LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Jack Spades & Mourning Wood), Plus Them & Gonqshow Updates!!

Before we get this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post rolling, here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon, including some lineup updates for upcoming conerts, our first look at a newer band's original material, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this summer and TONIGHT!

Local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood did indeed have regular bookings for this weekend, as the guys rocked Reggie's West last night and will do so again TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the shows via their announcement on SooToday's Soo-To-Do List late yesterday, which the band also confirmed afterwards on their Facebook page. We couldn't rush a third post yesterday to get the word out on yesterday's show here (we plugged it on Facebook though), so our apologies for missing it on here! I wish Mourning Wood would give more advance notice of their concerts, but hopefully last night went well, and don't miss their second show of the weekend at the former Roosevelt Hotel TONIGHT! There's a 10:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover. See above for more details, and here's Mourning Wood last fall!

Next up, here's one more show for J.D. Pearce and Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series at The Algonquin Pub that might have a big headliner! To take place on Friday, July 24th, the Gonqshow event page lists local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and hardcore punk sextet Destroilet as joining forces once again to open for a band "to be announced", and while it remains to be seen who is implied, a $20 admission fee is listed for the event. Given that the Ripcordz-headlined split release show at The Algonquin in October is slated for a $13 door charge, does the $20 fee mean a band of equal or larger stature is headlining here on July 24th? We'll let you guys know as soon as we find out! For reference, this isn't a rescheduling of the Of Tall Tales show, that's still to be determined. Expect a 19+ age limit and 10:00 PM start time, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, here's the newest from local thrash/grind trio Them, who are apparently working on their debut EP! The band featuring Bring The Misery, Revolution, and Infamous alumni revealed on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they've finished 3 new songs for a planned 6 song EP, and while it seems likely that it would come out through Blood Shed Productions, we don't have 100% confirmation of that yet or when recording sessions begin. Two videos have also been posted there in recent days, one a comical video of frontman Tyler St. Amour pretending to drive to The Oddfellows Hall, and the other our first glimpse of a Them original! Entitled "Moosejaw Boudreau" (presumably referencing drummer Anthony Boudreau), this is a jam session performance minus bassist Rainey Vincent, and Tyler also noted that the song doesn't have lyrics yet (he growls, but there's apparently no official words yet.)

The song has potential and has some technicality from what we do hear, but obviously, the song is unfinished. If you ever wanted to hear Tyler & Anthony's predecessor band Social Suicide (who never posted online media), this might be your closest bet too, as that band played grind in their latter years. Check out their new video below, and stay tuned for more from Them!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter items from the last while, all relating to newly announced local opening bands for upcoming Gonqshow concerts at The Algonquin Pub! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name, and our source for each is recent updates on the Gonqshow event page:

• Local post-punk quartet Gnaeus and new local punk rockers Stereo North will both make their Algonquin Pub debuts on Wednesday, May 20th when they open for Calgary folk/punk band The River Jacks! Good choices, and it should be good exposure for both as they kick off the Gonqshow series, so don't miss out in a few weeks time!
• Local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control have been named as the openers for the Destroilet/Jack Spades-headlined fundraiser concert for their upcoming split CD with The Ripcordz on Saturday, May 30th at The Algonquin Pub. They'll fit in nicely to kick off this concert, so be sure to come out at the end of the month to help get this split rolling and released!
• Local classic metal quartet Project 421 have been announced as the local openers for Edmonton hardcore band Elements & Guelph metal quintet Becomes Astral on Saturday, August 1st at The Algonquin Pub! Though it would have been fitting (yet confusing) to see local funk rockers The Elements open, Project 421 are a better genre match, and their classic metal will be welcomed this summer!

That's all for now, but stay tuned next for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, I guarantee it! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Ripcordz, Menstrual Munchies, And Stiffler's Mom) And More!!

With a new month upon us, let's continue the recent steady run of posts with our first full news post of May 2015, including some assorted updates and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from next week through this fall! Here's what you need to know in chronological order!!

