page, which probably eluded me in the past because Sault Ste. Marie isn't mentioned on it at all. There, you can find a band photo and four songs! One is "Rock Paper Scissors" from the videos Dann uploaded to YouTube, but there's three others! On second listen, they are pretty different from No Arrow, more experimental, though there is still a bit of a grunge feel. It's hard rocking enough for the SMS, so click here to check out more from SBD! I wonder if we'll see them or No Arrow on stage soon?

Let's leave it there for today, I'll have more news soon! I hope to be at the Social Play concert tomorrow night, not sure about Saturday's concerts though. Stay tuned for more news and updates!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Social Play), And Two New Bands!

Short post for today, but I can't let a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT slide any more than it has! Here's what you need to know, followed by two new local bands I came across recently!

Remember this past weekend when Social Play (formerly known as Browbeat) cancelled their planned weekend dates at Foggy Notions? Well, they're back even quicker than I was figuring! They'll be back at The Rockstar Bar THIS FRIDAY, as you may have heard on the SMS Facebook page yesterday! No cover charge has been announced. The concert is listed on it's event page as starting at 7:10 PM, which seems way too early to be the real start time, but hey, you never know! And just like other shows at The Rockstar Bar, this is 19+. Should be a good concert, but for you hard rock fans, you have a choice to make: Social Play's first show in over 16 months, or a Guns N' Roses tribute band at The Speakeasy? I hope to make one of those, leaning towards Social Play, but we'll have to see! Click here to visit the Facebook event page, which also has details on Social Play drummer Chris Smith's other band Wishbone's concert at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday!

On a related note, Chris Smith gave the reason for the cancellation last weekend on the event page as being from "circumstances beyond their control". Hopefully the Friday concert will go off without a hitch!

So over the last couple days, thanks to subscription alerts on the SMS YouTube channel, I came across two new Sault Ontario hard rock bands, one with more info than the other! First I'll tell you about The Curtis J. McKenzie Project, which appears to be either a new band featuring members of 20 Pack Of Marshmallows, or a newer version of said band! It features Curtis McKenzie, Darren Vlassoff, and Micheal Cachagee, along with new rhythm guitarist Daniel Horton in place of Travis McKenzie! Their site includes song lyrics, band bio information, plenty of photos, a guestbook, and videos! Some are old 2POM videos, but there are some brand new clips of some new originals, and a cover of the Dale Evans song "Happy Trails", which is unexpected! So visit there to check everything out, they do have promise, though they need to work on audio quality, and some slightly heavier songs would be welcome. They have obvious talent though, keep an eye out for them! Here's an original song from The Curtis McKenzie Project, entitled "The Married Massacre", straight from Curtis' YouTube channel!



And finally, I don't know a ton about this band, but there's enough to warrant a mention! They are called SBD, and they feature No Arrow singer/guitarist Dann Pichette! Sources tell me that the other members were formerly in local band The Chintzy Slicks (remember them?), but SBD don't have a page at present, if this even is supposed to be an official brand new band. Still, it's worth posting, especially with the lack of No Arrow news in recent months! Oddly, while just one song ("Rock Paper Scissors") was uploaded to Dann's YouTube channel, it was broken up into 13 parts, with part 11 missing, and no individual video lasting longer than 1:17! From listening to the various parts of this song, it sounds good, nice grunge feel, it reminds me of No Arrow! But something seems a bit different about it, and not just from the absence of Harley and Joe from No Arrow. Check out Part 1 of "Rock Paper Scissors" below, and click here to see the remaining parts of the song!



That's all for now, I'd have liked to have had more, but I'll have plenty more news and updates real soon! And if nothing else, there will be previews of this weekend's concerts soon, hopefully a review of "Castle Stories" once I'm finished reading it, and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (40 Sons), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!

