HeadF1rst - "Road Trippin'" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 191st monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and after a brief detour into archive reviews last month, we're looking at a brand new album to end May 2025, namely local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst's second release and first full length album "Road Trippin'"! Their first CD since replacing the I in their name with the number 1, this was released on May 4th at the Steel City CollectorCon pre-party at Soo Blaster (which doubled as the album release concert) through MorningStar Records, with a far more professional packaging job than "Head Trauma" got, if with fewer liner notes. "Road Trippin'" was recorded at Unsalted Audio with producer Bill Priddle (who guests on at least one song), while the album was mixed and mastered by studio head Dustin Goodall. HeadF1rst are again represented here by singer Red Jettison, guitarists Rainey Rancourt and Liam Dinsmore, bassist/guitarist (and Red's sister) Claire Jeffrey, and drummer Anthony Boudreau.

If Bill/anyone else appeared as guests elsewhere on the album, I can't confirm said involvement from official promotion. "Road Trippin'" is on sale for $20 at HeadF1rst concerts and through the band, though expected availability on MorningStar Records' website is not live yet. You can stream the album for free on YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify, and you can properly buy it on mp3 on iTunes as well. With nine songs running for about 35 minutes, let's hit the road with HeadF1rst via the album's first song "Tour Bus Fantasy"!  A classic rock inflected song that lets Red show off his vocal range with some deep baritone verses, this song arguably stands out the most from his distinct singing here, though I do find that Claire's backing chorus vocals really clash with Red's. Rainey gets a good solo, and the song drives along well without shaking things up too much instrumentally, but come for Red's smooth voice!

Second is the hopefully non-prophetic "It Gets Worse", whose drum-led intro takes us into a bit of a lively southern rock-influenced number, and featured Red singing more at full voice for the duration. Musically, this song does way more to showcase HeadF1rst's talents, with Rainey getting more standout guitar licks outside of the usual solo placement, and the rhythm section acclimates well to this rollicking and upbeat tune. It almost feels like the song ends a split second early given how abrupt the last "Yeah!" is cut off, but as a pure and complete song, this definitely is not worse! Third up is the album's second single "Steam" (watch its music video here), which opens with the sound of a steam engine train before the song proper leads off, and we get more deep vocals on this slower number, though I'm not 100% sure if that's Red singing, as Anthony sometimes trades places with him, and I recall his vocals being deeper. If I'm wrong, disregard that thought!

Regardless, these bass vocal stylings have more of a country influence, with the rock only kicking into gear on the choruses, again with Claire's backing vocals here and on the last verse not really gelling with the lead singer. This song is well performed and shows off HeadF1rst's range, but you have to be into outlaw country to really appreciate this one at complete face value, as the guys are capable of heavier and livelier material. Things mellow down on song #4, "Story Of Me", a legit ballad with Red's vocals taking on a softer pitch and melody without going into his earlier deep tone. Again, this is a good exercise of HeadF1rst's range as musicians, but it kinda meanders after a while, Red's singing feels somewhat forced, and the song fades out way too early, like they didn't know how to end the song and decided to wrap it up way too soon to mask that. Not a terrible ballad by any means, but I know that they're capable of a stronger one than this.

We hit the midpoint of "Road Trippin'" with its longest song, "Drowning In Dread", and while still a relatively reserved song compared to the album's first third, it has more life and energy to it, especially in the choruses, and the guitar work from Rainey and Liam has some mildly trippier elements. Really, the vocals drive this one along, and Red's vocal range is put to good use with some higher notes being reached with ease, but I'd have amped the rock up to better suit the vocals. In terms of the contrast between the style of vocals and the music, this reminds me a bit of Greta Van Fleet's "Heat Above", for better or worse. Sixth up is "Stay For The Show", which is the best song (for my tastes) since "It Gets Worse", as it's a straight forward hard rocker that reminds me a bit of the old Stiffler's Mom original "Enjoy The Show" in lyrics, and it's a solid and tight number that lets Claire show off some solid bass and her best backing vocals yet!

