LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Carried Away), Rotaryfest Footage, And A Unique New Record Store!!

I hope all of our Caandian readers are having a great Civic Holiday! Today on the site, we have some long overdue coverage of a unique new-ish record store, a lengthy full-set concert video, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month, so here's what you need to know!

Toronto pop punk quartet Carried Away will make their local concert debut on Tuesday, August 28th when they headline at The Rockstar Bar! Already making waves in Southern Ontario since their launch 3 years ago, this female fronted outfit have impressed fans with their high energy punk sound, complete with emo and alternative influences, and they should keep up their positive and proficient original material with Saultite fans in three weeks! The only announced opening band is Man Feelings, a new (and online page-less) local alternative rock band featuring Bizotic/Sounds From The Green Room alum B.J. Swire, though I don't know anything else about their lineup or sound. Other than a cancelled Downtown Street Party set last month, I have no other details on Man Feelings, but we'll let you know if we hear anything! This concert is a co-presentation of former A Dire Setback singer Larry Babic and photographer Josh Pace, in their first promotional booking of 2018.

This 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge, and it currently has an advertised start time of 8:00 PM, which may not be inaccurate given the work-week scheduling, but we'll let you know if it's actually later. The Tuesday night scheduling may not be optimal for many local punk fans, but if you can make it to The Rockstar Bar for this one, you should be musically rewarded! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, have you been hoping for some more videos from Rotaryfest's stages? Well, how does the entire Stage 1 set (more or less) from early-2010s classic/hard rock cover veterans Turner Up sound? Yes, the former Full Circle were the focus of this video from new local filmmakers Passionate Wolf Productions, as uploaded to their YouTube channel last week. After a nicely detailed introduction, Turner Up's set included covers of Led Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times", The Stone Temple Pilots' "Plush", Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell", April Wine's "Just Between You & Me", Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny", The Outfield's "Your Love", April Wine's "Sign of the Gypsy Queen", Velvet Revolver's "Slither", and Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run", so visit each link to hear each song. Travis Sharpe's between song banter was usually cut from the final upload, and the audio is often somewhat muffled, but the video quality is great otherwise here!

While this is a composite lineup from across Turner Up's prior runs (and Travis was previously their bassist, not singer), this performance seems to have been a success, and Passionate Wolf had a nice close angle of the action, but will this be the last we've seen of Turner Up? Give their Stage 1 set at Clergue Park a watch below, and don't miss Travis with Soundcheck in the interim!



Also today, here's something that I admittedly should have acknowledged on the site long ago: A new local record store named Oosik Records! That said, it may be easy to miss, given that owner Al Bjornaa set it up in a used meat trailer, and it's believed to be the smallest record store in the world! I profusely apologize for the delay in covering this joint on the SMS, it has been open since June of last year, but better late than never! I can't find a firm address for Oosik Records, but it's home base is nearby Batchewana Bay along the highway. In it's trailer locale, Oosik (named for a specific part of whale anatomy in Inuit) plays host to hundreds of vinyl records and cassette tapes, plus books, art, stickers, patches, old record & tape players, and even vintage toys from local retailer Puke Skywalker. Hours are flexible to nonexistent at Oosik Records, with a come-and-go, pay-what-you-can model when Al's not around.

If you peruse the albums on past and present offer on their Instagram page, you'll find a ton of independent artists who I've never even heard of, plus many we all have, so you never know what you'll come across! And if a trip to Batchewana is too far or impractical, Al has brought stock with him for sale at Sault Ste. Marie events affiliated with Nicole Dyble's Dryer Fire promotion company, from the old Gore Street Cafe to her recent open mic, concert, and night martket events on the M.S. Norgoma. They even hosted an acoustic show at Oosik Records headquarters last month, so maybe more is on the horizon there in that regard? I don't have many Batchewana connections (partly hence why Oosik Records was off my radar for so long), but this definitely warrants a trip that direction! I like Al's ambition and generosity, and the eclectic selection is more than welcomed, so be sure to visit the above links and this SooToday article by Jeff Klassen for more on Oosik Records!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rotaryfest Stage 1!!)

For our first news post of June 2018, we have a stacked and extended news post regarding a major concert event this summer, so let's not waste any more time, here's what you need to know!

The full lineup for this year's Rotaryfest Stage 1 has been announced, far earlier than usual, so what is there to say regarding this year's music lineup at Clergue Park next month? Oddly, each act was announced via individual Facebook event pages on the local summer festival's Facebook page in recent days, and if you piece them all together, you'll find a full lineup that is very different from the recent norm. With this year marking the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie (and the 20th installment of the modern Rotaryfest), organizers have largely dropped their usual pool of active artists for 2018, in favour of a special "Rotaryfest Rewind" lineup, mostly comprised of reunited local bands! In fact, of the announced bands, only five have played Rotaryfest at all since 2006, so if you've ever wanted the covers-centric main stage to have more variety, this is absolutely your year! No idea if they're waiving the covers only rule this year, but with certain bands, you'd have to hope they would!

Thursday's lineup on July 19th remains hard rock free, as is usual for Rotaryfest, but who's playing that day? In descending order, the headliners are 1970s-1980s local country band George Pinder & Patches at 10:00 PM, and they'll be joined by 1960s classic rock sextet The Dark Side at 9:00 PM, 1960s-1970s classic rock quartet The Polisi Basson at 8:00 PM, 1980s jazz/blues rock quartet Zak's All-Stars at 7:00 PM, and the return of long-time Rotaryfest regulars The Northern Jazz Ensemble for the first time since 2009 as the 6:00 openers. Most of these acts are before my time, but it'll be a thrill for many to see these acts back on stage next month! The Friday, July 20th lineup already made our concert listings via the already announced 10:00 PM headlining slot by local/Toronto indie/punk quartet Treble Charger in their first Rotaryfest appearance on record, whish is huge enough alone, but who all's opening for them?

At 9:20 PM, there will be a special tribute set to local musicians and bands of the past, which will be emceed by Adrian Vilaca, and is partially brought together by Ric Datson of the Sault Ste. Marie Museum and many local bands. This set should be intriguing, we'll be curious see who plays what then! The 8:30 PM slot belongs to Rotaryfest's iron men (and woman), classic rock quintet Mustang Heart, who will tackle a Bon Jovi and Journey tribute set for the occasion. How will this compare to Bon Journey's headlining set of 2012? Be there to find out next month! 2009-2012 classic/hard rock cover band Turner Up will also return on July 20th, marking their first Rotaryfest appearance since their sole 2011 turn under their brief Full Circle moniker. No particular lineup is reuniting for the show, with members from across their run taking part, but as best as I can tell, they'll be featuring Travis Sharpe on vocals, guitarists Robert Brown & Len Ward, bassist Jeff Brown, and drummer Scott McLurg next month.

