YouTube Channel Profile Series: David Mills, LudwigVaanArthans, and meshayeah's Channels

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This regular feature series looks at 1-3 YouTube channels (three this month) whose posted content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk artists and concerts, in order to spotlight them for readers and potential new subscribers, and we have three channels today as the first two randomly selected channels only had one SMS-relevant video each. There's some talented metal acts in this month's selections, so here's what you need to know on this month's channels!
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David Mills (http://www.youtube.com/davidowen55)

Owner: Life's Eclipse singer/bassist David Owen Mills, also previously known as the frontman of Moss

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 4th, 2011; Both videos posted the following month

Channel Summary: Though most Werehold Records-related media is posted online by his brother & bandmate Jason Mills, one of David's two YouTube uploads is of a Life's Eclipse original, specifically their song "Undefeated", from their album "Shadow Over Superior". One of the first songs that I ever heard from this Sault Michigan metal band (well before their 2011 relaunch), this is admittedly redundant given that Werehold's YouTube channel uploaded the same song on the same day, but it's still a crushing song with catchy riffs from Jason and Joe Semasky, and it's a shame that the original version with vocals was deleted from MySpace! However, David hasn't visibly updated his channel in at least two years, and his only other video is of his friend getting tased at an army base. For more from Life's Eclipse, check the above links!


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LudwigVaanArthans' Channel (http://www.youtube.com/ludwigvaanarthans)

Owner: YouTube user Ludwig Vaan Arthans (real identity unknown, if that's a pseudonym, though I believe he's from Romania)

Channel Timeline: Launched on September 25th, 2008; Videos posted in May 2012 & July 2013

Channel Summary: Ludwig's first of two videos is of defunct local/Toronto blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres' song "Don't Open The Wounds/Skywide Armspread", from 2009's "Woods IV: The Green Album". Posted five months after frontman David Gold's sudden passing in December 2011, this is an underrated song from their first true doom release, with a solid chugging progression, solid rhythm from bassist & drummer Shane & Evan Madden, and suitably dark lyrics! Though there are far more substantive channels to hear Woods of Ypres songs through, this song is still worth listening to for fans of their doom period, despite the wrong band lineup in the photo (Bryan Belleau was the lead guitarist on "Woods IV", not Joel Violette.) While Ludwig still actively uses his channel, his only other video is of a song by Finnish death metal band Synestesia.


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meshayeah's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/meshayeah)

Owner: YouTube user and former Sault Ste. Marie resident Michelle Moran

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 1st, 2009; Videos posted in July & September 2013

Channel Summary: Two of Michelle's three videos come from a private house party festival in nearby Garden River from August 2013 named Anti-Capitalist Tacofest, which was headlined by local grindcore trio Shit Liver in their final live concert appearance before moving to St. Catharine's that fall. Both of Michelle's clips from the show are of Shit Liver's set, including their song "Helen Kellers", and as embedded below, three quick originals, starting with their own self-titled song. Though the vertical camera angle isn't a major issue, the staticy audio & bassist Mike Kyle being obscured for much of the video don't help, but these are an interesting look at Shit Liver's last set as a purely local band! Michelle didn't film other acts that night (such as AlgomA, James Watterworth, and the late Sabrina Pelchat), with her only other video being of Pennsylvania hardcore punk band Rodent Lord at that year's Spiderfest in Meyersburg.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Next month in this series, we have randomly chosen former Bad Side guitarist and The Bear DJ Jason Mapes' YouTube channel to profile next, which features dozens of videos from the 2000s Sault Michigan hard rock band and his later solo career. That should be interesting, so look for that on or around July 26th, and stay tuned for more news and notes this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings & Lucky 13) And Some New Videos!!

We're back with some more news and updates on this cold Monday morning, and before anyone asks, I have videos from Friday night's Oddfellows Hall concert coming in their own post tomorrow, due to the amount and so we can focus on them in full, so look for that tomorrow if all goes according to plan! For now, we have new video discoveries from a private event last summer, a recent major hair metal show, and to kick things off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a popular local venue, so here's what you need to know!

Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar for one night only THIS SATURDAY! Just announced by the venue last night, this weekend's show will be Lucky 13's third of the new year and their first at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs bar in almost two months, so if you've missed them there, keep this upcoming show in mind! For reference sake, they're not playing on Friday due to a previously booked one-nighter by pop rockers Cherry Crush. Lucky 13's gritty and diverse sound should be nice to see again this coming weekend, so don't miss their return during your weekend concert planning! A $5 cover charge is likely for Saturday night, you must be 19 to attend, and there is a 10:30 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for our preview of this show later this week!

Next up, we flash forward 4 weeks to another local hard rock quartet rocking The Rockstar Bar, as The Suicide Kings will return to the site of last year's battle of the bands win for another one night only show to end the month on Friday, February 28th! Their first appearance at this venue in over 6 months, this concert date (also their third of the year) coincides with frontman Mike Gaetano's 30th birthday, so if you're in attendance, you can help keep the party going all night long with their entertaining hard rock originals and covers! Like this weekend's Lucky 13 show, I would expect a 19+ age limit, a $5 cover charge, and a 10:30 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see The Suicide Kings' concert bookings picking up after a slow fall season, so don't forget about their return to The Rockstar Bar at month's end!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with one more video from last weekend's Bret Michaels concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Uploaded by YouTube user topshelfalpena on Saturday, this is a cover of Poison's "Ride The Wind", and this time, the camera angle is to the stage's middle-left, giving a good angle of Bret & his band! The quality's a little jumpy and bright, but the audio sounds pretty good, and Bret delivers again for you hair metal fans! If you missed the concert (or want to relive it again), check out this newest video from last weekend below!



Lastly, here's some new videos and updates from the recently relocated grind/crust metal trio Shit Liver! Since moving to Toronto last fall, we haven't heard a whole lot from Josh, Mike, and Matt, but a shared photo on January 3rd indicates that Destroilet guitarist John Conway is mixing songs of theirs (perhaps towards a release of their album, finally?) We'll keep you posted when more comes out, but a recent post on their Facebook page alerted fans to video footage from (I think) their last local concert set before the big move, courtesy of the private "Anti-Capitalist Tacofest" gig that they played in Garden River in late August. Two videos from this show were uploaded by attendee meshayeah on their YouTube channel on September 1st, including a video of their song "Helen Kellers" and (as embedded below) three of their songs, which last just under 4 minutes in true Shit Liver fashion!

Filmed on a vertical cell phone camera angle, the audio quality is not great at all, with static overpowering almost everything else, but it's an interesting look at their last show before heading south, and it looks like they had fun! Hopefully things work out well for Shit Liver in Toronto in 2014, and that we can see them back up north (with CDs in tow?) later this year, but for now, give their Tacofest videos a look below and above!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for videos from Friday night's all ages metal show at The Oddfellows Hall TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Late Creepshow Concert Notes, The Unveiling Of What Was Spitneck, And Much More!!

We're back with another news post on this Tuesday evening, so what's in store? Along with some assorted recent updates, we have a new solo performance video, the long-time-coming debut of a Blood Shed Productions grindcore band, and leading off, some fallout from a big concert last night, so read on below for what we currently know!

We should start with late notice changes that we missed from last night's Creepshow-headlined psychobilly/metal concert at The Roosevelt Hotel, starting with a surprise added band, as Nelson, B.C. "electro-folk/disco-thrash" quintet Tofu Stravinsky also played last night! This was confirmed on their own Facebook page last night after their set, and their sound is very original, with a mix of female vocals, indie rock, and techno into quite a different style, and hopefully their set went over well last night! The other late notice change to announce is that Bear Hunters/Suicide Kings member Mitch Sirie apparently played with local horror punk rockers Frightlight during their set last night, under the stage name "Stitch Grizzly"! Frontman Johnny Pints announced this on the concert's Facebook event page last night, but as I wasn't in attendance (and haven't seen photos yet), I can't confirm what role he played, if he's now a permanent member, or who left/moved instruments to accomodate Mitch. I will note that their Facebook page hasn't been updated yet to note any lineup changes, and all of the most recent local members (including guest bassist Slim Cadaver) were confirmed attendees on the event page. When we hear more, I'll let you guys know!