My big issue with this song is that Red's vocals are flatter and not very rangy, and you'd kinda hope that with the experimentation he's done on earlier tracks, why not let loose a bit on a fast rock song like this? Still, for my preferences, the album has definitely had a clear peak and valley from songs #2-6! Next is "Homewrecker", which is another classic rock throwback, but with a heavy base and a good catchy melody that definitely improves on the prior song to make this one of my favourite songs on the album! Vocals are really dialed in to the music with good melody, Rainey's solo is another top notch one, and everything clicks to make an upbeat sing-along hard rock number, so don't bypass this track! The penultimate and shortest song on offer is "Have A Good Time", which basically starts as an acoustic drinking song before fuller band input creeps in, and I can definitely see this song having appeal for some night-ending audience involvement!

While I prefer "Homewrecker" and "It Gets Worse", this succeeds as a live concert-friendly drinking song, so fans will enjoy it on that basis, and everyone handles it as well as you'd expect! "Road Trippin'" ends with a bang via the first single "Slay The Dragon", which is the song that has publically acknowledged guest guitar work from producer Bill Priddle. At its peak, this hard rocker is up there with HeadF1rst's better tracks, with a good ominous build-up in the verses, effective percussion from Anthony, and hard hitting heavy stretches with Red's vocals adjusting to match, but a slow, meandering bridge at the 1:40 mark really drags the song to a standstill. A fun and hard hitting capper to the album all the same!

So, what are my final thoughts on HeadF1rst's... first full-length CD? It's a step forward in terms of production values and artistic growth for sure, but fans who lean towards heavier music (like myself)  will get inconsistent results in terms of songs that suit their preferences. I hesitate to compare too much to "Head Trauma" in that regard because that was a four song EP, but HeadF1rst definitely wanted to show off different musical influences and styles here, so there will be a little something for everyone in terms of sound and pacing. Red's vocals really got a good workout here and he was able to demonstrate his range to good effect, while the guitar work was always strong from Rainey and Liam, and Claire and Anthony's rhythm section was effective! My favourite songs were "Homewrecker", "It Gets Worse", and "Slay The Dragon", but if you like southern rock, classic rock, and softer ballads, you'll find them elsewhere.

For things that I'd address... the album could have been laid out more evenly to better level out the songs, I don't think "Story Of Me" is up to their composition standards despite best intentions, "Stay For The Show" and "Drowning In Dread" almost feel like they have misplaced vocal energies, Claire's backing vocals often didn't mesh well, and while not reflective of the music, I'd have had more substantive liner notes than what we got, costs/logistics at MorningStar acknowledged. For what I go for in hard rock, this isn't a perfect album, but it's an important step forward for HeadF1rst, still a young band with a very bright future, and I can't wait to hear what they have in store next! Buy or stream the whole album at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Next month's review will very likely be of Sault Michigan metal solo project X's & Y's' sophomore album "Ruination Coactive", which is expected to be released on June 13th.

Look for that and for much more news and notes on the site next week (and month)! Thanks everyone!

HeadF1rst's New Album Details, Plus New Videos!!

Today's SMS post features some new videos from some familiar local faces, but leading off on this Tuesday evening, here's what you should know about a brand new local album release!

It's been over a week since it was released, so let's spend some time talking about local hard rock quintet HeadF1rst's second CD and first full length album "Road Trippin'"! Launched on May 4th when they headlined the Steel City CollectorCon's pre-party at Soo Blaster, CD copies were on sale there for $20 and continue to be available through band members (I do not know if any brick-and-mortar stores are selling them). In an announcement perhaps foreshadowed by Mike Haggith's opening set that night, HeadF1rst have signed with Mike's indie label MorningStar Records, and you can read more about them and their signing in this press release from the label's website. If you didn't know that singer Red Jettison and bassist Claire Jeffrey were siblings, you do now! With Mike's backing and print-on-demand album methods, "Road Trippin'" is far more professionally packaged than their 2024 debut EP "Head Trauma", which is great to see, but it does not have a proper album booklet, so there are no song lyrics this time.

