A Major Lineup Departure, Gore Street Cafe Updates, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post on this Saturday morning, so what's on tap? Some assorted recent notes, a removal of a major annual concert event from our links, and big news concerning a local concert venue's future, but first, here's a big lineup update from a prominent local band!

We'll start today with a surprising lineup departure, as guitarist Tiffany Stocco has left local metal/punk band Jack Spades. The band hasn't acknowledged her departure beyond quietly removing her from their Facebook page's lineup, but she didn't play at last night's Anti-Queens show at The Rockstar Bar, and won't be joining them on their upcoming tour. In a personal Facebook post yesterday (which I won't detail in full out of respect to it's personal nature), Tiffany said that she "loved my band more than anything", and wishes her ex-bandmates the best, but "big personal changes" led to her decision to leave, and she wants to have "fun with music again". With that said, Tiffany apparently has a new band in the works, so we'll keep you posted when that makes it's way to our radar! Tiffany was an original member of Jack Spades dating back to their 2013 debut, playing at all of their shows and on both their EP & the "Fed Up!" split, and had previously played with their covers-centric predecessor band T-Rex Manning from 2011-2014.

Tiffany's been a fixture in local metal and punk concerts in the 2010s, whether as a guitarist or as the promoter of Skull Fist's local gigs, and while it's disappointing to see her exit Jack Spades, hopefully this truly is the right move for her, and that we hear more from her musically soon! And yes, when/if Jack Spades add a new second guitarist, we'll let you know!

Next up, here's some news that may impact a newer but artistically beneficial concert venue downtown, as Gore Street Cafe co-owner and local experimental musician Sam Decter has moved back to Toronto. A reason hasn't been publically announced, but after the high profile Fortnight Festival and his own recent music work, it does seem fairly sudden. Hopefully it's for the right reasons, as Sam is a talented guy with a lot of ambition! This presumably explains why his band The Leash Kids dropped out of Wednesday's Astral Gunk show, but more importantly, his departure may impact the future prospects of the laundromat, cafe, and concert venue. With Sam moving and construction on Gore Street already affecting business, remaining venue owner Nicole Dyble is hosting a community consultation event at 164 Gore Street on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, so she, friends, and supporters can talk about ideas to keep the cafe open.

The Gore Street Cafe has really grown in prominence for the local arts scene in recent years, especially with their accessible "pay what you can" model for most concert and food events there, and while it's not a steady sight for metal and punk acts, the ones that have played there have spoken highly of the environment and atmosphere! Hopefully Nicole, staff, and customers can push through these difficulties and continue to prosper as redevelopment of Gore Street continues, and consider attending Tuesday's consultation to see if you can offer anything for the cause!

Also today,  I wanted to acknowledge a deletion from our "Other Local Metal Links", that being for the Swampstravaganza, the van fundraiser-turned-all ages concert marathon that was held annually mid-year from 2011-2015. It's website (and only online page) has been deleted from it's host site Wix for unannounced reasons, and a rumoured sixth installment for this year likely isn't in the cards, given promoter Steve Mozarowski's move back to Toronto last year, and that it's intended timeframe of early May (where the last two were held) has came & went. The Swampstravaganza (a.k.a. Swampfest) was a fun event that saw 9 or more bands play all day at The Oddfellows Hall (or The Canadian last year), with band merchandise & even some refreshments on sale some years. Though attendance varied as the day wore on, a diverse lineup of metal, punk, indie, and more could be seen throughout each installment, with 38 different acts playing scheduled sets across the 5 years, plus 8 open mic artists in the last two.

Frequently seen bands included The Bear Hunters (the only band to play each Swampfest), and three-timers RedD Monkey, Sykotyk Rampage, and Haggith, while Steve himself played each year in varying projects (with RedD Monkey through 2013, solo during 2014's open mic block, and with the one-off Faceityoureametalband in 2015.) I was lucky enough to be at all 5 Swampstravaganzas, which could make for a long day, but they always delivered musically, and even if their website doesn't return, hopefully Steve hosts Swampstravaganza VI in the future if possible!

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

• Local doom metal trio AlgomA have parted ways with label Dead Beat Media and have signed a new deal with Indian metal label Transcending Obscurity Records! A reason for their split with Dead Beat Media hasn't been publically announced, but AlgomA bassist Boyd Rendell did thank them on his personal Facebook page yesterday, so it sounds amicable. AlgomA plan to release their second full length album through Transcending Obscurity, though no word on if that will come before or after the Hooded Menace split (which is through that band's label, not AlgomA's.) Read the full press release at this link!
• A press release for the aforementioned Jack Spades' upcoming "Disastour" can now be seen on SooToday at this link! The press release doesn't break any news that we didn't know before, but it features some good promotion for the tour, particularly their return to Spiderfest in Meyersburg next week, as well as a quote from guitarist Jesse Cook, so check it out below!
• In a late update for TONIGHT'S Ride For Sight musical entertainment at Stokely Creek Lodge in Goulais River, we can now confirm that country rockers Bone Yard (returning from last year) and blues musician Paul Dellavedova will join The 3 Day Millionaires on this year's music lineup! Bone Yard confirmed their involvement on their Facebook page yesterday, while drummer Ric Datson's personal Facebook page verified that Paul was also performing. I wish organizers had announced the full music lineup well in advance, but it's great to see everyone fighting the cause against blindness, so don't miss these acts at 8:30 PM TONIGHT!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Swampstravaganza V Concert Review!!

After a few days' delay due to lengthy video uploads and computer repairs, here's our review of Saturday night's fifth annual Swampstravaganza all ages concert event! Moving to The Canadian Nightclub this year after 4 years at The Oddfellows Hall, the event was well ran, but attendance was very uneven, peaking around the middle of the day's events and having a disappointingly low turnout for early and closing acts. There was a good amount at it's height though! The bar aside, there were no food sales or vendors beyond Haggith CDs, but there were plentiful flyers for the upcoming release party from DJ Seith & Conika (both Swampfest alums, click here for more details.) Now, here's what went down on Saturday!

Like last year, Swampstravaganza V opened with a 2 hour open mic block for any willing particpants to make use of, though sadly, the performer turnout dropped from 5 musicians to 4 this year. Opening the day was local solo singer/guitarist Jake Rydall (not to be confused with The Wild Iris' Jake Rendell), who played three original songs that got a good reception from early attendees! I've never seen him live before, but he has a good voice and songwriting ability, and you can check out more from him at this link! Apologies again for confusing him with James Watterworth originally too, I had a blonde moment. Jake also lent his guitar to the next two performers, with promoter Steve Mozarowski playing some acoustic songs during the open mic for a second straight year, and if you're familiar with Steve's softer original material, you'll have been right at home here! Strong work, but his vocals were sometimes muddled in the mix.

Patrick Evans played third, who you may remember from a brief set during the open mic block at last year's Soo Band Roulette, and he played a handful of acoustic country covers (including Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel") that were well done once again, but he was a little stiff on stage, and one could argue this wasn't the right crowd for country songs. The last performer was local pianist/busker Damjan Binda (a.k.a. Spider Fingerz), who also played during the Swampfest IV open mic, and his piano skill and natural ease when chatting between songs were clear as day! He and his keyboard (complete with wooden piano shell) make for good entertainment, and he transitioned that well to a turn on the guitar (former RedD Monkey drummer Kevin Overton's, he added) for a few vocal/guitar songs that were also well recieved! Steve also took a brief turn on Damjan's keyboard to close the night, showing us a side of him we don't see too much of!

