Two New Local Metal Albums, Plus Pixo Control & Id Iota Updates!!

We've got a busy post for your Tuesday afternoon, and while it includes the latest from two rising local bands, we're starting with not one, but two new-ish local metal albums that you should check out, with one from each side of the border! Here's what you should know!

Remember how Sault Michigan epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines released and sold a CD when they reunited for last July's P.O.D.-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater? Well, we can now confirm a lot more on it, and huge kudos go out to frontman Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone) for sending me a full copy! The CD in question (their second) was indeed a fully packaged and pressed album, was self-titled and produced, and features their current lineup of Bob alongside guitarists Chris Leask (Highway 63) and Jonathan Bennett, bassist Art Dietz (The Creepy Little Coffee People), and drummer Bart "Black Trab" Rennels. I.S.O.M.'s newest CD features 10 songs, and their set on July 3rd actually presented the vast majority of the track listing in order (as featured in this YouTube video from the concert). In order, the songs include "Screams", "Patterns", "Stays The Same", "I.S.O.M.", "The Writer", "Last Time", "Prison Farm", and "Been There Before" with "Words To Say" and "Underground" closing the album.

The album is half comprised of 5 re-recordings from their 2008 debut "Apocalyptic Vision", with "Patterns", "The Writer", "Prison Farm", "Been There Before", and "Underground" being the new songs. I can't confirm if the album is available via local merchants (if it is, Grooves Music would be an obvious locale), and if true, what it costs, but in any event, it's not digitally available that I've found. Still, it's great to know more on I.S.O.M.'s newest CD, and hopefully we see the guys back on stage later this year!

The other new album is a complete surprise, as defunct(?) local funk metal trio The Strange Coyotes quietly released their second album onto their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! Entitled "Strange Coyotes II", the album is actually the delayed culmination of their plans to release a live album recorded during their set at Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall in November 2014 (their last concert to date), and that is basically what we have here, so it's great to have it out, even if 15 months after the fact! Released through PaperClip Productions, the live nature of it (and The Strange Coyotes' own improvised style) means that their set/this album has no songs in common with their 2013 self-titled debut album, but consequently, more familiar songs from their runs and from bassist James Watterworth's own solo repertoire! He is joined by singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore and drummer Mike Haggith here, but apparently, Chase had to bow out halfway through this set due to illness, so Crucify the Whore mainman Tyler Gibson (who played that show with Rotopsy) filled in for the remainder.

As well, there are five short filler tracks that Mike (who appears to have spearheaded this album's delayed release) recorded with former Haggith bandmate Jordan Leach, so keep those in mind as well. Copies of "Strange Coyotes II" can be bought for $5 through PaperClip Productions, and are available on Bandcamp on a "name your price" model, so be sure to check it out above! Now, with that said, will I.S.O.M. or Strange Coyotes be next for a CD review on the site? We can confirm that The Strange Coyotes are next in the coming week, as that's a brand new album (I.S.O.M.'s came out over 7 months ago), and we can tie it in with Mike's show with The Din earlier this month, but an I.S.O.M. review is definitely coming in the near future! Check out both CDs above!

Next up, here's the latest news from local alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control, starting with a disappointing note, as their planned show with Aldous at LopLops Lounge this Friday has been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page on Sunday. A reason for the cancellation was not announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and remember that Aldous will still be playing there at the Moon King concert on April 21st! However, there is good news, as The Pixo Control have released a teaser video to their YouTube channel featuring 20 seconds of footage for their first ever music video! It's for their song "Scratch" from December's debut CD "Probably Not", and it was filmed at The Townehouse Tavern in Sudbury when they played there last month. Of course, it features the band's current lineup performing, with mixer/masterer Dustin Goodall now the band's bassist.

Filming was done by Sudbury's Here Kitty Kitty Productions, who The Pixo Control had been filming "footage of all sorts" with at the time, and while one can assume this was the "salty surprise" that the band had mentioned, the teased acoustic performance is not available yet. This is labelled as the "1st teaser" in advance of a full release on March 25th, which strongly hints that more teasers of the full "Scratch" music video are coming, so be sure to be on the lookout for them, as this is shaping up well so far! Give the first teaser clip a look below, and stay tuned for more updates!

Lastly for today, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock band Id Iota, who have been relatively quiet since last summer, so what's new from their camp? The band (featuring Free Beer, Pixo Control, and Vertically Impaired alumni) has shared a pair of new updates on their Facebook page to note that "we've been secretly working on some stuff", and again referenced their current recording sessions, though it's not 100% official on if these are for an album or just some new studio songs. The band also shared this Facebook video of the aforementioned Dustin Goodall at the laptop with drummer Blair St. John listening to a track while delivering some percussion (of sorts) to it. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more updates in the coming week and beyond! Thanks everyone!

Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Lineup Reveal, Plus New Videos!!

Before we get into the meat of this post, let's frame it with a newly confirmed band for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian, as new hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head are the fifth confirmed band for next month, as per the official Facebook event page! With a lineup full of 1st and 2nd place battle finishers with bands like The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, Winkstinger, and Haggith, can they find similar successes next month so soon after their debut? I say that now because they're also confirmed for another big event next month, which leads off this post, along with some new videos, so here's what you should know!

The full performer lineup for the second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands has been announced via the official Facebook event page, so who all is playing on Thursday, March 10th? Joining the previously confirmed modern hard rock band Eclipse are the same three acts that were confirmed last fall for the original date, so alternative hard rock trio The Din, returning thrash metal band Pillory, and indie solo musician Jesse Merineau are all still in! They will be joined by punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, the aforementioned Heavy Head (fresh off of their debut show this Friday), indie/electronic rock project Aldous, and former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown in a rare solo set. Of note, this will be the battle of the bands (and Speak Easy) debut for Aldous, Bryan Brown, Jack Spades, and Pillory, unless any of them are joining The Din, Eclipse, & Heavy Head at next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, of which this battle takes place in the midst of.

The Din and Jesse Merineau are the only returning bands from last year, and with none of last year's top 3 in the field next month, this is a wide open contest! It may be surprising to note that this is Jack Spades' first battle of the bands appearance (and first announced concert since October), but members have ample battle experience with bands like The Bear Hunters & T-Rex Manning, and frontman J.D. Pearce has promoted or played at all but one local battle of the bands since 2012. This will also be Pillory's first concert since their 2014 breakup, and their first with new bassist Jordan Leach, but how will they sound come March 10th? As for Bryan Brown, I'm unfamiliar with his solo music, but he played for Coverfly for three years before departing that veteran cover band earlier this year. He's got the skills, but how will he handle the solo spotlight, and what exactly does he play in that regard? Find out on March 10th at Algoma University's campus bar!

Also, three Heavy Head members are pulling double duty on March 10th (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger with Jack Spades, and Daniel Horton with Eclipse), but will those bands snag multiple podium slots? $400, $200, $100 prizes await the 1st-3rd place bands, who each have 15 minute sets to impress the fans (no judges, it's a fan voted event again), and for attendees, admission is $5, it starts at 8:00 PM, and it's 19+ for all but Algoma students with student ID cards. This hould be another entertaining battle, so for more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more on both of next month's battles of the bands!

We'll close today with new videos, including the latest YouTube upload from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night! Keyboardist Craig Harrison posted this on his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of him playing his part of a new original song called "I Guess This Is Goodbye". Though obviously still in the works, Craig lays down a solid and pretty sounding keyboard track here, and it should accent the full metal song well when complete! Give it a look below!



Finally for today, here's a pair of new solo drumming videos from Bad Back's Nathan Sauve, as uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! His first uploads there in about six months, these are "post-music" performances, with him taking on the handle "DJ Nato" on one, and the songs themselves are called "Haunted Head" and, as embedded below, "Spew on the Motorway". A bit of a diversion from his usual solo performances, Nathan drums here to electronic-influenced music that feels a bit trance-like at times, but his drumming is as sound as ever, so give them a look above & below, and hopefully we hear more from Bad Back soon!



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

A New Local Punk Band, Project 421 Updates, And Much More!!

Today's news post is full of shorter recent items, but we also have some details on what's been up with a popular local band recently, and first, here's a new local hardcore punk band to add to our band links, and they are called Programmed To Fail! Note that they spelled it "Programed" with one M, no word yet on if that's intentional. This is actually the band who formerly went as The Transjenners (presumably referencing Caitlyn Jenner), and who had recently deactivated their Facebook page for unannounced reasons, but now it's back with the new, less-topical name. As of this writing, we don't know a lot about Programmed To Fail (including who all is in the band), but they do have a Soundcloud page under their original name that has a short original song named "We Push Back". Running for just 74 seconds, it has the requisite intensity, but it's staticy, ends abruptly, and has very loud vocals. I'm curious to hear more from Programmed To Fail though, so check them out above!