Next up, here's more recent updates on Blood Shed Productions! The Sault Ontario grindcore/rap label recently (and finally) unveiled the band Spitneck, who had been alluded to on posts on their Facebook page since January. However, shortly after their first song was uploaded to the label's YouTube channel, it was taken down due to a name change for the project, as the Spitneck name was already in use, so now the project is called Rotopsy. The project is a two man band (at least in it's current form), and it appears to feature singer/guitarist Ringsnaps Gibson (I recognize his pig squeals) along with a yet-unidentified collaborator (perhaps Austin McCrae?) Rotopsy have no online page yet, but their genre is described as "porngrind", so if any lyrics are discernible, they may offend some listeners. Their first song (entitled "Neurological Sperm Bucket") is now online, and while it's similar to Ringsnaps' other bands through Blood Shed, there's more of a variance in the vocals, and the drumming is a nice fit!

I have no idea why it took so many months for our first look at Spitneck/Rotopsy, but check out their first song below, stay tuned for when/if they launch an online page (or when we find out more on their lineup), and look for more from Rotopsy on their planned split demo with Malignant Neoplasm & Brutaly Fatal!



Also today, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's latest solo guitar cover was uploaded to his YouTube channel on Sunday, and it's a cover of Three Doors Down's "Here Without You"! Like his last few videos, it's a solo rendition with him on vocals & guitar, and it continues his recent trend of softer & general rock covers (I wonder if this is a conscious decision to better match his singing voice?) It's a well done cover, especially if you like Three Doors Down's ballads, but his voice strikes me as too high for the mood of this song, and it wavers a bit on the choruses. Good work though, so give Alex's newest cover a look below!



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

• The AlgomA-headlined Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay on October 12th has seen a change to one of it's bus pick-up & drop-off points, as the planned Wendy's/Tim Hortons parking lot on Great Northern Road has been swapped for the Station Mall parking lot in front of Wal-Mart for unknown reasons. This was quietly confirmed by promoters on the Facebook event page in recent days, and the other bus stop location at the Wellington Square Mall is unchanged. Visit the above links for more details on this very heavy & unique upcoming concert!
• Dafter, Michigan solo artist Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton has uploaded new songs named "Can't Drive" and "Goose" to his official website, both of which are slated to be on next month's new solo album "Cracks In The Wall"! I'll hold formal thoughts in case this is reviewed in November, but both sound good on first listen, with the former having a particularly heavy groove, so check out each above! Note that I believe these are both instrumental takes.
• If you were curious for more info on the private Garden River concert "Anti-Capitalist TacoFest" from last month, a photo album from it was posted on participants AlgomA's Facebook page, where it confirms the announced lineup, along with the location (inside someone's house), and performers such as former Ye Olde Mold Pickers accordionist Rihkee Strapp, ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Strange on drums, and a newly short-haired Chris Page (Giwakwa) handling sound for at least part of the day. Looks like this was a fun event, and hopefully we see the performers again soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's newest poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Ray Brown Tribute Information, Hydra's Teeth Updates, And Much More!!

Back to the news on this Wednesday morning, so what's in store today? Not the new concerts some may have been expecting (we're saving those to tie in with this weekend's concert previews), but we do have a bunch of recent assorted updates, the latest from a newer local metal band, and leading off, a very special tribute event coming sooner than you may think, so read on below for details!

