The Dreadnaut Show Is OFF!

Well, I was all raring to go rock out tonight at the Dreadnaut/The Fury concert scheduled for tonight at The Canadian, and wouldn't you know it, they no-showed. Just fucking great, I was looking forward to seeing them finally! I gotta thank Jay Perron for giving me the scoop on what happened while I was there, he was handling things well, given the circumstances. I don't know full details on why they no-showed, but hopefully we'll have an idea very soon, cause I'm sure a bunch of you guys are disappointed at the very least.

So yeah, the show is cancelled. I won't say anything bad about Dreadnaut, I'm still a fan of their music, and I don't know why they couldn't make it, but I recommend you guys try and stay respectful and open-minded until we know more. And if they schedule another show here, I sure hope they actually do make it, cause I'd still love to see them! And for you fans of The Fury, all is not lost, cause you'll still get to see them tomorrow night at The Oddfellows Hall with local metal band Necropolis at The Class War Kids show! Check below for my preview on that show!

I also deleted the Dreadnaut concert preview from the last post for the simple reason that, it didn't happen. Well, just letting you guys know, I'll have more news and updates on local metal in the coming days! And if I hear more on the cancellation, I'll have it here! Thanks everyone!

Necropolis Concert Preview, Plus New Stillbroke Songs, & More!!!

EDIT (July 15th, 10:00 PM): This post had previously included a preview for the planned July 15th concert at The Canadian featuring Dreadnaut and The Fury, which was CANCELLED. Because of that, I have removed it's preview from this post cause the show never happened. Check the post immediately above for details!

So how's everyone doing? Good, I hope? Well, here's your local concert preview for the show taking place on Thursday night! And if I find any happening this weekend, I'll preview them later in the week too, but I haven't heard that there will be any yet. Stay tuned afterwards for news on some new Stillbroke songs, a request for help confirming a concert on July 22nd, and a cool archive of old concerts I found online!

On Thursday night, local metal band Necropolis return to the stage, as one of the many bands on a punk show! They're among the supporting acts for Newfoundland punk band The Class War Kids! They're alright for punk, but what do you think? Check them out on MySpace! Also among the lineup: Toronto classical/punk outfit RedD Monkey (who headlined another Necropolis show from May), as well as locals The Fury and Free Beer! But here's something that may interest you guys as well: Inactive local alt-rockers Smeltzer (featuring ex-Gates of Winter drummer Kevin Overton) are reuniting for one night only at this show! I know some of you out there were fans, so why not go check them out, if nothing else? They're not metal, but they did have a big following around here!

This show will take place tomorrow night at 6:30 PM at The Oddfellows Hall, with admission being just $5! Fore more information, visit the official Facebook event page! As for Necropolis, if you've seen them at their many local shows this year, you'll know what to expect: Metal, and lots of it! I don't have a MySpace page or anything to show you guys yet (one day maybe?), but believe me, they're very good! I know it's old, but for a preview, here's a video of Necropolis playing the song "Night Riders" from the YMCA Battle of the Bands!



Now, I have some big news from the Stillbroke front: They've uploaded two more new studio quality songs to their official MySpace page! One's the title track for their upcoming EP, "Never Enough", while the other is a ballad-like song entitled "Forget"! The band's official MySpace blog says this (and "No Reason" from yesterday) is all they're gonna post online until the EP is actually released. I'll personally hold my judgment until I have a copy of the EP to review, but the songs are good! Check them out for yourself on MySpace, and stay tuned for news on the release of "Never Enough"! Also, they've mentioned that photos from their newest photo shoot will be online soon as well! Thanks to Laurie Frigault for the information!

Next, I wanted to ask you guys for some help confirming a concert scheduled for July 22nd. From my internet searching, I had enough info to list a concert that day at The Oddfellows Hall, featuring some out of town bands. Windsor death metal group Constructed Apocalypse list the show on their MySpace page, and that they'd be playing with Montreal hardcore band Breaking The Fourth Wall. Their Myspace page lists the same show, without mentioning Constructed Apocalypse, but it does say they'd be playing with Belle River hardcore band I Am The Vine at the show. Their MySpace page doesn't even list the show, and with little details from the other bands who list it, this all leaves me with some doubt.

