LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Biipiigwan), Haggith Concert Preview, And More!!

Keeping the recent news rolling, we have some more big stuff to get to today, so what's on tap? New video discoveries from a recently featured act, a preview of a show going down tomorrow night, and some more assorted notes, but first, here's a pretty cool LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you need to know! (Updated on Sunday at 2:46 AM)

Ottawa sludge metal quartet Biipiigwan will hit Sault Ontario for a rare metal show at The Moose Lodge at 543 Trunk Road on Sunday, November 24th! Yes, I know this concert's Facebook event page has been online for two weeks now, but the venue was only just confirmed on Thursday, so I held it until a location was announced. Though Biipiigwan (which is Ojibwe for "flute") have a solid local following with their hard hitting brand of metal, and you may recognize them from a For All That Is Lost-hosted Thessalon event in 2011, this will be their first Sault Ontario stop that I can 100% source, and it'll be awesome to have their sludgy and brutal original sound here! Two local sludge-influenced opening bands are signed on, including the fifth live appearance (and fourth public set) from local stoner metal trio AlgomA, and the return of local death metal outfit Giwakwa, in their first concert in four months! No word yet on the status of their vocalist position following Josh Stephney's move out of town, but bassist Nolan Rainville will indeed be back for the concert, though I'm not positive whether he's already moved back home, or if this is a temporary return.

This show is being promoted by Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in a collective with AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent (a.k.a. "Geezer") and his promotion agency, so like most of Jamie's other shows, this will be ALL AGES! It's also the first non-stag & doe that I can recall in a number of years to feature metal bands at The Moose Lodge (just seconds from The Rad Zone), so if you're in the East End, here's a very heavy bone that was thrown your direction! Admission is just $5 (great deal), and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. Check the above links for more details, and don't miss what should be an awesome metal concert at an unfamiliar venue next month! Stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's a preview of a special Sunday night concert, as local grunge/alternative rock quartet Haggith will play their second show in their current fall arrangement with The New American Pub at 602 Bay Street TOMORROW NIGHT! After a successful first show at this newly renovated downtown venue last month, Haggith are still on a roll with their entertaining hard rock originals and select covers, and hopefully tomorrow's show continues their run well! Note that any talk of a bassist addition hasn't amounted to anything public as of this writing, so nothing should look any different tomorrow. Like last month, there will be an opening band, as newer local rock quintet Nikkfitt (featuring Fitswitch, Caveman Morrison, and W.F.O. alumni) will play their third live concert set, second publically attendable set, and first at The New A tomorrow as well! Unless you've seen them live, the jury's still out on their sound, but I have heard good things, and we'll have to see if any media or specifics come out at all! A $4 cover charge is in effect for tomorrow's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and Nikkfitt will open the festivities at 9:00 PM.

For more information, visit the official Facebook event page! Haggith continue to make a big name for themselves, and they always put on a good show, so don't miss tomorrow's concert at The New A, and come early for Nikkfitt! For a preview, here's Haggith playing their new original "Metal Cage" at The Algonquin Pub last month!



Also today (and leading from yesterday's new live video of this act), we have some new video finds from local lo-fi/grunge solo project Telephone & Address! Uploaded to mastermind Chris Shoust's YouTube channel in the past few months, they're of songs named "Can I Just Answer?" and (as embedded below) "Slow Brood". The former video features Chris walking with the camera pointed at his head, with no direct performing aside from the backing music, while "Slow Brood" has an artistic painting slideshow with graffiti messages slowly added, altered, and crossed off or painted over. Unlike his usual acoustic work, these songs feature electric instrumentation (the latter has no vocals either), but they show his creative alternative style well, and it's nice to see some variance from the usual outsider/grunge format of much of his recent work (I especially like the "Slow Brood" video.) Check it out below, and stay tuned when we hear more from Chris' music!



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

• It's not just the forums of the 705 Video Magazine that are down now, as their whole website has just been replaced by this message: "If you are the owner of this site please contact customer support.", which generally implies that a domain has been suspended for one reason or another. The 705VM is still alive and well via their Facebook page, and though I'm not sure if they're letting the site die or will eventually revive it, I know the forum had a spam issue when last active. For now, I've removed the forum and replaced the site's link on the SMS, but if anything returns, I'll let you guys know!
• In our "Other Local Metal Links" section, I've replaced the website of former local metal concert promotion agency Dismembertainment with their Facebook page, as their website's domain name has expired. Aside from hints at booking Edmonton-area concerts in July, the Rich Moreland-led company has been inactive since last summer and his move out of town, but hopefully he stays active in music!
• Profiles in our YouTube Channel Profile Series on the SMS are now all updated with larger featured videos, to better make use of the expanded field where posts are read on the site. No new updates than those otherwise, but I have more coming, and check out our past YouTube profiles in the sidebars!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Diemonds), Big Loonie Bus Show Videos, And More!!

