Our Recap Of Spades GT's Sofa City Sounds Interview From Last Month!!

Today's, we are heading back to the world of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, and for this post, we'll focus on a brand new interview that guitarist Daniel Horton and bassist Sean MacNab took part in on September 22nd with the Niagara Falls-based music promotion company Sofa City Sounds! This is the third interview that Spades GT members have conducted with Sofa City head Amanda Schilz, following interviews with J.D. and Tyler in December 2023 and Tyler alone in January of this year. We just need her to talk to Fang and she'll have the entire current lineup covered! Our prior links to those interviews have been wiped due to Facebook live-streamed videos now being deleted after 30 days, but I linked to each interview's YouTube copy via Amanda's YouTube channel, which is also where I've sourced the new interview so it doesn't vanish in eight days. 

This 65 minute remote interview begins with Dan & Sean introducing themselves and talking about recent experiences at live events Amanda saw them at. Apparently, Amanda was supposed to interview Spades GT members before their set at Rye Fest in Brantford in August, but unspecified health matters led to that being delayed. She and Daniel discuss how well Rye Fest went to perform at and attend, and assorted experiences at live concerts, before transitioning to how Sean joined the band (he confirmed that he did not perform on "United"). Interesting to hear how he fell into the Spades gig, let alone his jokingly tenuous standing with the band even now! Looser casual talk follows, including everyone's ages, past live concert experiences, and family links (one of Amanda's kids was off camera playing with a loud toy), before they about how they got on the bill to open for The Exploited last year and will again do so later this month.

This leads to Daniel elaborating on how their sound is kind of a punk/metal hybrid that allows them to adapt to multiple bills. After Amanda discusses aborted plans to ask Spades to open for The Dayglo Abortions at a concert she was involved in, Daniel outlines the band's origins (again describing Jack Spades as a different band than Spades GT), and then taking the lost Dayglo opportunity in stride, as Spades opened for Dayglo in in their first post-relaunch gig in Barrie in April 2022. Note as well that Jack Spades' first full concert set in September 2013 was opening for The Dayglo Abortions here at the former Roosevelt Hotel, but of the current GT lineup, only J.D. was in the band then. They next discuss the networking and relationships made through the rock music scene in Southern Ontario, including podcasts, and apparently, Dan and J.D. have kicked tires on starting one to talk to other musicians. If Tyler can do one with Drummers Paradise, why not?

Personal struggles with sobriety and mental health come up next, with Sean rightly pointing out how their new song "Demons" is relevant to the topic at hand, and things also evolve into how the music scene has evolved in good and bad ways, including how the pandemic affected how bands operated, and continued experiences of seeing live music and performing at big concerts. A lot of credit is given by Amanda and Dan to the people who support the scene, be they musicians, promoters, journalists, photographers, stage crew, or anyone else who helps the cause. Near the end, Daniel does tease that "we've got some fun stuff comin' next year for sure", with Amanda planning to contact Spades GT for booking them on a show in 2026, before talking about Amanda's bull mastiff, who helped end the interview a little more abruptly than planned. Nice long interview that had a very friendly atmosphere, and while questions about Spades GT and their past/future plans weren't the firm focus, Amanda and the guys had a good rapport that shows that they knew each other well!

It's clear that Amanda loves what she's doing with the heavier music scene in Southern Ontario, and she gets along well with the Spades crew (lack of an interview with Matthew acknowledged) , though it would have been nice to hear Sean a little more in the discussions. Check out the full hour+ interview below, and stay tuned for more from Spades GT soon! Thanks everyone!

One More Weekend Concert Preview, Plus A New Spades GT Interview Video!!

In this post, we're wrapping up this weekend's concert previews with a special event featuring a band reunion, but the rest of this post references one of the performers' current group, so here's what you should know!

Here's one more weekend concert preview for TONIGHT, as a bunch of familiar faces will join forces at The Dive Gastro Pub! Advertised by the venue as the "jam night for Joy" (the Facebook event page treats it as a normal concert), this special event is the culmination of today's celebration of life for Joy MacMillan, the late mother of Spades GT/ex-Haggith guitarist Daniel Horton, whose support was clear and instrumental throughout her son's local band work in the 2010s, as his friends and bandmates will be well aware of. Joy passed away in late November, but after a GoFundMe campaign, her celebration of life proper takes place today at the Holiday Inn Express (the former Days Inn) from 2:00-6:00 PM, but the concert portion takes place at around 9:00 PM with an advertised reunion of Mike Haggith & The Din, albeit their 2013-2014 acid jam/improv incarnation featuring Daniel alongside Mike & Curtis McKenzie.

It will be nice to see 3/4ths of the core Haggith lineup back for a night, albeit under sad circumstances, and hopefully they recapture early Din sets well in Joy's memory! Curt will also play a solo set tonight (presaging his full solo gig there next week), while Dan's former Jack Spades bandmate Rob Speers will also bring his acoustic solo act there tonight, fresh off playing at The Dive on Thursday. This special 19+ concert has no advertised cover charge, as well as refreshments and a cash bar, though seating will be limited. Visit the above links for more on what should be a special night for Daniel and his family, here's the original Din live, and R.I.P. Joy!

Next up, let's pivot to Daniel's current work in Spades GT, so what are the local/Barrie crossover thrash band up to this year/month so far? You can find out some of that info here, as drummer Tyler Reiner took part in with the Niagara Falls-based music promotion company Sofa City Sounds on January 2nd! This was streamed on Sofa City Sounds' Facebook page, and ignore that the video description says that the interview was with Black Absinthe, they labelled the wrong group. If Sofa City sounds familiar, it's because Tyler and frontman J.D. Pearce were interviewed by owner/host Amanda Schilz (and her son!) back in December 2023, and you can watch that 48 minute video at this link. A year+ later, Tyler flew solo for this remote interview, which starts with Amanda reminiscing on the first time that she saw Spades live and other related topics. We next get hype for Spades GT's first concert of 2025, which saw them play at Walterstock III.

