Haggith - "XIV" EP Review!!

It's time for our 81st monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at defunct local hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith's fourth studio album "XIV"! With no new hard rock albums to touch on, we chose this album for our latest review to tie in with Haggith members' battle of the bands runs with The Din, Eclipse, and Pillory earlier this month. Their third and final mainline release before dissolving last summer (though the previously recorded "Apocalypse II" was their last release), and named after it's original target release year, "XIV" was self-produced and released through PaperClip Productions on April 17th, 2015, though recording plans were shrunk following founding guitarist Daniel Horton's departure from the band during recording sessions, forcing surviving members to chop "XIV" down to EP length. The disc features Haggith's 2014-15 lineup, but only singer Curtis McKenzie and drummer Mike Haggith feature on all 4 tracks. Bassist Jordan Leach plays on all but "Red" (which Daniel plays bass on), while Curtis plays guitar on the two songs completed after Daniel's departure.

As well, Mourning Wood's Steven Flint provides a guest bass solo on "Road Rash", which he performed with Curtis & Daniel in their old band Punch before Haggith re-purposed that song. On sale for just $2 via the PaperClip online store, "XIV" can also be streamed via Haggith's YouTube channel (and titles are linked below from there as well), but there are no official digital sale copies of it. In any event, consider buying "XIV" to support Haggith's work! A short release with just 4 songs at just 14 minutes in length, let's begin with the first song, "Red"! Running at a disc-low 1:55 in length, this is a steadily paced rocker that has a fun driving feel, strong guitar and bass work from Daniel, and nice melodic vocals from Curtis, but the song definitely feels unfinished, abruptly ending with a higher sung verse, seemingly before a spot where a guitar solo would have been. Was this song currently in production when Daniel left? Note that the YouTube copy of this song fades out at the end for unexplained reasons.

Second is a cover of Punch's "Road Rash", which was taken on by Haggith after that band dissolved. Notably the only song on "XIV" featuring all 4 members of the 2014-15 Haggith lineup together, the song gives us our best example of Curt's vocal range, and Mike's drum fills and rhythm are on point, with Jordan more than holding his own on bass! That said, Steven's bass solo shows his own skill nicely, but it admittedly feels like it was tacked on from a separate song. The lyrics can be a little repetitive, and Daniel's guitar solo isn't highly mixed on the final product, but this is a strong track that was a live fan favourite! Third is "Anthem", which was a long-time live staple for Haggith, but only received it's first studio release on "XIV". Designed as the band's own anthem (appropriately) for fans to "hail" Haggith with during the call & response choruses, the loss of the live energy and spontaneity does affect the studio version, but Curt does an admirable job on guitar in Daniel's stead! However, it may have been better left as a live track.

"XIV" closes with a remake of their song "Rage Train", which was originally recorded for their 2012 debut CD "Dragon Joy Ride" by Curtis, Daniel, and Mike. The new version (sans Daniel, and with Jordan on bass) doesn't divert from the original's path too much, but it is a little longer, better produced, and benefits from the guys' added studio experience in the intervening years! It's not Haggith's most technical or fastest song, but it has a grungy bite in both versions, and while it's subjective, I prefer the remake for the recording quality and added energy. For fuller thoughts on the original song, visit our "Dragon Joy Ride" review at this link. The EP closes with about 25 seconds of silence before an unidentified band member says "That's it? Fuck." This is tacked onto the end of "Rage Train" on YouTube, but on CD copies, it's allocated to a 5th bonus track.

So, what are my final thoughts on "XIV"? It's an entertaining EP from this talented local band, who delivered their last studio work with energy, aggression, and maturity! Curtis McKenzie's singing was on point as usual, he and Daniel Horton delivered strong riffs and good solos, Jordan Leach fit in well on bass, and Mike Haggith's skilled drumming was a constant presence, with the production and songwriting helping back everything up! I preferred "Road Rash" myself, but while none of the songs were bad, "Anthem" felt like a missed opportunity given it's title theme (I'd have included a professionally recorded live version, myself.) That said, "XIV" is one of those albums that will always have the question "What if?" hanging over it. Before Daniel left the band, "XIV" was planned to feature 7 more original songs (and no "Rage Train" remake), though Eclipse have since taken on "Wasted", "Rebel From Above", and "Metal Cage" as their own. What if Daniel has stayed on to finish the originally intended CD?

