Spades GT - "United" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 197th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and as our new album release backlog continues being cleared out, we're taking a look at local/Barrie crossover thrash band Spades GT's new album "United"! Independently released via the Sewer City Records imprint on July 5th, "United" is the follow-up to their first GT-era album (2023's "Sewer City Radio"), and is their fourth album total when counting their two releases as Jack Spades before they relocated from the Soo in 2021. Like on the prior album, the guys recorded this one in February at Room 21 in Toronto with producer Kyle Marchant. "United" features Spades founder & lead singer J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce, guitarist Daniel Horton, and drummer Tyler "Jeeb" Reiner once again, and they are now joined by rhythm guitarist Matthew "Fang" Voros, who sings on a track here as well.

"United" was recorded in between bassist changes, as James Roy Daley left the band last summer, and Sean MacNab didn't join Spades until shortly after the sessions wrapped up (though he is pictured and thanked in the liner notes). Daniel was shown tracking bass in teaser videos from the sessions, but I have not seen a public reference as to if he played bass on all eight songs. Former Spades guitarist Jay Sarrazin and Daniel's Fast Life bandmate Andrew Moorehouse return as guest performers for a track each on "United", while rapper Julien "Mersinary" Dos Santos also guests on a song here. Physical copies of the album are on sale at concerts (alas, Spades haven't played a local date since June 2023), while "United" can be streamed on YouTube Music, Apple Music (it costs $7.92 on iTunes), Amazon Music, and Spotify. Song names below are linked to their YouTube copies. With eight songs running for about 27 minutes, let's begin this review!

The album opens with its shortest song "Anthem", which is a hard driving rocker with a really catchy lead guitar line, plus a solid guitar solo that lets Dan show off well! I was going to compliment the backing vocals, but the shouted chorus (which opens the song right off before the opening verse too) got really overdone after a little while. To me, it seems forced and monotone, and eats up too much time for a song that doesn't even crack 3 minutes. If you're going to commit to the "bashers, misfits, et al." thing, I'd have had J.D. actually sing it. Solid opener that Spades fans will enjoy musically, but I'd have rethought the choruses. Next up is the CD's title track (and the longest song on offer) "United", which was the lead advance single for the album as well. This song leans more into J.D.'s past punk music work with a more melodic rhythm and vocal style that calls to mind his Graves-era Misfits fandom, which will be nice to see for fans of his 100% local output!

Unlike on "Anthem", the backing vocals aren't overdone on repeated shouting choruses, and while your mileage may vary on that, this one seems like a much better candidate to sing along with at concerts (just need to get a new local one already). Strong drumming from Tyler and another good (if shorter) solo helps make this an early highlight, especially if you were following Fitswitch and Frightlight prior! Third is "Demons", which has another punk influence to it but it a touch slower and darker, with J.D. singing in a slightly lower register without backing vocals. There's an intensity here from the lyrical content that would actually call for a heavier or thrashier sound, but the contrast isn't badly done, and there's a strong groove to the guitar and bass here, and Tyler beats the hell out of the kit even when the song is more measured around him. Not uniformly intense and dark but I do like it!

The first half of the album is capped off with "Filthy Lie", which uniquely has J.D. sharing vocal duties with a bandmate, as Matthew (who fronts the psychobilly band The House Of Haunt) sings the choruses and bridge here with J.D. handling verses. The bouncy and upbeat riff is well placed here, and Matt more than holds his own vocally on the choruses with a distinct but natural range, so if there was ever an emergency where J.D. couldn't sing live, he could easily fill in! Of the songs so far, this changes tempo and pace the most in its runtime, so there's a little for many tastes. Not the best overall song here, but a fun shake-up of formula! Song #5 is the last one without guests, namely "Game For Two", which isn't as in your face vocally but it has a really strong instrumental structure, and I wish the vocals were more upbeat and intense to match. Dan & Matt deliver some of their best co-op riffs here, and we get another quality solo too, so guitar fans won't be thrown off at all!

As a pure song, this is an album highlight with some of the heaviest music yet from Spades GT on this album, but the vocals are too low and reserved by comparison. The three songs with guest performers are backloaded on "United", with Fast Life frontman Andrew Moorehouse (who sang guest vocals on "XS" from the last album) doing so again here on the sixth song, "Wrecked".  This song has one of the best intros on the album for its galloping and freewheeling instrumental performance, which is cool to see! Andrew's role on this song is bigger than on "XS", as he and J.D. trade lines during verses and share vocals on the choruses. A fast moving song with a punk influence, this is a fun one with some bouncy lead guitar, and while I'm not sure that the vocals gel as well on the chorus, it's a welcome diversion for fans who like Spades' punkier side, and Andrew acquits himself well!

The penultimate track on offer is "Strong", which features Reel Wolf Productions rapper Mersinary on guest vocals, and who has done this song live with Spades at least once. This song has a full and intense riff and full-band performance that doesn't let up, including really good bass work, and J.D. sings in a more melodic full voice on the verses, so that lines up well with the music! Mersinary crops up at 2:24 to drop bars in the bridge, and while a solid rapper whose delivery wasn't out of line with the music, he's only there for about 20 seconds and he didn't feel integral to the existing structure. He certainly didn't hurt it though, and "Strong" one of the better full songs here! "United" ends with "Die On Our Feet", featuring the return of 2022-2023 rhythm guitarist (and Tyler's old Caym bandmate) Jay Sarrazin, who played on two songs on "Sewer City Radio" (namely "Final Girl" & "Red").