I don't believe Turner Up ever played with Travis as their lead singer (he was previously their bassist), but it's great to see Turner Up back on stage in any form, they were a fun band! 1980s country/bluegrass quartet Road Fever (featuring Mojo and Flat Stanley alumni) will reunite for a set at 6:30 PM, while the Friday lineup will be opened at 5:30 PM by the long awaited return of local hard rock/funk band Tripod the Dog, with longtime frontman Mark Oliverio joined next month by his former Glitch bandmate Sean Berlinguette on bass, plus drummer Brian Egglesfield. I have memories of Tripod the Dog from early in my following of local music, and it's cool to see Mark bring them back after too long! As for Saturday, July 21st's lineup, we already knew that Juno winning Calgary classic rock trio The Stampeders would be that day's featured attraction, but who else can we find on that day's extended bill?

The Stampeders actually aren't playing last (they have the 8:30 PM slot), as local classic/hard rock cover veterans That's Chester will reunite after a two year hiatus to close Rotaryfest at 10:30 PM! Their advertised lineup for this year is as a four piece with Greg, Gabe, Aubrey, and Ric back (there's no stated second guitarist), but original singer Richard Fullerton will come back home to guest on a few songs. Hopefully the guys have a blast in their 10th Stage 1 set, and honour Eugene's memory once again! Another musicians tribute (described identically to Friday's) will take place at 7:50 PM, while local/Toronto punk/Celtic favourites Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will surprisingly make their Rotaryfest debut at 7:00 PM.  Their event page indicates that Chris Johns will be back on drums for this set, but it also notes that Marshall Jaaskelainen's Barn Board Trio bandmate Liam Seymour will join them next month. I can't confirm if Liam is now in The Tide or if he's just a guest performer, but it's great to see them on stage again!

1970s Chicago-influenced soft rock collective Pegasus will reunite for a set at 6:00 PM, while the classic lineup of 2012-2015 hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings will come back after three years away on July 21st at 5:00 PM! Visibly resurrecting their original and more prominent name rather than their Beaumont Avenue moniker, it's awesome to see Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben back for one more go-around in their fourth Rotaryfest appearance, so don't miss them either! Fan favourite jam rock sextet Odd Man Out will make their festival debut at 4:00 PM, while an apparent one-off quartet named The Sun Dogs will play a set of 1960s summer-themed classic covers at 3:00 PM. Wailing Aztecs alumni Kelly McGillivray, Sue Martinelli and Sue Roy will play a set of folk and pop covers under their own names at 2:00 PM, while the Saturday lineup will kick off with the current incarnation of Korah Collegiate's school band Mustang Sally at 1:00 PM.

As usual, this year's Stage 1 entertainment is FREE and for ALL AGES, so visit the above links for all of the current details! While it is surprising to not find such recent regulars as Obsession, The Reptiles, and Crossroad on the bill this year, the exceedingly nostalgic and possibly original-embracing lineup is more than welcomed, and I know the buzz is already high for this year's Stage 1 roster! Stay tuned for continued updates when and if they roll in, including the Stage 2 lineup to be announced, and look for our Dumpster Mummy preview and more 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!

A New Local Hard Rock Band, The End Of Turner Up, And New Videos!!

For our 22nd straight day of new SMS updates, we have even more recent news to share, so what's in store for this post? We have new original songs from a (presumably) new local grind project, plus new solo guitar covers from a recently active musician, but first, we have a brand new local band to plug, and the band breakup leading from their inception, so read on below for what you need to know!

A new Sault Ontario hard rock band has been formed, and they are named The Thrill Junkies! Their lineup features Turner Up/Havadder bandmates Travis Sharpe on vocals (switching from bass), Robert Brown on guitar, and Scott McLurg on drums, along with Havadder-only guitarist Jason Nisbet, and new bassist Jamie Cameron, who may be more familiar for his work in country acts like Double Barrel. As you may have surmised by the formation of a new band with so many members of both bands (and the absences of Krista Marshall & Jason Roy), both Turner Up & Havadder have apparently parted ways after their own prominent local runs. According to Scott in a recent Facebook e-mails, both bands "have gone their separate ways to work on other projects", and though he didn't go into specifics on what happened with either band, neither have played live or issued public updates in 2013. Scott also told me that The Thrill Junkies will be heavier (indicating a sound closer to that of Turner Up and the older bands that Travis fronted), and they'll cover everything from Alice In Chains to Judas Priest to Volbeat in this new project.

The Thrill Junkies don't have online pages or media yet, but Scott did say that their live debut will take place on April 6th in Spanish, Ontario (3 hours east of the Soo), where they will play in a battle of the bands for cash & an opening spot at this year's Rock 'N Roar Festival there in August, where they could open for bands like Loverboy, Streetheart, and Sweeney Todd! An out of town debut may seem odd, but this is familiar ground for all but Jamie, as Havadder took fifth place in this same battle last year, earning them a slot opening for Lou Gramm of Foreigner at the festival. I'm very curious to hear how The Thrill Junkies sound, especially with Travis' return to full-time local singing, but when more details come in on their local debuts, online pages, and posted media, we'll be sure to have them here, and wish them the best in three weeks when they rock Spanish! Of course though, it is sad to see the end of Turner Up's second incarnation after a successful year back, and Havadder had occasional hard rock covers of their own in their five year run, so best of luck to Jason Roy & Krista in the future, and hopefully both turn up in new local music projects soon!

We'll close with some new videos, including two new solo performance clips from Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel! Uploaded over the past couple of days, these are covers of 10 Years' "Wasteland" and (as embedded below) Breaking Benjamin's "So Cold", and both are similar to his other recent videos, albeit with a new channel logo bug & a 30 second clip of his "Toxicity" cover at the end of each, likely to encourage new subscribers. These are dependably good covers, with the multiple camera angles and lighting working to each song's advantage, so give Alex's version of "So Cold" a look below, and see more at the above links!

