SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Turner Up), Caveman Morrison Preview, And Fresh Magazine News!!

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates since Sunday, but we have hit a slow patch for news and updates. I expect fall to regress from the summer peak we often see, so don't worry, I haven't abandoned the SMS! I do promise to you guys that I will have a new post every three days or sooner, as long as I can get to a computer, and I have some stuff today! I don't normally do it this early, but we'll have weekend concert previews today rather than Thursday or Friday just to make sure this post covers it in the event not enough new stories come in by then. That, and news on the new issue of The Fresh Magazine, is on the way, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! (Updated: Wednesday, 9:48 PM)

Were you Turner Up fans wondering if they'd have a show this weekend? Well, they do, two in fact, with some more short notice bookings THIS WEEKEND at The Canadian Nightclub! I apologize for not having these earlier, the Saturday show was only announced Tuesday night, and the Friday show was confirmed on bassist Jeff Gray's Facebook page. As is custom for Turner Up shows, you must be 19 to enter, and both shows start at 10:00 PM on Saturday. The Canadian tends to have a cover charge of around $3, so make sure you have cash. For more details, visit the above links and the Facebook event page! Should be more fun shows from Turner Up, so if you have nothing planned for this weekend, you know where to head to enjoy some classic hard rock covers and some drinks! And if this is too short notice for you, they'll be at The Nicolet Tavern next weekend, so make note! For a video preview, check out this clip of Turner Up covering Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be" at this location!

The other known metal concert this weekend is also the first of the month of October, as local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison return to The Rockstar Bar for a single show on Friday night! Expect to hear lots of great covers of your favourite metal and non-metal bands alike! The new lineup sound great, they'll be sure to impress on Friday! Like most of their shows, Caveman Morrison are on at 10:00 PM, you must be 19 to enter, and there is NO COVER CHARGE! For more details on this show, check the above links and the official Facebook event page. This will definitely be a good show, so I recommend you guys head out and see what Caveman Morrison have to offer on Friday! They have songs for everyone, but enough heavy tunes to get heads banging! And if you miss them Friday, they'll be at The Vibe Lounge next weekend, so you'll get a chance to see them! For a video preview, here's Caveman Morrison covering Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know" at a show two weeks ago at Foggy Notions!



Third today, here's what you should know that is metal-relevant in the new issue of The Fresh Magazine! Yes, the fall issue of the FREE local youth-oriented newspaper is now available at numerous local outlets, having been sent out last week, and I finally have a copy to tell you guys what to look for! I'd say visit their website to check the PDF version too, but the site's currently down. The big news is that Downtown Showdown Battle of the Bands winners Bring The Fallen have finally gotten their interview and cover feature in this issue! I thought we'd get the band itself on the front cover and a more in-depth interview, but hey, you take what you can get. I also find it curious that the interviewed band member(s) don't get name credit in the issue, but it's still a good read! The band talk about their battles of the bands successes, what they're looking for out of labels, their thoughts on the local metal scene and it's future, band dynamics, local concert venues, and much more!

It's concise but informative, and though I won't give too much away, I will point out two things. One, the band finally acknowledged the whereabouts of their dormant first EP, saying it's waiting to be mastered. And two, they were kind enough to plug me and my work with the SMS in the interview, which was extremely nice of them! But in all fairness, I don't deserve half as much credit as the bands do. Nice article, you can find it on page 20 of the fall issue of The Fresh Magazine!

The other local metal-related story in the new issue is actually one that I wrote. I was asked if I'd like to submit a freelance article for inclusion in the fall issue, and I gladly accepted, so I decided to write one titled "Local Metal Bands To Watch For This Fall". I didn't want to copy content from the SMS, so I decided to give capsule looks at five bands who looked to have exciting things on the local horizon in the fall. I picked Garden of Bedlam, Gates of Winter, Lion Ride, Sense of Truth, and Sault Michigan's Nixxon Dixxon. I won't spoil anything, but I do want to note a few things in case people find a discrepancy or error in the article. I had a character limit, so things are rather concise. Plus, this was written in July, so parts of it are admittedly outdated, notably the inclusion of the now broken up Nixxon Dixxon. I had NO idea they'd be disbanding when I wrote this, and they were riding high on the success of their Kewadin Festival appearance, so it made perfect sense at the time to include them. It was fun writing this article, hopefully you guys enjoy it! My piece is conveniently on page 19, right behind the Bring The Fallen interview, so make sure to check both out by getting the new issue of The Fresh Magazine while they're available! Remember, they're FREE, and full of many great articles!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more local metal news and updates by Saturday, hopefully sooner! I wanna get another post in before September wraps up, but who knows. I'll be back real soon!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Frightlight), Plus End Of Existence News And More!!

Hey guys, hope you're enjoying your weekend! I have a bunch of assorted stories to get to today, including the latest from End of Existence and Elipzis, a note you should know concerning a local metal producer, the latest from a local radio station, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!! Here's what you need to know, but first, I hope last night's last minute Tym Morrison show at Foggy Notions went well. It was announced VERY short notice and I hope you guys caught the alert on our Twitter feed!

Now to the news! Last October, downtown Sault Ontario was invaded by zombies in the first annual Soo Zombie Walk. Well, make sure your brains are protected, as the Zombie Walk returns on October 23rd! It's a cool event for great causes (local college food banks), but how does this tie in to the local metal scene? Simple: Frightlight are headlining the after party! The local punk/metal quartet, in what is currently their first announced date to feature new drummer Jeff De Rose, will be the main attraction at the Zombie Walk after party at Foggy Notions on October 23rd at 9:00 PM! Nice to see them involved in this, and with their horror movie theme, they'll fit right in with this type of concert! Three of the supporting bands have also been announced, including Toronto classical/punk trio RedD Monkey (featuring ex-Gates of Winter drummer Kevin Overton), local guitar-less rockers The Fury (featuring ex-D.O.T.H. drummer Joe Bumbacco), and a local act named Wojtek. I've never heard them before, so I can't definitively comment on their sound or members, but they did take part in the Clusterfolk outdoor concert at Bellevue Park in July, for what that's worth. The Facebook event page hypes more bands to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on that front!

This concert will have NO COVER, a 9:00 PM start time, and presumably a 19+ age limit. Remember, this is the after party for the Zombie Walk, so make sure you're in your best brain eater getup so you don't stick out! For more information, visit the above links, and for continued updates on the Zombie Walk itself and attached events, visit it's own Facebook group! This should be a very fun concert, and the Zombie Walk should provide some entertaining moments of it's own! I was out of town during last year's event, I may just hop in on this one! I'll have more on the Zombie Walk after party as I hear it!