Next up, here's the latest from local classic metal quintet Project 421, who clarified their recent inactivity and concert removals via their Facebook page two weeks ago (our apologies for the delay, I only saw the personal Facebook posting about this at the time.) In a nutshell, guitarist Frank McGillivray's daughter Casey has been brought to the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto due to abdominal tumours, and while she has undergone surgery, they were awaiting further details on her prognosis as of February 7th. As a result, the band is hoping to host a benefit show (date & venue unclear) for Frank's family in order to cover medical costs, and are looking for bands and a P.A. system for said event, though the posting notes that Project 421 themselves likely won't be playing if it happens. This is definitely sad news, but our best wishes and thoughts are with Casey, the McGillivray family, and all affected by this, and hopefully she gets well soon!

And if you're interested in helping out towards the proposed benefit concert, message guitarist Blair Burch at this link for details! Hopefully we see Project 421 back on stage when the time is right, but family comes first, and if you want your fix in the meantime, remember that Curtis, Daniel, and Chris are also in Eclipse! Stay tuned for more when it's announced!

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

• Remember how the Facebook event page for last night's Like A Pisces Nirvana tribute concert at The Gore Street Cafe replaced the individual performer names with the monikers "Brash Gash" & "Insoosticide"? Well, those weren't just stage names, as they were actually (one-off?) bands that played the event alongside The Pixo Control, presumably with some of the same performers that were previously listed, with a shared photo showing Brash Gash's frontman wearing an elaborate fish mask. Very intriguing, we'll have to see if these bands prove to be more than one-offs!
• Newer local modern hard rock quartet Eclipse are the fourth publically confirmed band for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands (as per the Facebook event page), joining The Din, K.I.C.K., and Stereo North on the bill! Eclipse are also the first band confirmed to be playing next month's Speak Easy Battle, but can members improve on their performances in last year's battles with The Din, Haggith, and Project 421 come next month? Stay tuned for much more on both events!
• Speaking of Haggith, the defunct local grunge/hard rock quartet revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they're giving fans the chance to bring the band back for a reunion concert (date and venue undetermined), but only if they get 500 shares/likes on the aforementioned post by May 10th. If this campaign gets that far, the 475th person to share or like the post will win a gift package of band merchandise. It'd be nice to get full closure to their run, so visit the above links to help support the reunion campaign!
• Local drummer John Ethier is looking to jam some "fast punk" with other local musicians. There's some early interest, but if you'd like more details, message John at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from this past Monday!
• Local classic/hard rock quartet Mourning Wood's special evening show at Cocina Del Diablo this past Thursday (as "Jukebox") was held without guitarist Steven Flint for unannounced reasons, as per personal Facebook postings by band members. Hopefully "Jukebox" had a great show despite Steven's absence! Also, just to clarify, last night's New American Pub gig was apparently an 8:00 PM show (not 6:00 PM, but still unusually early.)
• The original crash band (Sykotyk Rampage) have posted their newest free "album" onto their Reverbnation page! Entitled "Messa-Chords", it was released last week, is considered their 56th album (and first of six this year), and is an instrumental release with all song titles starting with the letter B and consisting of four words, with all but two having at least two words starting with B. It's up to their usual creative standards, so give it a listen at the above links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as this week progresses! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews, Including A New Video!!

Before we get into today's post, here's a note that might be of interest for Iron Maiden fans, as local artist Darren Emond will be demonstrating his art and drawing some work on-site outside of the Sears entrance of The Station Mall tomorrow, and art on display will include pages from his upcoming Iron Maiden comic book. This should be fun to check out if you're able, especially for Maiden and comic fans, so consider supporting Darren's work tomorrow if you're able, as he's a very skilled artist!

Now, let's dive into this weekend's remaining hard rock concert previews (barring anything super late notice), and we'll start in the Eastern Upper Peninsula with a look at Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock cover trio Banned's next gigs, which go down TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Fresh off of their Hessel gig this past weekend, this will be Banned's first St. Ignace weekend of the new year, and the Traynors & Wayne should be in fine form as they continue their busy schedule, so consider a trip south to St. Ignace this weekend for some varied and often heavy covers! If you miss them this weekend, remember that they'll be in the Soo next weekend, and back in St. Ignace in April. 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charges are in effect, so check the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's a brand new Banned concert video!

Filmed by the band's friends at Third Cinema Productions, this was uploaded to Banned's YouTube channel on Valentine's Day, and it's of the guys covering Nirvana's "Come As You Are" at last week's I-500 festivities in the tent during the race's annual pub crawl! Featuring opening and closing credits (and a mid-video bug with the YouTube channel URL), this is a strong widescreen performance of this grunge classic, with Alex Traynor handling the vocals well, so give it a look below, and don't miss Banned tonight or tomorrow in St. Ignace!