Finally for today, here's some new local grindcore songs from newer local label Blood Shed Productions! In recent days, the label led by Crucify The Whore's Ringsnaps Gibson has uploaded a few new songs to their YouTube channel, mostly from affiliated local rappers, but two songs were posted from a grind act named Tomgrindy, of whom I know nothing beyond the songs. The songs are a self-titled track & "Grind In Your Mouth", and both are very short, of mixed quality, and feature pig squeal & guttural vocals. The self-titled one has more substance & a solid melody compared to the other track, which has just a tinny drum beat, and I can't really judge without hearing more/longer material, but if you wanna hear some new local goregrind, check out the song "Tomgrindy" below, and check out more B.S.P. material above!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profile on Friday! Thanks everyone!

New Year's Eve Concert Previews, Plus More Updates!!

Hey guys, this might be our last full news post of 2012, and while I had intended for it to be half focused on New Year's Eve metal/hard rock concert previews, one of the announced shows has been cancelled, that being Turner Up's planned return gig at Gusto's Bar & Grill tomorrow night. A reason was not announced, beyond the band saying "Cancelled sorry." on the Facebook event page, but no matter why, it's disappointing all around! It'd have been a pricier gig, but Turner Up have been missed in recent months, and hopefully they and Gusto's will be back next year! That said, we have one other heavier New Year's show to preview, plus news on a potentially intriguing new Bon Soo event, a new video, and more news, so read on below for what you need to know!

In what's likely the last hard rock concert of 2012 in the Sault Ste. Marie area, Kinross hard rockers Banned will return to Todd's Tavern in nearby Moran, Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT to end the year on a high note and ring in 2013! This marks the second straight year that they've played a New Year's Eve gig in the area, and Todd's Tavern has been a decently active venue for them in 2012, so hopefully they rock the house with their covers & originals! Note that guitarist Alex Schrovenwever is home for the holidays, but I have not definitively heard one way or the other on if he'll be back with Banned tomorrow (I'll let you know if I find out!) Aside from the New Year's setting and likely partying associated with it, everything seems fairly normal for this show, with Banned on at around 8:00 PM tomorrow, a 21+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the band's Facebook page!

If you're looking for a hard rocking way to end 2012, head down to Moran (50 minutes from the Soo, 15 minutes from St. Ignace) to enjoy the Traynors and company as they deliver some diverse and entertaining live music! For a preview, here's Banned covering The Rockets' "Oh Well" this summer!



Next up, here's some information on a potentially intriguing new event that could have some metal/hard rock representation! As announced on SooToday two weeks ago, the annual Bon Soo Winter Carnival in Sault Ontario has joined forces with The Public Relations & Event Management Program to create a new performance area for this year's 50th anniversary, and it's entitled The Marquee. It's planned to be a platform for locals in the arts, culture, and performance communities to perform live in Bellevue Park during this year's carnival. Partially funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, Bon Soo's currently looking for local artists, performers, and entertainers to perform at The Marquee this year between February 2nd and 10th, and with no announced restrictions on who could perform, this could open the door for metal and hard rock bands to at least apply! If you're interested in applying to perform at Bon Soo's Marquee this year (or in volunteering), e-mail snow@bonsoo.on.ca and visit the above links for more information!

This has a lot of potential, especially to further integrate local artistic and musical talent into the festival! Since the yearly battles of the bands dried up, there has been a need for more local music, and maybe this will be a way back in for many of the area's talent in that field, metal or not! I'd recommend looking in to applying to play at The Marquee in February, as you never know what could happen!

Thirdly today, here's the latest video from the hard rock cover trio from Superior Heights Collegiate performances that we featured a lot of on the site earlier this year! Featuring guitarists/bassists Liam Seymour (Sailor's Tongue) & Adam Gualtieri alongside a still unknown drummer, this is this band's first posted video since April, and it's a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" as filmed on Halloween (hence the Hulk Hogan & hippie costumes.) Though the video is in black & white for some reason, it's well edited, and despite not being a heavy song, the guys show good talent, with Liam's vocal range up to the task compared to the original! Check out their newest video below, and see more of Adam & Liam's covers at this location!



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

• In my e-mail conversation with 415E/Highest of Fives drummer Devin Anderson last week, he mentioned that Free Refill might come back in the summer for some shows. The band initially went inactive in the spring following half the band's move from the area for college, but according to a tweet on The Highest of Fives' Twitter page, Free Refill may have played at a school assembly on May 18th (though I can't 100% confirm that.) Fingers crossed that we haven't seen the last of them though!
• Also in Highest of Fives-related updates, they have revealed on their Twitter page that their home recording studio is called The Beat Lab Studio, while there have been tweets there as well alluding to their "summer tour". It'd be awesome to see them, Free Refill, AND 415E gigging this summer, as the Sault Michigan scene could use the extra bands, but I'll keep you posted if we hear anything definite!
• According to a Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting on December 17th, veteran local drummer Glen Thomas has added Wishbone/Flat Stanley bandmate/guitarist Tony Kajnar to his Mourning Glory project, and they're looking at playing live cover-centric shows in 2013, with covered bands including Porcupine Tree & Friction Plane. This could potentially shift the project from it's heavier leaning originals, but anything different and talented would be an asset locally, so message Glen at this location, and keep an eye out!

That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our look back at an up and down year in the local scene, so what happened in 2012? Our year in review post will be up tomorrow, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up & Banned), Plus New Videos!!

Before we get to this post, I just wanted to briefly apologize for not getting Powerslug's show at Dan's Place in Rudyard on here on Friday. We didn't have enough news that night to supplant a short notice post (especially given that the show was announced on short notice), but hopefully Facebook gave you guys some word on it, and hopefully it went awesome! Now, today's post features LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two New Year's Eve shows, a new guitar performance clip, and our fourth Christmas surprise uploads, so here's what you need to know!

After 3 months away from the local concert stage, local classic hard rock quintet Turner Up will be back for one last time in 2012 on New Year's Eve at a venue we've never touched on before, that being Gusto's Bar & Grill at the Wellington Square Mall on Trunk Road! We only tend to talk about The Rad Zone and The Roadhouse this far east, but Gusto's has booked scattered live music acts this year, and their restaurant is well received from what I can tell, so hopefully they'll be up to the challenge of Turner Up's classic hard rock stylings one week from tomorrow! Notably, this will be Turner Up's first concert with their full lineup since July (guitarist Jason Roy missed their September gigs at The Nic), but I'd expect them to be back to their old ways next week to end 2012 on a high! I just wish they played a bit more frequently, but maybe 2013 will be busier. Now, this is essentially a New Year's party with live entertainment, not the other way around, so I'll warn you now that tickets are $45 for adults and $20 for minors, but this also includes a midnight buffet and dancing and all the rest.

