Ruptured Birth/Thekillingfield Concert Review!!

For the first time since last summer's Iskra concert, I made it to The Oddfellows Hall to review a show there, as last night saw the return of Ruptured Birth and Thekillingfield to Sault Ste. Marie! Before we get into the bands, here's some other scattered notes from last night. In case you missed our late update to Saturday's news post, this show only featured four bands, as Crucify the Whore quietly dropped out of the show last week due to"technical & equipment difficulties", as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment on the Facebook event page. Disappointing, especially given the wait for a new C.T.W. set at a public venue, but hopefully we see Tyler Gibson back at it soon! A search for a replacement band was unsuccessful, so last night only had 4 bands. Regarding the attendance, the show only bounced around 2 dozen attendees for most of the night, but that number easily doubled for The Bear Hunters' return set, which was encouraging for them, but I wish more people had stuck around for the out of town headliners.

Tyler is an accomplished and reliable promoter, but this needed a lot more advance word, especially with no local poster or announced cover charge until the day of the concert. Hopefully things get ironed out for H.N.E.'s next shows! Also, the new sign outside of The Oddfellows Hall will take some getting used to, but it at least looks newer and more vibrant.

Last night's action was opened by online page-less local death metal duo Twistory in their first public concert set in about a year, and the first time that I've been able to see them live, so what are my thoughts on them? There's work to do, but they sounded promising! Fronted by former Pillory guitarist Josh Amendola (and featuring that band's frontman Robert Sartini on drums), the guys have obvious chemistry and a solidly heavy sound that fit their backgrounds, with Josh even sharing some vocal resemblances to Robert at times! That said, their set was short, didn't have a lot of clear breaks between songs, and often felt more like an extended jam session, and the lack of a bassist was at times noticeable. Josh did admit that they've only jammed a few times to prepare for this concert, but they had a brutal and raw sound that was a perfect fit for the occasion, and I am curious to hear much more from them in the coming months!

Next up was the long awaited return of The Bear Hunters after a 7 month stage hiatus, and they picked up where they left off with a crushing set of old and new death metal originals alike! Alongside newer songs like "The Dying Den" and classics like "Bloodthirst", the guys also broke out their fan favourite "Guardians of Asgaard" cover, and even got an encore to cap off their set with, which was awesome to see! Having missed last fall's Norilsk concert, this was my first time seeing The Bear Hunters live in over a year, and it's great to see that the guys haven't lost a step, and sounded on par with their past four-piece shows! Nik Deubel's vocals were inaudible on their opener, but the sound was quickly fixed so we could hear him, and he was on form from their early 2015 and early 2016 gigs, while Mitch Sirie shone on guitar, and Justin Lam held his own on bass as usual! Very solid return for The Bear Hunters, and here's hoping we're not waiting 7 months for their next show!

Third up in this show full of returns to the local stage was North Bay tech/death metal trio Thekillingfield in their first local concert set in 5½ years, and closer to their first tour in 2 years! It's a shame that this show didn't have more promotion, as Thekillingfield were definitely a favourite touring attraction here in the late 2000s, and they picked up where they left off in 2011 with a blistering set of progressive death and extreme metal! If you're familiar with Thekillingfield, you'll know that they have a lot of instrumental material in their sets, and last night was no exception, with vocal-less songs like "Mass For Shut-Ins" joining familiar tracks with lyrics like "To Be Joedy" for about a 50/50 split, but screaming or not, TKF had remaining fans right where they wanted them! A now-bald Justin Robinson still screams and shreds with the best of them, and Dean K.'s drumming was reliably complex, adding up to a welcome return for Thekillingfield, and here's hoping we see them back soon!

Finally, your headliners last night were Sudbury sci-grind/death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first local concert appearance since opening for Vesperia two years ago, and they delivered another heavy and devastating set of originals to send remaining fans home happy! This was my first time seeing Ruptured Birth live, and I definitely enjoyed their set, which was chock full of brutal and well written originals with some technical flourish, and I liked their usage of pre-recorded backing tracks on many songs to help set the mood. Last year's full length CD "Transmutant" was a frequent source for their setlist, including such songs as the title track and "Projectile Copremisis", and former Before the Black Gates singer James Bok gave brutal voice to them all, though his stage presence of mostly walking back and forth can be worked on. Musically, everyone sounded good, including guitarist Shane Scovron and former Archelon bassist Aaron Cividino, and I'd definitely be interested in seeing these guys on a local stage again soon!

