A New BeeFMouTH Video, A Guitarist's Band Search, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Monday, we have an assortment of stories to touch on, so what's in store? Some feature profile updates, more assorted topics, and a band search from a promising local metal guitarist, but let's begin with a newly posted reunion video of a familiar band from the turn of the millennium, so here's what you need to know!

First up, here's a surprise video featuring a BeeFMouTH reunion! Yes, the late 1990s noise rock trio (featuring AlgomA's Darby Wigwaus & Marty Chase, a.k.a. Bwaad & MoDez) apparently got back together a couple of years ago around the Christmas holidays for a jam session, which was filmed and finally uploaded to 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel on Saturday. The video is short (just 57 seconds), and rather than titling it by the song's name, it's called "The Falling Coffee", referencing exactly what that implies, so keep an eye out for it! The jam sounds good and heavy, but from what was posted, there are no featured vocals. The timing is curious too, as the upload comes a week out from AlgomA's set at The Big Loonie Bus Show in Echo Bay this coming Saturday, so could this be a hint that a BeeFMouTH reunion will be the concert's "special secret attraction"? I have no clue personally, but it'd be cool to see a return show at any point, as I enjoyed the old videos they posted! Check out this BeeFMouTH reunion jam video below, and GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT!

Next up, we have a new band search and video from a Sault Ontario metal guitarist named Matthew Parr, so what should you know? On the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Thursday, Matt posted that he was a metal rhythm guitarist that was looking for a band or like-minded musicians to work with, and that he's influenced by progressive and death metal bands like Meshuggah and Veil of Maya. He plays seven string guitars and can program drums, and has posted a series of solo recordings under the handle The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe onto Soundcloud, that you can check out at this link. Even though I wasn't familiar with his music before the other day, I have to give him props, as he's a really talented guitarist with a lot of creative ideas, and I think local bands should give him a serious look, so message him at this location or above if you're interested! As one more sample, he posted this cover of Volumes' "Two-One" onto his YouTube channel last year (oddly, his only performance clip there), and it features Matt playing both guitar parts on the original with videos of each. Really solid, so check out Matt's Volumes cover below!



Also today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or conpany name:

• Are changes afoot concerning local grunge quartet Haggith's lineup? Drummer Mike Haggith posted about a bassist search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday, though in a comment reply, he said that current bassist Caleb Cachagee is still around, and they're "just looking at some other options" towards a possible shift in direction. I find Caleb's a good fit with the band, but we'll have to see what comes of this, if anything. Stay tuned!
• In our Sault Ontario links section on the left of the page, I've edited the link to Rockin' Vinyl Records to replace it's now expired website with their Facebook page, just to keep things current and working. In case you forgot, this is the locally owned vinyl record/music collectible store at 415 Northland Road, which has a solid selection of merchandise, so check them out above!
• Ex-Late & Loud singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi's solo project The Soviet Space Program (which was launched locally last year before he moved from the Soo) is still alive, as he posted on their Facebook page last night to confirm that he is "working on some new missions." Great to hear, so keep an eye out for Jon's next solo original song postings!

Finally for today, here's some assorted updates to our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles from late 2009 and onward! On multiple profiles relating to these battle competitors, I noted that local rock band Wishbone have been reunited this year by frontman Dennis Duguay (more information on their new lineup and such is forthcoming), while I also noted Sykotyk Rampage's 8 new digital free albums, and edited the genre for two-time battle runners-up The Fury to note that they were essentially a punk band, though I'll note that they hated genre classifications. In the section on the Kiss Battle of the Bands' profile to note competitors' later bands, I replaced Fusion, The Inner City Surfers, The London Gentlemen, Pocketful of Scoundrel, and Zero Hour with 415E, Al Wood & The Woodsmen, The Fairmounts, Havadder, and The Side FX, either to acknowledge newer and more prominent bands, or to remove bands who are either defunct, not as active, or no longer feature battle alumni in their lineups. Finally, I made a similar edit to that section on our Sault College Battle Profile, to replace Zero Hour again with Mike Haggith & The Din, who then-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth joined on saxophone earlier this year. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, along with this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles and this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!

Danger Cats Concert Preview & New Video Interviews With Local Metal Bands!!

Today's news post at the SMS is mostly devoted to some neat new video interviews with local metal bands in advance of an upcoming concert that they're on, but we've also got a special concert preview for tomorrow, so what's going down on a Monday night that you should take notice of? Read on below to find out!