Local party/classic hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will rock The Rednecks Saloon for one night only next Saturday, May 9th! Our source is frontman Greg Simpson's promotion company Maxx Entertainment's website, which lists May dates for his bands. Fresh off of TOMORROW'S Rockstar Bar show, we actually can't find an online-referenced concert from these popular veterans at the former Nicolet Tavern in the past, so is this their debut there? I can't 100% confirm that, but it's been a long time coming either way, and hopefully Stiffler's Mom rock Rednecks hard next weekend! For reference, this is a one nighter due to Greg's country band Bone Yard playing at the same venue next Friday. There's no announced cover charge for next weekend's show, which is 19+ and will likely have a 10:00 PM start time. See the above links for more details, and don't miss Stiffler's Mom either of the next two Saturdays!

Next up, the long teased Menstural Munchies-headlined Heavy North Entertainment concert on Thursday, June 25th now has a confirmed venue, as it will take place at The Oddfellows Hall! That seemed like the most likely option given past H.N.E. events, as all have basically been there or via a house party. The headliners at 11:00 PM are an Ohio-based "cyber pornoslam" duo that are a favourite of Blood Shed Productions head Tyler Gibson, who is reportedly working on a split release of some kind with Menstrual Munchies (that's their name, don't shoot the messenger!), and while their music is an acquired taste, Blood Shed fans will enjoy their extreme sound! Though a second out of town band was teased, the openers are all local, and they'll include local classic metal quartet Project 421 at 10:00 PM and death metal favourites The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM.

Blood Shed-affiliated acts populate the rest of the lineup, including goregrind duo Rotopsy at 8:30 PM, newer thrash/grind trio Them at 8:00 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 7:30 PM, goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore at 7:00 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas at 6:30 & 6:00 PM. Advance tickets for this ALL AGES show will be $7 when announced or $10 at the door, and for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Blood Shed fans will definitely not want to miss this show, as there's lots of extreme metal mayhem ahead in June, so see the above links for more info!

Lastly for new concert announcements is the expected release party for the upcoming Ripcordz/Jack Spades/Destroilet three-way split album, which will take place on Saturday, October 24th at The Algonquin Pub during Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce's Gonqshow concert series there this year! The newest (and possibly last?) show of the series will fittingly see all three bands on the split rocking out at The Algonquin this fall, with The Ripcordz bringing their hardcore punk classics back to the Soo for the first time since last October's Rad Zone anniversary concert, and Jack Spades & Destroilet joining forces again 5 months after their fundraising concert at The Algonquin at the end of the month (also, remember to help out with the bands' Kickstarter campaign for the split!) Nice to hear we have a target date in mind, and I can't wait to hear the final product! One more extra opening band is also to be announced.

Note that the Gonqshow series and J.D.'s promotional concert group are now branded as "Tidal Records Presents...", indicating officially that J.D. is now a part of and promoting shows through local independent label Tidal Records. After their successful work together at the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, it's a natural move, and hopefully this partnership is a success! October's release concert has $10 advance tickets, but the price jumps to $13 at the door, while it is a 19+ show with a likely 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated CD as they come in!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or company name:

• Local hard rock quartet Long Shot will make their first concert appearance out of town when the Speak Easy Battle runners up are among the musical entertainment at this year's Captain Kidd Days festival in Corunna, Ontario (near Sarnia) on August 1st! The Dawe brothers are originally from Corunna, hence the connection. Should be a great spotlight for Long Shot, so click here for more details on the event!
• The CBC Searchlight contest run for local indie/punk quintet Northwest has ended, as they and 8 other Northern Ontario bands lost out to Sudbury bluegrass band Murder Murder in the regional finals, sending them to the national stage of the competiton to find Canada's best new band. Disappointing, but they had a great run to get this far, and kudos to Northwest for what they accomplished!
• Local photography company RAD.imagery (who did some sporadic concert photography in the early 2010s) are running a contest where a local band could win a FREE one hour professional photo shoot! To enter, all members of your band must like RAD.imagery's Facebook page, and join & share the official Facebook event page. This could be a big opportunity, so see the above links for more details!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Stiffler's Mom), More Weekend Concert Previews, And New RPM Videos!!

Before we begin our second weekend concert preview post, here's a late update concerning tomorrow's Havadder concert at The Rednecks Saloon, as while tonight's show will go on as usual, drummer Scott McLurg will be absent for the second night, which the band jokingly explained by saying he's going to space. No word on why he'll actually be away tomorrow, but in his place, Havadder will play an acoustic set as a trio and will invite attendees to jam with them too. Nice idea to change things up, so keep that in mind for tomorrow only, or see the full band TONIGHT! Visit the new Facebook event page for more details, and don't miss out!