Two days after this interview was posted, Spades joined twenty-three other bands to pay tribute to beloved GTA metalhead Walter Froebrich at The Rockpile in Toronto once again, and this discussion leads to some good personal discussion about connectivity and personal interactions among the metal community there, plus coming and going into music and awareness of it, and having the drive and passion to get your name out there and also support other local-to-you bands. Eventually, Tyler does bring up the band's eventful 2024 and plans to return to the studio next month to record their next studio album, as well as plugging some of the band's radio airplay in Southern Ontario last year, while also opening the floodgates to promoters to book them in 2025, especially in markets that they haven't played at before. Following some more Walterstock promotion, Tyler plugs what they have for sale and what they hope to have to sell soon, especially the new CD.

The band's lineup is credited about 52 minutes into the interview, with the bassist search still ongoing at the time, and J.D. was supposed to take part in this year's Sofa City Sounds interview too but couldn't due to commitments with his day job. Most of the rest of the interview is casual conversation and reiterating 2025 plans for Spades GT, but Tyler does reference how he's not the first drummer of the band, crediting their beginnings in the Soo as Jack Spades in the 2010s, and how appreciative he is to be brought into the fold. While Amanda's son didn't help in the interview this time (though pets stopped by on both ends), this was another fun interview for Spades fans! Most of it was admittedly just Tyler and Amanda talking about the scene at large and personal experiences, and not a lot of ground is covered that fans didn't already know from 2024 postings and interviews, but it's a solid and laid back watch that you can check out below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Spades GT Updates & Videos From December & January!!

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to acknowledge that local funk/hard rock cover band The Wyld Stallyns did not play at Shooters Downstairs Lounge last night for unannounced reasons, with no band replacing them. The band & venue never publically confirmed or denied the gig, which new drummer Brandan Glew announced on his personal Facebook page last month. The Stallyns are not known for frequently updating their Facebook page, alas, but I do apologize for the erroneous plug on Thursday. I'd have noted that it was cancelled had someone publically said something in advance! My thanks to Sarah Vikken (who was present for an unrelated event) for confirming the lack of a band last night.

Now let's dive into more recent news and notes from local/Barrie crossover thrash band Spades GT, so what else have they been up to since the turn of the new year? On December 30th, Joe Taylor of the music website Blast Toronto reviewed their newest album "Sewer City Radio", recommending the album to fans of Motorhead, Anvil, The Offspring, and The Ramones. He used a lot of hyperbole to pump up this album in a brief but positive write-up, so give it a look at this link! The rubber chicken frequently pops up in Joe's CD reviews, if you wanted context. On New Year's Day, the band posted a "Reel" on their Facebook page to recap their 2023, featuring assorted live concert clips and posters as set to their song "Cenobites" while guitarist Daniel Horton talked about how the year went & how 2024 will be another big year. My usual "Reel" complaints aside, it hypes up 2023 well!

I can't embed "Reels" here, but I can embed this video, which features a 48 minutes-long interview that frontman J.D. Pearce and drummer Tyler Reiner recorded with Amanda Schilz and her son Andrew The Legend of Sofa City Sounds, a music promotion/interview company out of Niagara Falls. Tyler and J.D. were participating remotely over the holidays, with Tyler in Muskoka and J.D. in the Soo when this was recorded! Note J.D is in front of a local Ripcordz concert poster, and look for his various masks. After asking about their holiday plans, Spades GT talk about "Sewer City Radio", how Spades GT came together in Barrie (Tyler brings up the Jack Spades era here), their live concert experience (which J.D. hopes is close to hearing their studio material), their 2024 plans in concert and studio, bands that they have enjoyed sharing the stage with (Drew from Random Killing saw Spades at the Josey Scott show here last summer) ...

...rumoured major shows for 2024 (not that Spades GT were willing to spill many beans), their growth in the past year, and their advice for young musicians. Fun and loose interview with lots of discussion about bands that Amanda (and her kids) have seen live and worked with, and if you find the idea of a local band interview involving a host conducting it with her son to be unusual, remember that Heavy Lies The Crown did a (sadly now deleted) interview in January 2023 with Ghost Media Entertainment where the host's young daughter participated. Click here for our recap to compare. Give Spades GT's interview with Sofa City Sounds a watch below!

Spades GT's first concert of 2024 saw them play at the second annual Walterstock, the fundraiser/memorial concert in honour of noted GTA metalhead Walter Froebrich, who passed away after being unable to get prompt medical treatment in 2022 despite his best efforts (click here for more on that sad story). Like with the inaugural Walterstock last year, twenty-seven acts played at The Rockpile in Toronto on January 6th, and while none of the other bands are familiar from local gigs, frequent Spades GT show partners GFU played, as did headlining Pantera tribute band Cowboys From Hell, while Spades bassist James Roy Daley also played with the psychobilly band The House of Haunt immediately following Spades' set. Videos were not in short supply from Spades' Walterstock set, and we'll start with two fan-shot videos that, while both sadly vertical, are not "Reels" and therefore embeddable here!

Attendee William Wai Yun Lum (who previously filmed Spades GT at Indie Night In Canada last year) live-streamed this sub-2 minutes clip of them playing "Succubus" for his personal Facebook page, which the band later publically shared on their Facebook page. The somewhat low framerate and muffled audio are noted, but it's an intense performance from the front row, and while I wouldn't have shot it vertically, it does get a good look at J.D. in particular, so check it out for yourself below!

There's definitely more from Walterstock to come, but we'll finish up here with attendee Dawn Faller's video of Spades GT's closing song, namely the title track of their album "Sewer City Radio"! Dawn posted this three days after the event on her personal Facebook page before the band re-posted it. This is a longer video capturing the full song, and while vertical, she wasn't shy about rotating the camera around to catch things at skewed angles while zooming in and out, so it's an interesting watch! She was at more of a sharp angle too, but still clearly in the front row. Good audio quality here too, so check this clip out below as well!

 

When we pick things back up for Spades GT, it'll be with more Walterstock fallout, so look for that in the coming weeks, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Lo-Fi Video Fanzine No. 1 Review!!

Merry Christmas to all readers who celebrate! I hope everyone is having a pleasant holiday and got lots of presents! On this holiday, I wanted to open a present of sorts, namely a disc that I found at Value Village a few weeks ago called "Lo-Fi Video Fanzine No. 1", credited on the spine as "a lo-fi film by Christopher Shoust". Long-time readers may recognize Chris Shoust as the frontman of the inactive indie/punk solo project Telephone & Address, from his work in bands like The Red & Black and Orange, and from his artistic pursuits as a painter and filmmaker, but I had no idea that he once worked on a video magazine project! Two DIY installments of this zine were made up in late 2012 (the first one is dated to September of that year), but I couldn't tell you how they were distributed at the time, as I don't remember him or performers openly plugging this on social media at all.

