Two New Band Breakups, A New Song, And Theatre Of Night Updates!!

In a very odd coincidence, today's post will mean that we'll have had exactly 29 posts a month on the SMS for five straight months. We didn't even have that exact amount in a month at all last year! I just found that a little strange. For our last post of June 2014, we have new updates from a Sault Michigan band, and a new studio track from one in Sault Ontario, but first, here's two likely inactive metal bands on this side of the border to take note of, and check out our review of Mike Haggith's newest CD in the post below this one!

One band that we're now considering to be defunct on the SMS is local funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes, as per the recent deletion of their Facebook page, which followed a few months of band inactivity. A reason for the band's end wasn't made beforehand, but updates were minimal following drummer Mike Haggith's departure in February, and while a name change to the singular "Strange Coyote" implied that frontman Chase Wigmore was once planning to continue the project solo, announced concerts in early 2014 became either straight solo sets or shows for his newer death metal duo This Is Your Band On Drugs. Succeeding their similar predecessors Project Legion after that band's last show in October, The Strange Coyotes (also featuring James Watterworth on bass) surprisingly released a digital album just two weeks later, which they followed with a well recieved opening set at Haggith's "farewell" show in December, though activity slowed in 2014, with members splintering off into new and old projects alike.

The Strange Coyotes were a creative mix of three diversely talented local musicians, and they had a lot of promise late last year (even finishing second in our poll on your favourite new bands of 2013), but who knows what happened behind the scenes this year. We don't have to delete them from our links entirely though (I just replaced their Facebook with their Bandcamp page), and hopefully everyone stays active musically, so best of luck to Chase, James, and Mike in the future!

The other likely defunct band is local classic/power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth, as their Facebook & Reverbnation pages were recently deleted without explanation. As above, there hasn't been a known public reason for their breakup, but there have been rumours relating to a key band member moving out of the area, so that may be related. Launched as The Hydra in the fall of 2012, the band ostensibly served as the successors to frontman Brendan Christie & bassist Benn Garside's more successful band Late & Loud, whose future was in flux around that time. After a year's worth of preparation, lineup additions, and songwriting, the renamed Hydra's Teeth finally debuted at The Algonquin Pub on September 20th to a great reception, and later unveiled optimistic plans for future song recordings and concerts, but no finite news followed in 2014. It's disappointing to see The Hydra's Teeth likely end operations, as they had tons of talent and experience that seemed likely to take them far in the area, but it's anyone's guess why they only played live once during their run.

Sadly, The Hydra's Teeth no longer have an active online page (I wish bands wouldn't do that), so I regrettably have to remove them from our band links, but videos still exist on YouTube of some of their surprisingly large array of original songs. Hopefully everyone stays active in music wherever the road takes them, and best of luck to Brendan, Anthony, Benn, Roy, and Talon in the future!

We'll close with new videos, including the long awaited debut studio single from local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven! Uploaded to their YouTube channel late last week (though sadly after the band deleted all of their concert videos), the song is named "Fallen Faith", and existing fans should like this track, possessing a dark yet heavy essence with nicely written lyrics that builds well on itself! If you've heard members Cory Murchison & Ron Baxter's unreleased Sense of Truth EP, this is a worthy successor to that material as well. Nicely done, and we'll have to see where else this leads, so check out Skeyes of Seven's new song below!

Finally for today, here's some new studio session videos from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! Before them, I just want to note that their website has recently been updated to reflect coming changes that will showcase both drummer Greg Giles' artistic work and the band itself, along with a teased side project, though the band's other online pages now only list guitarist Steve Giles and keyboardist Craig Harrison in their current lineup, without Greg or singer Gaby Koss, with many older photos and posts deleted. Did something happen recently? We'll let you know when/if we get confirmation! In any event, three new studio clips have been shared via Craig's personal Facebook page over the weekend, and they include this 20 second clip of Steve running effects on his iPad, this similar longer video that gives more of a glimpse of the material, this filter-laden clip featuring a solo piano composition with backing orchestration featuring close-ups of Craig playing and the band's gear. Dramatic and effective without teasing much of what's to come, give the full video a look below, and see more at the above links!



That's all for this month, but stay tuned for an all-Sault Michigan post tomorrow, plus this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on Wednesday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Scarkazm, and RamWagon), And More!!

In our last post before Christmas, we have a few assorted news items (including a band withdrawal for an upcoming concert), but first, here's a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next year at two linked regional Eastern Upper Peninsula concert venues!

Sault Michigan hard rock quintet RamWagon have confirmed their early Kewadin Casino concert dates for all of 2014 via their Facebook page (with no changes to the original tentative posting), so when can you see them in the new year? If the current word is any indication, mostly at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, with 12 shows scheduled there for January 3rd & 4th (their first with new drummer Ron Suchey), March 14th & 15th, May 9th & 10th, July 11th & 12th, October 17th & 18th, and December 19th & 20th! They'll also be back at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin branch on March 28th & 29th, August 1st & 2nd, October 24th & 25th, and November 28th & 29th, though the band has noted that they'll announce more dates when confirmed. All 20 concerts have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM-ish start times, so check the above links for more details! It'd be nice to hear of some new gigs outside of the Kewadin Casino umbrella (there haven't been a ton since their launch), but hopefully we hear more soon from their camp, and don't miss the new lineup's debut next weekend!

Also in new Kewadin Casino concert announcements, Charlevoix classic metal trio Peril will return to the U.P. for the first time in 2014 with shows at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace on January 10th & 11th, plus on February 28th & March 1st, while they'll play their first Soo Kewadin dates of next year on February 7th & 8th! Currently their only announced shows at any location of 2014, their current concert schedule through March 1st was announced on their Facebook page yesterday, with their shows denoted in red (as the poster outlines all of frontman Jeff Hudson's bands' early 2014 concerts.) Like the above RamWagon concerts, these should have 21+ age limits, no cover, and 9:00 PM start times, and check the above links for more details! It's great to have Peril's entertaining classic metal cover sound back in the Eastern U.P. for some more dates early next year, and hopefully these are just the first of many, so keep an eye out for updates!