Next up, we have some updates from Sault Michigan/Grand Rapids death metal trio End of Existence, and no, their "Sun Is Gone" E.P. isn't out yet. It seems like they keep resetting the countdown timer on their official website continually when the date passes. Now, it's counting down to a release on Thursday, but who knows if that will stick. But that's not the main reason why we're talking about End of Existence today. The big news here is that a new original song has been posted onto their YouTube channel! It's of their song "Deathbed", and if you're expecting some I.S.O.M.-like epic death metal, then you'll likely be disappointed, but as the video description says, it's heavy "in it's own way". I assume they mean lyrically and visually, as the song is soft and ballad-like, but still dark and imposing. It's oddly effective, and Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone) shows some good clean singing that I missed from his I.S.O.M. work! I should note that the video has some morbid imagery, so if you're easily creeped out, don't watch it, but it's a good song, and you can check it out below! I can't wait to hear their heavier originals though, I'll let you know of them when they appear online!



Thirdly, here's some updates from local college radio station WLSO 90.1 FM: The Sounds of Lake State! The fall semester is well underway, and both radio shows and DJs are back in the booth! Sadly, a schedule of programs isn't online yet, so I can't 100% tell you guys when the metal blocks are, but when WLSO staffers post something, I'll be sure to have it! I have two other notes though on the Lake Superior State University radio station to share. Firstly, the station is currently looking for a music director to work on-staff for the station. What this means is that you'd be in charge of handling music from radio stations, ensuring an up-to-date and fresh playlist, and calling and contacting record labels to get music for radio play. If you go to LSSU, love music, and have great people skills, you can pick up applications at the Campus Life Office in The Cisler Center to fill out. The deadline to submit your applications is FRIDAY, so get on that A.S.A.P. if you're interested! My source for the above info is their official website.

And finally, WLSO's new logo is now officially in use at the station! Yes, I designed it, but that's all I'll say about that because I don't wanna sound like an egomaniac self-promoting tool. It's on the WLSO office front door, it's on their pages, and now, it's on official t-shirts! If you want a WLSO t-shirt, head to their office (also in The Cisler Center on campus) and pick one up! They're in red, green, and black, in sizes S-XL, and go for affordable prices! I have one, you should get one too! And of course, tune in to WLSO at 90.1 FM and see if you can find something heavy, cause when they do, it's usually well worth your time!

Lastly for today, here's some interesting news from Stereo Soul Studios and local producer Miguel Gauthier. He has a lot on his plate production wise lately, here's a rundown of what's been up and what to expect! As of September 9th, Miguel had planned to finish editing and mixing Woods of Ypres' fifth (and final) album, the new release from another David Gold project, The Northern Ontario Black Metal Preservation Society (you'll hear about them on here in the future), the final mixing of Garden of Bedlam's new album, the artwork and press shipping of Sense of Truth's debut EP, and a later addition, As It Stands' two song demo, among other projects. But he also revealed one somewhat disheartening note as well: He's planning to move to Los Angeles next month. He didn't leave any explanations as to why, but at least we're hearing some details about it. This is gonna be a noticeable blow to the local music scene, as his production has been key to the great sounds of a number of local albums, metal or otherwise! At least he has a lot more coming, but I hope he stays involved in music after his move, cause he's a very talented guy, and a good musician too in his own projects! Stay tuned for more on his next few produced albums, and no matter what, best of luck to Miguel in his future plans! I'll have more as I hear it!

That's all for today, but be sure to check The Sault Metal Scene out for more news by Wednesday, likely sooner! My news desk is almost cleared out again, but I'll surely have more in quick order! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman Morrison & Turner Up), A Band Looking To Play Here, And More!!

Alright, so all of our monthly feature posts are out of the way for September, clearing the way for just news, updates, and concert previews for the rest of the month, and we have lots today, including a band looking to play here, some notes concerning a major show next month, a brand new original song from an area band, and first, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!!!

Firstly, and I REALLY apologize for the short notice of this, but Turner Up will be at Foggy Notions TONIGHT for a show! I'd honestly been wondering if they'd have a show on Friday or not, but I hadn't heard anything until today, thanks to a new Facebook event page. Looks like an impromptu booking, which they're claiming is due to popular demand. Of course, this show is bookended by last night's Gunz N' FN' Rosez show and tomorrow's headlining set at The Rockstar Bar, and the same house rules apply for tonight's Foggy's show, including a 10:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and surprisingly for Foggy Notions concerts, NO COVER! So if you're not seeing 2112 at The Canadian Nightclub tonight and wanna enjoy some classic hard rock, Foggy Notions is the place to be! Again, my apologies for the short notice of this show, check all of the above links for updates! And, as always, see video footage of Turner Up's current lineup by clicking here! Remember, that's 10:00 PM TONIGHT at Foggy's!

Meanwhile, we have two new shows with some advance warning, as local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison return to Foggy Notions in November for their first shows there in two months! Tym and company have sure been ramping up on the bookings lately, and now they have November 19th and 20th reserved for two nights of hard rock and metal classics! Both shows have start times of 10:00 PM, a $3 cover charge is likely, and you must be 19 to enter. These should be fun shows, especially if you love heavy metal classics, cause Caveman Morrison know a ton of them! But if you can't make it in November, they have at least 6 shows lined up before then, including one at the nearby Rockstar Bar next weekend, so you have ample oppurtunities to rock out with them beforehand! For more information, check the above links and the Facebook event page!

Thirdly, we have a band looking for a local booking, so here's what you should know! On Tuesday, I recieved an e-mail from Brandon Khan, a guitarist in the Newmarket, Ontario hardcore band Heritage. He was looking to book some dates for the band, and was wondering if I had anything lined up. Now I'm not a promoter, but I said I'm help him out, and now, I'm opening things up to you guys! Brandon didn't mention anything about a general date range for a local booking, so if you're a promoter, venue staffer, band member who'd like to play with them, or have any general interest, e-mail brandon-khan@live.com if you're at all interested in helping get Heritage a Sault Ste. Marie booking! As for their sound, they have a melodic hardcore style with nice uses of keyboards and clean singing combined with some heavy breakdowns and very moshable sections! As It Stands are probably a fair local comparison style-wise, but check them out and see what you think at their official MySpace page! They're good, here's hoping they get a booking here!

Next up, Brimley hard rockers Half A Man have posted a brand new studio quality original onto their official Facebook page! Yes, the local band featuring ex-members of Lower S.E.S., Bludgeoned, Bent Rollercoaster, and Set To Random have been keeping busy recording some original material, and the first taste of it is their new song entitled "Freedom Ride"! This was actually posted online on September 15th, so I'm admittedly late to the pass on sharing this here, but do check it out! There's actually two versions posted, the full explicit version and a cleaned up radio edit, which is smart in case they get radio play. I can't embed it here, so you'll have to check it out on Facebook, but it'll be worth it, cause it's a nice song! It has a familiar radio hard rock vibe to it, but the guitar solo's nice, and it has sort of a biker essence to it, if that's fair. Erik Rintamaki's vocals are gritty, and though not very rangy, he uses them well to the song's advantage! The band have good chemistry and energy, and I like the constant hard driving riffs and the ominous spoken word section too! Good song, click here to check out "Freedom Ride" and more!