Meanwhile at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 are advertised to return for solo headlining concerts of their own TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off of St. Ignace Kewadin gigs this past weekend, these shows continue their 2016 pattern of (generally) monthly gigs at the two E.U.P. Kewadin branches, and should deliver another fun weekend of wide ranging classic favourites for fans in the Soo! Now, it should be noted that the band hasn't publically plugged upcoming concerts on their Facebook page yet this month, but they have updated the page recently, so I wouldn't expect a change in plans regarding this weekend's shows unless stated otherwise. As usual for Highway 63's frequent Kewadin gigs, look for no announced cover, 21+ age limits, and 9:00 PM start times for tonight & tomorrow's concerts, so check above for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



Finally for this weekend's previews, let's head back to Sault Ontario for the opening night of the first annual Fishbowl Festival, where local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control will be a part of the Like A Pisces tribute concert to Nirvana (and 1990s grunge, alternative, & new wave music) TOMORROW NIGHT at The Gore Street Cafe! The first of three hard rock/punk events taking place during this inaugural month long festival (coinciding with the Pisces stretch of the Zodiac calendar), this will be (I think) The Pixo Control's debut at the downtown cafe/laundromat, and coincides with what would have been Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's 46th birthday. What's more mysterious is the apparent headlining band Like A Pisces (referencing lyrics from "Heart Shaped Box"), who may or may not be playing collaboratively with The Pixo Control or separately, but performers were previously listed as including festival promoter/cafe co-owner Sam Decter, Honest Job's Drew Armstrong, and Lauren McClure.

Now, Sam and Drew are credited as "Insoosticide" & "Brash Gash" for unannounced reasons (possibly intended secrecy, or just creative license?), while Drew's bandmate Mister Tahti was once credited as performing with them as well. In any event, there's a lot of talent in store for this Nirvana tribute! Note as well that this event follows the opening ceremonies for the Fishbowl Festival at 5:00 PM, which will include presentations, speeches from organizers (and even the mayor!), and a mystery musical performance at 5:30 PM, though that's not considered part of the Like A Pisces show.The Fishbowl Festival itself has an eclectic lineup of local arts, culture, and awareness events largely taking place at The Gore Street Cafe through March 20th, and the ambitious roster includes everything from concerts, art exhibitions, and workshops to a film premiere, community meals, and a free market, so definitely visit the festival's Facebook event page for full details on all events scheduled for this month long activities, which offer a little something for everyone!

Admission for tomorrow's Like A Pisces concert is $10 (up from $5) unless you buy a $25 pass for all Fishbowl Festival events at the cafe beforehand, and with that, admission will be slashed to $5 tomorrow, and other events will either be discounted or free with said pass. All festival events are ALL AGES, and the concert will start at 7:00 PM, while tomorrow's opening cermonies beforehand also has free admission. For more details, visit the show's Facebook event page! The cafe and the Sault Ste. Marie Indian Friendship Centre have a great idea on their hands here, and hopefully this month's festival is huge, so stay tuned for much more on it, and here's The Pixo Control live last summer!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in due course! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results & Our Newest Poll!!

It's now time for the results of last month's poll and the launch of our newest poll for this second post of the day, but be sure to check out the first of this weekend concert previews in the post below this one! As you may remember, last month's poll posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite local metal, hard rock, or punk album of 2015? We sadly only got 10 votes in the poll, but the results are interesting, so here's the final tally!

The Pixo Control - Probably Not (3 votes, 30%)

Other (3 votes, 30%)

Mike Haggith - The Warinside and/or it's promotional EPs (2 votes, 20%)

Destroilet, Jack Spades, and The Ripcordz - Fed Up! (1 vote, 10%)

Rotopsy's newest CD (1 vote, 10%)

Bad Back - ALbums (0 votes)

Blood Shed Productions' Rock And/Or Roll 11-Way Split (0 votes) 

Crucify The Whore & Scrotox's split CD (0 votes)

Haggith - Apocalypse II and/or XIV (0 votes)

Malignant Neoplasm's first album (0 votes)

RedD Monkey - Opus 2: Untitled (0 votes)

Any of SweetKenny's 2015 albums (0 votes)

Telephone & Address - Rust Orchid (0 votes)

What do you guys think? In ascending order, the albums with 0 votes I can generally see not finishing higher (all things considered, given the low voter turnout), but I would have most expected Haggith's final CDs to get at least one vote, as they were a prominent & accomplished band in their day! I would have predicted that the "Fed Up!" split CD would have made at least the top 2 in the poll, but at least it got some attention, while Rotopsy's 2015 album did get some support from a Blood Shed fan, and hopefully we hear more from the label next year! Mike Haggith's 2015 solo output came in third place, a solid showing for The Din frontman, and here's to much more from his projects as well! A tie for the lead came between "Other" (though I can't confirm who those 3 voters had in mind and The Pixo Control's debut CD "Probably Not", which won the poll despite being the latest new release in the field of choices. Michael and Keeghan crafted an entertaining alternative hard rock CD for their debut with great production, and I'm definitely curious to see what The Pixo Control does for an encore!

