Last Month's Poll Results & This Month's Latest Poll!!

Before we preview TOMORROW NIGHT'S Airbourne concert (and cover some more recent updates), here's the results of last month's poll at the SMS, with our newest poll to follow! A month hit today for the voting period, in which we posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the first half of 2013? Only 14 votes, which is lower than I'd have hoped (especially compared to some past years), but admittedly, the big July-August concerts weren't covered in it. The results are clear though, so here's the full breakdown!

What was your favourite Sault Ontario metal concert in the first half of 2013? - See more at: http://poll.pollcode.com/gy8q5_result?v#sthash.DjjOczir.dpuf

The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands from April 3rd-24th (4 votes, 29%)

Striker at The Roosevelt Hotel on June 25th (2 votes, 14.333...%)

Skeletonwitch at The Canadian Nightclub on June 3rd (2 votes, 14.333...%)

The Ripcordz at The Algonquin Pub on April 13th (2 votes, 14.333...%)

The Golers at The Roosevelt Hotel on June 20th (1 vote, 7%)

The Crusade at The Canadian Nightclub on May 20th (1 vote, 7%)

40 Sons at The Rockstar Bar on February 28th (1 vote, 7%)

Other (1 vote, 7%)

The Suicide Kings at The Nicolet Tavern on January 25th (0 votes)

Axed Theory Night at The Rosie on February 21st (0 votes)

Apocalypse: The Musical at The Canadian on March 1st (0 votes)

Lucky 13 at The Rockstar Bar on March 17th (0 votes)

Soul Killing Female at 180 Projects on March 24th (0 votes)

40 Sons at The Rockstar Bar on April 5th (0 votes)

The Rabid Whole at The Roosevelt Hotel on April 11th (0 votes)

Garden of Bedlam at The Rockstar Bar on April 26th (0 votes)

Royal Red Brigade at The Oddfellows Hall on May 10th (0 votes)

The Suicide Kings at The Roosevelt Hotel on May 17th (0 votes)

Greber at The Roosevelt Hotel on May 18th (0 votes)

Sleep When You're Dead at Oddfellows Hall on May 29th (0 votes)

For Those About To Rock at Rockstar Bar on June 21st (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, I am somewhat surprised that of the 20 included concerts, only 7 got a vote in the poll, though some of the included shows weren't as high profile as others. I'm most surprised that Garden of Bedlam's April show and Apocalypse: The Musical didn't get any attention, but as I've said before, it's all in who votes. The first 40 Sons and Golers shows of the year, The Crusade cancer fundraiser, and "Other" tied for fifth with a vote each, all about where I expected given their respective successes compared to some other choices. A three-way tie for second went to the Striker, Skeletonwitch, and Ripcordz concerts this year, all of which I was in attendance for and can attest to their high entertainment and success levels, so it's good to see them get multiple votes! However, the winner (with 4 votes and 29% of the total) was the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in April, which definitely was a hit event that got the attention of local music lovers, and I was there to witness the rising local talent in action each week to know it was a success (especially for The Suicide Kings!)

Also to note, all shows that got a vote in the poll were at least co-organized by local musician/promoter J.D. "Johnny Pints" Pearce, which is a testament to his hard work getting big shows to the Soo this year, so thanks to him for sure for what he's been doing, and support one of his biggest shows yet by going to see Airbourne TOMORROW NIGHT! Thanks to everyone for voting, and stay tuned early next year for our poll on favourite metal/hard rock shows from July-December of this year!

With that poll now closed, we open another one, this time focusing on the topic of concert series (more specifically, a constant scheduled run of concerts from the same promoters at the same venue on a reliable schedule.) The biggest recent of these for metal/hard rock fans were the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights, which ran on Thursdays (usually weekly) for 47 official installments from November 2010 to July 2012. There are other citeable examples, like the short lived early-2011 Rosie punk nights and The Rockstar Bar's one-off attempt at Wednesday metal nights in 2009, but the Rosie metal nights got the most recent attention thanks to their lengthy run, big name bands, and local media coverage. Usually, local concert bookings happen whenever a workable day can be scheduled, but I know many people miss the reliable scheduling & focus on heavier genres that the Rosie metal nights got. With that said, this month's poll question is: "Would you like to see a regularly scheduled metal/hard rock concert series like the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights again at a local concert venue?"

I've picked seven choices to cover hopefully all ground for this poll, which I have a feeling will get some good responses from fans, so read on below for more info on each choice, s we flesh out whether a regular run of metal/hard rock shows like the Rosie metal nights would be welcomed again locally!

