LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Glitch) & Most Of This Weekend's Sault Ontario Concert Previews!!

In our first of two weekend concert previews for this weekend, we're focusing on just heavier Sault Ontario concerts going down tomorrow, with the Thrill Junkies' Roosevelt Hotel debuts coming in our next post along with the Sault Michigan previews, so it's not a snub! There's some big debuts and returns coming tomorrow, so read on below for our first of the previews!

A new local band named Glitch will make their live concert debut TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, I held off to see if I could verify anything on their sound. Though currently without an online page, their lineup includes Sneaky Pete alumni Mike Oakley (presumably on vocals and drums) & bassist Sean Berlinguette, alongside guitarists Marco Pedalino (ex-Lion Ride) and Mark Oliverio (ex-Foothill Road/Boogie Fever.) Nothing concrete has been stated about their sound, but I'd be surprised if they didn't share similarities with Sneaky Pete's older work, so if you've missed them, head to The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW for a likely blend of hard rock covers! A $5-ish cover is likely for tomorrow's show, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

It's great to see all four members playing in a local band again, and I have a feeling they'll have some great tunes and chemistry in store for their live debut, so keep it in mind for tomorrow night, and stay tuned in case any Glitch verification comes in!

Now to the previously announced concerts this weekend, starting with a big package of old school rock n' roll and grunge downstairs at The Algonquin Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Briefly scheduled for The Canadian Nightclub (but moved before the flooding took place), tomorrow's concert will mark two band debuts, including the long awaited first live appearance of power/classic metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth! Essentially the successors to Late & Loud, this new band (featuring singer/guitarist Brendan Christie & bassist Benn Garside alongside ex-Sativa Rose guitarist Anthony Orazietti and ex-Startlefish drummer Roy Kreutzberger) should have a bunch of hard hitting originals in store for their debut, which has been well hyped, so don't miss the launch of this new band tomorrow! Local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith will return to The Algonquin themselves tomorrow with an entertaining set of their own (they're also providing sound and lighting), so be there to help continue their local momentum during the middle set!

Opening tomorrow's show is new local rock band The Danger Cats, who will immediately grab unique attention based on their all-female lineup (including singer Summer Snow-Leopard, guitarist Paula Panther, bassist Jamie Jaguar, and drummer/Lazer Queen alum Kate Kougar), but how do they sound, and what will they play? Come on down to The Algonquin to find out tomorrow! Doors open at 9:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there is a $6 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! With heavier bands on both floors of The Algonquin Hotel, it'll be tough to pick who to see tomorrow, and while I'll primarily be downstairs, I'll see if I can swing upstairs at least once to see Glitch in action! Either way, I hope to see you guys there, and for a preview of tomorrow's show, here's The Hydra's Teeth jamming their original song "The Circle"!



Finally for this installment, local hard rock cover quintet Griphook will end their two month break with a show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern! Last seen at Rotaryfest (The 7 Year Itch aside), and with their last Nicolet appearance coming in May, fans must be itching to see Jim, Brian, Dan, and Tony back on the local stage, and hopefully tomorrow's one night only concert helps set the tides in motion once again for their diverse heavier-leaning cover selection! Knowing their collective talents, this should be an entertaining night of music, so if you're not up for a trip to The Algonquin or The Rosie (more on that tomorrow), The Nic will serve you well! Admission should be free for this 19+ concert, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. It's always good to see these guys back at it, so don't bypass tomorrow's show if you can help it, and for a preview, here's Griphook covering Seether's "Country Song" at The Rosie earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Sault Michigan previews (including the upcoming Night Ranger concert), plus this weekend's Thrill Junkie shows in Sault Ontario tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

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

As today is the 18th, it's time to shut down our most recent poll at the SMS and launch our newest one, so without any further adieu, here we go! Last month's question was "Would you like to see a regularly scheduled metal/hard rock concert series like the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights again at a local concert venue?", and it got just 8 votes, which is slightly disappointing, but the results do seem fairly clear. Here's the final vote breakdown!

