Meet The SMS' New Local Bands (F.A.T.I.L., Inhuman Methods, And Oddfellow!!)

It's time for our first special post relating to our coverage expansion from 45 minutes to 1 hour from the Twin Saults (as part of our 5th anniversary), and I thought what better way to lead off than with a special post to profile the newest bands added to our local band links? That's what's in this post, but we'll get to some more news tomorrow (including new shows, including for the first time, officially covered shows in St. Ignace), so keep an eye out! Now, let's welcome the newest three bands to our full local coverage!

First is probably the most recently prominent band, that being local death metal quartet For All That Is Lost! Listed as being from Desbarats, Bruce Mines, and Thessalon on their various online pages, F.A.T.I.L. launched in the spring of 2010, and have slowly rose in prominence in the area since, from their early CASS Cafe sets to their Sault Ste. Marie debut in March 2011 and beyond, and they've quickly became local favourites with their brutal originals and growing stage presence & talents! Fans may recognize them as 8 time veterans of Rosie metal nights and from concerts with notable out of town bands like Fuck The Facts, Biipiigwan, and Abriosis, while also finishing strongly at two Sault Ontario battles of the bands in 2012, and headlining a number of "F.A.T.I.L. Events/Gatherings" at the band members' homes in the last couple years. Their current lineup of course consists of singer Tyler Sperry, guitarist Brook Moreau (who replaced Graeme Caughill in late 2010), bassist Ben Deslauriers, and drummer Kameron Nicholson, while they also featured second guitarist Allen Piche until last summer.

From their Sault Ontario debut last spring onward, For All That Is Lost have been just as or more visible locally than most other local bands, and it's well past due to cover them formally on the SMS! Since I first saw F.A.T.I.L. live last year, they've grown a lot as musicians and as a band, and their array of original songs and live videos will definitely prove that! A quick YouTube search will find a nice selection of For All That Is Lost videos, along with their various online pages, so in the unlikely chance you haven't already, give their material a look/listen! Here's one of their better originals, "The Return of Dionysus" from the 39th Rosie metal night in November!



The other "new" Sault Ontario-area band is another young death metal act, that being Inhuman Methods! Admittedly, they probably could have been on the SMS since their singer change, as half of their current lineup are from Echo Bay from what I can tell, but it's better late than never to roll them in! Launched last summer, Inhuman Methods made their live debut at the Dead In The Van concert at The Canadian Nightclub in March, and they followed that with a set at the Sault Humane Society Battle of the Bands the next month, prior to their first shows with their current lineup this summer, including a recent Rosie metal night, the F.A.T.I.L. Gathering in Laird, and a planned set at the second Sewer Swampstravaganza on July 13th. Their lineup currently consists of singer Anthony Tverdal (who replaced Curtis Moir in April), guitarists Alex Swain & Wesley Carson, and Crimson Crusade drummer Robert Crossley, and though a bassist has yet to be 100% confirmed, someone named Alexis Hall is also credited on their latest band logo image, so maybe she's now on bass? I'll let you guys know if I hear anything positive on that front!

Though the Inhuman Methods shows I've seen were rough for timing and on stage comfort levels, there's definitely something there, and the guys are improving! I've heard good things about Anthony's singing too, and hopefully their sound continues to improve and grow as they get more prominent locally! Though their first shows were Lamb of God cover-heavy, they are writing a bunch of originals, one of which ("Inside") was filmed at their Battle of the Bands set in April, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from their current lineup!



Finally for the new bands on the site is the only new Sault Michigan-area band in this first expansion phase, that being the Cedarville hard rock band Oddfellow! Long a prominent band in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, their run from 2001-2008 saw them achieve a lot of successes, including the release of their only album "Go" in 2005 (which is available to stream online), concert sets all over the U.P. and Lower Peninsula (including a high performance at a Bodog battle of the bands in Detroit in 2006), frequent coverage in The St. Ignace News, and strong recommendations from Northern Michigan radio personalities! Though they broke up in late 2008, and though at least one band member now lives out of state, the guys still maintain and update Oddfellow's online pages, and the possibility of a future reunion is not dead, so who knows what could happen in the future! Oddfellow's lineup consisted of singer/guitarists, brothers, and future S.C.O.W. bandmates Jason & Seth Haske (you may also recognize Jason from the local cover band Chump Change), alongside bassist Phil Kasper & former Riot! By Night drummer Odin Osogwin.

Oddfellow are definitely one of the benefits to expanding further in Michigan for coverage, as they attained a lot of success in the area and beyond during their run in the 2000s, and they throw a unique spin onto their hard rock sound that makes them accessible while also standing out! Given that I have their "Go" album at access, I 100% plan on reviewing it on the site in the future, possibly tied in with a Chump Change show in the same month, so keep an eye out for it in a month with no new releases! That said, for videos, the only one I've found is a low quality drum solo by Odin Osogwin, so for a full preview of Oddfellow, here's the opening song from their CD, entitled "Tricks"!



That's all for now, but definitely check out all of the above bands, and welcome them all to our full local coverage at The Sault Metal Scene! Tomorrow, we will return to some news, including for the first time on the SMS, local shows in St. Ignace, so stay tuned! Thanks everyone!