Add to all this that I haven't heard anything on Facebook about it, or anywhere else, just the two bands' concert listings, so I have no fucking idea if this show is even on or not. Can someone help confirm or deny this show for me? If someone can, that'd be great! It sounds like a good show, if it's even going on!

And finally, I found something really interesting online the other day! You know how I like to look up local metal and hard rock things from the past, right? Well, I found what may be the closest thing on the internet to a true archive of Sault-area concert dates! By running a concert listings search on the Jam! Music section of Canoe.ca, you can find archived concert dates for many Canadian cities, including Sault Ste. Marie! When I searched for Sault Ste. Marie concerts, I came up with hundreds of past shows dating back to 1998!

Though not completely metal by any means, there's plenty of old metal shows listed, all including the headlining band, date, and venue! It's cool to check out and see all the shows that have came here in the past decade (I never knew Nashville Pussy, Himsa, and Priestess all came here, for example!) I'll have to sit down and really look through this, there might be some hidden local bands I have yet to feature on the SMS listed there! This really is something else to see, it may even take you back to the days when Foggy Notions wasn't closed and Club Princess was still rocking! I took the liberty of linking my search in the SMS for you guys, so just click here to see all the past dates! And I also put this in the Other Local Metal Links! Go check this out, trust me on this one!

That's all for today, keep on the lookout for more local metal news and updates as I hear them!

A New Stillbroke Song, Plus Lion Ride and Detroit Updates, And More!!!

Hey guys, I'm back with some more local metal and hard rock news updates! Let's get right to it!

Local hard rockers Stillbroke have posted a brand new studio quality track on their official MySpace page, entitled "No Reason"! This song, and four others, will be featured on their upcoming debut EP, which will be called "Never Enough"! Stillbroke's MySpace blog mentions that more songs from the EP will be posted online within the month, possibly sooner, so stay tuned for that! I like the song, but I'll withhold complete judgment until the EP is released, when I'll give a formal review! Do you have any thoughts or opinions on the song? Feel free to share, and as I hear more news concerning Stillbroke and "Never Enough", you'll find it all here! Also, keep watch for updates at their official MySpace and Facebook pages!

Meanwhile, I have another out of town concert featuring local talent! Sault natives Detroit are playing another concert at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto on August 18th! Support will come from Toronto-area hardcore punk band Akroid! This all sounds well and good on it's own, but admission is FREE! Their show at the same venue on Tuesday night is free too, which makes me wonder, why can't we get free shows like this up here? Either way, the show is now listed in the Out of Town concert listings! And, as a refresher, keep in mind that Detroit includes Lion Ride's own Mikey Hawdon, Mark Rand, and Brenton Ellis among it's lineup, so you know there's some definite talent with this band! Hopefully the shows go well!

Speaking of Lion Ride, they got some press in a major music magazine recently! A brief write-up on the band is featured in the July 2009 issue of Classic Rock Magazine (cover to the right!) As well, the free compilation CD that comes with that issue features one of Lion Ride's originals, Cocaine Crazy, which you can alternately find on their debut EP, "Awesome"! Now that's great to hear, especially for a band with their talent! Here's hoping they get noticed more and more! If you can find a copy of that issue of Classic Rock Magazine, pick it up, I'll be on the lookout for it myself!

And finally for today, three minor story items, going in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Michigan's own Free Refill have another concert listed on their MySpace page, but I don't know enough about it to list it here yet. It says they'll be playing at a "Baby-Q" this coming Friday, whatever that implies, but there's no specifics listed. If I find more, I'll let everyone know!
• On Saturday, Garden of Bedlam frontman Buzz mentioned on his Facebook status that they're planning to announce a "surprise show very shortly!!" Could this be the rescheduled all ages show? Or does "surprise" mean something entirely different? Either way, once I hear something, I'll tell you guys about it!
• Sykotyk Rampage have announced August 1st as the official release date for their twenty-second album, "Twenty-Too"! I believe this will just be in download format, but I could be wrong. The date was posted on their official Facebook page, so that's my source. Expect a review of the album on the SMS after it comes out!

