Seax & Treble Charger Concert Videos!!

Today's news post is devoted to new videos, including a surprise find from Southern Ontario this summer, and leading off, lots of videos from a recent metal concert in Sault Ste. Marie proper, namely the Seax-headlined show at Soo Blaster last week! Christopher Paci was in attendance to get more footage for his awesome YouTube channel, filming 8 videos on the night, including three of the headlining Worcester, Massachusetts speed metal quintet. I didn't have much luck titling two of these videos, partly as those two are joined in progress, but one is of Seax's opening song "Rituals", another is linked here, and the longest video is embedded below. Clearly in full auditory and visual mode for their 1980s throwback stage show, Seax sounded solid and heavy throughout those three videos, even if Carmine mispronounced "Sault" in their introductions. Give Seax's videos a look!



Next up, Chris also filmed three videos of opening Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, including their originals "Dying on Stage", one of their two opening songs (likely "Doomed From Birth" if it was their set-opener), and as embedded below, a clip featuring two songs, namely "I Am The Blade" & (most of) "Unstoppable." It looks like Warsenal made the most of their local return after 6+ years away, with their fast and brutal set winning over gathered fans up front, so give these videos a look above & below!



Lastly from this concert, Chris filmed two videos of local death metal mainstays The Bear Hunters (minus Josh) playing their originals "Neckbreaker" and, as embedded below, "I Fear No God." Despite another months-long hiatus to shake the rust off from, the guys sound as brutal and technical as ever here, and Nik even seems to have some extra venom in his growling! Hopefully there's more on the horizon for The Bear Hunters (new CD?!), but check out their newest live videos above & below!

Finally for today, here's a surprising discovery, as Treble Charger played a live concert in June! Much like their one-off festival date in 2017 at Peterborough's WTFest, the local indie/punk veterans hit the road for Vaughan (just outside of Toronto) on Saturday, June 15th as the closing act at their second annual Burger Fest, which celebrates what you think it does, but also has a solid music lineup and even pro wrestling. I was totally unaware of this festival, but given that it's a 7 hour drive away, and that Treble Charger don't have a regularly updated online presence, it was easy to miss, like WTFest was. Their set is briefly featured in this official recap video 96 seconds in (albeit with dubbed over audio), but attendee Brad Duncan filmed this 26 second clip of the guys playing "How She Died" for his YouTube channel, and while it lasts, everyone sounds good!

Personnel-wise, the live bassist and drummer appear to be Darcy Yates and Ian McKay (not Richard Mulligan) once again. The vertical camera angle is never optimal, but kudos to Brad for filming this, as I'm not sure when I'd have learned of Treble Charger's Burger Fest set otherwise! I wish they had more activity on social media, but it's great to see that they're still active, even if new updates are sporadic, and hopefully there's more to come in the near future! See more from this event above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & Labour Day Weekend Concert Previews!!

Before we get to our Labour Day weekend concert previews, just a heads up that the Bobaflex concert at Soo Blaster on September 10th has been cancelled, as have eight other dates they were to play in Canada and the Northeastern U.S.A. next month. The band cited "several unforeseen circumstances in Canada coming together at once" for the cancellations, but did not elaborate further. Disappointing, but hopefully they come back north down the road if this doesn't prove to be their last tour! Now, here's what you should know on this quiet weekend for hard rock concerts locally, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, two on SHORT NOTICE!

Prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will continue his long-term run at Gliss Restaurant with matinee concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY, but that's not all to add to our concert listings today! First off, Tym will be playing a special matinee concert TONIGHT at... Thomson Farms Cider & Winery?! Well, that's a new one for us! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only confirmed this event via his Facebook event page earlier this week. This show at Thomson Farms (at 4057 Third Line West) will take place as part of their "Sweet Corn Thursday" festivities to kick off the sweet corn sale period there, hence why this is a bigger deal warranting live music, and if you are so inclined, corn on the cob is all you can eat TODAY for $5! Moving to more familiar confines, Tym will also wrap up his seasonal run at La Terrazza Franzisi in nearby Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island with three more Sunday matinees there in September, including THIS SUNDAY and on the 8th & 15th!

