Early Lineup Information For This Year's Northern Vibe Festival!!

The tentative lineup for this year's Northern Vibe Festival has been announced on the festival's Facebook page! Yes, this annual festival on Poplardale Road in nearby Ophir (on the old Hempfest grounds) will indeed return for its tenth annual installment from Friday, August 22nd to Sunday, August 24th, despite hinting last year that 2024 would be its finale, so hopefully there's a strong turnout for year #10! While specifics on Northern Vibe X are to be confirmed, you can get preliminary details at this link, and there will once again be two music stages, including the Roost River Stage for DJs and electronica artists, and the Forest Stage for live bands and musicians of multiple genres (Crank Sound Distribution will return to make everyone on the Forest Stage sound as good as possible). Organizers have emphasized that the lineups for both stages are tentative, but they historically don't mention the daily band schedules right away.

If announced at all, organizers wait until the week of the festival, but remember that bands previously have not played on the Sunday, which was more of a camping/pack-up day. As best as I can tell, Spades GT frontman J.D. Pearce is putting on his old concert promotion hat once again to curate the Forest Stage for a fifth straight year, but who is currently scheduled for this end-of-summer bash? After last year's 10 band program, the tentative lineup actually has 15 bands, including three touring acts, all returnees from prior Northern Vibe lineups. One is Cornwall speed metal group Hellrager (featuring former Spades GT guitarist Jay Sarrazin), who came north for the festival in 2023 before quietly dropping out of last year's event. Fellow Cornwall hard rock band Don't Tell Sarah will make their way to Ophir for a second straight year, and Niagara Falls prog/improv rock trio The Road Waves will also return.

The Road Waves previously played at the festival in 2017-2018 and again in 2022, so it will be good to see their soul/funk-influenced tunes back in our neck of the woods, while more recent fans will enjoy Hellrager & Don't Tell Sarah's hard rock attacks! Two tribute bands are currently scheduled for Northern Vibe X, who will be playing Pink Floyd and Tool songs. The former are 100% Dark Side Of The Soo (the Bourbon Blue side project that played at last year's ARCH Run), as per personal Facebook posts, but I don't know if the Tool tribute is a reunion of Parabol, a different local group, or a touring act. We'll let you know when/if we get clarification! In terms of known local acts, five are returnees from 2024, including alt-hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich (in their fifth straight Northern Vibe), local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith and his Big Finish Band in their third appearance, and folk/bluegrass band The Golden Scoundrels for their second year.

The other returning band is the rap collective Soundsxvad, who played last year under the name Fvksxvad, and this year, they'll be joined by a separate hip hop outfit named The CSWS Crew. I admit that I don't follow the local rap scene ardently, but I've never heard of The CSWS Crew, so this will be something else that I'll get back to you guys on when public details on them surface! As well, former(?) Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers will return to Northern Vibe after (from my understanding) going solo there last year despite event advertising always crediting The Wyld Stallyns, who have not issued a public update since May of last year. CSWS Crew & tribute bands aside, this year's debuting bands include hard rock quintet HeadFirst (whose new album "Road Trippin'" comes out next month), the possibly one-off Josh Norling Psycho Jazz Infusion (led by the Bookclub/Wyld Stallyns saxophonist), and an acoustic set by a musician named Benny.

At press time, I have no idea which Ben/Benjamin/Benny is being referenced in the advertising, and the most recent ones mentioned on the SMS don't seem like obvious fits, but we'll let you know when/if we hear more! As well, magician Ryan McFarling (a Forest Stage performer in 2023) will be back to perform separately on the main grounds. Conspicuous by their (current?) absences are local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (who haven't missed a Northern Vibe yet post-pandemic) and any of J.D. Pearce's bands, though he last fronted a band officially there when Spades GT played in 2022. Stay tuned for any potential lineup additions or removals! Northern Vibe X remains a 19+ event taking place rain or shine over the August 23rd weekend, and you can buy tickets at this link for $125 via the Tier 2 weekend pass (there are no single day options). Tier 1 referred to the early bird passes that went on sale before any of the bands were revealed.

Between the hour's drive, off-the-grid nature, and weather/nature-related concerns, the Northern Vibe Festival won't be the most accessible event to attend for many readers, but if this weekend full of live rock music, DJs, and camping piques your interest, do click here for full ground rules and recommendations. If you make it to Ophir in August, you should have a blast, so visit the above links for more details on this year, and we'll let you know (likely on short notice) who's playing on what day! Thanks everyone!

The Roosevelt Hotel Metal Nights: A Look Back

Three years ago on Monday was the premiere of the most successful regular metal concert series of recent memory in Sault Ontario, as former local concert promoter Rich Moreland launched the Roosevelt Hotel Thursday metal night series on November 11th, 2010! The series made it to 47 brutal and entertaining installments under three different promoters before quietly falling inactive after it's last installment in July 2012, and though it's faded out, it's still fondly remembered for giving metalheads a regularly scheduled outlet to see live metal, hard rock, and punk bands on a local stage! Coinciding with an increased push into more active concert bookings and renovations, The Roosevelt Hotel soon became a must-attend location for metal concerts in the area, helping promote and give rise to our current wave of death metal bands, and serving as the backdrop for a number of notable concerts, from Woods of Ypres' last local show to the long awaited return of The Dayglo Abortions. Though the last 10 installments were more spread out and not as prominent as during the series' 2011 peak, many fans still miss the metal nights at The Rosie, and I'm among them!

Sure, Thursdays were an adjustment compared to the weekend, but this series made Thursdays the most metal night of the week for 20 months, and I always enjoyed going to The Roosevelt Hotel to see the bands in action! I'd never given The Rosie much thought before Rich began booking concerts at The Rosie, but look at it now, and he deserves a lot of credit for his role in creating and promoting this series' during it's longest and biggest era! That's why today, on the first Thursday after the third anniversary, I thought I'd spotlight some facts, numbers, videos, and memories from the series' run, starting with a listing of all 47 official shows in the series, and note that the lineup order of each show is not guaranteed to be accurate: (Updated at 2:15 PM)
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Rich Moreland/Dismembertainment period (November 2010-October 2011)