Overall, the open mic block gave us four talented local musicians covering a wide array of sounds, from folk and punk to country and alt-classical, but if the open mic returns next year, I'd move it to around the middle of the schedule. I told Steve that if the open mic served as an intermission (i.e. from 8:00-10:00 PM), it would attract people who came later to come on stage, ensure that there's a larger crowd to stick around and see them, and provide an opportunity for a break if some fans need it before the bands return. Just an idea!

First of the 9 bands on Saturday was new local alternative hard rock duo Infinity Grinder in just their second concert appearance, so what else can we say about them after seeing them live? Well, guitarist Brad Griffith and drummer Terrence Gomes split lead vocal duty about 50/50 on their set, comprised of original songs like "A Few Weeks", "You & Me", and "Wherever You Go", with the guys even swapping instrument roles for a handful of songs mid-set. Sonically, Infinity Grinder still remind me more of Brad's past bands than Terrence's, particularly his defunct two man band Sounds From the Green Room, but that's not bad, as they have a solid aggressive sound with creative flourishes, and Brad has a good singing voice! Hopefully we hear much more from Infinity Grinder in the near future!

Second among scheduled bands was another duo, Blood Shed Productions death metal band Brutally Fatal in what may have been the debut for any of the label's acts at The Canadian, but being so early in the show, not a lot of people saw it. While far removed from Infinity Grinder in sound, they did share more in common beyond both being two-man-bands, as guitarist Austin McCrae and drummer Tyler Gibson both shared vocal duties and they too swapped instruments mid-set, giving C.T.W. fans a little something extra, including renditions of songs from that band like "Entrepreneur of Depression", plus Brutally Fatal songs like "Stomp Your Feet". Tyler has the frontman swagger and energy in spades, but Austin still seems too nervous and quiet up front, and at times, the songs did seem a little simple vocally, but it's nice to see Brutally Fatal keeping at it!

Next up was local hard rock/alternative quartet Haggith in the first set since the release of their "XIV" EP (oddly not on sale at the show) and with returning member Caleb Cachagee on guitar in place of Daniel Horton, which the guys made light of at the start by beginning without Caleb, then remembering that there should be a tall long haired guitarist with them. In terms of his guitar ability, he gets the job done so far, especially with knowing many older Haggith songs already, but lead guitar parts with solos tended to be handled by frontman Curtis McKenzie. Their set was a mixture of familiar older songs like "Leon the Janitor" & "Rage Train" with newer cuts like "Hands of Death", with some recently familiar songs absent, but it's yet to be announced if songs Daniel wrote are being de-emphasized. Everyone sounds good, and Jordan Leach is coming into his own and getting more comfortable on bass, so thumbs up so far for the new lineup!

Also, Haggith did release their newest full length CD "Apocalypse II" a day early at the show, but to give it proper emphasis, we will touch on that in an upcoming news post. Stay tuned for that!

Local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters came on next to continue their perfect streak of Swampstravaganza appearances (only Steve has joined them on the lineup each year), so kudos to for keeping this run going! Despite the relatively early set, the guys attracted the day's largest crowd for their brutal originals like "I Fear No God", "Deception", and "Neckbreaker", plus the fan-approved returns of their covers of "Squirrel Buddy" and "Guardians of Asgaard". If you've seen The Bear Hunters' recent quartet sets, they won't have disappointed, with Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny on form musically but things did seem a little rushed, possibly due to Mitch & Johnny's show with Beaumont Avenue shortly afterwards. Strong work as usual from The Bear Hunters though, and here's hoping they're back for Swampfest VI!

The middle band on Saturday was local indie/punk quintet Northwest in their first live appearance since their CBC Searchlight contest run, and they entertained a still solid-sized crowd with their well recieved and well-written originals like "I Got You", "Young & Wild", and a handful of newer songs. Musically, you can't complain with their veteran talent and accessible punk sound, and Wayne Watkins' vocals were on point, but the guys didn't seem quite as energetic as they have at some prior events. (also, it's a little odd seeing Mike Smykacz playing with his back to the crowd so much.) Still, their songs do show why they made it so far in CBC Searchlight, and I'm very curious to hear what Northwest have up their sleeves for the coming months!

The next band was announced as "faceityoureametalband", which is the handle that promoter Steve Mozarowski used for last year's cancelled solo set, so was that what we got on Saturday? Nope, we instead got a full band under this name! Featuring Steve on vocals & guitar alongside Pillory alum Josh Amendola (in a Guy Fawkes mask) on bass, and Bear Hunters alum Mike Vincent on drums, Steve indicated that the band formed only on the prior Sunday, and that this might be a one off performance. Sounding basically like RedD Monkey with bass rather than a cello (or like a heavier Smeltzer), faceityoureametalband played originals like "Landfiller" and "Oubliette" that sounded good and chaotic to go with Steve's prior frontman work, and Josh was a firecracker full of energy! It'd be interesting to see this project continue, and if it does, we'll let you know!

Seventh on the bill were the returning Skeyes of Seven, as the local hard rock band made their first live concert appearance in two years and their first with their current quartet lineup, so how'd they sound after such a long hiatus? Not bad at all, they hardly looked like they had any rust! Playing songs like "I Am", "Under The Rug", and "Fallen Faith", plus a cover of Tool's "Schism", they handled each well, with Cory Murchison's vocal range on full display and the now-bald Ron Baxter solid on all guitar parts, while Alain Fletcher acclimates well on bass in the new lineup, and longtime As It Stands drummer John Mignacca is more than welcomed back behind the kit! Whether you're familiar with members' past work with bands like Sense of Truth or not, Skeyes of Seven's modern hard rock made a solid impression, and look for them back on stage next month, with details to come on the SMS!

Co-headlining was the original crash band, Sykotyk Rampage, in their first concert of the year, and their fun improvised alt-rock was definitely welcomed back to the stage by late attendees! Playing an all original set featuring songs like "Sweet Young Thing", "Old No. 7", "Hay Zeus", and the debuting "Suffering Child" (they titled it, not me!), Sykotyk Rampage kept the fun drinking song vibe going for their set, with Paul Becker's forceful lead vocals back in full swing, guitarists Dirk Becker & Shane Kokis laying down fun and solid riffs, and the now-bald Tony Briglio still channeling Lemmy nicely with his presence and ability! Though George was surprisingly stuck in the corner, it was nice to see Sykotyk Rampage's raucous originals back on stage after too long, and here's hoping they're back before you know it!

After brief confusion on if they were there, VM Radio Battle winners Gnaeus returned to the site of that event as the headliners on Saturday, and despite the low remaining crowd turnout, they jammed out a fun and well recieved set that eschewed formality for just having a good time! Along with established songs of theirs like "Crave", the guys took crowd requests, played some extended jams, and just made the most of the moment. Aaron Alessandri's vocals sounded as good as they ever have though, and he and Brad Irwin handled the guitar (and synth) well throughout their set (plus, I liked Brendan's hat!) That said, I was hoping people would stick around for Gnaeus, whose profile is growing fast, and they deserved a better crowd, but I know they made a solid impression on everyone still there on Saturday!

Overall, Swampstravaganza V was a good time, if long, but every band delivered in their own way, as did the open mic performers, and hopefully we see a similar quality from next year's event! Kudos to Steve for another great show, Dirk for solid sound throughout the day, and every performer for a great time, and here's to Swampfest 6! I did get photos of each band (and open mic performer), so check everything out at this link or at our Facebook page! And apologies for the quality on them, I can't do much about the reflective paint on the road signs on the stage's back wall.

As for videos, we have 10, so here's (in performance order) Jake, Steve, Patrick, and Damjan during the open mic block, Infinity Grinder playing "Modern World", Brutally Fatal playing "Table For One" & "Irregular", Haggith playing "Livin' It On The Run", The Bear Hunters playing their new song "The Dying Den", Northwest playing "Stars Don't Fall", Faceityoureametalband covering Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", Skeyes of Seven playing their newest song "See The Truth", Sykotyk Rampage playing "Warhorn", and Gnaeus playing "Crave" and an untitled instrumental jam, and again, see the above links for the large copies of each video! That is all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Swampstravaganza V Concert Preview!!