Local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will play their third full concert set TOMORROW NIGHT when they make their Roosevelt Hotel debut as openers for Montreal ska punk quintet K'Man & The 45s! A popular and fun band who recently released a Ramones tribute album (hence references to "The Skamones"), fans of ska-punk and reggae rock should be right at home with K'Man & The 45s tomorrow during their current tour, and you shouldn't be disappointed! As for The Danger Cats (who are oddly the only announced openers), tomorrow's show comes just days after they played a few surprise songs at Docks Riverfront Grill during the Stiffler's Mom show on Saturday (awesome opportunity!), and the girls have hyped a pin-up clothing theme for tomorrow night, so keep that in mind! Their Facebook page also confirms that this will be their only full show of the month, but they'll be back in November, so don't miss out if you don't want to wait for their return! Tomorrow's concert (which is promoted by Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce) has a 9:00 PM start time, $7 cover charge, and 19+ age limit.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Interesting contrast to have The Danger Cats' hard rock and punk covers open for a ska band, but the girls do cover The Ramones, so there will be a link there, and hopefully their musical growth continues with what should be a solid audience! Don't miss out, and for a preview, here's The Danger Cats' Hole cover at The Algonquin Pub last month!



Next up, remember how ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Lavoie (a.k.a. Sabrina Strange) recently interviewed The Cretin from The Dayglo Abortions at their most recent local concert? Well, she's further honing her interview chops with new videos interviewing a pair of local metal bands, both of which are playing this coming Saturday in Echo Bay for The Big Loonie Bus Show! Posted onto Boyd Rendell's 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel yesterday, one of the interviews is with local death metal band The Bear Hunters from their jam room (courtesy of two camera angles, one black & white), so what's discussed?

The guys talk about their inspiration with writing new songs, their musical influences and songwriting process, how the band formed (including some illusions to Justin & Johnny's past bands), their upcoming CD and it's release timeframe, guitarist Mitch Sirie's fear of bears and how it led to their name, bassist Justin Lam's hat, how Nik Deubel got into death growling, Johnny Belanger's drumming roles in other bands, their on-the-road experiences, messages to the fans, and the absence of rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney. In terms of new items of interest, we do find out The Bear Hunters' name came from a song Mitch wrote with Lorax when he was in that band, they already have songs written for a second album (the first is projected for a release within a year), and they confirmed that they're not replacing Josh Stephney on guitar unless he specifically asks to leave the group, which is admirable of them! The video closes with a jam room performance of "Servitude" (apparently planned to be on their second album, source here), which is well done & heavy, before closing with plugs for The Big Loonie Bus Show.

Well done overall (despite some jarring cuts between cameras and edited clips), and Sabrina's gaining confidence as an interviewer, so fans of The Bear Hunters will definitely wanna check this out! Give it a look below, and we're not done quite yet!

The other Sabrina Strange interview is with the announced headliners of The Big Loonie Bus Show, local stoner/sludge metal trio AlgomA! This time, it's completely an interview with no live performance, but in the video, the members (all credited under their stage names only) discuss their influences, their songwriting process, how the band formed and met (including the earlier band BeeFMouTH), the inspiration behind the AlgomA name, the members' starts in music, their current album plans (including confirmation that local punk/metal veteran Mark Rand is mixing the tracks), their relationships with other local bands, messages for fans, and plugs for The Big Loonie Bus Show. We don't get as much new information compared to The Bear Hunters' interview, but it's a laid back and relaxed interview that tells us a lot about AlgomA and their work! I have heard that there are hopes to interview Crimson Crusade & Destroilet in a similar manner before the show on the 12th, but these are solid and informative interviews, and hopefully Sabrina & 62nd Chamber Productions do more of them!

Get your tickets for The Big Loonie Bus Show A.S.A.P. for $10 (the more that are bought, the more likely a bus will drive you there and back, which is an awesome idea!), stay tuned for updates, and like Sabrina Strange Productions on Facebook at this link to get up to speed on her new entertainment production company, which has aspirations of promoting shows down the road! Hopefully everything takes off, and her company's now in our Other Sault Ontario Metal Links section! Check out her full interview with AlgomA below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new post of some type tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Mike Haggith - "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends" Review!!