November 11th, 2010 (1): Breaking The Fourth Wall (Montreal), As It Stands, Bring The Fallen, and Winkstinger
December 9th, 2010 (2): As It Stands, Bring The Fallen, and State of Misery
December 23rd, 2010 (3): The Bear Hunters, Sativa Rose, Shit Liver, and State of Misery
January 6th, 2011 (4): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Bring The Fallen
January 20th, 2011 (5): Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and State of Misery
February 3rd, 2011 (6): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and State of Misery
February 17th, 2011 (7): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Changing Waves
March 3rd, 2011 (8): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
March 10th, 2011 (9): Woods of Ypres, The Bear Hunters, and State of Misery
March 31st, 2011 (10): As It Stands, Shit Liver, and Skull After Betrayl
April 14th, 2011 (11): Bring The Fallen, For All That Is Lost, and State of Misery
April 21st, 2011 (12): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
April 28th, 2011 (13): Late & Loud, Sativa Rose, and Changing Waves
May 5th, 2011 (14): The Bear Hunters, Sativa Rose, and For All That Is Lost
May 12th, 2011 (15): No Bragging Rights (California), Hallows Die (Toronto), Farewell To Freeway (Guelph), and As It Stands
May 19th, 2011 (16): Shit Liver, Sativa Rose, and Changing Waves
May 26th, 2011 (17): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
June 2nd, 2011 (18): The Bear Hunters, Sykotyk Rampage, and Bring The Misery (later March Into Regression)
June 9th, 2011 (19): The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver
June 16th, 2011 (20): The Dayglo Abortions (Victoria), Frightlight, Shit Liver, Sativa Rose, and Skull After Betrayl
June 23rd, 2011 (21): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, Winkstinger, and Bring The Misery (later March Into Regression)
June 30th, 2011 (22): As It Stands & Sativa Rose
July 7th, 2011 (23): As It Stands, For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
July 14th, 2011 (24): RedD Monkey & Changing Waves
July 21st, 2011 (25): Garden of Bedlam, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger
July 28th, 2011 (26): As It Stands & Redundant
August 4th, 2011 (27): The Bear Hunters & Changing Waves
August 11th, 2011 (28): Black Moor (Halifax), Sanktuary (Halifax), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
August 18th, 2011 (29): Abriosis (Vancouver), Method (Winnipeg), For All That Is Lost, and Changing Waves
August 25th, 2011 (30): Annex Theory (Winnipeg), Laika (Winnipeg), Thekillingfield (North Bay), and Shit Liver
September 1st, 2011 (31): Tribune (Vancouver), Redundant, and Changing Waves
September 8th, 2011 (32): Late and Loud & Shit Liver
September 15th, 2011 (33): Thekillingfield (North Bay), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
September 22nd, 2011 (34): Empyrean Plague (North Bay), The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
September 29th, 2011 (35): La Promesse (Rimouski) & Late and Loud
October 6th, 2011 (36): The Nailheads (Montreal), Fifth Column (Espanola), and Redundant
October 13th, 2011 (37): The Dead Peasants Revolt (St. John's) & Shit Liver
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Stephane Vincent period (November 2011-March 2012)

November 10th, 2011 (38): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Redundant
November 24th, 2011 (39): Late & Loud, For All That Is Lost, and View To A Kill (later The Valentine's Day Massacre)
December 8th, 2011 (40): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and General Striker
January 19th, 2012 (41): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Changing Waves
February 16th, 2012 (42): For All That Is Lost, Winkstinger, and The Valentine's Day Massacre
March 15th, 2012 (43): Waster (Winnipeg), Farewell To Freeway (Guelph), and As It Stands
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Mitch Sirie period (April-July 2012)

May 31st, 2012 (44): As It Stands, The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver
June 7th, 2012 (45): Winkstinger, Changing Waves, and Borderline Divine
June 21st, 2012 (46): The Bear Hunters, Shit Liver, and Inhuman Methods
July 5th, 2012 (47): The Valentine's Day Massacre, Changing Waves, and March Into Regression
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Rosie Metal Night Trivia, Facts, And Other Notes

By The Numbers: 22 different local bands played at Rosie metal nights, with The Bear Hunters playing a record 20 times, followed by Shit Liver (19), As It Stands (15), Changing Waves (13), and For All That Is Lost (8). Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie holds the solo appearance record, playing at 21 metal nights as an official band member (the 20 Bear Hunters sets, plus once with Borderline Divine), making him extra fitting to be the series' final promoter! The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver shared the stage at Rosie metal nights 12 times, more than any other combination, none of which occurred more than 5 times. Aside from members of the above bands, local death metal singer Steve Rhodes fronted bands at 11 metal nights, including 6 with State of Misery, 3 with The Valentine's Day Massacre, and 2 with Bring The Misery. Shit Liver were arguably the iron men of the series, playing 3 straight metal nights twice in June & September 2011. Somewhat surprisingly, despite playing at a combined 27 metal nights, none ever took place featuring Shit Liver and For All That Is Lost on the same night.

Firsts & Lasts: Five local bands made their live concert debuts at a Thursday Rosie metal night, including The Bear Hunters & Skull After Betrayl (both then featuring guitarist Mike Vincent), State of Misery & Bring the Misery (each featuring Steve Rhodes & Ray Cowan at the time), and the one-off classic metal band General Striker, who were essentially Late & Loud minus singer/guitarist Brendan Christie, as they didn't want to play under the Late & Loud name without a full lineup present. General Striker aside, bands that played their last concert ever at a Rosie metal night included Changing Waves, Inhuman Methods, and March Into Regression, notably all during the Mitch Sirie era. As well, Woods of Ypres' last local show was in this series (preceding a number of out of town gigs), and Bring The Fallen's last gig during their active run was a Rosie metal night (though they returned for a one-off farewell concert in July 2013.)

Promoter Changes: An active promoter in the Sault area since the mid-2000s, Rich Moreland launched Dismembertainment in March 2012 to fully focus on regional metal & punk concert promoting. His exit from the metal nights and promotion at The Rosie was at least partly due to his purchase of Foggy Notions (renamed Feedback under his tenure) in the fall of 2011, though the series outlived Feedback, which is now the current location of Coch's Corner. Rich continued to promote concerts under the Dismembertainment banner at Feedback and The Canadian through May 2012 (including the Ypres Metal Fest that April) before moving to Alberta, though he hasn't closed the door on promoting shows there. The Rosie's then-kitchen manager Stephane Vincent took over the series in November 2011, running 6 installments through the spring of 2012 before handing the series over to Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie that April in advance of his move to Toronto. Mitch's four Rosie metal nights joined a slate of other early-mid 2012 concerts that he promoted, but he stopped actively promoting concerts (including this series) in late 2012 so he could focus on his music projects.

Out Of Town Bands: In both size (5 bands) and scope, the 20th Rosie metal night on June 16th, 2011 was arguably the biggest, thanks in large part to the short notice return of The Dayglo Abortions to Sault Ontario, attracting close to 200 raucus fans, and instant talk of a return engagement, though they didn't return until October 2013. 9 of the last 10 Dismembertainment-promoted metal nights featured one or more out of town headlining bands, after having only 3 shows with out of town headliners in the preceding months. By contrast, only 1 of the last 10 metal nights had out of town bands (Stephane Vincent's last one on March 15th, 2012, which was also the only metal night to experiment with an all ages model.) In all, 19 out of town bands (not counting the regional For All That Is Lost & Inhuman Methods) played at official Rosie metal nights, including such local favourites as Thekillingfield, Empyrean Plague, and Hallows Die, though you could arguably include Woods of Ypres too given their mostly non-local membership at the time of their appearance.