Now to the previews (and some assorted updates at post's end) starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local party/hard rock cover veterans Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday but we held it for this weekend's previews. This will be the second one-nighter at The Rockstar Bar for this band from ex-members of Alexis Machine and Sin Stereo (The Boot Hill Crooners are playing there tonight), and fans should know by now that the fun and often heavy covers from Greg, Jon, and Mike always draw a solid crowd, so be among them TOMORROW NIGHT! This 19+ event has an announced 10:30 PM start time, and while there's no announced cover, bring cash just in case. For more details, see the above links, and here's Stiffler's Mom at Rotaryfest last year!



Moving to previously announced concerts, Speak Easy Battle of the Bands runners-up Long Shot have a busy day ahead of them TODAY, as they're playing not one, but two separate concert sets! Their day starts at 12:00 PM when they play a special outdoor set during the Diversity Downtown portion of this weekend's Passport To Unity multicultural festival! Their set is among the live music between the block of Queen Street East between March & Spring Streets from 11:45 AM-1:15 PM, which will also feature numerous local food and craft vendors to take in. They'll be joined by Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan in a solo acoustic set, but I can't confirm any other potential artist names. Nice to see some alternative music back at this event, and hopefully the weather cooperates unlike last year with The Pixo Control! This afternoon's events are FREE & ALL AGES, and see the above links for more details!

Following that, the hard rock quartet will make their Canadian Nightclub debut TONIGHT when they headline a registration deadline party for the Sault Ultimate Players Association, the local disc sports/ultimate frisbee organization! This may seem random, but the Dawe brothers are both S.U.P.A. members, and Long Shot played their kickoff event, so they're a great fit for tonight's entertainment! The public is welcome to attend and enroll at the show, which has a 7:00 PM start time and no announced cover or age limits. Busy day ahead for Long Shot, but keep both shows in mind downtown or at The Canadian! For a preview, here's Long Shot live in March!

Finally for announced shows this weekend, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 will make their Satisfied Frog debuts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Not only are these this newer band's first regional gigs not under the Kewadin Casino umbrella, frontman Henry Switzer has hyped these as his first shows outside of the casino circuit in 2 years (likely referencing the Sir Charge days), so be sure to make lots of noise this weekend and ensure that they continue to break new ground! This entertaining and talented union of Monkey's Uncle, Mama's Boys, Power Slug, and RamWagon alumni will take the stage both nights at 10:00 PM, there are no announced cover charges, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Highway 63 live!



Finally for today, remember the local classic/hard rock quartet RPM from the first Rock For Dimes concert and sporadic solo gigs? They still don't have an online page that we've found, but they finally have some online videos to check out! Sault Online named them their "Band of the Week" last month via this article, wherein Sault Online's Mike Caruso went to see them play at The Rockstar Bar, including a video interview, so what more do we know on them? RPM (whose name comes from members' last names) have been active for three years and formed through an adult music camp that bassist Lindsay Pugh had started for locals who hadn't really had live band experience, and that morphed into a full fledged rock cover band who hopes to play some outdoor summer festival events in the near future. In the main video, the guys are seen covering Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", but Mike shot two more as well!

His other videos (both from his YouTube channel, and with drummer Ben Pascuzzi on vocals) are of RPM covering Honeymoon Suite's "New Girl Now" and The Spencer Davis Band's "Gimme Some Lovin'", so how do RPM sound? Good so far, but you can tell there's still some stiffness on stage, and at times, you can tell that the guys (Lindsay aside) don't have a lot of stage experience. They're on their way though, and they'll no doubt get better with every show! The interview's informative too, so give that and their BTO cover a look below, and stay tuned for more from RPM when we hear it!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

Shit Liver/Bear Hunters Concert Review!!

At last, here's our review of Tuesday night's Shit Liver-headlined concert at The Rednecks Saloon, but be sure to check out the first of this weekend's concert previews in the post below this one! Before we get into the review proper, I wanted to give an outline of the venue itself, as believe it or not, this was my first time ever at the former Nicolet Tavern for a concert. If you only know it from pictures, the stage is to the right of the front entrance, and it's smaller than it looks online. There's a small floor section with tables to the right, and the saloon is fairly long, with the bar in the middle between the stage area and an area with pool tables and extra seating. There are various rustic and country themed items on the walls like at The Canadian, as well as strung up Christmas lights, but I can't verify how much of this was added after the name and theme change. The Rednecks Saloon is cozy and inviting, and though the turnout on Tuesday was medium at best, it'd be nice to see more non-cover shows here!