Today at the SMS, it's a good time to post our 52nd monthly CD review, as this month, we're looking at Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's newest solo album "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends"! A sequel to October 2012's "Neighbourhood Watch", this is considered Mike's 47th solo album, and though it follows "The Present Din" from May of this year, I've picked "Neighbourhood Watch II" for our next review of Mike's solo work as it's heavier in tone. Independently released on September 24th, the album was recorded this year at Galactic Records in Windsor, with vocals recorded locally at PaperClip Productions, and Mike provides lead vocals and all instruments & programming on the included tracks. "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends" can be bought for $5 via Mike's Bandcamp & Reverbnation pages (with Reverbnation also allowing individual song buys for 99¢), while a physical release is also planned. Each song title below is linked to the official YouTube copy of it, so stream the tracks there, but please buy the album to support Mike's work! With 11 tracks clocking in at about 40 minutes in length, let's begin this review with the first track!

The album begins with "Grace", which opens with an orchestral piano stretch that sets an interesting tone, before Mike's singing kicks in after a minute or so, which come across as a bit higher and more emotional than on some of his recent original songs. Well composed, the song honestly goes by quicker than I expected, and given that it's got more of an ethereal quality than anything, it's an interesting choice to lead off the CD. It's not heavy, but it does what it's supposed to, and you can feel the passion in it overall! Second is "Miss 76", which shares more audio comparisons with Mike's recent solo work with lower vocals and guitar/drum implementing, but there's still at an atmospheric quality to some of the effects. This might be incorrect to it's intent, but I'm getting a Doors vibe out of this track thanks to the structure, especially early. The acoustic guitar and build-up of energy late is a nice contrast, but it seems to come too late, and the song ends just as it's really sparking. Solid overall though, and I like the expansion of influences Mike's using early!

"All Alone" comes in next, which opens with a very orchestral keyboard intro for most of the first minute before other instruments kick in, including low softer vocals and a nice deliberate drum pacing. There's a clear emotion through Mike's singing here, which really drives the track compared to the backing instrumentation. The effects late are interesting, but again, it seems to end abruptly, almost like a higher tempo ending was on it's way but cut short. Well done, and I like the darker tone, but like it's preceding tracks, it went by too quickly. I will note that it does lead right into a short fourth song named "Silent Pleasure", which continues with the instrumental effects that "All Alone" ended with, but why not just formally combine the two tracks? The effects (which almost sounded like parts of other songs rewound) are cool, but as it's own 57 second track, it doesn't stand alone well.

The fifth song is "Lacking Common Sense", which has the hardest rocking intro yet (albeit slow paced), but it continues with the trend of devoting the first minute to instrumental work before vocals kick in. The verses are much softer with effects put on Mike's clean vocals, but oddly, there's almost no chorus singing. The heaviest song on "Where It Ends" so far, I like the fuller sound that gives more of the illusion of a full band, and Mike's guitar playing is strong, but like before, it goes by too fast.

A 66 second instrumental named "Fourth Floor, Centre" follows it on the disc, which is a rather beautiful sounding orchestral composition that builds nicely into a grand and heavy number late before fading towards it's end. Like "Silent Pleasure", it connects perfectly with another track (this time, preceding track #7, "She Wanted To Be A Veterinarian"), but again, why not combine the two? On it's companion song, Mike returns to a softer rock style, but this song benefits from a longer length and the nice use of deliberate emotion and quality lyrics that Mike gives once again! If anything I wish "She Wanted To Be A Veterinarian" continued with the grand orchestral feelings of "Fourth Floor, Centre", but if you look at the two as a combined 5 minute song, you get some of Mike's best work so far on the CD! I just wish that the intro was more of a sign of things to come.

The promisingly titled "Wicked Midnight Ride" comes in next, and it continues with his well composed orchestral rock songs, but with a bit more of a bite compared to some of it's predecessors, and I like his chorus vocals and control here! His instrumental work is really solid here, especially for the backing orchestration and late piano work, and I have to say, this is probably my favourite of the songs so far. It's catchy, combines the orchestral influence and Mike's rock base really nicely, and aside from the abrupt ending, never gets dragged down. Not bad at all! Ninth is "Solitude", which definitely leads off feeling like it's title, with minimal instrumentation outside of the choruses, soft low singing, and affecting lyrics that give the song a downbeat feeling. Mike's keyboard parts are the star of the show on this track, and he really adds to the mood with them, and the song definitely succeeds at it's aims, so give "Solitude" extra attention if you like Mike's softer and more intimate originals! Fans of the heavier stuff might not be as enthusiastic though.