I just want more concerts in general (4 votes, 50%)
Depends on the included bands/genres (3 votes, 37.5%)
Depends on the scheduling (1 vote, 12.5%)
Absolutely, I miss them! (0 votes)

Depends on the venue/location (0 votes)
Depends on the promoter (0 votes)
No, rigid scheduling can hurt shows (0 votes)

Would you like to see a regularly scheduled metal/hard rock concert series like the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights again at a local concert venue? - See more at: http://poll.pollcode.com/yxf9i_result?v#sthash.eeZ8VxOZ.dpuf

What do you guys think? Given the limited vote amount, I won't run down each choice individually, but it's clear that most people are open to the idea, but they'd want more concerts in general, rather than tying their hopes to a regularly scheduled metal concert series. No one voted for "Absolutely, I miss them!", which indicates to me that people who like the idea would want it back if it fit with their musical and location preferences, and even the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights, as successful as they were, didn't appeal to everyone. If you don't like the bands, death metal tendencies, or location, that can impair your likelihood of attending regularly. This poll was asked at the turn of the summer into the fall season, when shows tend to die down as metalheads return to school/work, so maybe some sentiment in the winning choice ("I just want more concerts in general") stems from that, but I think that the voters did express that while a restored metal night series would be nice (I miss them myself), it's not a be all end all, and we should just attend and support shows that do come to bring more here on a more frequent basis.

Thanks to everyone for voting! As for our newest poll, we're returning to what's becoming an annual trend on the site, as today's question is "Which of these defunct or recently inactive bands would you most want to see hit the stage again?" There's always turnover for bands in the region, and recent months have been no different thanks to a large amount of new hard rock/metal band launches, but to go along with that, there have been some bands breaking up, falling inactive, or taking live concert hiatuses as well. It's always interesting to get a bead on which bands are particularly missed, so for this variation of the poll, we're bringing back everyone who got a vote in last year's poll (plus "Other"), along with Bad Side & Sense of Truth (who got multiple votes when this question was asked in 2011), and 5 newly dissolved or recently inactive bands have been added. To be in this poll, bands must have been active in recent years to keep things fresh in the mind, it also includes bands who are active but haven't played concerts in over 6 months (i.e. Gates of Winter), and it only includes bands who theoretically could reunite in a realistic scenario (so no Woods of Ypres, they wouldn't come back without David Gold around.)

19 choices (plus "Other") are below to weigh in on, so which band do you most want to see back on the local concert stage? Read on for info on each choice!

As It Stands: One of the most successful modern hardcore bands in recent local memory, As It Stands have been oddly quiet since their most recent concert in August of last year, with no concrete information out yet on their active status or future. Many fans in Sault Ontario would love to see them back at it, especially knowing their talents and reputation, but do you want them back most of all?

Bad Side: Though core members Melissa Krahnke & Jason Mapes remain musically active out of town, this popular Sault Michigan blues/hard rock band has been broken up since 2010. Among the most successful heavier bands in the region in the 2000s, Bad Side's three albums and major concert appearances saw them gain a lot of success, but do you want them to return to playing live concerts more than other bands?

Bring the Fallen: The three time battle of the bands winners gave fitting closure to their run with their farewell & reunion concert in July at The Oddfellows Hall, but that doesn't mean they're any less remembered by local fans. With most members now living out of town, a reunion of any kind seems unlikely, but would Bring The Fallen's death metal assault be welcomed back with open arms if it did happen?

Changing Waves: After their surprise debut at The Oddfellows Hall three years ago, local hardcore quartet Changing Waves built a solid reputation with their diverse originals and covers through their quiet dissolution in mid-2012, with bassist Terrence Gomes making his own waves now with The Northern Tragedy. I think they had a lot of unrealized potential, but would you agree with that?

Clownsack: One of the most successful Sault Michigan products of the mid-late 2000s, this clown quintet hit big heights (i.e. opening for Kiss), along with releasing two CDs during their run, before activity faded out in the early 2010s, though members remain active in music under their normal identities. Would you like a return of their clown sauce to the regional music scene, or was their funk metal hybrid not to your liking?

Dirty Virgin: Aside from their one-off reunions at The Canadian in 2011 & 2012, this local glam/punk quartet have been inactive since early 2010, following their Kiss Battle of the Bands set the previous November. Most of Dirty Virgin haven't been overly active in music since (besides the reunion gigs), so there's bound to be fans who miss their unique retro sound, but are you among them?