Absolutely, I miss them!: Some fans lamented the slowdown of Rosie metal nights under later promoters after Dismembertainment left the series in October 2011, but the series' descent into inactivity in late 2012 happened without much fanfare. Are you among the fans who wish there was a regular and reliable series of concert at a local venue to attend again, or perhaps want more than just one?

Depends on the included bands/genres: Not everyone will agree on their preferred metal/hard rock subgenres, but death metal fans sure enjoyed the Rosie metal nights during their run, especially if you liked regularly appearing bands like The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver! Would your enthusiasm and attendance of a new regular metal concert series depend on the variance and genres of involved bands?

Depends on the venue/location: The Rosie metal nights helped make The Roosevelt Hotel a top destination for heavier original concerts, but everyone has their preferred venues (even The Rockstar Bar briefly tried a Wednesday metal night series in 2009), while some prefer all ages venues, or just prefer to stray close to home/work. Would a new metal night series only pique your interest based on location?

Depends on the scheduling: Sure, Thursday nights became an important date on local metalheads' calendars for over a year & a half, but Thursday is still a school/work night, with many local bars reserving weekends for cover bands, karaoke, and dance parties. Is a new regular heavier concert series only something you'd sign off on if they were booked on a day that worked with your personal schedule?

Depends on the promoter: With Rich Moreland, Stephane Vincent, and Mitch Sirie successively promoting the metal nights, things were in good hands for that series, but be it for musical or personal preferences, some people have local concert promoters that they prefer over others. Would the identity of a hypothetical metal series' promoters increase your regular attendance odds?

I just want more concerts in general: Thanks to Johnny Pints and Jamie Vincent (among others), we've had a solid amount of high profile metal/punk concerts in recent months in Sault Ontario, and though the only regular scheduling has been with Tym Morrison's current Road House arrangement, many recent concerts have been well promoted and recieved regardless of day. Do you just want more shows overall?

No, rigid scheduling can hurt shows: Though reliable at it's peak, some could argue that a regularly scheduled run of concerts like the Rosie metal nights would feel watered down, too restrictive, or too predictable. Admittedly, some were prone to repetitive lineups, late notice announcements, and minimal promotion, though there were peaks and valleys within. Do you want your concerts to not fall into a firm schedule?

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until September 18th to cast your votes, so hopefully we'll get a firm grasp on what SMS readers are thinking! I will say that this poll is NOT to directly assist a local promoter to gauge interest in a new metal concert series, I'm just curious to see what people think over a year after the Rosie metal nights ended in terms of if such a concept should be done again by any promoter. That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Airbourne concert preview and more later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Walk To Rock), Pop Evil Concert Videos, And More From Sault Michigan!!

(Updated at 1:33 AM) For this Saturday morning post, we were gonna focus 100% on the Sault Michigan area, but we have a late notice venue change to note for TONIGHT'S Haggith/Mike Haggith & The Din concert in Sault Ontario, as it's been moved from The New American Pub to The Rockstar Bar. A reason wasn't announced beyond singer Curtis McKenzie saying that it was "no longer scheduled" for The New A on it's Facebook event page this morning, but this doesn't affect Haggith's fall dates there. I'm not sure what happened, but now we'll see Haggith's first Rockstar Bar show since their second place battle run in April, and this will be The Din's debut at this venue as well, so don't miss it TONIGHT! 19+, 9:00 PM, $5 cover!

Now, this otherwise-Sault Michigan based post is mostly video centric, as we have a new teaser for a band's upcoming filmmaking projects, a video of a newer band covering a metal song, and the first public videos from the latest Dreammaker's Theater hard rock show, but first, here's an important LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Five bands will take the stage on Saturday, September 14th outside of City Hall in Sault Michigan (225 East Portage Avenue) as part of the first annual Walk To Rock Against Bullying, a fundraising/family event to raise funds to promote work to help end bullying in schools and raise awareness for this important issue. There will be a mile long walk starting and ending at City Hall at around 10:00 AM, with food, 50/50 draws, awareness booths, and face painting among the entertainment, so click here for all non-musical details about this event! The five bands (who'll be playing at 12:00 PM and on) include three heavier bands, and in listed order, they are local cover rock quartet Chump Change, young local metal band Tantrym Tyme, local indie rockers The London Gentlemen, newer local hard rock quintet RamWagon, and (in their first Sault Michigan appearance in over a year) Munising metal quartet Infathom! Last seen locally at the 2012 LemmaFest, it's great to see Dillion Semasky bring his band back to the region, and hopefully they impress like they did at their other recent shows! The other bands are all popular recent acts in their own rights, so don't miss this talented lineup of rock bands on the 14th!

