Happy June, everyone! For our first post of this Sunday, we have this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, our monthly look at announced & partially recorded Sault Ontario metal/hard rock albums. As always, we're looking at their backgrounds, rumoured material, and when fans might get a chance to buy/hear the tracks. This month's installment features 13 albums by 10 bands (4 with updated info, as indicated with the name in
italics), and I've also removed one CD (Haggith's "Deuce", as it was released last month), and while I know they've teased their next album already ("Apocalypse II"), I'm waiting for confirmation on recording sessions before adding it to this series. With that said, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
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As It Stands' third EP
Rumoured Songs:
"Conception", "Big Problem, Little Lock City", "Rise Above",
"One Last Chance", "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky", "Big Bucks, No
Whammy", "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Ho", "Embay the Terrible", "Oh
Herm, Herm Delish", "David & Goliath", "Stay Together
For The Kids" (Blink-182 cover)
Background: Continuing
their high success levels since their local re-emergence in
2010, hardcore quintet As It Stands started recording sessions
for their third EP with
Metalworks Studios in Mississauga in July 2011 with producer
Kevin Dietz.
The sessions lasted just a few days, but from what I hear, a
lot got accomplished! You can see some of the happenings from
the sessions on
their official studio vlog,
which features some audio samples and video of some members
recording their parts. The vlog also confirmed that their cover of
Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids" was recorded in
Mississauga, and that the songs will be part of an EP, not a full
length album as was previously believed. It's currently unclear
whether the songs they recorded at
Stereo Soul Studios
in 2010 and/or in Stoney Creek in 2011 will be featured on the
EP in some form. A new track named "Oh Herm, Herm Delish"
was posted
onto SoundCloud in early 2012, with studio copies of "Conception" & "Big Problem, Little Lock City" also being uploaded to
their Facebook page this year, both of which you can stream at
this location.
Mixing was underway locally with Brendan Clace at the former Dimension
Studios, so stay tuned for more news on this EP hopefully soon!
Current Release Status:
As It Stands seemed to have everything under control and well
planned for the sessions and their studio work, and though nothing
concrete has been explicitly said about it's release, things did seem on
track, despite recent delays and absences of updates, including just one live concert in the past year. When might we see
this EP? I don't know, especially with the closure of Dimension Studios, but keep an eye out for
any possible updates!
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The Bear Hunters' full length demo
Rumoured Songs:
"Bloodthirst", "Succumb To Eternity", "Dominate",
"Overthrown", "Casualties Of War", "Collapse The Sun", "Render
This Void", "Karma", "Deception", "Servitude"
Background: Local
death metal quintet The Bear Hunters formally announced that
they'd begun recording for their debut EP "Bloodthirst" in May 2011,
just days after adding guitarist Josh Stephney to the band. The
news was broken on
their Facebook page,
but details were extremely scant following that news, and the
recording plans fell dormant until January, when the band announced
plans to record material towards a full length demo release. This
appears to be an independent
production towards future better quality recordings, and plans are in
place to release official band t-shirts along with the demos when
completed. Plans are
for this demo (which won't be "slapped together") to feature at least
10 songs, and though progress has been made towards completions,
setbacks (including a dead computer) have pushed back a planned release,
including their non-album cover of Woods of Ypres' "Kiss My Ashes
(Goodbye)". Stay tuned to the band's Facebook page for continued
updates!
Current Release Status:
Though things seem to have been delayed from original expectations,
recordings for the demo are ongoing as per their Facebook page. Recent
band news (aside from live dates) has been slow at best, and no new timeline is out for the
release of it beyond before "the end of the world", but they seem to
have things in
good order, so keep an eye out for updates on official Bear Hunters
media as it comes in!