Fitswitch: The winners of this poll in 2011, Fitswitch's hard edged metal/punk hybrid entertained many fans in the mid-2000s, and though their successor bands (Frightlight especially) share a lot of similarities, Fitswitch's live shows and originals have their own following. Are Fitswitch the band you'd most want to see return to the local stage, or do J.D. Pearce's three current bands fill that void well enough?

Gates of Winter: Nearing five years since their last concert, Lee, Bryan, and Steve are slowly continuing studio work towards their new progressive death metal EP "Perihelion" while living apart, but despite the slow pace, optimism remains high for a full reunion down the road, including new concerts to go with the EP. Gates of Winter still have plenty of local fans, but would you pick them over the rest for a reunion?

Half Past: After their own successful (if scattered) run at the turn of the 2010s concluded, members have since found continued success with Frightlight and Skeyes of Seven, but Half Past's modern hard rock sound remains a fun memory from many live dates! Though a reunion of their classic lineup is sadly looking less likely (get well soon, Luke!), would any revival not come amiss?

Insipid Brutality: Long since defunct, this popular Sault Michigan death metal quintet were a brutal and hard hitting sight locally during their run, a legacy that guitarist Scott Savoie has maintained with recent solo work! Also known from their posthumous return with a new digital album last year, would you like to see a full return of both Insipid Brutality and death metal to the Eastern U.P.?

Late & Loud: Last seen at the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in April, Late & Loud brought their classic metal experience to great heights in their run, including a Humane Society Battle win, the releases of their EP, and a fun & energetic live show that was always worth admission! Though members can be seen in the similar Hydra's Teeth now, are you a hardcore Loudmouth that'd love a reunion?

Lion Ride: Now two years removed from their last show, the local/Toronto metal/punk quintet remain a popular group thanks to their energetic and attitude-fueled live show, but most members have stayed active in bands like The Fairmounts, Glitch, Cross Dog, and Falls since their breakup last February. They never closed the door on a farewell gig, but are you more up for a full on return?

Nixxon Dixxon: The winners of this poll last year, this popular Sault Michigan metal quartet hit a lot of successes through 2010, including numerous regional dates & their Kewadin Casino opening slots, though members have since splintered off into newer bands & homes, with Chris Hubbard's new band 415E carrying the local torch for similar material. Would a reunion be something you'd want more than any other?

Pillory: Though still active and working on studio material, local thrash band Pillory have not played a proper full concert since November, though members played a partial return set in July at a Blood Shed Productions' event. I know Robert & Bret have worked hard to get the band back to normal since Andres Duchesne's passing and Jon Tiberi's move, but would a Pillory resurgence be tops in your book?

Sativa Rose: This Sault Ontario classic metal band gave a nice spark of classic sounds to the region in the late 2000s, though their promising shows and originals quietly died down in 2010, with members splintering off into The Valentine's Day Massacre and the more similar Hydra's Teeth. Despite their lack of a singer until their last show, would a Sativa Rose reunion gain your greatest interest?

SBD: Essentially the successors to defunct grunge band No Arrow, SBD's 2009-2011 run saw them release an album and play a few notable gigs, before their quiet descent into inactivity, with frontman Dann Pichette now living and playing music out of town. Their psychedelic and experimental expansion of No Arrow's sound was really unique locally, but would an SBD return be #1 for you?

Sense of Truth: Even though members Cory Murchison and Ron Baxter play very similar material in their current band Skeyes of Seven, there are fans who miss local hard rock quintet Sense of Truth, who played a number of big concerts, recorded studio material, and attained a loyal following in their 2007-2011 run! Would you be all for a Sense of Truth reunion over other similar local bands?

Soldiers of Misfortune: Jesse, Alex, Jonas, and company were among Sault Ontario's metal favourites in the early-mid 2000s with their hard hitting metal outfit Soldiers of Misfortune, who retain a strong local following based on their very entertaining live concerts and battle of the bands success! You can see members rock the stage nowadays in Winkstinger, but would a Soldiers return get you going more than the rest?

The Valentine's Day Massacre: After relocating to London last fall, this local deathcore quartet have only been seen once in town (at The Algonquin Pub in December), and have largely been inactive since their London debut in March. Though Steve Rhodes & Andrew Angelic have stayed busy with D3athcharg3r, are you among the local fans who wish that The V.D.M. will resurface in one way or another?