No admission prices are announced for this event beyond possible donations against bullying, while this is definitely an all ages event. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great event to help put an end to bullying, and it's great to see these bands taking the stage to help promote the cause and entertain local fans, so keep it in mind for September 14th, and stay tuned for potential updates!

Next up, here's the first videos that I've found from the Pop Evil-headlined Team Jessica benefit concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Wednesday (and there's a lot more than their last local show had!) These were uploaded by YouTube user Dan Reck, who posted 5 videos from the concert onto his YouTube channel on Thursday, and they're of Pop Evil playing their singles "Hero", "100 In A 55", "Boss's Daughter", "Monster You Made", and "Last Man Standing", so click each link to check them out! Oddly filmed at a similar angle to his clips from last month's Shinedown show (albeit a bit closer), the recording quality adn the band's performance on these is solid, with a good camera angle & nice audio (if slightly muffled at times), and if these end up being our only videos from the show, they'll work well! However, I still find that YouTube auto-stability effect to be odd looking. I've embedded "Boss's Daughter" below, but check out more at the above links, and hopefully lots of money was raised to help Jessica Jorgensen and her family!



Also, here's our first look at (as best as I can tell) a new local band named Train Wreck! Note that they're not to be confused with the Banned predecessors TraynWreck, that was a completely different project. I have no idea if this new band was a one-off or will be seen live again, but they're an acoustic rock cover band, and they feature Half A Man frontman Erik Rintamaki on vocals & guitar alongside bassist Mitchell Willis and percussionist Rafe Rosini, who plays a box shaped instrument named the cajon in this video (no, that's not a speaker.) Two videos were filmed at an employee festival in nearby Bay Mills, Michigan on July 28th (but only just posted on Erik's YouTube channel on Thursday), including covers of Hellyeah's "Alcohaulin' Ass" and (as embedded below) White Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65", which is effectively converted into an unplugged format here! Erik's vocals are paced well to fit the tones, and the guys have talent from what I can see, but the very nice recording quality (on a stationary camera) helps here!

If they're a new continuing project, we'll have to see if they continue to skew more to an acoustic Half A Man sound, or will take more influences from Erik's old Set To Random work, but check out Train Wreck's White Zombie cover below, see more at the above links, and stay tuned in case we hear more in the way of hard rock performances from them!



Finally for today, here's a short teaser trailer for local metal quartet The Highest of Fives' planned "short film/TV pilot" with local "Twitter personality" Crusty Puck that they recently previewed in this video last month! Uploaded to guitarist Devin Anderson's YouTube channel on Wednesday, this is just a 19 second teaser with the text "Things are about to get out of hand" preceding a short clip of Crusty and a band member rocking out to Nickelback's "Animals" while driving. We don't learn a lot (other than the film will share the name "Bang!" with The Highest of Fives' upcoming album), but check out the 18 second clip below and see if you can read into anything!



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings & Haggith), This Weekend's Concert Previews, And A Cancellation!!

Before we get into the concert previews for this weekend, I wanted to note that the previously announced Sir Charge shows at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino this weekend have been cancelled. A reason hasn't been announced, but talented local country duo The Perry Hatch Band are now listed for The Northern Pines Lounge in their place via Kewadin Casino's entertainment page. Disappointing, but Sir Charge will return to the Soo Kewadin next month, so keep that in mind! With that said, today's post previews concerts going down this weekend through Saturday (Airbourne's coming on Sunday, probably), starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next two nights, so here's what you need to know!

After 4 weeks away from the local concert stage, local hard rockers The Suicide Kings will return to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT for the first time since their Battle of the Bands win there in April! Apologies for the short notice, they only just announced this show yesterday. After their packed Rotaryfest weekend, it'll be nice to see the guys rocking a local stage once again, especially for a solo headlining gig, a type of show they haven't played in 3 months! Note that their hyped bassist search has not concluded publically yet, so unless they're keeping things very secret, I'd assume Mitch Sirie will still handle bass on most songs tomorrow. An 11:00 PM-ish start time is hyped for this 19+ show, and bring $5 or so for a cover. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The Suicide Kings' talented and hard edged sound should be welcomed back to the stage after a long break (for them), so don't miss their next live concert TOMORROW NIGHT! For a preview, here's their first two songs from the battle finals in April!