Fans of guitar solos will be rewarded early as well as before the last chorus, and while this song doesn't reinvent the wheel from what works from the Spades camp, it has a hard driving riff, strong melodic vocals from J.D., and a better use of backing gang vocals on the choruses. Anyone else get a "Hallowed Be Thy Name" vibe from the guitar line in the bridge? What really hurts "Die On Our Feet" is a fifteen seconds-long fade-out during the second guitar solo, and is that really how they wanted to end the album? The solo was really cooking, why not actually write a proper ending to a quality song?

So, how do I grade "United" overall? There are things that I would address, but it's a fun sophomore effort for the Spades GT era of the band! It feels like the guys were experimenting a little more musically, with songs leaning into punk moreso, having J.D. experiment more in terms of his vocal range, and having three songs were someone else hops on vocals too. No matter what, they were in strong form as a full band, and the fuller sound from having two guitarists on every track shouldn't be overlooked either! Their fast and freewheeling brand of crossover thrash will still appeal to Jack Spades-era fans while benefitting from the production and networking upgrades since they moved south, with everyone performing to their musical strengths, including steadily great drumming from Tyler! The title track was probably my favourite song front-to-back on the album, and nothing here was bad, but I did notice a lot of little things I'd have changed.

Specifically, the overdone shouted choruses on "Anthem", an uneven contrast of vocals and instrumentation on some songs, Mersinary's verse on "Wrecked" feeling dropped in, and the way-too-long fade-out ending of "Die On Our Feet" could all have been adjusted to tighten up this album. Regardless, this is a fun and hard hitting collection of new songs that any era of Spades fan will take to, so buy or stream "United" at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! We'll end 2025 by looking at defunct local grunge band No Arrow's belated CD "Souls For Sale", so watch for that next month! Thanks everyone, raise 'em up, and cause a scene!

Videos From & After Spades GT's Album Release Concert!!

Today's post catches us up further on updates from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT's July activity, and as you may recall, they headlined the release party for their new album "United" at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto on July 5th. While we still don't know when the former Jack Spades will return home to Sault Ste. Marie, we can witness what happened at The Bovine for ourselves, as ZigSeven's Dave Galante was on hand to film the proceedings for his/the band's YouTube channel! You may recognize Dave from filming at Walterstock III and the Steve Edwin McLeod memorial concerts (both featuring Spades), so kudos to him for coming out to their headlining show last month, let alone filming over an hour & 48 minutes of content! The video begins with Dave talking to the camera before and after getting a sandwich near the venue before the show began, and you've gotta love his fancy sunglasses!

The first band on July 5th was Spades guitarist Daniel Horton's other band The Fast Life (whose frontman Andrew Moorehouse was a guest backing vocalist on both Spades GT albums), and they got 12:30 of footage for Dave's video, so click here to jump straight to the beginning of what he captured that night. After some between-set mingling, we next see the stars of the evening, as Spades GT actually played the middle set rather than closing up for unannounced reasons (maybe there was a scheduling issue?) Dave filmed 40 minutes of action from J.D., Daniel, Tyler, Matthew, and Sean here, and in order, they played "United", "Hands" (featuring guest backing vocals from G.F.U. frontman Jeremy Cibirka), "Demons", "Red", "Strong" (featuring guest rapper Mersinary like on the studio track), "Cenobites", "Wrecked", a cover of Turbonegro's "All My Friends Are Dead" (featuring Andrew Moorehouse on guest vocals), ...

..."Final Girl", and "Die On Our Feet" (featuring ex-guitarist Jay Sarrazin like on the studio version), to end their set. Of note, their set alternated between "United" and "Sewer City Radio" sets back and forth, though the Turbonegro cover did briefly interrupt that pattern. After Dave mingles outside The Bovine between sets, the video closes with York Region punk band G.F.U.'s closing set, and he filmed 48 minutes of punk action from this talented veteran act. Click here to go straight to their set to check out what they had in store, and watch for a member of Spades GT getting on stage midway through! There's a lot to take in here, but kudos to Dave for filming all that he did, and he got some solid quality (and horizontal!) footage of full sets here, and Spades GT sounded raw and in your face as you'd expect! You also get some quality visuals of The Bovine's interior and the packed house for the bands' sets throughout the video's runtime!

Note that, in the host segment bits with Dave using his camera in "selfie mode", he added post-production effects and a logo noting that the video was now in "Zigview". Fun way to differentiate from the band clips and not distract from them with the added effects and logo! And yes, that is former Project 421/Re:Born singer/guitarist (and past bandmate of both J.D.'s and Dan's) Blair Burch as the photographer, he has been snapping pictures at a lot of GTA concerts since moving to Southern Ontario last year. Click here to see his ample shots from the release concert, and relive the complete release party (or see what you missed if you're in the Sault area) below!

We'll close this post with a brief video from guitarist Matthew "Fang" Voros from Spades' Facebook page on July 6th, where he thanked everyone for attending the album release party. There, he called it "a big hit" and "a great time", while also complimenting seeing familiar and new faces alike. Nothing really new here, but it is neat to see Matt take the lead in some official Spades GT social media content, so give it a watch below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Recent Updates From Spades GT & Their New Album!!