Press Coverage: The 21st Rosie metal night on June 23rd, 2011 was spotlighted by ex-Free Beer singer Christian Lemay in a news piece for Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie, featuring interview segments with two attendees & then-promoter Rich Moreland on the event, venue, future plans, and his concert promoting in general. The full video (which aired on TV for a week that summer) features clips of Winkstinger & Bring The Misery from that night, including the only known footage of Bring The Misery with Daeson Lesage on rhythm guitar before their hiatus & lineup/name changes. The November 10th, 2011 relaunch of the series was covered in two separate Sault Star articles by Jeffery Ougler (links here & here), complete with a video from the event, though the articles incorrectly noted the length of the series' hiatus, and generalized some aspects of the series' past promotion & bands. The video features clips of The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver's sets & interview clips with Stephane Vincent & Bear Hunters members Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger.

Rosie Punk Nights: The Roosevelt Hotel tried a punk night series alternating with the metal nights for 5 installments from February 10th to April 7th, 2011, as promoted by Typhoid Meaghan. Regular performers included RedD Monkey (4 times), Sykotyk Rampage and Shit Liver (twice each), along with attracting one out of town band (Skepsis) for the March 17th installment. However, the series failed to take off at the same success level, with some fans noticing that the punk nights usually had at least one band who couldn't be classified as punk (like The Bear Hunters.) After the punk nights ended, Dismembertainment started running the metal nights weekly in their place in April, and slowly began adding some punk-influenced bands to the metal nights that summer (including Redundant, Frightlight, RedD Monkey, and select out of town bands) until they cut ties with the series that fall. Under later promoters, Redundant played the return show on November 10th, 2011, but no full punk bands followed before the series' demise.

Spiritual Successor:  Following his role in securing The Dayglo Abortions as headliners for the 20th metal night, local metal/punk singer and concert promoter J.D. Pearce has booked occasional metal & punk concerts on Thursday at The Rosie since May 17th, 2012 under his "Johnny Pints Presents" banner, among other shows on other days at this and other venues. All of his Thursday shows featured out of town bands on their originally announced lineups, though they're not part of a distinct revival of the metal night series. 7 have been held since, with regular bands in his Thursday night shows including Sykotyk Rampage (4 times), Redundant (3 times), Frightlight, and Haggith (twice each.) The February 21st, 2013 show (a.k.a. Axed Theory Night) was promoted as the return of the Rosie metal nights on their Facebook page, but it was likely an in-name return only due to their last promoter Mitch Sirie's performing involvement with The Bear Hunters, and their page has not been used to market future Thursday shows at The Rosie. Keep an eye out via the above links for the next Johnny Pints Presents concerts, as he's got a lot of great stuff in the works!
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Sample Videos From The Series

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New Videos, Inactive Sault Ontario Bands, And Miguel Gauthier Updates!!

Today's post mostly clears up some recent news and updates that have been waiting for a free moment to plug on here, so what's on tap? All relating to the Sault Ontario area, we have a recent solo cover video upload, a 2 year old video find of a local hardcore performance, and notes on some likely inactive local hard rock projects, but first, here's some info on what a prominent local music personality has been doing in the early 2010s!

Are you curious to know what former local producer and MBM frontman Miguel Gauthier has been up to since moving from the Soo to Los Angeles, California in October 2010? Well, we can find out in a recent SooToday article by Donna Hopper featuring interview comments and reflections on his local and more recent work! The article was actually posted last week, my apologies for it being lost in the shuffle until now. We touched on his move at the time, but in the article, we learn that Miguel chose to relocate to a bigger city with more opportunities 3 years ago, taking Stereo Soul Studios with him, but he has flourished since the move! Though nothing directly ties to metal of his recent output, he's done fashion photography & film work, music production & mixing, and work as a sound engineer for numerous TV and film projects (even on Dexter!), most recently winning a Best Fashion award at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival for his short "Lovers Game". It sounds like Miguel's found his groove in California, and though his exceptional production is missed for local bands, it's great to see a Saultite doing so well with his career, and I wish him continued success!

Remember, when operating Stereo Soul Studios locally in the late 2000s, Miguel produced albums for bands like Woods of Ypres, Garden of Bedlam, Gates of Winter, and Stillbroke, along with doing studio work with As It Stands, Sense of Truth, and many other local bands. He's never forgotten his local output (even fondly looking back on his Gates of Winter work in the SooToday article), and many of his local projects are still on Stereo Soul Studios' website, so check everything out there, and read the full SooToday article at this link!

Next up, here's notes on two local metal/hard rock acts that we're now listing as inactive on our band links. One is the solo project of Hydra's Teeth/ex-Late & Loud guitarist Brendan Christie, who had maintained and recorded some very promising solo originals in the late 2000s, including planning at least one album. However, his band work has arguably been his focus in recent years, and there hasn't been any dedicated solo updates that I've seen since (at the latest) last fall, with his last MySpace page uploads being Hydra's Teeth demos. Brendan's solo work was really solid, and a nice precursor to Late & Loud, so hopefully he revisits that work in the future! The other likely inactive band is Durera (formerly The Diego Experience), the CASS Cafe-launched hard rock sextet that had been sporadically active since 2008. They last made a band-related update to their Facebook group in June of last year, and that (plus singer Keegan Gjos moving to Sudbury soon) leads me to think that they've also fallen inactive.

Durera had talent (as their Diego Experience-era videos on guitarist A.J. Biron's YouTube channel indicated), but they had room to grow from some earlier and younger sets in their CASS Cafe run. Hopefully the guys stay active in music, and best of luck to Mike, Keegan, A.J., Brent, Ben, and Ty in the future! Stay tuned for more notes on inactive and broken up bands as I hear them!

We'll close today with some new video finds, starting with a newly discovered clip of defunct local hardcore quartet Changing Waves! This comes from the Smeltzer reunion show at The Oddfellows Hall on August 12th, 2011 that they were among the openers for, and it was uploaded to YouTube by attendee Kate Fantham the very next day. You'd think this would have been on the site by now, but she actually forgot which band this was, so it's just labelled by the show's name on YouTube. Luckily, only two bands that night featured a singer who didn't play an instrument, so it was easy to figure out who they were! Featuring Changing Waves' classic & final lineup, I can't place the song off hand, but I don't think it was on their free demo. Kate likely filmed this on a cell phone camera (hence the dimensions), and the quality isn't great, with dark lighting, very staticy audio, and a 19 second audio cut-out 1:17 in. Still, Changing Waves do sound heavy from what I remember, and the crowd's definitely into it, so check out this new video discovery below!



Finally for today, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy uploaded another solo performance video onto his YouTube channel on Wednesday, and it's a cover of 3 Doors Down's "Be Like That"! Like his Eagles cover from earlier this month (which is now unlisted for unknown reasons), this utilitzes multiple camera angles with Alex singing and playing guitar, and I think his clean vocals work better here, with his tone and pacing fitting this song better! Sure, it's not a heavy song, but we know Alex's track record, and he has the talent, so check out his newest solo cover video below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Airbourne preview and more news this weekend! Thanks everyone!