Again, apologies for the short notice on SUNDAY'S concert, remember that we take Tym's abundant local bookings a month at a time on purpose. If you're in St. Joseph Island and want some wharf-front live entertainment, keep these shows in mind before they close for the season in a couple of weeks! Lastly for new shows from Tym, expect his Gliss Restaurant arrangement to continue unabated in September, with more acoustic matinees scheduled there on September 6th-7th, 13th-14th, 20th-21st, and 27th-28th! With Tym's skilled, fan favourite blend of hard and classic rock covers, fans at restaurants and farms alike will have a lot of music to like in the next month+! TONIGHT'S Thomson Farms gig is FREE & ALL AGES at 5:00 PM, and while admission details are similar for the other gigs, mind the locale, as these are restaurants, not nightclubs. The Gliss shows are at 6:00 PM as usual, while the La Terrazza Franzisi gigs are at 1:00 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here, here, and above for more details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll move to a show that had advance notice (more or less), as new Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's "every Thursday" run of morning matinee concerts is presumed to continue at Biggby Coffee TODAY! Prior advertising of this arrangement has fallen off in the last couple of weeks, with August 15th's show not receiving any Facebook advertising, and Biggby Coffee only plugging last week's that same morning, but of course, "every Thursday" means what it means, in theory. Given Alex Traynor's continued Mount Pleasant residency(?) and the impending fall season, I'll hold on listing more Thursday gigs here until the venue or band confirms them. In any event, all of Tarnished's currently advertised concerts on their Facebook page are out of our coverage range after September 6th, but we'll keep you posted with updates. Alex & Josh should be up to their usual hard rocking tricks for tips and coffee today, so don't miss the unplugged action then!

As usual for this summer run at Biggby Coffee, this is a 10:30 AM matinee show with no cover or age limit, and if they're playing Ashmun Alive tonight, it hasn't been publically advertised by Tarnished at press time. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock concert previews, let's head to the aforementioned Soo Blaster, where Worcester, Massachusetts speed metal quintet Seax will make their local concert debut THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Bringing a meld of thrash and NWOBHM-inspired material to their Soo Lounge stage, Seax's fast, old school-inspired sound should get lots of fans' interest, and expect strong material from their new album "Fallout Rituals" as well! Co-headlining on Sunday are Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, marking their first local concert appearance since headlining Swampstravaganza III at The Oddfellows Hall six years ago. Fans who saw Warsenal here in 2013 can expect more of their hard hitting and rough & tumble speed metal attack on Sunday night, so don't miss out! Lastly, local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters (who opened for Warsenal last time out) will open the proceedings in their Soo Blaster debut and first public concert since last fall, which is a huge pull in & of itself!

Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny don't play live all that much anymore, so dont' bypass The Bear Hunters' brutal return set on Sunday either! Note that Vancouver speed metal band Road Rash are only playing on this tour for 7 dates next month, and will not be on the local bill. This 19+, 8:00 PM show has a $10 advance ticket charge that apparently jumps to $17 at the door, which is a massive jump compared to other local concerts we've covered of this scale, so this is all the more reason to get to Soo Blaster before Sunday to snag a ticket! Thrash and speed metal fans should be in great hands for this one, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Seax live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review next, if all goes according to plan! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Love 'N Revenge & Seax), Plus New Soundcheck Videos!!

Here's a new news post for your Sunday afternoon reading, which is half devoted to new videos from a prominent local band on the covers circuit, but first, let's kick things off with two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS featuring touring performers from years past!

Los Angeles arena rock/glam metal quartet Love 'N Revenge will return to Sault Ste. Marie when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, August 24th! Many of you may recall seeing this band (fronted by ex-Rockarma singer Damon Kelly) when they opened for Dokken at what's now GFL Memorial Gardens back in September 2017, and fresh off of a tour run opening for The Bulletboys, they should have momentum on their side when they bring their Hair Scare-ready brand of original glam metal songs to a local audience once again! I know Love 'N Revenge were well received at the Gardens two years ago, but how will things go next month? The Facebook event page advertises former Syre drummer Jamie Constant as a special guest, and while specifics weren't given, it seems more likely that Jamie has a solo act of some kind, as he's not Love 'N Revenge's drummer. Syre were a big name as Canadian hair metal went back in the day, my uncle would be excited!

A 19+ show as usual for The Rockstar Bar, this concert will have a low $5 cover charge, and an early 8:00 PM start time is advertised. If you love hair and glam metal, you won't want to miss out on all of the action here next month, so visit the above links for much more on this intriguing concert!

Next up, Worcester, Massachusetts speed metal quintet Seax will make their local concert debut on Sunday, September 1st when they rock Soo Blaster! Touring in support of their new CD "Fallout Rituals", their fast paced NWOBHM-inspired sound, strong instrumentation, and liberal sprinkling of falsetto vocals should attract many old school metalheads in just over a month's time, and it's great to welcome Seax north of the border! Joining them on the Canadian/Pacific Northwest leg of the "Speed Inferno Tour 2019, pt. 2 is Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, who local fans may recall seeing as headliners at the third Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall back in August 2013. Though it's been a long 6 year wait for Warsenal's Sault Ste. Marie return, their grittier, intense brand of speed metal will serve as a worthy compliment here! Lastly, local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters (who opened for Warsenal locally in 2013) will kick off this show in their Soo Blaster (and 2019) debut!