The album's penultimate song is "When The Rope Breaks", a longer track that expands on earlier symphonic and paino sounds while deftly flowing that into another softer vocal performance that, while reserved and somewhat minimalistic, isn't done badly at all. If anything, the choruses' added intensity seems a bit forced here, and the song might be a touch too long, but like on earlier songs of this emotional level, it does what it's supposed to very well! I just find it drags a bit, but I can't question Mike's instrumental talents here! The album closes with "Goodbye", which is the longest overall at 7:30 in length. Opening with backing chorus-esque vocals, it's similar to "When The Rope Breaks", albeit a bit more lively and with more of a piano base. It never feels overly long and is nicely varied to include the general influences of the album, and it gives a nice bookend to the album by closing softly like it began. Of course, a heavier element to this song wouldn't come amiss, but Mike's symphonic compositions helped give this song a nice ambiance to close with!

So, what's my final verdict on Mike Haggith's newest solo album? I liked it overall, and as a supporter of orchestral and symphonic elements in rock/metal music, I was pleased to see more of that on a local album release, but I'm not sure if it's better than some of his other recent solo work. Mike's individual instrumental abilities are not in question, and his vocals fit the mood of the songs well, and even though the album isn't as hard rock based as some of his previous albums, songs like "Wicked Midnight Ride" and "Lacking Common Sense" cover that angle! The production's good too, but how does it compare to the first "Neighbourhood Watch" from last year? I'd say it's not as dark, but it feels grander and more majestic, but whether that's better or not is up to you. (I will note that many of the songs on the sequel album were dropped from the original also.) I would have liked to have seen harder rocking songs to match with the orchestral elements, and many songs (especially early) went by too quickly or ended abruptly, and I still wonder why "Silent Pleasure" and "Fourth Floor, Centre" were broke from their companion tracks.

Overall though, "Neighbourhood Watch II" is an interesting variance from the norm for Mike Haggith, and while it's not the heaviest album he's ever made, the symphonics and keyboard work gives it a unique flavour that should find it's own audience, and it's well performed on the whole! Pick it up at the above links! Now, what CD are we reviewing on the site in November? In all likelihood, it will be Dafter, Michigan hard rock solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton's newest album "Cracks In The Wall", which is scheduled for a Halloween release, but that depends on it coming out on schedule. If it gets delayed past mid-November, we'll likely review an archive album of some kind, likely one from Candle Hour, Detroit, Facedown, Foothill Road, RedD Monkey, or Sykotyk Rampage (barring any acquisitions of hard rock/metal albums that I don't currently have), but that'd only be if there's a delay for "Cracks In The Wall". Keep an eye out either way, and stay tuned for more news tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & The Thrill Junkies), Plus New Song Uploads!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Friday night, we have some new song postings from a pair of local projects, and starting things off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this month to cover, so read on below to get up to speed! (Note that if you saw a story on here that's been removed relating to a band's membership search, I've removed it for now as I'm waiting for further confirmation in light of some new info. Stay tuned!)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill for two more solo acoustic concerts on October 11th & 18th, a.k.a. the next two Fridays! These were confirmed in a recent Facebook conversation with Tym, but given how frequently he plays at this venue, one could assume he'd be back at The Road House this month at least once (of course, he's playing with Caveman Morrison tonight at The Rosie.) Tym's unplugged cover sets have proven to be a steady favourite at The Road House in the past year, and it never hurts to get a softer take on his usual hard rock & metal renditions, so keep his next solo gigs in mind! The show next week doesn't mean anything negative for his Ray Brown benefit set, as that event starts earlier in the day, so he can pull double duty without issue if he plays earlier. For the Road House gigs, admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and both have 10:00 PM-ish start times. For more details, check the above links, and stay tuned for updates from Tym's music projects!

Also in new concert announcements, local classic hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies have announced a series of concerts at The Roosevelt Hotel and Docks Riverfront Grill through the end of the year, as per their Facebook page earlier today! The Turner Up successors will apparently return to The Rosie on October 25th & 26th, November 22nd & 23rd, and December 13th & 14th, while the Docks shows will go down on November 8th & 9th and December 20th & 21st, so if you're up for some hard rocking and varied covers, you know where to be to get a thrill from these junkies! Note however that the October 26th show conflicts with J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party that night, which moved to The Rosie this year, but there is the possibility that the Thrill Junkies show that day is a matinee. If anything is announced to clarify that or more of the concerts, I'll let you guys know! Each show should have a 10:00 PM-ish start time and a 19+ age limit, and while the Rosie shows shouldn't have a cover, Docks likely has one in the $4 range. For more details, check the above links, and don't miss The Thrill Junkies next at Friday's Ray Brown benefit!