Other: Did we miss a band that you wanted to vote for? Perhaps an older band like Proposition 86 or Amethyst, a less prominent regional band, or one that didn't get a vote in past instances of this poll? If your preferred choice isn't listed for whatever reason, vote for "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!!! You have until October 18th to cast your votes in this poll, and hopefully we get some more interesting results once again! That's likely all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes shortly! Thanks everyone!

Late Creepshow Concert Notes, The Unveiling Of What Was Spitneck, And Much More!!

We're back with another news post on this Tuesday evening, so what's in store? Along with some assorted recent updates, we have a new solo performance video, the long-time-coming debut of a Blood Shed Productions grindcore band, and leading off, some fallout from a big concert last night, so read on below for what we currently know!

We should start with late notice changes that we missed from last night's Creepshow-headlined psychobilly/metal concert at The Roosevelt Hotel, starting with a surprise added band, as Nelson, B.C. "electro-folk/disco-thrash" quintet Tofu Stravinsky also played last night! This was confirmed on their own Facebook page last night after their set, and their sound is very original, with a mix of female vocals, indie rock, and techno into quite a different style, and hopefully their set went over well last night! The other late notice change to announce is that Bear Hunters/Suicide Kings member Mitch Sirie apparently played with local horror punk rockers Frightlight during their set last night, under the stage name "Stitch Grizzly"! Frontman Johnny Pints announced this on the concert's Facebook event page last night, but as I wasn't in attendance (and haven't seen photos yet), I can't confirm what role he played, if he's now a permanent member, or who left/moved instruments to accomodate Mitch. I will note that their Facebook page hasn't been updated yet to note any lineup changes, and all of the most recent local members (including guest bassist Slim Cadaver) were confirmed attendees on the event page. When we hear more, I'll let you guys know!

Next up, here's more recent updates on Blood Shed Productions! The Sault Ontario grindcore/rap label recently (and finally) unveiled the band Spitneck, who had been alluded to on posts on their Facebook page since January. However, shortly after their first song was uploaded to the label's YouTube channel, it was taken down due to a name change for the project, as the Spitneck name was already in use, so now the project is called Rotopsy. The project is a two man band (at least in it's current form), and it appears to feature singer/guitarist Ringsnaps Gibson (I recognize his pig squeals) along with a yet-unidentified collaborator (perhaps Austin McCrae?) Rotopsy have no online page yet, but their genre is described as "porngrind", so if any lyrics are discernible, they may offend some listeners. Their first song (entitled "Neurological Sperm Bucket") is now online, and while it's similar to Ringsnaps' other bands through Blood Shed, there's more of a variance in the vocals, and the drumming is a nice fit!

I have no idea why it took so many months for our first look at Spitneck/Rotopsy, but check out their first song below, stay tuned for when/if they launch an online page (or when we find out more on their lineup), and look for more from Rotopsy on their planned split demo with Malignant Neoplasm & Brutaly Fatal!



Also today, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's latest solo guitar cover was uploaded to his YouTube channel on Sunday, and it's a cover of Three Doors Down's "Here Without You"! Like his last few videos, it's a solo rendition with him on vocals & guitar, and it continues his recent trend of softer & general rock covers (I wonder if this is a conscious decision to better match his singing voice?) It's a well done cover, especially if you like Three Doors Down's ballads, but his voice strikes me as too high for the mood of this song, and it wavers a bit on the choruses. Good work though, so give Alex's newest cover a look below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are i alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• The AlgomA-headlined Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay on October 12th has seen a change to one of it's bus pick-up & drop-off points, as the planned Wendy's/Tim Hortons parking lot on Great Northern Road has been swapped for the Station Mall parking lot in front of Wal-Mart for unknown reasons. This was quietly confirmed by promoters on the Facebook event page in recent days, and the other bus stop location at the Wellington Square Mall is unchanged. Visit the above links for more details on this very heavy & unique upcoming concert!
• Dafter, Michigan solo artist Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton has uploaded new songs named "Can't Drive" and "Goose" to his official website, both of which are slated to be on next month's new solo album "Cracks In The Wall"! I'll hold formal thoughts in case this is reviewed in November, but both sound good on first listen, with the former having a particularly heavy groove, so check out each above! Note that I believe these are both instrumental takes.
• If you were curious for more info on the private Garden River concert "Anti-Capitalist TacoFest" from last month, a photo album from it was posted on participants AlgomA's Facebook page, where it confirms the announced lineup, along with the location (inside someone's house), and performers such as former Ye Olde Mold Pickers accordionist Rihkee Strapp, ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Strange on drums, and a newly short-haired Chris Page (Giwakwa) handling sound for at least part of the day. Looks like this was a fun event, and hopefully we see the performers again soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's newest poll tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Creepshow/Frightlight Concert Preview, A Band Breakup, And Much More!!