Before we fall completely behind with a busy weekend ahead, let's dive into the album release and launch party for local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT in this single-topic post! As promoted in this "Reel", Spades headlined their release party for their second GT-era album "United" at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto on July 5th. The "Reel" was mostly just guitarist Daniel Horton hyping the show from the jam room with background interjections from his bandmates, but a longer and wordier hype video came on July 3rd from drummer Tyler Reiner, and this one was not a "Reel", so I can embed it here. Shot from the drivers seat of his vehicle, Tyler pumped up the concert and album, while also noting that they'd be filming content at Rye Field Studios in Brampton on July 5th as well, much like they did in late 2023 when they took part in a "Live In The Whiskey Pit" performance and a video interview.

Whatever Spades filmed at Rye Field is not public yet (there's likely an editing turnaround), but keep tabs on their YouTube channel when things go live! Tyler next plugged their planned tour run with Kaos Attack in Southern Ontario from July 7th-9th, but all three of those dates (in London, Guelph, and Hamilton) were cancelled due to "reasons beyond our control". Very disappointing, but hopefully they turn up in all three cities soon! Tyler then confirmed that Spades GT would have new merchandise on sale at the release party on the 5th, as well as CD copies of "United", and he also plugged some of the streaming platforms that would be hosting the album. Solid updates, so check things out for yourselves below!

Before the release party, "United" was released "everywhere" early on July 5th, and by "everywhere", they mean YouTube Music, Apple Music (it costs $7.92 on iTunes), Amazon Music, and Spotify. I have no idea when/if physical copies will be stocked in the Soo, so stream it on one of the above services to check it out! If you were curious about the guest performers, they're backloaded at the end of the album's track order, with "Wrecked" featuring backing vocals from Daniel's Fast Life bandmate Andrew Moorehouse, "Strong" featuring a rap verse from Julien "Mersinary" Dos Santos, and "Die On Our Feet" featuring former second guitarist Jay Sarrazin. Due to the glut of new local albums in June & July, our review isn't hitting the site until November, but reviews from other outlets are making their way online, with LoudTO's Jay Broderick getting an advance listen for this article.

While Jay didn't get a chance to review 2023's "Sewer City Radio", he made up for lost time on "United", calling it "an exceptional sophomore release" (obviously not referencing their Jack Spades-era output there), praising the overall production value, timely lyrics, and even saying that it "just keeps getting better with each listen". High praise, and with lots of punctuation marks and enthusiasm dotted within, which is good to see! The Southern Ontario-based Facebook page New Music Showcase also gave "United" a good review, calling it "a vibrant manifesto" containing "bangers only", and while there's a lot of hyperbole without individual performer credits, it's great to see more platforms raising 'em up and causing a scene! Check out their review at this link. Dennis Eikenkotter of the German website Crossfire Metal gave "United" an 8/10, though the original review is obviously not in English.

Spades did share a screenshot of a translation of Dennis' review, and while it mostly prefaces brief thoughts with outlining Tyler's dad Robb Reiner's work in Anvil, Dennis was very complimentary of  "United", and how their music is ideal to drink beer, party, and drive fast to. Another European metal music reviewer named Dennis got a hold of this album, as Dennis Jarman reviewed it this weekend for PlanetMosh out of Great Britain. Like on prior reviews highlighted in this post, Dennis J. used a lot of evocative hyperbole to pump up his feelings on the eight included songs, so click here for his very positive review of this "full on album"! We'll feature videos and highlights from both the release party on July 5th and their next show this past Friday on the site soon, as they returned to the annual Spiderfest in Meyersburg on short notice, but the guys have also teased that online availability of their new merchandise will commence soon.

Guitarist Matthew Voros reportedly recorded an interview with Dave Standridge of This Is Pop Punk Promotions that will be released soon as well, while Spades GT are also planning to release a music video for a song from "United" later this month, as well as recap videos from their last two shows and the Brantford/Rye Field trip. Click here for more on Spades GT's imminent plans, and stay tuned hopefully soon for our coverage of public videos from the album release party! Thanks everyone! 

Spades GT Updates From Late June 2025!!

Today's SMS post takes us to the world of local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, who have had an eventful past 2+ weeks! We last left off with them in mid-June, prior to the release of a new podcast interview featuring drummer Tyler Reiner, so what should you know there? This was for Drummers Paradise, a new Barrie-based interview series where drummers interview other drummers, and it's co-hosted by The Feels/Mad City drummer Adam Vetter and... Tyler himself! For the season finale episodes, the two took turns interviewing each other in shorter installments, though click here to watch longer-format episodes featuring the two interviewing other rock drummers (episodes can also be heard on major podcasting services). If you're curious, notable drummers from past local concerts like Andrew McMullen (ex-Fairmounts/Merves) and Tommy Metcalfe (of The Anti-Queens) were interviewed early in season 1, but you should recognize a few other bands.

Tyler's interview from June 20th runs for just 25 minutes, and before any questions are asked, we see a clip of Tyler drumming along to his old band Caym's song "Willow Farm", courtesy of his TikTok page. At least they zoomed in for YouTube's sake to remove the vertical pillarboxing! Strongly brutal performance, especially for fans of Caym's two local dates in the 2010s, and it's neat how the video is monochrome except for his drumkit! The interview proper begins with Adam asking Tyler about his upbringing (yes, his dad & Anvil come up), how he got into drumming and learned how to drum, and what gear he currently uses, before we jump to a different day, where Adam literally tested how fast Tyler could drum in beats per minute to compare to guests from prior episodes. Tyler next discusses his beginning playing in live bands and helping Anvil on their tours, and if you're looking to skip ahead directly to Spades GT talk, that comes in around 16 minutes into the interview.

