LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Nudge), Weekend Concert Previews, And The Return Of No Arrow?

It's that time once again, where I have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for you guys! And not just one show, but SIX! Here's what you need to know!

Michigan hard rockers Nudge are back in Sault Michigan for six shows in the coming months at The Satisfied Frog! Now, you know how most bands book double dates on weekends for bar shows? Well, Nudge appear to be doing one better: They're booking THREE shows on two separate weekends! The Thursdays of those two weekends will see Nudge playing a special acoustic set, which should be interesting, followed by normal concerts on the Friday and Saturday! So look out for Nudge on August 20-22 and September 24-26! Though there's no audio on their MySpace page at present, you can check out all kinds of band info and such at this location! And as you're expect, these shows are now in the concert listings on the right of the page!

Now, their August shows do conflict with already scheduled concerts at The Frog that weekend featuring Graveyard Tan, but I don't know if one band has cancelled, or if both are playing. I'll leave both in the listings for now, but if I hear something, I'll let you guys know! Alright, now July's winding down, but there's still some metal concerts to get in before August, so let's get right to that! Here are your local concert previews for this weekend!

Firstly, Michigan hard rock band Peril are back at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino tomorrow night and Saturday night! Both shows will take place at 9:00 PM! These are their first shows here in almost two months, and it's nice to see them back in the Sault area! They're a really good band, with a definite old-school 80s sound, and if you get a chance, you should go see them this weekend! But if you miss them, don't worry, they're back at Kewadin in September! To check out some of their original songs, head to their official MySpace page!

Meanwhile, locals Nixxon Dixxon are back for two shows tomorrow & Saturday night at The Satisfied Frog! They will take the stage at 10:00 PM both nights! They should put on a great show, cause for musicians as young as they are, they're loaded with talent! But if you miss them this weekend, no matter, they'll be at Kewadin Casino in August! I found another video of Nixxon Dixxon to show you guys as a preview! This features the band covering the Warrant classic "Cherry Pie" from the 2007 Sugar Island Fest, so check it out!



And as usual, if you guys go to see any metal bands playing this weekend, or if I find anything interesting from them afterwards, you'll find it here! Now finally, to close today's post, it looks as though an inactive local hard rock band may be making a comeback! Do you guys remember No Arrow? They were a local grunge band who you may remember from many Sault-area concerts in the mid-2000s, with plans to release an original CD entitled "Souls For Sale"! In 2008, they seemed to drop off the map entirely. But now, if a newly uploaded YouTube video is any indication, No Arrow may be returning, with a CD release show to boot!

A video has been posted online featuring No Arrow playing their song "One On The Line" from a jam session at some point this year, with the description saying this is "for their upcoming CD release show this summer". This clip features the band's classic lineup, including frontman Dann Pichette, bassist Harley Syrette (from Quite Frankly), & drummer Joe Falco (ex-Faithless Sin), and they sound as good as I remember! Now, there's no actual details online yet beyond this about their return, and their MySpace page hasn't been recently updated, but believe me, if I hear anything, you'll hear it here! For now, check out the video I just mentioned!



That's all for today, if I don't have any news or updates tomorrow, I'll see you guys on Sunday (remember, I won't be in town on Saturday.) Stay tuned, and thanks for the continued support!

A New Local Band, And A Gates Of Winter Clarification, Plus More Updates!!!

How's everyone doing? Remember, I reviewed Gates of Winter's first EP on the SMS yesterday, so check that out immediately below this post! Now it's time for some assorted local metal news, and we'll start today with a brand new local band!

The new band I have found are from Sault Michigan, and are called Analog Deficiency! I thank the guys in the band for adding the SMS on MySpace, cause I wouldn't have known about them otherwise! Their MySpace page was launched yesterday, and they already have four original songs posted! If I had to compare them to any bands, I'd have to say KoRn, they really seem to draw from them as an influence! Three of the songs are just instrumentals, but "Embrace The Fear" does feature singing, FYI.

They're a young band too, though I do recognize guitarist Nathan Switzer from defunct local bands Medicate & The Roadhouse Rebels, and for being the son of Jager frontman Henry Switzer! The songs posted so far are pretty good, very catchy, and it's a style you don't hear much locally, so they're definitely worth checking out! To check out Analog Deficiency, visit this location! I have also added Analog Deficiency to the Local Metal Band Links on your right, and deleted Medicate, cause coincidentally, their page was deleted too!

Ok, now I just gotta mention this before you guys start getting too excited...According to the Hot Spots section of the current edition of Sault This Week, Gates of Winter are scheduled to play at Madison's Pub this Friday and Saturday. This is definitely in today's paper, on Page 22. Well, I talked to a few people, and these shows are NOT going on. There was talk about them happening months ago, but they were eventually cancelled, and for some reason, Madison's never updated it to reflect that the shows weren't taking place. Apparently, the shows were to have featured original drummer James Chiverelli too, if they were to have happened. But, they're not happening, so don't get your hopes up! Gates of Winter are NOT BACK TOGETHER, and they are NOT PLAYING THIS WEEKEND!

Alright, onto news that I know is happening! Sault Michigan hard rockers Bad Side will be doing an exclusive interview with KLT: The Rock Station out of Traverse City on Sunday night! The interview will take place at 9:00 PM, and if you have a strong enough radio, you can pick it up at either 97.5 or 98.9 on your FM dials! If not, you can listen online at KLT's official website! This interview will be in advance of their shows next weekend in St. Ignace, followed by a local return for concerts in September! This should be a good interview, I'll try and remember to listen on Sunday! Check out some of Bad Side's fantastic original songs on their official MySpace page!

And finally, Woods of Ypres have posted even more photos from their latest photo shoot on their official MySpace page! Fitting with their lyrical themes and Canadian roots, the pictures are all in what appears to be a forest in the Sault area! Nice shots of the band, and I can't wait to see the new lineup in action on August 16th at The Speakeasy! Speaking of that show, SooToday has posted their own event page for it, which curiously enough, includes an outdated photo that still includes ex-members Lee, Brian, and Steve from Gates of Winter! Remember, go see Woods of Ypres August 16th, with The Womb and Inflict, tickets are $10 in advance, and $15 at the door!