Tickets are available at Gusto's in person or through Turner Up band members, while I'd expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Turner Up back, even if in somewhat unfamiliar waters, so if you can swing the admission price, it'd be worth coming out to see the guys (and girl) pump out some heavier leaning covers to ring in the new year! Stay tuned for any potential updates!

The other newly announced concert for New Year's Eve will go down at Todd's Tavern in Moran, Michigan, where Kinross hard rockers Banned will return for one last concert of the year! As revealed on their Facebook page yesterday, this is (I think) Banned's second New Years Eve concert in the area since their inception, and given that Todd's Tavern has proven to be one of their favourite recent venues, I'd expect their covers and originals to be in top shape next Monday! Note that I believe guitarist Alex Schrovenwever is back home in the Eastern U.P. for the holidays, which could facilitate his first show with Banned since August, but I've heard no confirmation either way on if he'll be back with Banned next week. This show has an 8:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a likely 21+ age limit, so check the above links for more details! This should be an exciting concert, perhaps the last heavier one in the Sault Michigan area this year, so if you wanna ring in 2013 in a rocking way, a drive to Moran might work next week! If any updates come in, we'll have them here!

We'll close with some new videos, starting with the newest video from Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy! Posted on his YouTube channel on Friday, this is of his cover of John Mayer's "Vultures", in what's actually his first solo video in over a month. It's well performed for the style, if somewhat minimalistic without a backing track, but hopefully Alex has some heavier songs in the works to cover too! Check out Alex's latest solo guitar cover below!



And finally for today, here's our fourth batch of surprise song uploads for the Christmas season, and it's the only CD from inactive local metal band Stillbroke! As you may remember, the future Borderline Divine released their debut EP "Never Enough" in November 2009, which was recorded with producer Miguel Gauthier at Stereo Soul Studios in early 2009 with the band's classic lineup, including singer/guitarist Jesse Frigault, future drummer Sam DeDominicis on rhythm guitar, current Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey on bass, and Jenny Hooper on drums. Featuring 5 tracks ("Never Enough", "No Reason", "Forget", "Wash It Away", and "Tear Me To Pieces"), the EP was well hyped during it's release, including a music video for "No Reason" with their 2010 lineup, but "Never Enough" went out of print that year, likely around the beginning of their 2 year concert hiatus. Over three years removed from it's release, I thought it'd be nice to finally post the full "Never Enough" EP online for fans to check out for the holidays, especially as it captures Stillbroke at what was arguably their peak in the local music scene!

Though there are a few noticeable absences (i.e. "Sick & Tired" and their self titled song), their talents were on full display, with Jesse's melodic and heavy vocals contrasting well with their hard rock sound, including very good bass work and nice catchy structures all around! Though their sound arguably improved with their heavier evolution to Borderline Divine, "Never Enough" strikes me as an underrated disc, and hopefully Jesse & Sam will bring the band back down the road if the time is right! Check the above links to hear this EP in full, and here's the disc opening title track!



That's all for today, but of course, try and hit Andres Duchesne's funeral at The O'Sullivan Donnelly Funeral Home at 4:00 PM today, with the visitation beginning at 2:00 PM. I wish I could go, but I'll be there in spirit, and hopefully we'll all be thinking of his talents and great qualities, over what happened last week. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Garden Of Bedlam), Their Newest Video, And Lots More!!

In what will likely be our last non-poll/preview/review post for a few days (I'm clean out of back news stories right now), we have some assorted topics and randomness for you guys on this Wednesday morning, including more updates to our monthly CD reviews, some shorter news & notes, a new video from a local metal band, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for said band's next concert, so read on below for all that you need to know!

Local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam are returning to the stage near the end of the month! Three months since opening for Anvil, the guys will make their first Rockstar Bar appearance since May for a concert on Tuesday, October 30th, which will double as both a Halloween/Devil's Night concert and as an 18th birthday celebration for local music/skate shop The Rad Zone! Awesome to see them still thriving & rocking the Soo, and they're helping present this concert from their friends (and one employee) that should attract a sizeable crowd! Similarly to other Halloween-timeframe concerts in town, there will be a costume contest (and a door prize) with Rad Zone gift certificates at stake, so bring your best costume if you want in on some of the action! Like Garden of Bedlam's previous Rockstar Bar shows, there is no announced opening band, and there will be a 19+ age limit, a $5 cover charge, and a start time likely around 10:00 PM or later. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

It's great to see Garden of Bedlam finally back on the local stage, and this adds really nicely to a busy stretch of Halloween shows in town, which (for one weekend at least) will help alleviate the slow stretch of heavier concerts in Sault Ontario! Though it's odd that this isn't on Halloween weekend itself, hopefully Devil's Night is a blast, and I definitely hope to be at The Rockstar Bar on the 30th! Possibly to promote the new show, Garden of Bedlam posted this new drum-cam video onto their current YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of drummer Derek Turner playing "Everything Will Die" during a recent band rehearsal! Great quality, and you get some closer glimpses of Derek drumming than we ever tend to see, but part of me would like to see the full band's angle as well. We'll get our chance on Devil's Night, but before then, check out their new "Everything Will Die" drum-cam video below!



Also, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• I've moved Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie's black metal solo project Eden Plague to our inactive band links due to his deletion of their Facebook page (and impending year's inactivity next week.) Mitch worked on this project for about a year from 2010-2011, and he had some heavy material, but he's focused more on his bands lately, including the yet-revealed Sorrow Fields, another solo project. I like his Eden Plague work, and hopefully Mitch revisits this stuff down the road!
• Eckerman, Michigan metal quartet Life's Eclipse posted another promising instrumental metal demo named "The Beaten, The Fallen, The Mercy" onto their mainman Jason Mills' SoundCloud page last week, so check it out at this location! Very heavy and technical, and it should add well to their newly planned "Dark Kingdom" album when finished, so give it a listen above!
• If you were curious on who the new local band/Dearly Beloved openers The Northern Tragedy were, they're a punk trio featuring Changing Waves bassist Terrence Gomes on drums & vocals alongside guitarist Mike Ivany & bassist Corry Rideout, and they're somewhat similar to Terrence's old Good Morning Gorilla work. Not metal, but their first video has catchy parts, so click here to check it out! Thanks to Terrence for the info! (Note that I don't know if The Northern Tragedy's existence means anything negative for Changing Waves' status.)