Next up, here's a "new" song from local grunge/alternative rockers Haggith! They finally posted a free streaming copy of the disc-ending bonus track from their most recent album "Deuce" onto their YouTube channel the other day, which wasn't alluded to publically upon release (aside from including it's lyrics on the booklet.) Also named "Deuce", it's a 1:48 acoustic track featuring drummer Mike Haggith & lead singer Curtis McKenzie on vocals along with Daniel Horton on guitar (bassist Caleb Cachagee wasn't featured.) As I remarked in my review of the full CD, it's a neat little track (and it fits with the softer ambiance compared to "Dragon Joy Ride"), but I don't find it really stands on it's own. Give it a listen below though if you haven't heard it yet (or, listen to the end of "75" on your CD copy of  "Deuce"!)



Finally for today, here's a new song upload from AlterWhite mainman Mike Matthews' solo work! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday, this song is entitled "One More Try", and it's remniscent of his heaviest solo and AlterWhite work with solid instrumentation and a heavy groove, but Mike's James Hetfield-esque vocals still sound a bit overdone, and I'd like to see him rein it in a bit. Not bad though, so give Mike's newest song a listen below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman Morrison & Lucky 13) & This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews in the Sault Ste. Marie area, with a handful of mostly cover bands hitting the scene through Saturday night on both sides of the border. We'll start with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario, so read on for the previews for these upcoming shows!

Local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison will return to The Roosevelt Hotel TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for another weekend of hard rock & metal hits! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only just announced on Tuesday. These will be their first Rosie concerts since July, and come under a month after their most recent gigs at The Water Tower Pub, so if you've missed Tym & company's wide ranging cover tunes, you should take note of this weekend's gigs! Both tomorrow & Saturday's shows have 19+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Caveman Morrison back for some more gigs, flowing with their recent general trend of playing live one weekend a month, and their metal & hard rock renditions should be as proficient and fun as ever, so be at The Rosie this weekend to catch it all! For a preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering a Neil Young classic at The Roosevelt Hotel!

Also in newer show announcements, local alternative hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will head back to The Rockstar Bar for a one night only gig THIS SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced by the venue on Monday. Oddly described as a "rare appearance" on the official Facebook event page despite only last playing live in August (and with their Ray Brown benefit set coming next week), there's no Friday gig due to The Rockstar Bar hosting a Thin Ice concert tomorrow night. Featuring Aftersight, Wishbone, Turner Up, and Gully Yodelers alumni, this talented veteran quartet should be raring to put in another gritty and appealing set of 1990s and newer alternative rock covers, so if you've missed them, you know where to be on Saturday! I'd expect a cover charge of around $5 for this show, along with a 19+ age limit, and everything should start at around 10:00 PM. For more details, check the above links! "Rare" or not, it's nice to see Lucky 13 bringing their unique cover sets back to the stage this Saturday, so keep it in mind, and for a preview, here they are at Toystock last year!

Now to the previously announced regional metal/hard rock concerts in the region (all across the river), starting with the return of Kinross hard rockers Banned to Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Announced on their Facebook page last month, these are currently this prolific regional band's only announced concerts of the entire month, and will be their first Dondee "jobs" in almost 7 months, but fresh off of their Grand Rapids shows, Alex, Don, and company should be riding high! I will note however that Banned have not posted anything on Facebook since this weekend's shows were announced on September 15th, but I have heard nothing negative relating to anything relating to Banned or this show since, so I wouldn't be too worried. Both tomorrow & Saturday's shows have early start times of 8:00 PM, along with 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links! This should be another fun weekend of originals and covers from this diverse local band, so head to the Dondee for Banned tomorrow or Saturday, and for a preview, here's the guys live in Charlevoix in August!



Finally for the weekend hard rock concerts (barring any late notice announcements), Sault Michigan modern hard rock cover quintet RamWagon will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! Though these are among the dates that RamWagon picked up from the now defunct Sir Charge, this newer local band will continue to carve their own path with these latest shows, and with a lineup featuring Monkey's Uncle and Highest of Fives alumni, you know the talent's there! Admission for these shows should be free, a 21+ age limit is likely, and a start time of 9:00 PM should be in effect. For more details, visit the above links! RamWagon should deliver some fun hard rocking times this weekend in St. Ignace, so if you're up for a drive or live in the area, head to the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino this weekend to check them out! For a preview, here's the guys at LemmaFest earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes by this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Haggith/Jack Bryant Benefit Preview, Zombie Walk Clarification, And Much More!!