That's all for now, expect previews for this weekend's Nixxon Dixxon and Peril shows tomorrow night! Also, I doubt I'll have anything to post Saturday, as I will be in St. Joseph Island all day for my dad's wedding. Just a little heads up! And finally, thanks to Michigan photographer Kimberly McVey for becoming our second follower! Thanks for the support, and I'll see you guys tomorrow!

Gates of Winter EP Review!!!

As promised, it's now time for our newest local metal CD review! And what better way to kick things off than with the debut EP from Gates of Winter? Released on February 25, 2005, this EP featured 5 early studio tracks, and was completely recorded and packaged in under 24 hours at frontman Lee Maines' house. Just 300 copies were produced, but torrents of the album are floating around online, so here's a link if you're interested! This EP features Gates of Winter's original lineup, including Lee Maines on vocals and rhythm guitar, Bryan Belleau on lead guitar, bassist Steve Furgiuele, and then-keyboardist Brian Holmes, with ex-drummer James Chiverelli credited for the drum arrangements. I got my hands on the EP from a torrent download, but rest assured, if I knew where to buy a copy, I would! If you wanted a physical copy, I'd recommend contacting band members directly. If nothing else, you can check out all five songs from the album through YouTube by clicking on each song's name as you read the review! (Updated on September 28th, 2012)

Now remember, I am not a professional reviewer, I'm just giving my own personal thoughts and opinions. I am a fan first and foremost. If there are missing details, terminology, or anything like that, my apologies! Also, the drums on the EP were programmed, James Chiverelli didn't actually drum on this EP. The programming is well done and everything, but I won't comment on the drumming much otherwise.

The first song is "Cold Embrace", and it starts with a slow drum and keyboard intro, followed by the band kicking in! Honestly, it seems a bit lighter than I'd like it to sound. I think it's the keyboard mix, Brian Holmes's playing seems louder than the rest of the instruments. Other than that, it's very solid, everyone's playing real well. After a slow guitar interlude, Brian Holmes kicks in with a pretty good keyboard solo, and the song ends well, on the same heaviness level from earlier in the song. Overall, a good opener, but it just didn't seem as heavy as it could have. As well, Lee Maines' vocals are also clearly not as developed as we'd see on "Lux Aeterna", but he made the most of his singing abilities he had then.

Next is "Far Gone", which begins with a real nice guitar intro, which really sets a nice mood for the song. Then when the song kicks into high gear, it's really good! Unlike on "Cold Embrace", it really feels heavy and in your face! Lee's singing here shows more range, but it sounds a bit like he's straining his voice in parts. The guitar work is awesome on this song, lots of catchy riffing. Though Brian's keyboard work sounds good here, it sounds a touch out of place in parts. The guitar and keyboard solos are excellent, showing off Bryan and Brian's abilities really well! The ending is really catchy too, very easy to headbang with! Though this song is much better to me than "Cold Embrace", it still feels like it's missing "something", I'm just not sure what.

After that, we get "Hidden Enemy", starting with a really fast drum intro (I'd love to hear that live again), followed by possibly the heaviest part of the EP, very epic and very cool! We also hear Lee break out the death growling on this song, which doesn't sound too bad, but I'd have switched the growling and the clean singing in the song to match the different points of aggressiveness better. Midway through, there's another softer interlude with some really nice guitar playing, but then the heaviness kicks in once again! Lee's growling returns, and some epic, almost orchestral heaviness is present! This is by far my favourite song on the EP so far, and the best indication of the sound Gates would take on their later releases!

The fourth song is "Euphoria", which is the slowest, softest, and shortest song on the EP. It's a nice song if you're into ballads and softer stuff, and every band member puts in their best work, but I crave heavier and faster stuff. Plus, the song's not long enough, I'd have loved to have heard it with some more time to flesh out everything. It's a great song to mellow out to, but I personally prefer something with more "metal" to it. The EP closes with "Frozen Tears In Moonlight Rain", which is another quality song! A bit slower than some of the first few tracks, and not quite as heavy as "Hidden Enemy", but still good. This is probably where I think bassist Steve Furgiuele stands out the most, he puts in some great stuff on this song! I like this song too, it has some nice work all around!

Overall, I enjoyed this EP, but when you compare it (both musically and production-wise) to their 2008 album, "Lux Aeterna", there is no contest: "Lux Aeterna" is their finest work. The band had a lot of room for improvement between 2005 and 2008, and improve they did. But remember, I'm going by their abilities then, not comparing them, and I like this EP regardless. You could complain about the production and the programmed drums, but they were great musicians then, and only got better from there on out. I recommend downloading the EP, if only to check out some of their classic songs you don't hear live anymore, and get a taste of Gates from way back when! I would have loved to have heard these songs live with more recent band lineups, or maybe see them re-recorded in-studio. But this will do for now, and it's a cool window to back when they were just making a name for themselves!

So there's my review, remember, I'm not a professional at this, and I will try and get better! As for my next review, it will be at some point next month, and it will be of.......Sykotyk Rampage's new album, entitled "Album 22"! Stay tuned for news on that, and any new local metal news and updates as I hear them! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lion Ride), Plus Lots Of Assorted News Items!

I'm back from Manitoulin Island, and I've got a bunch of stuff to report for you guys now that I'm back! And what better way to kick things off than with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT?!

Sault natives Lion Ride have officially announced via their official MySpace page that they will be among the performers at this year's eleventh installment of The Northern Ontario Hempfest! According to their MySpace, they will take the stage on August 29th at 8:00 PM! However, the official performers lineup has yet to be announced on Hempfest's official website, so I'll be on the lookout for official announcements there, and if I hear of anything interesting, I'll let everyone know!