An Inactive Local Hardcore Band, New Song Postings, And More Recent Updates!!

We have some more news to get to on this Monday afternoon, so what's in store? Along with a few recent news updates, we have new song postings from two wildly different local projects (from recent physical releases), and leading off, what looks like a notable local band's descent into inactivity, so here's what you need to know!

It looks like local hardcore quartet Changing Waves have either broken up or fallen inactive. This hasn't been officially confirmed on the band's online pages, but they've offered no public updates since June, or played live since July. Plus, guitarist Michael Hagerman reportedly moved to Toronto earlier this month for school, and bassist Terrence Gomes has been focusing on his punk band The Northern Tragedy recently, so the odds of them functioning at present seem low. Featuring alumni of Paraside & Good Morning Gorilla in their lineups, Changing Waves debuted as a surprise late addition at November 2010's Total Chaos show at The Oddfellows Hall, and they became a steady and increasingly popular sight at local concerts for the next year & a half, including 13 Rosie metal night appearances, sets opening for bands like Unleash The Archers, Abriosis, and Tribune, and the release of a free demo in 2011. I don't know if something happened internally last year, but Changing Waves were a fun live band with a lot of talent, and their stage presences and energy drastically improved as they went along!

I hope last summer wasn't the last we've seen of Changing Waves, but at least they hit some big heights together, and best of luck to Benjamin, Michael, Terrence, Alex, and Devan in the future! Hopefully everyone stays active in music in some form down the road!

Next up, here's the latest from Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands runner-ups Haggith! The rising local grunge quartet reportedly finished recording their second "mainline" album (and third total studio release) "Deuce" early this morning, and will reportedly release it on May 10th (one week from Friday), which is the one year anniversary of their formation! The CD booklet is all that's needed to complete before pressing copies or posting a for sale copy online, though no word yet on if the date has a linked release concert in mind. If this comes out as planned next month, I'll definitely have a Haggith CD review on the site in June, though I'm not sure as of yet on if it will be "Deuce", their second album "Apocalypse", or drummer Mike Haggith's solo album "The Present Din". In cases like this, I'll either go with the biggest or heaviest release, but time will tell! While we wait, the guys posted two more studio tracks from "Deuce" onto the band's YouTube channel in the past week!

Including the previously announced cover of Mike's solo track "To Whom This May Concern", and a newly unveiled track named "Time For A Change", both feature Curtis McKenzie on lead vocals, while bassist Caleb Cachagee does feature on the former track. "Time For A Change" is a slow building number with a lot of softer elements, but I've embedded the darker & heavier "To Whom This May Concern" below, so give it a listen, and stay tuned for more details on the release of "Deuce"!

Also, local grindcore solo project Crucify The Whore posted a handful of new songs onto their label/studio Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel in the past week! All are on the "Grindshed" split demo with C.T.W. mainman Ringsnaps Gibson's similar Tomgrindy project (which was reportedly released on Friday), and they include songs named "I Will Crucify The Whore", "You Don't Have To Want To, Because I Do", and three other songs (here, here, and here) that feature possibly offensive sexual references, so be warned if you're easily offended. If you're familiar with C.T.W. material, you'll know what to expect out of these songs, as they're generally short & full of guttural pig squeal vocal effects, but I will admit that there is some more variance on some of these, including some better guitar riffing, techno influences, and pseudo-rapping. At least their sound is getting fuller, but unless you're an established fan of goregrind music, this will be an acquired taste, though I still respect their stances and intent! Check out "I Will Crucify The Whore" below, and hear more at the above links if you want!



And finally for today, here's three recent shorter news updates from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• I've moved local solo musician Neno Jovanovic to our inactive Sault Ontario band links, as his solo project (formerly known as Metallurgy) has issued no public updates since a year ago today. Neno's a talented guitarist, and he knows his way around some solid covers and originals, so hopefully he revisits his music at some point in the future!
• I apologize for how late this is, but Fred Kember of the 705 Video Magazine posted a review of the April 13th Ripcordz' concert at The Algonquin Pub onto their site two weeks ago! Featuring thoughts on both The Ripcordz & Destroilet's sets (he was late for T-Rex Manning), he highly praised the show, even citing it as proof that "there is still hope for music out there", but check the above links to give it a full look (and to hear some Ripcordz songs not played that night!)
• While a local debut remains unannounced, new hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies (essentially Turner Up & Havadder's successors) finished in 5th at the Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish on April 6th, earning a slot opening for Loverboy & Lee Aaron at the Rock N' Roar festival there on August 17th! Nice to see The Thrill Junkies repeat Havadder's success from last year, and best of luck come August! (FYI, local classic rock band Griphook also competed, but did not place.)

That's all for today, but stay tuned hopefully tomorrow for another news post! Thanks everyone!

Rosie Metal Night #47 Review!!

It's time for my review of last night's 47th Rosie metal night, which got me thinking: We're nearing the 50th, which would be on August 16th if the current schedule holds up. Will anything special happen on that date? I have no idea, but it'd be a fitting day for something big! For now though, what happened at last night's show? Read on to find out, and check our our first of four CASS Cafe video showcases from this morning in the post below this one!

First, let's talk about March Into Regression, who were playing their second live concert since their name changes from Bring The Misery & Unleash The Blackened Sky, and their first Sault Ontario show since June of last year! Believe it or not, there was even more lineup ambiguity last night, so I'll address everything I noticed as we go. First, their bassist last night was Tyler St. Amour, who quietly returned to his former band to replace Dan Souliere at some point after their return gig in Laird. Not sure why Dan left, but it's odd that in both of M.I.R.'s incarnations, he left after their first gig. Either way, it was good to see Tyler on stage again with his brother and old bandmates, even if he only played three songs. For reasons unclear to me, he didn't play on two songs with the rest of the band, or their set-ending jam covers, but when he was playing, he sounded good! As for the vocalist position, singers Josh Stephney & Jeremy Hannah actually traded lead vocals for the first six songs of their set, each doing three songs, rather than performing together. That's not something you see every day, but it gave the band distinct flavours! With Josh singing, it reminded me of an old Bring The Fallen set, which included two BTF covers as well as Black Dahlia Murder & Lamb of God renditions, and his growling was nice to hear again over a year after Bring The Fallen's last show!

When Jeremy sang, their set included some newer original material and more of a hardcore sound, with Jeremy breaking out some higher pitched clean singing and effective harsh vocals that contrasted well with Josh's songs. Years after I last saw Jeremy do metal live, it was nice to see him front a heavy band again, and hopefully I'll get a video the next time around! The rest of the members were effective, with Christopher Neveau fitting in well on rhythm guitar, Ray Cowan's lead guitar work standing out as usual, and Travis St. Amour returning to the Rosie stage with lots of fast and dynamic drumming! In fact, he was the only person to play on every song last night, including the last three covers, which took on an informal jam session feel, with him & Josh joined by former guitarist Daeson Lesage for some loose & incomplete covers of Bring The Fallen, Metallica, and Megadeth material (Josh's Bear Hunters bandmate Nik Deubel even joined in for the Metallica cover!) On the whole, March Into Regression's set was a mixed bag, with the music quality & chemistry improved from last year's Bring The Misery sets, but the informality & minimal fuller lineup performances dragged down the quality a bit. Hopefully for their next concert, things will be tightened up to compliment the members' musical talents!