"Road Trippin'" has nine songs, all of which were played on May the 4th at Soo Blaster, and the album was produced by Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle at Unsalted Audio, with studio head Dustin Goodall credited for mixing and mastering the album. The band confirmed on social media that Bill plays additional guitar on "Slay The Dragon", but the lack of an album booklet means that I don't know if there are other guest performer credits. In the band proper, guitarist Rainey Raincourt is credited thusly (he had previously omitted the Y), drummer Anthony Boudreau is listed with the nickname "Moosejaw", and Claire is also credited for playing some guitar on the record. Beyond physical copies, you can hear "Road Trippin'" on "all streaming services", and by "all", the guys mean YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Spotify. As well, mp3 copies can be bought on iTunes for $8.91.

After a brief dip into archive album reviews last month, we will be looking at "Road Trippin'" for this month's CD review at the SMS, so look for that in the next few weeks, but the professionalism in sound and packaging are good omens for HeadF1rst's sophomore effort, so do buy or stream it at the above links, and here's the album's opening song "Tour Bus Fantasy" courtesy of their YouTube Music upload of the full album! 

We'll close today with new videos, starting with a new clip of local folk punk solo project Agnosticism live! This comes from the April 12th concert that Mikhal opened in the kitchen of former Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno, who played here with (half of) his current country/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels alongside Ottawa folk band Bastards & The Buzzards. Now, thanks to Agnosticism's presence, I did briefly acknowledge this show here but did not actively cover it on the site because I don't cover concerts without public addresses as a rule (it was said to "ask a punk" in that regard), but it was publically advertised, and it does look like the gathered punks had fun with this acoustic folk concert! One attendee was Piecing It Together Shows head Nicole Dyble, who filmed all three acts for the local promotion agency's Facebook page, uploading them as a batch post there on April 13th.

This oddly square video (thanks to being cross-posted on Instagram) is filmed a little too low, so Mikhal's head is cropped below his eyes when he's singing, even though the camera isn't stationary. Aside from that, the audio quality holds up well, and fans of Agnosticism will enjoy this raw folk punk performance! It is short though, running for just 39 seconds, but again, this was cross-posted to Instagram, which has video length limits. Very pink lighting in Josh's kitchen too, but folk-inclined fans will have fun with the rest of Nicole's videos, so give them all a look above and below!

Finally for today, here's a surprise new audio cover from defunct local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck! Uploaded to final drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel last week, this is an audio cover of Luke Combs' "Beer Never Broke My Heart" that was recorded in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns, but never completed or uploaded at the time, so Glen finished it for a YouTube release five years later. Soundcheck were represented at the time by their 2019-2023 lineup, also including singer/guitarist Cameron Oliver, guitarist Terry Eaton (now of Separate Wayz), and current Silent 9 bassist Paul Belair, who all recorded their parts remotely. Glen recorded new harmony vocals for the final version of the cover, which has to make use of rough draft vocals due to things not being 100% completed at the time. Note that Glen's explanation of the recording process eats up the first minute.

This will obviously appeal mostly to fans of country music (let alone Cameron's solo concerts) more than rock fans, and while Cameron's vocals do feel somewhat soft and processed given that they're not the intended final recording, this is a solid enough country cover! Of course, it is worth noting that Cameron and Terry have reunited in "The Band" alongside final Soundcheck bassist Jim Michaud and former Bourbon Blue drummer Brent Royer for a handful of concerts in early-mid 2025, with Cameron possibly moving out of town to further his solo career later this year. Keep tabs on his upcoming solo/band shows if you're a country fan, and check out this rare Soundcheck at-home cover below!

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

Steel City CollectorCon Pre-Party/HeadF1rst Album Release Concert Review!!

