Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's Newest Poll!

It's time for our next special monthly post, and because it's the 18th of the month, it's poll day! We have a new poll to launch today, and it continues our "favourite ____ of 2011" line of polls, but before that, let's unveil the results of last month's poll! Last month, I posed this question to you guys: "What was your favourite new local metal album of 2011?" We got 39 votes, not a bad total, but what did most of you vote as the winner? Here are the final results!

Destroilet - EP (16 votes, 41%)
Woods of Ypres - Home (7 votes, 18%)
Garden of Bedlam - Everything Will Die (7 votes, 18%)
Other (3 votes, 8%)
Sykotyk Rampage - Bucket Of Ham (2 votes, 5%)
Sykoytk Rampage - Zombiez (1 vote, 2.5%)
Mike Haggith - The Best Of Mike Haggith, Volume 2 (1 vote, 2.5%)
Clownsack - Funny Farm (1 vote, 2.5%)
Mike Haggith - Suspended Animation (1 vote, 2.5%)
Sykotyk Rampage - Karrs (0 votes)
Sykotyk Rampage - Space (0 votes)

So what do you guys think? Well, the votes definitely seem to weigh heavily towards 3 CDs, but let's go in ascending order with the albums with 0-2 votes first. The low spot for Clownsack's new EP surprises me given their prominence across the river, but the rest are about where I expected. Mike Haggith's local profile needs to develop more, and I expected a spread of the votes for Sykotyk Rampage's albums, given their prolific nature. "Bucket Of Ham" getting more votes than "Zombiez" (a heavier album) did surprise me a bit though. Fourth place with 3 votes was "Other", which could mean anything from an appreciation for a non-metal CD to one that wasn't formally put on sale last year to a re-release, but I can't say for certain what those 3 people had in mind. Garden of Bedlam's new album and Woods of Ypres' "Home" single tied for second place with 7 votes, and while Garden of Bedlam's high spot was expected, I'm surprised that Woods of Ypres' two song vinyl release got such support. Maybe some people voted for it in place of the "Woods IV" re-release or the "Woods V" leak? And the surprise winner of the poll was Destroilet's debut EP, garnering 16 votes and 41% of the final total, despite a very quiet release in May and no concerts or major promotion for it since. I guess it depends who all votes, but it was a solid release of old school hardcore, and there's definitely an audience for it!

Thanks to everyone for voting! This month's poll is another poll flashing back to 2011, so I'm posing this question to you guys: What was the biggest local metal news story of 2011? Self explanatory enough, as this past year saw a number of big stories and events in the local metal scene, so I've picked 25 notable events, changes, shows, ends, and launches (plus "Other") that you guys can pick from! Unlike last year's poll in this category, I've included some Sault Michigan stories and you can vote for more than one option, though only once. Remember, this poll is about the BIGGEST news stories of 2011, as in the most important and newsworthy, and for the sake of overall fairness for the choices, I encourage voters to not campaign or rally your friends to vote for any one choice to ensure that it "wins". I wanna see a genuine subsection of what you guys think, not which choice can win a popularity contest, especially with the nature of this poll. So, what stories did I pick from 2011 in the local metal scene? Read on below to find out!

Bret Michaels returns to Sault Michigan: After three earlier stops in the Sault area for headlining concerts, Poison frontman and reality show personality Bret Michaels brought his solo show back to The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino on December 27th for a well recieved and packed night of hits! Did this year-capping concert top your list of stories in 2011?

Bring The Fallen parts ways: Despite being one of the most prominent metal bands in the Sault Ontario area in recent years, death metal quintet Bring The Fallen ultimately disbanded in April of last year following many breakup rumours that had dogged them in early 2011. They're still missed to this day, but is their breakup your top news item from last year?\

Buckcherry & Papa Roach hit Kewadin: The year in Kewadin Casino hard rock concerts started on March 14th, when California hard rock notables Buckcherry and Papa Roach made their way to The Dreammakers Theater with local acoustic duo Fallen Heroes opening! Despite lineup shuffling, Allstar Promotions delivered a quality show, but did it top the year in your eyes?