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Crimson Crusade - Upon the Eve of War
Rumoured Songs:
"Left For Dead", "Crimson Crusade", "Vanquish the Tyrant", "Lost Memories", "Pillage", "Here We Lay", "For Him"
Background: Sault Ontario/North Shore death metal quartet Crimson Crusade
haven't been the most frequently visible band in recent months, but
maybe it's partly because of recording sessions for their debut EP,
which began on February 9th at
The Smoke & Oak Room Studio
with producer Dave Pihlaja, similarly to Late & Loud's debut EP.
Both the band and studio initially offered sporadic updates on it's progress, but the recordings finished on March 6th, and updates grew over the spring, including the reveal of it's title, artwork, length, and four of the disc's planned songs, all of which can be streamed at
the band's Reverbnation page and frontman
Devon Lucier's YouTube channel.
Current Release Status: According to their Facebook page, "Upon The Eve Of War" will see it's initial release TOMORROW when they open for Skeletonwitch at The Canadian Nightclub! Copies will be on sale for $5, and presumably be available at future concerts, but be the first to get yours by being at the show tomorrow night at 9:00 PM! 21+, $18 at the door or $12 in advance!
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion
Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics", "Prometheus"
Background: Despite
a hiatus from live concerts lasting over 4 years, Gates of
Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up
to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". The first glimpse of the new album
was unveiled in February 2010, when frontman/producer
Lee Maines uploaded a snippet of their new song "The Stars Call My True Name" onto
his YouTube channel,
and he followed that up with more demo & rehearsal clips
sporadically over the last couple of years, though all were later taken
down. The band launched
a new Facebook page
in August 2010 to keep fans updated on the sessions, including
the unveiling of a new song title, "Time Warp", and while Sault
native
Jon Morrison
was announced as the album's drummer that fall, the album will feature programmed drums. In November 2011, bassist Steve
Furgiuele confirmed in
a YouTube video
that the album, now titled "Perihelion", was planned for release
in
December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the
summer, but Lee confirmed last month that the album would be delayed
further, be retracted to EP length, and possibly be renamed. Other new
songs, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics" & "Prometheus",
was previewed in
this video
&
this video that were uploaded last year & last month respectively. Whether
ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included on the EP is currently unknown.
Current Release Status: According to Lee's posting on
the Musicians Wanted Facebook group
relating to their session drummer search, he's hoping for the work to
be done "within the next 4-12 months", which lines up with postings
about delays for the EP. Personal commitments and the like have slowed
things down incredibly, and there's been no public band postings in 4
months, but good art takes time, and knowing Gates of
Winter's
talent and attention to detail, they won't wanna release this until
everything's perfect. I'll admit that I know a bit more on "Perihelion"
than what I've posted here, but I'll wait until more public word comes
out before elaborating, so keep an eye out for updates!
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Pillory - Cringe At The Cross
Rumoured Songs:
"Onward to Death", "Fatal Woods", "Shattered By War", "No One Answers", "Cringe At The Cross"
Background: On
January 10th, new local thrash band Pillory surprisingly announced that
they would begin recording tracks towards their debut EP this weekend,
despite only making their live debut in November. Since then, updates
have been posted on
their Facebook page
confirming the EP's title, the completion of recording sessions, and EP
artwork concepts by ex-bassist Jonathan Tiberi. It's currently unclear
how late
guitarist Andres Duchesne's parts were handled on the recordings, but
while the band has been searching for a replacement in recent months,
the concept artwork does
credit him with the surviving members, so take that for what you will.
Keep an eye out for further updates!
Current Release Status: As per their Facebook page on May 16th, Pillory are currently aiming for the release to occur "sometime this summer", which coincided with the reveal of Cole Royal as their new bassist (though I don't expect that they re-recorded Jon's bass parts given his involvement with the EP.) The quick launch into recording after their debut does mirror Jon's early tenure with
Late & Loud,
who announced recording plans and held photo shoots to that end shortly
after their own 2010 debut, but a firm release date is still out in the open. The guys definitely seemed deep into the
process though, so fingers
crossed everything works out!