Opening the show on Tuesday was an acoustic solo set by Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger and Jesse Cook, who you may have seen at assorted recent events, including as "Sleigher" at X-Mess 2. If you've seen Johnny & Jesse's acoustic punk cover sets before, the song selection will be familiar, including covers of the likes of Social Distortion, Blink-182, and The Foo Fighters that definitely got a good reception! The guys kept things light-hearted during the set, with Johnny showing off his singing and guitar ability well that it would be nice to see expanded on beyond just the occasional unplugged gig and he and Jesse continue to have good chemistry in this form! I would like to see more of a range of covers and different songs in their set, but hopefully we see more of Johnny & Jesse together!

Next up was local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din in their Rednecks Saloon debut, and they delivered a very solid set to build on their recent debut shows with this lineup! Mixing renditions of Mike's solo originals like "Cowardly Hearts Beneath The Stars" & "Of Cars & Criminals" with select covers like Live's "Lightning Crashes", the band's recent evolution from extended improvised jam originals to more straightforward versions of Mike's own songs was more fully realized here than ever before, with Mike showing a natural ease up front, Curtis McKenzie demonstrating his underrated guitar ability, and Brandan Glew drumming consistently throughout! Personally, I do prefer the creativty of their old acid jam sets and recordings, and the Live cover is sort of a mood killer during their set, but The Din are on their way!

Third on Tuesday was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in a rare set not promoted by frontman J.D. Pearce, and they rocked the stage with a fun and energetic mix of their familiar originals and select covers! Songs like "Fear Corps", "Rise", and the newer "Negative Headspace" joined covers of The Ripcordz and The Misfits (with a Slayer interlude?!) to a positive reception, with J.D. and his new Right Hook Mic making use of his surroundings by exploring the floor throughout! Everyone was on their game musically, with Jesse Cook again delivering some blistering lead guitar work and Tiffany Stocco providing heavy riffs and improving backing vocals as well! It was odd seeing Justin Lam with his hair tied back, but still great to see Jack Spades again, and stay tuned for much more from Jack Spades and their upcoming three-way split release plans!

Co-headlining were local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who brutalized fans with their aggressive originals late in the night! A collection of mostly newer songs like "I Fear No God" and their newest "The Dying Den" joined their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard" and two versions of "Collapse the Sun" (the original and a jokey melodic rock version) which fans all seemed to eat up! Though guitarist/promoter Mitch Sirie apologized for his performance on Facebook, he sounded fine to me, and the VM Radio Battle runners-up were at their brutal best for their regular quartet sets, with Nik Deubel's devasating growling on form, and Johnny Belanger showed little fatigue in his third set of the night! Maybe because his windshield was fixed and covered, it helped his performance? Stay tuned for more from The Bear Hunters in the near future!

And your headliners on Tuesday were local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver in their Rednecks Saloon debut and second show of their brief home swing, and if you've missed the guys since last summer, rest assured that they haven't lost a step in the past year! On this stop of their Homeland Debauchery Tour, the guys powered through a somewhat abbreviated though blistering set of originals like "It's Not My Problem", "Helen Kellers", and the debuting "Just Take It" & "It Won't Change", even debuting the use of audio samples like on their album for the live show as well. Josh Penno, a nicely mohawked Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic let their extreme vocals loose with fury, and all kept up their end of the bargain on their respective instruments for a to-the-point set of brutality, even inciting some brief mosh pits! It was great to see Shit Liver again, and hopefully they play here again soon!

Very entertaining show overall, and in a sense, it felt like a throwback to the old Rosie metal nights... only not at The Rosie.... or on a Thursday. Kudos all around, and check out our photos from the event at this link or via our Facebook page! As for videos, we got one of each band, so here's Johnny & Jesse covering Flogging Molly's "The Worst Day Since Yesterday", Mike Haggith & The Din covering Simple Minds' "(Don't You) Forget About Me", Jack Spades playing "Frederick", The Bear Hunters playing their new song "Neckbreaker", and Shit Liver playing three songs in a row: their self-titled song, "You're Scared", and "Fabricated Nonsense"!