After way too long, here's a new concert review on the SMS, as I was in attendance for last night's HeadF1rst-headlined Steel City CollectorCon pre-party at Soo Blaster! Beyond the bands, this was a special event to hype up today's comic/collector's convention at the Quattro hotel, and there were vendors on hand selling clothing, crafts, and even tattoos(!) before and during the sets! Headf1rst and Mike Haggith were selling band merchandise as well (no table for Handsome Sandwich that I noticed), but all three bands' newest CDs were offered in the raffle draw. I can't speak for what was said and took place during the VIP-exclusive function after HeadF1rst's set, but hopefully we'll learn more on that front soon! Good turnout of concertgoers as well! Your openers were local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his backing group The Big Finish Band in their first concert since The Soo's Got Talent finals at the same venue last fall, but they had a slight change.

Rhythm guitarist Elly McWatters recently suffered a rotator cuff injury and was wearing a sling last night, so Mike played guitar instead (aside from the closing song), while Elly still took part on backing vocals and playing the tambourine. Hopefully she gets well soon! Mike & crew blasted through a 45 minute set of recent originals from Mike's solo back catalogue like "The Best You Never Had", "Hot & Cold", and "The Nature Of The Times", plus a couple of newer cuts like "I Really Hope This Gets To You", and everyone fired on all cylinders with an energetic blast of rock led by Mike's deep, melodic vocals and strong lead guitar work from Chris Nielsen, while Matt Froni laid some booming bass lines throughout, and drummer Brandan Glew was up to his usual standards behind the kit. Good stuff all around, and hopefully we see Mike & The Big Finish Band (with Elly healed up) again soon!

The middle band last night was alternative hard rock band Handsome Sandwich in their first own first show of the year, but they played as a four piece, with rhythm guitarist Brandon Ruch absent. I am not 100% sure if he was just not available last night or if he left the band, but note that their current cover photo on their Facebook page (updated in October) is from a show with his predecessor Mitch Sirie. Brandon had joined Handsome Sandwich in January of last year, and seemed to fit in well, but if he has left, hopefully things are amicable, and remember that he is still in new local country band The Golden Scoundrels with drummer Johnny Belanger!

Regardless of what's going on with their second guitarist position, Handsome Sandwich delivered a fun set of new and old originals to wrap up their seven+ month break! Alongside songs from their debut CD "Deconstructed" like "Monkey", "Conquest", and "Bitter", we also got to hear cuts from their upcoming EP (possibly named "Collage"?), including "Partyfuel", "Change A Bit", and "All Done Now". Taylor Emlaw's distinctive, cutting vocals led the way, with a stage presence this time that reminded me a bit of Joe Cocker (this isn't a complaint), and both Johnny and bassist Rafael Medina held up their end of the bargain on the rhythm and low end! The lack of a rhythm guitarist was noticeable compared to their five-piece shows since Rafael joined, as the guitar riffs and melodies were quieter with just Jesse Cook playing, but if you like Handsome Sandwich's unique yet relatable original songs, you'll have enjoyed things! 

Your headliners last night were the newly renamed Headf1rst (with a 1, not an I) in their album release party, so this was your first chance to buy their new studio album "Road Trippin'"! We'll have more on the album proper on the site soon, and yes, it will be this month's CD review on the SMS. All nine songs from the album made their setlist last night (albeit not in track listing order), as well as two holdovers from their 2024 debut EP "Head Trauma" and a surprise cover of The Killers' "When You Were Young". If you haven't seen HeadF1rst live, their hard hitting and classic-influenced brand of hard rock was a crowd pleaser, with Red Jettison's well suited vocals and very active stage presence keeping things lively, making up a lot of the slack during their set! Raine Rancourt's lead guitar work was excellent, shredding it up with the best of them, and while Claire and Liam could be a little stiff up there, they performed well!.

A fun, promise-filled, and adaptable group, HeadF1rst kept the good vibes rolling all night and gave their album the best launch possible, so definitely check them out at their next dates, local or otherwise! This was a fun collection of local talent, and while not emphasized at all in marketing, it is nice to see that all three bands have mixed gender lineups (Elly's injury acknowledged). More women in local rock bands is certainly welcomed! You can check out my photos and videos from last night's concert at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Mike Haggith & The Big Finish Band playing "Back Away Slowly", Handsome Sandwich playing "Without You", and HeadF1rst playing "Tour Bus Fantasy"!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!