Marking just their second live appearance since October 2017, it's great to see The Bear Hunters finally back on stage after another wait of far too long, so don't miss out then! Note that earlier advertising of an additional "special guest" has since been removed. Presumably promoted in-house at Soo Blaster, this 19+ show has a $10 cover charge at the door, and while an 8:00 PM start time is listed, the early start time isn't all that necessary, as this is the Labour Day long weekend, so many of us will be off work on Monday the 2nd. This should be a great night of fast paced metal intensity, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

We'll close today with new videos of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck from a couple of recent shows of theirs! Six videos were posted onto drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel last week,  including three from their Thursday, July 18th headlining slot at Rotaryfest's Stage 1, where they covered Night Ranger's "Don't Tell Me You Love Me", Styx's "Too Much Time On My Hands" (as also filmed for Chris Paci's channel), and as embedded below, Kenny Loggins' "Footloose." Largely filmed from the lawn in front of the Stage 1 seating, you do get a good angle of dancing fans, but the visual quality isn't great on these videos. The vertical camera angle and nighttime setting are part of it, but overexposed lighting doesn't help at all, and it's hard to make out any details as a result. Musically, these hold up, and the guys handle all three covers with aplomb, so give them a look above & below!



The other three new Soundcheck videos come from an Esquire Club concert two weeks ago, one which featured guest bassist Cory Valentine in lieu of Paul Belair. These videos include covers of Honeymoon Suite's "New Girl Now", an impromptu rendition of The Cult's "Wild Flower", and as embedded below, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" once again. Mostly filmed on a stationary camera with some panning and scanning, the songs sound good again, and the horizontal camera is a huge help, but the washed out colours aren't optimal, and Terry and/or Cory are often cut off in frame. Give all of Glen's new Soundcheck videos a look above & below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

The Former Crimes Concert Preview, New Mike Haggith Concert Audio, And Much More!!

I know many of you are expecting my Sewer Swampstravaganza review, and it's coming, but I thought I'd get a new news post up right now due to a special Tuesday night concert that needs previewing, but until then, check out most of our videos and all of our photos at our Facebook page! This post also has some recent media from the Swampstravaganza that's of note, and much more recent news items, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 11:07 PM)

AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions will get back into the promotion game TOMORROW NIGHT with an ALL AGES concert at The Moose Lodge on Trunk Road, though a planned headlining set by Montreal hardcore/street punk trio Crimes will no longer take place. Apparently, they just broke up according to the Facebook event page for their now-cancelled Toronto gig today, so promoters are under the assumption that they aren't coming. As a result, local grind/experimental duo This Is Your Band On Drugs (who now have a Facebook page, more on them this week) will be filling in on short notice tomorrow night in their second local concert in four days! T.I.Y.B.O.D. have been making fans with their unique sound since re-emerging locally at the Fuck The Facts show, and seeing as they're sharing the stage with two other bands from Saturday night's Sewer Swampstravaganza, they'll be in good conpany! The other bands are Blood Shed Productions metal bands Brutaly Fatal and Rotopsy, and  Brutaly Fatal made some new fans on Saturday night with their doom/punk mash-up sound, while Rotopsy's energetic goregrind originals have their own loyal audience, so both should provide solid action!

Admission is $7 for tomorrow's ALL AGES show, and there's a 7:00 PM start time in effect. For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! After the success of last fall's Biipiigwan show at The Moose Lodge, this should be another entertaining all ages show from O!RA!, and though it is definitely disappointing that Crimes broke up and likely won't be playing, fans of Saturday's show will get a second go-round tomorrow, so don't miss out! For a preview, here's This Is Your Band On Drugs live on Saturday!



Next up, remember how Haggith drummer Mike Haggith played a rare solo set at the Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall on Saturday night? Our review of it is coming tomorrow in all likelihood, but fans may be interested to see that Mike posted live concert audio from his set later that day! Posted on his YouTube channel on Saturday (and also on his BandCamp page on a "name your price" model as the EP "Live at Swampstravaganze IV"), these were recorded at the soundboard by Sykotyk Rampage's Dirk Becker (who did sound on Saturday), and only comprised of Mike's last two songs ("This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device" & "Miss 76") due to early technical issues. I won't review the performances yet, as our full concert review is coming, but the soundboard recording quality is good and comparable with some of Mike's studio releases! As these songs are for sale on BandCamp, I'll confirm however that we're not imminently reviewing this release as emphasis goes to full studio releases, and Mike has tons for us to cover first. Check out the two released live songs below, and stay tuned tomorrow for our full review of Mike's solo set on Saturday, and for details on his new album's release!