Now, speaking of Jeff Hudson's bands, you may know that he plays in a few other active rock groups that aren't frequently seen in the Soo area. That might be changing though, as Jeff's Traverse City-based metal trio Scarkazm as playing at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino for two weekends on January 31st & February 1st and on April 25th & 26th! The former dates are listed on the schedule above, while the April shows are via their website. A melodic groove metal band featuring Jeff on drums, Scarkazm have recent original material along with a wide array of covers, they have a solid crunch and chemistry that I'm enjoying on early listens, and hopefully these upcoming shows will encourage more dates for both Scarkazm and Jeff's non-Peril bands up here! As above, these are 21+ shows with no cover and a kick-off time of 9:00 PM, so check the above links for details, and stay tuned for more concert announcements as we get them!

Finally for today, here's a handful of assorted recent news items, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• Windsor progressive hard rock band Awake To A Dream are looking to play in Sault Ontario in early 2014 (preferably January-February), so if you can help their solid melodic rock sound towards a local date, message frontman Chris Wilbur on Facebook at this link! They've already gotten some local contacts via Chris' post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group earlier this month, but just in case, see if you can help!
• Local power/classic metal band The Hydra's Teeth have dropped off of THIS THURSDAY'S Heavy Winter concert at The Roosevelt Hotel due to a scheduling issue, as per the Facebook event page. Disappointing for sure, but promoter J.D. Pearce is working to get them on a 2014 show of his, and if any late lineup replacements are announced, we'll have them here!
• Former Blind Baby frontman Tadd Gravelle is looking to join a new Sault Michigan-area music project, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post last week. He's aiming to jam and write original music, and it'd be nice to see him in a new band, so message him above or at this link for further details!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for some Christmas surprises TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Heavy Winter), Pillory EP Release Updates, And More!!

As promised, we have a news post today as well, and it mostly focuses on a planned EP release TOMORROW, but we also have related notes on a recent collaborator of theirs, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Check it all out below, and give a look at our post from this morning for last month's poll results and info on our newest poll on your favourite new local metal/hard rock bands of 2013!

Local/Toronto hardcore punk trio RedD Monkey will return home for the first time since August when they headline Heavy Winter, a Boxing Day concert at The Roosevelt Hotel on Thursday, December 26th! Their first appearance at The Rosie in well over a year, it'll be great to have this talented and creative band back up north to rock the Soo with their cello-infused originals! They'll be joined on Boxing Day by local power/classic metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth in just their second live concert appearance & their first ever stop at The Rosie, prominent local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings in their first Rosie appearance since May, and local punk/metal quartet T-Rex Manning (in just their second concert in the last 7 months)! Nice selection of bands we haven't seen as much of lately, and there's a little something for most metal tastes, so certainly keep it in mind for Boxing Day! Promoter J.D. Pearce is seeking more bands, so if you're interested in playing at Heavy Winter, message him at this link.

Note as well that this is the ninth Thursday night concert at The Rosie that J.D. has promoted (and first in almost 5 months), so fans of the former Rosie metal nights may want to take note of that connection! Heavy Winter has a $5 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 10:00 PM start time, and for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The holiday season is usually very good for metal/hard rock shows, and this will be no exception, so stay tuned as more bands get added to Heavy Winter!

Next up, here's the latest on local thrash band Pillory's upcoming demo EP release and plans! TOMORROW'S planned release date for "Cringe at the Cross" is still a go, and to that effect, the band has released a photo showing a bunch of physical copies! This is roughly the official artwork (same as on the streaming YouTube copies), so plans for an out of town-commissioned cover must not have went through. According to recent indications, the EP will be on sale directly through Pillory via their Facebook page or through individual band members (likely for $5), so if you want one of the first copies, message the guys starting on Thursday! No word on if it will be sold on a digital format yet, and as for in-concert availability, posts from Sabrina Strange Productions have been fairly exciting! The former Chronic Demonic singer has begun collaborating with Pillory in the past week, and according to her production company's Facebook page, she's helping design t-shirts for the band, she hinted at a DVD and band stickers, and she also indicated that Pillory hope to be on 2014 concerts put on by Blood Shed Productions!

It's nice to hear about plans ramping up from Pillory (especially having only played 1 and a half concerts since their inception), and hopefully tomorrow's release is a great to way to honour the memory of founding guitarist Andres Duchesne one year after we lost him! In case there's nothing new to report on Thursday in terms of the release, I'll confirm right now that if it's not delayed, "Cringe at the Cross" will be our first CD review of 2014! We have this month still dedicated to The Strange Coyotes' digital album, hence why they're next month, but it should be very interesting, so watch out for our review of Pillory's EP next month! Lastly for Pillory updates, Sabrina also posted this jam session video onto her production company's Facebook page last week of members Robert Sartini & Bret Shuttleworth playing their song "Dethrone the Dictator", though it's instrumental, in black and white, only 51 seconds long, and doesn't feature Josh Amendola or Tyler St. Amour. It's still a solid quality video with the guys sounding great, so check it out below!



Finally for today, here's the latest relating to the aforementioned Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie! Since leaving Project Legion, we haven't heard a whole lot for firm musical plans from her, but she's recently been working on drumming under the tutelage of Pillory as a way to be more diverse for future band opportunities, with videos of her playing with Robert Sartini now on Facebook themselves! Joining a well done and short metal cover of Britney Spears' "Toxic" with her on vocals and guitar, the new drum videos are of her and Robert covering Avenged Sevenfold's "Unholy Confessions" and a longer clip embedded below! There's work to be done, but she's showing positive signs, and hopefully she keeps at it in the coming months, so check out her drumming work below, and stay tuned soon for another video she uploaded of Robert playing a solo cover!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Glitch & Banned) And Much More Assorted News & Notes!!

Now at the SMS, we have a bunch of assorted news and notes from the last while, but leading off on this Wednesday evening, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month on both sides of the border, so read on below for what you need to know!