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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder & Tym Morrison) & The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!

(Updated at 2:02 PM) Today marks the first of our concert previews for this weekend, but just as a special mention, remember that the celebration of life for former Foggy Notions owner/bartender Patrick Casey will take place at Coch's Corner (formerly Foggy's) SATURDAY NIGHT at 8:00 PM! It was recently postponed from tomorrow to Saturday for unannounced reasons. Attendees are asked to wear funny slogan t-shirts like Pat used to if possible, and also, his obituary is finally up on SooToday at this link, confirming that he passed suddenly on April 18th at just 40 years old in Tottenham, where he had been living. No services beyond tomorrow's celebration are listed, and the family is asking for Sault Humane Society donations in lieu of flowers. Raise some smashlovs for Pat on Saturday!

Now, let's kick off this weekend's previews, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS,  including the next scheduled Tym Morrison solo concert, as the local hard rock solo singer/guitarist will play once again at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the second straight week where Tym's only playing an acoustic solo concert on the Friday due to The Harp's broadcast of a sports PPV, and while referenced on the Facebook event page as UFC (who don't have an event this weekend), they're presumably showing the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight on Saturday. If you want to see Tym, be at The Harp TOMORROW, not Saturday! For reference, this remains the last listed gig on the calendar on Tym's website, but it remains to be seen when/if he'll announce new gigs at The Harp or elsewhere this month.

Like usual for Tym's lengthy regular run at the former Madison's Pub, there are no announced cover charges for tomorrow, a 19+ age limit, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. Don't miss Tym at The Harp TOMORROW ONLY for lots of hard rock favourites, and here's Tym live at the former Smack Daddy's!



Next up, here's a pair of other new concerts for this weekend, as local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder are advertised to return to The Rednecks Saloon for headlining concerts TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we heard about the shows when at the venue on Tuesday night via the outside marquee board, and as of this writing, Havadder haven't plugged the dates online. This will be their first concert weekend at the former Nicolet Tavern in a month, and the shows come fresh off of their Moose Lodge benefit appearance a couple weeks back, so if you've missed Jugga and company's hard hitting cover attack at a regular concert event, keep this weekend's shows in mind! That said, if anything is said to the contrary regarding this weekend's bookings, we'll let you know.

There's no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and likely 10:00 PM start times for this weekend, and for a preview, here's Havadder live last year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, here's a big ALL AGES Thursday nighter going down TONIGHT, as Ottawa sludge metal trio Biipiigwan will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario at 180 Projects on Gore Street! Last seen locally at The Moose Lodge in the fall of 2013, this hard hitting band should devastate local fans once again with their doomy & relentless originals TONIGHT, so don't miss them if you can help it! Local support will come via doom metal trio AlgomA in their first show since releasing their debut CD "Reclaimed By The Forest" last fall, and they've also teased having new band t-shirts on sale for tonight, so keep that in mind too, and pick up their album if you haven't already! And finally, local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control will kick things off in their 180 Projects debut and first public gig since the Boot Hill Crooners release party, and while they're not doom metal, their talent speaks for itself! Note that Sudbury stoner metal trio Horse Lung were originally scheduled to co-headline, but dropped out of the event today due to "last minute work related issues."

Disappointing for sure, but we'll see Horse Lung at Das Bunkerfest II this summer! No word yet on a possible late notice replacement. This ALL AGES show is the first of the year from Oh! Right Arm Promotions, it has an $8 cover charge, and an 8:00 PM start time, and note that the new official poster (amusing as it may be) isn't embedded here due to potentially offensive content. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert for doom metal fans, so don't miss out TONIGHT, and here's Biipiigwan live in 2013!



Finally for TONIGHT is the expected eighth weekly jam night at the aforementioned Rednecks Saloon by local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, which has received a visibly positive reception over the past couple of months! Though we don't know yet if this union of Asylum Country & Beaumont Avenue members will be playing regular concerts this weekend at a separate venue (Havadder are listed there Friday & Saturday), fans can take in their diverse and often heavy covers tonight during this weekly jam night series, where anyone with musical or singing talent can join them to jam and rock out on stage! Should be fun as usual, and like in past weeks, there is a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and an announced 9:30 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood last fall at Rock For Dimes!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of Tuesday's Shit Liver concert at The Rednecks Saloon next, guaranteed! Thanks everyone!