And finally for today, here's some more updates to the information and pictures used in our monthly CD reviews! Note that almost all of these include restored or replaced photos to make up for MySpace/Facebook link changes or photo deletions. On our review of Stillbroke's only EP "Never Enough", I edited references to their now-inactive status, the EP being out of print, their later name change to Borderline Divine, and indicating that the only song to survive into the Borderline Divine era was "No Reason". In our reviews of Woods of Ypres' 1st, 2nd, and 4th albums,  I've updated & detailed references to their then-lineups (including frontman David Gold's passing) along with the availability and release statuses of the albums, which are for the most part online-only at the moment. For our review of Detroit's "Brace For Impact" EP, I freshened up some references and reinforced their inactive status and this album's status as their last release, while on our review of Garden of Bedlam's first EP, I noted where you can hear it for free at present, as the band has posted it on some of their pages. Stay tuned for more updates to our monthly CD reviews at some point in the future!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for next month's new poll at the SMS and this month's poll results tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up), Weekend Concert Previews, And Halloween Party Updates

Hey guys, before we get to the local metal news and notes, I just wanted to let you all know about some possible differences in our next few posts. Yesterday, the SMS' host server Blogger updated our interface and post editor to a new look that's been rolled out in recent months, and I'm still trying to get used to it and it's new look. This won't directly influence how you see the site or old posts, but this and the next few posts may look a bit different or have odd formatting until I'm used to everything, so thanks for your understanding! That said, today's post is mostly devoted this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, but before we jump in with that, did anyone notice mentions on Facebook of Marquette hard rockers Nudge coming back to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan this weekend? Those shows (including the pre-weekend acoustic gigs) were cancelled a few days ago for unknown reasons (though the band didn't cancel them), as confirmed by frontman Danzo McCracken on our Facebook page. Disappointing, but hopefully we'll see Nudge back in the area soon! Now, to today's post, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!

Sault Ontario classic hard rockers Turner Up are returning to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Almost 2 months since their latest concert (although most members have played live with Havadder in the interim), this talented local cover quintet will return to The Nicolet Tavern for the first time since early June for two shows this weekend, and it's good to see them back! Since the current version's launch last fall, Turner Up's shows have been much more spread out, so if you've missed them in recent months, keep their return to The Nic in mind this weekend! That said, the band will be without guitarist Jason Roy for these gigs due to a broken arm (get well soon, Jay!), but Turner Up have enlisted former guitarist Len Ward to fill in this weekend, which is pretty cool! Best known for his work at The Rad Zone, Len played with the first version of Turner Up from 2010 through last spring, and we'll see a reunion of 4/5ths of their late 2010-early 2011 lineup as a result. Len's a nice guy and a talented guitarist to boot, so don't miss his temporary return this weekend if you can help it!

Admission should be free for both tomorrow & Saturday's shows, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised for both nights. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! These should be some fun concerts for fans of Turner Up and their classic hard rock hits, so go check them out at The Nic this weekend, and for a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering Guns N' Roses last year!



Last on the weekend schedule (barring any heavier Sault Michigan shows that I can't find info on) is the return of Caveman Morrison for a pair of concerts this weekend! Tym Morrison and company will return to The Roosevelt Hotel for their first live concerts in almost a month, so like with Turner Up, if you've missed Caveman Morrison and their heavier covers and fan favourites, you won't wanna miss their Rosie return tonight & tomorrow! Of course, these join Caveman Morrison's Halloween weekend gigs at The Nicolet Tavern and Tym's returning solo shows at new venues next month, adding to a hopefully busy fall for this high impact trio! Admission for both tomorrow & Saturday's shows should be free, with 10:00 PM start times and 19+ age limits. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always good to see Caveman Morrison tear up the local stage with their classic and newer metal covers, so go see them this weekend, and for a preview, here's their current lineup covering Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know"!

Finally for today, here's the latest updates on the 7th annual Halloween Party from local singer/promoter J.D. Pearce on October 27th! First, I recently got some clarification on the identity of one of the bands playing at The Algonquin Pub that night, as the NOFX cover band named The Brews is apparently not the cover band that has played each past Halloween concert under different genres & names (last known as The 151s.) According to Facebook conversations I had with Redundant drummer Rick White, The Brews will actually be Redundant playing an all-NOFX cover set under that name for one night only. Promoters have yet to confirm this, but if true, it will mark Redundant/The Brews' second straight appearance at this Halloween event. They can pull of NOFX material from what I remember, so you punk fans should watch out for this special set on October 27th, and apologies for earlier incorrect assumptions! That said, J.D. confirmed on the Facebook event page that the third band slot is "reserved for the time being", though whether the intended band for that slot is the yearly cover band is not yet clear. If the third spot becomes vacant, preference would go to a costumed tribute band if possible, so stay tuned to the SMS & the above links for updates on that front, along with any other details on this Frightlight-headlined Halloween party!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our next YouTube Channel Profile this weekend, and much more news and notes to come! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Powerslug & Riding Shotgun) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

We're late for this post, so let's get right to everything, as we have previews of this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for shows TONIGHT & next week, so here's what you need to know, and check out our Anvil concert review in the post below this one!

After a weekend off, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Powerslug are apparently playing at The Corner Pub Bar & Grill TONIGHT! I apologize for the short notice, guitarist Chris Gurnoe only publically announced this concert a few hours ago on his personal Facebook page, and they still don't have an online page to announce advance gigs. Though I don't know if tonight's concert is outdoors or indoors, Powerslug's brand of hard rock should attract a solid crowd tonight, so if you're up for some live hard rock across the river this weekend, keep tonight's show in mind! Admission should be 21+, there's no announced cover charge, and I'll assume they'll be on at around 10:00 PM tonight. Also, I don't believe they're playing tomorrow, but knowing how much word we hear about their gigs in advance, they could have something going on for all I know. Check the above links for more details! Powerslug have the talent and experience to rock very hard tonight, so go check them out if you can at The Corner Pub and get weird with Powerslug! For a preview, click here to see the only available video footage of Powerslug in action!

Also in new concerts is a show that I only heard full details about thanks to posters that were up at The Canadian Nightclub when I was there for the Anvil concert (I don't even know who's promoting it), but a solid lineup of bands is lined up from out of town! Toronto hard rock quartet Riding Shotgun are coming to Sault Ontario on August 3rd (one week from today) for a headlining concert at The Canadian on their Canadian Buckle Up Tour, and I'm liking what I'm hearing from them so far! Deep voiced & very heavy brand of hard rock, and they have a familiarity that I can't place off hand, but they're well worth checking out, so click here to hear some of their original material! Ottawa alternative hard rockers Project Mars will open for them next Friday, and they have an interesting sound that mized hard driving riffs with some more classic sounding vocals, and they should set the tone well at this concert! As far as I can tell, there's no local openers, a 10:00 PM start time wouldn't surprise me, you likely must be 19 to attend, and I'd expect a cover charge of around $5. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like a very good concert for hard rock fans, and hopefully a huge crowd turns out for it! If I hear anything extra on this show, you guys know I'll have it here!