That's all for tonight, expect more news very soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dreadnaut), Plus More News!!!

Remember a couple days ago when I said I might have a concert to mention happening next week? Well, it's confirmed! So, it's LOCAL CONCERT ALERT time!!!

Winnipeg metal band Dreadnaut will finally play a concert in Sault Ontario on Wednesday night at The Canadian, with local openers The Fury! Admission is just $7, doors open at 9:00, with The Fury kicking things off at 9:30 PM! You may remember a couple of times when it looked like Dreadnaut would play here, including a cancelled concert at The Other Place last year with Garden of Bedlam, and a planned concert at Foggy Notions with Domenica this month, which hasn't even re-opened yet.

At least we've actually got them for sure this time, even if it's really short notice for the show! Thanks to Jay Perron for giving me the scoop on all of this! Dreadnaut are awesome, I've thought so for over a year, and it will be great to finally see them live! As for The Fury, they're alright for a punk band, and with no guitarist and two bassists, they definitely have a unique sound! Sorry again for the short notice, but spread the word, make this show a success! I'll be there! For more details, and to confirm your attendance, visit the official Facebook event page!

Do I have more updates for you guys? Yes, actually! Local hard rockers Half Past (previously known as Fingerbone) have uploaded a bunch of new jam videos to their official Facebook page! All are covers, including songs by Incubus, Tool, Seether, Drowning Pool, and Rage Against The Machine! Some do sound rustier than others, but they're mostly pretty good, and when it comes time for a live return, they should sound great! Stay tuned to their Facebook page for more updates as they roll in!

Next up, I have an update to make to one of the local band links. I've changed the link for defunct Sault Ontario hard rock band No Remains, cause I found a more recent and detailed MySpace page for them! Their old page didn't have as much going for it. The new one features songs with guest vocals/guitar recorded by local musician Craig Murphy, and updated band info, including then-new bassist John Pino and the absence of ex-drummer Josh Villeneuve. Sure, they've been inactive for over two years, but the songs aren't bad, so go check them out! Plus, I like to be as current and informative I can, so if I can find a better contact link, then I'll run with that!

And thanks to Ryan McQueen for this story, Energy Rock Radio (Sault Ontario's only online radio station) has re-launched their site and 128K stream, so head on over there to check it out, it's apparently much smoother now! Remember, your requests and music tastes can influence the playlist on ERR, just add your requests to the topic on Energy Rock Radio's Facebook group, so that everyone gets what they want, and you'll hear more bands you wanna hear! So go listen, it's a great station, and they'd love to see more listeners! Plus, the Sault's own Rich Moreland hosts a 2 hour metal-based radio show every Monday night, entitled Metal With Moreland, that should pique some interest from you guys!

That's all for today, if anyone out there is seeing Aftersight, Graveyard Tan, or Clownsack this weekend, let us know! Thanks everyone, stay tuned for more news!

Local Concert Previews, Lion Ride News, And Assorted Inactive Local Band Stuff!