Hey guys, here's our extended preview of TOMORROW NIGHT'S fifth annual Swampstravaganza! Yes, the annual ALL AGES alternative music marathon event will return to an early May timeframe for a second straight year, though after 4 years at The Oddfellows Hall, promoter Steve Mozarowski has relocated the event to The Canadian Nightclub for 2015, which should be a great location for this year's Swampfest! There's a stacked lineup once again with 9 acts (four from past years), and despite a later 4:00 PM start time, things end later at 2:00 AM, so things aren't too compressed! So, who all is playing? Headlining at 1:00 AM are local post-punk quartet Gnaeus (in their return to the site of their VM Radio Battle of the Bands victory), with local alternative/blue rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage playing their third straight Swampfest and first concert of 2015 before them at 12:00 AM.

Local hard rock band Skeyes of Seven (featuring Sense of Truth & Half Past alumni) are on third-last at 11:00 PM in their first concert in over two years, just their third concert ever, and their first show with their new quartet lineup, with ex-bassist Mike Mannarino and ex-drummer Jonny Amendola now replaced by prior guitarist Alain Fletcher and new drummer John Mignacca (who played Swampfest in 2011 with As It Stands.) It's great to have them back finally! Promoter Steve Mozarowski will play a solo acoustic set under the "faceityoureametalband" handle at 10:20 PM, following open mic appearances last year and sets with RedD Monkey at this event from 2011-2013, while local indie/punk quintet (and recent CBC Searchlight competitors) Northwest will take the stage at 9:30 PM. Local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters will keep their perfect five year Swampstravaganza streak alive with their 8:30 PM set tomorrow, so kudos to them on that level!

Note that they're not playing later despite being prior Swampfest headliners, as Mitch & Johnny are playing at The Rockstar Bar with Beaumont Avenue later tomorrow night. Local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith will play their third straight Swampfest tomorrow in their first concert set since the VM Radio Battle and the release of "XIV" tomorrow at 7:30 PM. It will also see the return of former bassist Caleb Cachagee on guitar to replace Daniel Horton, but how will the new lineup sound? Local death metal duo Brutally Fatal (featuring members of Rotopsy and The Revolution from last year) will hit the stage at 6:40 PM in their Canadian Nightclub debut, while new local hard rock/alternative duo Infinity Grinder will play just their second ever concert as tomorrow's first band at 6:00 PM, in what will be drummer Terrence Gomes' third straight Swampfest appearance (with The Northern Tragedy in 2013 and open mic last year.)

Swampstravaganza V will kick off for a second straight year with a 2 hour open mic block at 4:00 PM, so anyone's welcome to perform once again until 6:00! For reference, last year saw open mic sets by Johnny Belanger, Steve Mozarowski, Terrence Gomes & Katie Huckson, Paul Stanghetta, and Damjan "Spider Fingerz" Binda, but will any of them pop up again? Note that two bands (rap/metal quartet The Apocalypse Afterparty and prog rockers Mannapool) dropped out of the event over the spring for unannounced reasons, with Steve's solo set replacing the former and the open mic night being extended to 2 hours to replace the latter. TOMORROW'S fifth annual Swampstravaganza is ALL AGES, and admission will be $10 at the door, but no word on if we'll see vendors and food sales like last year had. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

I haven't missed a Swampstravaganza yet, and with the new location and later start time, hopefully I'll see a great turnout at The Canadian TOMORROW for what should be a great union of local talent! Don't miss out, this will be a fun time, and I will see you guys there! For a preview, here's Gnaeus at The Canadian in March, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow before or during the event! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Beaumont Avenue), Haggith's New Release, And Much More!!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's post is stacked with some big updates, including some assorted recent notes, a surprising drummer exit in the imminent future, and a quiet album release from last month, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next three months!

Local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue are back in business for the summer season, with new Rockstar Bar concerts scheduled for THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, Friday, June 19th, and Saturday, July 18th! The former Suicide Kings only played sporadically over the fall and winter during holiday breaks due to drummer Ben Boudreau's school commitments out of town (most recently in March at The Rednecks Saloon), but with the spring semester over, the 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle winners are back and ready to rock! Each show (all visibly one-nighters) have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover (but bring cash just in case.) For more details, visit each show's Facebook event pages (linked here, here, and here.) It's great to see Beaumont Avenue back finally, so be sure to welcome Ben home THIS SATURDAY, and we'll preview that show later this week as well!

And yes, this Saturday's show is on the same day as bassist Mitch Sirie's set with The Bear Hunters at Saturday's fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub, but there's no conflict, as The Bear Hunters's Swampfest set was moved from the 1:00 AM headlining slot to 8:25 PM to accomodate the Beaumont Avenue show (Gnaeus are now headlining at The Canadian on Saturday.) Mitch has a busy night ahead, so be sure to see him at one (or both?) shows this weekend, and click here for the full lineup!

Next up, local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith quietly released their new EP "XIV" last month! Surprisingly with little hype, Haggith announced that their third mainline studio release was now on sale via their Facebook page on April 17th, and while I got an advance copy around then, the official announcement was under the radar, hence why it's late to the site. Their last recorded album with ex-guitarist Daniel Horton and first released with current bassist Jordan Leach, the four song EP isn't yet on their Bandcamp page, but physical copies cost a low $2, and can be bought through band members or presumably at upcoming concerts (the new lineup debuts at Swampfest on Friday.) The featured songs (all recorded at Paperclip Productions) are "Red" (with Daniel on bass), "Road Rash" (with Beaumont Avenue's Steven Flint guesting with Jordan on bass), "Anthem", and their re-recording of "Rage Train" (both without Daniel).

With that said, is a review of "XIV" imminent on the SMS? No, because we're planning to review Haggith's first "Apocalypse" album this month in honour of the planned release of it's sequel "Apocalypse II" next week, mainly because both are full CDs unlike "XIV", which was released as an EP following Haggith's lineup changes. "XIV" is a solid listen for fans though, and at least we got it out in this form, so stream it at their YouTube channel or buy it through the band A.S.A.P.!

Also today, we have a surprising lineup change to note on here, as local classic metal quartet Project 421 will soon be parting ways with drummer Larry Mousseau. According to a personal Facebook posting by frontman Blair Burch yesterday, Larry will be moving out of town next week, though he will still be playing one last time with Project 421 THIS FRIDAY during the Redneck Rock concert at The Rednecks Saloon. That said, the band is looking for a new drummer, and they're hoping to not have to cancel their scheduled summer concerts, so if you're an experienced drummer that's into classic metal, or know someone who is, message Blair at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting! This is disappointing news, especially knowing Larry's talent and extensive band work, but hopefully the move is a positive for him, and come see him at The Rednecks Saloon one last time THIS FRIDAY!

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

• In one more Swampstravaganza V note before our weekend concert previews, local progressive rock quartet Mannapool have quietly been removed from the lineup for unannounced reasons, as per the Facebook event page and event website. Hopefully all is amicable, and fans can still see them one week from today at The Rednecks Saloon opening for Zaum! There are now just 9 scheduled acts, but the 4:00 PM open mic block has been extended to 2 hours, possibly in their place.
• Local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din are now a part of this summer's Gonqshow, as they will join The Apocalypse Afterparty as openers for Montreal folk/punk quartet Hard Up at The Algonquin Pub on August 7th! Solid choice to add to another diverse upcoming concert, so visit this link for more details!
• As recently indicated on event pages & posters, concerts promoted by AlgomA members Jamie Vincent and Boyd Rendell are now being presented under the Six Two Oh banner rather than Oh! Right Arm! Promotions for unannounced reasons, but it might be a move for synergy, as Six Two Oh was already the name that the band was using for Jamie's home recording studio/house party venue. Get more details on upcoming Six Two Oh shows at this link, and Six Two Oh is now in our "Other Local Metal Links"! No word though on the Bardos-headlined show that was teased for this Friday.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more from the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes this week! Thanks everyone!