Newer local party/hard rock quartet Glitch will make their fourth live concert appearance on December 13th (one week from Friday) when they return to The Rockstar Bar! Their third solo headlining appearance at this popular downtown venue since debuting in September, next week's show comes under two weeks after a successful Canadian Nightclub debut at this year's Toystock, and hopefully they're still riding the same momentum! Featuring Sneaky Pete alumni Mike Oakley & Sean Berlinguette alongside Tripod the Dog's Mark Oliverio & Lion Ride's Marco Pedalino, this talented veteran quartet should have another solid night of covers in store in what will likely be their last show of 2013, so keep it in mind for next weekend! A $5 cover charge is likely, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:30-ish start time is likely. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With bookings currently being sought for 2014, you never know when and where Glitch will take the stage next, so don't miss next week's show, and stay tuned for updates!

Also in new December concerts, Kinross classic/hard rockers Banned will be playing at a very special event at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Thursday, December 19th, though not as openers for a touring band. This is actually an anti-bullying rally during The Relentless Tour put on by The Autism Alliance of Michigan, which will featuring a headlining speech by former Michigan State Spartans basketball star Anthony Ianni about how he overcame autism and bullying to find success and purpose in life. The family event will also feature a resource fair, prizes, face painting, bouncy castles, and a live set from Banned, which I believe will be their first ever live concert appearance at Kewadin's theatre. Admission is FREE & ALL AGES on the 19th, with the day's activities beginning at 6:00 PM. For more details, check the above links and the poster on your left! This sounds like a very nice and important event that will hopefully educate many about autism and the effects of bullying, and Banned should provide a rocking soundtrack, so keep it in mind for later this month!

Finally for today, here's nine assorted shorter news stories from the last little while! These can accumulate fast, so why not group them together to get them out to the public? As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• The Algonquin Pub's Facebook group has been deleted at some point in recent months. A reason hasn't been announced, but that group had not been updated in a long time, and recent events there (most of which refer to the venue as "The Zoo") have primarily been promoted on the Facebook pages of it's upstairs neighbour, The Rockstar Bar. I think having two pages would help offset confusion given the two floors of entertainment, but at least events downstairs are still getting press!
• In the latest update on their forthcoming debut album "Eternal Hibernation", local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters just have one clean guitar part and the rest of Nik Deubel's vocals to complete before recording sessions are finished, and the band is already  "mapping out the next road we're travelling down", referring to their planned second CD. Good news to hear, so visit this link for more details!
• Rik Warren of Oshawa promotion agency Warlord Promotions has been looking to get Oshawa metal band Devoked a local concert booking next week at some point, likely around their December 13th Sudbury date. Devoked have a solid dark extreme metal sound that would be welcomed here, so if you can book them or help get them here next week, message Rik at this link!
• The Fuckface Unstoppable concert at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th (one week from Saturday) now has a special earlier start time of 7:00 PM, with Bam Margera and company slotted to play at 10:30 PM, as per the Facebook event page the other day. Despite the timing now resembling an all ages concert, this show is still 19+ as far as I can tell. Keep this in mind for next weekend, and GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P.!!
• Local classic/power metal band The Hydra's Teeth have announced plans via their Reverbnation blog to record their original song "In The Dead Of Night" at Case's Music as a single before expanding to a full album session, and will begin once guitarist Anthony Orazietti returns from vacation. Sounds like a neat plan, so check the above links for more info!
• Former Chronic Demonic/Project Legion singer Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie is exploring the possibility of launching a metal cover band that would specialize in metal versions of pop songs, like ones by Britney Spears or Rihanna. If you're interested in this unique idea, message her at this link and read more details at her post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from last month!\
• Though not a local show, new local/London death metal quartet Saints & Serpents (essentially the successors of The Valentine's Day Massacre) will make their live debut at The Richmond Tavern in London on Friday, December 13th (interesting timing), and it will also be Steve, Andrew, and Adam's first show together since The V.D.M.'s last show in London in March. Best of luck, and hopefully we see the new band home soon!
• I don't tend to acknowledge band photos alone on here unless under unique circumstances, but this counts: An album of live photos of  Sykotyk Rampage from... 1985?! Posted on their Facebook page on Friday, these feature the then "Sykotic Rampage" playing in Goulais River, with current members Dirk & Paul Becker joined by other performers and early band members, including their brother Rudy and band namesake Brian "Syko" Miron. By far the longest running active hard rock band in the area, these are a nice glimpse back to their early days, so check these pictures out!
• Asylum Country/2 Buck Beers guitarist Terry Eaton is again looking for a singer for a new hard rock project he's working on, this time narrowing his aimed range to someone who sings nu/alternative metal, such as bands like Godsmack. It'd be nice to see Terry playing heavier tunes again, so message him at this link, or check out yesterday's post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group! 

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

A Local Band's Breakup, New Blood Shed Productions Videos, And More!!

This post may seem like deja vu from yesterday, but trust me, the content is all new! Things just fell into place in such a way where everything is roughly analogous in theme to what we posted about yesterday, hence why we have (in order) notes on a funk/metal band that you saw at last week's Oddfellows Hall show, videos of two Ringsnaps Gibson grind projects from the same show, and three assorted shorter stories once again. Everything is brand new though, so read on below to get caught up!

New local funk/metal band Project Legion have officially disbanded, less than a month after their public launch. The news was revealed on their (once again renamed) Facebook page on Monday night, and though a reason wasn't announced, the formation of The Strange Coyotes (featuring members James Watterworth & Chase Wigmore and recent live drummer Mike Haggith) is likely a contributing factor, so I'd assume some Project Legion originals will carry over to the new band as a result. Though Project Legion had more joking name changes & temporary drummers than they had official concerts, they did leave a good impression in their two gigs, including a late notice set at 180 Projects and their last show at The Oddfellows Hall last week. I will note that ex-singer/guitarist Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie (who only played live with them once) has indicated that she might re-use the name in her next band (a'la the second version of Turner Up), but that's not a definite yet. The Strange Coyotes should carry the torch well for James, Chase, and Mike's next live band work, so stay tuned for updates on them, but best of luck to Sabrina going forward, and hopefully her talents find a lasting live band soon!