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for this month's poll, let's touch on another big topic from last year as our 2015 retrospective polls continue, so we're posing this question this month: What was the biggest local metal, hard rock, or punk news story of 2015? As you may have seen in our retrospective post on the past year at large, last year was certainly an eventful year in the local music scene, and it's always interesting to see what SMS readers found to be the biggest and most notable news events of any kind in the past year, so we have 25 choices (plus "Other") to choose from! Just as a reminder, note that this poll constitutes the "biggest" news stories of the past year, not necessarily the "best" or "happiest", which you may want to remember when you note that musician deaths and band breakups are included as options. I hope I chose a wide ranging list of news stories of different kinds from 2015, but again, you have "Other" as a choice if we missed your top story. Now, here is some extra info on your choices!

Anvil headlines at The Rockstar Bar on April Fools Day: It's always a good time when Toronto metal legends Anvil hit the Soo, which they did on April 1st for a more intimate headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar, with locals Jack Spades & Project 421 joining them for this night of "metal on metal"! Also featuring Anvil's first local show with new bassist Chris Robinson, was this the peak of 2015?

Beaumont Avenue/The Suicide Kings disband in July: After a successful three year run that saw them win the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands and open for Randy Bachman & Airbourne, local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue (better known as The Suicide Kings) surprisingly announced that they were breaking up after their Rotaryfest set in July. Was this the biggest news event from last year?

The Danger Cats disband: This all-female hard rock/punk quartet sadly announced that they were parting ways in June in advance of frontwoman Kate Drew's move out of town, but they accomplished a solid amount in their year & a half together, attracting many positive notices and recording some original material! Did The Danger Cats' end top last year for big stories?

The Emergency Festival returns at Rocky DiPietro Field: The new summer concert festival from LopLops Lounge returned for it's sophomore installment in August, with local bands like Northwest opening for out of town bands like The Sunparlour Players, but the Sault Downtown Association fight forced it to be moved to Rocky DiPietro Field. Was this your #1 news story of 2015?

Garden of Bedlam return for Go Skateboarding Day: Well over a year after their last public concert, local metal quartet Garden of Bedlam played their most recent concert, and last to date, when they headlined Tidal Records' Go Skateboarding Day party at Queen Elizabeth Park. Their future is up in the air with Buzz moving, but was Garden of Bedlam's latest show the top moment of the year?

Gnaeus wins the VM Radio & Speak Easy Battles: March 2015 brought us two battles of the bands after a year+ hiatus for that type of event, but local post-punk quartet Gnaeus stole the show at each, winning the fan-voted, one night Speak Easy Battle and the four-night, judged VM Radio Battle to claim $1,400 and lots of acclaim as they continue their rise! Were the battles your #1 moments?

Gongshow summer concert series at The Rockstar Bar: From May-September, local concert promoter J.D. Pearce gave us the Gonqshow summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, with 10 concerts going down with locals opening for out of town bands ranging from Caym to Evilheart, including a one night move upstairs for SNFU's return! Did the Gonqshow outrank other major 2015 events?

Haggith release their final albums & part ways: A tumultuous second run for Haggith culiminated last summer with their ultimate breakup after a guitarist switch and increased focus on outside bands, but they did leave fans with their final CDs "Apocalypse II" & "XIV" last spring, and most members remain active in the local scene. Was Haggith's disbandment your #1 news story last year?

Mike Case passes away after a long cancer battle: The local music scene lost a highly influential performer and instructor when Case's Music founder and veteran country musician Mike Case lost his fight with cancer in April. His memory lives on via his long musical legacy, including via all of the students he tought along the way, but was this the biggest news item of 2015 to you?

Mike Haggith releases "The Warinside": Shortly after his band Haggith ended their run, drummer Mike Haggith launched his biggest solo album yet, entitled "The Warinside" (or "The Warrenside") with a big release concert at The Rednecks Saloon in July. Mike received some big praise for the album, and he's followed it's success with his band The Din, but would you vote for it here in this poll?

Music Depot closes it's doors: A few years ago, the Twin Saults had a combined seven music stores, but the closure of Music Depot on Gore Street last year brought our total down to four. Fans of Music Depot lamented it's closure, especially after the lengthy rumours about it's status and ownership, but was it's ultimate end your #1 news story of 2015?