Next up last night were local hardcore quartet Changing Waves, who delivered a much better set than the disappointingly small crowd number on the floor would indicate! Where'd everyone go? Though their set was abbreviated due to a broken guitar string, they pumped through some heavy originals like "Kiss My Ass Again", "Tital", and my new favourite "Scum City", along with some well recieved Austrian Death Machine and System of a Down covers, and they sounded about as good as they ever do! Benjamin Kallonen's yelling and developing clean vocals meshed well on their varied original material, and I'm liking the increased inclusion of backing vocals from Mike Hagerman and Terrence Gomes, which helped add a new layer on the vocals, especially on Mike's part! Changing Waves' development and heaviness is definitely helping them make more of a local name, and I enjoyed their set before it was abbreviated, but aside from the exclusion of "Jung Jung", I can't complain too much. Hopefully next time, there's more people up front though!

Finally last night was local death metal/hardcore quartet The Valentine's Day Massacre, in the first time I've seen them in 2 months, and though Kyle Umgeher's beard was absent, their deathcore onslaught was not! The guys busted out an energetic set of original material and select covers for their fans, who thankfully added some life to the floor, and they rocked the Rosie with songs like "Make Death Wait", "Vampiric", and "Let It All Bleed Out" in their headlining set! The talent was there, as Andrew Angelic ripped some nice shredding riffs & solos (when they weren't looking for his pick), and Adam Veale's bass work stood out once again, but Steve Rhodes didn't really show as much stage presence as I'm used to, mostly pacing left to right on the stage. Also, and this is a point I've never really thought about before, but I'd like to see the guys play a bit less breakdowns. I'm not against them, but I wouldn't say they're always needed for a band of their intensity. Still, they had a great and very heavy set that ended the night well without too many caveats, and don't miss them next week at the second Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall!

Overall, last night's show was pretty good, though maybe not as long or tight as some Thursday nighters I've seen. I took a bunch of photos, so click here to check them out or visit our Facebook page! As for videos, here's March Into Regression (with Josh Stephney on vocals) covering The Black Dahlia Murder's "Deathmask Divine", Changing Waves playing their song "Distance", and finally, The Valentine's Day Massacre's original "Vampiric"!







That's all for today, but stay tuned for some overdue news stories tomorrow, including some major new shows! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

After a day full of new unveilings and what have you for our 5th anniversary, we're back on the news grind today starting with previews of this weekend's metal and hard rock concerts! However, note that our 3 Inches of Blood preview will likely be on Sunday, as it's too early to preview it just yet, but get your tickets A.S.A.P. for $10 so you don't miss this huge show! Also, if I'm missing any shows this weekend (i.e. anything late notice), I'll get them up as soon as I hear of them, so hopefully I'll miss nothing! Now, to the previews, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Kinross hard rockers Banned are returning to the local stage TONIGHT for an outdoor show in Rudyard! I apologize for the short notice, the show was only announced on Tuesday afternoon, and I couldn't fit it in to any of our posts since without it seeming tacked on. Tonight's show will see the guys return to the Rudyard Township Park for their "Music In The Park" concert series, which also saw the live debut of Banned last July, so what better place to play at under the summer sun? Also of note for this show: Banned have recently confirmed that former bassist Alex Schrovenwever (who had been guesting at many of their shows this year) has returned to Banned full time as their second guitarist, making them a quintet. Nice to see him back, and he definitely fits in well on guitar from what I've seen! However, their Facebook page now only credits Mike Straw as an occasional vocalist, which isn't surprising, given that I've only seen him sing once in any live Banned videos. I think he needs a fairer deal, as while he can sing, why have him in the band if he doesn't sing lead much? Either way, Banned are rocking the Rudyard park this evening, so don't miss them, no matter who's singing!

Admission is free, the show starts at 7:00 PM tonight, and it's definitely an all ages event. Check the above links for more details! Sounds like a fun show, and hopefully some of you can see all 4 or 5 guys rock the park in Rudyard tonight with their diverse brand of hard rock! For a preview, here's Banned's then-trio lineup covering Quiet Riot's "Bang Your Head (Metal Health)" at last year's Music In The Park show!



Now to previously announced shows, starting with TONIGHT'S 47th Roosevelt Hotel metal night! The fourth to be booked by Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie (and first since March that one of his bands aren't playing on), a quality lineup of hardcore and death metal bands will descend upon The Roosevelt Hotel tonight to melt faces before the heat does, including headliners The Valentine's Day Massacre! Making their third Rosie metal night appearance and first in almost 4 months, this talented quartet will bring their well recieved blend of hardcore and death metal back to the stage tonight, so don't miss them! Joining them are local hardcore standouts Changing Waves, who will make their 13th Rosie metal night appearance tonight, a number only three other bands have surpassed! Their recent resurgence in the local scene is definitely welcomed, and their diverse mix of hardcore and other genres won't come amiss tonight either? The opening band will be local death metal sextet March Into Regression in their second show since their return & renaming and first Sault Ontario concert since June of last year when they were Bring The Misery, and if you missed the F.A.T.I.L. Gathering in Laird, you won't wanna miss their current lineup tonight!

In case the lack of lineup updates on their Facebook page has thrown you for a loop, here's all of the changes... I think. From their last full lineup last summer, only guitarist Ray Cowan & drummer Travis St. Amour are back, with the new band now enlisting two singers to replace now-VDM singer Steve Rhodes, those being Bear Hunters guitarist Josh Stephney on harsh vocals & Like Father Like Son frontman/local metal concert booker Jeremy Hannah on clean vocals. This returns both to metal singing, after prominent stints with Bring The Fallen & Lorax in past years. As well, Christopher Neveau has replaced Daeson Lesage on guitar, and original rhythm guitarist Dan Souliere has rejoined his former band on bass to replace Tyler St. Amour (I think?), so hopefully that addresses their current lineup! Though no public reasoning for the lineup changes has came out, I heard good things from March Into Regression's return in Laird last month (with 3 ex-Bring The Fallen members, how could you not?), so don't be late for their set tonight! Admission is FREE for this 19+ concert, and a start time of 9:00 PM or later has been announced. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

This should be an entertaining metal concert, and there's plenty of quality death metal and hardcore to go around tonight, so don't miss the mayhem, and in one case, the Sault Ste. Marie return after over a year! For a preview, here's The Valentine's Day Massacre playing "My Sweet Delilah" at The Rosie in February, and I hope to see you guys there!