Hey guys, back to news today, though hopefully you enjoyed the first monthly profile post of bands from elsewhere that have Saultites in their lineup! But now, we get back to the SMS' primary focus: Updating all of you on local bands and concerts as I hear them! And we'll start with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

If you read our Facebook page yesterday, you would have gotten first word of this concert, and now I'll give you everything I know about it (admittedly, it's not much though.) According to an ad in the Hot Spots section of Sault This Week, Hamilton hard rockers 40 Sons are returning to Sault Ontario! They will apparently be playing at Coch's Corner on January 23rd, exactly three months after they last played there! I wouldn't expect a cover charge, and yes, it is 19+. Seeing as this show was mentioned in a dated and posted ad in a reputable newspaper, the show looks like a go, but 40 Sons' MySpace page only lists two concert dates, one of which has already happened, the other is not for here. So I'll list this concert for now, if 40 Sons list the show or Sault This Week pulls the concert from the paper, I'll let you guys know! As for the band themselves, 40 Sons are an award winning rock band that notably won last year's Bodog Battle Championship! I remember liking what I heard from there guys last year, especially Mike Repic's slightly unique voice! Check them out on MySpace, I'll keep you guys posted on their concert!

And now, it's time to preview this weekend's slate of local metal concerts! Two shows each in Sault Ontario and Sault Michigan, let us start in Sault Michigan!

Local rising hard rockers Nixxon Dixxon are back this weekend, when they hit Dondee Lanes! Their MySpace page says they'll be on tomorrow and Saturday night at around 8:00 PM, which seems earlier than normal. But hey, it's all good! Nice to see Dondee Lanes booking shows, you don't hear a lot from there like you used to (I wish they'd update their site though.) Of course, if you need a concert to hit this weekend in Sault Michigan, going to see Nixxon Dixxon should fit nicely! They're, as I've said dozens of times, an extremely talented young band, and they prove it each time they play! Making the finals of the Kiss Battle is obvious proof, but you should see a full concert of theirs as well! Hope the concerts go well! For a preview, check out their MySpace page and this clip of Nixxon Dixxon performing their original "High Life" from the Kiss Battle finals last month!



The other concerts this weekend are a double shot from a new/returning local hard rock band! Social Play (formerly known as Browbeat) are finally back on the local concert scene, and will play at Foggy Notions tomorrow and Saturday night! Both concerts are pegged to start at around 10:00 PM, I'd expect a cover charge of about $2. Seeing as this is a bar, you have to be 19 to get in. I believe the last time we saw the former Browbeat together on stage was when they took part in the Rock 2 Roll skatepark fundraiser in August 2008, so it's a long time coming! As a refresher, the band features Dutch Vanderploeg on vocals and guitar, Tiffany Emmerson on bass, and Wishbone bassist Chris Smith on drums. They used to be a frequent sight at local concert venues in the mid 2000s, and notably supported Econoline Crush at their March 2008 show at The Canadian Nightclub. Now as Social Play, they are back, and will hopefully deliver in their return! They had a good sound, hard rock that anyone can get into, hopefully things are similar this weekend! They don't have a MySpace page now, but trust me, they have the talent! Confirm your attendance at the Facebook event page!

Will I be at any shows this weekend? Yes I will! It's been too long since I last saw the band now known as Social Play live, I believe I'll be there for the Friday show! Better not be anything that stops me from going like when I was prevented from seeing Ultraviolence and Sense of Truth on Tuesday....I'm still bitter over that. Review, photos, and a video will come on Saturday!

Next up, when we talk about local bands on here, I tend to link to their MySpace pages. Why? Because that seems to be the standard for band pages, most bands have one. Only a scattered few have actual websites with paid domain names, and one of the few is Woods of Ypres. I didn't find myself visiting their actual website much because it was often badly outdated, but David Gold has finally updated the site to add lots of more relevant material! The news page lists info on "Woods IV: The Green Album" now, as well as other relevant links! Among other updates: "Woods IV" is now in the discography, and album lyrics are posted as well. Overall, there's no sweeping changes, just making things more current, which works! The site always had a nice design, it just needed some attention, and it got it! Check out Woods of Ypres' official website at http://www.woodsofypres.ca!

Two more tiny updates to close today's post. First, if you visit the SooNet forums often, you may have noticed that they've underwent a facelift! Looks nice, makes it look a bit more professional (that's not to say it wasn't before, I just like the improvement.) No posts are deleted, luckily, though the links have changed, so if you want to discuss local music there, click here. That's the new link. The other new update is that The Sault Metal Scene's Facebook page now has a custom user name! I completely forgot that you could add one to it, and last night, I finally gave us one! So the new URL for the SMS Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/saultmetalscene!

Thanks everyone, more news to come, including my Social Play concert review, the next SMS poll (it will be the best "something" in 2009) and more! Stay tuned!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Social Play), A New Battle of the Bands, And Garden Of Bedlam's New Video!