And finally, I have some news concerning the Sevendust concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino on October 19th. Now, does, the prospect of seeing Sevendust, 10 Years, Since October, and Anew Revolution for $20 pique your interest? Well, judging by early ticket reports, it doesn't seem like a lot of people are interested yet. Allstar Promotions, who are the promoters who got this show booked, lamented on their Facebook page that the show wasn't selling very well, only drawing around 200 tickets sold so far. They had mentioned that management might pull the show as a result, with criticism given to how the area is far behind for new music, and that local radio wasn't doing much to promote the show, save for Rock 101's Scott Cook. In the latest posting, Allstar Promotions announced that Sevendust's management wouldn't drop the show, but there's still concerns over a low attendance. Personally, I'm a bit baffled as to the low sales myself. Sevendust are popular enough, you'll hear them and 10 Years here and there on Rock 101, and the tickets are very affordable! I don't agree entirely with us being behind on new music, as the Pop Evil show in February sold out, though to be fair, it had a lot of charitable support & free ticket distribution.

This show should be awesome, and you guys should really consider buying a ticket! I mean, really, these four very talented metal bands for $20? This show can be a success, and it will deliver musically, so BUY YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P.! You can do so online at this location, at the Kewadin Casino box office, or by calling 1-800-539-2346!

That's all for today, but I have some more news from a few local bands and music-related entities to come this weekend, so stay tuned for that very soon! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Fifth Way & Mark Rand

As promised, it's time for our ninth monthly installment of our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile series! This month, we focus on two more heavier acts from outside of the Soo that just happen to feature a member who lived in the Sault Ste. Marie area in the past! One's a new solo project, while the other is a prominent band that you may recognize from some larger shows in the area in recent months! This should be another good one, but remember, if there's something incorrect, missing, or lacking info/details, please tell me! That being said, let's kick off this month's profile, and check out previews of this weekend's concerts in the post below! (UPDATED: November 26th, 2014)
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Fifth Way (Detroit, Michigan)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics)

Tim Gossman (vocals)
Zak Stelmaszek (guitar)
Adam Trahan (guitar)
Anthony Palsgrove (bass)
Chris Castro (drums)

Terry Freers (bass)
Nicholas Cole-Klaes (bass)
Mike McMann (bass)
Victor Wooten (bass)
Dave Reingardt (drums)

Official website: http://www.fifth-way.com
Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/fifthway
Official Reverbnation page: http://www.reverbnation.com/fifthway
Official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/fifthwayofficial
Official Facebook page (1): http://facebook.com/pages/fifth-way/14603256274
Official Facebook page (2): http://www.facebook.com/fifthway

Local Info: Fifth Way features just one member who claimed a local residence, that being lead guitarist Zak Stelmaszek. Originally from nearby Rudyard, Zak graduated from Rudyard High School in 1995, and would then enroll at Lake Superior State University in the electrical engineering program, living on campus in Sault Michigan in the process. Zak gratuated from LSSU in 2000, and later moved to the Detroit area (and later still to Milwaukee.) Aside from his ongoing work with Fifth Way, Zak has also stayed busy in cover bands, including current work in Milwaukee's King Kong, and prior stints with bands like Detroit's Cruizin' Jupiter & Milwaukee's Superfly.

Band Bio: Fifth Way launched in late 2007, and found a solid footing in the Detroit rock scene through frequent gigging in the area through 2008 and 2009, backing up acts like Saliva, Pop Evil, Alter Bridge, and 10 Years. Save for their numerous bassist switches, their lineup appears has generally been stable since their inception. In January 2010, Fifth Way released their debut album "No Boundaries", and have toured frequently ever since. Their name growing ever quicker, Fifth Way have slowly begun playing shows outside of the Detroit area, notably coming up to Sault Michigan numerous high profile shows since 2010, mainly at Kewadin Casino, where they've backed up such bands as Tesla, Three Doors Down, and The Gin Blossoms. Still frequently playing shows all over Michigan, Fifth Way's profile continues to grow with each passing day, so check them out and pick up their debut album at the above links!

Fifth Way employ a very catchy radio hard rock sound that'd be right at home on Rock 101, and it's a wonder we don't hear them more on the radio locally, especially with Zak's local connection! Their music doesn't have much surprises in terms of song structure, but what they do, they do well, with a gritty aggressive sensibility that does help set them apart from other bands! Tim Grossman's vocals are melodic, yet have a rough edge to them, and the guitar work from Zak and Adam is both catchy and heavy, making the most of their riffs! Honestly, Fifth Way are the kind of band I can picture driving down a highway to, it has that hard riding essence, while still being melodic and fun to listen to! I find they have a few too many softer songs, and the guitar solos need work, but Fifth Way are a very good hard rock band, and I'm sure we'd welcome them back to the Sault area with open arms!

Fifth Way's debut album "No Boundaries" has been available for purchase at Grooves Music in Sault Michigan, and songs from the album are streamable at the band's MySpace page! You can also purchase the album online for $12 through the band's website. Other sites presumably have the album for free download, but really, support the band and buy it. Fifth Way are also very prominently featured on YouTube via numerous live videos, along with their 2010 music video for their song "Stomping Ground" that you can check out below!


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Mark Rand (Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Mark "Marky Lion" Rand (all instruments)

Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/markrand
Official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/themarkylion

Local Info: If you've been around the local scene in the past few years, then Mark Rand should be very familiar to you! An established musician on varying instruments, Mark's arguably best known under his stage name Marky Lion as guitarist and studio bassist for the local punk/metal band Lion Ride, who've made some major noise in the local scene since their 2007 inception! But that's just the surface of his musical background, as Mark's been in numerous bands in both the Sault and Toronto areas, including Detroit, Bin Hawdon & The Taliband, The Merves, Fuller, hackthemodem, Pumpkinseed, Kidshit, The Lumbermen, Bondar, DDPBB, and his current role in the Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog, among others. Now living in Peterborough, Mark's never forgotten his local roots, and comes back home for concerts occasionally, including a Detroit reunion next month!

Band Bio: Though the most recent form of Mark's solo project didn't begin until 2010, he has dabbled into solo work in the past. In 2006, Mark launched an indie/electronic solo project under his own name after his move to Southern Ontario, which is decidedly unlike his typical punk and metal fare, though it is well played. In August 2010, Mark took another dive into solo work, initially under his Lion Ride stage name (thought later alternately referred to as M.R.B.), and playing music much closer to the majority of his past bands. Drawing influences from bands like Motorhead, Venom, Slayer, Black Flag, SNFU, and Propagandhi (among many others), Mark's recorded a number of original hardcore/punk songs that could eventually be a part of an album release, which he's alluded to on his pages in the past. He formed a local band made up of his Saultite friends to back him up at a December 29th, 2010 show at the old Coch's Corner, where "The Mark Rand Band" played his solo songs live. Though this solo project quietly went defunct the following year, Mark played similar material in his newer partly-local project Kidshit alongside former Fuller bandmate Jamie Vincent.

Of Mark's long list of local bands, one of the closest comparison bands to the Mark Rand projectwas Detroit. Safe comparison, because Mark's material is generally comprised of short relentless hardcore numbers, and they sound very cool for the most part! Mark shows off more of his aggressive vocals that we typically only heard in backing roles in his other bands, and his guitar work is similarly heavy and suitable for the material! Compared to some other solo projects I've heard, this project sounds very cohesive like a real band, even on the drums! This material straddles the punk and metal border, so diehard fans of both genres will find something to like here, and it all fits very well! None of the songs disappoint, and thankfully, Mark doesn't fall into the trap that Detroit had where the longer songs weren't as heavy or relentless, and I hope he keeps up with the same style we've seen so far, cause it works very well! Mark and his new local backing band had a successful debut in December 2011, but here's hoping he revisits this material down the road!