Also, and in adding to the recent emergence of hard rock shows at The New American Pub, local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith have struck a deal to play one show a month through November at this Bay Street venue, including dates on September 25th, October 20th, November 22nd, and THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice for the first show of the run, Haggith only just announced it on Tuesday. For reference, the shows are not on the same day of the week, with the fall dates coming on a Wednesday, Sunday, and Friday respectively. Each show will reportedly feature an opening band, with local acid jam/hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din opening on Saturday in their own New A debut, while guitarist Daniel Horton told me on Facebook that they, Stone Temple Pilots tribute Purple Core (who feature Mike & The Din in swapped roles), local solo rocker James Watterworth, and fellow PaperClip Productions artist Frank McGillvray are all opener possibilities for the other dates. All 4 shows have 19+ age limits and 9:00 PM start times, while Daniel also told me that the cover will be $4.

For more details, check the Facebook event pages linked above (through each show's listed date.) For a band known for originals, a regular run at the same venue like this is somewhat different, but it's great to see them playing some headlining dates, Mike & The Din playing more Sault Ontario shows, The New A booking more original bands, so don't miss these fast rising hard rock bands THIS SATURDAY at The New American! For a preview, here's Haggith playing an STP cover and "Rage Train" at The Rockstar Bar in April!



Now to previously announced weekend concerts, starting with Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's third show of his "every Friday in August" concert arrangement with The Road House Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! Easily his favourite recent concert venue for his solo acoustic gigs, this will be his fifth Friday night show in the past 6 weeks at this Trunk Road tavern, and it sounds like things are going well so far! As usual, Tym should have a night full of metal and hard rock covers and renditions for fans and bar regulars to check out, so if you're up for a trip out east, The Road House will have you covered for some acoustic metal action tomorrow night! Admission should be free for this 10:00 PM show, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tym's solo gigs are always a good time full of familiar songs, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart live at The Service Grill!



Finally for today, Frightlight will bring some local metal flavour to what's being billed as a "Horrorween" concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel featuring two out of town horror punk bands, including Oshawa horror punk quartet Black Cat Attack and Welland punk/psychobilly trio Chainsaw Lobotomy! The Black Cat Attack (featuring Sum 41 alum Dave Baksh) have a unique female-voiced blend of horror punk and rockabilly that local fans should take to, while Chainsaw Lobotomy's hard to define mix of genres (everything from hardcore to bluegrass) should find an enthusiastic audience of their own! As for Frightlight, this will be their second show with James "Slim Cadaver" White filling in for Eddie Fright on bass, and he should fit in well again for their high impact originals and Misfits covers on Saturday, so if you crave metal, they'll have the majority of it! Note that the Facebook event page still lists a band to be announced, but recent press for the show has treated the show as having only 3 bands.

Originally scheduled for The Algonquin Pub before being relocated, this show (which is promoted by Frightlight frontman Johnny Pints) has a 10:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and a $10 entry fee, but it can be halved to $5 if you bring your Airbourne concert ticket, or it'll be FREE if you show your Airbourne & BFGs tickets! Also, there will be a prize package going to the winner of a Halloween costume contest on Saturday, and costume wearers get in for $5 too, so keep that in mind as well! For more info, visit the Facebook event page, and if you love punk, rockabilly, horror, and a dash of metal, be at The Rosie THIS SATURDAY (and have your costumes!) For a preview, here's Frightlight (and Slim) live at The Rosie in June!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news likely tomorrow, including hopefully some Pop Evil fallout, and yes, short notice show alerts if they come in! Thanks everyone!

Big Loonie Bus Show Updates, Grinded Live In Your Ears Fallout, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Wednesday morning, we have a bunch of shorter recent updates to get to, and fallout from a recent concert, but first, here's some big updates for an upcoming regional metal concert, so here's what you need to know!

We'll start this news post with updates to the upcoming "Big Loonie Bus Show" going down at La Cucina (under Bucci's Place) in nearby Echo Bay, Ontario on October 12th! One new note is that grunge duo Bad Back have quietly dropped out of the event in the past week or so. A reason wasn't announced, but given that frontman Jamie Vincent is still playing with his other band AlgomA, a scheduling conflict on drummer Nathan Sauve's part wouldn't surprise me. Replacing them (and maintaining the alphabetical name trend) are local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters, who should brutalize in their Echo Bay debut! The fifth band slot remains open, though promoter/AlgomA guitarist Boyd "Darby Wigwaus" Rendell is hyping "a possible special secret attraction", so we'll have to see if that leads somewhere. The event will be alcohol licensed (so I assume it's fully 19+), and tickets will be $10 in advance and $11.50 (odd number) at the door. While ticket purchasing details have yet to be announced, a purchase will guarantee you a round trip bus ride to and from the concert!