Now full swing into October, I fully expect this month to ride our busy September into even busier and news-packed weeks ahead, and this post should help! Today, we have some new songs from a local solo grind project, new album uploads, clarification of an upcoming concert event, and leading things off, a preview for a very special event going on tomorrow before we preview the Friday-Saturday concerts. Read on below for all the details, and for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post from this morning, check the post below this one!

As you may remember, local grunge/alternative hard rockers Haggith will return to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT for a special benefit event along with a diverse lineup of bands in honour of the late Jack Bryant. They'll join debuting local rock quartet Nikkfitt (featuring Fitswitch & W.F.O. alumni), classic rock cover trio The Seven Year Itch (a.k.a. Griphook minus Brian Oja), and local country band Thin Ice in an acoustic set on the lineup, so there's a little something for everyone! Plus, both Nikkfitt singer Nikki Bryant and Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie's girlfriend April Bryant are relatives of Jack's, so it's great to see everyone coming together to raise money for his final expenses tomorrow night! I will note that, from what I've read, The Seven Year Itch are definitely more classic rock based than their heavier counterparts Griphook, but they get less online promotion too (I don't think they have any pages yet), so keep that in mind if you're attending. The benefit will have a dinner and raffle prizes to help fundraise, and tickets are $20 through event hosts at the Facebook event page (and likely at the door), so check the above links for more details!

This should be a great event to help out the Bryant family with the funeral expenses, and all 4 bands deserve props for helping out! Nikkfitt's debut intrigues me, and Haggith of course should deliver some heavier hits as well at the site of their battle of the bands 2nd place run, so if you want to show your support to Jack's family, be at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow night! For a preview, here's Haggith at The Rockstar Bar this spring!



Next up, here's some clarification on the music schedule for this year's Soo Zombie Walk on October 26th, and thanks to Sykotyk Rampage guitarist Dirk Becker (who has a greater organizing role this year) for the information! In short, the previously announced sets from Sykotyk Rampage and Haggith will NOT be part of the afterparty, they will instead be during the day before the walk actually begins. Sykotyk Rampage will play at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre that day at 4:30 PM, with Haggith at 3:30 PM, and solo sets from former Terminal bassist Greg Callaghan & ex-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth at 2:45 & 2:00 PM respectively. The bands will be a part of greater & longer pre-walk activities including games, vendors, and more, which you can get more word on at the Facebook event page, though the bands aren't detailed there publically yet. There will still be an afterparty, which will be held at Coch's Corner that night after the walk, returning to this location for the first time since the former Foggy Notions hosted it in 2010. Details on their schedule are forthcoming, but note that since Coch's Corner moved to Queen Street East last year, the venue's live music has generally trended towards acoustic artists.

I do apologize for any confusion regarding our initial reports of the Zombie Walk entertainment, but given how each of the past 3 years only featured live bands for the afterparty, and that fuller information wasn't available at the time, the assumption did seem to make sense. The expanded pre-walk activities do seem like a bonus to help make this more of an all day event, but I hope that there is still a pull for big entertainment at Coch's Corner for the afterparty, so stay tuned in case we hear anything, and don't miss the Zombie Walk or the bands before it on the 26th!

Speaking of Sykotyk Rampage, five more of their eight announced 2013 albums are now up for free streaming on their Reverbnation page! "Environ-Mental Suits", "Wonder About Baby", "Revenge of Professor Perv & The Crimson Nipple", "Eye For An Eye", and "The Electric Mirror" are now online, joining the previously uploaded "Beat Your Ox With A Bag Of Kittens" & "Yamaraja" from last month, with only one album ("The Adventures of Captain Awesome Sex & Chastity Boy") still remaining as of this writing, and I do enjoy the cover artwork on all 5, either on an artistic or humorous basis! Note that "The Electric Mirror" is a new title confirmation (earlier covers didn't feature it), while the "Revenge of..." album is referred to as "Revenge of Prof. OCD" in all uses on Reverbnation aside from the official artwork. The vast majority of the songs are not ones I'm familiar with from live concerts (though some titles are familiar), and note that three of the five albums have linked song names that could point to a running theme or concept.