Clownsack releases "Funny Farm": The only in-store CD release of 2011 from a Sault Michigan metal band that I know of, Clownsack's second CD & first EP made some local waves this spring with a heavier (but still creative) hard rock attack! I missed the funk elements, but was the release of "Funny Farm" the biggest story of the past year?

The Dayglo Abortions return to the Soo: What started as just the 20th Roosevelt Hotel metal night quickly grew into one of Dismembertainment's biggest shows ever, as Canadian hardcore punk legends The Dayglo Abortions rocked the Rosie to it's core on June 16th! Also notable for featuring Frightlight's only metal night appearance to date, did this top 2011 in news for you?

Destroilet releases their debut EP: Despite sporadic band activity at best since last spring, and still no CD release concert for this album, old school hardcore quintet Destroilet made some noise in the local scene last April when their debut EP went on sale! It's a solid disc, but was it the biggest news story of 2011 in your opinion?

Duane Roy's "Soo Stories" hits the shelves: After the successful release of "Castle Stories", Wawa author Duane Roy compiled his (and others') memories & photos from old concerts at Sault Memorial Gardens for his new book "Soo Stories: A Rock N' Roll Scrapbook", which hit local shelves early last year. Did this excellent book top other news stories in 2011 locally?

Feedback debuts with Napalm Death: Dismembertainment owner Rich Moreland made some definite waves last fall when he bought Foggy Notions, renamed it Feedback, and launched it's two month local run with a major metal show in October, headlined by British grindcore legends Napalm Death! Easily one of the heaviest recent local shows, but was it the top story of the year?

Flooding at The Canadian Nightclub: A major rain storm in July spelled disaster for The Canadian, as they suffered massive damages from flooding as a result of the storm. Many concerts and events were moved or cancelled, but The Canadian did re-open 7 weeks later, and it's still going strong! Was this the #1 news story in the local scene last year?

Gates of Winter announce "Perihelion": Their live hiatus is over 3 years long & counting, but fans were definitely excited last year to hear that Gates of Winter announced formal plans to release their second full length CD, entitled "Perihelion", in December 2012, along with likely re-recordings of some old material. Were these announcements the biggest news of 2011?

Garden of Bedlam releases "Everything Will Die": After a generally quiet year for local metal CD releases, Garden of Bedlam ended 2011 with a bang by releasing their full length debut "Everything Will Die" at a high profile CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub on Boxing Day! Did the release of this excellent album top the local metal stories of the past 12 months?

Helix rocks The Rockstar Bar: Kitchener metal legends Helix made their long awaited return to the Sault area on December 3rd at The Rockstar Bar, over 3 years after last rocking The Canadian Nightclub! The Helix show was definitely well recieved, but was it your top local metal story from 2011?

Hempfest returns to the Sault area: After the original owners ended Hempfest in 2009, Robert Neron took control of Hempfest, and after a scaled down version in Moonbeam in 2010, the popular marijuana culture festival returned home to Ophir, Ontario last August! There was a mixed reception, but the music was great, and maybe you rated it highly?

The launch of Dismembertainment: Local concert promoter Rich Moreland has put on metal concerts in the Sault area for years, but after officially launching Dismembertainment in March, things only seemed to grow, and they put on tons of high profile metal concerts in the area through the end of the year! Was Dismembertainment's debut your top news item from 2011?

Lemmafest debuts at Dondee Lanes: A year after the death of Michael Lemma, a festival in his honour was held at Sault Michigan's Dondee Lanes last June featuring an all-day lineup of area talent (including lots of metal), and the response was huge! Was the debut of Lemmafest your biggest news story of the past year?

Noise complaint issues at Foggy's/Feedback: Not long after Rich Moreland purchased Foggy Notions, the issue over noise complaints and the police being called on loud concerts reared it's head once again, leading to discussions from city councillors over the topic. Steps were taken to curb the complaints, but did this story make the biggest impression last year?

The passing of David Gold: The local metal scene was stunned when it became known that Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold had passed away on December 21st as a result of a car accident outside of Barrie. The outpouring of grief was (and still is) huge, and the funeral went well, but we're still feeling it. Would this be the biggest news story of 2011 for you?