Sorry for the delay, but here's our latest news post! Today, we're previewing a big and unique concert TONIGHT, showcasing a new video from a recent anti-bullying concert, reporting on a band breakup and related notes, and refreshing memories of a three year old metal band interview, so read on below to get caught up on everything!

Local metal/punk bands Frightlight & Sykotyk Rampage will rock The Roosevelt Hotel TONIGHT as support for a crowd-pleasing blend of punk and rockabilly! Postponed from it's original August 29th date, tonight's show will be headlined by Toronto quartet The Creepshow and Montreal trio The Hellbound Hepcats, who are both returning to the Soo for tonight's concert. The Creepshow's female-fronted country/punk/hellbilly blend & The Hellbound Hepcats' more traditional rockabilly sound should attract another sizeable crowd to The Rosie tonight, so if they're your thing, don't miss out! As for the heavier local bands, James White (a.k.a. Mr. Slim Cadaver) will return to the guest bassist position in lieu of the absent Eddie Fright for Frightlight's horror punk/metal set tonight, while Sykotyk Rampage will open the festivities with their improvised crash music, perhaps including songs from their newest albums, so don't come late! Admission is $10 in advance (through either promoter/Frightlight frontman Johnny Pints or The Rad Zone in the Wellington Square Mall), but the price jumps to $15 at the door. This is definitely a 19+ show, and Sykotyk Rampage are on first at 9:45 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

If you love punk, psychobilly, and a dash of metal, you'll wanna be at The Rosie TONIGHT! The Creepshow are definitely local favourites, and the rest of the bands have their own local followings, so if you can swing a concert on a Monday night, don't miss this one! Get your advance tickets A.S.A.P. before they're gone, and for a preview, here's Frightlight (with Slim on bass) playing "Dead Town Anywhere" earlier this year!



Next up, here's a video from Saturday night's Walk & Rock Against Bullying in Sault Michigan, courtesy of Munising metal quartet Infathom! Uploaded to YouTube by attendee Brendan Fitzgerald yesterday, this is one of three videos he shot at the event outside of City Hall, including one video of Chump Change's Terry Talentino and his sons covering an Imagine Dragons song, and another video of their guitarist Kory Garland and his daughter playing an acoustic song together, and it's nice seeing the family connections on them for sure! The Infathom video is of them covering Avenged Sevenfold's "Afterlife" (albeit cut off at the end), and the audio quality is pretty good, but it was filmed on that vertical cell phone camera angle for some reason, and part of the video focuses on a little girl dancing in the audience, so keep that in mind. Infathom sound really good, and Dillion Semasky's vocals hold up well, so definitely check out their performance below, and I'll let you know if I hear of any more videos from the Walk To Rock in the next while!

Also, here's some of the latest from Sault Ontario label/studio Blood Shed Productions! For one, it's been officially confirmed that "Tomgrindy is dead", as per a post on their Facebook page on Thursday. A reason for the local goregrind trio's breakup wasn't announced, but it likely stems from the past month's posts about not hearing from co-singer/band namesake Jacob Tombari, so I take it they either still haven't heard from him, or he left the project. Though similar in many ways to member Ringsnaps Gibson's other goregrind projects, their added vocals and fuller sound did help them in their demo releases, so best of luck to both Ringsnaps, Jacob, and Jean-Paul in the future! Don't worry though, Ringsnaps is still hard at work on new music for his fellow Blood Shed artists, with their next demo release planned to be a split demo between his medical grindcore project Malignant Neoplasm, collaborator Austin McCrae's solo act Brutaly Fatal, and the band formerly known as Spitneck, and we'll have more on them in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!