Remember, this will be the last Hempfest, due to increasing costs and stricter R.I.D.E. program enforcement, so if you wanna rock out with some good music and support marijuana use and legalization, this is your last chance! If you want tickets, they will be $40 in advance for all four days of the event! If you're showing up at the gate, tickets are $50 for four days, $40 for three, and $30 for two. It is obviously 19+, and for tickets, call 1-888-215-8970, or go to Planetary Pride's official website! Stay tuned to Hempfest's official website as well for full festival details and updates!

While we're on the topic of Lion Ride, they will also return to London, Ontario on September 15th for a show at Call The Office with Ohio punk band The Luxury Pushers and Kitchener rock and roll band The Saigon Hookers! Here's hoping this show, and Hempfest, will both go well for Lion Ride, cause they're definitely talented and deserve the exposure they're getting!

Next up, some updates from Woods of Ypres! The photo to your right is from their latest photo shoot, featuring the band's current lineup, including frontman David Gold, Gates of Winter's own Bryan Belleau on guitar, drummer Evan Madden, and new bassist Shane Madden! Looks good so far, I wonder how everything will sound on the new album? We'll have to wait for that, but in the meantime, there's new Woods of Ypres shirts for sale! On the front, they have the band's logo, and on the back, it also says "FUCK THE SUN!!" Now I gotta say, I agree with that statement entirely!

These shirts are available in all sizes from S to 2XL, in black or "daisy yellow", and there's a limited number available, so buy NOW!! If you want a Woods of Ypres "FUCK THE SUN!!" t-shirt, send a PayPal order to woodsofypres@hotmail.com, or by snail mail to:

David Gold / FTS
44 Poplar Ave
Sault Ste. Marie, ON
P6B 2W7 CANADA

Remember to specify desired size and color in your order! I'm thinking about getting a black shirt, but we'll have to see!

Now, I've got some updates from local hard rock veterans, Sykotyk Rampage! They have now completed two weeks of recording for their upcoming twenty-second album, now titled "Album 22"! This record will feature 16 brand new songs, as well as 6 new recordings of fan favourite tracks! Guitarist Dirk Becker was kind enough to send me one of the songs from the album, entitled "Lit'le Crocochild"! It sounds like classic Syktoyk Rampage, with a rock-a-billy flair to it! I won't give lots of thoughts to it...yet, I'll wait for the album's release, when I'll give it a proper review! To check out Sykotyk Rampage's older material, and find out more about the band, head to their official SoundClick page!

Alright, here's something you guys may find interesting! Michigan author R.A. Reikki has published a novel entitled "U.P." about four disenfranchised young metalheads in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie is mentioned often in the novel! R.A. e-mailed me about the book, and told me some details about it and the reception it's gotten so far, including the recommendation of Foreigner & ex-Dio bassist Jeff Pilson! It's apparently the top selling fiction novel on Ghost Road Press' official website, and you can buy your own copy for $20 at this location, or on Amazon! This sounds like a very good read, and I'll definitely consider picking up a copy! But if you guys are readers and wanna check out a book with a local metal twist, this might be a good pickup! For more information on R.A. Reikki, visit this location!

And finally, the official Facebook page for local hard rock band Fingerbone (now known as Half Past) has been deleted from Facebook. Not a big loss, especially with a new identity and page, but in case you were wondering, that's why it's not there anymore! That's all I have for today, keep watch for more local metal news and updates as they roll in.

Oh, and one more thing. Gates of Winter's debut EP. Review. TOMORROW!

Weekend Concert Previews, A STUPID Mistake, And Renovations At The Canadian!

Short post to cap the week with, as I will be mostly away from a computer this weekend, due to a family excursion to Manitoulin Island. Before I get to local concert previews for this weekend, it's time for me to admit a stupid mistake. I had initially reported that Clownsack would be playing at King of the Cage: Disputed at Kewadin Casino on July 11th. Well, that date was changed and pushed up two weeks to July 25th, THIS SATURDAY! Somehow, I completely bypassed that, and gave you guys a preview for it 14 days earlier than I normally would.

Now, I know it's not a huge blunder, after all, I did tell you guys about the show, but I just feel stupid not knowing they moved it up a couple weeks. I'm really sorry, and I hope to make sure I have all dates correct for next time! Rather than re-preview the show, I'll link you guys to the original post, which I've edited to reflect my negligence. So click here for a preview of Clownsack at King of the Cage: Disputed! And if you're there, feel free to let us know how it was!

NOW, we'll get to previewing the rest of the shows this weekend! Fellow locals Jager are back on the concert scene for a pair of shows this weekend at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino. They will take the stage at 9:00 PM tomorrow and Saturday night! It's nice to see Jager back, it's been two months since their last scheduled local show! Here's hoping they put on some great performances this weekend, and you can check out some of their originals for proof at this location! For a video preview, here's a live clip of Jager covering the Finger Eleven song "Paralyzer"!



And finally, on Saturday night, young local hard rock band Free Refill will be performing at this year's Superior Whitefish Festival in Bay Mills! Their official MySpace page indicates that they will be playing at 8:00 PM! The website for the festival is badly in need of updating, as it doesn't even list the performer schedule, but who knows. Hopefully this performance goes well, as Free Refill do have a lot of promise! No songs to share on their MySpace page, but for a preview, check out this live clip of Free Refill covering the Black Sabbath classic "Paranoid"!



If any of you guys are seeing Clownsack, Jager, or Free Refill this weekend, let us know! Now, here's some potentially interesting news! The Canadian, the local bar at The Knights Inn that most recently hosted Aftersight's return show, is undergoing some huge renovations! If you can't tell from the picture, that's where the stage was. As you can tell, this isn't just a new paint job, it looks like they're modifying the interior top to bottom! Now, I gotta say, I liked how it looked before, but they must have some good ideas in mind for how they want The Canadian to look, so I'm anxious to see how it comes along! I've seen a lot of good shows there, including Sandman, Helix, the Rock 2 Roll fundraiser, & Garden of Bedlam's CD release show, and hopefully there will be many more to come! To check out 20 photos of the interior renovations so far, visit this location to see what's being done! Thanks to Jay Perron for posting the pics!