It's that time of the week again, where I'll outline all the metal concerts taking place this weekend! So here it is, your local concert previews!!! We have one in Sault Ontario and three in Sault Michigan, so let's get rolling! Stay tuned afterwards for a Lion Ride update, a removed band from the Local Metal Band Links, and some defunct band stuff I found! First of all, tomorrow night at The Canadian, local hard rockers Aftersight return to the concert stage! They were quite big in the Sault in the early 2000s, even releasing a CD! They reformed last year and opened at the Sick Jams for Sick Kids benefit show in December, and now they're back to rock once again! I personally don't know a whole lot about Aftersight (no websites to help either), but they are really good, and they should have a mix of originals and covers ready to go! I don't have a video to share, but I'd compare them to locals like Driving Dave Home, Half Past, and Stillbroke, if you want an idea of their sound! Aftersight take the stage at 10:45 PM tomorrow night, though no word on a cover charge. For more info, visit the official Facebook event page! (EDIT, JULY 23, 2009: I mistakenly reported this show as happening July 11th, however, it was pushed ahead two weeks and I missed that. I've edited the preview to reflect the changed date. If you were at King of the Cage: Disputed, tell us how Clownsack were! I'm sorry!) Now we'll head to Sault Michigan! First, locals Clownsack are back with their first Sault-area show in a while! They will be featured at King of the Cage: Disputed at Kewadin Casino on Saturday, July 25th! They are the pre-show entertainment, taking the stage at 5:00 PM! And for you fight fans, UFC Hall of Famer and former WWE superstar Dan Severn is headlining the card! Tickets, despite what I had initially mentioned, are apparently still on sale, so if you like MMA and Clownsack, pick some up at this location! The entire event is outdoors, rather than at The Dreammaker's Theater, which is familiar ground for Clownsack, as they supported Kiss during their outdoor show at Kewadin in 2007! Here's hoping this show goes well, I'm a fan of MMA and Clownsack, I wish I had a ticket! Check out Clownsack on MySpace, they're really good! And for a preview, check out this music video for their song "Clown Sauce"! And finally, Michigan hard rock band Graveyard Tan are back in the area for a pair of shows this weekend! Tomorrow night at 8:00 PM, they'll be at The Satisfied Frog for a show, while they're scheduled for an American Legion street rally Saturday night at the same time! I'd heard from the band that they were having troubles contacting people from The Satisfied Frog concerning the street rally, but I'm under the impression it's still on, so if I'm wrong, my apologies! Graveyard Tan are a very talented band, check out some of their songs on MySpace as well! Or, watch this live video from a show in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where they're performing the song "When She Screams"! After this weekend, your next local metal show (to my knowledge) will feature Necropolis (among many punk/alternative bands) at The Oddfellows Hall on July 16th, so stay tuned for news on that! Now, I have an update from Sault natives Lion Ride! Not a lot to this story yet, but guitarist Marky Lion has posted a topic on The 705 Music Scene Forums entitled "OFFICIAL KISS AFTERPARTY /W LION RIDE", with the post itself just saying "TBA" four times. Seems pretty clear what they're claiming and/or planning, especially now that Gene Simmons has confirmed that we're getting a Kiss show in Sault Ontario. But if this will happen, we won't know an official date until Kiss announces the tour. Stay tuned for updates on this planned afterparty! Next up, I had to remove a band from the Local Metal Band Links. You guys might remember back in March, when I found the long-since inactive website for local hard rock band The Drift. I couldn't believe it was still online then! Well, it's not online anymore, now it's just a dead link. Not sure why, it probably just expired. So if you noticed their page is gone, that's why! BUT NEVER FEAR, I've found another defunct local band to add to the listings! They were Downfall, a hard rock band which was fronted by.....Lion Ride bassist Marco "Marc O'Lion" Pedalino (also from Barfly and Bondar) on lead vocals and guitar! The band also featured ex-Terminal guitarist Mike Yakasovich, ex-Barfly drummer Jammie Pedalino, and bassist Ali Acceti! The band actually placed third in a 2004 songwriting/jam contest despite Jammie's drumkit breaking mid-performance, which earned them 10 hours recording time and $50! Check out details on that at this location! Downfall seemed pretty well known back in the day, performing at numerous venues, and being featured at Hempfest! They were also signed to the now inactive label Murderfly Entertainment! Also, amazingly enough, the audio linked on their page still works! Head to their official site to hear their studio quality original, "I'm Not Blind"! The song has a good groove, and it gets heavier as it goes on! Speaking of bands with Marc O'Lion, I wanna mention Barfly again, cause I found out a few things about them I never knew! There's no active sites or pages for them, but in my searching, I found out that they were a local hard rock cover band, covering everyone from AC/DC to Weezer, and they featured Marco, Mike and Jammie from Downfall, Benny Garcia from Sourcecode, and......Buzz from Garden of Bedlam on lead vocals!! How did I never know that until today?! Maybe it's cause I wasn't old enough to see them at their peak, I dunno. But it's interesting to know, especially seeing the songs they covered. Buzz singing Pearl Jam and Aerosmith songs, that'd be cool! For a bit more info on Barfly, head to this location! That's all for now, more local metal news is on the horizon, I can tell already, so be on the lookout!