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

• The 360 Sault Media Arts Collective is looking to provide equipment for music video projects and workshops for interested local musicians and filmmakers. There's already been some notable interest, but if you or your band want more info, message Iam James Lloyd at this link, or the 360SMAC page for more details!
• Local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet have dropped out of THIS FRIDAY'S Jack Spades EP release show at The Rockstar Bar, as per a post by guitarist Christian Foisy on the Facebook event page earlier today. He cited "personal issues & events" as the reason for their exit, but didn't elaborate further. This is disappointing, especially as they haven't played live in 5 months, but hopefully things are alright in their camp! No word on a short notice replacement yet though.
• We won't call this as 100% official until promoters confirm it, but Munising, Michigan metal quartet Infathom indicated on their Facebook page last week that they'll be playing at the fourth annual LemmaFest on June 21st in Sault Michigan! If true, this will be their third appearance at this annual tribute concert, and first since 2012. It'll be great to have Dillion and company back east for this year's installment, but stay tuned for more formal word on the lineup!
• According to a post on frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo music Facebook page on Wednesday, local hard rock band Punch have "been put on hold" due to members' busy schedules with other projects, including the band members' more recent work with bands like Project 421 and The Suicide Kings. Note that this isn't a hiatus or breakup, so I assume we'll see them again sooner or later, and stay tuned for more from members' current music work!
• Last week, a Facebook post by Brimley, Michigan's Scholomance Studio revealed a recording schedule for four Werehold Records-affiliated metal bands (Drayton Fever, Swampghas, East Branch, and the still-unrevealed Awaken Eidolon) through May 25th, with Drayton Fever recording material there on the day of this post. Might this all be for next month's planned Werehold Records Friday the 13th event, or is something else up their sleeve? We'll keep you guys posted!
• Yesterday, local concert promoters Heavy North Entertainment were gauging interest on their Facebook page towards getting openers for a show on Thursday, June 12th to be headlined by Montreal thrash trio Warsenal (who headlined the Sewer Swampstravaganza last year.) This isn't official yet, and a venue hasn't been confirmed, but message the label at the above links if you want to play at a second local Warsenal concert!

That's all for today, but stay tuned next for our Sewer Swampstravaganza concert review! Thanks everyone!

New Facebook Concert Videos From Heavy North Entertainment!!

Today's post is devoted to some new Facebook video postings from new local concert promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment, who recently shared some short videos from a recent private event and a house party gig from last year on their Facebook page! We'll start with the "Grinded Live In Your Ears" house party event that Blood Shed Productions hosted last summer on the night of the third Sewer Swampstravaganza on August 10th, as H.N.E. owner Tyler St. Amour's brother Travis (a.k.a. Bring The Fallen's drummer) was on hand to film some videos, including one of surprise late performers Warsenal! The Montreal thrash trio had just headlined the Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall, and it was cool of them to head to this event as well, which looks like it went well! That said, the video is in the vertical cell phone angle, and the lighting's very red & green, but the quality's decent otherwise, so check out Warsenal's speed metal fury below!



Next up, and also from Travis' filming from that show, is this 57 second clip of local/Central Algoma death metal quartet Crimson Crusade's set! It's of the same visual quality as Travis' Warsenal clip, and while I can't remember the song name offhand, this is a solid look at one of Crimson Crusade's more recent sets! While we're on the subject, I should address their status (especially as they haven't played live in three months), so where have they been? A band member confirmed in a comment reply on their Facebook page on February 10th that they've been "on a hiatus" since November, and while a reason for the break wasn't given, they will let fans know when/if they start jamming again. For reference, the comment was to answer a question from Re-Born frontman Austin McRae on if they'd want to play a yet-announced Oddfellows Hall concert for Heavy North Entertainment next month, but this show hasn't been otherwise elaborated on publically.

Regardless of if this is a rest or if it will lead to the band's second breakup, this is definitely disappointing for Crimson Crusade fans, especially knowing the traction they'd gained in the past year! Hopefully things are amicable in their camp though, and unless most of the band joins new primary bands (or they firmly say they're done), we won't consider them an inactive band on the SMS, as a hiatus can last anywhere from a few weeks to forever. Fingers crossed we see the guys back soon though, check out this "new" video below, and stay tuned for updates on the teased Oddfellows show next month!



We'll close this post with new videos from a private Blood Shed Productions event at (I believe) the same location, this time from this past Friday. There are more videos than these on Heavy North owner Tyler St. Amour's personal Facebook page, but I'm just sharing ones that are completely public via the H.N.E. page. One is this 94 second clip of local goregrind duo Rotopsy at the event, and it's consistent with earlier videos of theirs, but like before, Dylan Taylor needs to diversify his growls, and the minimalist nature might not be for everyone. The camera's in a better angle though, and while there are some focus issues (and the angle's mirrored), fans should enjoy this, so check it out below!