That's all I've got for today. I may not have any new updates or posts until Sunday, but if I hear anything Earth-shattering or cool to report, I can try and squeeze something in during the weekend! Stay tuned everyone, and I'll see you guys by Sunday!

P.S. At some point next week, expect my review of Gates of Winter's debut EP, as we begin regular monthly CD reviews at the SMS! I won't say what day, but it's coming!

Concert Previews For Today, Woods Of Ypres Updates, And More!

Hey guys, got a couple updates for you all today! First off, we'll start with local concert previews, cause there were two scheduled for today. But, I just wanna say that I'm not gonna call the Breaking The Fourth Wall concert scheduled for tonight as a show that's still on. The only proof I have of it is from BTFW and Constructed Apocalypse's MySpace concert listings. There's no Facebook event pages, no posters, no advertisements, or announced admission prices. I've heard no buzz from people about it, and I can't imagine it having only three bands (I Am The Vine were apparently scheduled too), and overall, there just isn't enough clear info for me to definitively preview this show for you guys.

Shame too, cause all the bands are very talented. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe there just isn't a lot of info out there. If the show actually is on and actually is happening, let me know!!!!! I hate making mistakes, so if I'm wrong, please don't hesitate to tell me!

But, there is another show today in the Sault area! Mr. Denton on Doomsday, an experimental metal band from Lansing, are scheduled to play at a birthday party tonight at Kaines Rink! FYI, that's the hockey rink and event center on East Easterday Avenue, in case you wondering about where that is. Now, seeing as this is a birthday party, I don't know how available this is to the general public, but I figured I'd mention it just in case. It will take place at 8:00 PM tonight! Please, if you're thinking about going, see if it's available to the public first, we don't need party crashing.

But hey, here's a video to show you guys, just in case! Mr. Denton on Doomsday aren't a bad band, they have some pretty inventive songs and a good sound! Check out this video of them performing their original song "Warsaw"!



Now, here's some big updates for a major show next month! Lots more details have been announced for the upcoming Woods of Ypres concert at The Speakeasy on August 16th! First of all, a new band has been added to the lineup, and it's Inflict, the extreme metal band from North Bay who you may remember from shows last year at The Lock City Grand Theater! They join Toronto's own The Womb on a lineup that will surely get the metal pumping through your veins!

Ticket prices have also been a bit amended. While $10 is still the advance price, tickets will be $15 if you get them at the door. Crank Sound Distribution will be providing sound for this show, doors open at 7:00, and Woods of Ypres take the stage at around 10:00! And yes, this show is ALL AGES! We haven't seen any of these bands since last year, so this (in my humble opinion) is a must-see concert! I highly recommend you guys make it out to this show, cause I sure as hell plan on going! Stay tuned for updates as I hear them! And for all news, and to confirm your attendance, visit the official Facebook event page for this show!

Next up, an update from your favourite local online radio station, Energy Rock Radio! DJ Ryeman hit me up with news that the final website has been launched, which you can check out at http://www.energyrockradio.com! Everything's up and running, so head there to listen to some quality online radio! Call in on Skype with your requests too, cause the next ten people who call in will get entered into a draw for free swag! They're also looking for members for an ERR street team as well as new DJs. Anyone out there interested? Hit them a line at their official website! Lots of metal to go around on ERR, so why not check it out, it's a great, well done station, and who knows, you might win something!

And finally, Stillbroke guitarist Sam DeDominicis has posted two possible concepts for the cover art of their upcoming EP "Never Enough" There's the one pictured, and a second cover which has a more weather-beaten border. What say you guys? If I hear any more updates on the EP, you'll find it all here! That's all for today, stay tuned to The Sault Metal Scene for more local metal news and updates!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Old Roger), Plus New Local Bands, Videos, And More!!!

Finally, we've got some news to share! It's been a few days since the last real "news" post, and I got some good stuff today, beginning with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!! Vancouver-based punk metal band Old Roger will make their way to Sault Ontario on August 26th for a show at Coch's Corner! According to their official MySpace page, the show will take place at 8:00 that night! Chances are there's no cover either. Sounds like it might be a good show, Old Roger don't sound too bad! Though it might be easy to pass them off as punk, they do have some metal riffs and solos, and they're definitely metal enough to mention on the SMS! So stay tuned for news on that show as I hear it, and go if you get a chance!! Check out some of their original songs on MySpace! Next up, we have TWO new local bands to add to the Local Metal Band Links! And first up, it appears that the old As It Stands lineup (minus frontman Justin Pregent) are back with a brand new band, known as Out Of The Mouth Of Babes! It appears the singer of this new band is named "Josh", but I have to confirm more details. According to their official MySpace page, Out Of The Mouth Of Babes have done some recording at idioRECORDS, who've also worked with local pop punk band For July! Also, the band has posted a studio quality original song, entitled "Take A Walk With Me" on Myspace, and trust me, the song's more brutal than the title might suggest. It sounds pretty good for hardcore! Here's hoping for some shows and more exposure for these guys, they're talented enough, so let's see how big they can get! Check them out on MySpace, and join their official Facebook group too! Out Of The Mouth Of Babes' page is now in the Local Metal Band Links to your left! Next up, we've got some videos online from a recent local show! Jesse Souliere has uploaded three live clips of local metal band Necropolis onto Youtube from their show on Thursday with The Class War Kids at The Oddfellows Hall. Though the videos are only in black and white, the quality isn't too bad, with a great angle of the band and the crowd! Looks like their performance went real well, and here's hoping for many more! Clips are up of them performing their originals "Night Riders" and "Defiling Despondence", which you can check out at this location, but to show you guys a song you havent seen here, check out this video of Necropolis performing the song "Stand Before"! While we're on the topic of videos, local hard rockers Stillbroke have posted an "ad" for their upcoming EP "Never Enough" on Youtube! It features the band riding on top of their van, and it looks like they're having a bit of fun doing that! It also features band info and some plugs for stuff "coming soon"! Check it out at their official Youtube account, or, right here, cause I've embedded it right below! And when I hear more on the EP or upcoming shows, you'll know where to find it! And finally for today, three items about some upcoming shows, one which is out of town, one which was moved out of town, and one which apparently already happened:

