LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Three Days Grace Are Coming Back!!!)

Well guys, I have a HUGE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Here's what I know so far!

Canadian alternative hard rockers Three Days Grace are coming back to The Essar Center! They will be there on December 8th for a stop on their upcoming Canadian tour! Support will come from Utah pop-punk band The Used and fellow Canadian rockers Default! I'd only really refer to Three Days Grace in "metal terms" on here, but I know there's fans of The Used and Default who check the SMS out too, so this should be even better news for you guys! Of course, you'll probably best know Three Days Grace from hits like "Animal I Have Become", "Just Like You", and "Pain", among many others! Tickets for this show will range from $39.50-$44.50 (not bad) and will go on sale THIS SATURDAY. You can of course stand in line for tickets at The Essar Center's box office, or you can get tickets by calling 1-866-775-9422 or online through LiveNation or The Essar Center's official website!

Now, before someone's like "OMG ROB 3DG ARENT METAL WTF SELLOUT", let me clear the air. I know a lot of you may debate Three Days Grace as being metal, or even hard rock, but again, I'm not exclusionary of anything you could call "metal", and multiple sites do indeed refer to 3DG as a metal band. I'm not playing favourites, and in the general "metal" range I use for bands I talk about, I intentionally keep it loose so bands that could be defined as metal or metal-influenced will get coverage. This way, everyone's happy and nothing's left out. Three Days Grace, at the very least, have a metal influence. They're not emo either. And, I covered their first show on the old Facebook group, why play favourites now?

It may be a bit out of character for me, but I've always been a fan of Three Days Grace, and I believe I'll get a ticket for this show! After all, I did see them the last time they were here! As most of you are aware, they played here way back on January 24th, 2007, with Seether and Econoline Crush! Fun show, it was especially cool seeing Adam from 3DG and Shaun from Seether do some duets! And aside from the highly underrated Jackyl concert in May 2007, there's been no major metal shows since then at The Essar Center. But that all shall change in December! As a bit of a preview, here's a video clip of 3DG playing the song "Home" from that show! (All credit to YouTube user Oshkabewisens1984 for the upload!)



So that's all I had to say this morning. It's a big show, after all, it deserved some good coverage! And with Kiss coming next year, things are looking up finally for hard rock and metal at The Essar Centre! Stay tuned for more details on this show as I hear them! Thanks everyone, enjoy your Monday!

A Pile Of Assorted News!!

As I promised, here's the rest of the news I had planned yesterday! Now that yesterday's stuff had time to sink in, I have a bunch more, so let's get you guys up to date!

First, a local band has made it's way to iTunes! Lion Ride's debut EP "Awesome" (which I reviewed in August) is now available for download there! If you have iTunes, follow this link to get to the download area! I don't have iTunes myself (no need for it), so I can't comment on the service itself too much. But I know a lot of you guys do download music (legal or otherwise), and if you can't buy the album or don't want to, now you have a way to legally get Lion Ride's EP! Also, anyone have word on any other local bands having their albums on iTunes as well? Give me a shout!

Next, I have some updates for the upcoming Sykotyk Rampage/Dysfunctional Kemystry show at The Outback on October 16th! Remember how the show is a Sault College fundraiser? Well, we know what the funds are going to now! Specifically, proceeds from this show will go towards next year's BScN graduating class, and towards sending students to Canadian Nursing Student Association conferences! Nice gesture! Also, this show will apparently also be a toga party! Not sure how much that will catch on, but it may be fun to play along with! No word yet on ticket prices, but I'll keep you guys posted! Get full details on this show at this location!

Now, I have some updates on two more local acts. First, Sault Ontario metal guitarist Brendan Christie has announced plans for his first solo album at his official MySpace blog! He apparently plans to call it "The Clock Is Ticking", and as you can see in the image to the right, this may be the album cover! He plans to have his song "The New World Order" as the first single, with "Get Out Of My Face" the only other confirmed song. Hopefully this can go all the way, I'd love to hear more from Brendan, he's a definite talent and it'd be great to see an album from him! Read his blog entry at this location, and check out some of his songs at his official MySpace page!