Interestingly, the disc is not a DVD, rather a data disc containing the 30 minutes of video in one file, so if you have either disc, your mileage will vary on if it will even play on certain devices. Given that I have only seen one of these in the wild in the past 11 years, I'd hazard a guess that their print runs were quite limited, but never fear, as Chris quietly uploaded both Lo-Fi Video Fanzines to his YouTube channel in April of last year. We'll focus on the first one today, which was largely shot across two dates in August & September 2012 inside the old Royal Canadian Legion building on Great Northern Road, aside from one performer, who was partially filmed playing on Queen Street East outside of Reggie's Place. It is worth noting that Chris said that the video is "deliberately low quality" to focus on documenting what happened rather than making the footage "look pretty". I don't necessarily agree, as our eyes see better than the camera was set up to, but Chris always liked lo-fi recordings.

I have no clue whether the Legion performances here were taken from public concerts or private events intended specifically for the zine, but if I had heard about them being public events, I would have at least covered them on the SMS at the time. The 30 minute video opens with defunct local hard rock duo Sounds From The Green Room, an online page-less precursor to singer/guitarist Brad Griffith & drummer B.J. Swire's later band Bizotic. S.F.T.G.R. even played a show in Ottawa in 2011, but their public dates in the Soo were very limited, and I didn't know they were still playing anywhere in 2012! Their song (which ended their set at the fuller Legion concert) was introduced by name, but I couldn't make out the title due to the lo-fi recording quality, though it sounded like Brad said "Fudgel". Very Sykotyk Rampage-esque sound to this song, but with more traditional melodic vocals, and it's definitely heavier than Bizotic were!

Second on the zine are two spoken word poems by Denis Robillard, though only the second ("Many Phones Sleep Here, Under The Earth") has its title introduced on camera. I'd have left in the applause after he finished, but Denis did write good thematic poems here! Next is the first appearance of fan favourite local pianist & street performer Damjan "Spider Fingerz" Binda, who performs some original music for 3 minutes or so, and his skill on the keys is as prevalent as ever! More spoken word follows when Cody Rydall reads a well written poem named "Like Flight", while his brother Jake (who we have covered here via the old Swampstravaganza open mic block) gets an almost six minute stretch of the zine next, where he does two original songs on vocals & acoustic guitar. Neither one has its title given on camera, but they may be called "Eye To Eye" and "Broken Guitar Strings".

Jake sings well here and has a knack for good compositions! As the second half of the zine begins, we leave the Legion for the first time to catch Spider Fingerz playing outside on Queen Street (at 3:00 AM, no less!). One wonders what nighthawks must have thought of this, but as always, Damjan's abilities as a pianist are clear as day even if the video isn't! Cody Rydall returns for a second poem next, which isn't titled on camera but only runs for about 30 seconds. Once you're done snapping your fingers to it, you can check out the return of Sounds From The Green Room's Brad Griffith, who is otherwise best known on bass with No Arrow and SBD, and for his more recent solo pursuits under the Gortium85 handle. Brad's solo section is the longest in the zine, and the only one to feature two distinct camera angles. As seen here, Brad is sticking closer to his grunge/hard rock work of the 2000s and early 2010s than what we saw later from him.

His two songs include one possibly named "Black Shadow", but I couldn't catch a candidate name for the second song, which has a livelier classic rock flair, and was filmed beside Brad rather than in front of him. Strong stuff for fans of Brad's pre-Bizotic music in particular, especially his first song! Denis Robillard returns for one more poem next, whose title sounds "Woke Flow Aerodrome" but I may be slightly incorrect with it. That ends the Legion content of the zine, and after a break with Damjan skateboarding downtown, we end with him and Chris joining forces like they did in The Red & Black, but here, it is specifically credited as an improvised joint performance between Telephone & Address and Spider Fingerz. Also filmed outside of Reggie's in the middle of the night, this is basically what happens if you let two guys play piano simultaneously, with Chris playing the high keys and Damjan handling the low keys.

Rather than play side by side, Damjan is playing from behind the keyboard while standing up, and they do pair well together to create music that one pianist shouldn't be able to do alone! While I would have filmed these with better quality cameras/settings, this was a fun watch to capture this chunk of the local music scene from a bygone era, with some good poetry to break it up, and it's a shame that this didn't have a wider release or publicity at the time, as I'd have happily covered it 11 years ago! Give Lo-Fi Video Fanzine No. 1 a watch below, and click here to watch No. 2, which is more focused on the local arts community and does not feature hard rock or punk-leaning musical acts. Thanks everyone, and Merry Christmas!

Black Cloud - "Abstract Sounds" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 122nd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and for a second straight month, we're looking at a new release from a solo artist, namely new local death/trance metal solo project Black Cloud's debut demo album "Abstract Sounds"! Independently released on June 27th, this is the first full length release from this project, as led by local singer/guitarist Peytan Andreola, who is the only credited artist on the album. On sale via Black Cloud's Bandcamp page as well as a homemade physical pressing, copies are available to download for $5 or more, but you can also stream the whole thing for free there as well. That said, consider buying the whole thing to support Peytan's work! As usual for albums on there, song names below are linked to their Bandcamp copies. With 9 songs running for about 43 minutes in length, let's begin our review of "Abstract Sounds" with it's opening track "Death March", which is also it's shortest song overall.

An instrumental track with a very deliberate pace, this song feels like it's going somewhere, but it's not overly polished, and it could really use a percussion track. The bass work isn't up to the guitar's promise, and while it has an ominous tone, it strikes me as the intro to a song that was cut, and the 7 second break in music at the 63 second mark wasn't placed well. I like where it's going, but it needed more time. Second is "Undead Hordes", which is more of a fully realized song that has good guitar work, and there is a percussion element via what sounds like a shaker of some kind in the background, which adds a bit of flavour! That said, the production quality isn't great, and I think Peytan needs to revise the structure of how this song is laid out, as after a while, it starts to wander around too much. It's an improvement on the opener, however!