In this Friday night auto-post (apologies if anything major isn't up yet, it's coming!), we have some assorted recent news and notes, a new live concert video, and a preview for a Sunday night concert in Sault Ontario, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Toronto hard rock quintet Diemonds will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Thursday, November 21st at The Algonquin Pub! Last seen locally at the old Coch's Corner in the summer of 2009, this female fronted outfit have a fun and sleazy swagger that should fit in well for their next local stop, and after missing their 2009 show until after it took place, it's nice to get a rain check to cover it fully on here! Local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will open the show in their fourth full concert appearance (and first at The Algonquin since debuting there last month), and they should be a solid fit as they continue to carve a local name with their entertaining and growing sound! The Facebook event page still hypes bands to be announced, and if any do get added, we'll let you guys know. Promoted by Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce (in his first Algonquin Pub show in over 4 months), admission will be $5 with a 10:00 PM start time, and you must be 19 to attend. Check the above links for more details!

It's great to have Diemonds back in town after such a long wait, and hopefully there's a big turnout next month for their return, and for The Danger Cats too! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's the first new videos from The Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay last week, starting with local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade's entire set! Uploaded by 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel yesterday, this gives us our first clear view of La Cucina (white interior with a hockey jersey motif by the stage), but the stationary camera's at a high side-stage angle for some reason, so while the view is close, we only see the band's upper body and not much else. The video captures 30 minutes worth of action, including their songs "Here We Lay", "Pillage", "For Him", "Crimson Crusade", "Reality", "Vanquish The Tyrant", and "Lost Memories", closing with a cover of Death's "Pull The Plug", so click each song name to go straight to it! Crimson Crusade sound as great and brutal as usual, though I am sort of surprised that songs from their EP like "Left For Dead" and "Consumed" were snubbed. Check out Crimson Crusade's full Echo Bay set below!

Also from Echo Bay, here's a video from an act who you might be expecting. As you may remember, a secret special guest was hyped by promoters Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in the lead-up to the event, but the original planned act fell through for unannounced reasons (no word on who they were either, but my guess was a BeeFMouTH reunion.) Regardless, promoters felt obligated to ensure that there would still be a secret act to play at La Cucina last weekend, so they signed on local musician Chris Shoust's acoustic/grunge solo project Telephone & Address to play the Big Loonie Bus Show, and 62nd Chamber Productions filmed his set and posted this 15 minute video onto their YouTube channel on Wednesday! Alternating between stationary black & white shots and more psychedelic filtered & mirrored effects (but all from the side-stage angle), these continue with Chris' lo-fi original recording style, but all still retain the grungy outsider feel that would definitely be interesting to hear expanded to a full band.

Check out Telephone & Address live in Echo Bay below, stay tuned in case there's more fallout from this show, and watch for some more recent Telephone & Address video discoveries! (Also, note that Telephone & Address' Facebook page has been deleted for unknown reasons, but I've since replaced it with Chris' website again for their link in our active Sault Ontario band links.)



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

• I've replaced the link for the now-closed Bottoms Up Lounge in our inactive Sault Ontario venue listings with their Facebook page, as their website has been shut down. The Queen Street bar/acoustic venue's been closed since June, so this won't be a major change, but I wanted to give the heads up!
• Sault Michigan solo guitarist Mike Libertoski has posted a rough demo of his/Galactic Alignment's original song "Abort the Export" onto his SoundCloud page, featuring vocals! They're done by his Toast bandmate Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone), who used to sing with I.S.O.M. & End of Existence, among other projects. His growling vocals fit really nicely on this technical death metal track, so give the new version a listen above!
• In terms of lineup notes from the Ray Brown benefit concert last week at The Verdi Hall, I can now confirm some additional performers, including that Mike Case's Junior Rockers (featuring ex-Jack Spades drummer T.J. Case) apparently replaced Redundant on the bill, and Ray's former The Chosen bandmate Taryn Bugyra sang guest vocals during Lucky 13's set. My source is performer Valerie Powley's photo album on her personal Facebook page, and I hope the event was a huge hit for Ray!

