New Local Band Discovery/Locals Playing Out of Town Concerts!

I'm really getting myself caught up on some stuff today, so excuse the numerous posts this weekend! But I did some searching, and found some updates you all might be interested in!

First off, I came across a local metal band I have skipped over a few times in my searching! They are Dreamscape, a funk/alternative metal band from Sault Ontario! Dreamscape feature "Funkadelic Fois" (who also has a solo song, Changes, on their PureVolume page), "Metal Mike", and "Big Al" in it's ranks! The quality of the recordings isn't great, but if you look past that, their songs sound alright! I don't think the band is active any more, but they're definitely a local metal band with originals, so they're in the Local Band Listings now! Go check out their PureVolume page at this location!

Now, onto another admittance of my negligence. You know Bad Side, the classic metal band that you might remember from tons of dates at Kewadin Casino, as well as last year's Bell Border Jam? Well, they're from Sault Michigan originally! I really should have known that, but when there's no reference to them being specifically from the Sault area on their sites, it's hard to tell. Oh well, now I'm even more up to speed on this great band! And, they're now in the Local Band Links too! My apologies for missing them for this long!

Now knowing that they're definitely locals, I can inform you guys that they've got tons of shows scheduled at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace as well! Bad Side will be playing in St. Ignace on January 23rd and 24th, as well as weekend sets in May, July, August, and November! But the biggest show of all for Bad Side is on January 31st, when they take the stage at TNT’s Bar in Clinton Township (outside Detroit), as direct support for Detroit hard rockers SkinDeep! It's great to see Bad Side doing so many shows all over the place, as they're a really good band!

Also, another Sault Michigan band are heading to the Metro Detroit region this month! Integrated System of Machines will be a part of this year's Motor City Metalfest on January 24th at the legendary Harpo's Concert Theater in Detroit, along with 19 other bands! Integrated System of Machines (or I.S.O.M.) are a fantastic death metal band, with some really awesome original tracks! Hopefully they'll play some more local shows in the near future!

That should be about all for this post! Also, thanks to Chris Rancourt over at Northern Rocks Magazine for the support he's already been showing The Sault Metal Scene!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS/Woods of Ypres Update!!

It's not often when I have two posts so close together like this, but I have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for you guys, among other news! So here we go!

Michigan based hard rockers Graveyard Tan are returning to Sault Michigan! They will be playing a pair of weekend dates at The Satisfied Frog on January 23rd and 24th! Both shows will take place at 8:00 each night! Graveyard Tan are definitely a good band, and they have some original tracks posted on their official Myspace page! Apparently, they've also opened for bands like Drowning Pool and Saliva, so they've definitely been around!

If you are a member of the official Facebook group for local black metal legends Woods of Ypres, you probably recieved two e-mails from frontman (and Gates of Winter drummer) David Gold! In case you didn't get the messages, here's what David has to say! The e-mails serve as a year-end recap for 2008, as well as a forecast for what will happen this year! David outlines the release and success of their third album, Woods III: Deepest Roots & Darkest Blues, the addition of all of Gates of Winter to the Woods lineup, and their return to the road, playing all over Canada, and some American dates too!

This is followed by a rundown of 2009's events, starting with a tribute to Unrestrained! Magazine founder Adrian Bromley, for which Woods of Ypres will be playing a tribute for in Toronto on January 17th! David then outlines some new projects coming up, including a new black metal project with original Woods member Aaron Palmer, and playing drums for Philadelphia's own L'anguisette for their new album.

As well, David and the Gates/Woods clan will hit the studio this year to record both Gates of Winter's to-be-named second album, and "Woods 4: Spring: The Green Album"! Woods of Ypres are also planning a tour later this year with a setlist based on their second album! Also, David discusses his upcoming appearance as drummer on South Korea's Necramyth's new album, plans to rerelease "Woods 1", and much more! Personally, I can't wait to see what David and the rest of Gates/Woods have up their sleeves for this year, it should be fucking awesome! If you wanna read David's post in it's entirety, head to this link!

That's all I got so far for today, keep your browsers here for any and all local metal news as it comes in! And a friendly reminder, if you're going to see Jager 4.0 or The Issues this weekend, feel free to let us know!

The First Concert Previews of 2009!

Another year has begun, and as such, the first run of local concerts for 2009 begin tonight! So, as such, here's the rundown for the three local metal concerts taking place this weekend!

First off, Sault Michigan's own Jager 4.0 kick off a year's worth of dates tonight at Dondee Lanes! They will also be playing there tomorrow night, with both shows starting at 8:00! Jager 4.0 will return to Dondee Lanes on January 30th for two weekend dates with Absolute, followed by two more shows in late February!
Just as a side note, Dondee Lanes is of course, the bowling alley for Sault Michigan, but they don't just have bowling. They have a fully functional lounge and sports bar, as well as live entertainment every weekend! Their concert listings haven't been updated since October, but they seem to have metal bands on a decent basis. It's my negligence for not knowing about their concerts before recently, so I'll definitely keep an eye on Dondee Lanes from here on out! Head on over to http://www.dondeelanes.com for more info!