Europe/Black Star Riders Concert Video Showcase!!

Before we get to this post, I wanted to apologize for a pair of missed concerts, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E returned to the stage for the first time since New Year's weekend this past Friday and Saturday at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, shows that completely slipped us by despite being announced last Wednesday on their Facebook page. For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page listed them as Crossroads shows, so they 415E were likely replacing them. There's no excuse on our end for missing the shows, so our sincere apologies to 415E and fans, and we'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again!

Now, here's our long awaited video showcase post from last Thursday's Europe-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as there are now videos from the show on YouTube! Also, yes, there was a meet & greet, as per personal Facebook postings. Wawa author and frequent Kewadin concert attendee Duane Roy is the source of most of the Europe concert videos that we've found, as uploaded to his YouTube channel in the past few days, and his 13 videos include 4 of Europe's set. They include their songs "Cherokee", "Carrie", and John Norum's guitar solo, but embedded below is (of course) "The Final Countdown". Great quality of the whole stage from a far angle, Europe sound very good on these videos, if a little deeper than in their classic era, and the crowd seems to be eating it up! Give Duane's Europe videos a look above and below!



Most of Duane's other videos are of openers The Black Star Riders (a.k.a. the full-time, original recording Thin Lizzy successors), though uniquely, Duane filmed these from what appear to be front row rather than Europe's far angle. I wonder why that is? Duane shot videos of them playing their new originals "The Killer Instinct" & "Finest Hour", Thin Lizzy classics "Jailbreak", "The Boys Are Back In Town", and "Emerald" (in two parts, here & here), their cover of Bob Seger's "Rosalie", and as embedded below, their new original "Charlie I Gotta Go". Though the Thin Lizzy covers are oddly all abbreviated, Duane got more great videos here, and the far closer angle helps us get a great view of The Black Star Riders rocking out and sounding good whether tackling classics or new songs! Give "Charlie I Gotta Go" a look below, and see more above!



Before we close with one bonus video from Duane's channel, here's a Black Star Riders video from a separate channel, that being of YouTube user Mark Fluter, whose channel you may remember from 6 videos of Kiss' Sault Ontario concert. Though Mark didn't film any Europe videos, he did get this clip of The B.S.R. playing their original "Kingdom of the Lost" on Thursday, as shot on a vertical cell phone camera angle. I wish the angle was horizontal, as Mark has a nice close visual of the stage with good quality video and audio, but it works well enough, so give this video a look below!



Finally for today, here's a short video of Rock 101's Scott Cook (the host of Scott Cook In The Morning and The Hair Scare) emceeing the concert, with Duane again at a different filming angle, this time behind Scott on stage! He must have had some prime access at the show, nice to see! In the video, Scott's hyping up The Black Star Riders for the crowd, which isn't a bad idea, as while they're not Thin Lizzy, they sort of are at the same time. Nice unique angle of something you don't see that often from local shows on YouTube, so check it out below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more from the Europe concert when/if it comes in, and stay tuned for our review of last night's Shit Liver/Bear Hunters concert next! Thanks everyone!

Various Artists - "Local Steel" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 70th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene! As we don't have an eligible new album in our possession to look at for this month, we'll dip in the archives for just the second time since April 2013 with an album that we can tie in to multiple local shows in the past month, as it's the 1998 compilation CD "Local Steel"! Just the second compilation album that we've ever reviewed on here, "Local Steel" was recorded at Full Scale Audio Productions with producers/future Gsis Murphy bandmates Keith Davis & Tony Marcello and later mastered by Dennis Mortson at Master Plant Productions. This showcase of Sault Ste. Marie artists compiles original songs from 17 different acts, all long since defunct by now, but there are many familiar faces to be heard along the way! They include four artists (Tony, Rob Adamson, Steve Batenchuk, and Shawn Daoust) who played on multiple tracks, with Steve on three.