Now to previews of this weekend's previously announced hard rock concerts, starting with the return of Turner Up TONIGHT at The Speak Easy! The local classic hard rock quintet will hit the stage for the first time in almost 2 months (though members have played with Havadder in the interim) for the first ever appearance by either Turner Up incarnation at Algoma University's campus bar & concert spot! Notably, this will also be the first heavier concert at The Speak Easy in about 4 months, so if you've missed shows there in 2012, don't miss this one, as who knows when a heavy concert will return? Turner Up's energy fueled brand of female fronted hard & classic rock covers will be sure to excite, and a stop by The Speak Easy would probably pay off well for local hard rock fans! Admission is free tonight, a 10:00 PM start time is likely, and though I'd expect a 19+ age limit, there could be a deal for underage Algoma students to get in (which isn't a new idea.) For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great show in it's own right, so consider it for your Friday concert plans, as Turner Up definitely don't turn 'er up as much as they used to! For a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering Guns N' Roses' "Mr. Brownstone" last year!



And finally for this weekend, local hard rock trio Caveman Morrison will return to The Nicolet Tavern TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT for their latest shows in their busy summer schedule! Though I still don't know who their current bassist is (online pages haven't been updated to mention that yet), they'll be sure to melt many faces at The Nic this weekend with their brand of classic tinged hard rock and metal covers, and Caveman Morrison have a wide array of songs in their repertoire that could be broken out tonight or tomorrow, so I'd keep these shows in mind for your weekend plans! Admission should be free tomorrow & tonight, you must be 19 to attend, and I'd assume both night's entertainment will kick off at around 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Caveman Morrison always have plenty of great material for their fans, and hopefully this weekend's shows are no different, so if you're up for some hard hitting covers, you know where to be! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know" at what's now Coch's Corner in 2010!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for an all-Rotaryfest video post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up & The Shotgun Dolls), The Local Scene's Radio Spotlight, And More!!

Back to some news in this packed news post this morning, so today, we have updates on what music we can expect at a recently re-opened concert venue, Rotaryfest fallout, and some awesome press on the local metal scene on a prominent internet radio station, but leading off today, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for shows over the next two weeks!

Local classic hard rock quintet Turner Up are making their return to the live stage THIS FRIDAY, and at a new venue for them! After an almost two month break, the guys (and girl) will rock The Speak Easy on Friday night in what I believe is the first ever concert from either Turner Up incarnation at Algoma University's on-campus pub. It's also the first heavier concert (that's been announced, at least) to go down at The Speak Easy in over 4 months, and I welcome more shows there for sure, especially from this talented local band! Though we didn't get a chance to see them at Rotaryfest, their hard hitting classic covers will be sure to entertain on Friday night at The Speak Easy, so keep this show in mind! Admission should be free, a 10:30 PM start time has been announced, and though I expect this is a 19+ event, some type of all ages availability might be there for existing Algoma students, which isn't unheard of for this venue. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always good to see Turner Up back on stage, and hopefully they pull in a sizeable crowd on Friday, so consider a trip to The Speak Easy this weekend on your local concert calendars!

Also in new shows is a punk concert with some metal flourishes on August 2nd at The Roosevelt Hotel, to be headlined by Calgary heavy rock n' roll trio The Shotgun Dolls! Likely stemming from inquiries into local bookings earlier this year, this band (who remind me of Lion Ride at times) bring a lot of styles and influences into their catchy punk-inspired hard rock sound, and they'll fit well for a local concert next week on their From The Roots 2012 Canadian Tour! Three local bands have been signed to open things, including one heavier act, that being the returning Sykotyk Rampage, who will bring their "blue Chinese metal crash punk" back to the local stage for the first time in over 3 months next Thursday as well! With 6 albums still awaiting an impending release, this unique quartet will be sure to entertain with some creative improvised originals and drinking songs at this show, so don't miss them! They're sandwiched between two local punk openers, including co-headlining classical punk trio RedD Monkey (fresh off their Canadian tour run) and first up at this event, local punk rockers Redundant, and it's good to see them back at a show like this, as they always entertain! Admission will be free, a 10:00 PM start time has been announced on the Facebook event page, and unless I hear otherwise, this is probably a 19+ event. Check the above links for more details!

Note however that this is not the 48th Rosie metal night (that I can tell), as despite the Thursday timing & the flow with the recent bi-weekly schedule, this is being booked by Frightlight/T. Rex Manning frontman J.D. Pearce, similarly to the Die Mannequin show he booked on a Thursday in May, so I think it's just convenient timing (but if I hear of an official return for Rosie metal nights, I'll let you guys know!) Either way, this sounds like an entertaining concert with some quality punk-tinged bands, and definitely keep it in mind for next Thursday! I hope to be there!

Next up, in case you guys didn't get the Facebook memo last night, the local metal scene got an awesome spotlight on a Toronto internet radio station yesterday! Sault native Andrew Keachie anchored a special Sault Ste. Marie metal scene-based episode of the radio show St. David's Ward on the internet radio station Radio Regent last night at 9:00 PM, and for the full hour, he touched on the local scene (especially concerning bands at the 3 Inches of Blood show at The Rosie earlier this month, which he was in attendance for), and it was a fun listen! The hour long show included interview segments with members of The Bear Hunters & Winkstinger, 3 Inches of Blood bassist Byron Stroud, 3IOB show promoter J.D. Pearce, and myself, alongside playing the 3IOB song "Metal Woman", two live tracks from the local openers of that show, part of Gates of Winter's "Winter Flight", and a rare 1968 track by the old local band (Those) Rogues, who you could say were a proto-metal influence locally. There's some great insights into the benefits the scene has over a larger city, and Andrew definitely seems to appreciate what's grown back home, and it was a great listen! That said, what if you missed the broadcast of St. David's Ward on Radio Regent last night?

Well, you guys may be in luck, as I recorded the vast majority of the show using my audio recording program, and if I get the all clear, I may post it online soon for you guys to check out! That said, my program hit it's maximum recording time during The Bear Hunters' song, so I don't have their interview recorded or the tail end of the episode, but hopefully Andrew or someone out there can hook me up (if I get the end, I'm more likely to share the episode online.) It's an awesome listen, but there's so much left unsaid, and hopefully Andrew does a part 2 down the road! Hope you guys checked it out, but if not, stay tuned, as I may have the full thing ready to share in the near future!