Yes, there will be at least one bus rented for Saultites to get to Echo Bay for the show (hence it's name), and there will be pick-up spots at both the Wendy's/Tim Hortons on Great Northern Road and at The Wellington Square Mall, so there's all the more reason to go! This concert (also featuring Crimson Crusade & Destroilet) is shaping up to be quite the unique event, so keep it in mind for the fall, stay tuned for updates, and get more information at the official Facebook event page!

Also in concert updates (albeit for one already taking place), here's some clarification and fallout from Saturday night's "Grinded Live In Your Ears" house-hosted concert in the P Patch following the Swampstravaganza! First, I can confirm that "Todd the Shitty Busker" was an alias used by local solo musician Chase James Wigmore, who we'll be covering more in depth on the site next month for our Defunct Local Band Profile on his old Smiling Giraffes project. He does have some creative talents, though the stage name usage still seems odd. A photo album from the event (which was indoors) was posted onto Facebook by attendee Katie Stevenson, featuring shots of Todd/Chase, Crucify The Whore, Crimson Crusade (pictured), and surprise late notice performers Warsenal. No pictures of Pillory or Social Suicide's sets are featured, but Pillory drummer Bret Shuttleworth told me their set featured just him and frontman Robert Sartini, so it wasn't a full return set.

There were also assorted musical guests (like ex-Undead Warriors guitarist Aaron Gasparetto), some of which can be seen in videos uploaded to Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel yesterday! All from Crucify The Whore's set (essentially Ringnaps Gibson on vocals/guitar with backing tracks and/or guest drummers), one video has an original and a loose cover of Slayer's "Reign In Blood", while the others include a cover of Burning The Masses' "Nailgun Massacre",  his original "Bunk, Shake, and Headache", and the one embedded below merging two original tracks. In terms of drummers, Winkstinger's Jesse Cook sits in on the below video and the "Reign In Blood" cover, and Bring The Fallen alum Travis St. Amour drums on "Nailgun Massacre", while Ringsnaps uses a backing track for "Bunk, Shake, and Headache". The lighting on these videos isn't spectacular, but C.T.W. tracks do sound heavier and fuller in a live setting (even the pig squealing fits better), and I'd like to see Ringsnaps take his projects to a public stage again and see where it goes! Check out Crucify The Whore live below and see more at the above links!



Finally for today, here's six shorter recent news items, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

• I forgot to mention this in our Swampstravaganza review, but Bear Hunters frontman Nik Deubel announced during their set that their upcoming debut CD will be called "Eternal Hibernation" (presumably referring to the end result of a successful bear hunt.) Sounds fitting, and stay tuned for updates on it's release!
• Local musician Chris Raginskis is yet again exploring the idea of forming a dedicated cover band, this time to cover Volbeat material. Sounds intriguing (you know how much Garden of Bedlam and fans love them), but if you're interested, message Chris at this link or through his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on August 4th!
• Also from the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, local bassist Jason Lang is looking to get back into live music, preferably in a classic/modern rock band, though he emphasized he'd just like the odd gig, not to become a rock star. Reply to his post on the group from Sunday or message him at this link to inquire further!
• AlgomA guitarist Boyd Rendell's new promotion agency Oh! Right Arm! Productions now has a Twitter page, so follow along there for updates on the Big Loonie Bus Show and other events, and they're now in our Other Sault Ontario Links section!
• I can finally confirm that Purple Core (who played at Haggith's private Canada Day bash) are a Stone Temple Pilots cover band featuring the members of Haggith (minus Caleb Cachagee), with the name coming from a combination of their first two albums. Essentially, they're like The Nirvanabees with a different source band. Thanks to Daniel Horton for the clarification!
• Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton has announced plans to release his seventh studio album "Cracks In The Wall" on Halloween, though little beyond the album cover is out at present. As a result, I'll hold our next SweetKenny CD review until at least November so I can choose it or "Perception" next (likely the heavier of the two), but look out for updates!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more very soon! Thanks everyone!

RedD Monkey On The SMS & The Pop Evil/Team Jessica Benefit Preview!!

Today's post is dedicated to just two topics: A long overdue band addition to our full coverage on the SMS, and an extended preview of a big mid-week concert across the river for a very important cause, so without any further adieu, read on below for what you need to know! (Updated on Wednesday at 12:44 AM)

The Sault Metal Scene is pleased to finally add RedD Monkey into our full coverage on the site! This is honestly very overdue, but even if they usually identify as punk, their shows have gotten more & more aggressive and fast (as fans will back up from the Sewer Swampstravaganza), with many live songs verging into hardcore territory, so it's just wrong to not cover them on the SMS any longer (even if I am just "some metalhead"!) Formed in Kelowna, British Columbia in 2009, they've been based out of Toronto for most of their run, but have been identified and credited as a local band at least partially since 2010, including playing on & promoting a number of local shows, such as appearances at Rotaryfest, the 2009 Algoma University Battle of the Bands, and their annual Swampstravaganzas. Their current lineup (of course) features ex-Smeltzer frontman Steve Mozarowski on vocals & guitar, his brother Pete on the cello, and former The Fury drummer Joe Bumbacco (who replaced Gates of Winter/Smeltzer alum Kevin Overton in the band in 2010.)