We next hear about how Tyler was invited to join the former Jack Spades after taking a hiatus following Caym's breakup (he does reference their beginnings in the Soo), before plugging Spades' then-upcoming plans, primarily their new album "United" and how things came together in studio for it. A 90 second clip of the title track is next played, which Adam said was "a killer track". We get more insights about the recording and songwriting process to close the interview out, capping with thank yous and hype for season 2 of Drummers Paradise. Solid and comfortable interview with Tyler giving a bit more personal insight than I've seen from some of his past video interviews, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

In terms of the full band, Spades GT's next concert took place on June 27th when they headlined at the sci-fi themed Toronto venue See-Scape, and in a recent rarity for them, the show was actually all ages! The whole band plugged the show, while emphasizing the lack of an age limit, in this Facebook "Reel" a few days prior, but they did post their usual recap video from that night afte the fact, and while not a "Reel", it is still vertical. After guitarist Daniel Horton picked up singer J.D. Pearce for the drive to the venue, we see the guys mingling outside of See-Scape, before we get shots of everyone inside, where you get good views of the sci-fi and video game-themed decor! This is set to the second advance single from the album ("Demons"), more on that in a bit. After some views of one of the other bands that night, we do see Spades setting up for their set, but unfortunately, there are no clips of their set included here, not even ones dubbed over in post.

The recap video ends with the whole band praising the show and hyping future plans, though Dan did admit to breaking an amplifier. Both for the new material and the venue alone, I'd far prefer longer, raw, and horizontal videos, but this was a well edited teaser, so give it a watch at this link! As Facebook content matched "Demons", I can't embed the video on external websites like this, even though it's Spades' own song and not even in full. However, let's end on something that I can embed here, as since our last all-Spades post on June 17th, they did release the "United" album! Our coverage of the album proper and its release party is coming soon, but for now, let's stay in the rough timeline, as the teased advance singles "United" & "Demons" were released to all major streaming services as promised on June 21st and 28th! Outside of samples in prior Spades video content, I have yet to hear either track, as I'm waiting for our review this fall.

I can tell you that, from what I have heard, existing Spades GT fans will approve! Also, neither song has one of the credited guest musicians. We'll have much more from the guys on the site soon, as we outline the album release proper and its launch party in Toronto that actually took place yesterday. Stay tuned for more on "United" in the coming week, if all goes well, hear the title track below, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Spades GT Album & Concert Updates From The Last Two Weeks!!

It's been a busy two weeks for local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT, with both live concerts and hype for their upcoming studio album "United" to address, so what have the guys been up to since we last left off with them on June 3rd? The following day, the band announced details for their album release party at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto in July 5th, confirming there that the opening bands will be York Region punk band G.F.U. and guitarist Daniel Horton's other band The Fast Life, both of which have played with Spades on numerous occasions since their 2021 relaunch. The rest of the concert updates will primarily interest fans in the G.T.A., but keep it in mind if you'll be down south then! On June 6th, the former Jack Spades revealed the cover artwork for "United" on their Facebook page, which features a black spade-shaped jigsaw puzzle with four pieces, one not in place. Shouldn't it be completely "united" like the album name?

Are the four puzzle pieces a reference to the band's then-four members who recorded the album (they were in between bassists during the recording sessions), and if so, does the ajar piece represent one of them specifically? Liner notes for the album were also shared, hinting that the album will have at least some level of a CD pressing. As seen in this image shared from the liner photos, the band thanked a number of names, including producer Kyle Marchant (who produced both of the Spades GT-era albums at Room 21 in Toronto) and graphic designer Brandon Ross of BJR Graphics (who made the album artwork), but the other names may hint at the album's guest performers. One is former Spades guitarist Jay Sarrazin, who was shown in a teaser video from the recording sessions, and another is Fast Life frontman Andrew Moorehouse, who (like Jay) also guested on 2023's "Sewer City Radio".

Spades had said on their Facebook page in February that the last day of recording sessions would feature "gang vocals", but never posted a teaser video from that day, so is that a hint as to Andrew's contributions here? Also credited is Julien Dos Santos, a.k.a. Mersinary, a rapper from the G.T.A., confirming the band's tease in April to have "a wicked feature" from the hip hop label Reel Wolf Productions. Should be an interesting styles clash there! Current Spades GT bassist Sean MacNab is thanked as well, and is included in the band photography in the liner notes, but he joined the band a few weeks after the sessions wrapped up. If we hear that he will be included musically on the final product in some form, we'll let you know! In their first of three concerts this month, Spades returned to their Barrie homebase on Wednesday to open for drummer Tyler Reiner's old band Selias at The Queens Nightclub, so what should you know from that night?

Frequently teased as "the last one (in Barrie) for a while" in the lead-up, their usual vertical recap video from the proceedings was posted to their Facebook page on Friday the 13th. The first half is focused on the guys mingling outside of the venue with locals while hyping up the concert proper, and what appears to be a studio track from the new album can be previewed underneath the video itself. In the second half, we see the guys setting up for and playing at The Queens, though why the jazzy instrumental track, I couldn't tell you. Why not have the raw concert audio in the recaps? It's still recapping the show just as well, moreso if we can actually hear pieces of the set! Still well edited, so give it a watch below!

Also on Friday the 13th, Spades GT revealed the official track listing for "United" on their Facebook page, with all eight songs confirmed in this image (likely the back cover of CD copies), though we don't yet know which songs have guest performers, let alone if Daniel will be on bass for all songs on offer. The advance single postings still await (the title track drops first on Saturday), but the second advance single is spelled "Demons", so the prior reference to the song having an A in the title was obviously a typo. Lastly for this post, the guys rocked Windsor for the first time that night when they opened for Devilz By Definition at The Cherry Rock Lounge. As plugged beforehand with this video of the full band hyping the show outside, the Windsor recap video made it to Facebook yesterday, this time with over 6 minutes of vertical action! The first 2½ minutes captures the band's commute to Windsor.