Now, like their 2012 albums and the second "Genius Mushrooms" album from 2011, none of these are available for sale as a full paid download, but stream the new albums (their first batch with Tony Briglio on bass) above, as I plan to do soon, and stay tuned for the last of the eight 2013 albums soon!

Finally for today, here's a pair of new songs from local medical goregrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm! Entitled "Neuroepithelioma" & (as embedded below) "Carcinosarcoma", these cancer/tumour-named songs from their split demo with Brutaly Fatal & Rotopsy were uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel in the last few days. Ringsnaps continues to deliver a divisive but unapologetic grindcore blend on these tracks, with guttural pig squeal vocals, and more programming than his other work. Interesting short songs here, but still feeling like they could use more instruments. Check out "Carcinosarcoma" below, and stay tuned for more from his bands!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? October 2013 Update

In our first feature post of the month, it's (of course) this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This monthly series looks at the current whereabouts and statuses of announced and (at least) partially recorded albums and CDs from local metal & hard rock projects. I've removed one album (Mike Haggith's now-renamed "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends") due to it's release last month, though I did add a long overdue album in it's place to spotlight. 6 of the 12 entries below have updated information, so as usual, they're noted with the album title in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out, and if anything's missing or incorrect, let me know!
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AlgomA's first EP

Rumoured Songs: "Fell Down A Well", "Reclaimed By The Forest", "Tertiary Syphillis", "Go On, Git!!", "Extinct Volcanoes", "Bedsores"

Background: After just two live concerts, new local stoner metal trio AlgomA (featuring BeeFMouTH and Fuller alumni) began work on studio recordings early last month as per their Facebook page, and though the end goal is vague through that source, singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus's film production company 62nd Chamber Productions' website confirms that they are in fact working on a debut demo EP.  Vocal recordings were completed in August, and they were apparently sending off the tracks to be post-produced somewhere in Southern Ontario. You can see pictures from the sessions in this Facebook album, but stay tuned for more info as it rolls in!

Current Release Status: No reasonable idea yet, but for a band launching recording sessions so suddenly after launch, this isn't unheard of. The guys have a lot of experience in music and production, and hopefully we see the final product of these recording sessions sooner or later, so keep an eye 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 a lot got accomplished, and 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 was 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 last 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: Though a return from their year+ hiatus has recently been teased, I have no idea if a full EP release is still in the cards (especially as Dimensions Studios have closed in the interim,) They did seem to have everything under control and well planned for the sessions and their studio work., but at this point, I think fans would be excited to just see As It Stands live again. Just in case, keep an eye out for any possible updates!
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The Bear Hunters - Eternal Hibernation
 
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 then-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 2012, 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)". As of July 2013, guitar recording had begun for the album, with the title "Eternal Hibernation" revealed live last month as well, and 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. Note that concert dates have picked up, 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! (Also, saying the newest recordings aren't scrapped, Josh Stephney will be on the album despite his exit from the band in July.)
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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 almost 5 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 & this April respectively. Whether ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included on the EP is currently unknown.

Current Release Status: Personal commitments and the like have slowed things down incredibly, but in the band's most recent preview video (featuring audio samples), Gates of Winter hinted that work was winding down on "Perihelion", including noting that "the silence ends soon." I'm thinking a 2014 release is now targeted, 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", "Dethrone The Dictator"

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, though there has been some more recent recording done, and artwork will apparently be done by San Diego artist Anthony Sanchez. It's currently unclear whether the late guitarist Andres Duchesne will be featured on the recordings, but while the band has replaced him with Josh Amendola, early concept artwork did credit Andres with their original lineup 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 were currently aiming for the release to occur "sometime this summer", but that has since passed. Early date projections have likely been delayed given the more recent sessions, but the quick launch into recording after their debut does mirror Jon's early tenure with Late & Loud, who announced recording plans & held photo shoots to that end shortly after their own 2010 debut. The guys definitely seemed deep into the process though, so keep an eye out for word on a new release timeframe! (Note that I don't know if former bassist Cole Royal will be featured in any capacity.)
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RedD Monkey - Opus 2

Rumoured Songs: "Broken Parts", "Losing Friends", "The Jock Song"

Background: The planned third CD from this popular local hardcore punk/classical trio, RedD Monkey have hyped "Opus 2" (a follow-up to last year's "All Baroque")  in online posts through this spring, along with previewing the disc at a Toronto concert on June 1st, though further updates on it's release status have yet to be made, nor has a release schedule been announced. I'd assume that "Opus 2" was recorded in a similar method to "All Baroque", but that's just speculation given that both CDs were labelled as opuses in a series. Keep an eye in case something's announced!