RedD Monkey have released two albums (2010's "Thought Control Tower" EP and last year's full length CD "All Baroque") which can be bought at concerts or streamed for free at their Bandcamp page, while a third album (named "Opus 2" via at least one Facebook comment) was recorded last year and teased at a Toronto concert on June 1st. The guys have also toured frequently in recent years, with five Southern Ontario concerts slated through the end of August, so keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates on their next gigs and plans! One of the most creative local bands of recent years, RedD Monkey's blistering blend of punk, classical, and hardcore has won them a lot of fans both here and in the Toronto area, with concerts still finding time for some creative covers and even rapping about cookies! The guys have good chemistry and a very original sound that's ripe for moshpits and insanity, and even if we're badly overdue to cover them in full on here, I've always been a fan and I own original pressings of their first two CDs! For the record, I hope to review "Thought Control Tower" on the site this fall, possibly as soon as October, so keep an eye out for that!

We'll have a lot more from RedD Monkey on the site going forward, including at least one post full of YouTube videos from their run to check out, but they're now in our active Sault Ontario band links, and hopefully we're not waiting 8 months for their next local show!

Next up, here's our preview of the next major hard rock concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as Grand Rapids hard rock quintet Pop Evil will return to the Soo for the first time in 3½ years TOMORROW NIGHT! Best known for their #1 single "Trenches", they were last seen here headlining the first Kim Rogers/Kelsey Raffaele benefit show, but they have another important cause to support tomorrow, as proceeds will go to Team Jessica, the fund that has been set up to help local teenager Jessica Jorgensen through her battle with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. The Sault Michigan community has been doing great things to help her out this year, and like the Kim & Kelsey benefits, local business have been buying tickets as donations, then giving them away free to fans and students, which is a great gesture! If filled to capacity, promoters Allstar Promotions are hoping to raise $10,000, which would be awesome, and hopefully that & more is raised! Note as well that this will be Pop Evil's first local show since Nick Fuelling & Chachi Riot replaced Tony Greve & Dylan Allison on guitar and drums.

Local support will come courtesy of indie rockers The London Gentlemen and pop duo Missy & Chelsea, but how can The London Gentlemen play after Steve Sivret & Jake LaLonde moved out of town? Apparently, Steve was replaced by local solo musician Mark Bowen, and for at least tomorrow's show, Chump Change's Jason Haske & Jason VanLuven will fill in on bass and drums (which means that bassist Kyle Beaumont is also out.) My source is Jason Haske's Facebook page, and hopefully this works out! If you didn't get a free ticket, admission is still a nice & affordable $20, and you can buy tickets from the second row & back at this location, the Kewadin box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN! (Also, check ahead in case there's a meet & greet with Pop Evil.) For more details, visit the above links and Scott Brand's article from The Soo Evening News this past weekend! This should be a great concert for a great cause, and hopefully Jessica beats this thing with the help of the money raised tomorrow!

Of course, Pop Evil are bigger than ever since their last local show, and their energetic modern hard rock sound is sure to strike a good nerve, so don't miss everything tomorrow, here's Pop Evil's music video for "Trenches", and I hope Jessica gets well soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, and hopefully some Pop Evil fallout as well! Thanks everyone!

Sewer Swampstravaganza III Review!!

It's finally time for my review of Saturday night's third annual Sewer Swampstravaganza! Before we get into the performers, here's some notes on non-musical aspects of the day's events. There was some special lighting and smoke machines in effect for each band, honestly helping it feel like night way earlier, and merchandise for the bands (RedD Monkey, Guy Smith, and Warsenal in particular) was at the back tables with the Sykotyk Sound Company, with The Northern Tragedy also distributing a free demo. Note also that RedD Monkey had new packaging and art for the sale copies of their albums, but the content is (I believe) unchanged. Katie Huckson's art was also on sale, which was generally well done and creative, and I even bought a superhero painting for a surprisingly good price! Attendance-wise, it wasn't so hot, though it peaked for The Bear Hunters' set, and every band from 8:00 PM on had decent turnouts. As for talk of The Bear Hunters trading down from 9:00 PM to 7:00 PM due to a scheduling conflict, that never came to fruition for whatever reason, and they remained in their original slot. There was a band dropout too, but we'll get to that as we go, so how about the actual performers?