A lot of references are made to the guys being very close to Detroit and the American border, which is old hat for J.D. and Dan given their years in the Soo! For a change, we do get some raw live audio from Spades' set, as we see the guys playing "Sewer City Radio" at the 3:42 mark, albeit for just 19 seconds. The video ends with the guys remarking on their set, hyping their next show in Toronto, playing arcade games and even arm wrestling inside the venue, and heading home, but not before a stop at Tim Hortons. I'd still prefer full songs to heavily edited recap videos, let alone vertical ones, but this is an improvement on the Barrie recap video in every way for what I like from local artist videos, so give it a watch below!

We're caught up anew for Spades GT updates, but with two Toronto shows ahead and a new album release, fans will soon be "united" in anticipation for their new studio material and more big happenings, so it'll be interesting to hear what J.D., Daniel, Matthew, Sean, and Tyler have in store in the coming weeks! Visit the above links for more from Spades' camp, raise 'em up and cause a scene, and stay tuned for more news this week! Thanks everyone!

The Latest Updates From Spades GT, Including Big Album Release Information!!

We have some big updates from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT today, so what have they been up to in the last two weeks? On May 22nd, they announced another new concert in Toronto on Friday, June 27th, where they will be the headline act (with four Southern Ontario support bands) at See-Scape, a science fiction-themed bar & cafe. I know See-Scape isn't local, but I'd be remiss if I didn't compliment its concept and design! To promote that gig (their last one before their album release, more on that in a bit), new bassist Sean MacNab starred in the video embedded below on May 26th where he was plugging both that show and the May 30th concert at See-Scape featuring his and guitarist Matthew Voros' psychobilly band The House Of Haunt, where they opened for past local headliners The Fixer. Good to see Sean taking the lead in some new Spades social media content, so give this video a watch for yourselves below!

In a "Reel" shared to their Facebook page on Thursday, guitarist Daniel Horton hyped their next concert (opening for Selias in Barrie next Wednesday), noting there that it will be their "last one (in Barrie) for a little bit", though readers down there are only a 40 minute drive from their Windsor show next Friday, traffic permitting. Dan also alluded to their big impending album announcements, noting that June will be "a Spades GT month". I can't embed "Reels" on the SMS, so click here to give it a watch! As for the big announcements, those began dropping on Friday, where Spades confirmed that their new album (named "United" will be released on Saturday, July 5th, confirming earlier teasers, and that there will be a formal release party concert that night at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto! The guys had opened for Random Killing there in September 2023, and many local-infused bands have played there over the years.

At press time, the former Jack Spades have not elaborated on the release party (7 hours away or not), but stay tuned to their social media accounts for details when they are made public! Aside from their three Southern Ontario gigs, the guys will unveil the cover artwork (heavily implied to have a jigsaw puzzle motif) on Saturday, while all eight track names will be unveiled on Monday the 16th. The studio version of the title track (as seen in their recent live concerts) will be posted online on Saturday the 21st, and one week later, the second advance single will be released, entitled "Deamons". Whether that spelling is intentional or if they meant to type "Daemons" is to be confirmed. There are other blanks to fill in about "United", like who's guesting on what song, whether Dan is handling bass on every track, if CD copies are being printed, and if they'll be playing in Sault Ste. Marie any time soon in support of the album.

When "Sewer City Radio" came out in June 2023, Spades returned home two months later to open for Josey Scott, but could "United" spur things along similarly? We'll let you know! In their first concert after the album drops, the guys will return to Hamilton to open a crust punk show at Vertagogo on Wednesday, July 9th, where they will open for Mexico's Coaccion and Brazil's Kaos Attack. Just on where those bands are from, this will be a very intriguing concert if you're in the area, so keep that in mind for next month if you'll be in Southern Ontario! Lastly, we now know more about Rye Fest 5, the outdoor multi-band festival being held by Rye Field Studios in Brantford on August 9th. Spades are either second or third billed, depending on how you read the band logo order, and a couple of bands will be familiar from our coverage, like Devilz By Definition, who Spades GT are opening for in Windsor next Friday.

The other name that you may recognize in a local context is Peterborough "beatdown/core" quartet Seagrave, who were scheduled to play at the cancelled Crucifest in Leeburn in July of last year. Far from a local booking, but good to see Seagrave sharing the stage with some Saultites later this summer! Big things are definitely afoot for Spades GT, so follow their social media as June progresses for more reveals and teasers for "United", and stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Soo Fighters), New Videos, And Much More!!

On this twentieth anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, make sure you never forget the horrible and extremely events that occured in the United States 20 years ago today, and the thousands of innocent lives lost as a result. Today's SMS post features some assorted recent news and notes, new videos, an apology for a missed concert, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!

Local Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters will play their second show of the year (and with their new lineup) on Saturday, October 30th when they open for their new sister band Lockdown at The Rockstar Bar in a Halloween-themed concert! It's hard to say how the pandemic will look by the end of next month, but seeing a seasonal concert like this is very welcomed, even if it isn't the return of J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party, which was last held in 2019 for obvious reasons (remember, he also moved out of town for work last year). Lockdown just debuted last month at The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir, and while their initial video uploads on their Facebook group didn't point to a heavier base, they are definitely a talented group, and they feature 3/4ths of The Soo Fighters Mark 3, so seeing both bands here makes a lot of sense! Remember, The Soos debuted at J.D.'s Halloween party in the first place.