Jack Spades & Destroilet's Kickstarter Campaign, The Return Of Skeyes Of Seven, And More!!

Before we get into this post, I wanted to acknowledge that the obituary for late Case's Music founder, country musician, and beloved music instructor Mike Case is now online at this link, which confirms that a celebration of life will be held at The Delta Waterfront Hotel on Friday at 7:00 PM, following a private family funeral, and the family's asking for Cancer Society contribitions in lieu of flowers. I know how important Mike was to the local music scene, and it's a shame that he was taken from us at just 55 years old, but his legacy will live on in everyone he taught, befriended, and performed with over the years. R.I.P. Mike!

Now, today's post features a band's return and new lineup, how a local band did at a recent out-of-town event, and three inactive bands to note for our listings, but first, here's big news on two local bands' next project!

The announced three-way split album between local metal/punk quintets Destroilet & Jack Spades and Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz is now beginning production, but YOU can help ensure it's released! Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the album, which will be a 15 track release with 5 songs from each band. J.D. cited that they've "decided to distill" the feeling of all three bands' playing "some of the most intense sweaty shows you could imagine" into this split, while the campaign is also intended to help Jack Spades (and Destroilet?) take a road trip to open for The Ripcordz in Montreal for a change. Like with most Kickstarter campaigns, there are incentives if you pledge to donate money to fund the album (they're looking to get $6,000 in two months), so what lies ahead if you pledge money to this cause?

At the $2 minimum, you'll get credited in the album booklet, but for more money, you could get the split on CD, mp3, vinyl, or cassette(?!) copies, as well as a VIP pass to the release concert when announced, stickers, a t-shirt or back patch, or if you're really ambitious and have $2,000+ to donate, a concert at your house or the album named after you! If you want to help fund this split, click here for full details on each incentive level and to get more details, and hopefully we can reach the optimum goal by June 13th!

Next up, we have a surprise lineup addition for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub on May 9th, as local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven were added to the lineup earlier today as the tenth band on the bill! As revealed on their Facebook page and the Swampfest event page, the band featuring Sense of Truth & Half Past alumni will be making just their third concert appearance since their 2012 debut, and their first live set in over two years, so this is way too long coming! This will also be their first show on a bill without Garden of Bedlam, their first since Alain Fletcher moved from guitar to bass to replace the departed Mike Mannarino, and in a surprise, their first since their recent drummer change, as the band has added former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca to their lineup, replacing Jonny Amendola.

A reason wasn't announced for Jonny's departure, but hopefully things were amicable, and best of luck to him in the future for sure, as he's very talented! John's addition is surprising, especially given his recent focus on solo techno material, but it's been way too long since his last show with As It Stands, and hopefully he adds well to Skeyes of Seven! The new lineup is featured in this new Facebook video as well, where John suggests an amusing intro move, frontman Cory Murchison formally welcomes him to the band, and he hypes their set on May 9th and new material. It's great to have Skeyes of Seven back finally, so see more above and below!

Also today, were you wondering about local participation in this past Saturday's Rock 'N Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish? Oddly, promoters never revealed the full band lineup online, but we can now confirm via personal Facebook postings that local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements were among the competitors, marking their first appearance at this event! They also were joined by guitarist Jesse Cook's Jack Spades bandmate Johnny Belanger on guest drums, as Alex Hagerman couldn't make the trip east for the battle. However, they did not place in the top 3, and unlike past years, the 4th & 5th place bands weren't announced among the winning bands to join the Rock 'N Roar Festival lineup in August. For reference, the winning bands included Sudbury rock quintets Conflicted Minds & Forget The Circus in 1st and 2nd place, and they'll open for Platinum Blonde & Sass Jordan in Spanish on Saturday, August 15th.

Blind River rock band Drive placed third, and they'll open for 54-40 and Saga on night #1 on August 14th. We have no official word yet on the identities of the other bands, but Elliott Lake photographer Paul Kazulak was on hand getting photos of the competitors, so visit his Facebook page to see if he posts pictures of any more familiar acts! It's disappointing to see The Elements not make the podium, but hopefully they made lots of fans in Spanish on Saturday, and stay tuned for more from them!

Finally for today, here's three shorter news items, all related to bands being moved to our inactive band links, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• We have moved local hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, having not posted any online updates since briefly being listed for the 2014 Swampstravaganza last spring. Best known from that event in 2012 and from various Superior Heights sets, A.T.D. had talent and a growing presence, but hopefully we hear more from Noah, Alex, Liam, David, and Kyle in the future!
• We've also moved local "derd rock" outfit The Issues to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since March of last year. Active from 2008-2010 before reuniting in 2013, this amusing metal project featuring Winkstinger and Pillory alumni had a lot of promise and entertainment value, and it's a shame that they never played a real concert that I've heard. Best of luck to Chris, Vinyl, Bret, Robert, and other former members going forward!
• Lastly, we've moved local/London deathcore quartet Saints & Serpents to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since February. The successors to the defunct Valentine's Day Massacre, Saints & Serpents played just one announced concert in London in December 2013 before activity quietly stopped. It's disappointing to see that Saints & Serpents never reached The V.D.M.'s heights, but best of luck to Steve, Andrew, Adam, and Ian in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Swampstravaganza & OK Vancouver OK), And More!!

Today's post at the SMS is mostly devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but we also have a preview of a recent weekly event's next installment TOMORROW, but first, here's some new show announcements, one for an annual concert that many are anticipating, and another TONIGHT!

VM Radio Battle of the Bands winners Gnaeus will hit the stage for the first time since their victory TONIGHT at LopLops Lounge! Apologies for the short notice, the show was only announced on the official Facebook event page on Sunday. The fast-rising local post punk/garage rock quartet will be the local openers tonight for two Vancouver-based punk bands, including experimental pop/punk trio OK Vancouver OK and the lo-fi garage punk outfit KMVP, who both add their own unique genre hybrids to the mix for a show that should appeal to both LopLops regulars and punk fans TONIGHT! Of course, Gnaeus' first post-battle set is noteworthy as well, especially given their talent and chemistry, but keep posted for a second show at LopLops from them that we'll preview in the coming days. Tonight's show has a likely 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limits, but have cash on hand just in case, as there hasn't been an announced cover. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's OK Vancouver OK live in 2013!

Speaking of Gnaeus, you can also see them as part of the final lineup for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza on May 9th at The Canadian Nightclub! Yesterday, promoter Steve Mozarowski revealed the final nine-band lineup (one more than previously hinted) on the Facebook event page, so who all is scheduled for this annual all ages concert marathon? Though a performance order hasn't been announced yet, the lineup will include all of the VM Radio Battle finalists (Gnaeus, death metal quartet The Bear Hunters, progressive rock quartet Mannapool, and rap/metal quartet The Apocalypse Afterparty) gathering at The Canadian once again, so if you loved the finals, here's the unofficial reunion! Notably, this will also continue The Bear Hunters' perfect run of playing at each Swampfest, the only band to maintain that distinction, so keep that in mind as well as they enter year #5!