Mark has seven songs on his MySpace page to check out, which amount to a nice 10 minutes or so of hardcore mayhem! If you're interested in any of Mark's work with his other bands, there's plenty of pages for them online on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and other sites, so look for those too! One of Mark's best solo songs (and his shortest) is on YouTube to check out, and here it is, his song "Question"!


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Hope you guys enjoyed this month's profile! As for next month, I've decided on two bands to profile once again, as we'll take a look at L'Anguisette, the progressive metal band from Philadelphia featuring Woods of Ypres' frontman David Gold on drums, and Ninth Day Sin, the Nashville death metal band featuring Lower S.E.S./Bludgeoned drummer Mikey Bishop! Stay tuned for that next month, between October 16th and 22nd! That's all for now, but be on the lookout for more local metal news and notes in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Local Concert Previews, And A New Free Refill Video!!

Hey there, fellow metalheads! Today's a double post day, and quickly before we start, I wanna note that this is the 500th post that has been featured on the SMS' website since I launched it in December 2008. Amazing how it took just 21 months to hit that milestone! Thanks everyone for coming along for the ride! I don't have anything special planned at all to mark the occasion though, today is business as usual, as we preview this weekend's local metal and hard rock concerts! So let's begin!

We'll start TONIGHT for a prominent tribute band's local return, as Toronto-based Guns N' Roses tribute Gunz N' FN' Rosez come back to Sault Ontario! Veterans of Hempfest, GNFNR were last seen locally in January at The Speakeasy, and will now look to conquer the stage at The Rockstar Bar in their latest local stop! These guys definitely pull off a good version of the Guns N' Roses sound, and they have the look mostly down as well! They're definitely a good tribute band, and local fans will be sure to enjoy them as much as they did in January! Joining them tonight as the local openers are local classic hard rock cover band Turner Up, in a rare supporting performance! Expect lots of great classic covers from them in support of GNFNR, and if you wanna see just Turner Up this weekend, I'll have you covered a bit later! Now, tickets for tonight's show are $10 at the door, and trust me, this'll be worth the money. The show starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to enter. For more information, visit the above links or the official Facebook event page! This should be a fun concert, cause after all, who doesn't love hearing classic songs like this? Both bands are very talented, make sure to go check them out tonight! For a video preview, here's a video of Gunz N' FN' Rosez playing "Night Train" from a Niagara Falls show last month!



The tribute bands keep on coming tomorrow night, but this time, things get a lot more progressive, as Burlington, Ontario's 2112: A Tribute To Rush finally come to Sault Ontario! Originally scheduled to come here in June, the date was eventually cancelled, but 2112 are still making their way to town for a concert tomorrow night at the same venue, The Canadian Nightclub! Though there's no event page for the concert, a Facebook e-mail from The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnston and 2112's concert listings page both confirm this show, so it's definitely on! So this show will also take place at 10:00 PM, with a $5 cover charge, and like your usual bar show, you must be 19 to enter. For more details, check the above links! 2112 definitely capture the sound of Rush much better than the look of them, but the music is the main focus anyway, and they pull it off well! Rush are hard to cover, but they do an admirable job, and Rush fans will likely have a good time tomorrow night! Don't forget about this show, cause it'll be a good one, and it's the closest thing to Rush themselves that we're likely to get this year! For a video preview, here's 2112 playing "Red Barchetta" at a show in April!



Now, to the other Turner Up concert I alluded to earlier! You know that they usually play two shows on a given weekend, and keeping with that pace, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night for a headlining set of their very own! Like the GNFNR show tonight, it will have a 10:00 PM start time and a 19+ age limit, but on Saturday, there will likely be no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page and Turner Up's Facebook group! This should be a fun show, cause Turner Up always impress at their live shows with their classic hard rock sound, so check them out on Saturday if you don't see them tonight! For a video of Turner Up's current lineup playing "I Don't Wanna Be" by Gavin DeGraw, click here!

And finally, we head to Sault Michigan for a concert set, as young local cover band Free Refill return to the stage as one of the entertainers at this year's Oktoberfest! Hosted by The Downtown Development Authority, Oktoberfest takes place along Portage Avenue in Sault Michigan on Saturday from 10:00 AM until midnight, with Free Refill among the performers playing on the big stage in the middle of Portage Avenue from 5:00 PM onward! Their MySpace page suggests they're on at 9:00 PM, but I can't verify an exact time for their set, nor other performing acts. Aside from the music, Oktoberfest will have a farmer's market, vendors selling food, arts, crafts, and more, as well as activities for kids as well! Sounds like a fun time, get more Oktoberfest details at this location! As for Free Refill, this is the last listed concert from their summer bookings, so this could be your last chance to see them for a while yet, so consider heading to Oktoberfect to check them out! They're a promising young band and have some good potential! Check the above links for more!

As for a video preview, we have a brand new Free Refill video for you guys to check out! We'd been without video footage of them for some time now because the old concert clips on their MySpace page were deleted, but we finally have a new Free Refill video to share! This is courtesy of YouTube user mortallycoiledsnake, who is one of the band members, though I'm not 100% positive on which one. If you visit that link and see no video, don't worry, they just made the video unlisted for whatever reason. It's freely available to check out if you have the link, and I discovered it on their official website today, so here's what you should know! It's from last month's Sugar Island Festival, and it's their rendition of the Metallica classic "Enter Sandman"! Not bad, though the guitar's definitely lower in the mix than it should be, and I think Mary Gilbert's voice suits a more melodic song than "Enter Sandman". The video's also shot at a far angle, but it's still good though! These guys have talent, and it's interesting to see how far they'll get in the coming months!



That's all for now, but stay tuned tonight for the SMS blog's 501st post, which will be this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we talk about Fifth Way and Marky Lion! Stay tuned for that tonight! Thanks everyone, and go see some concerts this weekend!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up & Caveman Morrison), A Newly Discovered Local Band, And More!!

The news keeps piling on, so once again, I've had to amend what was up next a bit, but this post is just as packed as yesterday's, if not moreso! Today, we have the latest news from As It Stands, lots of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and kicking things off, a newly discovered local band! Here's what you need to know!

So when I was searching the internet the other day for supplemental info on Lower S.E.S. for yesterday's Defunct Local Band Profile, I came across the page for a local death metal band named Bludgeoned from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. I'd heard about them in the past, because Lower S.E.S and current Summon drummer Mikey Bishop often included them in his band history on personal pages, but I'd never seen an internet page for them before yesterday. As it turns out, Mikey launched a Reverbnation page for Bludgeoned, and included some band information on there, though not a ton. They were active locally from 1999-2002, and featured four members, including Flesh For The Beast and former Sadomasochism singer John Rios, current Half A Man drummer Doug Reed on guitar, Doug's Half A Man bandmate Erik Rintamaki (also of Lower S.E.S.) on bass, and, of course, Mikey Bishop on drums. I assume this is the instrument breakdown for the members, correct me if I'm wrong! Interesting to see that John Rios fronted Bludgeoned, I wonder how much of a local connection he really has? Aside from what's above, there's no biography info on Bludgeoned, but they do have songs!