Two more quick news items to share before we get to some videos. Sault Michigan hard rockers Monkey's Uncle (formerly known as Jager) have announced their new lineup, which includes frontman Henry Switzer, bassist Jim Belleau (who was in the old Jager lineup) and drummer Ron Suchey from the Rudyard classic rock band Hair Trigger! Nice to see, hopefully they'll be back playing shows real soon! Also, Sault Ontario's own Stillbroke have re-posted their original song "Forget" on their official MySpace page. They had initially removed it last month and replaced it with "Tear Me To Pieces", but the songs have been re-replaced! If you haven't heard it yet, give it a listen, it's solid!

Now, I have some YouTube video-related updates, and firstly, I can finally upload videos onto YouTube! I recieved a new modem for my computer, and now, the internet doesn't cut out when I try to upload stuff! So now I can finally do more than favourite videos on the SMS YouTube account now! I will now begin to upload videos onto YouTube when the oppurtunity presents itself! Now when I say that, I will ONLY upload live video clips, songs that were never released for sale or are not sold anymore, and short preview clips of songs you can purchase. After all, I wanna expose everyone to our great local talent, but I also want you guys to support them and buy their songs too.

So I have begun by uploading Gates of Winter's debut EP onto YouTube, which is now out of print and not readily sold. Hopefully the upload of the EP will help give Gates some additional well-deserved exposure, even during the current hiatus. Stay tuned for more videos I'll be uploading onto YouTube, cause believe me, there's a ton of songs and bands that deserve additional exposure! Visit our YouTube channel for hundreds of local metal-related videos! And here's one of the songs off of the Gates EP, my personal favourite, "Hidden Enemy"!



But that's not all, for I found a ton of new live clips featuring Sault natives Detroit! YouTube user dnahahaha has uploaded SIXTEEN live clips from various Detroit concerts at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto! Lots of solid performances to be found there, check them all out at the SMS' channel or at dnahahaha's channel! And I'll leave you guys for tonight with Detroit's performance of the song "Random Eyes" from a show in May! Thanks everyone, I'll have more news in the coming days!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Spliff69), Two New Local Bands, And Another Band Wants A Show Here!

Before we start, I'll just remind you guys to check out my review of Bad Side's debut album immediately below this post, and vote in the current poll on the left of the page, to see what your favourite Woods of Ypres song is!

Now, let's get things going, for I have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!! Spliff69, a hard rock band from Canton, Michigan, will be playing TWO shows on October 15th! First, they'll rock Lake Superior State University for an acoustic set at what they claim is "The Gallery Coffeehouse", but I go to LSSU, and there's no such coffeehouse there. It's actually called The Peacock Cove, and it's in The Cisler Center. Despite the mix-up, it seems like a legit booking, multiple pages list it, and it's well detailed too. It will be an acoustic all-ages set at 4:00 that day, after which they'll hit The Satisfied Frog for a full-on electric set that night!

I hadn't heard of Spliff69 before today, but they have a good sound going for them! Accessible, but heavy and groovy all at once! I'd say they're worth seeing if you're in Sault Michigan that day, check out some of their original material on their official MySpace page! And if I hear anything more on these shows, I'll be sure to share them with you all!

Next up, I have located a new local metal band, and at the same time, found out about the possible end of another local band. In my searching, I found a Sault Michigan metal band named In Memorandum, and they happen to feature Integrated System of Machines frontman Orb Hearthstone and bassist Sven Giles on guitar! The band also features Giles' brother Greg from the Grand Rapids band Dissonant on drums! They appear to have been active since August 13th, and have some bio information too, but best of all, an original song! Entitled "Sun Is Gone", it's solid, but not as consistently heavy as I was expecting. Maybe it's the lack of a bassist at present. But it's worth checking out, and you can do so at this location!