Also today, here's some fallout from Rotaryfest's stages in the local news media! SooToday's Donna Hopper was present at our local summer festival this past weekend, and she posted a recap at this location, which features more high quality photos! These largely consist of activity on and around the Tenaris Second Stage on Queen Street East, and amongst her photos are a few of heavier local participants Garden of Bedlam (who she called "explosive") and Sailor's Tongue, though like many of her other concert photography albums, the photos are not in a discernible order. That said, if you wanna go straight to the photos of the heavier bands, Garden of Bedlam's are numbers 6, 7, 16, 21, 30, 38, and 44, while Sailor's Tongue's are 14, 25, 36, 39, and 42. As well, the fallout on the Local2 side of things is so far very minimal on the music side of things, as all I've seen so far is this article summing up the event, which includes a video of assorted events and elements (including some main stage bands, but the audio is replaced with a backing track.) Last year, they filmed portions of most main stage bands, but did they do the same this year, or is this all we're getting? Either way, at least Local2 did some coverage. If I hear of any more Rotaryfest fallout, you know I'll have it here!

And finally for today, here's a note on the current state of live music at a local concert venue. Well over a month after Coch's Corner re-opened at it's new home at the old Foggy Notions location at 708 Queen Street East, they're slowly getting back into the groove of things as a live concert venue, but compared to the old Coch's/Foggy's incarnations, things sound like they're a bit softer. Employee/local concert promoter J.D. Pearce revealed on one of the bar's Facebook groups on Sunday that Coch's Corner is "fast becoming THE SPOT for live local acoustic performances", including posting a schedule of weekly entertainment & bands to watch out for. I've never heard such an emphasis on unplugged acts at either venue in the past, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a way to avoid future noise complaint calls, which dogged that location when it was Foggy's & Feedback. That said, I don't know for sure if that's the reason or if something else is at play here (I haven't been there since last year), but if it's now permanently an acoustic-only venue, hopefully they bring in some metal bands for some special unplugged sets! Remember how well Gates of Winter's was at Loplops way back when? Redundant are playing an acoustic set at the new Coch's soon as well, so this could be an interesting change if they attract a wide spectrum of bands!

As updates roll in for any possible heavier bands at Coch's Corner, I'll have them here, but hopefully the over 6 month drought for metal at 708 Queen will end sooner or later, plugged in or not! That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Anvil preview and more in our next news post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up), A Local Band's Return, Battle For The Blood Updates, And More!!

Here's another news post for this Friday afternoon, but are you wondering where my review of yesterday's 45th Roosevelt Hotel metal night is? I was there, and it's definitely coming, but my Changing Waves video is out of sync for who knows what reason (blame my camera), so I've gotta edit it and re-sync the audio. It's noticeable, especially for the vocals, and you can see for yourself by clicking here until I replace the video. So until then, we have SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for THIS WEEKEND, a local band's return under a new name, a prominent out of town band's search for a new local date, an upcoming battle of the bands' new updates, and more, so read on below for all of the new stories! (Updated on Sunday at 2:57 PM)

I apologize for the short notice on these concerts, but Sault Ontario classic hard rock quintet Turner Up will hit the stage for two more shows TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT! These new dates, which will see them return to The Nicolet Tavern once again following their shows there last month, were only announced yesterday, so I again am sorry for the late word. Keep the weekend's shows in mind though, as if you wanna hear Turner Up rock some solid covers with a bit of a harder edge than most of the band's Havadder work, then don't miss them at The Nic tonight or tomorrow! They may be sans bassist Travis Sharpe this weekend according to their Facebook page, but that info was oddly put on the "About" section there, so I can't attest to if that refers to this weekend or not, or which member's playing bass instead. If anyone knows for certain, let me know! Admission should be free, both of these gigs should be 19+, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! These should both be solid concerts from Turner Up, as always, so don't miss their classic hard rock attack tonight or tomorrow! For a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering a Guns N' Roses classic at The Rockstar Bar last year!



Next up, do you guys remember the short lived Sault Ontario death metal band Bring The Misery, last known as Unleash The Blackened Sky? Well, they're back..... sort of! Their Facebook page has been reactivated to reflect the band's return (having last done any real band updates last July), although there's a lot of differences. They've changed their name to March Into Regression (no word on why they dumped the U.T.B.S. name), and their current lineup now only includes guitarist Ray Cowan & drummer Travis St. Amour, indicating that 2011 members Steve Rhodes, Daeson Lesage, and Travis's brother Tyler haven't been retained. Note that Ray's other group Social Suicide's Facebook page hinted that Ray was doing a "different band", though it's not clear how linked the two are otherwise. However, recent postings indicate that March Into Regression plan to write new original material and play shows once again, hopefully including some touring. While I thought that Bring The Misery's two concerts last June were works in progress, I'm glad to see Ray & Travis keep the band alive, and the new name is definitely an improvement! They're back in our active Sault Ontario band links, and stay tuned for updates from March Into Regression as I hear them!

Thirdly, here's the latest updates on the Battle for the Blood! The recently announced battle of the bands to find a second local opening band for 3 Inches Of Blood's show at The Roosevelt Hotel on July 9th will apparently be moving to a later date than the original placement for it this coming Tuesday. The move was necessitated due to scheduling conflicts with Desbarats death metal quartet For All That Is Lost, as guitarist Brook Moreau has to work on Tuesday night, according to postings on the Facebook event page. Originally, F.A.T.I.L. just dropped out of the battle, but I'm glad to see that they're looking into rescheduling for a few reasons. F.A.T.I.L. deserve the opportunity (and singer Tyler Sperry suggested the battle concept early on), you need at least 4 bands for a good battle (none recently in the Soo have had less), and if it's postponed, it gives more time to advertise and get the word out, so this can only benefit the battle itself! Stay tuned to the SMS for more details on the Battle For The Blood & when it will take place as I hear of it!