Also returning from the past two years are local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith (in their first show with Caleb Cachagee on guitar) and alternative/blues rock quartet Sykotyk Rampage (in their first set of the year), so they'll fit in well again at this annual event! This year's lineup will be rounded out by indie/punk quintet Northwest (more on their next show in the coming days), death metal duo Brutally Fatal (the band of that name last year became The Revolution), and new local alternative hard rock duo Infinity Grinder (featuring Northern Tragedy & No Arrow alumni), so be sure not to miss any of them either! For reference, last year's open mic block does not appear to be returning, but some performers from it are playing this year. Also, if you're wondering why a band that announced that they wanted to play isn't on the lineup, remember that there was a lot of interest, hence why promoters had formal applications.

While the Swampstravaganza has moved from The Oddfellows Hall to The Canadian for this year, it's still an ALL AGES event, there's a $10 cover charge, and a special later start time of 5:00 PM is advertised. For more details, visit the above links! It's great to finally hear the full lineup, and this year's shaping up to be great once again, so stay tuned as more rolls in!

Finally for today, here's our preview of TOMORROW NIGHT's likely Mourning Wood-hosted jam night at The Rednecks Saloon! Fresh off of their late notice gig at Reggie's West on Saturday (apologies again for missing it), this newer classic/hard rock trio will presumably host their fifth weekly jam night at the former Nicolet Tavern, where they'll play alongside anyone who wants to jump on stage with their gear and join in with their hard hitting covers, similarly to other jam night events in the area, and if all goes well, there should be great entertainment in store tomorrow night with Mourning Wood and company! For reference, I don't know if they're playing a regular concert this weekend yet or not, but many of their recent gigs have only recieved minimal advance word, so keep that in mind just in case something's announced.

Note also that there has been at least one personal Facebook post linking them to this weekend's Rock 'N Roar Battle of the Bands  in Spanish, though the full lineup hasn't been announced for that event that I've seen. If they're playing, good luck to them for sure, as the top 3 bands are playing the festival this August! Mourning Wood's jam night TOMORROW has a 9:30 PM start time, no announced cover, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood live last fall!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews next, in all likelihood! Thanks everyone!

Swampstravaganza & Mike Haggith Updates, And Much More!!

Before we recap the results of last night's VM Radio Battle's opening night, here's a new news post to clear out some recent items, including a sudden new EP release, a unique video, and more, but first, here's some honestly overdue news on a big upcoming concert event!

We'll start today with some big updates for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza, now at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday, May 9th, including that the annual multi-band all ages concert now has an official website! Created through Wix, the page includes photos and band lists for the past 4 installments at The Oddfellows Hall, an official logo, a $10 admission fee, and confirmation that this year's Swampfest will begin at 5:00 PM with the first band starting at 6:00 PM, with timeslots alotted for just 8 bands. This would make this year's event the smallest yet in the Swampfest series, but it would allow for a more manageable schedule! Also, the former "Sewer Swampstravaganza" branding is now only designated for the first year's concert in 2011, with "Quagmire", "Marshland", and "Bog" replacing "Sewer" to label later installments (no word on what this year's swamp-esque name would be.) As for confirmed bands, there's such high demand for this year that promoters have opted to roll out official band registration forms to apply to play, so what should you know on them?

We won't get into the legal jargon, but full details on what bands should bring and expect can be read at this link, where you can also sign up to potentially play this year, and what you need to provide in your application. I know many local artists want to play at this year's Swampstravaganza, so if you want in, act A.S.A.P. via the above links, stay tuned for updates, and the show's website is now in our "Other Local Metal Links"!

Next up, here's the latest from a solo performer from last year's Swampstravaganza, that being Haggith drummer Mike Haggith, so what's he currently up to? yesterday, Mike put a new digital EP named "Of Cars & Criminals" on sale via his Bandcamp page, which compiles three songs from his upcoming full length studio album "The Warinside". The EP (which is available on a "name your price" model) features the title track, "The Snake", and his newest song "We Met As Surrogates", which was just unveiled on his YouTube channel yesterday as well. Featuring Haggith/Din bandmate Curtis McKenzie on guest guitar and/or backing vocals on all 3 tracks, this EP is a nice teaser for fans awaiting "The Warinside" in full, but we'll hold on a review of this EP until the full album's expected release, as it'd be redundant to review both. Check out "We Met As Surrogates" below and the whole "Of Cars & Criminals" EP above, and don't miss Mike Haggith & The Din at The Speak Easy Battle of the Bands TOMORROW!



Also today, here's a unique look into local guitarist/Audiofumes podcast host Mike Cliffe's work behind the scenes, as this video (uploaded last week to his YouTube channel) is of him running a soundcheck for a live podcast, using The Bear Hunters' "Collapse The Sun" as background audio! It's an interesting look at the technical side of things (and not odd when you look at other similar videos on Mike's channel), and fans of The Bear Hunters who don't have "Eternal Hibernation" yet may like the audio sample! Give the video a look below, and definitely consider checking out Audiofumes, it's a quality podcast with notable, local, and underground artists galore!



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

• Local all-female hard rock/punk quartet The Danger Cats have unveiled their first ever studio-produced original song via their new Reverbnation page! It's of their song "Wanted Man", which was produced by AlgomA's Jamie Vincent and mixed by Cross Dog's Mark Rand, according to their Facebook page. It's nice to hear a great quality version of one of their originals, and fans should love it, so check it out at the above link, and don't miss the girls at the VM Radio Battle of the Bands next week!
• The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe, the local/London solo metal project from Our Place Or Yours guitarist Matt Parr, now has a few new songs uploaded to their Soundcloud page in the past month! They include two acoustic songs (named "Huh" & "A Very Special Acoustic Song", the latter being longer and better composed) and the 49 second unfinished "Heavytrack" (no space) that has a lot of djent-heavy potential! Give them a listen above!
• Local musician Tammy Hill is looking for a singer, guitarist, and drummer to start a punk rock band that would play both originals and covers, as per her post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on February 19th. If you're interested in trying out, message Tammy above or at this link!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our recap of last night's VM Radio Battle of the Bands opening round later today, with weekend concert previews and our Speak Easy Battle review to follow! Thanks everyone!

A Battle Of The Bands Cancellation, Banned & Brutally Fatal Updates, And Much More!!

Before we likely cap off the month with weekend concert previews and our next CD review, here's some news for this Wednesday afternoon! Along with a new video from a talented regional band, the latest from a rising young death metal project, and much more, we'll lead off with some disappointing news regarding an upcoming concert event, so here's what you should know!

The Twin City Sounds Battle of the Bands scheduled for February 20th at The Rednecks Saloon has officially been postponed. Co-promoter & judge Terry Eaton revealed on the Facebook event page on Monday that they're postponing the battle due to the event's proximity to the VM Radio Battle at The Canadian, which begins just under two weeks later on March 4th, saying that "two battles around the same time just doesn't work for anyone." Bands that registered to compete in next month's battle will be able to get their entry fees back by contacting Terry or Steven Flint on Facebook, so if you registered to play, message them A.S.A.P.! This is disappointing, especially as it's the second Sault Ontario battle in four months to be called off (following November's scrapped Rock For Dimes battle), but it's officially just postponed, so hopefully we see a rescheduled date for later in the year! Also, remember that while an official band lineup wasn't announced for next month, there are a few bands who had signed up to compete in both battles, so be sure to see them in March!

I'll note as well that VM Radio Battle promoter J.D. Pearce had suggested that the winning band of each battle should face off in a head to head finals after the fact, and that'd be cool to see brought up again when the first battle is rescheduled! Stay tuned for updates on both when we hear them!