• Sault Michigan's own Integrated System of Machines will be among a 32 band lineup at this year's Hogg Bash 5 in Bangor Township, Michigan, which is located in the southwestern corner of the state. It sounds like one hell of a party, including a pig roast, a camping environment, lots of music, and even professional wrestling! It may be too far, but you can get more details at this location! Hogg Bash 5 takes place September 4-6th!
• Remember when I mentioned that Georgia metal duo Jucifer were looking for a show here on August 2nd? Well, they got the booking....but it's in Timmins. So yeah, we ain't getting them. But hey, if you're in Timmins, you'll get some good metal, so go check them out! Don't worry though, lots of metal coming up for us Saultites this year!
• You may have noticed that I removed the Lorax/Callahan concert date that was scheduled for August. Well, according to their MySpace AND Facebook pages, the show was moved to July 18th...this past Saturday. Now, I don't mean to sound misinformed, but I can't for the life of me remember ANY officially announced details on the show being moved, or any news and feedback about it. Nothing that I've seen at least. Am I wrong, did Lorax and Callahan actually play at The Oddfellows on Saturday? Well, if they did, then I fucked up, and I will try my best to make sure it doesn't happen again!

So that's all I've got for today, remember to vote in this month's poll about your favourite metal shows in Sault Michigan so far this year! Stay tuned for news and updates as they roll in, and can anyone PLEASE help confirm whether the Breaking The Fourth Wall show scheduled for Wednesday night is actually on or not? And NOT just from their concert listings? ANYONE?!

SMS Poll Results, And This Month's New Poll!

It's that time of the month again, it's time for a new poll on The Sault Metal Scene! But before that, I wanna post the final results from this month's poll!

1. Ministry of Zen & Fingerbone at Coch's Corner, January 24th (8 votes)
2. Other (7 votes)
3. Cattle Decapitation at The Oddfellows Hall, April 12th (6 votes)
4. Today I Caught The Plague at The Oddfellows Hall, June 11th (5 votes)
5. YMCA Battle of the Bands at The Grand Theater, March 20th (4 votes)
6. Who Made Who at The Canadian, May 15th (2 votes)
7. Blessed By A Broken Heart at Oddfellows Hall, January 9th (1 vote)
7. Blind Witness & To Cherish at The Oddfellows Hall, May 19th (0 votes)
9. Upheaval of an Exorcist at Oddfellows Hall, February 20th (0 votes)
9. Carnifex & The Last Felony at The Grand Theater, March 11th (0 votes)
9. Stillbroke at The Verdi Hall, April 1st (0 votes)
9. Black Dog at Coch's Corner, April 24-25th (0 votes)

Let's work our way backwards...I'm surprised that no less than FOUR choices had no votes. I figured there'd be fans to vote for those shows! The only one I'm not too surprised with is Carnifex, cause of the winter storm almost stopping it, but were there no fans for the others? Only one vote for Blessed By A Broken Heart...I can't accurately judge cause I wasn't at that one, but at least someone voted for it! And I loved the Who Made Who show, but only 2 votes? I guess it depends who voted.

5th was the YMCA Battle of the Bands, while Today I Caught The Plague was 4th. Pretty good results for both shows, the Battle had a good turnout and reception, while TICTP and the other bands are all talented! Despite some attendance issues, Cattle Decapitation placed third, better than I was expecting! And well deserved for such a great show! 2nd was Other, which could mean anything. I doubt the 7 people who chose it picked the same concert, but it does show the diversity that local fans may have for their preferred concerts!

And first, with over 23% of the votes is...Ministry of Zen and Fingerbone! I am completely surprised this was number 1, I didn't think the crowd was big enough! But it was one hell of a show, so in a way, I can see how it topped the poll! Now, I know this poll is just a small segment of local music fans, and not scientific in any way, but maybe this is a sign that Ministry of Zen should come back? Who knows, but the results are definitely interesting!

So there's the last poll's results! And as I promised, I'm not leaving you Sault Michigan metal fans out! This month's poll is quite similar to the last one, just it's based around shows that you guys get! So I pose the question to you all: What was your favourite Sault Michigan metal concert in the first half of 2009? For this poll, I kinda struggled with the format, cause across the river, shows are different, as bands play more often than in Sault Ontario, and often do double dates on weekends, so I wasn't sure how to format it. But, I decided just to let you guys pick your favourite show as part of the general umbrella of the headlining band, no matter when you saw them this year.

Some of the bands in the poll are local, some aren't, but it's up to you who you liked the most from January-June of this year! I'll briefly go over the choices, I won't go too in depth cause I can't hit Sault Michigan concerts easily yet, but I'll be as fair as possible! So, here are your choices! (If I missed any shows that happened, or made a mistake, my apologies!)