Overall, this was a very solid night of death metal action, and while I wish there was a higher turnout, everyone delivered musically, and given that none of these bands have played on a local stage in 7 months or longer, it was extra unique and notable on that basis! You can check out our photos from last night at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Twistory playing "The Retribution", The Bear Hunters playing their newer solng "The Wrath of Angmar", Thekillingfield playing their instrumental "Apple of Eden", and Ruptured Birth playing "Blood Siren"!









That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

Ruptured Birth Concert Preview, A Unique Drum Cover Video, Upcoming Concert Notes, And More!!

For the first time in a week, we have a post that's primarily about news and updates at the SMS! Yes, there is one concert preview for an impending metal concert, but also, we have some assorted recent updates, perhaps some bad news for an upcoming concert, and a new drum cover video, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Sunday at 12:20 PM)

Heavy North Entertainment are back for their first concert of the year, and it will see the return of two Northern Ontario extreme metal bands to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall to cap off their Grime Life mini-tour of Northern Ontario! The featured headliners are Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first Soo stop since opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub in 2015, and with many brutal sci-fi inspired originals in their repertoire, prepare for a face melting good time tomorrow! North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will make their long awaited local return tomorrow as co-headliners, marking their first local appearance since 2011, with a pair of 2014 sets cancelled in the interim. It's hard to believe we've been waiting over five years for Thekillingfield to hit the local stage again, so welcome them back with open arms and horned fists as well! Local opening acts will include the return of local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters in their first concert of 2017, so how will they sound after their 7 month stage hiatus? Find out tomorrow!

Online page-less death metal duo Twistory will round out the lineup in their first public concert set in almost a year, while a planned opening set by Crucify the Whore has been cancelled due to equipment difficulties, as per the Facebook event page, and they have not been visibly replaced. This ALL AGES show has an 8:00 PM start time (with doors opening at 6:30 PM), and there will be a $6 cover charge at the door. Death metal fans should be very excited by this show, including a number of long awaited returns to the local stage, particularly Thekillingfield's progressive-tinged explosion, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Ruptured Birth live!



Next up, here's a pair of new videos, starting with this unique clip of As It Stands drummer John Mignacca beating the electric drumskins all over Sault Ste. Marie! Uploaded to his new "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel on Tuesday, the video (filmed by John's former A.I.S. bandmate Nathan Bouliane) features John drumming along to his old band Skeyes of Seven's original "Cognitive Dissonance" in various locations, including outside of the "Algoma's Friendliest City" sign, the International Bridge, the Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and inside the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. Very creative and well shot, this is well worth checking out for fans of local landmarks, John's drumming, and Skeyes of Seven, though after watching, I was also thinking of other places he could drum for a sequel! One outside of concert venues might be interesting, particularly ones John played at frequently. Give it a look below, and don't miss As It Stands return at The Canadian on THURSDAY!



Also today, here's some recent clarifications and updates regarding a teased concert event for later this month. Though there has been no formal confirmation, numerous postings on it's Facebook event page have indicated that the Rock The Border Music Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 18th is no longer taking place. Pessimism and unconfirmed personal reports don't paint a good picture, especially as this show was promoted by some of the same organizers behind the called-off Quiet Riot show (CSA branding or not), and while the ticket sale page is still online, there haven't been any public updates to this event from organizers since May 7th. Based on available reports, I'm reluctantly inclined to remove the show from our links, but if there's any official confirmation that it's still on in some form, we will redact this! If true, this is all very disappointing, especially given the hype and the chance to make up for the Quiet Riot concert, but if it's off, hopefully ticket buyers get full refunds promptly!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed CKY drummer Jess Margera for this article that went in the newspaper and on their website on Monday in advance of THIS THURSDAY'S headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub.Within, Jess discussed the band's move to a three-piece lineup following Deron Miller's departure, their recent collaboration with Mastodon's Brent Hinds for their new single, fan response in their recent tours, why you won't hear much from their last album "Carver City", and more, and it's a solid read in advance of this highly anticipated show, so check everything out above!
• The previously announced CureCon festival from new local company Ma Lady Menace on August 12th will reportedly not be taking place at The Royal Canadian Legion hall on Great Northern Road, as per the venue's Facebook page earlier today. The Legion apparently has had "NO dealings" with the promoters, and while I won't get into the online rumous and mixed feelings within, note that Ma Lady Menace have not updated their Facebook page in two weeks, when they acknowledged website maintenance. We'll remove CureCon from our concert calendar due to the lack of venue, but if it's still held elsewhere, we'll let you know!
• The Machine Shop confirmed via this press release last week that March's postponed Quiet Riot concert is now officially cancelled, citing a "breach of contract" between the headliners and promoters CSA International, and told people where to get refunds for tickets if they had yet to do so. This story resurfaced because the originally planned rescheduling was for May 26th, but CSA had previously redacted that on their own. The discussion about the promoters and refund process has sparked more pessimistic online debate, but all I'll add here is that I hope everyone still looking for a ticket refund gets theirs soon, if they haven't already.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the month of June progresses! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rock The Border Music Fest & Ruptured Birth!!)