Finally, here's an old local interview that I recently rediscovered when cleaning around my place, that being defunct local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen's interview with the Sault Youth Association's former newspaper The Fresh Magazine from the fall of 2010! This was among the prizes that they won at the Downtown Showdown battle of the bands at The Oddfellows Hall that May, and the included photo was part of what was likely their last formal photo shoot before breaking up the following spring. The interview features questions from a Fresh Magazine contributor and answers from a B.T.F. member (both uncredited), and it features discussion of their battle of the bands success, future label and touring plans, how they see the future of the local metal scene, dynamics in the band, their (least) favourite local venue, their influences, and more, so check out the full interview on your left or at this link! Very solid interview with good (if brief) discussion of their music and work together, and it's interesting to note that at the time of this interview, Bring The Fallen still had aspirations of forming their own label and touring Western Canada in mid-2011, but they broke up before any of that could happen.

I miss The Fresh Magazine and it's interesting freelance articles and open nature, but this article is a good late glimpse at Bring The Fallen on top of their game before their mixed quality last gigs (July's reunion at Oddzfest aside, that was great closure!) Check it out above, and stay tuned when we hear more about the members' past and future local music work!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, including last month's poll results & this month's newest poll on Wednesday! Thanks everyone!

Friday The 13th New Music On Werehold Records (Part 4)

For the third time (and first since July 2012), Eckerman, Michigan independent label/studio Werehold Records have uploaded a bunch of new songs from their artist roster to their YouTube channel yesterday in honour of Friday the 13th! This has become a recent trend for this very entertaining label, and 7 songs have went up to YouTube to mark the day, so what should you know? In terms of exclusions, there's no new tracks from The 1,000,000,000s Who Died, Drayton Fever, East Branch, Moss, the still un-revealed Awaken Eidolon, or any projects involving Power Slug drummer Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone), though Werehold head Jason Mills told me in a Facebook conversation that Bob was never fully affiliated with the label. For non-metal and non-local uploads yesterday, two of the songs ("Exponential" & "Pow-Wow Nightmare") came from Brimley techno project Palaver, which are both darker electronic tracks that fans of their other work should like (particularly "Pow-Wow Nightmare"), so check them out via the above links!

Another upload came from (surprisingly) an Australian metal project named Atrophyac, and they're extremely good! Tristan Close is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist, as displayed on the song "Mass Control", and though I don't know the extent of his connections with Werehold, give Atrophyac's music a listen at their SoundCloud page, as he's got a great thing going! Now to the local metal uploads (in alphabetical order), starting with... Galactic Alignment?! At least for yesterday, the Mike Libertoski-led technical death metal project is under the Werehold banner, and their newest song "Abort the Export" was uploaded by Werehold for Friday the 13th! Also uploaded to Mike's SoundCloud page last week, this is his first Galactic Alignment song posting in 4 months, and it lives up to past expectations for the Toast guitarist's solo work! Very fast, technical, and heavy, and Mike's considerable talents are on full display once again! Hopefully we hear more Galactic Alignment songs soon (perhaps with vocals), but give "Abort the Export" a listen below!



We couldn't go on without looking at label flagship band Life's Eclipse's newest song, so next is the Eckerman metal quartet's newest demo "Face of Horror"! Projected to be on an album named "The Dark Kingdom", the description only credits guitarists Jason Mills & Joe Semasky for the track (no sign of David Mills or Casey Amo), but aside from missing David's vocals, it sounds full and very brutal! Well paced and full of crushing riffs, this continues the promise that Life's Eclipse have constantly shown, and it'd be nice to hear a lot more from them! Give "Face of Horror" a listen below!



Also from Friday the 13th, we have a recent solo track from Mike Libertoski's former Swayze Train bandmate Scott Savoie! As you may remember, the former Insipid Brutality guitarist has recorded a number of original metal tracks for his SoundCloud page in the past year, and yesterday's upload ("Resorting to Pyre") was one of three that Scott posted in May. A thrash metal original with vocals, it's blistering and very heavy, and Scott's vocals are effective! Thrash metal fans would be well served to check out this song, but Scott has songs of numerous genres on SoundCloud, so listen to "Resorting to Pyre" below and more above



Finally, Strongs "backwoods metal" trio Swampghas ended their long absence of activity with a new song upload of their own for Friday the 13th, courtesy of their song "Beneath the Whitmarsh"! A very short track (coming in at just under 2 minutes), this song is expected to be on their long gestating debut CD "The Raco Tower Incident". It's an instrumental (at least in this version), but it delivers heavy metal goods and a raw edge for what we do get, and I really like Doug Reed's drumming on this one! Check out "Beneath the Whitmarsh" below, and hopefully we hear more from Swampghas soon!