Next up, here's the newest videos from the Devil's Night concert at The Oddfellows Hall last week, again from yesterday's featured bands, Blood Shed Productions goregrind artists Crucify The Whore and Rotopsy! Uploaded to the label's YouTube channel yesterday, the C.T.W. videos include this one (with a title I won't give here, again due to potentially offensive content), but embedded below is the band playing their new original song "People These Days" with guest singer Austin McCrea (Brutaly Fatal), essentially making this a "Brutaly Crucified" reunion! The lighting is poor on these, especially thanks to the light strips screwing with the camera, but this was a solid performance of one of C.T.W.'s better recent tracks, so give it a look below!



The new Rotopsy video (and the longest so far of their set) features Ringsnaps and Dylan playing another untitled track, followed by their song "Neurological Sperm Bucket", this time from a unique angle behind the stage! Good idea in theory, but the lighting is such that only their shirts and a couple of fans show up even on a medium level. If you liked Rotopsy's other concert videos, give this newest one a look below, and keep an eye out for more from this show soon!



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

• Local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA reportedly will have to drop out of the Biipiigwan-headlined concert at The Moose Lodge on November 24th, due to a recent back injury sustained by singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus. My source is Darby in a Facebook conversation, who gave me permission to post it on here before the Facebook event page is updated. No replacement has been finalized yet, but a band with AlgomA members is possible (maybe Bad Back?) Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
• In their most recent posts on their Reverbnation page, newer local metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth revealed that they've already sent feelers out to record labels and companies to possibly work with and produce merchandise through, while they're also looking for fan input for what cover to add to their set next (either Judas Priest's "One Shot At Glory" or Metallica's "Disposable Heroes".) The guys really seem to be working overdrive to get noticed and big, especially after just one live concert, but here's hoping this works out well!
• The Roosevelt Hotel will be closed until Friday, November 22nd as part of an agreement from an incident in April, where a now-fired Rosie employee over-served a customer, leading to an investigation under the Liquor License Act. The news was revealed on the venue's Facebook page on Halloween, and while the closure won't affect any scheduled hard rock shows, it's re-opening coincides with the first of two Thrill Junkies shows that weekend. Hopefully this is the last bad news at The Rosie for a long while!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Bear Hunters), Two New Local Bands, And New Videos!!

Today's post is stacked with big new updates, including a new live concert video, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and a pair of new local metal/hard rock bands, so let's not stall any longer! As usual, read on below for all you need to know, and check out this month's YouTube Channel Profiles in the post below this one!

One of the new bands we have today is one that we alluded to on the SMS on Sunday, that being the new local hard rock band Project Legion! Fresh off of their late notice debut at 180 Projects on Saturday, this is the new band from former Chronic Demonic frontwoman Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie, who sings and plays guitar in this act. She's joined by two musicians known more recently for solo work, including alternative solo singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore (who has metal experience from projects like The Smiling Giraffes) and skilled local solo singer/bassist James Watterworth (a.k.a. Delusionair Lionhair), and this all adds up to a promising and talented lineup! A full time drummer is apparently being sought (though they have the position filled on a temporary basis by an uncredited performer), so if you or someone you know are interested in trying out, message Project Legion at their official Facebook page. There, the band is described as "a project of discovery" that will play a diverse mix of everything from funk to metal (including both originals & covers), with Tool, Megadeth, and Nirvana cited as influences

I have a feeling that Project Legion will be a welcome deviance from the norm in some respects, and I know all three current members have the talent, so hopefully they find a drummer and make some waves! As for how they sound, two cover videos were posted on their Facebook page yesterday of Sabrina & Chase at a recent Coch's Corner open mic night covering Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" and (as embedded below) Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", and while these lack the full band experience (and have bad visual quality), they show a nice chemistry and solid vocal range, so check out the Nirvana cover below!



The other new band definitely isn't new to the site, but they only just recently had a Reverbnation page launched to cover them, and the band in question is Rotopsy, the "porngrind" duo that is among the newest public acts on Ringsnaps' independent grindcore label Blood Shed Productions! Launched last year under the name Spitneck before finally making their public debut under their current name last month, this project features singer Dylan Taylor alongside label head Ringsnaps Gibson (also of Crucify The Whore & Malignant Neoplasm) on guitar, backing vocals, and programming. According to their Reverbnation page, they want to "bring grind to everybody", and they also included some bio information and links to some material of theirs that was previously posted on Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel. Musically, there is something of a fuller sound here than on some of the one man acts through Blood Shed, with Dylan's vocal style a bit harsher and more accessible, but their music is still something of an acquired taste unless you're already familiar with grindcore. A full demo is planned for next year, but when can you see Rotopsy live?

Next week, in fact, as both Rotopsy and Project Legion are among the performers at an ALL AGES Devil's Night concert at The Oddfellows Hall on Wednesday, October 30th! Sort of short notice for an Oddfellows concert, but it's all good. The event is being promoted by Social Suicide bassist Tyler St. Amour (ex-March Into Regression) and Blood Shed Productions, and many of their artists will be making their live debuts next Wednesday, or at least their first outside of a house party. Two full established local death metal bands will headline the show, with The Bear Hunters closing out at 12:30 AM and Crimson Crusade coming on at 11:15 PM, in both of their first concerts since The Big Loonie Bus Show in Echo Bay. The four preceding acts are all Blood Shed roster members, including local goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 10:15 PM, the aforementioned Rotopsy's live debut at 9:30 PM, Project Legion guitarist Chase Wigmore in a solo set at 8:30 PM, and the debut of Austin McRae's one man death metal act Brutaly Fatal at 7:45 PM.

The opening bands include Chase's Project Legion bandmate James Watterworth in a solo set of his own at 7:00 PM, with Project Legion themselves making their Oddfellows Hall debut to open the night at 6:15 PM. Doors will open at 6:00 PM next Wednesday with a $7 admission at the door, though you can get advance tickets for $5 by messaging Blood Shed Productions at this link. This show runs oddly late despite being ALL AGES, but with 14 performers among 8 live acts, including a lot of new faces, death metal & grindcore fans should find something to like! I hope to be there myself, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and both Project Legion & Rotopsy are now in our active Sault Ontario band links!