Also today, a prominent Northern Ontario metal band are looking to come back to Sault Ste. Marie for another concert, but they need help and/or contacts to make it happen! Empyrean Plague frontman "Builder" Mike Burge contacted the SMS' Facebook page earlier this week asking if I could help the North Bay black metal standouts get a concert booked for the Soo, presumably later this year. I forwarded him some contact information, but I don't believe they have anything firm set up yet, so I thought I'd spread the word on here! As you may remember, Empyrean Plague headlined the 34th Roosevelt Hotel metal night last September, and were among the featured out of town bands at the Ypres Metal Fest in April, so they're certainly no strangers to Sault Ste. Marie! Their brutal black metal stylings fit in very well at local shows, and it's be great to see the guys back here, so if you can help Empyrean Plague get a new local booking later this year, contact Mike at this location or the band at the above links! Let's get some more Northern Ontario black metal up here!

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

• New local grunge band Haggith posted an acoustic version of their original song "Rage Train" onto their Facebook page yesterday! I can't embed it here, as it's a Facebook video, but it's a nice different take on the song, so give it a look at the above links, and remember to see Haggith's debut at The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday!
• Mike Gaetano from Docks Riverfront Grill (and a former metal booker at The Other Place) is looking for a guitarist and bassist for a current band project that he's a part of that primarily plays 1990s alternative rock covers. If anyone out there is interested in trying out for this band, message Mike at this location or through his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last night!
• YouTube user Toxic Doll has uploaded 8 videos from the David Gold memorial concert in Toronto on April 5th at this location, including all 7 songs from Chicago doom metal headliners Novembers Doom's set (including their cover of Woods of Ypres' "Wet Leather") and frontman Paul Kuhr's guest spot with Musk Ox covering "You Are Here With Me", so give them a look at the above links! Fuzzy video quality, but the audio's very good!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for my review of last night's Rosie metal night later tonight! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Valentine's Day Massacre, Turner Up, And The Bear Hunters), And Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's time to preview this weekend's metal and hard rock concerts, but most of them are brand new, so those (and another show next month) make up a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS within this post! Let's start with the new shows, and as usual for the new show announcements, I'll cover these in chronological order, so here's what you need to know for this weekend!

Local classic hard rock quintet Turner Up have announced their latest concert dates, and they're going down TOMORROW NIGHT & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern! I apologize for the short notice, but the Facebook event page was only just launched for it yesterday. These concerts will be Turner Up's first at the Albert Street venue since March, and after playing two weekend engagements last month, are we seeing continued raised activity for this talented cover band? Time will tell, but their entertaining and hard rocking covers will definitely be welcomed back to The Nic this weekend! Both tomorrow's & Saturday's shows have 10:30 PM start times, there's no cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. Check the above links for more details! A Turner Up concert weekend is always a good time, so if you're up for some familiar sounds from this very solid group of local music standouts, then head to The Nicolet Tavern this weekend to turn er' up! For a preview, here's the old Turner Up covering a Guns N' Roses classic last year!



Also for new concerts this weekend is a show that actually has been announced since last month, but only recently has a metal band been added to the lineup! Yesterday, Dismembertainment owner Rich Moreland announced that local deathcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre have been added to the lineup of a punk concert that he's promoting at The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday night! They'll be replacing Winnipeg punk quintet Up N' Atom on the lineup for this concert (a reason wasn't given for their withdrawl), making this The V.D.M.'s first Canadian Nightclub appearance since the Ypres Metal Fest. They'll be playing direct support for Winnipeg political punk notables The Brat Attack, who have made numerous stops here in the past, and their fast paced punk assault and well written lyrics will be sure to attract lots of fans and interest on Sunday night! Joining The Valentine's Day Massacre as local openers are local punk trio Redundant, and their fun punk covers, new originals, and on-stage banter will surely be welcomed back to The Canadian on Sunday night, so don't miss them! Like the rest of Dismembertainment's recent Canadian Nightclub shows, this will be an ALL AGES event, and there will be a $5 cover charge with doors opening at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

Late notice addition or not, The Valentine's Day Massacre will add well to this concert with their brutal death metal assault, and they're not completely out of place, as As It Stands were among the openers at The Brat Attack's last show here in 2007. The Brat Attack have proven to be local favourites from their mid-2000s stops here, so you know they'll be worth every penny of admission, so expect the best in politically tinged punk rock on Sunday night! It's also nice to see Dismembertainment book a punk-centric show again for the first time since last fall, hopefully there's more to come from them! Check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's The Valentine's Day Massacre at The Canadian in March!



Finally for new shows, a new Roosevelt Hotel metal night appears to have been announced! While prior indications hinted towards the Thursday series' return next week, this newly announced concert is actually on June 21st, but I'm not positive yet on whether this is just an advance lineup announcement or a postponement of the 44th metal night until next month. If I hear anything, I'll let you guys know! This June 21st gig was confirmed on local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters' Facebook page yesterday via the BandsInTown application, which lists five upcoming dates for the band, including a house party gig in Laird the day after this gig. Barring any earlier metal night announcements, this will be the 19th Rosie metal night featuring The Bear Hunters, and they'll be joined by Desbarats death metal bands For All That Is Lost and Inhuman Methods on the lineup! This will be F.A.T.I.L.'s 9th Rosie metal night, while it will mark Inhuman Methods' Roosevelt Hotel debut and their first local concert since replacing singer Curtis Moir with new frontman Anthony Tverdal, so don't miss them on June 21st either! Admission should be free with a 10:00 PM-ish start time and a 19+ age limit, but more details are likely forthcoming. Check the above links for more details!

It's good to see Rosie metal nights making their way back to the scene, and with Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie joining the promoting team, I hope the series is in good hands for the forseeable future! Solid lineup of death metal bands too, so whether this is next in the series or not, circle June 21st on your calendars! Stay tuned for more on metal nights at The Rosie as they come in!

Now, to our only concert previews for a show that was previously announced this weekend (if I'm missing any, let me know), and it's the return of Tym Morrison's solo project to the local stage! After a six week break and the disappointing theft of his old acoustic guitar, Tym will bring his unplugged solo set back to The Service Grill on Korah Road TOMORROW NIGHT & SATURDAY NIGHT! Aside from his new guitar, the biggest difference for these latest solo concerts is that Tym will be rocking all day tomorrow & Saturday from 3:00 PM to midnight! I assume these will be broken up into two 4 hour sets at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM, so keep those times in mind. Both concerts have no announced cover charge, and given the restaurant setting, I'd assume there's no age limits this weekend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Tym bring his solo show back after 6 weeks away, which is a long time given his recent prolific schedule, so if you're up for many hours of acoustic metal & hard rock covers, you'll wanna be at The Service Grill this weekend! For a preview, here's Tym covering a classic Metallica ballad at Bossy's Pub N' Grub earlier this year!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results, this month's poll, and more news shortly! Thanks everyone!