Finally, here's a new video of Rotopsy bassist/Blood Shed owner Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson's solo project Crucify The Whore playing their original "Bunk, Shake, and Headache"! Barely crossing 100 seconds, this sadly reverts to the vertical camera angle (and has similar mirroring/focus issues as before), but it's a solid rendition of this goregrind track, which has became a favourite among C.T.W. fans! I like the crowd enthusiasm too, nice to see, so give this other new Blood Shed Productions clip a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Sewer Swampstravaganza III Review!!

It's finally time for my review of Saturday night's third annual Sewer Swampstravaganza! Before we get into the performers, here's some notes on non-musical aspects of the day's events. There was some special lighting and smoke machines in effect for each band, honestly helping it feel like night way earlier, and merchandise for the bands (RedD Monkey, Guy Smith, and Warsenal in particular) was at the back tables with the Sykotyk Sound Company, with The Northern Tragedy also distributing a free demo. Note also that RedD Monkey had new packaging and art for the sale copies of their albums, but the content is (I believe) unchanged. Katie Huckson's art was also on sale, which was generally well done and creative, and I even bought a superhero painting for a surprisingly good price! Attendance-wise, it wasn't so hot, though it peaked for The Bear Hunters' set, and every band from 8:00 PM on had decent turnouts. As for talk of The Bear Hunters trading down from 9:00 PM to 7:00 PM due to a scheduling conflict, that never came to fruition for whatever reason, and they remained in their original slot. There was a band dropout too, but we'll get to that as we go, so how about the actual performers?

Local folk/roots solo artist Guy Smith opened up the Swampstravaganza (replacing Ashes To Dust) in what I think was his Oddfellows Hall debut, and while the attendance was not good to start the day, Guy played a good set for his genre that gathered attendees seemed to enjoy! For his set, he was joined by Jamie Smith (his brother?) on electric guitar and a drummer (named Colin, I believe), who helped fill out his originals and select covers, which honestly sound better live than they do in studio. Not quite as reedy, Guy had more emotion and raw feelings live than I got from his CD tracks. He's a talented songwriter too, and you don't see a harmonica every day at a concert where death metal's also slated! While Guy's brand of music was definitely an outlier compared to what was coming next, he brought a talented folksy sound to the table to kick off the event, he had a nice easy-going chemistry and rapport, and hopefully his second show on Friday went just as well!

Young local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade hit the stage next for their second show since the end of their very brief breakup, and compared to their Oddzfest set, it was about the same for talent level and aggression, aside from a worse crowd level and the debut of a brand new song, which I think was called "Beyond the Sky". It sounded really good, but I'll need to hear it more before I effectively judge. The low crowd level didn't stop a few rowdy fans from starting some lively moshpits for songs like "Here We Lay", "Lost Memories", and "Consumed", along with some Death covers, and they definitely grabbed the present fans! New song aside, there isn't a lot different to say about their set compared to two weeks ago, but their talents and chemistry (from Riley Marshall's skilled bass work to Devon Lucier's piercing high growl) were ever present, and I can't wait to hear more from Crimson Crusade in the coming months!

Very talented local bassist James Watterworth (a.k.a. Delusionair Lionhair) replaced Winkstinger in the 4:00 PM slot for his third multi-band all ages show in the past month, but this one was different from the rest as he didn't play guitar at all, and he was joined by guest musicians for all but the first two songs, namely Haggith's Daniel Horton and Mike Haggith on guitar & drums! This answered a big wish I had from James' past shows, as his original music is almost asking for full band accompaniment, and having Daniel & Mike there answered that! In this form, James' originals (like "Sneeze" & "Chimney Prescription") have sort of a funk/alternative hard rock bent that's clearly different from other local bands (let alone Daniel & Mike's projects), and fans seemed to take to the songs a bit more as a result! Carefree but aggressive, and very fun, I hope James gets a permanent band started at some point, as last night's set was a good sampling of what that would sound like!

Next up was local alternative hard rock/blues quartet Sykotyk Rampage, who emerged from the sound table to rock out in their own Oddfellows Hall debut on Friday night! Their set (including songs like "Sicked", "Sweet Young Thing", and "Warhorn") was mostly the same as at their Bushplane Musical Madness show last month, but their energy was somewhat lower, without as much drunken freewheeling and anarchy as that show provided. Maybe the absence of their monkey George helped? Musically though, Sykotyk Rampage were in good form, though Paul Becker was hard to hear vocally early on. Dirk Becker and Shane Kokis' guitar work was solid as ever, Tony Briglio's bass playing and backing vocals were very aggressive, and present fans enjoyed their creative blend of styles, especially the return of their full drinking songs! Solid set to be sure, and hopefully Sykotyk Rampage have more gigs and albums in the coming months!