A costume contest and the usual (pandemic-adjusted?) Halloween frills will be in place for this concert, which will likely be a 10:00 PM affair with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit. Remember, please respect and honour any and all social distancing guidelines at The Rockstar Bar, wear a normal face mask beyond anything for a costume, and be aware that this show takes place after vaccine passports are mandatory for non-essential events, though we should be able to use the QR code version by then. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, I wanted to apologize for a recently missed concert, as Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished played an acoustic two man set at the Sault Ste. Marie Farmers' Market yesterday during the United Way of the Eastern Upper Peninsula's Foodies United fundraiser! Unfortunately, their involvement in this event was not publically acknowledged by the band, Farmers' Market, or United Way on Facebook... aside from Tarnished's Facebook "story", which is where I belatedly discovered that they played at the fundraiser. Alas, stories (the temporary content from friends and pages at the top of modern Facebook news feeds) do not have to be permanent posts, and unless they did so more than once, Tarnished only plugged their set on social media via their Facebook story yesterday. I'll be honest, I find Facebook stories to be a pointless artificial limitation, and unless double posted normally, they're impossible to use as a source for SMS purposes.

You can only look at a story once or twice before it vanishes forever (it will leave after 24 hours regardless), so unless you take a very fast screenshot or screen recording, you may not ever have proof that it was posted. Tarnished haven't posted anything on Facebook in over a month (at least, not that will self destruct), and it's great to see that they're still gigging, but I profusely apologize for both not promoting this show in advance & my lack of a concrete source for their set yesterday. I wish someone had said something permanent earlier, but Foodies United looked like a fun way for Michigan Saulities to get some local grub and support The United Way!

Also, here's some new video uploads on Fort Creek bassist Robin "Bones" Lee's YouTube channel from last month, and in these cases, they are not unlisted there! Both are titled "FC Opening", which appear to signal that these are pre-recorded opening tracks played before Fort Creek begin a concert/set (I can't 100% confirm that, as I have yet to see them live). "FC Opening 2 take 2" is a dramatic orchestral recording featuring a motivational message by podcaster/retired Navy SEAL Jocko Wi!link, while embedded below is "FC Opening 3", featuring warning sirens, a snippet of anti-Satanic rock music sermon by Pastor John Hagee, and emergency alert messages that end in an abrupt (if blue) way. These sound like they'd set the mood for a Fort Creek show well enough, if in different ways, so give both a listen above & below!

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

• Staind frontman Aaron Lewis and his solo band The Stateliners will return to The Dreammakers Theatre at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino on Thursday, October 28th, marking his second Sault Michigan date during his solo career as a country musician, following a November 2014 show at the same venue. Aaron recently made the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Am I The Only One", and he does cover Staind ballads live in his country shows (videos from the 2014 concert are on YouTube). Again, this is a country concert, but Staind fans may be curious to see Aaron live in the Soo again, so click here for ticket details! 
• I have moved Sault Ontario alternative hard rock band Foothill Road back to our inactive band links. The mid-1990s fan favourites surprisingly reunited in August of last year to record a solid new song named "Heard It", but no new social media pages followed, so if the guys did more in the past year+, it's not public knowledge. Hopefully this wasn't it, but we'll let you know if Ken, Mark, Steve, Rick, and Ron resurface in some form!
• Also, I have moved local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven back to our inactive band links. The guys returned in July 2020 after an almost 3 year hiatus to record a new song named "Detonate" for Corus Radio's $20,000 Summer Song Contest, but no public updates have followed since, possibly due to the pandemic. Sadly, the video was made private by Corus Radio after the contest ended, but hopefully they at least re-post "Detonate" somewhere, it was a good track! Hopefully we'll see Cory, Ron, Kyle, Al, and John on stage again when the time is right!

 

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek) & Two Inactive Band Notes!!

Today's post is split into two camps: SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend from a recently prominent cover band, and a pair of bands moved to our inactive band links following a year+ of online silence and no concerts. Here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to The Rockstar Bar for a concert TOMORROW NIGHT, followed by a special set at the Fundraiser For Injured Riders outside of United Floors on SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced TOMORROW'S show via their Facebook page on Labour Day, but SATURDAY'S event was quietly announced there on August 20th, so apologies in letting that slip through the cracks until now, especially given it's scope and charitable intent. This weekend's shows will be Fort Creek's first since rocking The Rockstar Bar last month, and since an unspecified health issue forced them out of their Reggie's West gigs two weeks ago, so I'd assume the band member is rested ready to go once again! TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar show is a normal one for them (complete with a requisite merchandise giveaway), but what should you know about SATURDAY'S set?

The Fundraiser For Injured Riders has been set up to help three area residents who were seriously injured in motorcycle accidents, with proceeds going to help them with long term expenses. Wonderful cause, and hopefully Eric, Savi, and Pierre get lots of help at this time of need! Taking place outside of United Floors at the corner of Second Line West and People's Road (same building as Surplus Furniture), Fort Creek are the musical entertainment playing in the parking lot, while attendees can also expect a car show/shine, prizes, a 50/50 draw, and refreshments. Sounds like a fun time, so keep all of these aspects of the fundraiser in mind for SATURDAY! The Rockstar Bar show TOMORROW is the usual 10:00 PM and 19+ affair with no cover charge, while the Fundraiser For Injured Riders is an all ages, family friendly event starting at 2:00 PM (I don't know when Fort Creek's sets are, but the event runs until 9:00 PM, so they may be at the later end of the schedule).