Song #3 is Black Cloud's eponymously titled "Black Cloud", which is also the first song on the album with vocals. Peytan seems to have a good death growl with clear enunciation (I prefer clarity in my harsh vocals), but they're not mixed well with the music, so they can be hard to make out. Structurally, this song has the best layout and pacing yet, but I'd have had more substantial percussion than what's on offer here. The guitar work is solid, and overall, the album is steadily trending upward, which is a good sign! That's followed by "Meet/Greet The Reaper", which is much quieter and scratchier in sound than it's preceding tracks. I don't know what happened, but this sounds like it was Peytan's first recording ever and he chose not to re-record it with the rest. This is unfortunate, especially as this song has the best and fastest percussion track yet, but the vocals and guitar work are so inaudible, it negates the song's pacing and aggression, as there is a good song here!

Fifth up is "Stream of Dreams", which opens with a softer and more melodic guitar intro before diving into full death metal territory, a sequence which reprises twice later before ending softly as well. The song has far better sound and production than "Meet/Greet The Reaper", and has good aggression, with vocals mixed in a little cleaner, but the lack of percussion doesn't help at all. The song's pacing and structure could stand to be addressed again, but there's things to build on! Then we have "Wanderers", which has some of Peytan's most ferocious vocal work yet, which is nice to see being built up, but the music is more reserved and doesn't come across as heavy and in your face as you would expect. Percussion does return, albeit more like a hand drum effect in the background, but at least there's something. The song proper appears to be laid out better, but I wish the guitar was louder and more forceful, as the vocals far outshine them here.

Song #7 is the album's title track "Abstract Sounds", which has a solid and heavy riff, and the vocals are suitably aggressive, but this is a song that needs more structural variance and care. This has a few stop/start transitions too many, and the guitar can wander a bit, but the song isn't overly long, and the light percussion (which sounds programmed) does speed up fittingly to go with the guitar. Not a bad song for what it is! That's followed by "No Bares Holded (Soaked In Blood)", which is it's correct title with that spelling, including the presumed spoonerism of "No Holds Barred." Opening with a hand drum, the song proper gives Peytan a chance to showcase his guitar talents for a couple of minutes before vocals kick in. This is probably my favourite song on the album for intensity and compostion, with his guitar work particularly solid, and the vocals matched up well, but of course, this song could be filled out with more instruments.

"Abstract Sounds" closes with it's longest song "Nature's Wrath",  which also gives a good showcase to Peytan's guitar riffs, though here, they almost feel like parts of a few songs stitched together. I like the clear, enunciated vocals, and the song has a lot of good points, but I think it could have been tightened up musically, and some of the extended instrumental sections in particular could have used some editing, or at least added musical elements.

So, what are my final thoughts on Black Cloud's debut album? Overall, this album has a lot of promising components that I'd love to see Peytan Andreola build on, but it is a work in progress, at least at this juncture. Peytan is a good guitarist with death metal vocals to match, but much like earlier Blood Shed Productions solo projects, his music would sound a lot fuller and more complete with extra musicians, particularly a bassist and full-time drummer (even a drum machine more regularly would help.) As these songs stand, they are generally well performed, but the structure and pacing of many of them could use another pass through, and I don't know what happened to "Meet/Greet The Reaper." One thing I noticed is, despite Black Cloud's own advertising of having trance and world elements, I didn't get much of that here beyond the hand drums, and if Peytan implemented them more, he'd immediately stand out locally.

I did like a lot of the album though, especially later songs like "No Bares Holded", and if Peytan can iron out some of the kinks and give these songs some extra production and time, he'd have even more to showcase here. There's work to do, but Black Cloud are on the right track, and I hope they can build on things on future releases, but see what you think at the above links! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming on the site for our September 2019 album review? At the moment, I'm not sure, but our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post will give some hints as to new album releases that may be in line! In any event, our next review will not be of an Awokest, Inner City Surfers, or Treble Charger album due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period between reviews of the same band. If we review an archive album next month, could we dip into the Oh!No artist well for something we haven't reviewed yet? Stay tuned for updates, and for more news & updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz & Soundcheck), A New Album, And New Videos!!

Before we dive into Rotaryfest fallout, let's tackle some recent and overdue news and notes, including a surprise album release, new videos, and leading off, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall!

With our Sault Ontario concert calendar now listing shows through early November from other bands, let's add three more concert weekends from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's own 2019 concert calendar to our listings! As revealed there (with new promotion hopefully following closer to showtime), fans can see Soundcheck back at Reggie's West for Friday & Saturday nighters on September 13th & 14th, and then on October 18th & 19th, shows which sandwich a return weekend at The Esquire Club on October 4th & 5th. Of course, there will likely be more shows coming from Soundcheck that aren't on the Reggievelt/Esquire-heavy concert calendar above, not to mention shows beyond October, so stay tuned for word on those if they come out. You can enjoy Travis, Terry, Paul, and Glen's hard rocking classic hits on all six nights at 10:00 PM-ish start times with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz will return to Sault Ste. Marie for one night only on Saturday, November 9th when they headline at The Rockstar Bar! Yes, this is advertised as being upstairs at The Rockstar Bar, not The Algonquin Pub, where they've played thrice before. After playing a local venue annually in the latter half of the year from 2013-2017, Paul Gott and company did not play a Soo date at all last year, so the anticipation is high for hardcore punk fans to take in The Ripcordz' extensive setlist, albeit later into the year than ever before, I think! Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will open this concert, marking their sixth straight time opening for their "Fed Up!" split-mates locally, with at least one additional opening band to be announced (for reference, the other opening act in 2017 was Stegadeth.) Once again promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this 19+ concert will have $10 advance tickets (availability details forthcoming), but unlike in 2017, the price jumps to $15 at the door.

Not seeing a Ripcordz show locally last year was very unusual, but better now than never for their seventh and final Sault Ste. Marie concert of the 2010s, and I know there will be a great turnout this fall! Visit the official Facebook event page for continuing details on this concert as they roll in!

Also, here's some long overdue updates from new local death/trance metal solo project Black Cloud, who quietly (and surprisingly) released their debut album onto their new Bandcamp page on June 27th! Entitled "Abstract Sounds", the Peytan Andreola-led act recorded nine songs for the album, which is available for $7 (or more) at the above links, eschewing the recent trend of "name your price" payment models for local bands on there, though you can stream the whole thing there for free too. While lo-fi in this state, the songs all have substantive length and don't have overtly provocative lyrics, so keep "Abstract Sounds" in mind if those aspects interest you! As a new paid album release, this is absolutely eligible for an SMS review, perhaps in the coming week, so stay tuned! Now, elsewhere from the Black Cloud camp, Peytan had posted a handful of new videos onto their Facebook page a couple of months back, so what is there to see from these?