Finally for today, here's another live video from new local classic/power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth's live debut at The Algonquin Pub last month! Uploaded to frontman Brendan Christie's YouTube channel on Sunday (and from the same filmer of his prior videos from this show), this is of The Hydra's Teeth playing their song "Army of Bones", as preceded by a drum solo by Roy Kreutzberger, and both song & solo live up to their early promise! Solid talent and energy all around, and hopefully there's more to come soon, so check out The Hydra's Teeth's newest live video below!



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

A New Battle Of The Bands, Plus New Videos!!

Before we begin profiling the weekend's metal/hard rock shows in the area, we have some big news to tackle today, including new song uploads, new live clips from a recent band debut, and leading off, the return of a popular local concert format, so read on below for what you should know!

Sault Ontario is getting another battle of the bands next month, with the winner getting a guaranteed opening slot for Bam Margera's Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th! A firm date has yet to be pinned down (likely during the first two weeks of November), but the battle will also take place at The Canadian, likely making it the first hard rock concert to happen there since last month's flooding. Fittingly named "Viva La Battle", it will be held in a similar format to last June's Battle for the Blood (also promoted by J.D. Pearce), where Winkstinger defeated the now-inactive For All That Is Lost, Changing Waves, and Valentine's Day Massacre to earn the right to open for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie last July. Also like last year, a fan vote (with paper ballots obtained at the door) will determine the winner rather than a judges panel, and there are no announced prizes for runner-up bands. Details for admission and such will likely come when the show gets a firm date, but applications for competing bands are now open, so just comment on the Facebook event page's wall if you want to join the battle!

Three bands are now confirmed for Viva La Battle, and they include two of the finalists from April's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, including winners The Suicide Kings and fellow competitors The Bear Hunters! For The Suicide Kings, this will be their first announced show since August, while The Bear Hunters will be playing their first battle as a quartet after rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney's move out of town. Will The Suicide Kings defend their battle crown next month? Can The Bear Hunters continue their steady battle improvement sans Josh, and can Mitch Sirie deftly handle his roles in both bands again on the same night? We'll find out next month! The other confirmed band is North West, a new band from local solo musician Greg Callaghan. I know absolutely nothing else on them as of this writing (no known online pages yet either), but Greg has battle experience as a bassist in Terminal, including a run at the Skid Row Battle in 2009, so at least this won't be uncharted waters for him. If I hear more on North West, I'll let you guys know! Note that Destroilet & Jack Spades won't be competing, as they've already been named as openers for the concert.

At least one more band is being sought (Redundant frontman Justin Langlois had shown interest), but I don't know what the cutoff is for the amount of bands, how long setlists will be, or if any out-of-competition bands will be playing next month (for reference, last year saw 4 bands play for 30 minutes each, with T-Rex Manning playing separately.) There's a lot of details to fill in (not to mention, a final date), but battles of the bands are always a fun time, so stay tuned for continued updates, and if you're in a band that wants to open for Bam Margera, APPLY AT THE ABOVE LINKS!

We'll close this post with new YouTube uploads, starting with new footage of local classic/power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth debut show at The Algonquin Pub from last month! Uploaded to frontman Brendan Christie's YouTube channel yesterday, these are of the guys playing their original songs "Live By The Axe" and (as embedded below) "In The Dead Of Night", as filmed by a concert attendee. The angle's slanted, but it's nice and close to the action, and it catches this promising newer band on some solid quality original songs (I'm told they're working on a lot more), though Brendan's vocals do come through very quietly on both clips. Very solid videos overall, and a nice sampler for until they play their next concert, so check out "In The Dead Of Night" below, and more at the above links!



Finally, here's notes on a couple of newer uploads from local goregrind/death metal label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel! One is apparently the last song from the now-defunct Tomgrindy, but I won't embed it or directly link to it here because it's a "diss track" relating to a band member and his apparent reasons for not being involved with the project anymore. I don't want to bring more attention to any issues than what is already online, out of respect to both sides, but if you want to seek it out, that's your call (musically, it's mostly spoken word over backing music & effects, with little grind.) Embedded below though is one of Crucify The Whore's songs from their "Grindshed" split demo with Tomgrindy, though I've embedded just the audio (and won't post the title) due to potentially offensive content. Even still, it's just 17 seconds long, and it mostly comprises of guitar riffing, programmed drums, and assorted vocal effects, so while it has some variance, it's too short to amount to a lot. Check out that song below, and hear more above!



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

Hydra's Teeth/Haggith/Danger Cats Concert Review!!

Now, here's our review of last night's Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub! Solid turnout (especially given that two of the bands were debuting), and everything was in good order yesterday, with setu-up and tear-down done very efficiently & fast, but did I manage to make it upstairs to see Glitch's debut? I'll have more on that probably by Monday, but for now, check out our review below, and check out a late notice concert alert for TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar and more recent updates in the post below this one!

Opening the show was new local all-female rockers The Danger Cats, so what should you know on their set? It definitely leaned towards hard rock sounds, with covers of Runways, Joan Jett, and Misfits songs joining Go-Gos and Ramones renditions, and they had the rocker look down (complete with cat ears for most of them.) Musically, they clearly improved as the night went on, and the fans dancing during their last two songs was a neat sight! They do have talent as musicians, and I'm impressed with how fast Jamie Jaguar and Kate Kougar have gotten the hang of their current instruments, but the band's overall stage presence needs to be looser, and Summer Snow-Leopard was often hard to hear when singing. Also, I don't know if the Beatles songs they did are the best fit for their genre and look, they should look at later Beatles songs that have more of a bite to them. Solid first outing for The Danger Cats though, and it's great to see Sault Ontario getting some added girl power compared to Sault Michigan! (And yes, they're now in our active Sault Ontario band links!)