Three Bludgeoned originals are posted on their Reverbnation page, and they sound really good! I wonder if these were on an album of any kind? The songs are named "We Came Out Of The Dark", "Prophet of Doom", and "Skull Fucked", and they are all very heavy! I love the riffing on "We Came Out Of The Dark" especially, and the drumming is awesome on all tracks! However, John's vocals seem very low in the mix, I don't know if that's intentional or not, but they could stand to be louder. Still, these are very good songs, very brutal, and you should all check them out! Head to the above links for more from Bludgeoned, and below for this picture video from Mikey Bishop's YouTube channel of Bludgeoned's song "Prophet Of Doom"!



Now, to those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!! Classic hard rock cover band Turner Up have loaded up on more local concert dates, with 10 new shows confirmed by guitarist Robert Brown on their official Facebook group on Thursday! I've actually made their group their new link on the SMS too because it's used way more frequently than their Facebook page. Here are the 10 new dates! Firstly, they'll be at The Rockstar Bar for shows THIS SATURDAY and on October 15th. I wonder how the show on Saturday passed me by? Regardless, my apologies for the short notice! Then, they'll be at Foggy Notions on October 31st for a single concert, and I wonder if that one will have some Halloween touches to it? Time will tell! Three more dates have been booked at The Vibe Lounge as well, where they'll be playing on November 19th-20th and Decebmber 18th. And finally, we have a pair of firsts here: The first SMS-coverable shows of 2011, AND Turner Up's first shows at a certain concert venue, when they play Docks Riverfront Grill on January 7th-8th and February 4th-5th! Interesting to see bookings at Docks, they don't tend to have too many heavier bands there! Chances are, all of the new dates have start times of around 10:00 PM and 19+ age limits, and of the new shows, only the Foggy Notions show on Halloween should have a cover (likely $3). Get more details at the above links, and all of the new dates (and old) are in the concert listings on your left!

While we're on the subject of new concerts, local metal cover trio Caveman Morrison will return to The Nicolet Tavern next month for four shows! These are the first shows at The Nicolet featuring the band's current lineup, and they will take place on consecutive weekends, October 22nd-23rd and October 29th-30th! All four shows have start times at 10:00 PM and no announced cover charge, as is typical for shows there. Other than that, nothing too out of the ordinary is likely, just four nights of hard hitting metal and hard rock covers! Caveman Morrison are a great band, the new lineup is solid and cohesive, and they know a ton of great songs that you're sure to respond to, so if you can't make it to their next couple of shows, head to The Nicolet in late October! For more information, visit their official website, or click here for the Facebook event page for the first two shows, and here for the event page for the last two. I'll have more news from Caveman Morrison as I hear it!

And finally for today, some long overdue news from local hardcore band As It Stands! Following their local resurgence and their return show earlier this month, they've been keeping very busy, so here's what you should know! Firstly, they've updated their MySpace page and launched a brand new As It Stands Facebook account to keep fans updated on the band's happenings. Nice to see, make sure to add "As ItStands" as a friend on Facebook! Adding to that, the band have launched a new YouTube channel, complete with two brand new original songs! And not just any originals, ones recorded with Miguel Gauthier at Stereo Soul Studios! According to Miguel's Facebook page, these are part of a two song demo, so who knows what form that could take beyond online postings, but they're good quality! One, entitled "One Last Chance", is a good straight forward hardcore song with nice breakdowns and aggression, check it out at the above link! If you love As It Stands, you'll love that song! But the one I'm embedding here is their other new song, "Rise Above", which is really fast, heavy, and relentless, and I really like this one! If only it had a guitar solo! Great stuff, I can't wait for more from As It Stands, so check the above links for more, and check out "Rise Above" immediately below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our newest Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we take a look at Fifth Way and Marky Lion! I also have a weekend concert preview post lined up for tomorrow as well, and one of those two posts has a SMS milestone attached to it, so check the SMS out tomorrow for all that! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (2112 & Grady) And New Local Concert Videos!!

Well guys, we have a packed post today that's full of interesting news and notes, including brand new local metal concert videos, and kicking things off, two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS that you should know about! So here's what you should know in this packed update, but first, remember to check out this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Lower S.E.S. in the post below!

Firstly, we have a very short notice concert, and I apologize for not having this earlier, but this band is not on Facebook or MySpace, so it slipped me by until today. Burlington's 2112: A Tribute To Rush will make their way to Sault Ontario THIS FRIDAY for a show at The Canadian Nightclub! This was confirmed by The Canadian's Mary Lou Johnson by an e-mail sent today to members of their Facebook group. You may remember that 2112 were originally advertised to play at The Canadian in June, but the show was cancelled a day before, and the band had never announced the show themselves on their website. Well this time around, there's no dispute: 2112 ARE COMING! They list the show on their concert listings page, so both band and venue have confirmed it! This show will take place on FRIDAY NIGHT at 10:00 PM at The Canadian, with a $5 cover and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more! Rush are a very hard band to cover, but 2112 do an admirable job, and fans should enjoy their live concert, cause they pull off their sound pretty well! Check them out, and again, sorry for the short notice!

The other new concert I have today marks a long awaited metal return to a local concert venue! On November 16th, Grady make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario, in their first local date in over a year! Their last stop here, in October of last year, was dogged by a low turnout from both a weekday placement and that whole threatened boycott, but this time, there hopefully will be no issues! Based out of Austin, Texas, they'll bring their unique brand of country-influenced metal to... The Grand Theater?! Yes, a metal band returns there for the first time (I believe) since May of 2009, when Sense of Truth took part in the free Skate4Cancer fundraiser show there! It's been a LONG time coming for a heavier concert there, and it's great to see something up our alley there again, cause The Grand's a very nice venue! This show, presented by Beyond Borders at LopLops, will be at 8:30 PM on November 16th. No word yet on if this will be all ages or not, or on admission prices. The Facebook event page says that tickets will be on sale at LopLops' official website, but forms for Grady tickets have yet to be posted. Expect them to be no less than $5 though, and admission at the door should be available. Check the above links for more!

This should be a great show, Grady are a great band who effectively mold gritty metal with some nice Southern tinges to create a unique sound! I had fun at their show last October, and, as Facebook says, this show will definitely "rock you into December"! Check them out if you haven't already!