Next up, here's a new video from Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock standouts Banned, as per their YouTube channel on Monday! Their first uploaded video in four months, this is of the guys covering Fall Out Boy's "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)" earlier this month at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino. Filmed by Eric Cairns at Third Cinema Productions (who's filmed them in the past), this is a well filmed and performed cover, though Alex Traynor's vocal range doesn't hold up on the falsettos. I'm not a huge Fall Out Boy fan, but Banned's skill helps a lot on this performance! Also, for reference, the band is playing as a trio here with Wayne Lawrence on bass, so the recent photos of the band as a quartet in Engadine likely indicate that Jim Pentland was only back as a guest that night. Check out Banned's new video below, and stay tuned for more from them!



Also, here's the latest updates from Sault Ontario death metal duo Brutally Fatal, all from their Facebook page over the past month, and our apologies for the delay! Three weeks ago, the band revealed the cover for their first demo EP with their current lineup and name spelling, which will be called "The D.P.E.P.", though we won't share it here due to potentially offensive content. No word on what the title stands for, but an NSFW story about the concept can be read at this link. Austin & Tyler have been working in studio on "The D.P.E.P." this month, even revealing 25 potential song titles for new originals on Saturday, including such eclectic titles as "Ocean of Blood" & "Bulgarian Beetles". The first song for the EP was uploaded to their new Bandcamp page and the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel last week, and it's entitled "Stomp Your Feet", so how does it sound?

Sonically similar to Tyler Gibson's other duo project Rotopsy's song "Cops 'N Moms", this song is a short death metal number with repetitive shouted lyrics (largely of the song's title), though there is some late growling vocals too. It's consistently heavy and engaging for Blood Shed loyalists, but we'll have to see how the rest of the songs evolve. We won't embed the full YouTube video here due to the cover art being included, but stream the full song at this link, and stay tuned for more from Brutally Fatal & the Blood Shed!

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

• According to their official Facebook page, Sault Michigan nightclub and occasional concert venue The Back Door (which was recently sold to new owners) re-opened for an "encore presentation" of their usual Friday night party last week, and will apparently be permanently re-opened soon under their new management. Great news for regulars, but will bands be a part of the new owners' plans? We'll let you guys know if we hear anything!
• Sault Ontario music store Music Depot's Facebook page revealed on Sunday that they are "temporarily closed" and hope to be back soon. This announcement follows rumours of the Gore Street store's closure in December, though there were later assurances that Music Depot was just sold to new owners. Hopefully the temporary closure is just that, as I know many musicians enjoy going there, and we'll let you know when/if it re-opens!
• The fifth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza all ages concert will indeed move from The Oddfellows Hall for this year, as it will apparently be held at The Canadian Nightclub for this year's installment on May 9th. A reason for the venue change wasn't announced, but The Canadian is a quality location, and hopefully there's a great turnout this year! Our source is promoter Steve Mozarowski on the Facebook event page yesterday, and stay tuned for more on the lineup!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews, this month's CD review, and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ten Kings), Scarkazm Concert Previews, And The Return Of The Swampstravaganza!!

Our second post of the day is half devoted to Sault Michigan-area concerts (including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next few months and the last of this weekend's own concert previews), and half devoted to the return of an annual Sault Ontario concert event! Here's what you should know, and check out this weekend's Sault Ontario hard rock concert previews in the post below this one!

New Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings will make their live concert debuts on Friday, February 27th & Saturday, February 28th at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, which they'll follow with their debuts at St. Ignace's Kewadin Casino at The Northern Pines Lounge on March 13th & 14th! Though not yet acknowledged on Kewadin's own entertainment page, the February gigs replace ones originally scheduled for local classic rockers Ricochet (who've since removed them from their Facebook page), and the March gigs originally belonged to local indie rockers The London Gentlemen, who haven't acknowledged them that I've seen. Remember, Ten Kings are the new band from Nixxon Dixxon alum Brandon Carr, Bottom Line bandmates Joe Jenkins & Will Storey, and Scofflaw alum Barney Gravelle, which is a very promising lineup!

There's no cover charges for these 21+ concerts, and all have likely 9:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages at the links here & here! It's great to see Ten Kings get some shows booked, and hopefully they can hit Nixxon Dixxon & Scofflaw-esque heights in the E.U.P.! Stay tuned for more from them as it comes in!

Next up, here's our last known hard rock concert previews for this weekend, as Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm will hit the Eastern Upper Peninsula for the first time in 2015 for shows TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at the aforementioned Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Some of you may have seen members Adam Crawford & Jeff Hudson earlier this month with Peril, but these will be Scarkazm's first St. Ignace stops since April, so if you've missed their hard hitting originals and covers in the past so many months, don't miss out on their St. Ignace returns this weekend! As usual for Scarkazm shows in our neck of the woods, there are 9:00 PM start times in effect, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Scarkazm's 2015 E.U.P. debut TONIGHT & TOMORROW, and here's Scarkazm covering Alice In Chains!



Finally, here's some exciting news, as there will indeed be a 5th annual Sewer Swampstravaganza this year, but there are changes afoot too! As revealed on the Facebook event page, the annual Steve Mozarowski-promoted all ages concert (which traditionally has at least 9 different acts) will be held during the same timeframe as last year, placing it on Saturday, May 9th rather than moving to a different month like it had in the past. That's helpful for establishing it as an annual event, and hopefully people remember that date! As well, the event page suggests that the location is to be announced, which suggests that this year's Swampfest may not be at The Oddfellows Hall, which hosted the first 4 installments. This could be exciting if a different quality venue is booked, but it would be odd to see a Swampstravaganza held somewhere else. We'll keep you guys posted when more is announced! No bands have been officially confirmed yet either, but who might we see?

Event page posts by band members suggest that 2014 performers The Bear Hunters (the only band that played each of the first 4 Swampfests), Haggith, Mike Haggith solo, The Revolution, and DJ Seith are all interested in playing again, as is rapper Mikey Thomas (who would be playing for the first time if added), so fans of last year's show should like the early interest! For reference, last year's other local performers included Sykotyk Rampage, Rotopsy, ex-RedD Monkey cellist Pete Mozarowski, Rihkee Strap from Ye Olde Mold Pickers, This Is Your Band On Drugs, and an open mic performer block (no word on if that will return), while The Northern Tragedy, James Watterworth, Guy Smith, Conika, and The North Shore are active artists that played in 2012 or 2013. As well, this event is not opposed to out of town bands, as seen by 2013 headliners Warsenal and last year's set from Aggressive Acoustic, so I wouldn't be overly shocked if we see an out of town band once again come May 9th.

It's great to see Steve (alongside Sykotyk Rampage guitarist Dirk Becker once again) bring the Swampstravaganza back for a fifth year, and I'm very curious to see who all is signed on to play this year! If the last 4 years are any indication, there will be bands wall to wall from afternoon until well into the night, so stay tuned for updates on the lineup, admission charges, and more as everything comes in! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Kiss'd), New Videos, And More!!

Before we head off to TONIGHT'S Jack Spades EP release show, we have a new news post for you guys today, so what's on tap? Some assorted recent notes (including a concert cancellation), a new cover video, recent coverage of a major all ages show, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for across the river this summer, so here's what you need to know!

Continuing the recent influx of Charlevoix, Michigan metal musician Jeff Hudson's bands into Eastern Upper Peninsula concert dates, his Northern Michigan Kiss tribute band Kiss'd will hit The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, July 4th and Saturday, July 5th! Note that these shows are still to be announced on Kewadin's entertainment page, but I imagine it's just a little behind. Joining already-announced 2014 dates for Jeff's other bands Scarkazm, Audio Circus, and (of course) Peril at our regional Kewadin branches, these will actually be Kiss'd's first announced shows on their Facebook page since 2012, though I'm not sure if they've played a show unadvertised there in the interim. Featuring Jeff on vocals and bass as "Paul Stanley", Kiss'd have a faithful sound that fans of Kiss should take to if their older videos are any indication, though the vocals aren't always close ringers with the original songs. Be sure to check them out in July though! You must be 21 to attend, there's no announced cover charge, and there are nightly start times of 10:30 & 9:00 PM, so check the above links for more updates on how to get Kiss'd!