This album is also long since out of print, but you can stream the whole thing on our YouTube channel at this link, and each song name below is linked to it's YouTube copy. Given the age of the album, not all bands will have surviving links or public photos, so more recent pictures & references will be used where needed. Featuring 17 tracks at around 71 minutes in length, let's begin our "Local Steel" review! The first track is "Ten Feet High" by local punk quartet Totally Confused, who featured Rising Tide singer/guitarist Dustin Jones, his Cover Up bandmate Mike Yorke on guitar, recent Wing-Its bassist Trevor Harding, and Mike's Room 206 bandmate Al Watson on drums. Harbouring somewhat of a proto-Inner City Surfers sound, Totally Confused show a fun pop punk sound here with lively guitar and a catchy rhythm, but the guys later work showcases more of a mature presence that you can still see at various local events.

Second is "Sweet Talkin' Women" by Hemp, a blues rock trio featuring recent solo artist Paul Dellavedova alongside bassist Patrick Breen and drummer Gino Sicoly. I don't listen to a lot of blues, but this is very good for the genre, with smooth melodic vocals and a nice bluesy tone, solid guitar solo, and good bass work throughout, though the backing vocals clash a bit. Paul has kept this up with his later solo work, so give that a listen if you can! That's followed by "Flesh & Bones" by defunct local metal quintet Hollow, whose lineup featured former J.A.B. singer Luigi "GiGi" Miceli, guitarists Terry Eaton (Mourning Wood) and Adam King (ex-Mustang Heart), Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre, and Knee Deep drummer Vinnie Milosevich. A straightforward metal song with an Alice In Chains vibe vocally, this is strongly performed by all parties, with a great solo and solid bass and it's an early highlight for me! Nothing too risky, but quality late '90s metal!

Song #4 is "Weight In Water" by Hemlock Tea, an alternative rock band featuring prolific local solo musican Chris Belsito on vocals, Machines Dream's Craig West on guitar, ex-Bigsuit bassist George Ravlich, and Leaves Off Trees drummer Roy Kreutzberger. Not too heavy, but a nice groove on this alt-rock original that switches moods well on verses, and Chris's vocals suit the song very well, but the guitar solo seemed to come out of nowhere and it admittedly clashes with the rest of the track. Next is "State" by Generation Gap, an alt-rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist James Guertin, former Boxcar Junction bandmates Rick Senko & Steve Dowding on guitar & bass, and Havadder drummer Scott McLurg. The softest song yet on "Local Steel", this has an easy to take sound that still blends in skilled drumming and a nice solo, but again, those elements clash a bit with the overall tone of the song.

The sixth track is "When Things Are" by Tripod The Dog, a more recently familiar rock band featuring Thin Ice's Mark Oliverio on vocals and guitar, Billy Bastards guitarist Greg Beharriel, Matt Miller on bass, and Mark's old Boogie Fever bandmate Tracey Hilderley on drums. Showcasing a funk/alternative sound, Tripod The Dog had an entertaining ambiance that's a bit hard to pin down, but it's easy to see why they stayed active for so long afterwards! That's followed by "Remember When" by 2 St. Thomas, a rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist Adriano Guzzo, guitarist Jamie Florio, bassist Jason Naccaratto, and drummer Jim Pulente. Though their members aren't visibly active in recent local bands, they demonstrated talent and chemistry on this alternative rock original that has a dreamlike quality and a pleasant rhythm, that adapts well for it's faster stretch without changing it's style too much, and you can hear this song on their debut album "From Above & Beyond" as well!

Eighth is "Under The Influence" by Marc Boyer & The Hellfish Bonanza, a hard rock quartet featuring Marc on guitar joined by producer/ex-Gsis Murphy frontman Tony Marcello, bassist Steve Batenchuk, and drummer Shawn Daoust. Apparently preceding an album from this band, Marc shows solid guitar ability and songwriting talent on this song, with The Hellfish Bonanza backing him up nicely, including strong vocals and a nice classic vibe that reminds me a bit of Deep Purple! Then we have "Wasted" by defunct punk trio Tha Bombed Squad, whose lineup featured future Lion Ride bandmates Brenton Ellis on vocals & bass and Mikey Hawdon on drums alongside guitarist Pat Suriano. A short & fast paced skate punk original, this is a nice indicator of things to come from Mikey & Brent's future local bands, with good intensity, and it's a quality look into their early local band work!