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

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

In our first of two posts on this Friday, we have last month's poll results and this month's new poll at the Sault Metal Scene! In our last poll, which closed last night, I posed this question to you guys: Which of these defunct or recently inactive bands would you most want to see hit the stage again? A very solid total of 41 people voted in the past month, which is why I like revisiting this topic yearly, as it gets a good spark for a wide voter sample, without inciting voting campaigns by the bands, as they're mostly defunct. Thanks to everyone for voting, but which band topped out in this poll? The final results are below!

Late & Loud (9 votes, 22%)

Other (8 votes, 20%)

Gates of Winter (5 votes, 12%)

Fitswitch (4 votes, 10%)

Lion Ride (4 votes, 10%)

As It Stands (3 votes, 7%)

Pillory (3 votes, 7%)

Bring The Fallen (2 votes, 5%)

The Valentine's Day Massacre (2 votes, 5%)

Nixxon Dixxon (1 vote, 2%)

Bad Side (0 votes)

Changing Waves (0 votes)

Clownsack (0 votes)

Dirty Virgin (0 votes)

Half Past (0 votes)

Insipid Brutality (0 votes)

Sativa Rose (0 votes)

SBD (0 votes)

Sense of Truth (0 votes)

Soldiers of Misfortune (0 votes)

So, what do you guys think? In ascending order, I am somewhat surprised at the high amount of bands with no votes, particularly Half Past (who tied for fifth in this poll last year) and Changing Waves, who I thought were really gaining traction before they fell inactive last summer. Nixxon Dixxon's fall to 10th with a single vote really shocks me too, as they won this poll last year, but it's all in who votes, I suppose! I'm also somewhat surprised at Bring The Fallen and The Valentine's Day Massacre's 8th place finishes with 2 votes, while Pillory's 6th place spot with 3 votes is encouraging, despite only playing live with a full lineup once! Still thought As It Stands would pull more than a tie with Pillory though. Fitswitch & Lion Ride's fourth place tie with 4 votes each was predictably high for both of these high profile bands. Despite the continued length of their stage hiatus, Gates of Winter's third place finish with 5 votes is a great sign, and hopefully 2014 proves as big as has been hoped for them!

As for "Other" almost winning, I have a hunch that many of the votes were for either For All That Is Lost or State of Misery, two bands I stupidly left out of the poll last month. I must have blanked when picking the list in terms of them, so if you voted for "Other" in their place, my sincere apologies! They WILL be in this poll next year! But your winners, with 9 votes & 22% of the final total, were late 2000s classic metal quartet Late & Loud, who left a huge impression locally through their last show in April! Though the similar Hydra's Teeth are now carving their own name, many fans would love to see Jon back in town for a reunion, which is still a future possibility, so fingers crossed, and thanks again for all of the votes!

Now, what's in our new poll on the site? I wanted to explore a topic leading from a unique recent concert, that being the Big Loonie Bus Show in Echo Bay this past Saturday. Though the idea of driving down the highway to Echo Bay for a concert may be somewhat foreign to some local metalheads, it's not an isolated instance in the region, as the Sault Michigan area has a number of concert venues spread out across the Chippewa & Mackinac Counties (including in St. Ignace, Rudyard, Kinross, and many others.) Granted, most of the featured hard rock bands have a cover base, but the same spread for heavier shows on the Sault Ontario side isn't there. Hempfest hasn't focused as highly on local bands in recent years, F.A.T.I.L.'s out of town gigs ended when they did, Tym Morrison's brief St. Joseph Island engagement has dried up, and CASS Cafe events are intended for a student audience. With Sault Ontario being much bigger than Sault Michigan, a wide spread to concert venues isn't as necessary, but the Big Loonie Bus Show did spark more of an interest in taking a drive down the highway and past city limits for a concert (party bus or not.)

I know Oh! Right Arm! Promotions do want to put on more shows at La Cucina in Echo Bay, and myself, I think the variety would be handy for both Central Algoma residents and people who want to shake up their concert routines, but in the wake of The Big Loonie Bus Show, is there more demand for the idea? That's why I'm posing this question to you guys this month: Do you want to see more metal/hard rock concerts in nearby communities outside of Sault Ontario? I've picked six choices to vote on this month, so read on below for more info on each!