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Phlashback/Kick Start singer & guitarist Terry Becker, who passed away on Friday at the age of 65, according to numerous personal Facebook postings. Details on his services have yet to be announced, but definitely stay tuned to local news media for updates on that front. Though not known for work in hard rock bands (moreso country and blues rock), Terry will be familiar to many fans as a brother of Sykotyk Rampage mainstays Paul & Dirk Becker, and was once scheduled to join them with a solo set at 2015's Soo Zombie Walk, though he later had to withdraw from that event. I own an autographed copy of Phlashback's 2006 CD "Ride the Wind", on which Terry was the primary songwriter, where you got a sense of Terry's musical & vocal gifts, and he was definitely a talented musician and instructor, so our condolences are definitely with the Becker clan at this difficult time. R.I.P. Terry!

Now, today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS regarding two concerts taking place next month, one a long awaited festival announcement, and the other seeing returning Northern Ontario extreme metal bands after 2 years away or more, so here's what you should know!

Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth and North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will each return to Sault Ste. Marie for a concert at The Oddfellows Hall on Thursday, June 4th! Featuring former members of Before the Black Gates, fans may recognize Ruptured Birth from opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub back in 2015, and their crushing science fiction-inspired originals should brutalize local fans when they make their return to the local stage next month! As for Thekillingfield, this show is a long time coming for them, having not travelled west to the Soo since headlining at the former Roosevelt Hotel back in 2011, with two early 2014 Oddfellows Hall sets being cancelled in the interim. Thekillingfield played here a lot around the turn of the 2010s, and it's awesome to see them finally come back after nearly six years away, so don't miss out on their return on June 4th! Local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore will be among the openers in their first public set of the year, and fans should enjoy Tyler's solo return also!

At least one more opening act is to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on their identity. Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment in that agency's first event since September's Dumpster Mummy concert (and just their second since the fall of 2015), a 6:00 PM start time is currently advertised for this ALL AGES show, but admission prices have not been posted yet. This should be a brutal and heavy good time for local metalheads, including some acts we haven't seen enough of locally, so visit the official Facebook event page for continued updates!

Next up, the long-delayed lineup announcement for the Rock the Border Music Fest on Sunday, June 18th has finally been made, and organizers have confirmed that Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay will headline the show in a side project group! The two of them are actually in two side bands, the newer hard rock outfit Josh Todd & The Conflict, and a rap/electronic rock project named Spraygun War, but organizers just said that they will play "a little of everything". I'd be inclined to believe that The Conflict are the band coming, but we won't list them as such until/unless there's confirmation. Josh & Stevie D. are no strangers to the area, as fans who saw Buckcherry at Kewadin Casino in 2011 will know, but how will they sound in this side band next month? Stay tuned! The teased Australian band will be Sydney hard rock quintet The Lazys, who will hit the Soo as part of their Summer Ontario Fun Tour. Lively yet old school sound, they should find a solid audience when they rock the Soo next month, so give them a listen!

Three more bands are to be announced, but aside from at least one being Canadian, none have been confirmed publically as of this writing. Now that the lineup has finally been partially announced, what else should you know on the concert? Well, it's now advertised to take place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion instead of The Machine Shop, marking a rare local hard rock concert under the tent downtown, and it will be nice to see some live concert action there after too long of a wait! This is an ALL AGES show, though it is licensed, and an early 2:30 PM start time is advertised. Tickets are on sale for $45 for early birds (no word on when the discount ends), $55 for advance admission, $60 for general tickets, and $75 for VIP passes, which allow close access to the stage, a drinking section, and line bypass upon entry. As well, there will be a $100 meet & greet VIP pass that allows you to view the soundcheck and get an autographed poster, so keep all of the packages in mind!

