LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril & Monkey's Uncle), Mike Haggith & Woods Of Ypres Updates, And More!!

Here's a blast of news for this Tuesday morning, including the latest on a local artist's next album, new reviews of a prominent local CD, and much more, but first, we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as Kewadin Casino in Sault Michigan has updated their entertainment page to reflect new shows at The Rapids Lounge through the end of the year, which includes a handful of new hard rock shows! We'll get to those in a second, but also check the above links to find out new dates from area classic rock bands Aisle8, Bittermoon (with Monkey's Uncle alum Jim Belleau), and Crossroads, local indie acoustic duo Fallen Heroes, Oscoda classic rockers Grounded, and local country artist Paul Perry. Nothing overly heavy there, but there's plenty of talent present, so keep those bands in mind this year at Kewadin, along with the 9 weekends that are currently open that could be filled. Also, note that most of these bands (including the two hard rock acts) have upcoming dates at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace this year as well that you guys might be hearing more about this summer... stay tuned! Now, to the new metal shows at The Rapids Lounge!

In chronological order, we'll start with the latest local dates from Charlevoix metal trio Peril, who will apparently return to The Rapids Lounge on October 5th & 6th and December 21st & 22nd! These join their planned dates at Kewadin Casino's bar on July 13th and 14th on their 2012 concert schedule, and though very spread out, fans of Peril's classic metal covers & originals should be right at home with these new dates, including what's effectively the Christmas weekend this year! These gigs should have 10:00 PM-ish start times, no cover charge, and 21+ age limits, as is typical for Sault Michigan bar concerts, but note that these dates could be subject to change (their July concert weekend has already been moved up one week.) Sounds like some solid additions to their concert schedule for sure, and you know the guys in Peril will deliver a great time at their next local dates, so keep these new shows in mind as the year wears on, and check the above links for more details!

Before we get to the other new hard rock shows at Kewadin, I just wanted to note that Peril's Facebook page features a concert lineup implying that they're playing at the Sault Kewadin on August 24th & 25th, while Kewadin's entertainment page lists them as playing at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace that weekend. I assume it's just an error, but if the shows were indeed moved, I'll keep you guys posted on that A.S.A.P.!

The other heavier new concerts are courtesy of local hard rock notables Monkey's Uncle, who are now confirmed for a pair of late 2012 concert weekends of their own! While their August 3rd & 4th concerts were restored to the lineup after briefly being removed along with some other summer dates, the Henry Switzer-led quartet will return to The Rapids Lounge on October 12th & 13th and December 14th & 15th, exactly a week after and a week before the new Peril gigs! I'd expect 10:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charge at any of these new dates, and check the above links for more details! Though I wish Monkey's Uncle had better updated pages and newer information online, they are a very talented and entertaining hard rock band with lots of solid original material and covers, so don't miss them at their future local dates, including THIS WEEKEND at The Rapids Lounge, and these new Monkey's Uncle & Peril dates are now in our concert listings!

Next up, here's the latest news from Sault Ontario solo artist Mike Haggith! While we're still waiting for the release of his long delayed 45th solo album "Neighbourhood Watch", he's keeping fans up to speed with lots of new demo and full track postings towards the album that we can stream in advance! All were posted on his solo project's Facebook page in video format (so I can't embed any of them here) including an instrumental mix of "To Whom This May Concern", full versions of "Leon the Janitor" and "Room 822", and more (including two instrumental mixes of non-album tracks), so check the above links to hear the new material! I won't weigh in with full thoughts yet, as I fully expect to review Mike's new album upon it's release, but longtime fans of his solo work shouldn't be disappointed! Also in recent Mike Haggith news: He quietly released a new single named "Prozac Weather" to his Reverbnation store on Friday, making it his second solo single release after "The Curse of 13", judging by what was on his old Facebook discography. It hasn't been posted for free streaming as of today, so you can only buy it to hear this 18 minute long song (featuring parts of existing original songs) in full, but it's available for $5.59 or less depending on your chosen format, so give "Prozac Weather" a shot, and stay tuned to the above links for more on Mike Haggith's newest music!

Also, here's some more reviews of Woods of Ypres' final recorded album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light"! On January 22nd, Dominic Walsh from the British metal site Dawn of the Deaf gave the local doom metal quartet's latest release 4.5 stars out of 5, saying that it left a superb legacy for the band, and called it a "surreal listen" when you know about what happened to late frontman David Gold. It's a fairly brief actual review, with much of the text referring to the events surrounding it's release in December and early 2012, but check it out at this location! In another review in January, Dirk Konz from the German metal site MetalNews gave "W5" a 6/7, calling it a "posthumous masterpiece", while complimenting on it's organic & clean sound , and also viewing it as timeless. That said, it's a longer review that needs translation if you can't speak German, so run this link through Google Translate to check it out! Finally, Raymond Westland from ThisIsNotAScene gave "Woods V" 8.5 stars out of 10 in another January review, and while he said it didn't hold many surprises, and had a "diminshed underground charm", he called it "incredibly solid" and the perfect follow-up to "Woods IV". This is a good and concise review, so click here to check it out, and stay tuned for more Woods of Ypres notes soon, including a recently discovered interview with guitarist Joel Violette from earlier this month!

And finally, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band or channel name:

• Remember the local band on YouTube user adamscovers' channel from various Superior Heights gigs? Well, I can confirm that the Adam in question is Adam Gualtieri, who is the shorter haired member on guitar & bass in the posted videos. He joins Liam Seymour & a yet-unidentified drummer in this band, and I think Adam is related to ex-Creatures of the Night bassist Mike Gualtieri. Hopefully we hear more on this band soon, but thanks to Adam for letting me know some extra details!
• I'll likely be moving Valentine's Day Massacre/Sativa Rose guitarist Andrew Angelic's solo project to our inactive band links on Saturday due to a year's inactivity. He last used his solo MySpace page on the day he started it (June 2nd of last year), likely due to focusing on his bands. Definitely keep posted on his bands though, as he's still very busy in music, but if his solo project returns, I'll be sure to let you guys know!
• Local doom/stoner metal band Giwakwa have quietly parted ways with singer Jason Bourcier, as per his removal from their lineup on their Facebook page. A public reason hasn't been announced for his departure, and though I have heard why, I won't go into further detail unless the band says anything publically, out of respect to all parties. Best of luck to Jason in his next musical steps for sure though, and stay tuned for more Giwakwa updates!
  

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Insipid Brutality review by Thursday, along with weekend concert previews and more! Thanks everyone!