There is no advertised cover charge on SATURDAY unless you're entering the car show. Of course, it goes with out saying to please be mindful of social distancing regulations at The Rockstar Bar and mask up where required, and while an outdoor charity fundraiser will presumably have less red tape re: the pandemic, use common sense to ensure everyone has a safe time, especially as this is a family event. Visit the above links for more on Fort Creek's busy weekend, and here they are live at Reggie's West!

Next up, we have two notable bands to reluctantly move to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, starting with local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades. The band has not updated their Facebook page since a condolence post in July 2020, and while you can easily blame the pandemic for their silence in the past year+, frontman J.D. Pearce has since moved out of town for work reasons, which would understandably impair the band's activity level. Jack Spades made their live debut in May 2013 and would become a live favourite in shows through the fall of 2019, often at concerts J.D. promoted. You may recall seeing Jack Spades open for notable bands like Anvil, Random Killing, and The Ripcordz, while also touring as a support band a few times in Ontario, and playing multiple Spiderfests in Meyersburg, not to mention their 2014 EP "The First" & their involvement in 2015's "Fed Up!" split CD.

A break was slated to end in May 2020 at the long-since-cancelled Anti-Queens concert, complete with teased lineup changes (Tiffany & Daniel had both already moved out of town), but the pandemic obviously ground short term plans to a halt. As we did see Frightlight back in Ophir last month, a Jack Spades reunion could theoretically happen at any point if J.D.'s in the Soo with a full lineup ready, but it is sad to see such a prominent band fade out, especially given their energy blast of hardcore punk and metal intensity at every gig! Best of luck to J.D., Tiffany, Daniel, Rob, Johnny, whoever joined their 2020 lineup, and their prior bandmates in the future!

Finally, the other big band moved to our inactive band links is local punk trio Stegadeth, coincidentally also featuring Jack Spades guitarist Tiffany Stocco and drummer Johnny Belanger. Like Jack Spades, Stegadeth have not posted on their Facebook page since July 2020, and had not played live since 2019 (in their case, at that year's Oh!No Festival), and while the pandemic is an obvious factor, Tiffany moved out of town beforehand in the fall of 2019. Punk-centric successors to early-2010s metal quartet T-Rex Manning (even carrying over that band's lone original "She Banged The Mayor"), Stegadeth debuted on stage in November 2016, and would become a fan favourite sight at various concerts over the next three years, including sets opening for the likes of The Ripcordz, K-Man & The 45s, and Speaker, and appearances at both Joni Radford's benefit & memorial concerts.

While they had no albums to show for it, and Tiffany didn't have the more forceful vocals for the genre, Stegadeth delivered the punk goods for fans here and in Southern Ontario in the late 2010s, and hopefully we'll see them back in some form when Tiffany comes back home and the pandemic eases up! Best of luck to Tiffany, Bill, Johnny, and Daniel in the future, and that's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Theatre Of Night Concert Previews & New Videos, Plus More Recent Updates!!

Today's post does indeed feature our previews of this weekend's Theatre of Night shows, but with a lot to say and unpack for their Christmas tour finale, we have extended our previews to cover most of this post, as rounded out with some assorted Sault Ontario news and notes. Without any further adieu, here's what you should know for this weekend!

After months of anticipation and teasers, Sault Michigan classical/metal project Theatre of Night will finally hit the local stage this weekend with the final announced stops of their Christmas tour! These include their well-hyped Soo Theatre debut TOMORROW NIGHT, while they'll bring the live experience out to Pickford THIS SUNDAY for a special matinee show at the Pickford United Methodist Church, so fans have two options to see them this weekend! Though the tour has commenced in Jackson and in Illinois, these will be Theatre of Night's first public concerts in the E.U.P. in four and a half years, and first here to be explicitly themed around their "Christmas Night" album and related material. With live shows requiring a full band, these will see Craig & Steve joined by five touring(?) band members, primarily from the Grand Rapids/Muskegon area, including singers Rachel Mender (their former I.S.O.M. bandmate) and Stacie McCarthy, bassist Scott Andringa, and drummer Erik Sales. It will be very interesting to see the full sextet on a local stage this weekend, so keep everyone in mind!

Tomorrow's Soo Theatre show is the bigger production, given it's location in the historic downtown theatre, with proceeds from the concert going to the Soo Theatre's Raise the Roof Project and recovery efforts following the fire back in October, so this show will help restore the venue in two different ways! There will be a meet & greet of some kind after the show, while The Soo Cello Crew (a chamber-style group conducted by Maggie Twining formed through recent classes there) will open the proceedings with their own classical renditions. As for Sunday's show at the Pickford United Methodist Church, this will be a more intimate show preceded by a Christmas potluck dinner at 4:00 PM, and this should provide a fitting atmosphere for their live show, especially as most of their songs come from religious/nativity-based carols. A Christmas program featuring Sunday school class performances will precede Theatre of Night during their regular service, click here for details if you are so inclined.