Some Cancellations, Woods of Ypres and Fingerbone Updates, And More!!!

So that possible concert next week hasn't been confirmed yet, I'll alert you guys when and if it is! But for now, I've gotta get everyone up to speed on some updates, starting with a bunch of cancellations to planned concerts this weekend in Sault Michigan!

This weekend was shaping up to be stacked full of local shows, but not so much anymore! Free Refill's performance on Saturday at the Portage Beach Party, Absolute's two weekend dates at The Bird, AND Nixxon Dixxon's two shows at Kewadin Casino have all been called off, according to their respective MySpace pages! However, Nixxon Dixxon will apparently be playing at The Ironstock Battle of the Bands in Negaunee on Saturday, so that might be related to the cancellation. No matter, hopefully they do well at the battle, and it's now listed in the Out of Town Concert Listings!

But don't worry, Graveyard Tan and Clownsack are still playing across the river on the weekend, so stay tuned for local concert previews of those two shows (and Aftersight at The Canadian) in the coming days!

Happier news now, this coming from Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold on their official blog! The guitar recordings are almost completely done for "Woods IV: The Green Album", with drums completed as well, and bass and vocals to follow! I remember an older blog post of David's that said this will be the first Woods album to feature guitar solos, and knowing Bryan Belleau's talent, they should really add to the record! There's not a lot of "new" updates, so to speak, but David does discuss the mental preparation and processes taken leading up to the current recordings, which is interesting to read! Check out the entire blog post at this location! Also there, you can find info about how to pre-order your copy of "The Green Album", if you are at all interested!

Next up, a local hard rock band has changed their name! The band formerly known as Fingerbone are now called Half Past! They've also launched a brand new Facebook page to reflect the new identity, but Fingerbone's page is still up, so go there for any older stuff you may be interested in! Remember, since their last performance as Fingerbone, the lineup has went through a bunch of changes, and they're now a four-piece fronted by new singer Luke LeBlanc, with guitarist Arthur Lacasse moving to the bassist position! Stay tuned for upcoming Half Past news, including hopefully a return to the live stage!

And I'll leave you guys for now with this live video of inactive local metal band Heresy performing at a Battle of the Bands at The Sault College Outback from St. Patrick's Day last year! I sadly never got to see these guys live (I wasn't 19 yet when they played shows), but they're pretty good! Thanks to Brigitte Jocelyn for letting me know about the video!



Keep your browsers pointed to The Sault Metal Scene for more local metal news! And for an overdue LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, check the post immediately below, for details on Aftersight's performance at The Canadian on Friday night! Thanks everyone!

VERY OVERDUE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! (Aftersight), And More?

Sorry for the double post and the short notice, but we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for a show THIS FRIDAY!!! Local hard rock band Aftersight, who you may remember from the Sick Jams For Sick Kids benefit in December, and from their peak years in the early 2000s, are back for a show Friday night at The Canadian! You may recognize frontman Ed Vowels as the ex-singer for Route 69! It's been too long since we've heard from them, it should be a good show! I dunno if I'll be able to make it, but it's this Friday at 10:45 PM at The Canadian! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sorry again for the short notice, I didn't know about this show until today!!!

Also, I may have another local concert to alert you guys to next week at The Canadian, though I'll wait for confirmation. Once I get it, you'll see it right here! Stay tuned, and GO SEE AFTERSIGHT ON FRIDAY!!!