And finally, local metal trio Caveman Morrison will return to the live concert stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel! After over a month off from live concerts, Tym Morrison and company will rock The Rosie for one night only (no word on why they're not playing Saturday) for their first of 5 concerts in the next 5 weeks, in what may also be the debut of their new bassist! Since the departure of James White last month, band pages have yet to 100% confirm their new bassist, or if a temporary replacement will be joining in, but if I hear anything on the bassist front, you know you'll hear it here! Also, while we're on the subject, just a note that Caveman Morrison's scheduled concerts next weekend at The Rosie have been postponed three weeks to August 3rd & 4th, as per those shows' Facebook event page. A reason for the postponement hasn't been announced, but hopefully it's as simple as a scheduling error. Still, that leaves us with a Caveman Morrison concert weekend every second week for the next month, and that works! As for tomorrow's concert, they'll bring their metal & hard rock covers to The Rosie at 10:00 PM tomorrow night, you must be 19 to attend, and there's no cover charge. For more details, visit this concert's Facebook event page!

It's always good to see Caveman Morrison rocking the local stage, and hopefully they have lots of great music in store for their fans at The Roosevelt Hotel tomorrow night! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" at what's now Coch's Corner in 2010!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for an all-Sault Michigan post later tonight featuring tons of new local concerts in St. Ignace! Thanks everyone!

Battle For The Blood & Weak Ends Concert Previews!!

We're entering an interesting stretch for concerts in Sault Ontario, as we've got four straight days of metal/hard rock shows starting tonight, and none of them grace the two official days of the weekend. As such, I've decided to break up the inevitable concert previews into two separate posts to spread things out and give appropriate emphasis to certain shows. With that said, this post has previews of events taking place tonight & tomorrow, so here's what you need to know before you head to either concert!

Our first concert preview today is for the Battle For The Blood, going down TONIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel! Due to high advance demand for a second local opening act at the 3 Inches of Blood-headlined show at The Rosie on July 9th, promoter J.D. Pearce has organized a special battle of the bands for tonight (after a week's postponement) to find a 4th band to join the Vancouver-based power metal notables, fellow touring metal act Wretched, and locals The Bear Hunters on the lineup for this killer concert next month. As such, this is the second Sault Ontario battle of the bands of 2012, and it's nice to see another one so soon! 4 bands are competing tonight, and in alphabetical order, they are local hardcore quartet Changing Waves (replacing Shit Liver), Desbarats death metal standouts For All That Is Lost, local deathcore rockers The Valentine's Day Massacre, and extreme quintet Winkstinger, who should deliver some great and brutal competition tonight! Of the bands, only F.A.T.I.L. and The Valentine's Day Massacre have full battle experience, as they were a part of the three-way tie for third place at the Humane Society Battle in April, which alone indicates a likely close finish this time around!

Winkstinger's Jesse Cook & Jonas Gasperas are no strangers to battle success either, including at least one victory with Soldiers of Misfortune back in the day, and a 4th place finish with Winkstinger-predecessors Operation: Killdozer in March 2009. Changing Waves bassist Terrence Gomes is also a battle veteran, competing with his old punk band Creedon & The Animal Detectives at the Algoma University battle in December 2009, so there's plenty of battle-tested veterans among tonight's lineup! As well, fellow Humane Society battle competitors T-Rex Manning will play a special set out of competition tonight, though where they will be placed in the performance order isn't public at the moment. Not entirely metal, but hopefully J.D. and company entertain all in attendance with their covers & original punk material! As for the battle itself tonight, here's what I know so far. For the four competing bands, performance order will be drawn randomly before the bands begin, and each band will have 30 minute sets to perform (I don't think there's any song limits or cover restrictions, at least not publically.) Judging will be done by YOU, the fans, which is different from most recent battles, but hopefully you guys pick the most deserving winner, instead of turning this into a popularity contest.

Admission is $3 for tonight's Battle For The Blood, which also essentially gives you a voting ballot as well. You must be 19 to attend, the first band is on at 9:30 PM, and for the record, no prizes have been publically announced beyond the 3IOB opening slot. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome battle, and I'm just disappointed that I can't be there for it! Even still, I know it'll be very difficult and close to pick a winning band (personally, I can't predict the result), and I hope that the bands tonight give it their all and are judged fairly by those in attendance at The Rosie! Can F.A.T.I.L. or The V.D.M. build on their strong battle performances in April? Can Jesse & Jonas return to the top with Winkstinger's extreme sounds? Can Changing Waves make the most of their late addition to the lineup? We'll find out tonight, and you guys know I'll have as much fallout from the event as I can scrape together, so keep your eyes peeled! For the sake of fairness and impartiality, I won't post a preview video here for any of the competing bands, but here's tonight's special performers T-Rex Manning covering a Misfits classic at the last local battle in April!

The other heavier local concert going down before Thursday is a punk & metal ALL AGES show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall, featuring three heavier acts! The show itself is being headlined by Saskatoon hardcore punk quartet Weak Ends, who'll bring a nice old school flavour and attitude to Sault Ontario tomorrow night that punk fans of all ages should appreciate! Very entertaining, and their stuff harkens back to the good old days! The heavier bands on the lineup include co-headliners (and local horror punk/metal favourites) Frightlight, Winnipeg cyber-sludge metal trio Soul Killing Female, and local melodic death metallers The Bear Hunters (guitarist Mitch Sirie is promoting this show), so they'll definitely be worth checking out! While you're likely aware of the two local metal bands, Soul Killing Female's genre-blending brand of doom metal and electronic influences will bring a unique flavour to this show, so definitely check them out, especially their older albums! The lineup is rounded out by Regina garage punk outfit The Royal Red Brigade (a very solid band with a nice raw essence and punk intensity), who are third between Frightlight & S.K.F., and local punk trio Redundant, whose amusing banter and talented punk material will come between S.K.F. and The Bear Hunters at tomorrow's show.

Admission is $10 at the door for this ALL AGES show, doors open at 4:30 PM, and the bands begin at 5:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Though I'll still be out of town until Thursday, I know there's much quality to be had with this show tomorrow night, and though there are some outlying bands, there will be lots of aggressive punk for you punk lovers to take in at The Oddfellows Hall tomorrow (with enough metal to satisfy that end of the spectrum as well!) Definitely keep this concert in mind for tomorrow, and best of luck to all six bands! For a preview, here's Soul Killing Female playing their song "Isolationism" at a 2011 concert!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes shortly, including more weekend concert previews! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Hallows Die & Destroyer), Weekend Concert Previews, And Battle For The Blood Updates!!

Hey guys, here's our latest news post, and it's full of recent stuff to check out! Today, we have news on an upcoming battle of the bands, a preview for the only heavier concerts of the weekend that I currently know of, and leading things off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

A stacked lineup of out of town metal bands is coming to The Canadian Nightclub on June 29th, headlined by the return of Hallows Die! The Toronto death metal notables will make their first local concert appearance since the Ypres Metal Fest in April, and first full set since last fall's Napalm Death show, and their explosive & proficient blend of death metal will surely be welcomed back to the Soo in two weeks! A number of notable Northern Ontario metal bands will open this show, including Sudbury improv comedy/death metal trio 85 Pound Poutine (on their Canada Day Weekend Beaver Slap Tour), who I think feature Wolven Ancestry frontman Mark Howitt in their lineup under a stage name. If you can make out the vocals on their originals, you'll find some amusing stereotypical Canadian lyrics and themes, and they'll definitely be a welcome change from more serious metal on June 29th! Joining them are Sudbury blackened death metal quintet Before The Black Gates (nice to finally see them here) and North Bay death metal band Buried Out Back (featuring Empyrean Plague guitarist Dave Strba), so they should bring lots of brutality in a couple of weeks at The Canadian!