A benefit/tribute concert has been announced for Saturday, October 12th at The Canadian Nightclub that will be in support of local musician Ray Brown and his family. Ray (who plays drums and has been in heavier local bands in the past) has been battling cancer in the lungs and liver for the past few months, and according to the Facebook event page, it's estimated that he only has two months left to live. As a result, his family and friends are coming together to help Ray and his family out with this event, that will hopefully help cover some of his final expenses. The benefit will feature a pasta dinner, door & raffle prizes, and musical performances from artists to be announced, though all will be donating their time in honour of Ray. The benefit will be held at 7:00 PM that night, tickets will be $25 through administrators of the event or at the door (I assume), while age limits haven't been announced. Check the above links for more details! I don't know Ray personally, but we have a lot of mutual friends, I've heard good things about him as a drummer and person, and no one should have to go through this at just 41 years of age.

It's too early to say if I'll be able to attend, but I definitely wish him and his family the very best at this difficult time, and I hope the event is a huge success for them! In terms of bands, while no one is confirmed, a handful of local musicians (including Obsession's Valerie Powley) are among the event hosts, so keep that in mind just in case. Stay tuned to the SMS for updates as they roll in, including for potential heavier bands!

Next up, here's the latest updates from newer local classic metal band The Hydra's Teeth! The group featuring Late & Loud, Sativa Rose, and Startlefish alumni are hard at work on both their live debut and some studio work as per their Facebook page on Monday, so what should you know? In terms of their first concert, they apparently have a date lined up for later his month at The Canadian Nightclub, and they'll share the bill of local grunge quartet Haggith and a "brand new band" of some kind, though no hints were dropped on their identity. As more official word comes in, we'll have it here! The other news is that The Hydra's Teeth are apparently writing a pile of original material, with 10 songs written and another 10 in the works. From what I can tell, the band is hoping to do studio work very early and get it out to the public A.S.A.P., which isn't entirely foreign, as Brendan Christie & Benn Garside began EP work early in Late & Loud's run also. We'll have to see how this all shakes out, so keep posted here and above!

Finally for today, here's six assorted recent news items, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Have you seen a poster for an event named "Anti-Capitalist TacoFest" on Facebook in the past week that featured acts like Shit Liver, AlgomA, James Watterworth, and ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Strange? As best as I can tell, that was a private event in Garden River (I think) last month, but I wanted to address it just on the basis of getting an undated poster for it after the fact, let alone one for a private concert. Hopefully it went well though!
• Former Lazer Queen/Apocrytha singer Kate Drew is looking for a drummer and bassist to complete a new "rock/alternative" project she's started, which would practice 1-2 times a week and play covers & originals. Applicants must have professional gear and would apparently play out of town gigs on weekends. Sounds intriguing, and Kate has some heavier experience, so if you're interested, message her at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
• AlterWhite mainman Mike Matthews is looking for a rock influenced guitar player for a music project he's working on, though no word yet on if it's to replace Kevin McCarthy in AlterWhite, or for a completely new project. If you're interested in trying out, message Mike at this link or visit his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from August 29th!
• Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison updated fans to the band's current status on their Facebook page on Monday, where he revealed that drummer Jonny Amendola is recovering from surgery to repair a leaking heart valve last month, but he is back playing the drums and is regaining strength every day. In the interim, the band has been writing new original material and hope to record it A.S.A.P., so stay tuned for updates on that & their next concerts, and it's great to hear Jonny's recovering well!
• Defunct local classic/hard rock band Turner Up's Facebook (and only online) page has been deleted in recent weeks. Though a reason hasn't been announced, it's likely to focus on their successor band The Thrill Junkies, who feature 4/5ths of their last lineup. While it is disappointing to lose the page, there was little there beyond some band photos and older event posts, so no Turner Up videos were lost. Keep an eye out for The Thrill Junkies' Soo debut!
• A poster for the Walk & Rock Against Bullying event outside City Hall in Sault Michigan on August 14th is now out, which confirms event sponsors and some non-musical events, but it also lists "...and more!" after the already announced bands. Are more bands being added, or will there just be some special guests? If we hear anything, I'll let you guys know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!