And finally, I'm not even sure of the authenticity of this show, but it is listed with address and price, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Local metal band The Issues will apparently be playing a show at Greg's Guitar Shop on Sunday. However, the listed address (2345 Wellington Street East) does not register on Mapquest, so I really don't know. If this is a real concert, it's slated to begin at 12:00 with $5 admission. But they are definitely a real band, with 4 decent demo tracks on their Myspace page, which you can check out at this location!

So there's your local concert preview for this weekend, hopefully I'll have some more updates and news to share very soon! And I've changed my official contact e-mail, so if you have any inquiries, questions, suggestions, or messages, send em to robfigures@hotmail.com!

Northern Rocks Magazine Update/2009 is here!

Well everyone, I hope you had a great New Years Eve, and to kick off 2009, the new issue of Northern Rocks Magazine should now be in your inboxes! Nothing major for local metal bands to speak of, but I did learn something in this issue: Detroit (The Toronto-based thrash band who recently played at The Oddfellows Hall) are originally all from Sault Ste. Marie! I can't believe I never knew that! So I now have their official Myspace page up in the Local Band Links section!

The issue features a review by Northern Rocks mastermind Chris Rancourt for Detroit's debut album "Let The Hammers Fly", which he gave three stars! As well, December 9th's Blessed By A Broken Heart show is featured in the Northern Ontario concert listings! Other than that, nothing major to speak of for local metal bands and shows, but there will no doubt be more in the coming months!

In case you don't know much about it, Northern Rocks Magazine is a FREE internet magazine dedicated to bands and concerts in all of Northern Ontario! It's really well put together, and features profiles, reviews, and stories for bands, promoters, and anything else music-based all over Northern Ontario! There's also contests here and there, the first of which had a Woods of Ypres prize package! If you're interested in subscribing, head on over to http://www.northernrocksmagazine.com/subscribe.html and join the mailing list!

Just as a side note, I noticed that the official website for locals Gates of Winter appears to be dead. Now, it automatically redirects to their official Myspace page. It's not really a major change, but I figure that everyone should know before you panic over it's disappearance.

That's all for today, I think! Enjoy 2009, and if I have more stuff to report, you'll hear it here!

The Last Post of 2008!

Well guys, 2008 is coming to a close, and it's been another interesting year! There's been a lot of local concerts and band news, and let's recap some of the great events that happened this year!

A number of major out of town bands played in the area this year, like Blue Oyster Cult, Bret Michaels, Chevelle, Danko Jones, Econoline Crush, Helix, Jackyl, Seether, Seven Mary Three, Slaughter, Sons of Butcher, and Three Days Grace!

As well, many other lesser known, but very talented out of town bands like Fuck The Facts, Inflict, Ministry of Zen, One Bullet Resolution, Orange October, Three For Fallacy, Upheaval of an Exorcist, Wolven Ancestry, The Womb, and all the others I've missed mentioning here!

But most importantly of all, we can't forget about the local talent who've put all their time and effort in to succeeding as musicians, and playing shows and recording new material! This year, we've seen and heard great things from tons of bands, like Absolute, As It Stands, Bad Side, Detroit, Dirty Virgin, Fingerbone, Garden of Bedlam, Gates of Winter, Jager, Lion Ride, Nixxon Dixxon, Sense of Truth, Shift, Stillbroke, Woods of Ypres, and so many others who play the music they love in the Sault area!

This year has seen many great concerts, from the big Three Days Grace and Jackyl shows at The Essar Center, to the various hardcore shows at The Oddfellows Hall, and everything in between! There's been fundraisers, battle of the bands, free shows, all ages and 19+ concerts, with bands of every metal type you can think of! Gates of Winter and Woods of Ypres made their triumphant returns to the local concert scene, Garden of Bedlam made their debut, Bell Border Jam made a big splash in it's first year, while events like Rock 2 Roll, Hempfest, and Sick Jams For Sick Kids drew in dedicated crowds as well!

It's been another good year for the local metal scene, I do wish crowds were bigger at more shows, so we could get more metal shows in general, but this has still been a very good year! Here's to another great year for The Sault Metal Scene in 2009, and I hope you all enjoy the last day of 2008!

And just to end the year's last post, a local concert preview for you all! At 9:00 tonight at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino, Michigan hard rockers Bad Side will take the stage for a New Year's Eve concert! I dunno much else about it, but Bad Side are definitely a great band, and if you saw them at this year's Bell Border Jam, or another time at The Rapids Lounge, you'll likely be well aware of that! Hopefully, Bad Side will end 2008 with a bang!