Yes, it's a great idea!: Simple enough choice, as I know we have readers in areas like Garden River, Bruce Mines, Laird, St. Joseph Island, and the like. Maybe you commute a lot or like driving on the highway, or just crave some variety and new venues for your concerts, but if you think we definitely need more metal & hard rock shows in Central Algoma (or anywhere on the outskirts of the Soo), vote here!

Depends on the bands: Regardless of location, everyone has their own tastes in music, so I'm sure the idea of a drive outside of town would be bolstered if bands you actually knew and liked were playing at a given regional venue. Would your hypothetical likelihood of attending regional out of town gigs depend on the bands, or are you up for anything?

Depends on the location/distance: I've combined these, as venue options will be more limited in smaller townships, so it's harder to be choosy unless you don't want to be on the road forever. Some people would probably much prefer going to a closer concert to save time or gas, or maybe you do have a preferred venue in mind. It's all subjective, but vote here if your attendance would depend on the location!

Depends on the promotion: It's one thing to put on a show outside of town, but how is it being presented to Sault Ontario residents? What pull is there to get you there? Why should a Saultite drive down the highway for a given concert? Who's putting it on, and do said fans tend to give a good attendance to their shows? New things and options can take a bit to grow on people, so would the promotion of it help?

No, I don't think many of them will be successful: Do you fail to see how an increase of concerts in Algoma District townships would generally do well and help the scene in the long term? Given the distance and unfamiliarity, I do imagine that if a full push was made into regional communities would have some growing pains, but if you don't think it'll ever be worth it, vote here!

No, I don't want to/can't leave the city for concerts: There are some people who are more comfortable within city limits, or logistically/realistically can't leave town easily for any shows, so given that, would not be invested in the idea of more concerts a town over. If there's no way you can leave the Soo (or be convinced to leave) for a metal concert, even just an hour away, this is your choice!

VOTE TODAY!! You guys have until November 18th to cast your votes, and I'm definitely curious to see what people say on this topic, so speak up before it's too late, and stay tuned for a big news post (coincidentally featuring videos from The Big Loonie Bus Show) later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Nudge) & Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's now time to preview the weekend's slate of regional metal/hard rock concerts, and before anyone asks, our preview of Sunday night's Haggith show at The New A will likely be in our next news post, as I don't want to make this post too long. For now, here's what you should know for concerts tomorrow & Saturday night on both sides of the border, including a few notable out of town bands, and some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

After 7 months away from the region, Marquette hard rock quartet Nudge will finally return to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced on their Facebook page on Monday, and I held them until now to avoid a redundant double post in a few days time. Last seen locally in April, these shows will be business as usual despite the wait, with the full Nudge show rocking The Frog all weekend, as preceded by the return of frontman Danzo McCracken's acoustic solo sets there yesterday and tonight, so keep that in mind for a softer and more intimate experience! Nudge's entertaining modern hard rock show is great to have back in the Soo this weekend, and it has definitely been too long, so keep it in mind for your weekend plans! There's no announced admission price, a 9:00 PM start time is likely, and you must be 21 to attend. Check the above links for more details, hopefully we're not waiting another 7 months for the next Nudge shows, and for a preview, here's Nudge covering Drowning Pool's "Bodies" in Skanee!



We'll shift to Sault Ontario for the Friday-only hard rock shows this weekend next, starting with Saskatoon/Vancouver hard rock quartet One Bad Son, who will hit The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT as openers for Toronto rock supergroup Crash Karma, who are making their second local appearance! As you may remember, Crash Karma (featuring Our Lady Peace, Tea Party, I Mother Earth, and Zygote alumni) played the Soo three years ago at The Canadian Nightclub, and given their experience, talent, and past successes in older bands, you know they'll impress once again! However, like their 2010 show with Desperate Union, Crash Karma have a heavier opening band this time, as One Bad Son have a solid southern rock-tinged sound that brings some fun aggression and excitement to the stage, so don't show up late to miss them! Tickets are $12 in advance at The Rockstar Bar/Algonquin Hotel or at The Rad Zone, while they'll be $16 at the door. This event is 19+, and doors will open at 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

It's great to have Crash Karma back, as you know they'll be familiar and very talented, but if you want something a little heavier, be at The Rockstar Bar early for One Bad Son tomorrow night, and hopefully this show's a huge hit! For a preview, here's a full One Bad Son set from March of this year!