The Northern Vibe Festival debuts in Ophir: Two years after Hempfest headed north to Moonbeam, Planetary Pride brought a summer concert festival back to nearby Ophir, Ontario in August with The Northern Vibe Festival, trading the marijuana culture theme for an end-of summer music party. Notably featuring The Billy Bastards' return, was The Northern Vibe Festival tops for last year?

The Pixo Control release their debut CD "Probably Not": The aforementioned winners of last month's poll, local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control released their long-anticipated first album "Probably Not" with two CD release concerts in December, with the album rightfully getting a positive response since. Was this Tidal Records release your top news event of 2016?

P.O.D., Hoobastank, and Fuel rock Kewadin Casino: Superior Entertainment brought this massive concert to The Dreammaker's Theater in Sault Michigan on July 3rd, with platinum selling hard rockers P.O.D., Hoobastank, and Fuel joined by Lights Out Paris, Redburn, and the reunion of local metal veterans I.S.O.M.. It was a huge and successful show, but would you vote for it?

Punk rock bingo debuts at The New American Pub: In September, local concert promoters Six, Two, Oh. launched their punk rock bingo series at The New A with a night full of bingo fun and irreverent, often-punk themed prizes, with a December return featuring Shit Liver and AlgomA in concert! Though other scheduled installments were cancelled, did punk rock bingo lead last year for you?

The Ripcordz & local bands release "Fed Up!" split CD: After lengthy recording sessions and many teases, local punk/metal quintets Destroilet & Jack Spades joined forces with Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz to release their joint split CD "Fed Up!" in November featuring four originals and a cover from each band! Was this ambitious album the top news story last year from the SMS?

Rotaryfest's Second Stage returns at Clergue Park: With financial concerns wiping our Rotaryfest's all-original Stage 2 in 2014, and the Sault Downtown Association battle holding up it's Queen Street home, a revamped one-day Stage 2 returned at Clergue Park in July with an all-local lineup, including plenty of alternative & punk action. It was great to have it back, but was it last year's #1 story?

Sabrina Pelchat passes away: The local metal scene was shaken last fall when former Chronic Demonic singer and multi-talented artist Sabrina Pelchat (a.k.a. Sabrina Strange) suddenly passed away in October, with a tribute concert following for her the following month at The Rednecks Saloon. Her loss remains very sad, but would you consider this the biggest story among choices in the poll?

The Sault Downtown Association fights for survival: The summer's outdoor concert season on Queen Street was completely cancelled when some local business owners attempted to disband the Sault Downtown Association, forcing the relocation of Rotaryfest's Second Stage and The Emergency Festival. The S.D.A. survived under a new name, but did this saga top this year's other stories?

Saving Abel headline first annual Superior Festival: Despite a late relocation and date change, Superior Entertainment's first annual Superior Festival was a hit at The Savoy Bar & Nightclub in August, with Saving Abel and Lights Out Paris back from earlier Kewadin gigs along with a lineup that even included Sault Ontario bands! Was this show the top news item of the past year?

Shit Liver return home during their Canadian tour: They don't get to play here as much now that they're based out of St. Catharine's, but Shit Liver brought their goregrind sound back here in April for two gigs (including a Rednecks Saloon headliner) during their Northern Debauchery Tour of Canada, with fans enjoying the brutality! Was this the biggest news story of 2015?

SNFU headlines at The Rockstar Bar in July: The only Gonqshow event during that series' run to take place upstairs at The Algonquin Hotel, this show certainly deserved it, as Vancouver hardcore punk legends SNFU returned to the Soo for the first time in six years last July, with a strong local support lineup in tow! Did your open up your mouth and say "SNFU!" when voting in this poll?

Stereo North debuts: The winner of our poll on your favourite new local metal, hard rock, and punk bands of last year, local pop punk quartet Stereo North debuted to a big audience at Bon Soo's Marquee in February, and have continued to play notable concerts as headliners and openers since, including a run in the VM Radio Battle! Was Stereo North's debut tops for last year?

Treble Charger rocks The Machine Shop in February: Over a year after their last local concert appearance, local/Toronto punk/indie veterans Treble Charger returned home for a huge headlining show at The Machine Shop at Mill Square on Bon Soo's opening night last year, with Tidal Records support acts in tow for the occasion! It was a huge show, but were you there to vouch for it?

The Who's Tommy premieres with That's Chester: November 2015 saw Shot In The Dark Promotions host a live stage production of The Who's Tommy, with classic/hard rock veterans That's Chester as the house band for their last concerts to date, as guitarist Eugene Orlando suddenly passed away two weeks later. This was sure a high note to go out on(?), but was it your #1 story of the year?