You know something? News really has been piling on the last couple days, and it's not even Gene Simmons' fault this time! I didn't anticipate having enough for a new post until tomorrow, but there's some stuff here that can't wait until tomorrow, lest it be too short of notice! Let's start with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!! (Check my post from earlier today for news on Garden of Bedlam's next show, the metalcore openers for Billy Talent, how you can contribute to Duane Roy's book about Sault Memorial Gardens, and more!)

One nice thing about Foggy Notions is that they post Facebook event pages for every gig booked there! However, they don't describe the bands in them. Such was the case for a pair of shows THIS WEEKEND at Foggy's, where a band called "Social Play" were booked for two nights there (Friday and Saturday). I had no idea who they were at first, but I can now confirm that this band was formerly known as Browbeat! Looks like they're back after all, just with a new name! Very solid hard rock, you may remember them from concerts in 2008 and prior, notably at the Rock 2 Roll skate park fundraiser! You may also recognize drummer Chris Smith as the bassist of local rock band Wishbone! The concerts are FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT, and are likely to start at around 10:00 PM! I'd expect a cover charge of around $2. 19+ only, so bring your ID! With no band pages at the moment (Browbeat's was deleted), I can't show you guys any video of them, but rest assured, they're very talented! I just hope the Social Play sound isn't a huge deviation from what I saw out of Browbeat! Confirm your attendance for either night's set at the Facebook event page!

Next up, over a month after the Kiss Battle of the Bands ruled the Sault, another battle is on the horizon! I apologize for the short notice of this, but it seems to have been primarily promoted through Sault College. ONE WEEK FROM THURSDAY, there will be a Battle of the Bands audition at Sault College! Bands will gather at The Outback behind Sault College on January 21st for PRIVATE AUDITIONS. This is NOT open to the public, no matter how many metal bands are playing, so I won't call this part of the battle as a "concert". No band limit has been announced, but the top four will be chosen to perform at the public finals on February 3rd at...The Soo Curlers Association Curling Rink on Anita Boulevard! The finals will be at the rink's HeartsStop Lounge. This battle appears to be a part of the festivities for this year's Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which is being held in Sault Ste. Marie, so the placement for the finals makes more sense. First place in the battle wins $750, second place gets $500, and third wins $150!

So, are you or your band interested in auditioning next Thursday? Well, here's what you need to know! Your band must have at least one Sault College student in the lineup, with your own equipment ready for the audition. You can't play more than three songs, with 10 minute setup time. Any genre's invited (hint hint metal bands!), and there is NO ADMISSION FEE TO AUDITION! Rules are subject to change, and you must be there at 6:00 PM regardless of when you perform. You have until Friday to sign your band up at The Outback or the Sault College Student Administrative Council office, so act NOW if you want to audition! For more info, contact Amanda Holmberg at amanda.holmberg@saultcollege.ca, by phone at 759-2554 (ext. 2708), or contacting her on Facebook! Get full details at the official Facebook event page! I know there's local metal bands with members attending Sault College, hopefully one or more audition! Remember, it's NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, so don't head to The Outback expecting a concert, you won't be able to get in. When and if metal bands make it to the finals, I'll let you know then!

And finally for tonight, Garden of Bedlam have posted two new videos online, one likely to get your attention more than the other! The first is a picture slideshow on a new band YouTube account set to their song "Stand Your Ground"! The audio sounds slightly muffled, but it's a nice slideshow, check it out by clicking here! (Oh, and thanks for using some pics I took!) But that's not all, for the best is yet to come! Remember how I mentioned that Rick Dellavedova from Amethyst was filming Garden of Bedlam during their Boxing Day show at Foggy Notions? Well, the fruits of that are now online, as an official music video for their song "The Truth Shall Set You Free" has been unveiled! Well edited, nice use of black and white only in the video, and you may notice some familiar faces in the crowd! Nice sync job with the original track and the live performance too! Nice work overall, check it out below! It's not often you find real music videos from local bands, so make sure to see this one! Thanks to ChristopherMLance for the upload!



Alright, I think that's all for now! Remember to go see Ultraviolence and Sense of Truth concert at Coch's Corner, this might be your last chance to see both bands locally for a while, so at least consider it! See all you guys real soon!

EDIT: I won't be at the Ultraviolence show due to reasons out of my control. I really wanted to go, I haven't seen Sense of Truth in full since July...goddamnit. Have fun for me!