Closing today's post are some new local metal videos, and firstly, we have brand new videos from new local metal trio Sativa Rose! These come from their concert at GLOW Nightclub this past Saturday (the first metal show at GLOW since the renaming), and they are two more performance clips of some of their covers! Both of these videos come courtesy of YouTube user John Veale's YouTube channel, and both feature a guest singer in place of Adam Veale and Andrew Angelic. The guest singer is Jason Roy, and he doesn't have a bad voice, though on heavier stuff, he does get a bit more chaotic and messy. This is especially evident on their cover of Pantera's "Cowboys From Hell", but it's well played, even in what sounds like a different tuning. The video I'm embedding below works better, it's Sativa Rose (and Jason) covering Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me"! They have the song down better, Jason's voice matches up more, and it sounds good! They have definite talent, and I can't wait to see them live! If it wasn't for my cold, I'd have been there on Saturday! Oh well, check out the videos above at the relevant links, and "Talk Dirty To Me" below!



And finally, remember on Saturday when I featured the newly uploaded YouTube videos of Garden of Bedlam's headlining set at the Rotaryfest Second Stage? Well, only six of the eight performed songs were online when I first discussed them, with "Your Disgrace" and "Around The Bend" absent. I had feared that there was a technical or sound issue with the recordings, but never fear, the band uploaded them to their official YouTube channel later on Saturday! Both are again soundboard quality recordings, much better soundwise than the ones I filmed were, but are far from the stage compared to mine. Great audio, and great songs too! "Around The Bend", the band's newest public original, sees them exploring ballad territory for the first time, while I've embedded the heavier and catchier "Your Disgrace" below to check out! Definitely a great show, and it's nice to have a better take on their full set online! Check the above links for more, and here's "Your Disgrace"!



That's all for today, and I know I promised a couple things for today's post, but I wasn't expecting a lot of major stories to flood my newspile over the last many hours. So tomorrow, look out for a newly discovered local metal band, a band looking to play here, and a couple more local metal videos! That is, if nothing major comes out before then. Stay tuned for that, and more, as well as our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles on Fifth Way and Marky Lion by Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Lower S.E.S.

It's that time again, as it's the third installment of our newest monthly feature, the Defunct Local Band Profile Series! Each month, I hope to profile and discuss a local metal or hard rock band from the scene's past, randomly chosen from our extensive band links. All band choices are made at COMPLETE RANDOM, with no rules against bands for talent, recording quality, prominence, or longevity. As long as they have a freely available internet page, they could be next! This month, we take our first look back at a band from Sault Michigan, and these guys are pretty prominent, so they'll be especially worth looking at! So let's begin this month's profile! (Edited on August 19th, 2013)
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Lower S.E.S.

Genre: Groove Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics. E-mail me at robertfigures@hotmail.com if you know of any omissions or errors to their lineup!)

Micah Masta, vocals
Andy Nash, guitar
Erik Rintamaki (Half A Man, Train Wreck, Set To Random), bass
Mikey Bishop (Half A Man, Dirtbag In A Dress, Summon), drums

Audio/Video: Despite being inactive for 14 years, Lower S.E.S. had a good output of music online for fans to check out until this year. Their MySpace page used to have eight lengthy videos from their mid-1990s heyday, but all were deleted with MySpace's new look and layout, but maybe they'll return in time. Luckily, one of those concert video clips is on YouTube as well, but the MySpace loss is still a bummer. Their self-titled and only EP survives via this YouTube playlist, and luckily, some YouTube videos survive, so here's one of the Lower S.E.S. clips, two songs from their set opening for L.A. Guns in 1996!



Info/Analysis: Lower S.E.S. were active from 1994-1996 in the Sault Michigan music scene, and gained some notable levels of success in the process! They played numerous area shows and events, first making huge waves by winning a major battle of the bands at The Tumble Inn in nearby Eckerman, also later placing at a local "Battle Royal" event. These successes led to gigs where they opened for Warrant, Vince Neil, L.A. Guns, and Slaughter, among others. Studio time won in the above Battle of the Bands helped them record their self-titled debut E.P., though the band broke up shortly after it's release. Some members of Lower S.E.S. are still active in music, notably Erik Rintamaki & Mikey Bishop's current work in Half A Man, and Mikey's extensive black metal drumming output. It's a wonder Lower S.E.S. were only active for about 2 years, because they were a very good metal band! Definite Pantera influence, with hard charging riffs, aggressive vocals, and a definite mosh-worthy style! Erik's bass work is great, and the drumming and vocals stand out well! The lack of solos is too noticeable, and the production on the studio tracks does sound a bit muffled, but they were definitely a talented band who I'd have loved to have seen live had I been around then! Check them out, they have a great sound that is very welcome locally, and take a look at my review of their E.P. from December at this location!
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Hope you guys enjoyed this month's defunct local band profile! Our next profile on a Sault Michigan band is pencilled in for December, so be on the lookout for that! But which band will be profiled next month? Well, through completely random selection, I've decided that next month will feature two bands, as I found that the randomly chosen band didn't have enough substantial information or material to warrant it's own post, so I randomly chose another band to go with them! So next month, our Defunct Local Band Profiles will be on... Death Rise, featuring past and present members of D.O.T.H. and Caveman Morrison, and The White Knights, featuring former members of Fitswitch and Fingerbone! Stay tuned for that between October 14th and 20th!

That's all for now, but stay tuned TONIGHT for a short notice LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, a newly discovered local band, and some brand new local metal concert videos! Thanks everyone!

Last Month's Poll Results, This Month's Poll, And New Riverin Songs!!

Hey guys, it's poll day at The Sault Metal Scene! Today's post is mostly dedicated to going over last month's poll results and kicking off this month's new poll, but we'll also have some updates from Riverin after that! So we'll begin with results for last month's poll, and if you remember, I posed this question: What is your favourite radio show on Rock 101? 24 votes, not bad, though it'd have been nice to see more! Luckily, the results speak for themselves, so here's how the totals break down!

Tied for last with no votes each were The Denny Lambert Show, Flashback, In The Studio, and I just like the normal music rotation and/or the DJs. I'm not surprised by their placement, for the most part, as Flashback and In The Studio air at funny times, and The Denny Lambert Show didn't get a warm reception from metalheads and non-hockey fans. But no one picked normal DJ rotation over a specific show? Odd, but hey, it all depends who votes! Seventh place with a single vote was In Concert, nice to see it has support! You'll often hear a good band on there, though it does air pretty early. Most surprising to me was the sixth place choice, Eddie Trunk Rocks, which only got two votes. I'm a huge Eddie Trunk fan, and his show has some diverse and heavy material to rock your Sunday nights away to! Trust me, it's worth checking out!

In a four way tie for second place, with three votes each, were Sault Transit Greyhound Hockey, Scott & Brian In The Morning, My favourite radio show is on another station, and I don't listen to the radio. I figured these would be higher up in the totals, cause the Greyhounds have a good following, Scott & Brian are a great morning duo, there are some quality radio shows on other stations, and there are a number of you who don't bother with the radio. I'm not surprised that these made it this high, but I never would have bet on a four way tie! And with a clear first place victory, with 9 votes, 38% of the total: The Hair Scare! Yes, Scott Cook's Saturday night show dedicated to the best of '80s metal, hair or otherwise, topped the poll, and frankly, I'm not surprised! He knows his stuff, he spins some songs you never hear on normal rotation, there's some great memories and discussions shared, along with requests and the occasional guest! Great show, especially if you loved hair metal and the '80s scene, so make sure to tune in Saturday nights at 9:00 PM!