This brings me to my next point, in the bio info for In Memorandum, it credits Orb Hearthstone in brackets as "ex-I.S.O.M." As well, I.S.O.M.'s MySpace page has not been updated since July 25th. Have Integrated System of Machines broken up? I haven't seen anything official on that front, but things don't look that good. If this truly is the end for the band, I gotta say I'll miss them, I've been a fan since I first heard them, and the fact they used an SMS quote as a review on their ReverbNation page was a very nice gesture! I'll cross my fingers that they'll be back though!

But I did find another band in Sault Ontario to share with you guys! Long since inactive, but worth mentioning! They were Orchestra of Wolves, a hardcore band that was active in...December of 2007. Normally I wouldn't talk about bands that had such a short shelf life, but they have a decent amount of profile info, so I can't just ignore them! Their band members were then-high schoolers (frontman Jamie MacDonald is pictured), and not in any other local bands I can think of off the top of my head, but they sounded promising! They say they sounded like "a pack of hungry wolves listening to a Robert Goulet mix tape." Influences ranged from Every Time I Die to Norma Jean. Maybe you remember these guys? Check them out at their official MySpace page!

And finally for today, we have a band that wants to play here, and a band that appears to have given up trying. Remember when I mentioned that Alberta metal band Calculating Collapse were hoping to play here on October 18th? Looks like they're not planning that show anymore, it's off of their tour schedule. But never fear, another metal band has tentatively lined Sault Ontario up for a show! Endast, a hardcore/thrash band from Montreal, are looking to play here on November 10th. Can you help? Send them a message on MySpace! They don't sound too bad, it would definitely be nice to see them here!

I had been plotting a huge post today, but I figured I'd break everything up to spread out the news and not overload you guys. Tomorrow will be a post of random news items, including news from Sykotyk Rampage, Brendan Christie, Detroit, Lion Ride, Monkey's Uncle, and some information about the SMS' Youtube channel! Stay tuned tomorrow for even more news and updates! Also, remember to check out my Bad Side album review! Thanks everyone!

Bad Side - "Bad Side" CD Review!!!

It's time for another local metal CD review, and for the first time, I'm going to review an album from a band from Sault Michigan, and it's none other than defunct local blues/hard rockers Bad Side! When I was exploring downtown Sault Michigan yesterday during a break from classes, I went into Grooves Music (nice store, by the way), and they happened to have some local music CDs, and luckily, they had all three Bad Side albums! So I bought their debut self-titled release, and now I have it to review for you guys! Released in 2005, it features core members Melissa Krahnke on vocals and Jason Mapes on guitar (both share percussion and keyboard duties as well), with session musicians Rich Blair on bass & Dan Furmanik on rhythm guitar & bass. Melissa, Jason, and Dan produced the disc, and it was later mixed and mastered at Hitmakers Digital Studio in Henderson, Tennessee. The album, which is now out of print, costs just $10 and you can find it online at CDBaby and iTunes, while physical copies may be floating around at Grooves Music or other local merchants.

There are 15 songs on this album (that includes two bonus tracks), so this'll be a long review, but I'll try and keep things to the point as much as possible. Remember, I'm not a professional reviewer, if something seems poorly worded, thought out, or researched, my apologies! These are just my thoughts and impressions! (Updated on November 6th, 2012)

The album starts with an instrumental intro entitled "Prelude To A Kill". It features some violin playing from Dan Furmanik with backing piano, and it sets a good tone for the album. Short and to the point, can't ask for much more out of the intro! The first real song is "Soulkiller", and it sarts of in a rocking way! Nice catchy classic riffing, which keeps up throughout the song. Melissa's vocals might not be what you'd expect, they're deeper and more soulful than you might expect but they totally fit the songs. Interestingly, the chorus is softer than the verses, which kinda kills the mood a bit. No guitar solos either, sadly, but the song is still a good listen, and will get your toes tapping! Also, nice use of the talkbox effect!