That's all for this latest Friday the 13th event from Werehold Records, and compared to the 15 month wait from the previous installment, the next one could be a lot sooner than you think, as the next Friday the 13th will fall in December of this year! Christmas season tie-in too, perhaps? Time will tell, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site hopefully tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ray Brown Benefit & Griphook), Danger Cats Info, And More!!

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Today does mark a certain spree of new song postings from Sault Michigan-area label Werehold Records (along with recent tradition), but we'll have that on here tomorrow just in case the song uploads aren't done yet. Today, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next week and next month (including long awaited confirmation of bands for a major event), some details and information relating to another upcoming concert, and some new song postings, so read on below for what you need to know!

Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to the stage on Friday, September 20th (one week from today) at The Nicolet Tavern! This talented veteran outfit (featuring Flat Stanley, Bigsuit, Hollow, and Gsis Murphy alumni) had been taking a break of sorts since their Rotaryfest weekend gigs two months ago, but it's great to see the full band (rather than the one-off trio "The 7 Year Itch") back at it for another concert next week! For the record, this is their first Nicolet Tavern appearance in 4 months. There's no announced cover charge for next week's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Griphook back after their oddly long break, so don't miss their varied hard rock covers at The Nic next Friday, but if you can't make it, where else can you see them this fall?

We can see them as well at the Ray Brown benefit/tribute concert at The Verdi Hall on Friday, October 11th, as they're on the newly announced lineup for the event! As revealed by event co-organizer Donna DeSimon on the Facebook event page, Griphook will be among 7 bands (mostly cover acts) on the lineup, and in listed order, they include local punk trio Redundant, notable rock cover band Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), new local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies (in just their fourth announced local show), alternative hard rockers Lucky 13 (in their first gig in 2 months), the aforementioned Griphook, Obsession singer Valerie Powley "and friends" (identities unclear), and Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison in a solo acoustic set, while he'll also have short performances during breaks. Nice diverse lineup, and with a solid selection of hard rock bands too! Of course, this event is in honour of veteran local drummer Ray Brown to help raise funds for his final expenses, as he was not given long to live by doctors due to his cancer battle, so come on out to pay support!

Remember, this event has been moved from The Canadian due to Monday night's flooding, and it's now on the Friday rather than Saturday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Tickets are now on sale for $25 at The Rad Zone, along with Superior Hodge Podge & The Music Depot on Gore Street, or through event hosts credited at the event page, but get yours A.S.A.P., as only a few will be at the door. Check the above links for more details on the musical and other events (including dinner and prizes), and best of luck all around to Ray and his family!

Next up, here's the newest updates concerning the Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub one week from today! The Facebook event page now has an event poster that outlines entry details and the bands, while Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie confirmed there that his band's label PaperClip Productions will provide the evening's lighting and sound. That should work out well, they have a good setup! As for the opening band that night, all-female rock band The Danger Cats, here's what we now know on them! They launched in April but only recently posted a Facebook page, and their lineup includes Summer Stevens on vocals, Paula D'Agostino on guitar, Jamie-Lynn VanSchooneveld on bass, and former Lazer Queen frontwoman Kate Drew on drums. However, all 4 members use alliterative stage names relating to big cat species (similarly to most of Lion Ride), so they're credited on Facebook as Summer Snow-Leopard, Paula Panther, Jamie Jaguar, and Kate Kougar.

I know a bit more on them given that my mom works with Jamie (and Paula formerly too), so I can confirm that some members are still gaining experience on their instruments, but they do cover at least some heavier songs, so come on out next week to support them! Compared to Sault Michigan, Sault Ontario tends to lack for women in rock bands, so hopefully The Danger Cats have a successful debut next week to help change that up! Stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Finally for today, two new songs from local grindcore solo project Brutaly Fatal were uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Shank Shock" and "Acidic Sky's" (which is the title track of their demo), the songs still show Austin McCrae's growling and bass skills fairly well, but the absence of a full band is still all too clear, and it'd be nice to see Austin enlist other band members to fill out these promising tracks. Check out "Acidic Sky's" below, and stay tuned soon for more updates on Blood Shed Productions' grind artists!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our recap of today's Friday the 13th uploads from Werehold Records! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tantrym Tyme), A New Local Band, And Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews!!