You can get tickets online at this link, though no word on local in-person availability as of this writing. Also, just for clarification's sake, a post on the Facebook event page from organizers indicated that this is not promoted by CSA International (they of the postponed Quiet Riot concert), despite the fact that the "About" tabs on CSA's Facebook page & the Rock the Border Facebook page both list the same phone number. Given that, there must be a common person involved in both, but if they say this isn't a CSA event, who am I to argue? As for the show proper, I know there's already some pessimism online regarding the two week+ delays and the perception of the lineup quality so far, but remember, there are three more bands to be announced, Buckcherry fans should come out in force, and if this concert is a hit, more big hard rock shows will come to the Soo, from these promoters or others! Stay tuned for continued updates on the Rock The Border Music Fest as it comes in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Metal, Hard Rock, And Punk Concert Previews!!

I'm out of town for the weekend (at least), but the SMS can't stop, as there's another big concert weekend upon us! We're focusing on previously announced shows today, with a nice mixture of sounds and styles within, including a big returning hardcore punk band, so here's what you need to know for this concert preview post, starting with Thursday nighters taking place tonight!

The announced seventh installment of J.D. Pearce & Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series goes down TONIGHT, as Toronto folk/death metal quartet Vesperia will play Sault Ontario for the first time as headliners at The Algonquin Pub! An extreme, brutal, and mature sounding band featuring Hallows Die drummer Dylan Gowan in their lineup, the former Bolero should devastate The Gonq TONIGHT, so don't bypass them for some Thursday night entertainment! Though there is one other out of town band on the lineup, local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters are the listed co-headliners, and you know what aggression and excitement they bring to the table, so expect a great set from Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny tonight as well! The listed openers are Sudbury "sci-grind" quartet Ruptured Birth in their own local debut, and with members of Before The Black Gates in their lineup, their unique take on grindcore shouldn't be missed, so don't be late!

Note that a previously announced set by Sudbury death metal trio Fractal Generator will not take place as they couldn't make the show, while a hoped headlining set by Crimson Shadows didn't reach it's Kickstarter goal to fund it. Now promoted by Destroilet's Brenton Ellis despite still being a listed Gonqshow event (Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie passed the job to Brent), admission will be $8 for this 19+ show, which will start between 9:00 & 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! A nice throwback of sorts to the Rosie's Thursday metal nights, there's a solid lineup here, so keep this show in mind for TONIGHT! Here's Vesperia live last month!

Next up, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his pair of weekly concert arrangements with solo headlining gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, AND SATURDAY, followed by his long running Harp Bar & Grill series TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Though we haven't found Facebook event pages for these shows yet, all are confirmed on SooToday's entertainment page. Fans of Tym's acoustic rock covers once again have a wealth of options to check out this weekend, whether you want suppertime entertainment at the restaurant at the corner of Bay & Dennis, or nighttime revelry at the former Madison's Pub, so keep all five of Tym's shows in mind for TONIGHT through Saturday! The Gliss shows are all 6:00 PM events with no cover and no age limits (but remember, this is a restaurant), while the two Harp shows start at 10:00 PM with no cover and a 19+ age limit. For more details on Tym's busy weekend, check the above links, and here he is live a few years back!

Also this weekend, local hard rock quartet Long Shot are scheduled to return to The Fraternal Order of Eagles' clubhouse in nearby Heyden TOMORROW NIGHT! Though oddly not plugged recently on their Facebook page, this will be the guys' first show since their Rotaryfest debut last weekend, their last local gig before taking a road trip to Sarnia for a show there, and (at least) their third show at this sporadically-used Heyden venue since last year. Evan, Adam, Nathan, and Jeremy have steadily been growing in profile in recent months, and while this is somewhat of an unfamiliar venue to some, this should be a solid location for Long Shot's next show! If last fall's Eagle Club show is anything to go by, tomorrow's concert will have an earlier 7:00 PM start time & no announced age limits, and bring cash just in case, but we'll let you know if something finite is announced. Check the above links for more details, and here's Long Shot on Saturday!

Finally for today, here's the main event of the weekend, as Vancouver hardcore punk legends SNFU will make their long awaited return to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Yes, this is officially the eighth Gonqshow event in that series, but given the size and hype, it's naturally upstairs rather than downstairs. After the cancellation of their planned 2013 local show, this will be the first Sault Ste. Marie appearance by Mr. Chi Pig and company in over six years, so it's way overdue for a local audience to open up and say "SNFU"! Notably, this show is during the band's 30th anniversary tour for their debut album "...And No One Else Wanted to Play", which will be performed in full tomorrow, so keep that in mind! Local support will come via by local punk/metal bands (and upcoming split CD participants) Destroilet & Jack Spades, the latter of whom finally getting a chance to open for SNFU after the 2013 show was called off. Very fitting choices, so don't be late!