Also TOMORROW NIGHT, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will apparently continue his successful run of regular dates at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill on Trunk Road with yet another solo acoustic gig! I will note that while Tym confirmed this show with me in a Facebook conversation earlier this month, a Facebook event page or public acknowledgement from him on the show has yet to be made, so there is a possibility it's not happening. If I hear that Tym's not playing at The Roadhouse this week, I'll try and update this post! If he is, prepare for an entertaining evening of hard rock and metal covers in an unplugged setting, and you know Tym has the talent and experience to keep things interesting, so keep it in mind for tomorrow! Admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and there will be a start time of around 10:00 PM if the show is indeed on. Head to The Roadhouse tomorrow night if all is still official for some acoustic hard rock covers, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Extreme's "More Than Words" with special guest Luke LeBlanc a few years back!



Finally for the known local hard rock concerts this weekend, Charlevoix, Michigan classic metal trio Peril will make their long awaited return to the Eastern Upper Peninsula TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino! Last seen in the region in June (and in St. Ignace in February), this skilled veteran band will be making their last announced E.U.P. stops of 2013 this weekend, barring any December announcements. With frontman Jeff Hudson's more recently active bands Audio Circus and Scarkazm not regulars for area concerts, it's always nice to have Peril's cover attack back, so if you're not seeing Nudge at The Frog, you have options! There's no announced cover charge at The Northern Pines Lounge this weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and a 9:00 PM-ish start time is likely. For more details, check the above links! Peril should rock as usual this weekend, so don't miss out, and for a preview, here's a new video find of Peril covering Theory of a Deadman, Poison, Deep Purple, and Linkin Park in Vanderbilt last year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for last month's poll results & this month's new poll on the SMS TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

A New Battle Of The Bands, Plus New Videos!!

Before we begin profiling the weekend's metal/hard rock shows in the area, we have some big news to tackle today, including new song uploads, new live clips from a recent band debut, and leading off, the return of a popular local concert format, so read on below for what you should know!

Sault Ontario is getting another battle of the bands next month, with the winner getting a guaranteed opening slot for Bam Margera's Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th! A firm date has yet to be pinned down (likely during the first two weeks of November), but the battle will also take place at The Canadian, likely making it the first hard rock concert to happen there since last month's flooding. Fittingly named "Viva La Battle", it will be held in a similar format to last June's Battle for the Blood (also promoted by J.D. Pearce), where Winkstinger defeated the now-inactive For All That Is Lost, Changing Waves, and Valentine's Day Massacre to earn the right to open for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie last July. Also like last year, a fan vote (with paper ballots obtained at the door) will determine the winner rather than a judges panel, and there are no announced prizes for runner-up bands. Details for admission and such will likely come when the show gets a firm date, but applications for competing bands are now open, so just comment on the Facebook event page's wall if you want to join the battle!

Three bands are now confirmed for Viva La Battle, and they include two of the finalists from April's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, including winners The Suicide Kings and fellow competitors The Bear Hunters! For The Suicide Kings, this will be their first announced show since August, while The Bear Hunters will be playing their first battle as a quartet after rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney's move out of town. Will The Suicide Kings defend their battle crown next month? Can The Bear Hunters continue their steady battle improvement sans Josh, and can Mitch Sirie deftly handle his roles in both bands again on the same night? We'll find out next month! The other confirmed band is North West, a new band from local solo musician Greg Callaghan. I know absolutely nothing else on them as of this writing (no known online pages yet either), but Greg has battle experience as a bassist in Terminal, including a run at the Skid Row Battle in 2009, so at least this won't be uncharted waters for him. If I hear more on North West, I'll let you guys know! Note that Destroilet & Jack Spades won't be competing, as they've already been named as openers for the concert.

At least one more band is being sought (Redundant frontman Justin Langlois had shown interest), but I don't know what the cutoff is for the amount of bands, how long setlists will be, or if any out-of-competition bands will be playing next month (for reference, last year saw 4 bands play for 30 minutes each, with T-Rex Manning playing separately.) There's a lot of details to fill in (not to mention, a final date), but battles of the bands are always a fun time, so stay tuned for continued updates, and if you're in a band that wants to open for Bam Margera, APPLY AT THE ABOVE LINKS!