Local folk/roots solo artist Guy Smith opened up the Swampstravaganza (replacing Ashes To Dust) in what I think was his Oddfellows Hall debut, and while the attendance was not good to start the day, Guy played a good set for his genre that gathered attendees seemed to enjoy! For his set, he was joined by Jamie Smith (his brother?) on electric guitar and a drummer (named Colin, I believe), who helped fill out his originals and select covers, which honestly sound better live than they do in studio. Not quite as reedy, Guy had more emotion and raw feelings live than I got from his CD tracks. He's a talented songwriter too, and you don't see a harmonica every day at a concert where death metal's also slated! While Guy's brand of music was definitely an outlier compared to what was coming next, he brought a talented folksy sound to the table to kick off the event, he had a nice easy-going chemistry and rapport, and hopefully his second show on Friday went just as well!

Young local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade hit the stage next for their second show since the end of their very brief breakup, and compared to their Oddzfest set, it was about the same for talent level and aggression, aside from a worse crowd level and the debut of a brand new song, which I think was called "Beyond the Sky". It sounded really good, but I'll need to hear it more before I effectively judge. The low crowd level didn't stop a few rowdy fans from starting some lively moshpits for songs like "Here We Lay", "Lost Memories", and "Consumed", along with some Death covers, and they definitely grabbed the present fans! New song aside, there isn't a lot different to say about their set compared to two weeks ago, but their talents and chemistry (from Riley Marshall's skilled bass work to Devon Lucier's piercing high growl) were ever present, and I can't wait to hear more from Crimson Crusade in the coming months!

Very talented local bassist James Watterworth (a.k.a. Delusionair Lionhair) replaced Winkstinger in the 4:00 PM slot for his third multi-band all ages show in the past month, but this one was different from the rest as he didn't play guitar at all, and he was joined by guest musicians for all but the first two songs, namely Haggith's Daniel Horton and Mike Haggith on guitar & drums! This answered a big wish I had from James' past shows, as his original music is almost asking for full band accompaniment, and having Daniel & Mike there answered that! In this form, James' originals (like "Sneeze" & "Chimney Prescription") have sort of a funk/alternative hard rock bent that's clearly different from other local bands (let alone Daniel & Mike's projects), and fans seemed to take to the songs a bit more as a result! Carefree but aggressive, and very fun, I hope James gets a permanent band started at some point, as last night's set was a good sampling of what that would sound like!

Next up was local alternative hard rock/blues quartet Sykotyk Rampage, who emerged from the sound table to rock out in their own Oddfellows Hall debut on Friday night! Their set (including songs like "Sicked", "Sweet Young Thing", and "Warhorn") was mostly the same as at their Bushplane Musical Madness show last month, but their energy was somewhat lower, without as much drunken freewheeling and anarchy as that show provided. Maybe the absence of their monkey George helped? Musically though, Sykotyk Rampage were in good form, though Paul Becker was hard to hear vocally early on. Dirk Becker and Shane Kokis' guitar work was solid as ever, Tony Briglio's bass playing and backing vocals were very aggressive, and present fans enjoyed their creative blend of styles, especially the return of their full drinking songs! Solid set to be sure, and hopefully Sykotyk Rampage have more gigs and albums in the coming months!

The 6:00 slot was supposed to be filled by Toronto grindcore trio Goatface Killa (replacing the shorthanded Giwakwa), but they dropped out of the show earlier that afternoon. A reason hasn't been publicized online, but I heard from performers on Saturday that it was due to travel delays on the road, so take that for what it's worth. As a result, Sykotyk Rampage's set was slightly lengthened to fill some time (with "Breakdown" replaced by their full drinking songs), and this year's Swampstravaganza became the smallest yet, with only 9 bands. Disappointing, but hopefully Goatface Killa try again for a local date down the road!

Despite earlier word about timeslot swaps, local punk band The Northern Tragedy played the 7:00 PM slot as advertised, in what was their own Oddfellows Hall debut! The last set of the night with a relatively small attendance, fans should have came in, as their improving punk original sound kept everyone entertained, and they have good musical energy on songs like "These Days" and "Excuse My Choices"! Their big issue is still stage presence, but it was at least as good as it was at Bushplane Musical Madness, aside from some stretches of looking down too much. Terrence Gomes' singing voice is definitely getting stronger, and Mike Ivany's got some underrated guitar skills too, which people seemed to take notice of on Saturday! The Northern Tragedy are doing the right things, and hopefully they keep on an upward path as they continue their rise in local prominence! (As for their free demo, it's hand-burned, has 5 songs, and is packaged in a paper sleeve with a bear in front of a moon painted on. Sounds good so far!)