We may never know, but huge kudos go out to Haggith for completing and releasing "XIV" in this form, and while it lasts, it's a strong blast of hard rock that set their mainline album trilogy out on a high, so buy or stream it above! Just as an addendum, note that my CD copy features the first 3 seconds of the next song at the very end of each preceding track. I am unsure if that is an isolated case, or if other initial pressings of this EP are similar, but keep that in mind if you have a physical copy! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and stay tuned for a likely review of AlgomA and Chronobot's upcoming split disc next, as it comes out on Friday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Beaumont Avenue), Haggith's New Release, And Much More!!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's post is stacked with some big updates, including some assorted recent notes, a surprising drummer exit in the imminent future, and a quiet album release from last month, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next three months!

Local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue are back in business for the summer season, with new Rockstar Bar concerts scheduled for THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, Friday, June 19th, and Saturday, July 18th! The former Suicide Kings only played sporadically over the fall and winter during holiday breaks due to drummer Ben Boudreau's school commitments out of town (most recently in March at The Rednecks Saloon), but with the spring semester over, the 2013 Rockstar Bar Battle winners are back and ready to rock! Each show (all visibly one-nighters) have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover (but bring cash just in case.) For more details, visit each show's Facebook event pages (linked here, here, and here.) It's great to see Beaumont Avenue back finally, so be sure to welcome Ben home THIS SATURDAY, and we'll preview that show later this week as well!

And yes, this Saturday's show is on the same day as bassist Mitch Sirie's set with The Bear Hunters at Saturday's fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub, but there's no conflict, as The Bear Hunters's Swampfest set was moved from the 1:00 AM headlining slot to 8:25 PM to accomodate the Beaumont Avenue show (Gnaeus are now headlining at The Canadian on Saturday.) Mitch has a busy night ahead, so be sure to see him at one (or both?) shows this weekend, and click here for the full lineup!

Next up, local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith quietly released their new EP "XIV" last month! Surprisingly with little hype, Haggith announced that their third mainline studio release was now on sale via their Facebook page on April 17th, and while I got an advance copy around then, the official announcement was under the radar, hence why it's late to the site. Their last recorded album with ex-guitarist Daniel Horton and first released with current bassist Jordan Leach, the four song EP isn't yet on their Bandcamp page, but physical copies cost a low $2, and can be bought through band members or presumably at upcoming concerts (the new lineup debuts at Swampfest on Friday.) The featured songs (all recorded at Paperclip Productions) are "Red" (with Daniel on bass), "Road Rash" (with Beaumont Avenue's Steven Flint guesting with Jordan on bass), "Anthem", and their re-recording of "Rage Train" (both without Daniel).

With that said, is a review of "XIV" imminent on the SMS? No, because we're planning to review Haggith's first "Apocalypse" album this month in honour of the planned release of it's sequel "Apocalypse II" next week, mainly because both are full CDs unlike "XIV", which was released as an EP following Haggith's lineup changes. "XIV" is a solid listen for fans though, and at least we got it out in this form, so stream it at their YouTube channel or buy it through the band A.S.A.P.!

Also today, we have a surprising lineup change to note on here, as local classic metal quartet Project 421 will soon be parting ways with drummer Larry Mousseau. According to a personal Facebook posting by frontman Blair Burch yesterday, Larry will be moving out of town next week, though he will still be playing one last time with Project 421 THIS FRIDAY during the Redneck Rock concert at The Rednecks Saloon. That said, the band is looking for a new drummer, and they're hoping to not have to cancel their scheduled summer concerts, so if you're an experienced drummer that's into classic metal, or know someone who is, message Blair at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting! This is disappointing news, especially knowing Larry's talent and extensive band work, but hopefully the move is a positive for him, and come see him at The Rednecks Saloon one last time THIS FRIDAY!