Note that local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back are listed as performing on the poster above, but are not credited on the Facebook event page, and the band hasn't recently acknowledged the show, so they appear to have dropped out. A $20 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which has an announced 9:00 PM start time. Given how successful SNFU's 2009 show was at The Grand Theater, there are high expectations for tomorrow, so if you love old school hardcore punk, be at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT for SNFU! Here they are at The Grand 6 years ago!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan and late notice previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Shit Liver & Wilt), The New Bare Episode, And More!!

For this Saturday, here's a new post featuring assorted recent updates, a new performance video, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall and TONIGHT, so here's what you need to know!

A long teased Heavy North Entertainment house party concert will indeed go down TONIGHT, as a venue has been found! Apologies for the obviously short notice, the show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday but we held it for this weekend's previews & for a venue announcement. TONIGHT'S show will be headlined at 12:30 AM by local/St. Catharine's death metal/crust punk trio Shit Liver in their first local concert of the year (and first of their brief return home on their current Canadian tour), so if you can't make it to The Rednecks Saloon on Tuesday, keep TONIGHT's show in mind for their grimy death metal intensity! The listed band order will also see local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters take the stage at 11:30 PM for the first time since their VM Radio Battle run, while Blood Shed Productions acts will fill out the lineup, including solo goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 10:30 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 9:30 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas splitting the opening 9:00 PM set.

Note however that the lineup is "subject to small change", and we'll let you guys know if something is announced! To be held at 124 Anna Street in the east end, this definitely publically-advertised show is ALL AGES, and admission is by donation, though Shit Liver will have merchandise on sale too. For more details, visit the above links! If you've enjoyed other recent H.N.E./Blood Shed house parties, this will be right up your alley, especially with the local return of Shit Liver, so don't miss out TONIGHT AT 9:00 PM, and here's Shit Liver live last year!

Also in new concert announcements, here's the last of the currently announced Gonqshow events in J.D. Pearce's summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, as Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt (I believe) are scheduled to make their local concert debut there on Saturday, September 26th! If we have the right band named Wilt, then look for a night of intense atmospheric and drawn out extreme metal from this talented band that fans of Wolven Ancestry should take to! Openers are to be announced, but we are five months out from showtime, so we have lots of time for word on that front. Like most other Gonqshow events this year, this will be a 19+ event with a $5 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, but again, there could be announcements to the contrary over the summer. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more Gonqshow updates in a bit!

Next, here's the long awaited episode of Local2's stripped-down music performance series Bare, featuring local indie/punk band Northwest! Uploaded to Bare's YouTube channel yesterday, this has Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Greg Callaghan playing their song "Young & Wild", notably still with electric guitars. In a sense, it sounds like extracted master tracks in this form, and it's solidly done, but I do wonder how this would sound if unplugged? Nice work, so give Northwest's Bare episode a look below, and check out their new SooToday article on their CBC Searchlight run at this link (VOTE TODAY!!)



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter updates from the last while, including to two of the upcoming Gonqshow events! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• This recently came to our attention following a recent push to name a local concert stage in honour of late Case's Music founder, musician, and teacher Mike Case, as it turns out that the bandshell at Bellevue Park (which infrequently hosts heavier shows) was already named the Harry R. Pearse Memorial Bandshell in 1971 after the conductor of The Band of the 227th Regiment in the early 1900s. However, the outdoor country stage at the Chippewa Trading Post is being named after Mike, which is a great gesture! Click here for more on recent tributes.
• The planned Of Tall Tales-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub that was scheduled for Saturday, July 18th will apparently be moved to a different date, as per a recent update to the Gonqshow's event page that now lists it's date as "to be announced". A reason hasn't been announced, but hopefully it does take place, as Of Tall Tales are a solid band! Stay tuned for updates!
• Two Sudbury metal bands have been added to the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub show on Thursday, July 23rd, those being new "sci-grind" quartet Ruptured Birth (featuring members of Before The Black Gates) and death metal trio Fractal Generator (featuring members of Wolven Ancestry). Great additions, it's nice to see more Sudbury bands coming out west! Also, this show now has a listed $8 cover charge.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!