So there is last month's poll, so what's in store for our new poll? Well, I figured I'd assess public opinion towards a certain major concert, now that it's been over a month since it happened. I contemplated putting a poll up about this topic last month, but I reasoned that people would be more likely to objectively gauge their thoughts about it when it wasn't fresh in mind. So I pose this question to you guys: What's your verdict on last month's Kiss concert? I have 7 choices this time around, so hopefully one of them will accurately say your feelings towards their concert at The Essar Center on August 10th! Here are your choices!

It was awesome!: If you thought the Kiss show lived up to they hype, blew you away, was amazing, or whatever else you could say as high praise, vote for this choice! I really liked it, their stage show was incredible and they sounded good, but I'm not voting. You are, and if you thought their local show was awesome, you know what to choose!

It was alright: So lets say you liked the show, but it wasn't the be all end all amazing concert that many say it was. You liked most but not all of the songs, and so on. If that fits your description, vote for this choice!

It was disappointing: After months and months of hype, a postponement, endless speculation and skepticism, the Kiss show was bound to be judged higher than some major shows. If it didn't live up to your hype and expectations, and left you cold, this is the choice for you! Honestly, I think they delivered, but not everyone will agree.

It sucked!: Let's say you went, and had a bad time, be it cause Kiss didn't play well, the stage show was underwhelming, the crowd got on your nerves, et cetera. If you somehow had a bad time and hated the Kiss show, vote here!

I couldn't get a ticket: For a show of this magnitude, there was bound to be ticket issues. Many people couldn't get one, others couldn't afford one, or possibly were out of town, and therefore had to miss this show. If you fall into this boat, and wanted to see Kiss but couldn't, this is the choice for you!

Kiss sucks, I didn't go: No band is universally loved, and we sure heard from some people in the past year who openly voiced a dislike for Kiss, be it musically or beyond. If you're among the group who doesn't like Gene Simmons and company, and didn't go see them as a result, then vote for this!

VOTE TODAY! With a month to sit in, I'm interested to see what people thought of this, one of the biggest concerts we've ever seen in Sault Ontario! Remember, the poll is on the left hand side of the page, and you have until October 18th to vote! Yes, we're getting back to our old poll schedule finally. Now that poll stuff is out of the way for today, I have an overdue news story to share, so here's what you should know!

Local industrial hard rock duo Riverin (featuring former Dirty Virgin and Silver Dream bandmates Matt Clement and Matt Hicks) have posted three new original songs onto their MySpace page on Thursday! Presumably, these will find their way onto their debut self titled E.P., though I haven't heard much lately referring specifically to that. One new song, entitled "Deflower" is half ambient technological sound effects and half pretty aggressive hard rock with harsh singing and a hard charging riff! Great second half, though the first half works in a unique techno way! "Valentine" is a slower more emotional, with softer verses, nice instrumentation, and effective use of grittier sounds, which contrasts well! Vocals don't really match up 100% though. The other new song, "Raining In December", is almost 7 minutes long, and is a piano driven ballad that has nice ominous tones and good lyrics, though it does drag at parts. Good stuff, definitely unqiue from the typical harder stuff we hear locally, check them all out at the above links! More from Riverin as I hear it!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for news from As It Stands, End of Existence, and much more in the coming days! Also, stay tuned for out new Defunct Local Band Profile on Sault Michigan's Lower S.E.S. by Tuesday! Thanks everyone!

Caveman Morrison Concert Review & New Garden Of Bedlam Videos!!

Hey guys, I'm back from last night's Caveman Morrison show at Foggy Notions, and I have a review coming right up, followed by some cool news from Garden of Bedlam, so let's begin today's update!

So last night, I went to see Caveman Morrison live for the first time in over eight months, which is way too long, if you ask me! I was (and still am) battling a cold, so excuse me if I forget or misstate something. I arrived while the band were still jamming during soundcheck, and what immediately grabbed me was the lighting that the band rigged up. The stage had a warmer glow to it from the red and yellow lighting, and there was even SIRENS hooked up along the railing. That was new! Small crowd too, but it fluctuated all night, ranging from four people to a couple dozen through the night

I'll start the actual discussion of the concert by talking about the new lineup, which looks very different from when many of us last saw Caveman Morrison. Now on bass is Browbeat frontman Dutch Vanderploeg, and he seemed to have a firm grasp of all the songs! He's at least as good as former bassist Rick White, though I'll respectfully say this: Dutch is definitely more animated on stage. He was always moving and shown a great stage presence that really added to the sets! Also new was drummer Johnny Belanger (of Bear Hunters and D.O.T.H. fame), who replaced Jeff Richards last month. He was definitely up to the task last night, and though he did screw up a few parts, he was great, especially on such a short timeframe to learn all these songs! Also gotta love his enthusiasm and sense of humour too. If you were there, you'd have noticed! But one thing I'm surprised we didn't see is vocal work from Dutch and Johnny. You'll remember that both Rick and Jeff took singing turns with the old lineup, often on Fitswitch and Tragically Hip covers, but we didn't hear that from the new members last night. Dutch's Browbeat work speaks for itself, while Johnny sang a couple times on lead vocals in the D.O.T.H. days, it'd be interesting to see them take a singing turn in Caveman Morrison at some point!

And of course, Tym Morrison was as good as we ever see him on vocals and guitar! A few parts seemed to be off lyrically, but he made up for it with an ever improving range and predictably excellent guitar work! Not as many ventures out into the crowd for solos last night, but I reckon that's because of the small attendance. I also noticed that he seemed to be engaging in a bit more banter with the crowd than I remember him doing in January, maybe it's just me though. Their set was once again chock full of some great metal covers of songs from bands like Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Living Colour, and Ozzy Osbourne, along with some lighter fare from bands like ZZ Top, Collective Soul, Cheap Trick, and many many more! Over their three sets, the new Caveman Morrison lineup showed great chemistry and knowledge of the original songs, and I really got a sense of overall enjoyment from all three guys! They seemed very happy to be there, and it showed!

Overall, this was another fun Caveman Morrison show that hard rock and metal fans would be sure to enjoy! There were a couple spotty moments, but remember, this lineup is relatively new, give them time and they'll get even better! You can't go wrong with Caveman Morrison for heavy metal and hard rock covers, and hopefully a big crowd turns out tonight for their second show of the weekend! I just wish I could have stayed the whole night, my cold was getting to me really badly around the beginning of the third set, so I regrettably left early, and I hate doing that. I guarantee I'll be back to see them again very soon when I'm not sick, so I won't miss a thing the next time around! And yes, I got photos and videos, so click here to check out my pictures, or visit The Sault Metal Scene's Facebook page! And here's my video, of Caveman Morrison covering Ozzy Osbourne's "I Don't Know", check it out!