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

• In one more Swampstravaganza V note before our weekend concert previews, local progressive rock quartet Mannapool have quietly been removed from the lineup for unannounced reasons, as per the Facebook event page and event website. Hopefully all is amicable, and fans can still see them one week from today at The Rednecks Saloon opening for Zaum! There are now just 9 scheduled acts, but the 4:00 PM open mic block has been extended to 2 hours, possibly in their place.
• Local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din are now a part of this summer's Gonqshow, as they will join The Apocalypse Afterparty as openers for Montreal folk/punk quartet Hard Up at The Algonquin Pub on August 7th! Solid choice to add to another diverse upcoming concert, so visit this link for more details!
• As recently indicated on event pages & posters, concerts promoted by AlgomA members Jamie Vincent and Boyd Rendell are now being presented under the Six Two Oh banner rather than Oh! Right Arm! Promotions for unannounced reasons, but it might be a move for synergy, as Six Two Oh was already the name that the band was using for Jamie's home recording studio/house party venue. Get more details on upcoming Six Two Oh shows at this link, and Six Two Oh is now in our "Other Local Metal Links"! No word though on the Bardos-headlined show that was teased for this Friday.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more from the local metal, hard rock, and punk scenes this week! Thanks everyone!

Haggith Album Updates & More Benighted Concert Videos!!

Well guys, we had a good run, but I'm shutting the SMS down.... APRIL FOOLS! Now that that's out of the way, we're coming in hot into a new month with a new news post on this Wednesday afternoon, including the rest of the videos from last month's Benighted concert, but first, here's some updates on a local band's album plans following a major recent lineup change!

We'll start today with some more updates from local hard rock quartet Haggith, fresh off of the departure of Daniel Horton and the return of Caleb Cachagee to replace him on guitar, so what's new from the band now? On their Facebook page yesterday, the band clarified the status of their third mainline CD "XIV", which will now be retracted to an EP, as "recent events" (presumably Daniel's exit) mean that the album as intended "will never be released." While disappointing, this also came up during the "Dragon Joy Ride" sessions in 2012, as Daniel's brief first departure then led to plans to scrap songs that he wrote from the album and start anew with songs wrote fully by the other members. Though things were patched up then, it looks like the same is basically happening here, but Haggith said that releasing "XIV" as an EP "is the least we can do" for their patient fans. No word yet on how much of the planned original album will survive for future projects, but a new song from "XIV" is now online!

Presumably collecting the songs recorded with Daniel before he left, Haggith posted the studio version of "Road Rash" onto their YouTube channel yesterday (complete with final cover art), which also features Beaumont Avenue/Mourning Wood bassist Steven Flint on a guest bass solo, which is fitting, as "Road Rash" began as a Punch original when Steven, Daniel, and Curtis McKenzie were in that band together! Haggith have teased one more song for the EP (it's identity is yet unclear), but check out "Road Rash" below, and stay tuned for more on "XIV" as we hear it!



The rest of today's post is devoted to the remainder of the Montreal Metal Shows YouTube channel's videos from the Benighted-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall on March 7th, and kudos again to them for their great footage from this well-received all ages concert! We already touched on videos from that night's last 4 bands (Benighted, Bookakee, The Bear Hunters, and Bad Back) on Saturday, but click on the band names above to see their videos, and remember that this channel did not film the secretive, online page-less metal trio Them, who opened the show, but hopefully we hear more on them sooner or later! We'll start today with local alternative/acid rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din (who replaced the aforementioned Haggith on the lineup, as Daniel was out of town), and their video is of them playing Mike's solo song "This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device". Strongly performed and shot, this is one of my favourite of The Din's recent live songs, and it captures their energy well, so give it a look below!



Closing with videos from Blood Shed Productions acts, one is of local goregrind duo Rotopsy playing their lively original song "Swamp Donkey", and while the music may be polarizing for some, their enthusiasm and aggression are on full display, so give their video a look below!


 
Lastly from this concert (Them aside) are two videos of local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore, both of short originals, including this song (the title could be seen as offensive, but you can find it on C.T.W.'s Facebook page) and the track embedded below, whose title starts with "Foot", but as it's title may also be seen as offensive, I won't post the rest here. Again, nice quality video of Tyler in action here, so Blood Shed fans should be right at home both below and via the above links!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and this month's Where Are The New Albums? post next (and remember not to miss Anvil TONIGHT!) Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soo Zombie Walk) & Haggith Updates!!

Barring some more late notice show announcements, we'll close this weekend's hard rock & punk concert previews today with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning a well anticipated annual event's band lineup for this year! At the end of the post though, we also have some added updates from one of the bands at said event, so read on below to get caught up for the weekend!