Second last night was the only non-debuting band of the night, grunge/alternative quartet Haggith, and they pumped out another entertaining mix of covers and originals for fans last night! Setlist-wise, they debuted a new original song named "Metal Cage", and also played a new cover of Led Zeppelin's "Fool In The Rain", but the rest of the set (including originals like "Leon the Janitor" and "75", and covers of Jimi Hendrix & Cheap Trick songs) will be familiar to Haggith concert regulars. Aside from a guitar hiccup during "Clifton Hill", the guys were on fire, and it was nice seeing Curtis McKenzie break out the keyboard on a few songs to shake things up (though the amount of lyric sheets present is still a bit odd.) Daniel Horton's guitar work was solid as ever, and Mike Haggith continues to express vibrant energy and enthusiasm when drumming, and it all added up well for their set! If anything, I was disappointed by the lack of fans up front compared to the bands bookending them, but by the end, we were all hailing Haggith, and with good reason!

Headlining last night was new local classic metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth, so how did they sound? The obvious comparison to make is with Late & Loud, but the new band has more of a power metal and Iron Maiden influence, and was overall more melodic, but whether that's better or not is for you to decide. I enjoyed them flat out, and the fact that they covered no L&L songs is a sign that they're their own animal! In fact, all but their last song (a cover of "Hallowed Be Thy Name") were originals, including tracks like "The Circle", "Army of Bones", and "Siren's Call", and the guys nailed them with a lot of enthusiasm and attitude! Brendan Christie has a better singing range than Jon Tiberi did in Late & Loud, and he put it to good use last night, making the most of it with some good falsettos in the process, but the Iron Maiden cover wasn't a good fit for his vocals. His and Anthony Orazietti's guitar work was great though, and Roy Kreutzberger's tested drum talents came in handy, including during a drum solo! Great first set from The Hydra's Teeth, and hopefully we'll hear more from them soon!

Overall, this was an entertaining and well-recieved concert that hopefully left a good first impression for the debuting bands! I did get photos and videos of each band, so visit this link to see the photos or our Facebook page, but the videos, I'm trying something a little different. As Facebook now allows external embedding of uploaded videos (this was quietly enabled last month), and because of YouTube's copyright rules, I'm gonna try splitting videos between YouTube and Facebook and see how it goes. Basically, if I film a show with or upload material with covers, I'll put them on Facebook, and if it's all original, it'll go on YouTube. Plus, this way, we'll hopefully get more hits and views of our Facebook page, so we'll see how it goes, and if it doesn't fly, I can always post said videos on YouTube later! With that said, here's my videos from last night, of The Danger Cats covering Hole's "Celebrity Skin", Haggith playing "Metal Cage", and The Hydra's Teeth playing "Live By The Axe Or You'll Die By The Sword"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, and either tomorrow night or Monday for stuff on Glitch's debut and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Glitch) & Most Of This Weekend's Sault Ontario Concert Previews!!

In our first of two weekend concert previews for this weekend, we're focusing on just heavier Sault Ontario concerts going down tomorrow, with the Thrill Junkies' Roosevelt Hotel debuts coming in our next post along with the Sault Michigan previews, so it's not a snub! There's some big debuts and returns coming tomorrow, so read on below for our first of the previews!

A new local band named Glitch will make their live concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, I held off to see if I could verify anything on their sound. Though currently without an online page, their lineup includes Sneaky Pete alumni Mike Oakley (presumably on vocals and drums) & bassist Sean Berlinguette, alongside guitarists Marco Pedalino (ex-Lion Ride) and Mark Oliverio (ex-Foothill Road/Boogie Fever.) Nothing concrete has been stated about their sound, but I'd be surprised if they didn't share similarities with Sneaky Pete's older work, so if you've missed them, head to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW for a likely blend of hard rock covers! A $5-ish cover is likely for tomorrow's show, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

It's great to see all four members playing in a local band again, and I have a feeling they'll have some great tunes and chemistry in store for their live debut, so keep it in mind for tomorrow night, and stay tuned in case any Glitch verification comes in!

Now to the previously announced concerts this weekend, starting with a big package of old school rock n' roll and grunge downstairs at The Algonquin Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Briefly scheduled for The Canadian Nightclub (but moved before the flooding took place), tomorrow's concert will mark two band debuts, including the long awaited first live appearance of power/classic metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth! Essentially the successors to Late & Loud, this new band (featuring singer/guitarist Brendan Christie & bassist Benn Garside alongside ex-Sativa Rose guitarist Anthony Orazietti and ex-Startlefish drummer Roy Kreutzberger) should have a bunch of hard hitting originals in store for their debut, which has been well hyped, so don't miss the launch of this new band tomorrow! Local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith will return to The Algonquin themselves tomorrow with an entertaining set of their own (they're also providing sound and lighting), so be there to help continue their local momentum during the middle set!

Opening tomorrow's show is new local rock band The Danger Cats, who will immediately grab unique attention based on their all-female lineup (including singer Summer Snow-Leopard, guitarist Paula Panther, bassist Jamie Jaguar, and drummer/Lazer Queen alum Kate Kougar), but how do they sound, and what will they play? Come on down to The Algonquin to find out tomorrow! Doors open at 9:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there is a $6 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With heavier bands on both floors of The Algonquin Hotel, it'll be tough to pick who to see tomorrow, and while I'll primarily be downstairs, I'll see if I can swing upstairs at least once to see Glitch in action! Either way, I hope to see you guys there, and for a preview of tomorrow's show, here's The Hydra's Teeth jamming their original song "The Circle"!



Finally for this installment, local hard rock cover quintet Griphook will end their two month break with a show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern! Last seen at Rotaryfest (The 7 Year Itch aside), and with their last Nicolet appearance coming in May, fans must be itching to see Jim, Brian, Dan, and Tony back on the local stage, and hopefully tomorrow's one night only concert helps set the tides in motion once again for their diverse heavier-leaning cover selection! Knowing their collective talents, this should be an entertaining night of music, so if you're not up for a trip to The Algonquin or The Rosie (more on that tomorrow), The Nic will serve you well! Admission should be free for this 19+ concert, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. It's always good to see these guys back at it, so don't bypass tomorrow's show if you can help it, and for a preview, here's Griphook covering Seether's "Country Song" at The Rosie earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Sault Michigan previews (including the upcoming Night Ranger concert), plus this weekend's Thrill Junkie shows in Sault Ontario tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman & Tym Morrison), Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

In our first of likely two weekend concert preview posts (Sault Michigan's coming tomorrow), we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for THIS WEEKEND, along with existing previews, another new show for later this month, and a handful of other assorted topics! With that said, read on below to get caught up!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road for two more solo acoustic gigs TOMORROW NIGHT & on Friday, September 27th! Apologies for the short notice, tomorrow's show was announced on Monday, and I held it until now to avoid redundantly plugging it twice in a few days time (and my source for the show on the 27th is Tym in a Facebook e-mail, it hasn't had an event page posted yet.) Tym's prolific run of unplugged hard rock cover sets continues well into September, and if you're up for some softer and more intimate takes on some metal classics, head to the East End for Tym's well recieved solo live show tomorrow night! Admission for both of this month's new shows should be free, you must be 19 to attend, 10:00 PM start times are likely, and I don't know yet if he'll be playing any type of show at The Road House next week. For more details, click here! As usual, tomorrow's show should be an entertaining night, so keep it mind, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" at what's now Coch's Corner!