The lineup is rounded out by local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters (guitarist Mitch Sirie is fittingly booking this show), and you know they'll add well to the proceedings and set the tone nicely! This show will be an ALL AGES event as other recent Canadian Nightclub metal shows have been, there will be a $10 cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like one hell of a concert, and in some ways, it feels like a continuation of the Ypres Metal Fest with it's common musicians and Northern Ontario links. I need to get more familiar with Buried Out Back, but the rest of the bands are definitely talented and brutal, and B.T.B.G. are particularly overdue for a local stop! Kudos to Mitch in bringing all of these bands here on the 29th (he's outdoing himself this summer), and stay tuned for another note on one of his upcoming concerts later in this post!

Also in new concerts, Kiss fans should prepare themselves, as a high profile Canadian tribute to the hottest band in the world are coming back to Sault Ste. Marie! Destroyer: Canada's premier Kiss tribute, are hitting The Rockstar Bar on July 14th for their first local concert appearance since April 2010, so it's definitely been a long time coming for them to rock the Soo again! These guys deliver a great Kiss look and sound to the stage at every show, as fans at their 2010 Rockstar Bar show would probably attest. At least this time, the show won't be in the shadow of the real thing playing here in a few months, so hopefully it's an even bigger hit this time around! Tickets will be $10 in advance or $12 at the door (both down in price from last time), this is a 19+ event, and a 10:30 PM start time is listed. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like a great time for Kiss Army members and even casual fans of Gene & company, especially knowing the authentic experience that Destroyer provide, and if you don't believe me, check the above links to hear and see for yourselves! Stay tuned for more on Destroyer's local return on July 14th as I hear of it, and both of these new shows are now in our Sault Ontario concert listings!

Next up, here's a preview of the only verifiable hard rock/metal concerts going down this weekend at present time, and they involve the return of Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's acoustic solo concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Tym will hit The Service Grill on Korah Road once again for his second solo concert weekend with his new guitar tonight & tomorrow, and if you enjoy his hard rock & metal covers in this more intimate setting, you'll wanna check out the proceedings at some point this weekend! Like his other recent Service Grill gigs, Tym will be playing two sets each tonight & tomorrow, with 4 hour sets at both 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM, so times are definitely workable for most schedules! Admission should be free, and there's no likely age limits, given the concert's setting. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tym should deliver some great acoustic renditions of many of your metal and hard rock hits over the next couple of nights, so keep his Service Grill dates this weekend in mind over a quiet stretch of shows (though next week will be very busy!) Check the above links for more, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" earlier this year!

And finally, here's a couple of updates for the Battle For The Blood at The Roosevelt Hotel on Tuesday! Firstly, a fourth band has been added to the lineup of competitors, that being the recently returned local hardcore quartet Changing Waves, ostensibly replacing Shit Liver as the battle's fourth band. Promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed their addition on the Facebook event page yesterday. This will be Changing Waves' first battle, but it returns bassist Terrence Gomes to a local battle of the bands, having competed with defunct punk band Creedon & The Animal Detectives at the Algoma University Battle in December 2009. Changing Waves' diverse and heavy sound should add a new wrench into the voting process on Tuesday, and as of right now, it's anyone's game between them, For All That Is Lost, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and Winkstinger! Who will open for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie next month? We'll know on Tuesday! The other battle news is that the performance order will be randomly drawn on Tuesday night prior to the battle, though set limits and restrictions have yet to be made public (I'd be very surprised if the bands got more than a half hour each though.) Check the above links for more details on the Battle for the Blood, and I'll have more news on it over the weekend hopefully!

That's all for today, but stay tuned hopefully for a new news post over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

Rosie Metal Night #45 Review!!

Finally, here's my review of Thursday's 45th Roosevelt Hotel metal night! It was delayed for two reasons: I had to get a new news post up thanks to the late notice for the Turner Up shows this weekend (I don't like combining concert reviews with unrelated stories in most cases), and the Changing Waves video had out of sync audio that I had to fix. Now that both of those are cleared out of the way, check out our review from Thursday's metal fesitivies below!

First up was local metal quartet Borderline Divine in their Rosie debut and in their second concert with their current name and lineup! Their set on Thursday was more or less unchanged from their return set last month, playing half new originals and half Stillbroke holdovers & covers, and though the crowd wasn't at it's peak for their opening slot, they delivered another very good and highly promising series of songs! If anything, the biggest difference was in the lighting, which they had noticeably darkened by request, but their own on stage effects are getting bigger and more custom! Soundwise, they sounded about as good as they did last month at the West of Hell show, and Jesse Frigault's vocals remain impressive and a nice heavier extension on his older repertoire, but I do think that some of Mitch Sirie's backing vocals were a bit overdone, especially the higher pitched backing singing he did early on "Burn The World". Still, Borderline Divine have a bright future ahead if they keep on the path they've carved out this year, and their mix of melodic and death sounds can take them places for sure! Just make sure Sam doesn't get too lost in the smoke from the machine, you need his talented drumming!

Following them were local hardcore quartet Changing Waves, and though they were the advertised headliners, it was just good to see them back after a five month break from the stage! I have no idea where they've been, but if there was any rust, it was quickly shook off with their high impact set of originals and select covers! Along with established favourites like "Jung Jung", "Lockdown", and "Tital", the guys played some newer originals like "Go", "Kiss My Ass Again", and "Distance" that showed some hardcore fury and some nice variances into other sounds and styles, and the crowd ate it up! I don't remember if I mentioned this at all last year, but Benjamin Kallonen's stage presence has improved drastically since their 2010 debut, and that goes well with his increasingly diverse singing and the other band members' talents! Mike & Alex Hagerman continue to have good chemistry (as you'd expect), and Terrence Gomes' bass work was solid as well, adding up to a successful return for Changing Waves on Thursday night! Remember to go see both them and Borderline Divine at the F.A.T.I.L. Gathering in Laird on June 22nd!

Finally on Thursday was extreme metal notables Winkstinger.... or, most of them, as for a second straight week, one of the bands at a Rosie metal night was down a member. Guitarist Jason Ladouceur was absent for unannounced reasons, reducing Winkstinger to a "fourtet" on Thursday night, but how'd they manage without him? Honestly, compared to other local bands I've seen shorthanded, the absence of a second guitarist was more noticeable than I assumed, but the guys managed well enough to entertain the crowd with brutal originals like "Stop! You Can't Interrogate Someone With Brain Damage" and much more! Nothing else was really shockingly different compared to other recent Winkstinger sets, but Alan Wells' creatively aggressive vocals melted many a face, and Jesse Cook's guitar work was as fast and blistering as you'd expect, so we ate everything up! Even shorthanded, Winkstinger delivered a brutal set on Thursday, and hopefully they're back on the local stage soon!