We'll close this post with new YouTube uploads, starting with new footage of local classic/power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth debut show at The Algonquin Pub from last month! Uploaded to frontman Brendan Christie's YouTube channel yesterday, these are of the guys playing their original songs "Live By The Axe" and (as embedded below) "In The Dead Of Night", as filmed by a concert attendee. The angle's slanted, but it's nice and close to the action, and it catches this promising newer band on some solid quality original songs (I'm told they're working on a lot more), though Brendan's vocals do come through very quietly on both clips. Very solid videos overall, and a nice sampler for until they play their next concert, so check out "In The Dead Of Night" below, and more at the above links!



Finally, here's notes on a couple of newer uploads from local goregrind/death metal label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel! One is apparently the last song from the now-defunct Tomgrindy, but I won't embed it or directly link to it here because it's a "diss track" relating to a band member and his apparent reasons for not being involved with the project anymore. I don't want to bring more attention to any issues than what is already online, out of respect to both sides, but if you want to seek it out, that's your call (musically, it's mostly spoken word over backing music & effects, with little grind.) Embedded below though is one of Crucify The Whore's songs from their "Grindshed" split demo with Tomgrindy, though I've embedded just the audio (and won't post the title) due to potentially offensive content. Even still, it's just 17 seconds long, and it mostly comprises of guitar riffing, programmed drums, and assorted vocal effects, so while it has some variance, it's too short to amount to a lot. Check out that song below, and hear more above!



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

New Song Uploads & Much More Recent Updates!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend! Today at the SMS, we're mostly tackling some smaller news stories, especially as a few big concerts are still awaiting either a venue confirmation, a public announcement that they're indeed happening, or this weekend's concert preview posts, as at least two were announced too late to warrant posting twice in a stretch of a few days. Along with some feature profile updates and more notes, we'll start with some new song uploads, so read on below to get caught up!

First, we have a surprise new live recording upload from defunct local metal band Faithless Sin! Bassist Ryan Gratton (now of Chronic Demonic) uploaded this to his YouTube channel yesterday, and it features their 2006 lineup covering "Die By The Sword" & "Black Magic" from Slayer's first album "Show No Mercy". According to his personal Facebook post on this upload, the lineup present here includes Ryan alongside Winkstinger's Jason Bourcier on vocals, guitarists Joe Falco & Frank La Tassa, and drummer Mark Parent. Ryan did apologize for the recording quality, but it's not unlistenable, just a little rough sounding, especially in terms of vocal clarity. The guys have these songs well in hand, and it's a nice sampling of the sound that Jason & Mark brought to Faithless Sin's late 2000s successors Time of Ruin! Check out Faithless Sin's Slayer combo below, and stay tuned for updates on the members' current & next music projects!



Next up, here's a new song from local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore! Expected to be on their forthcoming full length demo early next year, this song is called "People These Days", and it was uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Sunday. Compared to many of their earlier songs, the instrumentation sounds fuller and more complete (I like the guitar work), but it's fairly muffled in contrast to Ringsnaps Gibson's pig squeal vocals, which are still going to polarize listeners who aren't existing fans of the style. I like the musical expansion though! Check out "People These Days" below, and stay tuned for more from the label soon!



Also today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or store name:

• Local sludge/stoner metal trio AlgomA are looking for someone who can film and record their concerts for 62nd Chamber Productions film projects, as per 62nd Chamber's Facebook page yesterday. Experience with video camera & audio recording equipment is a plus, and for now at least, the position is a volunteer role. If you're interested in helping out, message singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus at boydrendell@gmail.com!
• Spring Street music/lessons shop Colosimo's Music Store has apparently already closed. A statement hasn't been made, but their Facebook page & website are both down, and there has been no employee posts on their surviving Facebook groups since May, so I take it they quietly closed local operations this summer. It's disappointing that they couldn't succeed longer here, but with 4 established Sault Ontario music stores to compete with, they were already in a crowded market. I've moved Colosimo's to our "Other Sault Ontario Links", and best of luck to all of the former staff!
• Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night have posted two new instrumental demos onto their Reverbnation page, presumably towards their next albums, including a new version of "A Wintery Mix" and a brand new track named "Nosferatu's Dream". Very solid for both, dark and orchestral in tone (though "A Wintery Mix" is heavier), so give it all a look at the above links!