Current Release Status: I'm not really sure, but given that the sessions appear to be complete, and a preview of it was held in June, a release can't be terribly far off. I imagine it could be on hold until their next concert cycle to have a proper CD release show, but stay tuned for updates!
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Sailor's Tongue's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "Float, "Out of the Woodwork", "Wired For No Sound", "Shadow", "Doctor John", "BootScattered", "Beauty's Limousine", "Don't Shoot The Messenger", "Horses & Trains", "Navy"

Background: Despite only playing two gigs (both at the Rotaryfest Second Stage) since returning from their three year breakup in 2012, local hard rock notables Sailor's Tongue have hit the studio to record what I believe is their first full length album, which will feature their current quintet lineup. Drummer Dean McKey uploaded four tracks (some labelled as demos) to his Soundcloud page earlier this year that are likely towards the album, while there are existing songs on their Reverbnation page from earlier sessions that will likely be featured in some form. Though info on the album is as sporadic as their live dates, a preview demo CD named "Pierced" was sold at their Rotaryfest set in July featuring 7 tracks, though Dean later told me on Facebook that the album was just a sampler for attendees and was not the final product. Keep an eye out for updates!

Current Release Status: No finite idea as of right now, but given their long breaks between live concerts & page postings, there hasn't been many outlets to give updates either. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see the final CD released at next year's Rotaryfest, but maybe they'll play more live dates in the interim to shake up that guess. In any event, keep posted to hear more!
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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", "Liverated"

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. Potentially complicating things is singer/guitarist Josh Penno's recent move to Toronto, but all indications suggest that they are not breaking up as a result. Hopefully we hear some big news on this front soon, possibly in conjunction with future concerts!
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The Sorrow Fields - Godlessness

Rumoured Songs: "Godlessness"

Background: Previously known as Animas, April Eyes, and By The Gods, The Sorrow Fields is the long gestating black/death metal solo metal project from Bear Hunters/Suicide Kings guitarist Mitch Sirie. He resurrected the project under it's new name last year, complete with an atmospheric & dark sound, and he has sporadically updated fans as to his newest planned debut album via their YouTube channel and deleted Facebook page. As of June, he'd titled the album "Godlessness", with a preview of the title track and another unnamed song uploaded there to check out, but news since has been slow to nonexistent.

Current Release Status: I have no clue, but knowing how delayed his past solo album "Hollow Hope" was prior to it's cancellation, this could be a long road. Mitch is a workhorse with his two bands also, so that likely plays a part in any delays for his solo material, but I've heard nothing concerning the project's end as of today, so take that for what it's worth. In case new "Godlessness" or Sorrow Fields news rolls in, we'll have it here!
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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", "Beaten Down"

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 more!

Current Release Status: With the EP likely done it's recording phase, it's now likely a waiting game for the release of "King of the World". 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 - "The Adventures of Captain Awesome Sex & Chastity Boy" & "Eye For An Eye"

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, which were recorded this year at River Front Recreation Studios. Their first recorded material with new bassist Tony Briglio, Reverbnation now hints at no less than 8 albums this year to add to their 35 existing ones, with six o of them ("Beat Your Ox With A Bag Of Kittens", "Yamaraja", "Environ-Mental Suits", "Wonder About Baby", "Revenge of Professor Perv & The Crimson Nipple", and the newly-titled "The Electric Mirror") being uploaded to Reverbnation this fall, albeit with no packaged sale options. At least 2 more albums (likely the ones listed above) are yet to be posted, but stay tuned for updates!

Current Release Status: Given that six of the eight announced albums are now online, I have to imagine we'll see the rest this month, but they have not been averse to lengthy delays from the public postings of their albums. Also, they haven't posted formal "for sale" copies of their albums since 2011, with everything since only seeing a free online stream, but the jury's still out on if any of their 2013 releases can be bought. Be they free postings or full paid digital albums, keep an eye out for the remaining new Sykotyk Rampage material!
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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", "Into the Light of Darkness"

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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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Our next monthly feature post (our Defunct Local Band Profiles of Elements of Madness & No More Landmines) are on their way one week from tomorrow, unless our review of Mike Haggith's new CD is quick for a posting, and look out for weekend concert previews and more in the next few days! Thanks everyone!