Most recently, Peytan shared a video of him covering Devildriver's "Swinging the Dead", though it's hard to discern his performance over the original song. You get a better sense of his skill on this solid acoustic jam clip, plus two live streamed videos from May 28th (a 4 minute clip linked here, and the 43 minute long video embedded below.) Your best bet for audio clarity is the first 10 minutes, as Peytan's guitar was turned way down for most of it. He has growling ability and guitar skill, but he could stand to fill out the songs and improve on the structure and pacing. Is this present on "Abstract Sounds"? Find out soon, and see more above & below!

Finally for today, here's some new footage of local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith, courtesy of his Facebook page earlier this month! Over the Canada Day weekend, Mike played at a private event with Thompson-area musicians, and he posted two videos from that set onto Facebook afterward, featuring him on vocals & rhythm guitar alongside guitarist John Ham, drummer Kory Wickdahl, and Mike's Between the Ditches bandmate Justin Fuciarelli on bass. For what it's worth, there are personal Facebook videos floating around of Mike and many of the same musicians from a more recent outdoor jam concert, but at press time, those haven't been publically shared that I know of. In terms of the Canada Day private gig, Mike and friends can be seen covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" (a fine pick for the then-impending Fourth of July), and as embedded below, Mike's own solo original "The Nature of the Times."

These performances sound good, and the extra rock base from the full band (temporary as it may be) does help the song, in this listener's view! I'm not a huge fan of "Free Bird", but that cover's handled well also. The videos' biggest issue is the tight camera angle which only captures Mike and Justin with any regularity, though Kory's head does come into view when Mike moves to his left. Solid renditions, so give them a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Rotaryfest fallout on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), Garden of Bedlam & WLSO News, And An New Old Concert Video!!

It's time for some more news at the SMS before we devote tomorrow's post to our new poll (VOTE TODAY in our current poll while you still can) and possibly a concert review (Caveman Morrison?), so here's what's on tap this evening! We've got the latest news from an area radio station, a cool new classic concert video from a decade ago, and the latest news on Garden of Bedlam's Boxing Day return, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next year!

The first metal/hard rock concert of 2012 in Sault Ontario is now confirmed, and it involves the return of Frightlight to the local stage! The horror punk/metal quintet will re-emerge after an almost 3 month break to open for Toronto-based Ramones tribute band The Merves at The Canadian Nightclub on January 14th in what should be a very interesting concert! This will be Frightlight's second local appearance & third show overall with new drummer Chris "FreaknStein" Thompson behind the drumkit, and I think it will also be their first concert ever at The Canadian Nightclub as well. You know their high impact brand of punk & metal will go over really well next month for this concert, as they've been missed around here! As for The Merves, they feature Lion Ride's own Mikey Hawdon on vocals & guitar, and it's nice to see him back in town! With the break since the last Lion Ride show here creeping up on 6 months, this could fill the gap well while we wait. For reference, The Merves also feature Maximum RNR guitarist Keith Carman (a bandmate of ex-Lion Ride bassist Brenton Ellis) & Mikey's Teenage X bandmate Phil Page on bass, adding to the local ties. By all accounts, their Ramones covers should get fans moving and rocking out all night next month, so don't miss them!

This concert is a 19+ event, there will be a $5 cover charge, and doors open at 10:00 PM on January 14th. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun night of punk rocking with some metal sprinkled in, and it'll be nice to see Mikey fronting a band locally again, even if it's not Lion Ride! The Canadian is right near my place, so hopefully I can make it out, and stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Next up, more official details are now out for Garden of Bedlam's CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub on Boxing Day, courtesy of this Facebook event page! Doors will open at 10:00 PM on December 26th for this event, there will be a $5 cover charge to enter, and as previously expected, it is a 19+ event. As well, Crank Sound Distribution will be on hand to ensure an awesome sounding concert from start to finish, so there's no worries on that front! However, like most of Garden of Bedlam's headlining concerts over the past year and a half, there is no announced opening band, in case you were wondering. And of course, Garden of Bedlam's first full length album "Everything Will Die" will officially be released on that day, though other release details (i.e. the album's price and where locally & online you can buy it) have yet to be officially confirmed by band sources. Check the above links for all current details on Garden of Bedlam's CD release show! Sounds good to me, I wish I could be there to rock out with all the fans and reap the rewards of the new CD! Hopefully I'll get it by the end of the month, but if not, stay tuned in January for my review of "Everything Will Die", and keep an eye out for more band updates!

Also new today is a new classic YouTube video upload by former BeeFMoutH member Boyd Rendell, who posted this almost 23 minute long video of Victoria, British Columbia grindcore band Iskra playing live at Foggy Notions (now Feedback) in the early 2000s on his YouTube channel! I couldn't reliably date this video beyond what Boyd put in the video comments, so it could be anywhere from 2000-2003. The video quality isn't high (likely from a VHS camcorder), and the audio has a muffled quality to it, but Iskra sound very heavy and brutal here, and there's a solid turnout of fans from what I can see! I'm not familiar with Iskra, but I know they'd fit in well here for a metal show if they ever came back, so take in this classic 23 minute video of Iskra grinding up Foggy Notions in the early 2000s below, and thanks to Boyd for uploading this!



Finally for today, are you a current student at Lake Superior State University in Sault Michigan? Are you interested in working as a DJ next semester, possibly for a metal show? Then WLSO: The Sounds of Lake State (90.1 FM) are looking for you! On Wednesday, I received an e-mail from current WLSO station manager Mark Collins, who told me that WLSO are searching for DJs for the spring 2012 semester, and he added that they'd love to have a metal show on the schedule. Preferably, Mark's looking for someone with a deep knowledge of metal that could play interesting, obscure, and brutal material on air. Other details, like times, format, and radio-related questions would probably depend on your schedule and preferences. So if you're gonna be an LSSU student next semester, and are at all interested in DJing (metal or otherwise) starting in mid-January, shoot an e-mail to Mark at endless.summer.radio@gmail.com! Metal's always had a presence at 90.1 FM at varying times with varying DJs, and it's be great to see it continue next semester, so if you're at all interested, give Mark a shout! Also, WLSO's website has had a major facelift complete with a new design, reversion to an old station logo, a new forum, a now playing list, a calendar, and much more, so check the above links for all the current details from 90.1 FM, The Sounds of Lake State!