The 6:00 slot was supposed to be filled by Toronto grindcore trio Goatface Killa (replacing the shorthanded Giwakwa), but they dropped out of the show earlier that afternoon. A reason hasn't been publicized online, but I heard from performers on Saturday that it was due to travel delays on the road, so take that for what it's worth. As a result, Sykotyk Rampage's set was slightly lengthened to fill some time (with "Breakdown" replaced by their full drinking songs), and this year's Swampstravaganza became the smallest yet, with only 9 bands. Disappointing, but hopefully Goatface Killa try again for a local date down the road!

Despite earlier word about timeslot swaps, local punk band The Northern Tragedy played the 7:00 PM slot as advertised, in what was their own Oddfellows Hall debut! The last set of the night with a relatively small attendance, fans should have came in, as their improving punk original sound kept everyone entertained, and they have good musical energy on songs like "These Days" and "Excuse My Choices"! Their big issue is still stage presence, but it was at least as good as it was at Bushplane Musical Madness, aside from some stretches of looking down too much. Terrence Gomes' singing voice is definitely getting stronger, and Mike Ivany's got some underrated guitar skills too, which people seemed to take notice of on Saturday! The Northern Tragedy are doing the right things, and hopefully they keep on an upward path as they continue their rise in local prominence! (As for their free demo, it's hand-burned, has 5 songs, and is packaged in a paper sleeve with a bear in front of a moon painted on. Sounds good so far!)

Local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith (also playing The Oddfellows Hall for the first time) took the stage at 8:00 PM as the crowd finally started to pick up in number, and they were rewarded with a very entertaining mix of originals and covers! I may be wrong, but this might be the first show they've ever played with Curtis McKenzie focusing on vocals only, and while he has a confident stage presence, some songs did sound emptier without his guitar (also, there was a surprising amount of visible lyric sheets.) Originals like "Wanko" and "No Cure For Insanity" were joined by covers of bands like Cheap Trick and The Stone Temple Pilots, and their energy and chemistry were on display on Saturday, with Daniel Horton's guitar work and Mike Haggith's wild drumming noticeably making waves! Since their second place run at the battle of the bands in April, Haggith have been really impressing and gaining momentum, and if they keep this up, they'll be hard to stop in the coming months, so don't bypass them at their next public dates!

The peak audience of the night hit the floor for The Bear Hunters' first live set since the departure of rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney, and just for the record, he hasn't been replaced yet, and no reference was made to any public replacement searches, but we'll of course let you guys know when/if any are announced. Compared to the last time I saw them shorthanded (May 2012, I think), I think the absence of Josh was more visible, with a few songs definitely lacking a bit in melody, but Mitch Sirie was overall clearer, so that works! Their set included standards like "Karma" and "Succumb To Eternity", but a highlight saw them debut a new original song, albeit without vocals yet. While Nik Deubel sat out, Shit Liver's Josh Penno provided some impromptu grind squeals to fill in, and it oddly worked, but I am curious to hear the final product with Nik Deubel's vocals too! Aside from Josh's absence, the guys sounded as good as ever, and stay tuned for more on their next shows!

Co-headlining on Saturday was the long awaited return of cello/punk trio RedD Monkey (the creators of the Swampstravaganza!) We haven't seen them back home since December, and let's just say, this was probably the most aggressive they've sounded, almost like they had something to prove after such a long absence! Tracks like "Lotus Song", "Friar's Ire", and "The Attic" populated an intense set of blistering originals that verged into hardcore punk territory at times, and both the Mozarowski brothers and Joe Bumbacco kept things up well (also, Steve had some funny jokes!) As for their fan favourite cover of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", that was cello-less after Pete Mozarowski broke a string, but we got a partial reunion of The Fury as a result, with Sykotyk Rampage's Tony Briglio providing guest vocals! With a slate of Southern Ontario gigs coming up, RedD Monkey are coming hard and fast if Saturday's show was any indication, as this was probably the best I've heard them at, and hopefully it won't be another 8 months for their next local show! (Also, you might just see more of them on here this week...)