Band: Absolute (Pickford, MI)
Shows: February 6-7 and 27-28, & June 26-27 at The Bird; March 27-28 at Dondee Lanes

Band: Bad Side (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: February 13-14, April 10-11, and May 1-2 at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino

Band: Free Refill (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: January 29th at Bay Mills Resort and Casino

Band: Graveyard Tan (Michigan)
Shows: January 23-24 and June 19-20 at The Satisfied Frog

Bands: Great White (Los Angeles, CA) and Britny Fox (Philadelphia, PA)
Shows: January 10 at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino

Band: Half Stupid (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: May 15 at Malcolm High School

Band: Integrated System of Machines (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: June 12-13 at The Corner Pub Bar and Grill

Band: Jager (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: January 2-3 & 30-31, and February 20-21 at Dondee Lanes; January 9-10, February 6-7, March 20-21, April 17-18, and May 29-30, at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino

Band: Kilacel (Muskegon, MI)
Shows: May 29 and June 12-13 at The Corner Pub Bar and Grill

Band: Nixxon Dixxon (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: January 16-17, February 27-28, March 27-28, April 17-18, & May 15-16 at The Satisfied Frog; January 23-24 at Dondee Lanes; February 14 at Kewadin Casino; March 6-7 & June 12-13 at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino; April 24 at The Cisler Center; April 25 at The Malamute Saloon

Band: Nudge (Michigan)
Shows: April 24-25 and June 12-13 at The Satisfied Frog

Band: Peril (Michigan)
Shows: February 27-28, March 13-14 and June 5-6 at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino

Band: Shift (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Shows: January 9-10, February 6-7, March 13-14, April 10-11, June 5-6 & 26-27 at The Satisfied Frog

Bands: Skid Row (Toms River, NJ) and FireHouse (Charlotte, NC)
Shows: March 5 at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino

Band: Staind (Springfield, MA)
Shows: April 28 at The Dreammakers Theater at Kewadin Casino

Vote today! I'm hopeful we'll get enough votes on this poll to get some ideas on what you guys like over there! That's all for today, news has been kinda slow the last couple of days, but here's hoping we have more to report very soon! See you guys real soon!

The Dreadnaut Show Is OFF!

Well, I was all raring to go rock out tonight at the Dreadnaut/The Fury concert scheduled for tonight at The Canadian, and wouldn't you know it, they no-showed. Just fucking great, I was looking forward to seeing them finally! I gotta thank Jay Perron for giving me the scoop on what happened while I was there, he was handling things well, given the circumstances. I don't know full details on why they no-showed, but hopefully we'll have an idea very soon, cause I'm sure a bunch of you guys are disappointed at the very least.

So yeah, the show is cancelled. I won't say anything bad about Dreadnaut, I'm still a fan of their music, and I don't know why they couldn't make it, but I recommend you guys try and stay respectful and open-minded until we know more. And if they schedule another show here, I sure hope they actually do make it, cause I'd still love to see them! And for you fans of The Fury, all is not lost, cause you'll still get to see them tomorrow night at The Oddfellows Hall with local metal band Necropolis at The Class War Kids show! Check below for my preview on that show!

I also deleted the Dreadnaut concert preview from the last post for the simple reason that, it didn't happen. Well, just letting you guys know, I'll have more news and updates on local metal in the coming days! And if I hear more on the cancellation, I'll have it here! Thanks everyone!

Necropolis Concert Preview, Plus New Stillbroke Songs, & More!!!

EDIT (July 15th, 10:00 PM): This post had previously included a preview for the planned July 15th concert at The Canadian featuring Dreadnaut and The Fury, which was CANCELLED. Because of that, I have removed it's preview from this post cause the show never happened. Check the post immediately above for details!

So how's everyone doing? Good, I hope? Well, here's your local concert preview for the show taking place on Thursday night! And if I find any happening this weekend, I'll preview them later in the week too, but I haven't heard that there will be any yet. Stay tuned afterwards for news on some new Stillbroke songs, a request for help confirming a concert on July 22nd, and a cool archive of old concerts I found online!

On Thursday night, local metal band Necropolis return to the stage, as one of the many bands on a punk show! They're among the supporting acts for Newfoundland punk band The Class War Kids! They're alright for punk, but what do you think? Check them out on MySpace! Also among the lineup: Toronto classical/punk outfit RedD Monkey (who headlined another Necropolis show from May), as well as locals The Fury and Free Beer! But here's something that may interest you guys as well: Inactive local alt-rockers Smeltzer (featuring ex-Gates of Winter drummer Kevin Overton) are reuniting for one night only at this show! I know some of you out there were fans, so why not go check them out, if nothing else? They're not metal, but they did have a big following around here!

This show will take place tomorrow night at 6:30 PM at The Oddfellows Hall, with admission being just $5! Fore more information, visit the official Facebook event page! As for Necropolis, if you've seen them at their many local shows this year, you'll know what to expect: Metal, and lots of it! I don't have a MySpace page or anything to show you guys yet (one day maybe?), but believe me, they're very good! I know it's old, but for a preview, here's a video of Necropolis playing the song "Night Riders" from the YMCA Battle of the Bands!



Now, I have some big news from the Stillbroke front: They've uploaded two more new studio quality songs to their official MySpace page! One's the title track for their upcoming EP, "Never Enough", while the other is a ballad-like song entitled "Forget"! The band's official MySpace blog says this (and "No Reason" from yesterday) is all they're gonna post online until the EP is actually released. I'll personally hold my judgment until I have a copy of the EP to review, but the songs are good! Check them out for yourself on MySpace, and stay tuned for news on the release of "Never Enough"! Also, they've mentioned that photos from their newest photo shoot will be online soon as well! Thanks to Laurie Frigault for the information!

Next, I wanted to ask you guys for some help confirming a concert scheduled for July 22nd. From my internet searching, I had enough info to list a concert that day at The Oddfellows Hall, featuring some out of town bands. Windsor death metal group Constructed Apocalypse list the show on their MySpace page, and that they'd be playing with Montreal hardcore band Breaking The Fourth Wall. Their Myspace page lists the same show, without mentioning Constructed Apocalypse, but it does say they'd be playing with Belle River hardcore band I Am The Vine at the show. Their MySpace page doesn't even list the show, and with little details from the other bands who list it, this all leaves me with some doubt.

Add to all this that I haven't heard anything on Facebook about it, or anywhere else, just the two bands' concert listings, so I have no fucking idea if this show is even on or not. Can someone help confirm or deny this show for me? If someone can, that'd be great! It sounds like a good show, if it's even going on!