That's all for today, but I might see you guys TONIGHT at Feedback for the Caveman Morrison concert, and either way, a new poll and last month's poll results are on the way tomorrow, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (WinkStinger), A Newer Local Band, And Lots More News!!

June's started off well in the local scene, and I have some more stories to share that should keep the good news coming today! In this post, we have news on our upcoming monthly feature post schedules, the latest on As It Stands' album, and news on a (possibly) SMS-coverable band we've referenced on here in the past, among more stories, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

In May, fans of local cello punk trio RedD Monkey may have become aware of a concert they'd be headlining on June 11th (this Saturday) at Foggy Notions. Well, a full lineup for the concert is finally out, and good news, there's metal to be had! Local extreme metal quintet WinkStinger are listed as the third band of four on the lineup for this concert, so if you're bummed they won't be at The Rosie on the 16th, they still have some June concert action lined up! They are sort of outliers for this show, but there's a ton of diverse sounds to enjoy, so here's who else to look out for! RedD Monkey are headlining (of course), with the unique local trio The Night Owl Meme Makers as the first support band. They have an interesting mix of music that's hard to describe, but imagine acoustic folksy music with an accordion and banjo, and you may get an idea! Opening are Sounds From The Green Room, who I will have more on in a second, as I've learned a few details about them. This show is on Saturday night at 9:00 PM, there is no cover charge, and you must be 19 to enter. For more details, check out the above links and the official Facebook event page! Nice mix of styles here, it should be a fun concert, though spread the word and make note of it, given that is on Saturday! Stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Leading from that, I wanted to discuss Sounds From The Green Room. You may remember this band as one of the openers for RedD Monkey's "Swamp Donkey Romp" concert at Foggy's on February 26th, but I knew absolutely nothing on them. Well, seeing as they're back for the show on Saturday, I did some more research to see if I could dig anything up, and I think I have some real details to share! Though they still don't have a visible internet page, they have played at least one other concert, in Ottawa on February 21st (also with RedD Monkey.) Ottawa music blogger Andrew Carver was there and reviewed their set for his blog National Capital Rock, and it includes photos and a short review on the band! Judging by his photos and review, I was able to determine that the band is just a duo (not unlike Sue Inside in that respect), and if I'm not mistaken, their members are singer/guitarist Brad Griffith (of SBD & No Arrow fame) and drummer B.J. Swire. If I'm wrong, please correct me! Though I haven't seen audio or video yet, Andrew described their sound as "somewhat twisted classic rock" with "a nice fuzzy sound - plus drummer", and an ad for this Ottawa show on Eventful described their sound as "honky tonk metal". Sounds promising enough!

I have a hunch I'll be seeing Sounds From The Green Room long before a site pops up, though they should launch one already, as it'd help get their exposure up! They do sound intriguing, and hopefully I'll get to see them live one of these days! And if I'm right about Brad Griffith in this band, it's good to see him out there still, though hopefully SBD resurface again at some point! Stay tuned for updates on Sounds From The Green Room if I hear them!

Next up, here's the latest on As It Stands' upcoming full length album! As announced on their Facebook page, their 3 day recording sessions at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga have wrapped up, as has tracking for said recordings. According to their Twitter page, the band also announced that they worked with producer/Metalworks chief engineer Kevin Dietz on the recordings, though it wasn't specified on whether he is the album's official producer or is operating under another role. That's all that we've heard since we included the sessions in Thursday's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, but I wanted to share it, as these do lead from and to big stories for the local hardcore quintet! I'm surprised they've kept things so concise and short compared to the updates some other bands have made during recording sessions, and the three day schedule seems short, but I have a hunch they're just keeping things secret until big reveals happen, like the album's name, artwork, tracklisting, and so forth. You can be sure that we'll have updates as they come in, and if the album doesn't come out by July 2nd, all the current details will be posted for our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post!

Now, here's some assorted shorter stories from the last couple of days, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Full Circle's shows at The Rockstar Bar this weekend have been moved to Foggy Notions and cut in half to just a Friday show (as cited here.) No reason was given for the move, though they're likely only playing on Friday because of the aforementioned RedD Monkey concert on Saturday. This is the only advertised Foggy's stop in 2011 for the former Turner Up, so make note of their now-moved show on Friday!
• Lion Ride have launched an official mailing list! To join and get band updates sent to your inbox, head to their official Facebook page, click the mailing list tab on the left, and fill out the information. It's free and painless, but you'll need to confirm your registration via a confirmation e-mail. I don't know how much they'll use this mailing list, but hopefully they'll have some cool news to share through it, so I recommended signing up!
• Marquette hard rockers Nudge have announced that a second band will join them for their concert at The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan on Friday! I believe the band is Oscoda, Michigan classic rock band Grounded, check them out at this location! Good classic sound, a couple harder songs too, they'll fit in well! They're NOT playing on Saturday too though, only Nudge are playing. Still, go rock out at The Frog either night!
  

And finally, I wanted to update you guys to our new schedule format on the SMS for monthly feature posts & profiles. Last month's features were way too log-jammed for comfort, and I decided to fix each of our monthly feature posts to a schedule that I hope will be maintained in future months. With that said, our "Where Are The New Albums?" posts will continue to be on the 2nd of each month, and polls (which return next week) will continue to be on the 18th of each month. That said, I've slotted the 10th of the month to be the new post date for our Defunct Local Band Profile Series, and our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles will now be posted on the 26th of this and future months. Hopefully this keeps things more spread out, so we don't get swamped again like we had been in the spring! CD reviews will still operate on a flexible changing schedule, and future monthly features will be addressed when announced. Also, in terms of our Defunct Local Band Profile Series (and other features where we have a balance of the twin Saults), I've decided to boost the amount of Sault Michigan bands covered or featured from 3 out of 10 bands to 2 out of 5, which is more if you round up. This is to keep things closer in line with the real ratio of Sault Michigan metal bands to Sault Ontario, as it's gotten closer since we started the blog.