In related short notice concert news, Tym's local metal cover band Caveman Morrison will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Water Tower Inn on Great Northern Road! Again, apologies for the short notice, same reasoning as Tym's solo gig tomorrow. Knowing that they're playing live again, this means that their bassist situation is resolved, but who's now their bassist? James White still! Tym confirmed with me on Facebook that James (who had left in advance of plans to move from the area) is instead staying in town and with Caveman Morrison, which is great news, as he fits well with Tym and Johnny! However, I have no word on why a photo featuring ex-bassist Dutch Vanderploeg is on the Facebook event page. Saturday's concert (which was once lined up to be a Tym Morrison solo gig according to The Water Tower Inn's calendar) is their third at this venue, and the guys should be raring to go with a night full of metal & hard rock covers for their fans! There's no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. Check the above links for more details!

Hopefully Caveman Morrison's show on Saturday is a big hit, and with James locked in after his brief departure, they should have some great tunes ready for fans at The Water Tower Inn, so don't miss it! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering Judas Priest's "The Ripper" at The Rosie!



Now to the previously announced show this weekend, as new local hard rock band The Thrill Junkies will make their long awaited local debut TOMORROW NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern! Following their Rock 'N Roar battle of the bands & festival appearances in Spanish, the quintet featuring singer Travis Sharpe, guitarists Robert Brown & Jason Nisbet, bassist Justin Langlois, and drummer Scott McLurg have a lot of hype and momentum on their side in advance of their September local dates, so be among the first to see this union of Turner Up, Havadder, and Redundant alumni tomorrow night for their range of covers! Admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and the show starts at 10:00 PM. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! If you've missed the members' recent bands (or Travis singing in a permanent local project), you'd be well served to see The Thrill Junkies' local debut tomorrow night or next weekend at The Rosie, so don't miss out, and as soon as media comes out of their material, we'll have it here!

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 or company name:

• Newer local power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth have uploaded another original song demo to their Reverbnation page! Entitled "In the Dead of Night", I believe it just features Brendan Christie on vocals & guitar, but it does sound promising (and with stronger vocals!) Check it out above, and don't miss their live debut one week from Friday at The Algonquin Pub!
• Bear Hunters/Suicide Kings guitarist Mitch Sirie is looking for a rhythm guitarist & bassist for a new dark metal project that he's starting. He already has a drummer, they plan to play original material (with covers to start and 6-8 string guitars), and songs would vary from ballads to screaming material. If you're interested in trying out, message Mitch at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last Friday! Note that I'm not sure if this means anything negative for his other bands' statuses, or if this is an expansion of one of his solo projects.
• Veteran local drummer Mike Severin has relocated to Sault Ste. Marie and brought his Toronto-launched recording studio Muzicare Productions North with him! Full information on their local operations aren't public yet, but he has an impressive client list and promises big recordings without a big price, so click here to inquire further in case you wanna record anything there!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Hydra's Teeth), Dayglo Abortions Concert Preview, And More!!

Back to the news on this Sunday, so what's on tap? We have news on a recent local album upload to tie in with a recent SMS feature, an extended preview of a big concert going down tomorrow night, and to start, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, so here's what you need to know!

New local metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth will make their live concert debut at The Algonquin Pub on Friday, September 20th! As you may remember, this is the new band from ex-Late & Loud singer/guitarist Brendan Christie & bassist Benn Garside, former Sativa Rose/Winkstinger guitarist Anthony Orazietti, and ex-Leaves Off Trees drummer Roy Kreutzberger, and if their videos are any indication, we're in for a power & classic metal spree on the 20th that Loudmouths and other fans should easily take to! They'll be among 3 bands playing that night, including prominent local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith (in their second live set at the pub downstairs from The Rockstar Bar) and another debuting band named The Danger Cats, who I'm told are an all-female rock band of some kind. That should be very intriguing, I'll let you guys know when I hear more! A 10:00 PM start time is likely for this 19+ show, and there will be a $6 cover charge in effect. For more details, visit Haggith's Facebook event page!

Note that I'm not sure if this is one & the same as the gig that The Hydra's Teeth originally hyped for The Canadian Nightclub on their Facebook page, or if this is a separate event. This should be a must-see event for both the band debuts and Haggith's ever popular live sets, so don't miss the return of original rock and metal to The Algonquin Pub one week from Friday, and stay tuned for updates!!

Next up, here's a big concert preview for TOMORROW NIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel, as Victoria, British Columbia hardcore punk legends The Dayglo Abortions will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario for a hard hitting night of metal, punk, and hardcore intensity! Last seen in the Soo at the 20th Rosie metal night in June 2011, The Dayglo Abortions' return should be even bigger (especially with the extended notice for this concert compared to two years ago), and you know The Cretin & company will be raring to tear up the stage with their intense, reckless, and attitude-fueled originals! A mix of out of town and local support bands with varying levels of familiarity will open tomorrow night, including Victoria, B.C. garage punk trio The Last of the VB Interceptors (who opened for The Bunchofuckingoofs at The Rosie in July), local hardcore punk notables Destroilet (who may have new songs to debut tomorrow), Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog (featuring bassist/Sault native Mark Rand's first local concert appearance in over 2 years), and in the opening set, new local punk/metal quartet Jack Spades' first full concert!