I decided to double up posts today to make sure the Sault Michigan shows get enough attention, so this post relates to all-Sault Michigan topics, including previews of tomorrow's hard rock concerts in the area, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, and leading off, a new band discovery, so read on below for what you need to know, and get caught up on Sault Ontario weekend previews and more in the post below this one! (Updated on Friday at 5:43 PM)

We have a new local band to add to our Sault Michigan band links, and it's an acoustic hard rock project named All The Dirty Words In One! Active since October of last year, their lineup includes singer/guitarists Josh Julch and Cody Rosebohm (ex-Elements of Madness) along with bassist/drummer Dan LaFord. They play hard & acoustic rock covers with original material plans, and their Facebook page is full of optimistic postings, including plans for an album named "Eddy the Skull" with an original song named "Break Down, Just Forget Me", but they've posted nothing on their page in 5 months. There are some live recordings of theirs on Dan's SoundCloud page, including covers of Tenacious D, Linkin Park, Eyeshine, and Gregory & The Hawk songs, but they're admittedly rough in quality. The guitar work is good, but Josh's vocals are not that refined, the recording quality is mixed, there's some pre-song talking left in, and Dan's doesn't appear to be featured as a performer from what I can tell. If they're still together, there's a lot of work to be done, but every band has to start somewhere, and become a fan of All The Dirty Words In One above!

Now to concert previews, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT, as young local metal band Tantrym Tyme will play their (at least) third show at The Malamute Saloon in Kinross this evening! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced last night via their Facebook page. After two successful shows at this Kinross bar last month (no idea if they played an unannounced show there last week), the former Abstract are riding high partially thanks to their victory at this year's Rock Till You Drop battle of the bands at the Chippewa County Fair (as cited on their Facebook page), and in their second show of the day (more on that in a second), they should be good and ready to rock The Malamute Saloon with their fun covers! Like before, there's a 9:00 PM start time, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. Check the above links for more details, don't miss this talented young band in Kinross tomorrow, and for a preview, here's the guys at a recent talent show!



Now to previously announced concert previews, starting with Kinross classic hard rockers Banned, who are returning to Todd's Tavern in nearby Moran, Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT as well! Last seen at this frequent venue in May, this one night only gig is their first of the fall season, and before they play their Grand Rapids show, it'll be great to see the Traynors and crew rocking Moran again tomorrow! There is no announced cover charge, you must be 21 to attend, and an earlier start time of 8:00 PM is in place. For more details, visit the band's Facebook page! Though their current lineup information remains somewhat vague, hopefully tomorrow's show is a hit for Banned, but of course, check them out next weekend at the Sault Kewadin if you can't make it to Moran for their Todd's Tavern return! For a preview of their diverse hard rock covers tomorrow, here's Banned covering The Black Keys' "Lonely Boy"!

Finally for this weekend (at least for previously announced heavier shows), we have the Walk & Rock Against Bullying, a fundraising & awareness event being held THIS SATURDAY outside of City Hall! Designed to raise funds and education for bullying and the cause of ending it, there will be bands throughout the day, along with food, 50/50 draws, face painting, and vendor booths, and a 1 mile walk in support of those who have been affected by bullying. Click here for information on the non-musical events going down! 5 bands are confirmed for the lineup, including local cover rock quartet Chump Change (whose members were recently promoting the event on local radio), the first local appearance in over a year from Munising metal quartet Infathom (featuring ex-Half A Man singer Dillion Semasky), newer local hard rock quintet RamWagon, the aforementioned Tantrym Tyme, and acoustic/indie rock duo The London Gentlemen, so there's some heavy tunes and more general stuff for everyone! Note that the event poster lists "...And More!", but no public confirmation is out on possible added bands or guest performers. A 12:00 PM start time is advertised for this ALL AGES outdoor event (which will run until around 8:00 PM), and there's no admission price announced.

Check the above links for more details! Preventing bullying is a great cause, and hopefully this event does big things to that end, so don't miss tomorrow's Walk & Rock whether you're rocking or walking! There's a solid lineup of local and U.P. artists playing, including a solid selection of heavier bands, so don't miss out on Saturday, and for a preview, here's Infathom covering Papa Roach at Pigfest in Ishpeming this summer!



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