The tenth song is "Assassins Noose" by D.F.S. a metal band featuring singer Jay Faught, his brother(?) Marc on guitar, Greg Seyler on bass, and Donnie Dupuis on drums. Harbouring a very Rage Against The Machine-inspired sound with pseudo-rapped vocals, this is a solid heavier track, if not that original, but I wonder why we haven't heard much from the members of D.F.S. lately? There was talent there! Eleventh is "A Long Cold Rain Comin' Down" by current StonesmithGC mainman Troy Isaac, which is the only credited solo track on "Local Steel", though he's joined on bass by Rob Marcil. A straightforward mid-paced rock song that has that "driving down the highway" feel, it makes good use of rain effects, and it's well composed with a serious determination, but fans of Troy's heavier music might be disappointed.

Next is "Mr. Silver Tongue" by alternative rock quartet Bud Shamble (who later became Middle of Nowhere), and they're represented here by singer/guitarist Sergio Palumbo, his brother Peter on guitar, ex-Fusion bassist Lino D'Orazio, and Redline drummer Rich Trevisanut. Lively and energetic, this song has pleasant vocals, a good vibe, and clear talent all around, though at times, it sounds a bit too reserved from where it might have gone. That's followed by "Run All Night" by The Second Hand Band, a blues rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist Tyler Caughill, future Crossbreed bandmates Mike "Conan" Kienhofer (now of ACR) and Bob Hollingshead on guitar & bass, and Rob Adamson on drums. I'm detecting a Stevie Ray Vaughan influence on this song, which has a grit to it's take on blues rock, and it has a catchy vibe going for it that blues fans should enjoy!

Rob Adamson makes his second straight appearance next with "I Know" by Alexis Machine, who also featured future Stiffler's Mom bandmates Jon Ferguson (also the former owner of album sponsors Foggy Notions) on vocals & guitar and Mike Davies on guitar, plus The Hellfish Bonanza's Steve Batenchuk on bass. A well-paced hard rock song that bears similarities with Stiffler's Mom's old originals, this is another solid rocker that should appeal to most listeners of "Local Steel"! 15th is "The Pale Horse" by The Porn Fairies, a techno/rock band whose members are cryptically credited as Crusty (guitar), Kekko (bass), and Pottsy (drums) with "Dan" on guest spoken vocals. I have no idea who these guys are, but they delivered an electronic experimental blast here that is hard to describe, but creative, laden with all kinds of effects, and very listenable overall!

The members of The Hellfish Bonanza (albeit with producer/Gsis Murphy alum Keith Davis in place of Marc Boyer) returned for the penultimate song "Deliver Me", under the band name Your Mother. Compared to "Under The Influence", this song is a bit heavier and has distorted verse vocals, but it delivers a solid sound with nice aggression on Tony's vocals, but the song isn't as melodic as some tracks that preceded it. "Local Steel" closes with "The Bones I Throw" by alt-rock quintet The Gully Yodellers, who featured singer John Paul Laberge, guitartists Rob Storch and Ryan Milne, ex-Barfly bassist Ben Garcia, and current Lucky 13 drummer Roger Sartini. A Pearl Jam-esque song at times, this definitely sounds like a 1990s recording (that's certainly not a bad thing), and there's a solid maturity to the sound and lyrics on this well written original, capping off "Local Steel" in fine form!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Local Steel"? While I can't comment on the individual bands as they were in 1998 (I was 9 years old), this compilation serves itself well as a collection of 17 diverse bands from the local scene, with all showing their own gifts and talent on each! I did gravitate the most to the songs by Hollow, Tha Bombed Squad, and Alexis Machine, but there are no bad songs on this collection, and if you like metal, punk, blues, or alt-rock, there are multiple tracks for you to enjoy! It is also interesting to hear how modern day veterans of the scene sounded 17 years ago, as well as discover some talent that we haven't heard much from in recent years, like D.F.S. and 2 St. Thomas. Though their later work with Gsis Murphy can be divisive, Tony and Keith did a great job producing this compilation, and while I'm not sure if a teased second installment ever came out, "Local Steel" is a great time capsule of the local scene of the late 1990s! Be sure to check it out! above!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for next month, we will very likely be taking a look at local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith's second album "Apocalypse" next! As "Apocalypse II" is planned for a release on May 10th, it only makes sense to go in chronological order given the conceptual theme of both albums. If all goes according to plan, look for our review of the first "Apocalypse" at some point next month, and we'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Thanks everyone!