And finally, I found something really interesting online the other day! You know how I like to look up local metal and hard rock things from the past, right? Well, I found what may be the closest thing on the internet to a true archive of Sault-area concert dates! By running a concert listings search on the Jam! Music section of Canoe.ca, you can find archived concert dates for many Canadian cities, including Sault Ste. Marie! When I searched for Sault Ste. Marie concerts, I came up with hundreds of past shows dating back to 1998!

Though not completely metal by any means, there's plenty of old metal shows listed, all including the headlining band, date, and venue! It's cool to check out and see all the shows that have came here in the past decade (I never knew Nashville Pussy, Himsa, and Priestess all came here, for example!) I'll have to sit down and really look through this, there might be some hidden local bands I have yet to feature on the SMS listed there! This really is something else to see, it may even take you back to the days when Foggy Notions wasn't closed and Club Princess was still rocking! I took the liberty of linking my search in the SMS for you guys, so just click here to see all the past dates! And I also put this in the Other Local Metal Links! Go check this out, trust me on this one!

That's all for today, keep on the lookout for more local metal news and updates as I hear them!

A New Stillbroke Song, Plus Lion Ride and Detroit Updates, And More!!!

Hey guys, I'm back with some more local metal and hard rock news updates! Let's get right to it!

Local hard rockers Stillbroke have posted a brand new studio quality track on their official MySpace page, entitled "No Reason"! This song, and four others, will be featured on their upcoming debut EP, which will be called "Never Enough"! Stillbroke's MySpace blog mentions that more songs from the EP will be posted online within the month, possibly sooner, so stay tuned for that! I like the song, but I'll withhold complete judgment until the EP is released, when I'll give a formal review! Do you have any thoughts or opinions on the song? Feel free to share, and as I hear more news concerning Stillbroke and "Never Enough", you'll find it all here! Also, keep watch for updates at their official MySpace and Facebook pages!

Meanwhile, I have another out of town concert featuring local talent! Sault natives Detroit are playing another concert at The Bovine Sex Club in Toronto on August 18th! Support will come from Toronto-area hardcore punk band Akroid! This all sounds well and good on it's own, but admission is FREE! Their show at the same venue on Tuesday night is free too, which makes me wonder, why can't we get free shows like this up here? Either way, the show is now listed in the Out of Town concert listings! And, as a refresher, keep in mind that Detroit includes Lion Ride's own Mikey Hawdon, Mark Rand, and Brenton Ellis among it's lineup, so you know there's some definite talent with this band! Hopefully the shows go well!

Speaking of Lion Ride, they got some press in a major music magazine recently! A brief write-up on the band is featured in the July 2009 issue of Classic Rock Magazine (cover to the right!) As well, the free compilation CD that comes with that issue features one of Lion Ride's originals, Cocaine Crazy, which you can alternately find on their debut EP, "Awesome"! Now that's great to hear, especially for a band with their talent! Here's hoping they get noticed more and more! If you can find a copy of that issue of Classic Rock Magazine, pick it up, I'll be on the lookout for it myself!

And finally for today, three minor story items, going in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Michigan's own Free Refill have another concert listed on their MySpace page, but I don't know enough about it to list it here yet. It says they'll be playing at a "Baby-Q" this coming Friday, whatever that implies, but there's no specifics listed. If I find more, I'll let everyone know!
• On Saturday, Garden of Bedlam frontman Buzz mentioned on his Facebook status that they're planning to announce a "surprise show very shortly!!" Could this be the rescheduled all ages show? Or does "surprise" mean something entirely different? Either way, once I hear something, I'll tell you guys about it!
• Sykotyk Rampage have announced August 1st as the official release date for their twenty-second album, "Twenty-Too"! I believe this will just be in download format, but I could be wrong. The date was posted on their official Facebook page, so that's my source. Expect a review of the album on the SMS after it comes out!

That's all for tonight, expect more news very soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dreadnaut), Plus More News!!!

Remember a couple days ago when I said I might have a concert to mention happening next week? Well, it's confirmed! So, it's LOCAL CONCERT ALERT time!!!

Winnipeg metal band Dreadnaut will finally play a concert in Sault Ontario on Wednesday night at The Canadian, with local openers The Fury! Admission is just $7, doors open at 9:00, with The Fury kicking things off at 9:30 PM! You may remember a couple of times when it looked like Dreadnaut would play here, including a cancelled concert at The Other Place last year with Garden of Bedlam, and a planned concert at Foggy Notions with Domenica this month, which hasn't even re-opened yet.

At least we've actually got them for sure this time, even if it's really short notice for the show! Thanks to Jay Perron for giving me the scoop on all of this! Dreadnaut are awesome, I've thought so for over a year, and it will be great to finally see them live! As for The Fury, they're alright for a punk band, and with no guitarist and two bassists, they definitely have a unique sound! Sorry again for the short notice, but spread the word, make this show a success! I'll be there! For more details, and to confirm your attendance, visit the official Facebook event page!

Do I have more updates for you guys? Yes, actually! Local hard rockers Half Past (previously known as Fingerbone) have uploaded a bunch of new jam videos to their official Facebook page! All are covers, including songs by Incubus, Tool, Seether, Drowning Pool, and Rage Against The Machine! Some do sound rustier than others, but they're mostly pretty good, and when it comes time for a live return, they should sound great! Stay tuned to their Facebook page for more updates as they roll in!

Next up, I have an update to make to one of the local band links. I've changed the link for defunct Sault Ontario hard rock band No Remains, cause I found a more recent and detailed MySpace page for them! Their old page didn't have as much going for it. The new one features songs with guest vocals/guitar recorded by local musician Craig Murphy, and updated band info, including then-new bassist John Pino and the absence of ex-drummer Josh Villeneuve. Sure, they've been inactive for over two years, but the songs aren't bad, so go check them out! Plus, I like to be as current and informative I can, so if I can find a better contact link, then I'll run with that!

