Here's our first monthly feature post of this September, as we're once again asking "Where Are The New Albums?" As we do every month, we're spotlighting the current release statuses and details on upcoming and at least partially recorded albums from 13 local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, in order to see where they are and when we might see them on shelves1 This month's installment is mostly in a holding pattern, but with three updated entries (as noted with the title in
italics), so where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
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AlgomA & Shit Liver - Trading Faces
Rumoured Songs (A): "Why Should I Care?" (Dead Mouth cover), "Great Dane" (Kittens cover), "Fabricated Nonsense" (Shit Liver cover)
Rumoured Songs (S): "Homeo-Apathy" (Leftover Crack cover), "Hitch Hiker" (Macabre cover), "Blame It On God" (Deicide cover), "Lines On A Map" (Antischism cover), "Socialized Death Sentence"(Dystopia cover), "Fell Down A Well" (AlgomA cover)
Background: No strangers to
releasing split albums with out-of-town based bands on old school
formats after sharing vinyl records with Chronobot & Hooded Menace,
local doom metal trio AlgomA surprisingly announced in May that their fourth
release and third split would be a
cassette tape shared with local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, to be released through AlgomA's old label
Deadbeat Media.
The split's title and cover artwork (again done by Adam Geyer) were
unveiled on
AlgomA's Facebook page last month, with
Shit Liver's Facebook page unveiling more complete details a few weeks later, particularly that the split will be
covers-only, with each band also tackling the other for one track. This will
be Shit Liver's second release following their 2014 self-titled CD, not
counting the Gnarwhal/Gizzard split from 2016, which isn't officially
under their name.
Current Release Status: Shit Liver's above announcement confirmed that "Trading Faces" will be released digitally on Bandcamp THIS TUESDAY, with it's physical cassette release coming two weeks later on September 17th, and tapes will be available during their joint Ontario/Montreal tour this month, including the finale here at
The New American Pub on October 2nd. Hopefully this all sticks, as despite the lack of newer originals, this split is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing local releases of 2017, so keep tabs on the digital and physical releases this month!
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The Bear Hunters - The Dead Testament
Rumoured Songs: "The
Void", "The Omen", "Neckbreaker", "I Fear No God", "Servitude",
"Transcend Judgement", "For Glory", "The Wrath Of Angmar", "The Dying
Den", "The Dead Testament", "Deception" (bonus re-recording),
"The Forest of Forests" (bonus track)
Background: In tentative planning
since 2014 under this title, local death metal quintet The Bear
Hunters have been playing songs intended for their second full length CD
for a few years now, but only fully began recording sessions for "The
Dead Testament" on October 2nd, 2015. Following a brief fundraising campaign
and the gradual unveiling of song titles, the band have been working
with producer Dustin Jones at
Mission Control Studios, and have shared
sporadic updates on
their Instagram page. Like on 2014's "Eternal
Hibernation", rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney has recorded parts
for the album despite living in Southern Ontario, but it's not yet clear
on how bonus tracks will be handled.
Current Release Status: The Bear
Hunters haven't given any firm timetables for when to expect "The Dead
Testament"
in stores, but as of November 5th, the band had finished all recording
sessions except vocals & lead guitar for 4 tracks, and "finishing
touches" were to blame for the delays in finishing the CD. The band is
aiming for a more professional sound and release for
their sophomore effort, but an optimistic late-summer release has came
and gone, and while there have been private online updates since, the
band has not issued a public update on the album yet this year.
Keep an eye out for updates when and if they come in!
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Electric Church's debut album
Rumoured Songs: "Muddy Waters", "Ain't Got None", "Carey Baby", "Take Me Away", "Cross the Line"
Background: Fast rising young
blues/hard rock trio Electric Church evolved from Jimi Hendrix covers in
2016 to primarily original material in 2017, and punctuated that on May
12th when they announced on
their Facebook page
that they were "working up some new songs... for the album!!!" It was
confirmed around that time that they were recording material at Mission
Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones, who shared a picture on
their Facebook page
confirming Electric Church's presence. However, direct updates have not
followed publically, and the band has not posted an online update in
over two months.
Current Release Status: No clue,
but Electric Church are a very talented band who play beyond their
years, and no matter how long this takes, the album should be of solid
quality when it finally comes out! Stay tuned for updates!
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The Elements'
debut EP
Rumoured Songs: "Liar", "G20", "Triple H", "The Rut", "I Need A Friend"
Background: Arguably better known
for their funk, ska, and hard rock covers, local quartet The Elements
have been adding original material to their sets since last year, and
have since publically confirmed earlier teases that they are working on a
debut EP. Frontman Rob Speers has confirmed in personal conversations last spring
that they have been working in studio on the release, which will have at
least 5 tracks, and I believe it's being self-recorded, but further
public updates are minimal at best. It's also not known if they'll
employ any guest performers, such as Jonas Gasperas (who may be their permanent drummer now) and
saxophonist Josh Norling, a frequent presence in recent
months.