Tomorrow's Soo Theater show features $15 adult admission, $10 for students with valid student ID, and $5 for Soo Theatre Arts Resource Studios (STARS) members, with tickets available online at this link, at the venue's in-person box office, and presumably at the door, while the Pickford show has no advertised admission fee. The shows start at 7:00 PM tomorrow and 5:00 PM on Sunday, and both are ALL AGES. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here and here! This is all shaping up to be a huge weekend for Theatre of Night and company, especially as the first band to play The Soo Theatre since the fire in October, , and hopefully both of these shows are a huge hit so that we see some permutation of Theatre of Night on stage again in the future! There are more new videos to touch on of theirs, but for a preview, here's some videos from their show at Cheers Live Music Venue in Midlothian, Illinois (outside of Chicago) last week! These were uploaded to the band's YouTube channel yesterday, but what should you know on these?

These feature Theatre of Night performing their renditions of "Carol of the Bells" and, as embedded below, "O Holy Night", and while the stationary angle could be a little more centered, the band sounds solid, and Rachel & Stacie's vocals add a nice dimension to the carols! It should be noted that ex-Elipzis guitarist Chris Webster is not seen here or in any recent media, though I can't confirm if he's out of the whole tour, or just had prior scheduling conflicts. Hopefully nothing bad happened, he would have been a solid component for the tour! Still, you couldn't ask for a more seasonal show for the holidays, so give these a look below, and don't miss out this weekend!



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

• I have moved Sault Ontario hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. This union of Suicide Kings, Jack Spades, Winkstinger, and Bear Hunters alumni will be best remembered from a smattering of early 2016 shows, including a set in last year's VM Radio Battle of the Bands semifinals, but updates quietly ended last summer, save for an impromptu return during a November open jam session. Heavy Head had a lot of talent and promise, and hopefully we see Mike, Jesse, Daniel, and Johnny out there again at some point!
• The annual Hempfest concert/marijuana culture festival was permanently cancelled this spring. Organizer Robert Neron announced the news on the Hempfest website in May, citing a "lack of money" and sponsorship for his reasons, as complicated by his own health concerns, though he thanked fans, performers, and sponsors for their support, and left open the possibility of passing the event on to new organizers. Hempfest had permanently moved from nearby Ophir to Moonbeam in 2014, so it's no longer directly relevant to the site, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Best of luck to Robert in his future endeavours!
• In a change to one of links of local concert/musician photographers, I've replaced Jeff McKersie Photography's website (which is currently down) with his still-active Facebook page. Minor update, but now that's accurate again, and check Jeff's page out to see his pictures or inquire about shoots of your own!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the month rolls along! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Theatre of Night), Banned Concert Previews, And More From Sault Michigan!!

As promised, here's the second half of this weekend's very quiet slate of hard rock concert previews, but it works out well, as today's post is 100% devoted to bands and concerts in the Sault Michigan area, including videos and updates from a handful of local acts! Here's what you should know to kick off December, starting with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Sault Michigan classical metal collective Theatre of Night have added a few new gigs to their Christmas tour, and they include their Pickford debut on Sunday, December 17th when they rock the Pickford United Methodist Church at 115 East Church Street! It's not every day when we cover a show in Pickford, let alone one in an active church, but the setting fits given that they do perform religious Christmas carols. Promoted as "an intimate show" with a pot-luck dinner of some kind also teased, this joins tour kick-off dates tomorrow & Saturday night in Jackson, so mid-Michigan fans will get a chance to see Theatre of Night sooner than anyone else! Click here for details on those shows. A special 5:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, which is assuredly ALL AGES, and there is no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for much more on Theatre of Night's Christmas tour plans soon, including on the Soo Theater show the previous night!

Next up, here's our previews of Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned 's next gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! A week and a half removed from their pre-Thanksgiving gig at the Dondee, this will be the Traynors & Wayne's first concert weekend at the Soo Kewadin branch in almost four months. These are also their final advertised concerts of 2017, though of course, we'll address potential local gigs as they come in, perhaps as we get closer to the holidays. Of course, Banned's often-hard rocking covers and fan favourite atmosphere should get crowds going at The Rapids Lounge over these next two nights, so don't miss out tonight and/or tomorrow for all of the action! These 21+ shows have no announced cover charges and 9:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



Also, here's a new video from last week's Bret Michaels concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Soo Kewadin! Uploaded by attendee Rhiannon Singer on Wednesday, this cell phone video is of Bret covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" to open his set, as seen in much longer detail from another attendee at this link. The 41 second run time, vertical camera angle, and muffled guitars don't help the quality, but the video is good for what it is, and it's nice to see some more footage online, so check it out below!

Finally, here's some overdue updates from local hard rock quartet Project 906, so what have they been up to over the past month? While there hasn't been a public show on their schedule since October, they did play a private event in Newberry early last month, while guitarist Joe Jenkins & singer Billy Bernier played a Relay For Life benefit concert at Lake Superior State University on November 17th alongside Joe's Crooked Music colleague Zac Crook and Dead Water Tapes guitarist Garrett Chevrette. We did not call the show on here for coverage as it was officially advertised as a solo set by Joe, and I couldn't immediately verify if he would be playing similar material as 906 do or not, but hopefully it was a great time for the cause! While we wait for Project 906's next live gigs, the band shared three videos onto their Facebook page on November 8th from what appear to be the aforementioned Newberry private gig, so what should you know on these?

Filmed by attendee Ellen Grigsby and shared from Joe's personal Facebook page, the videos feature Project 906 covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box", Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal", and as embedded below, Tesla's "Modern Day Cowboy". Not bad at all, and I like how Billy's voice is developing on the latter two songs (raspy yet rangy!), but the lighting isn't always optimal, and the music can sound a little muddled through this camera. Give these new Project 906 videos a look above & below, and hopefully we hear more from them soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums? post next! Thanks everyone!