And thanks to Ryan McQueen for this story, Energy Rock Radio (Sault Ontario's only online radio station) has re-launched their site and 128K stream, so head on over there to check it out, it's apparently much smoother now! Remember, your requests and music tastes can influence the playlist on ERR, just add your requests to the topic on Energy Rock Radio's Facebook group, so that everyone gets what they want, and you'll hear more bands you wanna hear! So go listen, it's a great station, and they'd love to see more listeners! Plus, the Sault's own Rich Moreland hosts a 2 hour metal-based radio show every Monday night, entitled Metal With Moreland, that should pique some interest from you guys!

That's all for today, if anyone out there is seeing Aftersight, Graveyard Tan, or Clownsack this weekend, let us know! Thanks everyone, stay tuned for more news!

Local Concert Previews, Lion Ride News, And Assorted Inactive Local Band Stuff!

It's that time of the week again, where I'll outline all the metal concerts taking place this weekend! So here it is, your local concert previews!!! We have one in Sault Ontario and three in Sault Michigan, so let's get rolling! Stay tuned afterwards for a Lion Ride update, a removed band from the Local Metal Band Links, and some defunct band stuff I found! First of all, tomorrow night at The Canadian, local hard rockers Aftersight return to the concert stage! They were quite big in the Sault in the early 2000s, even releasing a CD! They reformed last year and opened at the Sick Jams for Sick Kids benefit show in December, and now they're back to rock once again! I personally don't know a whole lot about Aftersight (no websites to help either), but they are really good, and they should have a mix of originals and covers ready to go! I don't have a video to share, but I'd compare them to locals like Driving Dave Home, Half Past, and Stillbroke, if you want an idea of their sound! Aftersight take the stage at 10:45 PM tomorrow night, though no word on a cover charge. For more info, visit the official Facebook event page! (EDIT, JULY 23, 2009: I mistakenly reported this show as happening July 11th, however, it was pushed ahead two weeks and I missed that. I've edited the preview to reflect the changed date. If you were at King of the Cage: Disputed, tell us how Clownsack were! I'm sorry!) Now we'll head to Sault Michigan! First, locals Clownsack are back with their first Sault-area show in a while! They will be featured at King of the Cage: Disputed at Kewadin Casino on Saturday, July 25th! They are the pre-show entertainment, taking the stage at 5:00 PM! And for you fight fans, UFC Hall of Famer and former WWE superstar Dan Severn is headlining the card! Tickets, despite what I had initially mentioned, are apparently still on sale, so if you like MMA and Clownsack, pick some up at this location! The entire event is outdoors, rather than at The Dreammaker's Theater, which is familiar ground for Clownsack, as they supported Kiss during their outdoor show at Kewadin in 2007! Here's hoping this show goes well, I'm a fan of MMA and Clownsack, I wish I had a ticket! Check out Clownsack on MySpace, they're really good! And for a preview, check out this music video for their song "Clown Sauce"! And finally, Michigan hard rock band Graveyard Tan are back in the area for a pair of shows this weekend! Tomorrow night at 8:00 PM, they'll be at The Satisfied Frog for a show, while they're scheduled for an American Legion street rally Saturday night at the same time! I'd heard from the band that they were having troubles contacting people from The Satisfied Frog concerning the street rally, but I'm under the impression it's still on, so if I'm wrong, my apologies! Graveyard Tan are a very talented band, check out some of their songs on MySpace as well! Or, watch this live video from a show in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where they're performing the song "When She Screams"! After this weekend, your next local metal show (to my knowledge) will feature Necropolis (among many punk/alternative bands) at The Oddfellows Hall on July 16th, so stay tuned for news on that! Now, I have an update from Sault natives Lion Ride! Not a lot to this story yet, but guitarist Marky Lion has posted a topic on The 705 Music Scene Forums entitled "OFFICIAL KISS AFTERPARTY /W LION RIDE", with the post itself just saying "TBA" four times. Seems pretty clear what they're claiming and/or planning, especially now that Gene Simmons has confirmed that we're getting a Kiss show in Sault Ontario. But if this will happen, we won't know an official date until Kiss announces the tour. Stay tuned for updates on this planned afterparty! Next up, I had to remove a band from the Local Metal Band Links. You guys might remember back in March, when I found the long-since inactive website for local hard rock band The Drift. I couldn't believe it was still online then! Well, it's not online anymore, now it's just a dead link. Not sure why, it probably just expired. So if you noticed their page is gone, that's why! BUT NEVER FEAR, I've found another defunct local band to add to the listings! They were Downfall, a hard rock band which was fronted by.....Lion Ride bassist Marco "Marc O'Lion" Pedalino (also from Barfly and Bondar) on lead vocals and guitar! The band also featured ex-Terminal guitarist Mike Yakasovich, ex-Barfly drummer Jammie Pedalino, and bassist Ali Acceti! The band actually placed third in a 2004 songwriting/jam contest despite Jammie's drumkit breaking mid-performance, which earned them 10 hours recording time and $50! Check out details on that at this location! Downfall seemed pretty well known back in the day, performing at numerous venues, and being featured at Hempfest! They were also signed to the now inactive label Murderfly Entertainment! Also, amazingly enough, the audio linked on their page still works! Head to their official site to hear their studio quality original, "I'm Not Blind"! The song has a good groove, and it gets heavier as it goes on! Speaking of bands with Marc O'Lion, I wanna mention Barfly again, cause I found out a few things about them I never knew! There's no active sites or pages for them, but in my searching, I found out that they were a local hard rock cover band, covering everyone from AC/DC to Weezer, and they featured Marco, Mike and Jammie from Downfall, Benny Garcia from Sourcecode, and......Buzz from Garden of Bedlam on lead vocals!! How did I never know that until today?! Maybe it's cause I wasn't old enough to see them at their peak, I dunno. But it's interesting to know, especially seeing the songs they covered. Buzz singing Pearl Jam and Aerosmith songs, that'd be cool! For a bit more info on Barfly, head to this location! That's all for now, more local metal news is on the horizon, I can tell already, so be on the lookout!