Our old 2-1-3-1-2-1 schedule for the Defunct Profiles is now a 2-1-2-2-2-1 schedule until January, barring a 2 band month beforehand. It's mostly the same, but the projected September profile will be for Sault Michigan instead, so there'll be 2 straight profiles for Michigan bands in the fall! Next year, we'll permanently go to this schedule on a 5 month cycle: 1-1-1-1-1, which repeats after 5 bands, so there will still be 2 Sault Ontario bands in a row on occasion. I know this could sound unimportant, but it makes everything fairer for Sault Michigan, as their band totals have grown more than Sault Ontario's in recent years. Just wanted to get that out there!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our "Soo Stories" review, Bad Side profile, classic video, and weekend concert previews as the week draws on! Thanks everyone!

Lots Of Concert Lineup Changes, Plus News From Mike Haggith & WLSO!

Nope, no new concerts in today's post, but we have lots of notable news to share, mostly revolving around concert lineup changes! Three upcoming metal/hard rock concerts have bands removed or added, and those are our top stories today! Also, we have the latest news from Mike Haggith and WLSO: The Sounds Of Lake State to share with you guys. Let's begin today's post!

The first concert with lineup changes that we'll discuss is the Palms To The Sky/Breathing Apparatus concert on December 17th, as there are now two local opening bands! The first confirmed openers are local rock trio The Fury, who'll bring their bass-powered brand of music to Foggy Notions that night! Frontman Paul Stanghetta had told me about really wanting to open this show, so it's nice to see them get on the lineup! My source for this news is an e-mail by promoter Mike Gaetano to attendees on the official Facebook event page. The other new addition is local hardcore quintet As It Stands, in their first concert at Foggy Notions since their return set at August's Endast show! I should note that the promoters haven't confirmed their involvement yet, but As It Stands announced that they would be opening on their Facebook page, even launching their own event page for the December 17th show. That's good enough confirmation for us, but if something is said otherwise, I'll have it here! Remember to check this show out, as there will be lots of hardcore mayhem for you to enjoy! It's at 10:00 PM on the 17th, it is a 19+ show, and there is no announced cover charge! If I hear more, I'll have it here!

Next, here's some lineup news for the Soo Music Mash-Up concert at The Oddfellows Hall on December 28th! We'll start with the good news lineup-wise, as new local hardcore band Changing Waves have been added to the lineup! First seen live at last month's Total Chaos concert, they have been slotted third on the bill, sandwiched between RedD Monkey and Tea With Lincoln. Nice to see them gigging again, they're impressive for their age, but it'd be nice to know more about them! Now, for some bad lineup news, as local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen are now off the bill. Promoter Jeremy Hannah said they dropped out last minute on the Facebook event page, but I haven't heard a reason from the band as to why they're off. Frontman Josh Stephney seemed surprised by the news, so who knows. Sucks to see them off the bill, they'd have been a great addition! Replacing them as the co-headliners are experimental pop rockers The Crossed, in their long awaited return to the stage! I'll be honest in saying I've never dug them, but they still have a good local following, and they do have a metal connection, as former As It Stands & Stillbroke bassist Nathan Bouliane was once in The Crossed! Remember, this concert also features As It Stands, The Fury, and Ocean View, and is on December 28th at 6:00 PM! Tickets are $8, and it's ALL AGES! Stay tuned for more news on this show as we get it!

Our final concert updates concern the first announced hard rock show at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino in 2010, which as you may remember, is on March 14th and features three very huge rock bands: Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and My Darkest Days! The first note is that the final opening band has been announced, and they are Bleeker Ridge, a hard rock quartet from Orillia, Ontario. Nice to see another Canadian band on the lineup! Signed to Roadrunner Records, they play a brand of radio hard rock which fits the show well, and though I've never heard of them before recently, I recognize that they have talent! I like them better than My Darkest Days, for what that's worth! Allstar Promotions confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page last Tuesday, and they're included on the posters for this show that you may have seen in Sault Michigan. The other note I have concerns ticket sales. Originally planned to go on sale tomorrow, it's been pushed back to Friday at 8:00 AM due to fan club restrictions. In other words, if you're a member of Papa Roach or Buckcherry's fan clubs, you'll have first dibs on tickets before they go on sale to the public. Remember, if you want to attend this heavy duty concert, tickets will be $36.50, and will go on sale Friday at this location, at the Kewadin Casino box office, or by phone at 1-800-KEWADIN! Stay tuned for updates as I hear them!

Fourthly, here is the latest from local solo artist Mike Haggith! Firstly, he has announced what will be his 44th solo album, to follow up the release of "Suspended Animation" in a few weeks! Entitled "The Blue Album", it's being described as a "cut-and-paste type of project". Three songs are currently confirmed for it, including a re-recording of his 2008 song "The Curse [Of 13]." And yes, this is the album cover, looks nice! No samples have been posted yet, but we still have a whole other album to get beforehand, so be patient! A release date of April 17th is listed on his Facebook page, and expect this to go on sale for mp3 download around then. Click here for updates, and yes, this will be in our January "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Now, back to talk about his imminent new album "Suspended Animation", as he has posted instrumental takes of the entire album onto his official Reverbnation page! I won't comment heavily on them because I wanna save major criticism for my eventual review after it goes on sale, but check them out, there's some good stuff to be had! Yes, I know there's no vocals yet, but Mike's recording those this month in Windsor, and if you want a sample of what to expect, he's posted the lyrics for the entire album at this location, so give them a look! There's some real thought put into these lyrics in many areas, I wonder how they'll sound vocally? Time will tell! Check out the above links for more on what Mike has in store next!

And finally, here's the newest updates from local radio station WLSO 90.1 FM: The Sounds of Lake State! Firstly, if you hadn't heard, WLSO announced "a new outlook" last month on their official website, to provide a better and more reliable station for listeners and LSSU students. What that entails isn't elaborated on, but it did mean the cancellation of all scheduled DJ broadcasts and programs for the remainder of the semester and a random auto-play format until January. Hopefully there's nothing too drastic going on, I've always enjoyed what they've been doing at WLSO! That being said, if you're a current student at Lake Superior State University and would be interested in being a DJ or program host next semester, contact personnel director Ramsey A've at (906) 635-7504 or rave@lssu.edu. If you're returning as a DJ next semester or are interested in DJing, you are encouraged to attend the WLSO Christmas party, which takes place THURSDAY EVENING at 6:30 PM at The Galley, which is the restaurant/convenience store area downstairs at The Cisler Center, across from WLSO headquarters. Give it a shot if you can, maybe we can get more metal shows on rotation!

