First today, I can now confirm that Brimley metal band Half A Man have officially parted ways with singer Dillion Semasky. A public statement about the move hasn't been made, but frontman Erik Rintamaki confirmed that Dillion did indeed leave the band via e-mail with me yesterday. A full reason for his exit wasn't given, but the tone of what I've heard is not negative, and Half A Man do hope to possibly jam with Dillion at LemmaFest, seeing as he's playing there that night with Munising metal quintet Infathom already. Dillion had joined Half A Man in December, but was only featured in one rehearsal video before questions of his band status arose in the spring, thanks to statements about Half A Man's next projects as a trio. I figured that Dillion would add an interesting dimension to their sound with his extreme style of vocals, but this move is probably the best for all parties, and hopefully Dillion continues to rock the U.P. with Infathom! As recent postings have indicated, Half A Man are reverting to a trio for their upcoming album & LemmaFest set, with Erik back on vocals, but it's not uncharted waters for them. Remember, their first gig in the summer of 2010 was as a trio due to then-drummer Doug Reed's absence, so they should do just fine as a three-piece! Stay tuned for more Half A Man news as it rolls in!
Next up, here's the latest updates from Skeyes of Seven, the new local hard rock band featuring Sense of Truth, Half Past, and Tripod the Dog alumni! Updates have been quiet from them since their March inception, but in one recent development, it looks like they've parted ways with drummer Chris Thompson. A reason for his departure has not been announced, but Chris was quietly removed from their lineup on their Facebook page in recent weeks. As a result, the band is currently looking for a new drummer, as per a post by frontman Cory Murchison on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday. They're looking for an "experienced & dedicated" drummer, and to message either Cory or guitarist Alain Fletcher on Facebook if you're interested. Cory also added that Skeyes of Seven are hoping to become an all original band and release an album, but they are planning on doing some covers initially, with Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Tool, and Deftones covers in the works. Hopefully they get a new drummer soon, as we've missed them all on stage, and hopefully they find a perfect fit! And though I don't know why Chris left, he's still got Frightlight and Half Past (if they're even still alive) to fall back on, so best of luck to him for sure! Stay tuned for more Skeyes of Seven news as I hear it!Finally for lineup changes, newer Sault Michigan metal band Hoist The Sails have apparently parted ways with guitarist Nathan Switzer, just weeks after we found out that bassist Joe Niemi had also left. Again, no public reason for Nathan's departure has been announced, but he's no longer listed on their Facebook lineup. I figure it has to have been a recent move though, as he's featured in the band's latest video from April 18th. This is really disappointing if true, especially knowing Nathan's talents as a guitarist, but hopefully he pops up in a new band soon, and in case there's an active search, message Hoist The Sails at the above links if you're interested in playing guitar or bass for them!
Now originally, we also had another lineup change, in that Kincheloe metal band Chained Memories had parted ways with singer Sean Roush on Sunday for personal reasons. However, the band confirmed on their Facebook page last night that "until further notice, we no longer exist. The band is disbanded." I assume this is partly due to Sean's departure, but no official reasoning beyond that was given. I'll note that their brief statement does leave open the possibility of a return ("Until further notice..."), but it may have needed better wording. I know that drummer Mike Rynberg has worked really hard to get Chained Memories off the ground since their late 2009 inception, and they've had promising lineups since then, but things have been visibly unstable for band membership and positions, and I don't believe they ever posted audio material. I personally don't know why things haven't moved forward much, but hopefully the guys stay active in area bands, and hopefully their next projects can succeed where Chained Memories couldn't if this is indeed their end. Best of luck to Mike, Sean, Ryan, and Mikaela in the future, and I've moved Chained Memories to our inactive Sault Michigan band links!
Let's end this post on a positive note, so here's some recent updates to some of our monthly feature posts! First, I've updated all of the entries in our Battle of the Bands Rewind Mini-Series to reflect the results and finishes of the Humane Society Battle on April 20th, including the withdrawls of Cowboys & Indians and The Moves, both of which had alumni from many of the battles we covered in the series. In our Defunct Local Band Profile Series, I've added a minor reference to the Death Rise profile to note guitarist Johnny Belanger's current work as Caveman Morrison's drummer, while for the Life's Eclipse profile, I added a brief note that guitarist David Mills is also a member of the Eckerman metal band Moss, which is now linked there. I restored a photo to the Out Of The Mouth Of Babes profile, while the State of Misery profile has saw numerous changes to reflect their latest reunion, including a new photo of their current/original lineup, notes on their current status, and the departure of bassist Devon Overman. Because they're re-activated, their profile's title once again has an asterisk (*) at the end. Finally, I added a brief mention to the From The Ashes Of Angels profile about frontman David Waite's current Colorado-based acoustic solo project Jibber N' The Beanie. There's more updates to come, but check the above links to get caught up on these newly updated SMS feature posts!That's all for now, but stay tuned for my review from last night's Roberta Bondar Pavilion all ages metal show later tonight! Thanks everyone!
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