The band lineup for this year's sixth annual Soo Zombie Walk TOMORROW has finally been officially announced, so now we can detail this year's musical entertainment! Apologies for the short notice, organizers only just detailed the bands this weekend on the walk's website, and we held our announcement of them for this weekend's previews. Like last year, the Zombie Walk (which will see many Saultites dressed as the undead and roaming downtown for brains) will return to The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, and once again, bands will be rocking out pre-battle at the museum as part of the expanded event schedule at it's current location. If you liked last year's zombie walk bands, you'll enjoy this year's lineup, as every act (save for James Watterworth) is returning to entertain the zombies, with local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith returning for their third straight zombie walk set, and first public concert appearance of the fall!

With this talented band's upcoming CD "Apocalypse II" nearing release, look for more zombie-themed originals from that and it's predecessor in their set! Also, local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage will join them for their fourth straight zombie walk set, and their first local concert appearance in 5 months! The Beckers and company should entertain with their crash rock sounds, and they have plenty of new material to source from for their set, so don't miss their first set of the fall tomorrow! Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan (again credited as Greg Calhoun) will also return from last year for a solo opening set, and while it remains to be seen if his set will be "evil" like in some past appearances, he should have some entertaining covers in store to kick things off! According to a conversation with Sykotyk Rampage's Dirk Becker, they and Haggith have switched places from the announced timeslots, so Haggith are apparently headlining at around 4:00 PM, with Sykotyk Rampage on at 3:00 PM & Greg Callaghan on at 2:00 PM.

For the rest of the schedule (which includes brain eating contests, food, vendors, face panting, photos, and games) from the 2:00 PM opening until 5:00 PM, click here, while the walk itself will take place from 5:00-6:00 PM on Pim, Queen, Brock, and Bay Streets, starting and ending at the Bushplane Museum (click here for the full map.) Admission will be $2 plus a non-perishable food donation, while kids 12 and under just have to bring a food donation to enter. For more details, visit the above links! It should also be noted that no official Zombie Walk pages for this year make mention of an afterparty, so it's looking like this will be the first year since the inaugural walk in 2009 where there wasn't an afterparty, which admittedly took a back seat to the new expanded afternoon lineup after the event moved from The Grand Theater last year. The Zombie Walk is always a fun addition to the Halloween calendar, and I just hope organizers have worked out the kinks from last year after all of the changes (particularly the confusion regarding when the walk itself actually began.)

As last year's walk moved to the Halloween weekend, it conflicted with the Ripcordz concert that night, so I only went to the one event, but as it's back on the weekend before J.D.'s party this year, I can definitely return for the zombie walk tomorrow! It will be great to join the walking dead once again, and to take in some artists I haven't seen in a while too, so I hope to see you fellow zombies there, and for a preview, here's Haggith live last month!



Closing today's post, we'll touch on some more news from the aforementioned Haggith, including news on their upcoming CDs "XIV" and "Apocalypse II"! At this point, it's looking like the latter concept sequel album will be out first, as the band revealed on their Facebook page last week that it will be released this coming Tuesday (October 28th) for $5, and copies can be pre-ordered via their online store. Additional streaming media and sale availability is to be announced, but I'm a bit surprised that they aren't rushing the release for tomorrow given their Zombie Walk involvement and the CD's zombie themes (maybe there's a surprise in store?) The release date for "XIV" (whose name refers to it's release this year, thanks Curt!) is to be determined, but the store above referenced an October 14th date that has since came & went, though whether or not drummer Mike Haggith's recent personal break was a factor isn't stated. Given it's impending release, is "Apocalypse II" next for a CD review on the site?

I'd have to say it's not going to be reviewed next, mostly because it's a sequel to a prior concept album, so it'd be a disservice to the story to cover them out of order. That said, the original "Apocalypse" from 2012 isn't new and doesn't have precedence in our queue for that reason, so Northwest's new EP is still most likely for November. However, if the non-concept "XIV" comes out next month, then that's likely next, but I'll keep you guys posted in any case! We'll leave you guys with this short 12 second cell phone video from Haggith's Facebook page on Saturday of singer Curtis McKenzie singing his track from one of the band's upcoming originals. Sounds good, but stay tuned for more updates as the weeks progress!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, and of course, we'll see you guys at the Zombie Walk tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Late & Loud), Frightlight's Future, And More Recent Updates!!

Covering some big recent news today (and yes, I know I'm behind on some other stories), we're touching on some new recent video uploads, big album updates, and a prominent local band's planned farewell, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next week that has it's own attached finality!