Also, WLSO is still looking for a business director to manage station budgets and marketing. If you're a full time LSSU student in good standing with marketing knowledge, pick up an application at The Campus Life Office in room 125 downstairs in The Cisler Center. You have until Sunday to apply! For more info, e-mail campuslife@lssu.edu!

That's all for today, but there's more news on the horizon, including previews of this weekend's local metal and hard rock concerts, and our next CD review! Stay tuned for more!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), Plus End Of Existence News And More!!

Hey guys, hope you're enjoying your weekend! I have a bunch of assorted stories to get to today, including the latest from End of Existence and Elipzis, a note you should know concerning a local metal producer, the latest from a local radio station, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! Here's what you need to know, but first, I hope last night's last minute Tym Morrison show at Foggy Notions went well. It was announced VERY short notice and I hope you guys caught the alert on our Twitter feed!

Now to the news! Last October, downtown Sault Ontario was invaded by zombies in the first annual Soo Zombie Walk. Well, make sure your brains are protected, as the Zombie Walk returns on October 23rd! It's a cool event for great causes (local college food banks), but how does this tie in to the local metal scene? Simple: Frightlight are headlining the after party! The local punk/metal quartet, in what is currently their first announced date to feature new drummer Jeff De Rose, will be the main attraction at the Zombie Walk after party at Foggy Notions on October 23rd at 9:00 PM! Nice to see them involved in this, and with their horror movie theme, they'll fit right in with this type of concert! Three of the supporting bands have also been announced, including Toronto classical/punk trio RedD Monkey (featuring ex-Gates of Winter drummer Kevin Overton), local guitar-less rockers The Fury (featuring ex-D.O.T.H. drummer Joe Bumbacco), and a local act named Wojtek. I've never heard them before, so I can't definitively comment on their sound or members, but they did take part in the Clusterfolk outdoor concert at Bellevue Park in July, for what that's worth. The Facebook event page hypes more bands to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on that front!

This concert will have NO COVER, a 9:00 PM start time, and presumably a 19+ age limit. Remember, this is the after party for the Zombie Walk, so make sure you're in your best brain eater getup so you don't stick out! For more information, visit the above links, and for continued updates on the Zombie Walk itself and attached events, visit it's own Facebook group! This should be a very fun concert, and the Zombie Walk should provide some entertaining moments of it's own! I was out of town during last year's event, I may just hop in on this one! I'll have more on the Zombie Walk after party as I hear it!

Next up, we have some updates from Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids death metal trio End of Existence, and no, their "Sun Is Gone" E.P. isn't out yet. It seems like they keep resetting the countdown timer on their official website continually when the date passes. Now, it's counting down to a release on Thursday, but who knows if that will stick. But that's not the main reason why we're talking about End of Existence today. The big news here is that a new original song has been posted onto their YouTube channel! It's of their song "Deathbed", and if you're expecting some I.S.O.M.-like epic death metal, then you'll likely be disappointed, but as the video description says, it's heavy "in it's own way". I assume they mean lyrically and visually, as the song is soft and ballad-like, but still dark and imposing. It's oddly effective, and Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone) shows some good clean singing that I missed from his I.S.O.M. work! I should note that the video has some morbid imagery, so if you're easily creeped out, don't watch it, but it's a good song, and you can check it out below! I can't wait to hear their heavier originals though, I'll let you know of them when they appear online!



Thirdly, here's some updates from local college radio station WLSO 90.1 FM: The Sounds of Lake State! The fall semester is well underway, and both radio shows and DJs are back in the booth! Sadly, a schedule of programs isn't online yet, so I can't 100% tell you guys when the metal blocks are, but when WLSO staffers post something, I'll be sure to have it! I have two other notes though on the Lake Superior State University radio station to share. Firstly, the station is currently looking for a music director to work on-staff for the station. What this means is that you'd be in charge of handling music from radio stations, ensuring an up-to-date and fresh playlist, and calling and contacting record labels to get music for radio play. If you go to LSSU, love music, and have great people skills, you can pick up applications at the Campus Life Office in The Cisler Center to fill out. The deadline to submit your applications is FRIDAY, so get on that A.S.A.P. if you're interested! My source for the above info is their official website.

And finally, WLSO's new logo is now officially in use at the station! Yes, I designed it, but that's all I'll say about that because I don't wanna sound like an egomaniac self-promoting tool. It's on the WLSO office front door, it's on their pages, and now, it's on official t-shirts! If you want a WLSO t-shirt, head to their office (also in The Cisler Center on campus) and pick one up! They're in red, green, and black, in sizes S-XL, and go for affordable prices! I have one, you should get one too! And of course, tune in to WLSO at 90.1 FM and see if you can find something heavy, cause when they do, it's usually well worth your time!

Lastly for today, here's some interesting news from Stereo Soul Studios and local producer Miguel Gauthier. He has a lot on his plate production wise lately, here's a rundown of what's been up and what to expect! As of September 9th, Miguel had planned to finish editing and mixing Woods of Ypres' fifth (and final) album, the new release from another David Gold project, The Northern Ontario Black Metal Preservation Society (you'll hear about them on here in the future), the final mixing of Garden of Bedlam's new album, the artwork and press shipping of Sense of Truth's debut EP, and a later addition, As It Stands' two song demo, among other projects. But he also revealed one somewhat disheartening note as well: He's planning to move to Los Angeles next month. He didn't leave any explanations as to why, but at least we're hearing some details about it. This is gonna be a noticeable blow to the local music scene, as his production has been key to the great sounds of a number of local albums, metal or otherwise! At least he has a lot more coming, but I hope he stays involved in music after his move, cause he's a very talented guy, and a good musician too in his own projects! Stay tuned for more on his next few produced albums, and no matter what, best of luck to Miguel in his future plans! I'll have more as I hear it!

That's all for today, but be sure to check The Sault Metal Scene out for more news by Wednesday, likely sooner! My news desk is almost cleared out again, but I'll surely have more in quick order! Thanks everyone!