Rosie metal nights change hands: After Rich Moreland purchased Foggy Notions, the Roosevelt Hotel's Thursday metal nights were eventually picked up by Rosie kitchen manager Stephane Vincent, who relaunched the series in November on a more spread out schedule. Did the promoter switch for this concert series top the 2011 news stories locally?

The Searchmont Music Festival debuts: A new local music festival saw it's debut installment last fall when The Searchmont Music Festival was held on September 10th featuring numerous area musicians, including (The Bear Hunters and Tym Morrison) on the lineup! I heard good things about it, but do you consider it's debut a top story from last year?

Sense of Truth breaks up: Among the notable band breakups in 2011 was the end of local hard rock standouts Sense of Truth, who quietly disbanded last fall after months of inactivity, ending a successful run that had been ongoing since 2008. It may have been a quiet end for them, but did Sense of Truth's breakup lead all news stories from 2011?

State of Misery disbands: Another notable band who broke up in 2011 was local death metal quintet State of Misery, who disbanded in May after band tensions quickly piled on in preceding weeks, then quietly parted ways again later in the year after a short reunion. They were definitely a promising local band in early 2011, but is their end a top story from last year?

Sykotyk Rampage release 5 new albums: Ever the prolific quartet, "the original crash band" released no less than five new albums (four of which actually went on sale) last August, continuing their unique and wide range of local album releases! Would you Sykotyk Rampage fans vote their latest output as the biggest story of 2011?

Theatre of Night re-releases "Christmas Night": In time for the holiday season, Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night re-released their debut album "Christmas Night" with new material, showcasing their impressive seasonal metal to a wider audience! Was this album's second life your biggest local metal news story of the year?

Whitesnake plays Sault Michigan: Among the notable Sault Michigan concerts of 2011 was British metal legends Whitesnake's concert in August at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino, where David Coverdale and company unleashed a quality set of their classic material! Was their local show last year your top news item of the past 12 months?

Woods of Ypres releases "Home": The last official Woods of Ypres release during David Gold's lifetime, the "Home" vinyl single from this past spring compiled two songs from their 2010 "Woods 4.5" sessions for fans to check out, and they were definitely pretty good, but was this independent vinyl release your top story of 2011?

Other: Did I miss something? Was your top story another Kewadin concert, like Cinderella or Joan Jett? How about another CD release, like Mike Haggith's newer albums or the "Woods IV" re-release? Did another Sault Ontario show top the news of the past year? How about another band breakup, like Elipzis' end? If I missed your #1 story from 2011, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until March 18th to cast your votes in this poll, and I hope we get lots of good votes to give us a nice clear subsection of what you guys think topped the headlines of the past year! That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post later tonight featuring news on a major local band's breakup, and much more! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's New Poll!

It's poll day at the SMS! After a month's worth of voting, our recent (and very topical) poll has came to a close, and thanks to all 30 of you who voted! Decent number, enough to get a good sample of people's thoughts on the question. We'll also debut this month's new poll, where I'm trying something a little different for it's content, but first, let's go over last month's poll results! As you may remember, I posted this question to you guys: What's your opinion on noise complaints for local concert venues? That said, here are your final results!:

Don't live near concert venues if you don't like the noise (13 votes, 43%)
Loud music rules! (5 votes, 17%)
If they're not breaking a law, don't complain (5 votes, 17%)
We need clear definitions on what is "too loud" (3 votes, 10%)
Venues should control/lower all concert audio levels (2 votes, 7%)
It depends on the band/genre (1 vote, 3%)
It depends on the venue/location (1 vote, 3%)
Other (0 votes)

What do you guys think? I'll say that the results on the whole didn't surprise me, with a few exceptions. I see only two people thought the matter depended on the sound or location of the band/concert, which is slightly odd given what I thought would be a larger reliance on musical tastes. I'm very surprised two people suggested that all venues should control or lower concert audio, but there are people who dislike loud noise or want there to be restrictions, and maybe they came here just to vote for that reason? I dunno. Fourth place went to wanting a better definition on what is too loud, which makes sense, given the complaints, as then we could prove whether a law was broken, or the person complains easily. A second place tie with 5 votes each went to "Loud music rules!" and "If they're not breaking a law, don't complain", both of which scored high like I assumed. Both are great points, especially the latter, but the expected winner, with 13 votes and 43% of the total, was "Don't live near concert venues if you don't like the noise", which definitely seems to be a consensus thought from fans and supporters of bars like Feedback that get hit with noise complaints.