Headlining on Saturday was the first ever fully-out of town band in Swampstravaganza history, Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, and if you love speed and thrash metal from the 1980s, they delivered it wall to wall! Fast paced, intense, and very heavy, as the mosh pits indicated! Mathieu Rondeau was spitting venom on vocals through their original onslaught, and while I think having a second guitarist would fill their sound out a bit, the intensity and heavy riffing and solos didn't bother anyone inside! Nice fast drumming from Antoine Turcotte and skilled low bass work from Francis Labine to boot, and I don't think anyone had anything bad to saw once they wrapped up! We don't get enough pure thrash metal in the Soo, so it was a nice change of pace for Warsenal to deliver that to cap off the Swampstravaganza, and hopefully they come back to town for another go at it! (Also, they stopped by the "Grinded Live In Your Ears" Blood Shed Productions house party concert that same night for a surprise set, which I heard was a hit as well!)

Overall, the third Sewer Swampstravaganza was a great time, arguably better than last year's (at least for metal content), but the attendance was a big downer, and it'd have been nice to have seen more people inside before 8:00 PM to cheer on the first 5 bands. I did get a bunch of photos, so click here to check them out (or visit our Facebook page), and for videos, I got 7, so here's Crimson Crusade playing "Reality", James Watterworth and friends playing "Beautiful Woman", Sykotyk Rampage playing "Never Ever Life", Haggith playing "If You Get Out Alive", The Bear Hunters playing "Bloodthirst", RedD Monkey playing "Fight Skateboard With Fire!", and Warsenal playing "One By One"!















That's all for today, but stay tuned for some more news shortly, including some overdue news for RedD Monkey fans on here! Thanks everyone!

Most Of This Weekend's Sault Ontario Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

With metal and hard rock shows coming in the area daily from tomorrow through Monday, plus Pop Evil on Wednesday, there's very few breaks in the upcoming week's concert schedule and beyond, so let's commence with some upcoming concert previews in Sault Ontario for tomorrow and Saturday night! We have much more to come, but read on below for what you need to know on the first three heavier shows of the weekend on this side of the border, including the latest on the Swampstravaganza!

We'll start with one nighters in Sault Ontario TOMORROW NIGHT, including the return of local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 to the stage at The Rockstar Bar! After a summer break of sorts since their Nicolet Tavern show in May, the band featuring Turner Up, Gully Yodelers, and Route 69 alumni should have a solid night of 1990s-leaning alternative hard rock covers in store for fans at The Rockstar Bar, and it will be good to see these talented veterans back on stage after a longer-than-usual break! A $5-ish cover is likely, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a welcome return for Lucky 13, and they definitely have the talent and experience to deliver a solid night of covers, so keep this show in mind for tomorrow, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 covering The Stone Temple Pilots last year!

Also tomorrow night, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill once again for a solo acoustic concert! His second show of his "every Friday in August" arrangement at this Trunk Road venue (and fourth Road House show overall in the past five weeks), it's great to see Tym's relationship with The Road House continuing successfully, and if you're up for some unplugged metal and hard rock covers in a more intimate setting, head east to Trunk Road tomorrow night for all of the action there! Admission should be free, this show also has a 10:00 PM start time, and I imagine there's a 19+ age limit in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you miss tomorrow's show, you have three more chances to see Tym this month, but keep tomorrow's acoustic metal covers in mind for your concert schedule, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Mill Square a couple of months ago!



Finally for this preview post, we'll head to The Oddfellows Hall this Saturday for the third annual Sewer Swampstravaganza, the 10 band ALL AGES show promoted by local cello/punk standouts RedD Monkey! After two successful installments in April 2011 & July 2012, it's back for a third go-around on Saturday, which will also feature art exhibitions from local artists Charlie Metheany and Katie Huckson, but on the music side, 10 more acts will grace the Oddfellows Hall stage, and only 8 musicians have played in past years, so things will be very different! The lineup is definitely heavier than last year's event, with the first ever inclusion of out of town bands also, so let's explore the lineup in order from top to bottom! Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal will make their local debut as headliners at 11:00 PM, with the aforementioned RedD Monkey bumped to co-headlining status for the first time at 10:00 PM for their first local date in 8 months. Fellow Swampstravaganza returnees The Bear Hunters will precede them at 9:00 PM, in what will be their first show following rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney's departure (though no word as of yet on if they have a replacement guitarist or will be playing as a quartet.) They have teased possibly debuting a new song on Saturday though, so keep that in mind!

Two Oddfellows Hall debuts will precede them at 8:00 & 7:00 PM courtesy of local grunge/alternative rockers Haggith and punk trio The Northern Tragedy, while late additions Goatface Killa (a grindcore band from Toronto) have replaced Giwakwa in the 6:00 PM slot, likely due to their recent member departures. "Blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage will make their own Oddfellows Hall debut(?) at 5:00 PM, with local solo artist James "Delusionair Lionhair" Watterworth replacing the departed Winkstinger in the 4:00 PM slot. Rising young death metal quartet Crimson Crusade will be on at 3:00 PM, and local folk solo artist Guy Smith (replacing Ashes To Dust) will open the Swampstravaganza at 2:00 PM. Note that Goatface Killa's own Facebook post about the show implied that Shit Liver would be playing, but this hasn't been confirmed elsewhere, so it's likely erroneous. Also note that The Bear Hunters have been looking to trade their timeslot with The Northern Tragedy, but this hasn't been finalized at present. Admission is just $5 (50 cents a band) for this ALL AGES show, so check the above links and the official Facebook event page for more details!