Other: Did we miss the choice you think was the biggest metal or punk story of 2015? Maybe we missed a major concert that was a bigger deal? Perhaps you had a debuting or dissolving band in mind that's not listed above, or a lineup change in a band? Or maybe we didn't include a major news story that impacted the local scene, or perhaps you went outside our genre rrange? If your preferred choice isn't here, "Other" is for you!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until March 18th to cast your ballots in this poll, and hopefully there's a solid turnout of votes this month, so cast your votes A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for more weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood & The 3 Day Millionaires), And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

With a reasonably busy concert weekend upon us for hard rock fans, we're splitting this weekend's previews in two, so previews of Saturday night's Like A Pisces show, this weekend's hard rock gigs in Sault Michigan, and possible late notice announcements will come tomorrow, so stay tuned then for them! Now, we have previews of some shows this weekend in Sault Ontario, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from two bands spread across three venues, including one making their live debut, so here's what you should know for starters! (Updated at 11:09 AM)

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood have another busy weekend ahead, with returns to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT and The New American Pub THIS SATURDAY NIGHT preceded by a unique concert of sorts TONIGHT at Cocina Del Diablo at 192 Wellington Street West! Apologies for the short notice on these, the band only announced most of them via their respective Facebook event pages on Tuesday. TONIGHT'S show marks the first concert we've ever covered at Cocina Del Diablo (the South American themed restaurant in the former Blue Boy location), and it will be part of a promotional event of some kind with the Northern Superior Brewing Company. The band will also be taking on the temporary name of Jukebox for the show, and while a reason for that hasn't been announced, it may be to axe the Mourning Wood name's innuendo for a family event, while accentuating their extensive setlist. In any event, Mourning Wood/Jukebox are promising "some low key music" for TONIGHT'S show, which is at 7:00 PM with no announced cover charge or age limit, but remember, this is a restaurant.

For TOMORROW NIGHT'S Rockstar Bar show, I believe it will be Mourning Wood's first show at The Rockstar Bar in 11 months, and consequently, their first with their current lineup at this venue, so if you're up for some more regular timing and songs, be there tomorrow at around 10:00 PM! That's a 19+ show with a cover of $5 or less. As for SATURDAY's New A show, I will give the caveat that Mourning Wood haven't acknowledged it on Facebook as of this writing, but it is listed on SooToday's events calendar, though if things have changed, we'll let you know! This will be Mourning Wood's first show at The New American since May, and also their first there as a quartet, but the matinee scheduling at 6:00 PM remains from their trio gigs there, so be sure to get to The New A early if you want to see them this weekend! As usual, expect a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge.

This should be an interesting weekend at some non-regular venues (especially for Mourning Wood, mark II), so whether you want to see them at The Rockstar Bar, The New A, or "Jukebox" at Cocina Del Diablo this weekend, you have your options! For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here, and the above links, and for a preview, here's Mourning Wood live last year!



Next up, a debuting local hard rock cover band will make their live concert debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, also at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies again for the short notice, we only heard about this show via it's Facebook event page on Tuesday. The band in question (who don't have an online page as of this writing) are The 3 Day Millionaires, an apparent side-project from Havadder/ex-Thrill Junkies bandmates Travis Sharpe (on vocals & guitar) and Scott McLurg (on drums), who are joined by ex-Boxcar Junction singer/bassist Steve Dowding and Lucky 13 guitarist Jeremey Salatuk. Scott told me in a Facebook conversation that this new band will play hard rock from the likes of Alice In Chains & Pearl Jam, and will feature Travis and Steve both sharing lead vocal duties. Sounds good to me, but how will The 3 Day Millionaires sound live? Find out THIS SATURDAY!

They'll be splitting the bill on Saturday with local classic rock quartet Nikkfitt (featuring Browbeat and Elements alumni), partially as Scott is recovering from another recent heart attack, so his bands are easing back to playing full solo nights. Nikkfitt should "fitt" well as openers on SATURDAY, and our best wishes go out to Scott & his family once again! A 10:30 PM start time is listed for this show, which may have a cover of $5 or less, and will be a 19+ event. For more details, visit the above links, and we'll let you know when The 3 Day Millionaires have an online page and/or videos for us to share on here!