This is followed by "Revenge", which also has a great classic hard rock feel to it! It flows better than "Soulkiller" did, but there's no real "punch" to it, so to speak, it just flows along. The piano also seems a touch out of place, and the song's shorter than I'd have expected, but it's not a bad song by any means, just a bit lacking. But on the next song, "I Will Come To You", I was completely suprised! It's starts with a piano driven ballad-like opening, though it picks up slowly as the song goes on. Great vocal work from Melissa, shifting from soft clean singing to a heavier soulful style at will! Finally get a bit of a real guitar solo on this song, not bad work by Jason, and it suits the song by how it's played. Perfect example of a song to break out your lighter for at a concert!

Next is "Mission", which immediately sounds old school by the keyboards being used at the beginning! Has a bouncier feel, but it has the same kind of straight flow that "Revenge" had. Great singing, it's a good song, but compared to their later work, it's not as varied and dynamic. "Money Money" picks things back up, the energy level and musicmanship is great. Similar pace, but things are definitely a bit more up-tempo and groovable! It also has the best guitar solo on the album so far too, but it's a bit drowned out by the other instruments. I love this song, it's catchy and makes you get on your feet!

"Feel Me" is the next song, and sounds very familiar, but I can't place it. The piano work in this song really fits, and Jason shreds it up on guitar, especially on the solo! Things are slowly picking up for the album as a whole! After this is the song "You're So Hot", a song I really liked before picking up the album already! The band's firing on all cylinders with this song, the guitar work is excellent from start to finish, Melissa's singing is at top form, and you can't help but get into it! This is still my favourite song out of them all on this CD!

Then comes "See Now", which begins with an interesting double harmony vocal opening featuring both Melissa and guest musician Carol Lee Cooper, who chimes in throughout the song. The violin playing returns from "Prelude To A Kill", and it really adds more of an epic, grand feel to the song. I love symphonic elements in music, so this is awesome to hear from a local band! Another standout, and it's nice to see some variety like this!

After that, Bad Side turn things back up with "My Body Shakes", another up-tempo rocker that I like almost as much as "You're So Hot"! I can't really add anything new to say, it's just a great great song just as I've come to expect, you'd have to listen to it. But oddly, the song ends with what sounds like someone trying to find something to listen to on the radio by turning the dial to find a station. Odd, but I recognize some of the DJs from real local stations, which is cool!

Back to music, with "Filthy Nasty", which is different than most of the songs by the tempo and playing, things just sound a bit "different". Good song though, no dead parts and the band clicks real well! Nice pace to enerything, no complaints! Then we get "Done Anyway", which sees the return of the talkbox from "Soulkiller" (though it's a bit overused in my opinion.) It's a good song though, dependably heavy and catchy throughout, with interesting use of multiple vocal tracks near the end! Not my favorite, but by no means a bad song either!

Then we get the final song on the album (not counting bonus tracks), "I'm A Moron", which begins with an intro involving a guy encouraging his friend to go talk to to the singer of the band (probably referring to Melissa). The song seems to be a parody of loser guys at shows that try to hit on her after shows, but I can't prove if it's based on reality. The song's pretty funny, making fun of these types and bashing them. Melissa's singing also takes on a bit of a mocking tone too, it perfectly fits the lyrical content! Great song! The bonus tracks are a "piano mix" of "I Will Come To You" which just features Melissa and the piano & no backing instruments, and a "radio mix" of "Done Anyway" with swears substituted. Nice bonuses, especially when I could get them this easily!

Overall, it's a great first album from Bad Side! Now it's not perfect, some songs just float along without a lot of variety, and I really wish the instruments had a better mix, but keep in mind, this is their first album. The production values and instrumentation all will get better, and by the time "Bad Side II" came out, they were definitely sounding as good as we know them now. It's not as dramatic a production leap as Gates of Winter made from their original EP to Lux Aeterna, but it's really noticeable.

Even still, Bad Side proved their great talents on this debut album, and I recommend checking out "You're So Hot", "My Body Shakes", and "See Now", excellent songs! Can't wait to hear more from Bad Side, and I'll be sure to review their other albums down the road on the SMS! And check out Melissa on 99.5 Yes FM weekdays from 6-10 AM!