Local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith (also playing The Oddfellows Hall for the first time) took the stage at 8:00 PM as the crowd finally started to pick up in number, and they were rewarded with a very entertaining mix of originals and covers! I may be wrong, but this might be the first show they've ever played with Curtis McKenzie focusing on vocals only, and while he has a confident stage presence, some songs did sound emptier without his guitar (also, there was a surprising amount of visible lyric sheets.) Originals like "Wanko" and "No Cure For Insanity" were joined by covers of bands like Cheap Trick and The Stone Temple Pilots, and their energy and chemistry were on display on Saturday, with Daniel Horton's guitar work and Mike Haggith's wild drumming noticeably making waves! Since their second place run at the battle of the bands in April, Haggith have been really impressing and gaining momentum, and if they keep this up, they'll be hard to stop in the coming months, so don't bypass them at their next public dates!

The peak audience of the night hit the floor for The Bear Hunters' first live set since the departure of rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney, and just for the record, he hasn't been replaced yet, and no reference was made to any public replacement searches, but we'll of course let you guys know when/if any are announced. Compared to the last time I saw them shorthanded (May 2012, I think), I think the absence of Josh was more visible, with a few songs definitely lacking a bit in melody, but Mitch Sirie was overall clearer, so that works! Their set included standards like "Karma" and "Succumb To Eternity", but a highlight saw them debut a new original song, albeit without vocals yet. While Nik Deubel sat out, Shit Liver's Josh Penno provided some impromptu grind squeals to fill in, and it oddly worked, but I am curious to hear the final product with Nik Deubel's vocals too! Aside from Josh's absence, the guys sounded as good as ever, and stay tuned for more on their next shows!

Co-headlining on Saturday was the long awaited return of cello/punk trio RedD Monkey (the creators of the Swampstravaganza!) We haven't seen them back home since December, and let's just say, this was probably the most aggressive they've sounded, almost like they had something to prove after such a long absence! Tracks like "Lotus Song", "Friar's Ire", and "The Attic" populated an intense set of blistering originals that verged into hardcore punk territory at times, and both the Mozarowski brothers and Joe Bumbacco kept things up well (also, Steve had some funny jokes!) As for their fan favourite cover of Motorhead's "Ace of Spades", that was cello-less after Pete Mozarowski broke a string, but we got a partial reunion of The Fury as a result, with Sykotyk Rampage's Tony Briglio providing guest vocals! With a slate of Southern Ontario gigs coming up, RedD Monkey are coming hard and fast if Saturday's show was any indication, as this was probably the best I've heard them at, and hopefully it won't be another 8 months for their next local show! (Also, you might just see more of them on here this week...)

Headlining on Saturday was the first ever fully-out of town band in Swampstravaganza history, Montreal thrash metal trio Warsenal, and if you love speed and thrash metal from the 1980s, they delivered it wall to wall! Fast paced, intense, and very heavy, as the mosh pits indicated! Mathieu Rondeau was spitting venom on vocals through their original onslaught, and while I think having a second guitarist would fill their sound out a bit, the intensity and heavy riffing and solos didn't bother anyone inside! Nice fast drumming from Antoine Turcotte and skilled low bass work from Francis Labine to boot, and I don't think anyone had anything bad to saw once they wrapped up! We don't get enough pure thrash metal in the Soo, so it was a nice change of pace for Warsenal to deliver that to cap off the Swampstravaganza, and hopefully they come back to town for another go at it! (Also, they stopped by the "Grinded Live In Your Ears" Blood Shed Productions house party concert that same night for a surprise set, which I heard was a hit as well!)

Overall, the third Sewer Swampstravaganza was a great time, arguably better than last year's (at least for metal content), but the attendance was a big downer, and it'd have been nice to have seen more people inside before 8:00 PM to cheer on the first 5 bands. I did get a bunch of photos, so click here to check them out (or visit our Facebook page), and for videos, I got 7, so here's Crimson Crusade playing "Reality", James Watterworth and friends playing "Beautiful Woman", Sykotyk Rampage playing "Never Ever Life", Haggith playing "If You Get Out Alive", The Bear Hunters playing "Bloodthirst", RedD Monkey playing "Fight Skateboard With Fire!", and Warsenal playing "One By One"!















That's all for today, but stay tuned for some more news shortly, including some overdue news for RedD Monkey fans on here! Thanks everyone!