Current Release Status: At this
stage, I have no idea, but Rob sounded like things were going well in
studio. That said, these were largely personal conversations a year ago,
and the band hasn't acknowledged album recording sessions publically in
recent months, so we'll have to see if updates come out on it in 2017!
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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", "Eta Carinae"
Background: Despite
a hiatus from live concerts lasting almost 9 years, Gates of
Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up
to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". Updates have sporadically been made
since early 2010, via numerous uploads, teaser postings, and general
hype for the recording sessions, though prior release forecasts haven't
been realized, it was retracted from CD to EP length, and most preview
media has since been taken down as the band perfected the CD's final
content. While Sault
native Jon Morrison
was announced as the album's drummer in late 2010, it has since been
confirmed that "Perihelion" will feature programmed drums. After taking a
over a year's hiatus from public activity, Gates of Winter resurfaced in July with new band artwork and hints that they have "been making
incredible strides, and are very excited to pull back the curtain."
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".
Good art takes time, and
knowing Gates of
Winter's
talent and attention to detail, they won't want to release this until
everything's perfect. I'll admit that I know a bit more on "Perihelion"
than what I've posted here courtesy of e-mail conversations and private postings, but I'll wait until more public word comes
out. Keep an eye out for updates!
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Id Iota's full length second CD
Rumoured Songs: "Happy Sailor", "Intro To American Literature", "Seas Envy Skies", "Long D", "Cop Drama", "Deep Empty", "Blind Spots"
Background: Not long after their
successful Ontario tour with Mike Mikus last fall, Id Iota began
recording sessions for their second album, though public confirmation
that a full length CD was currently in progress didn't occur until
guitarist Dustin Goodall announced it on his studio
Unsalted Audio's website
earlier this year. Scattered postings and hints have followed, but
nothing else has came out beyond performances of newer originals in
concert through this spring. For reference,
this photo got shared a few times on
Id Iota's Facebook page
last year, but it's unclear if it's intended to be the album's cover
artwork or not. As well, collaborations with ex-RedD Monkey
cellist Pete Mozarowski could be present on the CD, but that's
unconfirmed.
Current Release Status: No idea,
especially with the alternative/hard rock quartet keeping fairly mum on
it's progress, but if there was ever a plan to release it in time for
their dissolved May tour run, that's obviously came and went. Keep
watch for updates as
they roll in!
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Kraken Mara's self-titled debut EP
Rumoured Songs: "Chimera", "Ishka", "Grand Machinations", "Straus"
Background:
The current progressive metal project from Late & Loud guitarist
Brendan Christie & Wawa band veteran Jake Valois, Kraken Mara
immediately commenced work on studio material upon their April 2016
launch, though they have yet to assemble a full lineup, let alone play
live. In sporadic updates since on
their Facebook page &
their website,
the band has indicated ongoing recording sessions towards a self-titled
EP, posting and reworking original demos to their website and
Reverbnation page
over recent months, with Reese Wolf working as sound engineer for the
tracks. As well, the cover artwork for the EP was revealed on Facebook
at the end of March, and the band has since confirmed plans to record
music videos for all of the planned tracks, starting with one for
"Straus" in July.
Current Release Status: Your guess
is as good as mine. Brendan and Jake are keeping things very
professional and technical so far, but updates don't come all that
frequently regarding Kraken Mara, be they for the EP or not. That said,
the instrumental material sounds very good and complex so far, and
should please fans of progressive and djent metal, so things could be
further along than you may guess. Keep tabs above for updates!
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Northwest's second EP
Rumoured Songs: "Hangover Habits", "Drinking Games"
Background: Following the release
of their debut self-titled digital EP in September 2014, and a lengthy
stage hiatus from late last year through this winter, local indie/punk
quintet Northwest resumed major activity in April 2017 with teaser
photos of recording sessions at Mission Control Studios with producer
Dustin Jones (as they had done for their debut) being posted over the
spring to
their Facebook page.
Confirmation that this was for a new EP, their first with current
drummer Marc Santos, only came in July via their write-up in
this year's Rotaryfest program, prior to their first appearance on the Second Stage..
Current Release Status: It's hard
to say, especially given their quiet postings aside from the teaser
photos, and the fact that their debut EP was only released online, but
things sound like they're progressing well at a reliable local studio,
and hopefully Northwest's second album sees it's way onto online or
physical storefronts in the coming months!
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Redundant's debut CD
Rumoured Songs:
"Miles Apart", "That December", "What You'll Do"
Background: Over two and a half
years after their last documented studio sessions in the spring of 2012,
local punk trio Redundant revealed on
their Facebook page in November 2014 that they were finally working on finishing their debut
CD, and will look to hold a CD release party for it upon it's
completion. Details are otherwise minimal, including on if the guys will
just package their older studio work for the release, or include new
recordings, perhaps at bassist James White's studio White Wreckords.
We'll keep you posted if we hear more!