Next up, we have some recent local coverage of last weekend's fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall to share on here! Posted to the YouTube channel of local event promotion and entertainment website Sault Online on Tuesday, this features video footage of Sudbury unplugged hard rockers Aggressive Acoustic covering Monster Magnet's "Space Lord" during soundcheck, which bookend a minute long interview clip with promoter Steve Mozarowski outside of the hall, so what is discussed there? Steve talks about how he started the annual event in 2011 as a RedD Monkey tour fundraiser, though it has since transitioned into a showcase for youth-centered local talent, while he'll also look into grants for next year's event and the possibility of free admission. Aside from the windy conditions impairing the interview, it's a solid promotional sample for the event, and the Aggressive Acoustic footage is well shot! I wonder what became of the Brutaly Fatal video footage that the same Sault Online correspondent filmed that evening?

Also to note: Steve described RedD Monkey as "broke up" in the video, though official Facebook statements only go so far as to say they're on a hiatus, so we'll go on that until/unless something else is stated. As well, the video description incorrectly lists both Ashes To Dust & Pillory as playing that night, misspells Aggressive Acoustic, and accidentally calls Haggith "Haggard", but hopefully that all gets fixed! Nice to see some new local media coverage of the Swampfest, so check out the full video below!



Also today, Pillory frontman and Crimson Crusade guitarist Robert Sartini posted a new cover video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first video there in 5 months (and first solo cover video since last August), this is a guitar rendition of Wisconsin death metal band Putrid Pile's "Blood Fetish" that he learned by ear. Though I'm not too familiar with Putrid Pile, this a solid rendition, but I think the original backing track is a bit high in the video. This should tide Pillory fans over while we wait for public news from their camp, so give Robert's new video a look below!



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

• Former(?) Social Suicide guitarist Anthony Boudreau is looking for a high school-age guitarist who can play anything from old school rock to progressive metal for his new local band project. If you're interested in trying out, message Anthony at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from May 7th!
• The Die Mannequin concert scheduled for June 14th at The Rockstar Bar has been cancelled, as per updates to the Facebook event page by promoter J.D. Pearce on Tuesday. A reason wasn't announced there beyond J.D. saying that it was "out of my hands", but while this is disappointing, does the survival of the event page lend hope for a possible rescheduling? We'll have to wait and see!
• A 14 year old local metal guitarist named Jordan Attoni is looking to jam in a local metal project. He has played guitar for 4 years, and is influenced by bands like AC/DC, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold, so if you're interested in trying out or getting more details, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT for Jack Spades' EP release show! Thanks everyone!

Sewer Swampstravaganza IV Concert Review!!

After a bit of a delay due to very slow video uploading times (plus our preview of TONIGHT's Oh! Right Arm!/Blood Shed show at The Moose Lodge in yesterday's post), we finally have our review of Saturday night's fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall for you guys, so here's what you should know! This year, organizers employed a larger staff to run the show and related events, with merchandise for sale including limited edition event and RedD Monkey t-shirts, assorted art, poetry, and music items from Rihkee Strap and Ye Olde Mold Pickers, and even a Blood Shed Productions merchandise table (plus an album that we'll touch on later.) Indian tacos and frybread were indeed sold for patrons to eat, which is a great idea given the length of the show! Attendance was fairly good by the evening and for the headlining bands, but it was a slow go for the afternoon performers, which is par for the course for these all-day all ages shows. A reporter from Sault Online was also on hand at two points on Saturday to film Aggressive Acoustic (during afternoon sound check) and Brutaly Fatal, so might we see the footage online soon?

There were also some late lineup alterations for some of the earlier performers, but we'll approach them as we go. Now, here's our thoughts on all of the performers on Saturday night!

As expected, the Sewer Swampstravaganza kicked off with it's first ever open mic block at 1:00 PM, though for unannounced reasons, planned host Greg Callaghan was not able to attend, so promoter Steve Mozarowski hosted in his place. Given the slow early attendance, there wasn't a lot of performers, with just 5 distinct acts playing in the 90 minute timeslot, and only three playing for a substantial length. They were Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger in a rare showcase of his singing & guitar ability, Steve Mozarowski playing songs that may have been in his later "faceityoureametalband" set, and local keyboardist/busker Damjan Binda (a.k.a. "Spider Fingerz"), who some of you may remember from an Oddfellows Hall show earlier this year. As well, Northern Tragedy singer/drummer Terrence Gomes and friend Katie Huckson (jokingly named Goofus & Gallant) played a pair of songs, while Keep It Lit/ex-The Fury frontman Paul Stanghetta played a few songs of his own later in the block.

In terms of what I thought of each performer: Johnny's performances were solid, and a nice throwback to seeing some of his musical diversity when we both attended Bawating in the mid-2000s! He always had a good singing voice, and the variance was solid on covers of everyone from The Foo Fighters to Harvey Danger. Steve's portion was a nice continuation from earlier Swampfest sets, if much more reserved, including covers of Oasis and New Order mixed with assorted originals. I prefer his more abrasive band work, but he had a nice casual command of the stage, and the originals were well composed! Damjan struck me as a very talented pianist (complete with accessories to simulate a baby grand), and while his vocals weren't heard much, he deftly played some entertaining originals and even belted out a rousing sea shanty! I'll have to keep an eye on his work. Terrence and Katie performed well together (though she was hard to hear), and it was nice seeing Paul back on stage, playing solid renditions of Rubberbandits and Kings of Leon, even breaking out some rap on his last song!

The first of the official band performers on Saturday was Haggith drummer Mike Haggith in a rare solo concert appearance, so how was this different from his more locally common Din work? Aside from a guest appearance on the opening song by bandmate Daniel Horton, Mike played each song solo with only him on vocals & guitar, with backing tracks that he recorded to cover bass and drums. Mike quietly released his 48th studio album "A Place Of Our Own" at the show, so his 6 song set included one song from that disc, plus older originals like "Room 822" and the brand new "Cindy Is A Hooker's Name". Aside from some technical errors regarding the backing tracks, Mike shown some solid talent in a more formal setting for music that he fronts, and he has a nice singing voice as usual on these hard rock originals, but by using backing tracks, his set sounded more artificial than I'm used to (but at least he played on them.) Solid work though, and hopefully Mike tries his hand at more solo sets down the road!

The next performer was slated to be the aforementioned Steve Mozarowski (replacing The Neon Stars & The Runaway Voices), but his formal set was tentative pending the addition of a different act for that timeslot, and he did find one, as local DJ Shane Erickson (a.k.a. DJ Seith) took over the 4:00 PM timeslot in his place. Given the surrounding acts, this was a bit of a surprise, so how'd he do? Creatively distributing tambourines for fans to make noise with during his set, DJ Seith basically played the music and turntable mixes that he would at an event that would seem more typical for his output, mashing up two vinyl records while scratching and mixing the songs within, and there were some very receptive fans late, especially when he threw some Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath in! He definitely has an ease about his work, and he definitely didn't alter his show due to the slow early attendance, but part of me assumed he'd manipulate certain songs more than they were. Nice diversion though, and if it's your thing, DJ Seith has the goods!