This issue still exists, as evidenced by the cops being called on local punk band Redundant on Halloween night due to noise, but we know that Feedback owner Rich Moreland is working on making things right with the city and neighbours to avoid this in the future. Yes, people's wishes and tolerances should be respected, but Feedback and it's prior names have had concerts for years, and they shouldn't have to operate with the hovering threat of a police visit. As long as a rule isn't being broken, they should be allowed to have whatever bands they choose, but that's just my opinion. Something will be done, I know it! Thanks again to everyone for voting!

Now, what poll are we launching this month? Well, I wanted to experiment a bit with another "choose a band" poll to see if we can get some good results, and considering that it's nearing the end of the year, I thought this question would be an interesting topic. That said, this month's poll features this question: What's your favourite NEW local metal band of 2011? There's always band turnover in the local scene, and you know that there can be a ton of talented new bands born in a given year. Look at 2010, for example, which featured the local debuts of Winkstinger, Half A Man, The Bear Hunters, Elipzis, State of Misery, Shit Liver, Splitshot, Changing Waves, Hammerspace, Sativa Rose, Late & Loud, and Powerslug, just to name a few! This year has been noticeably quieter for debuting new bands, but a few notable bands have formed or launched in 2011, and I'm curious to see which one you guys enjoy the most. I've picked 10 bands for the poll, and to be listed, they MUST have already played a live concert in 2011 so far. They also must have either debuted or launched to the public this year, so if there's proof they publically existed in December 2010, they're not a choice in the poll. I'm also experimenting with adding Sault Michigan bands in this poll, to see if the response will be enough to include them in monthly polls more often, as in the past, voting wasn't as high for topics based around the States. So without any further adieu, here are your choices!

Banned: This new hard rock trio from the Kinross area has quickly made a name for themselves at varying concerts and events in the Sault Michigan area, including a slot at The Sugar Island Music Festival! Alex and Don Traynor's talents and diversity are ever present, but are they your favourite new band of 2011?

Beyond The Surface: Launching in January, this young hard rock outfit from Pickford has survived a number of lineup changes to rock at a number of gigs through the first half of 2011. Promising band, and despite a lack of news since the summer, their profile is growing! Are they your top new band of the year?

Bring The Misery: Amidst lineup and name changes, the deathcore band born out of the ashes of Bring The Fallen & the then-defunct State Of Misery left a shoe-less mark on the Sault Ontario metal scene this past June, including some notable TV exposure, before quietly going inactive later this summer. That aside, would you still say they're your favourite new metal act of 2011?

Great Bodily Harm: When alumni of End of Existence, Half A Man, Powerslug, and Hammerspace unite, you can expect heavy things, and Great Bodily Harm have delivered on that so far! Though they have no internet pages, their posted demos and sets at The Merchant's Bar and LemmaFest helped share their groove metal/hardcore attack with a local audience! Are they your top new group of the year?

The Highest Of Fives: Another Sault Michigan band without an online page, The Highest of Fives showed promise earlier this summer with likely hard rock covers, and a good lineup featuring Free Refill, Seeking Reverence, and 7/47 alumni! Despite no visible activity since the summer, are these Guitar Studio products your #1 new band of 2011?

NoXcape: Formerly MK-Ultra, this new local hard rock quintet featuring the classic Absolute lineup and Shift/Krosswalk axeslinger Joey Beairl make a quick and noticeable impact on the Sault Michigan concert scene earlier this year, with a slate of hard rocking covers that fans surely enjoyed! Is there "no escape" from them as your top new band of this year?