Finally for today, here's some updates to some of our monthly feature posts! Starting in our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, I added a link to the Fresh Magazine interview with Downtown Showdown winners Bring The Fallen in our profile of that battle, as the interview was a prize for their victory, while I replaced the recently inactive Daybreak Johnnies with the newer band The Hydra's Teeth (who also have Late & Loud members) when noting the later bands of performers at the Humane Society Battle of the Bands in our profile of it. Finally, I edited notes on the Battle for the Blood profile to note that the scoring for that battle was done by a paper voting ballot, not by crowd reaction, as a battle under similar rules and promotion is in the works (and we'll have more on that here when announced, so stay tuned!) Moving back to our YouTube Channel Profile Updates, I edited references on our profile of Stillbroke's YouTube channel to further emphasize their breakup last year (with Jesse & Sam moved out of town, it's more than a hiatus at this point) Lastly for now, I expanded the videos on all 2011 profiles & the remaining Sault Michigan profiles in this series. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and weekend concert previews this week, including last month's poll results & this month's new poll on Friday! Thanks everyone!

Chronic Demonic Updates, New Videos, And Much More!!

Before I head off to take care of Thanksgiving stuff and family dinner, let's touch on some leftover news on this Sunday morning! We have new song postings from a pair of regional solo projects, a bunch of other recent updates, and leading off, some news from a recently debuted local band's camp, so read on below for what you need to know!

Let's start with the latest updates from newer local metal/punk band Chronic Demonic, who are NOT breaking up! Over a month after their status was questioned on their Facebook page, a band member posted there on Wednesday to announce that "sometimes, you just can't keep a good beast down", while confirming that they had found both a new singer (to replace Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie) and a new drummer, which means that Rick "Styles" White has also left. A reason for Rick's departure was not announced, but I do wonder if the injuries from the incident at The Rosie last month are a contributing factor? I have no idea for certain, but hopefully the split was amicable, and best of luck to Rick in the future! An announcement of the new members (joining Frightlight guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe and Faithless Sin alum Ryan Gratton) isn't being given away yet, as they said "where's the fun in that?", but all will apparently be revealed soon. I'm curious to see what Chronic Demonic have in store, especially after recent non-activity and the lineup changes, but stay tuned for updates when they roll in!

Next up, here's the newest video from Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock musician Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, and it's of his new song "The Scorpion King"! Posted on his YouTube channel last week, this is set to footage of the 2002 Dwayne Johnson movie of the same name,  it is an instrumental (at least in this form), and it will be included on SweetKenny's next album "Cracks in the Wall", which is still slated for a Halloween release. Slower overall, it has a good hard rock influence with some blues flourishes, though I will admit it doesn't seem to fit the Egyptian setting of the movie. Check out SweetKenny's new song below, and stay tuned for more on the CD release!



Also today, here's a new song from Sault Ontario grindcore solo project Brutaly Fatal! A cover of The Beatles' "Come Together", it's the only Brutaly Fatal song on their recent split demo with Malignant Neoplasm and Rotopsy (why not include more songs if it's supposed to be "split" between the three acts?) Uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Thursday, this maintains Austin McRae's usual "growl & bass only" work, albeit cutting the original song down to 95 seconds in length. If you love death metal & the original song, you might find value in this cover, but it could stand to be longer and more fleshed out. Check out Brutaly Fatal's Beatles cover below!



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

• Suicide Kings frontman Mike Gaetano is looking for artists who can donate their time for an upcoming benefit event for his girlfriend Amy Ellis, who is currently battling cancer. The event will take place at The Canadian Nightclub on Saturday, November 23rd, and tickets will be $25, with live entertainment and a pasta dinner both planned. If you're interested in playing the event, message co-organizer Stephanie Lynn-Poitras at this link, and get more details at the Facebook event page. Hopefully this event's a huge help, stay tuned for updates, and our best wishes go out to Amy, Mike, & her family!
• I've moved local hard rock musician Shane "The Shaner" Solomon's solo project to our inactive band links, as I don't believe he's posted any new material on his Reverbnation page since last fall (though this isn't easy to 100% verify, as Reverbnation doesn't allow you to see the date of song postings.) Shane has guitar talent, so hopefully we'll hear more from his solo work sooner or later!
• Following in singer/guitarist Josh Penno's lead, it looks like his Shit Liver bandmates Mike Kyle & Matt Baic have moved (or soon will be moving) to Southern Ontario, according to personal Facebook posts, with the band beginning work in the Toronto scene afterwards. I hope that this works out for them, but I have seen local bands relocate south and do less as a unit after the fact, so be careful. Stay tuned for updates!

That's likely all until Tuesday, but have a great Thanksgiving weekend, and don't get too stuffed with turkey! Thanks everyone!