So that was this month's CD review, and next month, I've made no surprises about what's ahead! I will 100% be reviewing Woods of Ypres' brand new release "Woods IV: The Green Album"! Not sure what day it comes out, but believe me, that's what I wanna review! Then in November, saying that it's out by then, I'll review the new Sykotyk Rampage CD! Anything past then is up the air, but I'll update you guys to schedule changes as albums come out and get in my hands! That's all for today, news shall return this weekend (here's hoping.) Thanks guys! CHECK OUT BAD SIDE!!!

This Weekend's Concert Previews, And More!!

It's that time again, we have a few metal shows taking place this weekend, so here it is, your local concert previews! I'll have a couple news stories after too!

First this weekend, we have a triple shot of concerts at The Satisfied Frog from Michigan hard rockers Nudge! Unlike most weekend sets from bands in the area, Nudge will also be playing tonight, with a special "Nudge-coustic" set, followed by some more normal sets Friday and Saturday! Each show will take place at 10:00 PM! I don't know much else, and I haven't found any audio or video of these guys to share, but from everything I've seen (and their extensive tour schedule), they're very likely a great and talented band! Go check them out this weekend if you can, and visit their MySpace page for more info!

The other show this weekend (that I know of) is Saturday night, when local hard rock band Free Refill return to rock this year's Oktoberfest! (Am I the only one who thinks Oktoberfest should be in October?) It will take place on Portage Avenue from noon-midnight, with Free Refill playing at 8:00 PM according to their MySpace page! There will apparently be other live bands, farmer’s market, food, games and more! Nice to see some good music on the bill, hopefully Free Refill do a great job this weekend! For a preview, check out this video clip of Free Refill covering the Wolfmother song "Joker And The Thief"!



So there's your concerts this weekend, if I hear anything coming out of them, I'll be sure to share with you guys! And remember, next weekend, Tym Morrison and Bad Side will rock the Sault area, stay tuned for previews of those shows! Now, for a couple more news items!

First, a local concert venue that has hosted metal shows in the past is closing it's doors. The Arcadia Coffeehouse, located on 823 Queen Street East, will shut down on Wednesday due to "events/pressures which are beyond our control". For concerts, they had mostly bands of the indie/alternative variety, but there was the occasional metal band, one of which was Sykotyk Rampage earlier this year. The press release on their website (also on SooToday) expresses hope that Arcadia may return in some form. Well, that must suck, I'm sure there's a lot of people who'll miss The Arcadia, and it's one less option for bands to use for shows too!

And finally some great quality video has surfaced online from Quite Frankly's recent gig after The Sault Steelers' game! Check out some clips at YouTube user stumpypet1's channel! I recommend checking out this clip of their cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", and I just gotta say, Jacqueline Alisat has one hell of a voice. Check the video out, and I'll see you guys on the weekend with any more news I can find!

A New Local Band, And Much More Assorted News!!

Update time! I found a bunch of stuff yesterday, and heard some interesting news as well! So here we go with a new local band!

I discovered this band yesterday, and they are known as Silent Despair! From Kincheloe (which is just 20 minutes outside of Sault Michigan), they play modern hard rock/metal, with influences ranging from Motley Crue and Quiet Riot to Atreyu and Three Days Grace. They appear to have been active since April, and they have three songs posted on their MySpace page! But from what I can gather, they all appear to be generated off of a MIDI-style program, so I can't accurately judge on their material until I hear some actual band stuff. But they do have a mostly complete band, and are looking for a keyboard player and a female vocalist. Might you be able to help fill the void? Send them a message! They do sound like a promising band, and I'll be sure to keep tabs on them from here on out! Also, check them out on GarageBand and on Facebook!