Skull After Betrayl: Despite a two month breakup this summer and a change in metal subgenres, Skull After Betrayl have shown steady improvement and awareness in Sault Ontario since their debut this past spring, which led them to a few notable concerts, like when they opened for The Dayglo Abortions in June! Is this local hardcore quartet your favourite new outfit of 2011?

Sounds From The Green Room: A newer hard rock project from SBD & ex-No Arrow bassist Brad Griffith, this metal duo rocked the local stage twice in the first half of 2011, along with playing a show with RedD Monkey in Ottawa. That said, they have no online pages or posted material, but are they your ideal new band of this past year?

Swayze Train: After Electric Motor Fish dissolved this summer, members formed Swayze Train and turned up the dial to deliver some heavy modern rock/metal covers at local venues over the past few months! Surely one of the highest profile new bands of the year, are their proficient blend of genres your favourite debuting sounds from 2011?

View To A Kill: A new local deathcore band featuring State of Misery, Sativa Rose, and Chillum alumni, View To A Kill made their short notice debut as openers for Skull Fist earlier this month, showcasing a nice blend of extreme styles and talent to go around! Is their debut enough for you to name them your top new local band of the year?

Other: Got another band in mind for your favourite new act of the year? This is the option for you! Is your favourite new band a solo project (like Eden Plague or Galactic Alignment), or have they just not played live yet (like Social Suicide or Chained Memories?) Or maybe there's one I missed altogether, or from a different genre? Vote here if that's the case!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until December 18th to make your voices heard, and then we'll have another "best of 2011" poll ready to go for you guys! If Sault Michigan bands get a decent segment of the vote this month, we'll include them in more future polls, so keep that in mind as well. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news hopefully this weekend! Thanks everyone, and get voting!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Half A Man) & The SMS March Mayhem Semifinals!!

Hey guys, I apologize for this being later than it usually is, but that's the joys of vacation plans. This post shall lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, but then we'll transition into the latest SMS March Mayhem updates, including the debut of the final four! Let's get things going!

Brimley hard rockers Half A Man are playing a rare all ages concert on The Fourth of July! This will serve as both an official outdoor show and as a Fourth of July barbeque to take place at 6816 South Main Street in Brimley. I believe this is likely at or near a band member's house, but don't quote me on that. This event has a 1:00 PM start time, but I imagine the band might not play until later. It is definitely an ALL AGES show, and there is no listed admission price. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like a fun time, and what better way is there to spend both Independence Day & the SMS' 4th anniversary? Details aren't entirely out there yet for what's going on, but stay tuned to the above links for info as it comes in!

Now it's time to update the SMS March Mayhem bracket as we finish the quarterfinals, narrowing the bands down to a final four! Who made the final four? Here's the results of the third round!

As It Stands def. Destroilet 35-17

Frightlight def. Lion Ride 39-19

Mike Cliffe def. Shit Liver 109-106

Sykotyk Rampage def. WinkStinger 48-22

What do you guys think? As It Stands' victory is what I predicted, though it was a bit more of a blowout than I was predicting. Destroilet had a good run though! Same goes for the Frightlight/Lion Ride match in terms of the finish, as I thought Lion Ride would have at least lost by a closer amount. Mike Cliffe's surprising Cinderella run continues with a stunningly high vote total, narrowingly beating Shit Liver in this past round! Who'd have thought we'd get over 200 votes on a matchup? Sykotyk Rampage's win of WinkStinger is also a surprise, though their fanbase is quite devoted! So these are the quarterfinal winners, and here's the updated tournament bracket!

As you can see, the winners of last week's first two matchups and the winners of the last two matchups will face each other, starting TODAY, in fact! With that said, here are the matchups for the SMS March Mayhem Semifinals!


Can Frightlight continue their gauntlet run in the tournament with a victory over hardcore mainstays As It Stands? And in the battle of surprise semifinalists, can Mike Cliffe pull off yet another upset victory as he takes on Sykotyk Rampage? The winners of these matchups face off in ONE WEEK in the finals, so VOTE TODAY and pick your finalists! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news very soon! Thanks everyone, and GET VOTING!