And finally for today, here's some exciting updates from Garden of Bedlam! As we await the release of "Everything Will Die", tide yourself over with six brand new videos from Garden of Bedlam's headlining slot at Rotaryfest's Second Stage on July 17th! These come from the soundboard, and the songs all sound very clear, much better audio wise than the videos I shot at this show! Only real gripe is that the video doesn't zoom, but they're still really good, and in HD format, no less! All of their songs from that night have been uploaded onto the band's YouTube channel, except for "Your Disgrace" and "Around The Bend", I wonder where those clips went? Really good stuff, check the above links for more, as well as The Sault Metal Scene's YouTube channel for my take of this same show! Might we see some of this footage in their next music video, which drummer Derek Turner referenced on his personal Facebook page on Monday? I saw Rick DellaVedova roaming with his camera too, so note that as well! I have their opening song from the set embedded below, "Against The Grain", but make sure to check the above links for the rest of the new Rotaryfest videos!!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for the results of this month's poll on your favourite radio shows on Rock 101 (VOTE TODAY!!) and our brand new poll! I won't divulge too much on it yet, just be here tomorrow for the new poll, and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Weekend Concert Previews, And Two Cancellations!!

Good day, metalheads! I was hoping to have more updates on the SMS this week, but I got saddled with too much homework and studying, so I'm a bit behind. There's a bunch of concerts this weekend to preview, more than we typically see, so today's post is mostly dedicated to previewing them, with some notes about two cancellations. But first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has scheduled another acoustic solo concert for this fall! Once again, Tym will be playing a set of acoustic rock hits at The Bottoms Up Lounge on November 6th, so if you wanna enjoy some unplugged metal classics, and more, in a more intimate setting, you know where to be in November! Like his past shows there, there will be no cover charge, a start time of 10:00 PM, and a 19+ age limit. This is Tym's only public solo show currently on the horizon, so make note of this concert and head on out! Tym's a great guitarist and is ever improving vocally, and who said metal always has to be plugged in? Click the above links for more news and updates on this show and info on Tym Morrison's solo project!

Now, on to this weekend's local metal and hard rock concert previews, and firstly, I should note that there are two concert cancellations from previously announced dates. Luckily, they intertwine, and you'll see why they do in a second. Firstly, it appears that tomorrow's scheduled Mama Kin show at The Canadian Nightclub has been cancelled. No reason as to why was announced, but it was confirmed that they were replaced on The Canadian's Facebook group. And to be completely fair, Mama Kin never announced this show on band pages, so who knows how far this show got before it was cancelled. Coincidentally, the planned Turner Up show at The Vibe Lounge for tomorrow night has been called off as well, due to circumstances beyond their control. This was confirmed on it's Facebook event page. So we have a local venue without a band and a local band without a venue for tomorrow night... see where this is heading?

That's right, Turner Up are the replacement band at The Canadian Nightclub tomorrow night! I believe this booking came up after losing the gig at The Vibe Lounge, as they said on the Facebook event page that they couldn't let their fans down. Nice to see them back there, it seems like they've only been rotating through Vibe, The Nicolet Tavern, and Foggy Notions lately. Never fear though, if you were hoping to see them at The Vibe Lounge this weekend, they've booked a new date there for THIS SATURDAY, so in a sense, this is a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT because it's technically a new show. So if you wanna hear some classic hard rock hits, you know where to be this weekend! Their show at The Canadian tomorrow night starts at 10:00 PM, the Saturday show at The Vibe Lounge has a 10:30 PM start time. Tomorrow's show should have a cover charge, likely around $3, while the Saturday show has no cover charge announced. For more details, the above link has info on their show tomorrow night, while Saturday's Vibe concert's event page is at this location. Should be fun shows, nice to see them playing more this weekend, and they'll do fine filling in for Mama Kin! Click the above links for more, and here for the first video footage of Turner Up's current lineup!

Meanwhile, at Foggy Notions, the metal will be brought, as Caveman Morrison make their way there for a pair of concerts this weekend! They'll be there tomorrow night and Saturday night for their first ever shows at Foggy's with their new lineup, including Browbeat's Dutch Vanderploeg on bass and The Bear Hunters' Johnny Belanger on drums! Both shows will start at 10:00 PM, you must be 19 to enter, and expect a cover charge of around $3. Expect a night full of heavy metal and hard rock covers that will be sure to get your horns in the air! Get more details at the Facebook event page! These should be fun, and I already have plans to be there one of the two nights to see the new lineup in action! Probably Saturday, but regardless, I'll have a review, photos, and video up on our various pages this weekend! It's been too long since I last saw Caveman Morrison, so this'll be fun! Click the above links for more, and as a preview, here's a short video of their live renditon of Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" from a show at Foggy's in January!



The other double weekend dates from a hard rock band this weekend are in Sault Michigan, in a pair of shows that we've listed here for around six months! Lots of advance warning, so here's what you should know! Cheboygan hard rock trio Driven will be playing at The Rapids Lounge at Kewadin Casino tomorrow night and Saturday night! They've played up north a few times in the past, and should deliver this weekend! Now I can't tell you much about Driven's sound, just that they play "anything with a groove thats gets people off there ass and party." No audio or video samples, but I'm almost positive they play a form of hard rock. Regardless, check out their MySpace page for more band info! Like past Rapids Lounge shows, this has a 9:00 PM start time and no cover charge. Check the above links for more, and if you go see them this weekend, let us know more about Driven!

Two more shows this weekend, both taking place on Saturday night in Sault Ontario, and we'll head back to The Canadian Nightclub to start, as the other scheduled tribute show is definitely on! Mama Kin may not be here this weekend, but Crush: The Best of Bon Jovi will be! The Toronto based Bon Jovi tribute band will make their first ever stop in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday night in what amounts to the third Bon Jovi tribute concert at The Canadian in the past seven months, following two shows earlier in the year from Keep The Faith. Crush are a very good tribute to Bon Jovi with a nice grasp of their sound and look, so if you're a fan, head to The Canadian on Saturday night! There will be a cover charge of $5, the show starts at 10:00 PM, and you must be 19 to enter. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details on this show! I'm not a huge Bon Jovi fan, but if you are, you'll enjoy this show, so consider going on Saturday! For a video preview, here's a live video of Crush playing the Bon Jovi classic "Bad Medicine" at a show last November in Toronto!



And finally, a new local metal band will return to the stage, as Sativa Rose will rock the newly re-renamed GLOW Nightclub on Saturday night! This is not only Sativa Rose's first set outside of Foggy Notions, but the first metal show at what used to be Nite-Life Dance Club in a few months! And of course, it's the first metal show at GLOW following tomorrow's grand re-opening party, which you can get more details about at this location! So really, you have two reasons to go see Sativa Rose on Saturday: The newly refurbished venue, and great heavy metal covers from a rising young band! These guys are very good, and will have lots of metal covers in store on Saturday, some of which you can check out at YouTube user MrJohnveale's channel! There will be a $3 cover, a 10:00 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit. Should be a fun concert, Sativa Rose have lots of promise and should deliver well at GLOW on Saturday! Check the above links or the Facebook event page for more, and for a preview, here's a clip of Sativa Rose covering Iron Maiden's "Two Minutes To Midnight" from a Foggy Notions jam night in July!



That's all for today, but stay tuned over the next while for our new poll, updates from Garden of Bedlam, Riverin, and much more!