Thanks guys, have a happy new year!

Here's some local concert updates!

Sorry about the lack of updates and posts this weekend, there hasn't been too much to speak of locally. But I do have some updates for some upcoming local concerts, so here's what you need to know!

I haven't really covered this show much here since I started the blog, but on January 9th, there will be a hardcore show headlined by Montreal-based glam/metalcore band Blessed By A Broken Heart! I mention this show in a concert updates post because there's been a lineup change! One of the main support bands, Toronto based hardcore band Abandon All Ships, have dropped off the bill for the Sault show (I'm not sure why), but a more than suitable replacement has been found: Local hardcore rockers As It Stands!

This concert will also feature support from Sudbury-based death metal band Upheaval of an Exorcist, Montreal hardcore band Breaking The Fourth Wall, and local indie/emo band Deter! The show, likely the first of the new year for Sault Ontario, will take place on January 9th at The Oddfellows Hall! Tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door! If you're interested in advance tickets, contact Jeremy at 946-3445 or Sean at 206-3515!

And now, an update for a show across the river! As I'd previously reported, on the weekend of January 30-31st, Sault Michigan's own Jager 4.0 will be playing a pair of weekend dates at Dondee Lanes (yes, the bowling alley). Well I just learned of another band to be featured at these shows! Pickford based hard rockers Absolute will also be featured on these two concerts! Absolute are a pretty good band, with some covers ranging from Godsmack and Seether to Neil Young and Ugly Kid Joe! They're very similar to many other bands, but good enough to stand on their own! Check out 4 of their live cover songs at their official Myspace page!

And finally, if I find any photos, videos, or reviews of any type from this weekend's Detroit, Lion Ride, and Nixxon Dixxon concerts, I will let you guys know right here! And if you found or have anything to share, lemme know with a comment or by e-mail at rob_F_owns@hotmail.com!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!! (And Boxing Day Weekend Concert Previews)

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, or whatever it is you celebrate this time of year! I hope your holidays have been going great! As I was hoping, I did get a new digital camera for Christmas, a black Sony Cybershot, and it's very slick looking, works great, rechargeable battery, and I will have it for pictures and video at the next local show I can make it to!

Now what was I gonna say...oh yeah, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!! Michigan based metal band Peril are returning to The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino for TWELVE more dates in 2009! So keep a look out for Peril on the following weekends: February 27-28, March 13-14, June 5-6, July 31-August 1, September 11-12, and December 4-5! Check out 5 solid original songs by Peril at their official Myspace page!

Now, we shall get to the local concert previews for the four shows this weekend, so here's what you need to know for these concerts!!


The first show this weekend takes place at 9:00 tomorrow night, when Sault Michigan locals Nixxon Dixxon take the stage at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino! They will also be playing at 9:00 on Saturday night as well, (The joys of double weekend bookings!) They have no listed dates yet for 2009, so I'll keep an eye out for updates on their next shows. I still don't know prices for admission or general runtime, but Nixxon Dixxon are really talented, and seem to have a pretty good profile already across the river. Check out some of their cover songs (of bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin) over at their official Myspace page!

Next up, tomorrow night at 10:00, Toronto based punk/metal outfit (and Sault natives) Lion Ride take the stage at Coch's Corner (formerly The Cellar Tap) on Bay Street! Direct support will come from local indie band Nebraska Arms! Admission is just 5 bucks at the door! From what I've seen online, they put on a good live show, and their songs are great too! I have yet to actually see them live, and I was hoping to come to this concert, but I caught the cold bug, and I dunno if I'll be up to making it to this one. But if I'm feeling well enough, I'll try and be there, with my new digital camera in tow! If you wanna see what Lion Ride are like before judging whether you'll go, here's a video featuring their original song "Cocaine Crazy"!


And finally, there will be some metal at a punk show on Saturday night! Toronto based thrash band Detroit will take the stage as direct support for the return of local punk stars Bin Hawdon and The Taliband! This show will also be only $5, and it all starts at 6:30 PM at The Oddfellows Hall! The other support acts include (once again) Nebraska Arms, Red Hot Chili Peppers cover band Free Beer, and local punk rockers Talk Shit! I had been planning to go to this concert too, but again, I can't predict how long my cold will last, so I won't commit to anything. But once again, if I feel well enough, I'll try my damndest to be there! Check out some originals from Detroit at their official Myspace page as well!

So, there you go everyone, local concert previews for this weekend and 12 new local shows to write down on your calendars! Hopefully we're all up to date for the year now! So, I'll wish you all a Merry Christmas, and if I don't have much to say before then, a Happy New Year too! And keep the metal blasting through 2009 and beyond!