Overall, this was another fun night of local metal, and a welcome selection of different bands than we've tended to see at The Rosie lately! The metal nights have now reverted to a bi-weekly schedule, so the 46th installment won't be until June 21st when The Bear Hunters & two Desbarats bands bring an all death metal set to The Rosie! Stay tuned for more on that as we inch closer to the show, but for now, check out my photos from this past Thursday at this location or at our Facebook page! Apologies for the Borderline Divine photo quality, but smoke machines and my camera don't agree, despite their coolness. As for videos, so here's Borderline Divine's 10 minute long original "Burn The World", Changing Waves' newer original "Drop Smack" (with the audio now re-synced), and 4/5ths of Winkstinger playing "From Bullshit To Buzz (Lies=Weed)"!







That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news over the weekend and a pair of feature posts on Sunday: This month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Eckerman, Michigan hard rockers Bent Rollercoaster, and the second archive Woods of Ypres/David Gold interview I recently rediscovered! Thanks everyone!

Weekend Concert Previews, Garden Of Bedlam Footage, And This Week's Classic Video!!

It's time for this weekend's metal and hard rock concert previews, and though the weekend itself is fairly scarce for new shows, there's a couple shows worth covering like they deserve, so those lead of tonight's post! Also stay tuned afterwards for new videos from a big concert last month and this week's classic video, but for now, here's what you need to know for the metal shows going down locally TONIGHT and Sunday!

First on the weekend concert docket is the 45th Roosevelt Hotel metal night and second since it's latest relaunch! A solid mix of newer and not recently seen bands for the Thursday night series will gather TONIGHT to melt faces at The Roosevelt Hotel, and the festivities tonight will be headlined by the return of hardcore quartet Changing Waves! After an almost five month break from the stage, this diverse and energetic young band are sure to be welcomed back with open arms tonight, so be sure not to miss their hard hitting originals! Joining them are extreme metal quintet Winkstinger, in their first Thursday metal night appearance in almost four months, and their explosive and alcohol fueled hardcore onslaught should be in top form in advance of the Battle For The Blood on Tuesday! Rounding out the lineup are local metal quartet Borderline Divine (the former Stillbroke) in their second live concert and first Roosevelt Hotel appearance, which should be interesting in itself! Their new originals and heavy covers left a great impression in their live debut last month, and it'll definitely be interesting to see the guys make their Rosie debut!

Admission will be free as expected, and a start time after 9:00 PM is likely, but there will be a 19+ age limit after a two show all ages stint, due to attendance and security concerns. Even with that news, this should be a great night of metal featuring a very different lineup than we've tended to see on Thursdays at The Rosie this year! There's a little something for everyone tonight, and hopefully I can make it out! For a preview, here's Changing Waves playing two songs at The Rosie last year!



The other concert is the planned debut performance by new local grunge/alternative band Haggith on Sunday at The Canadian Nightclub! The new band from prolific local solo artist Mike Haggith, Havadder alum Daniel Horton, and ex-20 Pack of Marshmallows guitarist Curtis McKenzie will play their first ever live set on Sunday night, which should be an interesting debut from an intriguing new local band! Though public information on this new band has been brief so far, the talent is there, and all three guys have made some solid original material, so hopefully the debut of the Haggith band goes awesomely on Sunday! Details on this Sunday's concert are scant, but it should be a 19+ affair with a 10:00 PM-ish start time and a cover charge of $5 or less. Check the above links for more details! I'm definitely curious to hear Haggith for the first time, and they've been hyping the possible release of a "basement EP" at Sunday's show, so hopefully a decent crowd turns out! For a preview of this show, here's one of two new songs that Haggith will apparently be playing this weekend, courtesy of Curtis McKenzie's YouTube channel! Entitled "Wanko", this was originally posted online in April before the band's launch, and it features Curtis' brother/former bandmate Travis alongside Daniel, and it doesn't sound too bad!

The vocals remind me of Brandon Carr from Nixxon Dixxon, and the song has a nice grungy groove and a catchy upbeat melody while still being heavy! If this is Curtis singing (as in his original "Rage Train" that Haggith will also be playing), then hopefully we'll hear him sing too on Sunday! Still waiting for a song featuring Mike or some live videos, but this is a nice glimpse to what we can expect from Haggith, so check out "Wanko" below, hear more at the above links, and go see them at The Canadian on Sunday!



Also today, here's some new video footage of local metal notables Garden of Bedlam! You may have already seen the Shaw TV interview with the guys from their May 12th Rockstar Bar concert, but the stuff shot at that show by The 705 Video Magazine was still waiting to make it online. Well, the wait is over, as the 705VM's YouTube channel uploaded two videos from the concert on Sunday, both of which are covers, those being of Tool's "46 & 2" and Volbeat's "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood"! The former has been filmed a lot before, but I don't think the Volbeat cover has ever been publically viewable as a video before now, so that's cool to see! That said, these both suffer in the audio department, with some distorted and scratchy moments, especially on bass-heavy parts and when the songs get more aggressive (but the video quality itself isn't bad!) Plus, I know that Garden of Bedlam were interviewed for The 705 Video Magazine before that show (the proof's in the picture), so I'm wondering what's happening with that? Still, it's great to see these new videos finally, so check out Garden of Bedlam's Volbeat cover below, and in case they don't play locally before then, don't miss them at the Anvil show next month!



And finally for this post, here's this week's classic video! I was struggling to find a video at least a year old online with performers at concerts this weekend, so I dipped into the general archives for this 2008 video of defunct Sault Michigan metal quartet Nixxon Dixxon live on stage! The first of two videos from fan Lyzz Johnson that she posted on her MySpace page 4 years ago, this came from a May 11th, 2008 show at The Bird (a.k.a. Golanka's Bar) where the guys covered Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love"! Fitting knowing how much guitarist Chris Hubbard loves Van Halen, but how do they sound? Though the video is incomplete, they seem to have had a good handle on the song, though Brandon Carr's vocals weren't as wider ranging as we were used to even two years later. The audio quality on this camera doesn't do any favours to the sound, and the low quality video is very shaky (even flipping on it's side at one point), but it's an interesting look back to Nixxon Dixxon's early local run! Lyzz even stressed on the original upload that this video doesn't do them justice, and I can vouch for that (check out 2009-2010 videos of them for proof.) This video was originally uploaded at http://myspace.com/video/lyzz-rox/nixxon-dixxon/34001609 and NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!!

All credit for this video goes to Nixxon Dixxon and Lyzz, I'm just trying to share this video with a deserving wider audience! It's a nice performance, quality issues aside, so give perhaps the oldest public Nixxon Dixxon live video a look below!