Next up, I got some insights on some new Lion Ride material that I figured would be cool to share. Garden of Bedlam frontman Buzz e-mailed me and told me that when he was in Southern Ontario earlier this month, he was able to see Lion Ride live in London, and then visit them in-studio in Toronto and hear one of their new songs being recorded! According to Buzz, the song he saw get laid down is his favourite Lion Ride song yet and it may be their best one to date! He says it has a ton of punch, and he listened to it repeatedly on the drive back to Sault Ste. Marie! I gotta say, this gets me even more excited for new Lion Ride material, it should be well worth picking up upon release! Thanks to Buzz for the scoop on that!

Now, here's something interesting I saw completely by chance yesterday. As you guys know, I always update you all with today's metal news, which you can find on the right hand side of the page. I get my news from the 5 most popular stories on Blabbermouth.net, which is hands down the best metal news site going. And when I was checking it last night, the banner ad at the top of the page caught my eye. It was for the Noctis Metal Music Conference, an open forum next month in Calgary that will discuss survival in the music business, how to improve your profile and notoriety, and other things that would no doubt appeal to many rising metal musicians.

But why would I mention it here? Simple, because Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold is on the panel for the conference! How about that? He'll join such notables as former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, ex-Death guitarist Paul Masvidal, and noted metal journalist Martin Popoff, among many others! Now that's just cool, I have no doubt David will be a worthy addition to the panel, and it was cool to see his name listed on the ad! I'd love to see a conference of this type in the Sault, I'm sure it could help some local bands get some assistance to furthering their musical dreams!

And finally, we have new video online from Sault Michigan grunge rockers Half Stupid! Three videos of their performance at The September Music Festival from this weekend are now on YouTube! Check them all out at frontman Zac Crook's official YouTube channel! One features the band backing up fellow local singer Amanda Rairigh on a cover of the Radiohead song "Creep", but there's also two live clips of the band's original songs "The Letter E" and this one, "937 Years"! It will be on their upcoming EP too! Thanks to the band for giving me the heads up!



That's all for today, I will be back tomorrow with your local concert previews for this weekend, including shows by Nudge and Free Refill! Hopefully some more news too, stay tuned for more! And remember, I will review a new local metal CD by next Wednesday, keep on the lookout for that!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Garden of Bedlam), Plus Ace Frehley & Lion Ride Updates!!

Hey guys, short post today, but an important one, for we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! Let's get right to it!

Garden of Bedlam are back! On October 17th, they will hit The Canadian for their first show since Hempfest, and their first show at The Canadian since July's CD release concert! As far as I can tell, this is also the first metal concert of any type there since The Canadian's renovations, so this could be a chance to see all the stuff that's changed there! Support will come from local death/thrash rockers Bring The Fallen (formerly known as Necropolis), who you may remember were supposed to back up Garden of Bedlam at their cancelled all ages show from this summer!

A cover charge has yet to be announced, but doors for this show will open at 10:00 PM and Bring The Fallen kick things off at 11:00 PM that night! Garden of Bedlam merchandise will also be on sale! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and check out both bands' original material at their respective MySpace pages by clicking their names! And there is no conceivable way that I would miss this show, it sounds fucking awesome! And with Sykotyk Rampage the night before, it should be a great concert weekend!

Next up, I have a change to make on the upcoming Ace Frehley concert at Kewadin Casino in November. Apparently, Lita Ford will no longer be supporting Ace on this show, as she is touring with Queensryche during the time this concert would be taking place. So ignore Kewadin's ticket sales page, Lita probably won't be there. I'll be sure to keep you guys updated on any new details on this show, including if there's a replacement opener! Remember, tickets are $29.50 and you can buy them at this location!

And finally, according to a post on their official MySpace blog, local punk/metal rockers Lion Ride are back in the studio recording their new single! According to guitarist Marky Lion, the song is "boss"! Hopefully it sounds awesome, and if I hear anything more, I'll be sure to share with you guys! That's all for tonight, stay tuned to The Sault Metal Scene for more news and updates as I hear them!

(P.S. Congratulations to The Sault Steelers on winning the CMFL Championship last night! It was a 65-6 blowout victory and the perfect lead in to Quite Frankly's performance! Got feedback from it? Send it my way!)