A nicely diverse (though suitably heavy) lineup of bands is in store for this year's Swampstravaganza, and though some bands were disappointing exits, the current talent, return of RedD Monkey, and out of town acts should entertain in this marathon show, so don't miss out on Saturday night! For a preview, here's headliners Warsenal thrashing up the stage last year during their song "Hit 'N Run"!



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

Peril Concert Previews, Swampstravaganza Updates, And More Recent News & Notes!!

Hey guys, it's time for some more news at the SMS, along with previews of this weekend's metal/hard rock concerts! Honestly, this weekend is fairly quiet for metal/hard rock shows, with only two that I know of going down (both across the river), but we've filled this post out with updates for an upcoming all ages show, some early glimpses at Haggith originals, and much more, so read on below for what you need to know!

We'll start with the concert previews, as Charlevoix classic metal trio Peril will make their first trips to Sault Michigan of the new year TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino! Their third & fourth shows in the Eastern U.P. of 2013 (following two February dates in St. Ignace), this veteran Northern Michigan band should have an exciting weekend of metal and hard rock classics in store for their Yooper fans tonight & tomorrow, so don't miss arguably the heaviest local concerts of the weekend! Admission should be free for both nights, a 10:00 PM start time is likely, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, check the above links! It's great to see Jeff and company back in the Soo for some live action, so keep Peril's regional return in mind for your weekend concert schedules, and for a preview, here's Peril covering Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" a few years ago!

Next up, here's the latest updates on the third annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall, which as you may remember, goes down in August, though now on a different day. Originally scheduled to be held on Wednesday, August 21st, the show was rescheduled to Saturday, August 10th, as per the Facebook event page on Monday. A reason for the date change wasn't announced, but the Saturday placement is definitely an improvement for the scheduling, and hopefully there will be a bigger turnout! No word yet though on if any bands will drop out due to the date change. The other news for this event is that a new band has been added, and surprisingly, they're an out of town band, that being Montreal thrash trio Warsenal! My source is the event page linked above, as updated yesterday. The first fully out of town band to play at a Swampstravaganza, I presume they're headlining, but a full schedule has not been announced as of yet.

Warsenal have a fast and heavy old school thrash sound that should appeal to many local metalheads, so kudos to the guys in RedD Monkey for getting them for this show, give Warsenal a listen at this link, and stay tuned for more updates on the newly rescheduled Swampstravaganza as they come in!

Also today, here's another new video posting from Haggith/Sound X frontman Curtis McKenzie's new YouTube channel on Tuesday, and it's a bit of a throwback and a prototype all at once, as this is a package of three songs named the "Rage Train EP" that he recorded in early 2012. These appear to be recordings from before Haggith's formation, but all three included songs ("No Cure For Insanity", "Rage Train", and "Wanko [Reprise]") were adapted into Haggith originals for their debut album "Dragon Joy Ride" last fall. Featuring Curtis on all instruments (save for drums, which are covered by collaborator Zach Day Andre), these are well recorded and performed, and if you didn't know better, you'd assume they were just Haggith demos! Good stuff, and a nice early look at these songs, so check out Curtis' "Rage Train EP" below, and stay tuned for updates from his active band projects!



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

• Frightlight/T-Rex Manning/Jack Spades frontman J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce was thanked in the liner notes of Toronto metal legends Anvil's new album "Hope In Hell" (proof here), so if you pick up a copy, make note of this little local connection! That's awesome for sure, and maybe J.D. can bring them back to town for another concert at some point?
• Sault Ontario metal standouts Garden of Bedlam have launched their own Twitter page, so go follow them there for what will hopefully a new source of frequent band updates! Also, remember that they make their out-of-province debut TOMORROW in Quebec City, and they even have radio interviews planned when out east, so stay tuned for any fallout from the show when we have it!
• If you missed Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's live debut on Memorial Day outside of The Corner Pub, then pictures of their set are now viewable on their Facebook page! There, it appears that drummer Greg Giles was not in town for the show, so his brother Steve and keyboardist Craig Harrison likely played as a duo, but I bet it was a great event all the same, and hopefully Greg will be a part of future shows!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, including this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Insipid Brutality on Monday! Thanks everyone!