Closing for this post with some previously announced concerts, long-time Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his Gliss Steak & Seafood concert arrangement with his usual solo acoustic shows there TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! As is often the case, Tym hasn't acknowledged the shows on Facebook as of this writing, but they are confirmed on his website and on SooToday's entertainment page. This prolific singer/guitarist continues to deliver solid weekends full of hard rock favourites in an unplugged and more intimate setting, and hopefully the same good vibed continue for his latest Gliss shows this weekend! As usual for Tym's solo concerts at the downtown restaurant, there is no announced cover charge or age limit, and he'll be on at 6:00 PM each night as usual, but again, remember where these shows are taking place. For more details, check the above links, and here's Tym live at the former Smack Daddy's!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & our new poll next if all goes well, and for Sault Michigan and Like a Pisces previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Telephone & Address), New Sault Michigan Videos, And More!!

After a couple of slow days, let's get back into the groove with a new news post for your Wednesday morning, which includes some concluding updates (for now) to one of our past feature profiles, some new videos from across the river, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the spring!

Local acoustic/punk solo project Telephone & Address will be among the local openers at a concert at LopLops Lounge on Thursday, April 21st, when they open for Toronto pop duo Moon King! Off hand, this is the first LopLops show that I can recall from Chris Shoust's solo act, but his punk originals should be a nice mood setter in two months' time, so keep his opening set in mind for then. Some fans may recognize Moon King's members from the defunct indie rock band Spiral Beach, who played here at least twice in the late 2000s, but Moon King's energetic and poppy sound should find an audience of their own next month, so give them a look if their sound is up your alley! Local indie/alternative band Aldous will join Telephone & Address as openers on April 21st as well, with Nick's recent electronic-tinged originals sure to leave their mark once again as well! Promoted by Ears & Eyes Online's Jackson Reed, this 19+ concert has NO COVER, and starts at 9:30 PM.

This should be a solid concert for indie rock fans, and while it definitely leans more that direction than most shows we cover, Telephone & Address will deliver some unplugged punk to start the evening, so whatever your pleasure, keep this show in mind for April 21st, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's some new video finds from Sault Michigan artists, including two new solo videos from 415E guitarist Chris Hubbard's YouTube channel, as he has two new multi-instrument covers to take in from Monday! Both featuring Chris on guitar, bass, and drums in separate clips edited together, one is a cover of Van Halen's "Unchained" (joining last week's version of "Light The Sky"), but embedded below is his take on Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child O' Mine". These are strong covers, especially the extremely faithful "Unchained", but it's interesting to hear his Van Halen-inspired take on GNR, and I wonder how these would sound with vocals? Give them a look!



Also today, here's a video that we recently found from the local cover rock trio Broke On Sunday, who covered Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike" at The Merchant's Bar last spring! Uploaded in the fall to singer/guitarist Mark Bowen's YouTube channel, this is the only public video that I've seen from Broke on Sunday, who don't have a known online page, but their lineup includes Mark (formerly seen in The London Gentlemen) alongside Retro Troop/ex-Ten Kings bassist Barney Gravelle, and Chump Change drummer Jason VanLuven, who you may recognize as a former bandmate of Mark's in Bucksaw, and has also recently played with The London Gentlemen. I can't verify a whole lot about Broke On Sunday,  including on if their sets tend to lean heavier, but they do play live a fair amount, were a part of this year's 1-500 Pub Crawl with a set at Moloney's Alley, and I believe they generally play acoustic-only concert sets. On watching this video, Broke On Sunday definitely do a good job on this grunge staple!

Featuring Jason singing the Eddie Vedder parts and Mark handling the Chris Cornell parts (Barney appears to be absent entirely here), it's a nice casual performance with surprisingly accurate takes on the vocals, and while the lighting is very red, it's nice to see this video, and to see something from in The Merch for a change as well! Give this Broke on Sunday clip a look below, and hopefully more from them turns up down the road!



Finally for today, here's our final major updates to our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles before we get into new profiles next month, as we're refreshing and updating our profile of Viva La Battle from November 2013! There, we restored all photos, and in the section on performers' later activity, we updated the details on recent work from winners The Bear Hunters and runners-up Northwest. For the section on performers' later bands, we replaced Haggith, The Sorrow Fields, and Urawk with Eclipse, Heavy Head, and Mourning Wood to get that updated, In the trivia section, we updated references to how third placers Punch's original songs were re-appropriated as Haggith originals during that band's 2014-2015 reunion (with "Road Rash" making their final EP.) Lastly, we added trivia notes concerning Punch members' second place run in 2014's Rock N' Roar Battle with The Suicide Kings, and notes on how The Bear Hunters and Punch alumni did in last March's VM Radio and Speak Easy Battles of the Bands. Hopefully that covers all major updates, and stay tuned for our profiles of last March's battles next!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results and weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!