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Shit Liver's debut EP
Rumoured Songs:
"Or What?",
"Hateroleum", "(Friendly Old) Uncle Joe", "Shit Liver", "Fabricated
Nonsense", "Helen Kellers", "Shift Liver", "You're Scared", "Contribute
or Perish", "Pennotration", "Soo'er Living", "Drowning In Shit",
"Survival of the Shittest", "It's Not My Problem", "Shit Will Prevail"
Background: Curiously
not plugged at all on their online pages until January 2013, I have
heard from those close
to the band that local grimecore trio Shit Liver have independently
working on a debut EP since at least mid-2012 which is supposed to have
14 songs, 13 of which were posted onto
their new Reverbnation page in March 2013. A demo disc with 5 planned tracks was visible at
their local return on February 21st, but as they've only minimally
acknowledged EP plans
online, it's not clear how far along they are in terms of actually releasing these on disc. I'll keep you guys
updated if they say anything!
Current Release Status: On
their Facebook page in March, Shit Liver implied that this album could be done by their local concert return in February at
The Roosevelt Hotel,
but that has since came & went. Given how quiet they've been on
the recording sessions, I have no idea how close to a physical release
they are, but from what I understand, the sessions are done or close to
it. Hopefully we hear some
big news on this front soon, possibly in conjunction with future concerts!
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The Suicide Kings - King of the World
Rumoured Songs: "Into the Fray", "Red Rover", "King of the World", "Way Out Of Hell", "Take Me Away"
Background: Already off to a quick
launch with numerous concerts since their fall 2012 debut, local hard
rock quartet The Suicide Kings surprisingly announced that they were
officially working on their first EP on
their Facebook page
on February 1st. Three weeks later, the band revealed in another
Facebook posting that they were busy working on their own material, and
they had plans to complete an EP by the end of the spring featuring 5-7
songs, which was recorded over the past month at The Smoke & Oak
Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja. As of March 28th, the tracks
were in the final stages of mixing, though recent updates have been limited to in-concert teasers of the EP, where the reveal of the title came from. Stay tuned for updates!
Current Release Status: Seeing at
they said it won't be done until the end of the spring, the earliest
we'd be likely to see The Suicide Kings' EP would be this month, but
nothing's official yet. I know that a brief band member posting on
Facebook suggested a free distribution of the EP, but that was either
premature or incorrect. I just hope this doesn't encounter the same
delays that have hampered bassist Mitch Sirie's other band The Bear
Hunters' demo recording plans. Things seem in good hands so far, so
watch out for updates as they come in!
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Sykotyk Rampage - "Eye For An Eye", "Sykotyk Rampage", and "Wonder About Baby"
Rumoured Songs: Unknown
Background: Just days after posting streaming copies of their six albums from 2012 onto
their Reverbnation page, Sykotyk Rampage unveiled
the album covers
towards at least three new albums scheduled for a release in 2013,
although when they'll actually be available for streaming and/or
purchase isn't clear. Expected to be their first recorded material with
new bassist Tony Briglio, the three credited albums are listed as
Sykotyk Rampage's 38th to 40th albums, implying that they have at least 2
other unannounced albums in the works (as they've only released 35 to
date.) Recording sessions have started this spring at River Front
Recreation Studios, but keep an eye out for updates!
Current Release Status:
Initial indications are that the band will release these this summer,
but take that with a huge grain of salt, as publically available copies
of Sykotyk Rampage's early 2010s albums have been posted months later
than the given release dates. As well, the band's last 8 albums have
only been made available in free streaming copies, with no full album
purchasing or packaging options, so make note of that as well. Still,
Sykotyk Rampage's prolific and creative blend of alternative, blues, and
hard rock will be hard to ignore, so stay tuned for their next
releases!