Inactive local classic metal quartet Late & Loud will headline a second (and perhaps final?) reunion concert on Friday, August 1st at The Rockstar Bar! Last seen at this venue in February, this is being hyped as both their "last gig for a year" and "your last chance" to see them live, as per the Facebook event page, so Loudmouths out there should take notice, regardless of which statement you believe! From what I understand, the extra finality is at least partly due to guitarist/singer Brendan Christie's impending move overseas next month, so whether this is goodbye for a year or for good, give Brendan (and the band?) a solid sendoff one week from Friday! Local openers will include recently reunited local grunge quartet Haggith in just their second show of the year (more on them in a bit) and all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats, who also opened for L&L in February, and both should fit in nicely at this show! Admission will be $5 at the door, you must be 19 to attend, and a 9:00 PM start time is in effect. For more details, see above!

While most of their shows in the past year have had a bittersweet air about them due to breakup teases and relocation hints, Brendan's move is much bigger than Jon's was, and this definitely could be their last show for at least a year or beyond. Fans of Late & Loud's energetic metal sound shouldn't miss this event, so keep it in mind for next weekend, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up (and also in the realm of bands whose days may be numbered), local horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight are apparently breaking up this fall, but not before a farewell concert of their own! According to a post on their Facebook page last night, the band will be hosting both a reunion and "a frightening farewell" on Halloween, as members are "real busy with life & other projects", so they wanted to play one last full Frightlight concert as a proper sendoff. This year's Halloween falls on a Saturday, and chances are that alludes to frontman Johnny Pints' annual Halloween party concert, which has been optimistically teased over the past few months, but further details won't be released until closer to the event. While Frightlight were last seen at The Marquee at Bon Soo in February, their last set to an actual paid audience was last August at the former Roosevelt Hotel, so regardless of any finality, fans have been waiting a while for their return.

Members have been busy with bands like Jack Spades, Redundant, and Chronic Demonic lately, so we won't be starved for new music from the guys, but this is still disappointing for fans who've loved their horrifically entertaining sets over the past 5 years! Exactly 5 years, in fact, as their debut set in 2009 was also at Johnny's annual Halloween show, which fell on the 31st that year too, so they're coming full circle! Stay tuned for more from both Frightlight and the Halloween event as we hear it!

Moving to some more positive news to close today, the aforementioned Haggith have began revealing some of the plans and content for their announced new album, so what should you know? Well, for one, they're working on two albums now, one being a normal studio CD named "XIV" (no word what they're counting 14 of), and the other being "Apocalypse II", the sequel to their second studio release that they had originally tried to put out prior to December's "farewell" show. As per their Facebook page, this teaser image was released that lists 10 songs for "XIV", including memorable live originals like "Public Enemy", "Anthem", and "Metal Cage", plus some newer tracks, but possibly most interesting is that "XIV" will also include originals that had originally debuted in members Curtis McKenzie & Daniel Horton's recent hard rock band Punch, such as "Road Rash", "By The Hand", and the eponymous "Punch". Interesting to see Haggith take these tracks on as their own, I wonder if Steven or Ben had any hand in the songwriting?

While "XIV" is teased for an October release, no studio samples are out yet for it, but on the flipside, a song from their other upcoming disc "Apocalypse II" is now up on the band's YouTube channel! Their first posting there in 9 months, the song (titled "Apocalypse") features just Curtis & Daniel on all instruments, including the keyboard, and it has a softer and plainer ambiance, presumably to fit in with the conceptual nature it and it's predecessor had. I'll hold on thoughts until it's review time, but check out the new song below, and catch up on Haggith's ambitious studio plans above!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back, starting with the news that they finally have their own Facebook page! Odd that it took over a year to launch a page there, but things will get up to speed there in time, so become a fan above! Also, drummer Nathan Sauve uploaded five new concert videos from their set opening for The Archaics last week at The New American Pub onto his new YouTube channel over the last few days, all uniquely filmed from overhead, which gives an interesting angle, but doesn't tell fans much about the stage setup if they've never been to The New A. The filmed songs include "Shirt Tucker", "Two Tongues", covers of NOFX's "Linoleum" and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "American Girl", and as embedded below, their original "Drum My Way Home", so check each link to see each video! Well shot with a great camera, angle aside, you get a great sense of Bad Back's live presence, but the vocals are far too muffled on average. Fans will be right at home though, so check out these new concert clips above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile tomorrow, plus more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!