Basically a combination of T-Rex Manning & The Bear Hunters, Jack Spades features singer J.D. Pearce (who opened for The Dayglo Abortions with Frightlight in 2011), guitarist Tiffany Stocco, bassist Justin Lam, and drummer Johnny Belanger (who quietly replaced T.J. Case in the band for unknown reasons this summer, as per their Facebook page.) Though they've played live in short previews earlier this year, this apparently all-original band will fully launch tomorrow night, so be there to see what they have in store! Admission will be $10 in advance or $15 at the door, with advance tickets still available at The Roosevelt Hotel and The Rad Zone, so get yours A.S.A.P. just in case! You must be 19 to attend, doors open at 9:00 PM, and Jack Spades will kick things off at 9:45 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome concert all around, with both new sights, familiar favourites, and legendary hardcore punk to appease everyone in attendance!

I'm curious to hear The Last of the V8 Interceptors & Jack Spades more, Destroilet always deliver a good time, it'll be nice to see Mark back with his new band, and who could miss The Dayglo Abortions? I have my ticket, and I definitely hope to see you guys there TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's The Dayglo Abortions playing 3 songs at The Rosie in 2011!



Finally, I just wanted to alert you guys to a local metal album that I just recently posted on YouTube, that being our most recent CD review subject, Bring The Fallen's "Stand Before"! As you may remember, the defunct local death metal quintet finally released theit only EP on July 26th at Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up in honour of their one-off reunion (albeit four years after the recording sessions), but with their re-breakup & the lack of a digital download copy, I assume it's out of print save for possible unsold CDs from Oddzfest. As a result, I decided to post the whole EP onto our YouTube channel yesterday (including in a full playlist), so now it's fully streamable! In order, the songs are the title track, "Night Riders", "Kill Your Life", "Exposed Embankment", and "Defiling Despondence", so click each link to check them out, and note that all but "Night Riders" & "Kill Your Life" are re-uploads. I had posted the other three tracks (sans cover art) onto YouTube as a Christmas surprise a couple years back, so I re-posted them just for consistency.

I won't rehash my thoughts on this EP (you can read my full review if you want in the post below), but this EP and the Oddzfest set fittingly closed the door on their local run, and I wish everyone in Bring The Fallen the best (musically & otherwise) in the future! I've embedded the song "Stand Before" below, and check out more from Bring The Fallen's only CD at the above links!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for either a new news post or this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles next, and in case I have nothing new before then, I'll see you at The Rosie TOMORROW NIGHT! 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!

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

We haven't done one of these in a while without attached reviews & previews, but here's a local metal video showcase (and this time, none are YouTube music postings!) They include another major recent concert video, a bunch of live clips from a local band, one band's new lineup's first footage, and a new solo performance, so let's begin! The first video is one more video from the Shinedown concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on July 21st, as another clip of the Jacksonville hard rockers playing the last portion of their Lynyrd Skynyrd cover "Simple Man" at the show were posted online last week! Uploaded by YouTube user hoopy31 (who previously uploaded a local Buckcherry video from last year), this has fantastic audio (especially for when the crowd completes the "kind of man" portion of the chorus, but the camera doesn't focus to the stage well, and I believe this video had the auto-stability fix put on it after uploading, so it has some odd movements as a result. Nice video, if abbreviated from some other local clips of this song, but give the newest Shinedown Kewadin video a look below! (Updated at 11:30 PM)



Next up, let's cover the last of the hard rock/metal videos on Brenda "Leather" Roy's YouTube channel, as her other hard rock concert footage comes from shows played by local classic/hard rock quartet Griphook! No less than 10 videos are featured from various shows that they've played at four different local venues this year, all of which were uploaded in May and June. Only partially labelled by song in the title (with one credited as frontman Jim O'Leary alone), the videos include covers of Alice In Chains' "Would" and Deep Purple's "My Woman From Tokyo" at The Rockstar Bar, Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down", The Tragically Hip's "Locked in the Trunk of a Car", Incubus' "Drive", and AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" at Docks Riverfront Grill, Finger Eleven's "One Thing" and another "Drive" cover at The Nicolet Tavern, and Seether's "Country Song" & Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" at The Roosevelt Hotel, so click each link to check them out! (Note as well that the "Drive" covers are mislabelled as "Maybe Tomorrow", and the Hip cover is wrongly identified as "I Won't Back Down") So, how do these 10 videos look and sound overall?

The quality is more consistent than on some of Brenda's older videos, and Griphook's talents and chemistry are clear throughout, but the audio is occasionally a bit muffled, and the lighting can be very dark. It's good to see a pile more Griphook videos than I thought existed, so kudos to Brenda for all of her video postings (see more in our post from Wednesday), and here's Griphook covering Deep Purple at The Rockstar Bar earlier this year, with guitarist Brian Oja on lead vocals (and thanks to Glen Thomas for helping identify the Tragically Hip song!)



Also, here's the latest jam session videos from newer local classic metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth! Uploaded to guitarist Brendan Christie's YouTube channel on Wednesday, these constitute their first videos featuring new second guitarist Anthony Orazietti (ex-Sativa Rose/Winkstinger), and they're videos of their songs "Live By The Axe... Or You'll Die By The Sword" and (as embedded below) "The Circle"! Note that these are both in black & white, and Brendan deleted the older YouTube videos of these tracks that Anthony wasn't featured on. The fuller guitar sound is welcome, and these videos retain the promise that The Hydra's Teeth have (especially if you miss Late & Loud), so check out more above, and here's "The Circle"!



Finally for today, here's the latest solo guitar cover from Ashes To Dust's Alex Hemy, and this differs from his other recent videos as it features him singing! Uploaded to his YouTube channel last week, this is a cover of The Eagles' "Already Gone", and while it's not a heavy song, his vocal abilities are actually pretty good! They at least work for this style, but he can carry a tune and he has a good tone to his voice, but I think his voice should improve as it gets a bit deeper. The guitar work is solid as ever too, so check out his Eagles cover below, and stay tuned for more from Ashes To Dust and Alex's solo work as we hear it!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon! Thanks everyone!