Current Release Status: Though we
don't know much on the new/revived album plans, Redundant did sound
serious about completing their CD. That said, Redundant have only played
a handful of times in the last couple of years, and haven't made any
public statements regarding
the album
since 2014. The band did resume public activity in March 2016,
announcing that they were writing new songs and working on "new studio
shit", but it's not clear how earlier album sessions would play in. If
we hear any updates, we'll be sure to let you know!
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Skeyes of Seven - Stare at the Sky
Rumoured Songs: "Enough", "See The Truth", "Fallen Faith", "Pretend", "Cognitive Dissonance", "Crawling Back From Reality"
Background: Already no strangers to
the studio after recording two songs as
singles in the mid-2010s, local modern hard rock quartet
Skeyes of Seven hit the studio to record their debut EP in 2015,
though they only publically confirmed that an EP was in the works in January 2016. Sessions took place at
Deluca Sound Productions,
who have shared videos of band members tracking material for the EP, the title of which being unveiled last fall. In January, all six songs were posted to
their YouTube channel,
including the new instrumental "Crawling Back From Reality", while also
excluding their older originals "Destination Unknown" & "No One
Cares". New guitarist Kyle Sweet is not visibly on the EP, having joined
Skeyes of Seven after sessions concluded.
Current Release Status: Given that
the whole EP is online for free streaming, then conventional wisdom
would say that "Stare at the Sky" would be released imminently, but the
band has yet to confirm a paid release date. Hopefully it doesn't stall
at being a free posting, as Skeyes of
Seven are a talented and experienced band, and having been active in
studio more than on stage since launching in 2012, it'd be great to see
them culminate this process with a release concert (for what it's worth, a planned return show last month was cancelled.) Follow along
to see where things go!
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Telephone & Address - "Monster" & "The Early Tapes"
Rumoured Songs (M): "I Can Bleed"
Rumoured Songs (E): "The Plumbers"
Background: Telephone &
Address mainman Chris Shoust announced on
their Facebook page
in 2015 that he was working on releasing "The Early Tapes", a
compilation of songs from the first 4 Telephone & Address albums
(2011's self titled album, and 2012's "Live", "No. 3", and "Broken
Head"). Since then however, he revealed that a separate new album named
"Monster" is done, with an advanced copy
leaked to him by AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent, which likely hints that
Jamie helped produce it. However, a later-recorded album, "Are You Now
or Have You Ever", was officially released in October, despite "Monster"
being announced a year previously. Songs from both of these unreleased
albums can be streamed on
their Soundcloud page, and they're likely to turn up on
Telephone & Address' Bandcamp page and on
Interpunk down the road.
Current Release Status: Chris has
indicated online that "Monster" was planned to be
pressed in the fall of 2015, blaming money issues for the delays in it
being released, and while a November 2016 release date was teased last
fall, that has came & went too. We're likely nearing it's release at
some point in 2017 though! Regarding the "The
Early Tapes", Chris revealed in March
2015 that it "will be delayed for some time", though he didn't elaborate
on
why specifically. Assuming things go according to plan, Telephone &
Address should have some big albums in the works, so we'll
keep
you posted when more on any of these comes out!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around October 2nd, and our next monthly feature post, barring a quick AlgomA/Shit Liver split review, will be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile one week from tomorrow! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news in the coming days, and if you can, don't miss Diamond Head TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Thanks everyone!
Opening Friday's concert was the long awaited return of local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven for the first time since 2015, ending their second two year+ long stage hiatus, and I'm glad to say that they sounded great for their latest comeback! After the Eye of Horus concert & another unannounced show fell through, the guys finally got their moment in the sun with a high impact set that was half devoted to songs from their yet-to-be-released debut EP, with the remainder including new songs "Differences" & "Treading Water", plus covers of Audioslave and Mastodon songs. The latter was particularly surprising, but with 2 years of jam time and preparation, they had everything down fine! This was their first show with new rhythm guitarist Kyle Sweet, who asserted himself fine in their set (and had awesome shoes), while established band members didn't seem to lose a step either, including a strong vocal performance from Cory Murchison, reliable bass work from Al Fletcher and solid drumming from John Mignacca.
The middle band on Friday was alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback in their first of two shows in under 24 hours (look for Oh!No Festival fallout when it rolls in), and they pumped out another strong set of original punk songs for fans to bridge the gap between the night's heavier acts! If you've seen A Dire Setback this year, their set won't have held many surprises, with familiar originals like "Nightmares", "Everlasting Despair", and "Faded" populating their timeslot, as well as their "Counting Stars" cover. Of course, the guys delivered musically as usual, with Matt Quinn's bass (and sound) work coming naturally, and Chris Nielsen was his regular sparkplug self on guitar, but Larry Babic's vocals did sound noticeably rougher in the second half of their set, with higher notes not coming as easily. Strong set overall though from A Dire Setback, and hopefully they had a great time in Leeburn!