Next was slated to be local funk/metal band The Strange Coyotes, but like at the Fuck The Facts show, they were replaced by singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore's more recent project This Is Your Band On Drugs, likely for similar reasons (if we hear anything finite concerning The Strange Coyotes' status, we'll have it here!) Just like at their last local stop, they played a grind/experimental hybrid sound that had a lot of energy, intensity, and creativity that got a lot of people's attention, with Chase's guitar work and stage presence captivating many like usual! Nick Burns' vocals were still mostly hard to hear, and he could be a bit more animated on stage, but he fits in well musically, and they were joined by Rotopsy's Ringsnaps Gibson again for their closing song to add an extra vocal blast! I'd still be interested to see how T.I.Y.B.O.D. sound with drums and bass, but their unique mix of genres is definitely hard to ignore, and stay tuned for more on them and their original music this week!

Following them was the non-house party debut of the current version of Brutaly Fatal, so what'd this trio have in store? Though we did see the original version of the band (now Re-Born) last year in a solo grindcore theme, the new Brutaly Fatal have a hybrid of doom metal and punk in their current originals like "We Are The Gladiators" and "Monsters", almost striking me as a mix of AlgomA and The Northern Tragedy, if that makes sense. Austin dropped the growling entirely for clean singing, and he's solid at that, while he, bassist Rainey Vincent, and new drummer Brandan Glew had decent chemistry and clear talent throughout, though they could all work on their stage presences somewhat. The big issue I had with their set was their cover choices, as Collective Soul and Weezer songs seem like songs borrowed from Re-Born rather than material fitting of a doom band, and didn't mesh well with the originals. Solid debut though, I'm curious to see how they develop!

The 7:00 set was supposed to go to local/Grand Rapids folk/acoustic trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers in a reunion set, but members Nick Marsh & Kyle Church couldn't make the event (apparently due to being stranded in Michigan on the way up for the show), so singer/accordionist Rihkee Strap played an abbreviated solo set instead, mainly comprised of Y.O.M.P. covers. It was an interesting sight seeing almost everyone sit for her set, but like at her earlier local shows, there was a busking casual feel to her performance, though there was a bit of stage rust and nervousness given the long break. Her set was effective and a nice change of pace, and after a joint rendition of "Alleyways", she ceded the rest of the set to RedD Monkey cellist Pete Mozarowski, who played three original cello compositions. Nice to see him on stage again, and while the songs had an minimalistic quality without other performers, his musical talent was clear as day, and I'd be curious to hear more of his solo music!

Then we had Sudbury acoustic/hard rock band Aggressive Acoustic in their second live concert set in the Soo, though their lineup was indeed abbreviated, as bassist Darren McCullough again did not make the trip, and drummer Angie McBride (who was visibly pregnant at their local date last fall) is currently on maternity leave, though congratulations on the new arrival! Fronted by former Sykotyk Rampage bassist Brian Cattapan, he and mandolin player Sean Trottier played a mix of covers of bands like Linkin Park, Chevelle, and Down, plus a few originals like "Downtown Billy Brown", and if anything struck me about their set, it's that Brian has definitely improved his singing ability since the last time I saw him live in this role! The covers were mostly adapted well, and you could tell he was getting people's attention when certain fans ran back into the hall to hear certain unexpected songs. Sean's a solid mandolin player too, and he accompanied things well! It'd be nice to see the full lineup in town at some point, but I think Brian and Sean made some new fans!

The 9:00 band was local goregrind duo Rotopsy, who finally got a chance to play a full set after their shortened Dank Fest closer last month, and they didn't disappoint with a very energetic and high-tempo set of grind and death metal originals! Including songs like "Shovel Packin'", "Let Us Rot", and "The Funky Track", Dylan and Tyler got loyal fans moshing and headbanging throughout their set, which even recycled the Super Mario 64 theme cover from Crucify The Whore's set the previous weekend. Of what Rotopsy provides in concert, I still think they could benefit from having Dylan Taylor growl more actual words rather than the scattered grunts and yells, and the lack of a guitar does make it's presence felt a fair amount. The enthusiasm and brutality were wall to wall though, and hopefully tonight's show at The Moose Lodge goes well for them!

The headline acts of the Swampstravaganza kicked off at 10:00 PM with the well anticipated reunion set by local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith, making their first live concert appearance since December's farewell show, so how'd they perform in their return? Pretty well, it's like they never left! Aside from Curtis McKenzie's shorter hair, things looked about the same as they did at their peak last year, even to the point of Curtis playing guitar on most songs, after not doing so for much of late 2013. Songs like "Clifton Hill" & "Public Enemy" joined select covers of Jimi Hendrix classics, and the guys definitely shown the chemistry and talent that carried them so well in their initial run together, with Curt showing his more diverse vocal range on some songs, Mike Haggith drumming with a fun purpose, and Daniel Horton's lead guitar work on fire! It's great to have Haggith back, and this set was definitely a well recieved success, but was it a one-off show?

Take this with a grain of salt until the band confirms this online, but band members announced on stage that they plan to stay together and record a fourth studio album compiling songs of theirs that aren't on physical CDs yet (like "Metal Cage" & "Anthem"), but with an attached ultimatum: If said CD doesn't sell well, they'll break up again. The band has not officially said this online yet, but just in case, there's some cautiously optimistic news regarding Haggith's future!

Another band that we haven't seen since Haggith's farewell show came on next, as the original crash band, Sykotyk Rampage played their first live concert set of 2014 in the co-headlining slot! Their 13 song set mixed classics like "Drinking on the Weekend" and "Hey Zeus" with some new songs like "Soul" and their first live song with bassist Tony Briglio on lead vocals, the Jack Daniels ode "Old #7", and the fans gave them  good reception, even inciting rare mosh pits for a Sykotyk Rampage show! Visually and sonically, the guys were up to their old tricks, with Paul Becker's booming bluesy vocals and his brother Dirk and Shane Kokis handling things well for their improvised originals! Despite their involvement as staff for the event, the guys didn't play a reserved set, showing their energy and creativity throughout, with Dirk again dropping the guitar for an angry and intense version of "Lowest of the Low". Very fun crash set, here's hoping for more soon!

And finally, your headliners on Saturday were the only band to play at all four Swampstravaganzas, local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters, and they were in form once again with brutal originals and lots of devastating metal action! Now to be fair, I saw them at the Fuck The Facts show as well, and their sets were largely similar in both song choices and performances, so it's hard to comment too differently on Saturday night's set. Playing newer songs like "I Fear No God" and "The Omen" along with existing originals, the guys shown their talents well once again, with Nik Deubel's vocals as heavy as ever, Mitch Sirie playing to his standards on guitar, and Justin Lam's clear bass skill a constant presence! I did have to leave late in their set, but The Bear Hunters were a perfect closer to the evening, and hopefully we hear much more from them in the near future, including hopefully their long awaited album at some point!

Overall, the fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza was a success, but being the longest event yet in this annual series, it was also the most tiring at least for this reviewer (my feet were killing me by night's end.) It was all for a good cause though, as this was another very entertaining blend of local music! Is it weird to note that only four bands on Saturday featured a drummer, and only one of them (Brutaly Fatal) played before 10:00 PM?

I got plenty of photos of each band, so visit our Facebook page or this link to check them out, and as for videos, I got one of each formal performer and a compilation of the open mic block, so here's all 5 open mic acts together, followed by Mike Haggith playing "Sun Perfume", the first few minutes of DJ Seith's set, This Is Your Band On Drugs playing a (likely) untitled original, Brutaly Fatal's original "Mercury", Rihkee Strap covering Ye Olde Mold Pickers' "Redemption Song", Pete Mozarowski playing his composition "The Conquered", Aggressive Acoustic covering Tool's "Stinkfist", Rotopsy playing their short originals "Doomytrack" & "Mould Induced Hypersensitivity", Haggith playing "No Cure For Insanity", Sykotyk Rampage playing their new song "Soul", and The Bear Hunters playing their newer song "The Void"!








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