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Tym Morrison's second solo album
Rumoured Songs: "Moon
Patrol", "Dungeons & Dragons", "Nag Hamedi", "The
Reason Why", "The Dark Shred", "Song For Jen", "No Name",
"Amy", "Lay It On The Line", "Someday", "How I'm Wanting You
More", "The After Life", "9/11", "His Sacrifice", "Termination of
Exystence", "Classical D", "We Will Decide", "The Evil In Disguise", "Key To Reality"
Background: I
honestly don't know a lot about the background for Tym
Morrison's second album, but he has posted samples of nine songs
for his "next album" onto
the music player on his official website.
The songs are all of good quality, and feature Tym in
familiarly good form! Original information about recording
sessions for his solo album are either very sparse or were made
quite a while ago, so I don't know a lot about it, but the
songs were likely self-recorded at Morrison Studio Productions
with Tym on all instruments save for the programmed drums. He's
worked on the album sporadically since, including scattered song
postings (with some of a comedic or acoustic nature) onto
his YouTube channel, and Facebook
postings have hinted at a double album release. It's unknown how close we are to
seeing a second Tym Morrison album release, or if all of the originally
announced songs will make the cut, but keep an eye out!
Current Release Status:
I don't have any real idea, but his recent song postings hint
towards good things! Hopefully Tym does release
these songs in the near future, as his older samples and newer
material deserve an audience, but for now, check out the above
links to hear what he has to share that could make the cut!
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Winkstinger's debut EP
Rumoured Songs:
"Sadist", "Fuck The Rest", "Cheese Grater Face", "Chudnugget", "From
Bullshit To Buzz (Lies = Weed)", "Where'd We Go Wrong", "Poop", "In
Other Words", "Stop! You Can't Interrogate Someone With Brain Damage!",
"The Devil's Hand", "Feel All My Hate", "Move It, Peenie-Weenies, My
Hands Are On Fire!", "Jimmy Got His New Legs (Derp.)", "Bidniz",
"Nunya", "Of Steed & Steel"
Background: Little is publically known about this EP, but Winkstinger initially confirmed on March 15th, 2012 on
their Facebook page
that recording had begun. Anything else from official band pages is
open-ended or minimal, but guitarist Jesse Cook has also kept fans
posted on the recording sessions for the band's first EP on his personal
Facebook page, noting that recording took place from the 15th through
the 27th, with mixing done and some lyric finalization left. I assume
this EP is being self-produced and recorded, but again, the band
hasn't said much publically about it or it's possible track listing,
length, release formats, or anything else. In May 2012, the band posted 5
demos from the sessions onto
their SoundCloud page,
so stream them there in advance of the full release! It's also unclear whether anything will be re-recorded with their current four piece lineup, or if original quintet recordings will remain as is.
Current Release Status:
I'm not sure, especially with the limited public information
as of yet. A fall release made sense once, but band updates have been
slow in recent months, with Winkstinger only returning to the stage last week, and with a different lineup. No
matter what though, I'm curious to hear more of Winkstinger's creative
and often amusing material in studio form, so hopefully this does
come out relatively soon!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, and
of course, pick up Crimson Crusade's EP TOMORROW at The Canadian! That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Skeletonwitch preview and more later tonight! Thanks everyone!
Edmonton heavy metal quintet Striker will hit The Roosevelt Hotel for a headlining concert on Tuesday, June 25th! Presented by local concert promoter J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce, this show should appeal to fans of classic metal and NWOBHM bands, and if you enjoyed recent local shows with bands like 3 Inches of Blood & Skull Fist, Striker and their tour-tested, very heavy sound will be completely up your alley, so check them out at this location! Two local opening bands are being sought, but no one has been publically confirmed as of this writing, but message J.D. at this location if your band is interested in opening. There will also be an attached costume contest for the best 1980s metal outfit worn by attendees, with prizes for the winner(s?), so keep that in mind for the 25th as well! Admission will be $5 for this 9:00 PM concert, and I'd assume this is a 19+ event unless indicated otherwise. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome concert, and I'm really digging Striker's sound, so stay tuned for updates!
