SweetKenny - "Doo Hickey" Review!!

Let's end the month with an Easter present, that being our 45th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and today, it's of Dafter, Michigan solo guitarist Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton's fifth original solo album "Doo Hickey"! Released TODAY (and recorded) through his independent label Waterfall Records, this is Ken's first of at least two scheduled 2013 albums, and it features him on all instruments, save for the guitar, which he shares along with frequent collaborator Scott Schroen on the first 5 tracks. As of this writing, "Doo Hickey" can be purchased for 99¢ a track on CD Baby, Amazon, & iTunes, with physical discs available on CD Baby as well, though note that the full mp3 album cost there is almost double what is is on other sites. As well, the whole EP (which has just 6 songs under 22 minutes in total length) can be streamed on SweetKenny's website, so click here to check it out before buying, and each song title is linked to it's streaming cop! Without any further adieu, let's begin with the album's first song, "Prescription X"!

"Prescription X" starts with an almost surf rock intro, and it in this short song (one of two under 2 minutes long), it feels very condensed, almost like Ken started verses early to fit the shorter runtime. The heavier guitar riffs are good, and Ken's singing (which has a higher tempo Elvis-esque tone here) fits well for the mood of the song, but it all feels very rushed compared to longer later tracks on "Doo Hickey", and I'd like to hear this song even with a minute of extra runtime. Second is "I'm Lost Without You", which has a slower pacing to start, with almost a bluesier hard rock tone, but the structure does feel more natural than on the opening song. I like the groove of this song, which has a laid back mix of styles, and Ken's lower singing fits the mood very well! The spoken word asides add some levity without taking away from the song (which surprised me a bit), and overall, if you like a bluesy take on progressive rock, you'll like "I'm Lost Without You"! I just wish there was more of a solo, and maybe a bit less repetition.

Third is "January Guitar", an initially softer number that definitely seems to call upon Ken's Elvis tribute past vocally, before building out of nowhere into a more aggressive and scratchier chorus, then fading back. The instrumentation is effectively intricate, but the choruses feel too abrupt and jarring for a change to the song's feel otherwise. That said, Ken & Scott's guitar work is very nice, the singing's effective, and it has a floaty essence that's a welcome change, so it works on that level, but I'd liked to have seen the verses and chorus flow in a more natural way. Next is "I Met A Girl", which has a bouncy riff to start and some effective old school-feeling vocals, and it definitely feels like a song from the 1970s in tone! That said, the guitar work does seem somewhat repetitious, and the structure has some messy transitions (though not as obvious as on "Prescription X"), and I would like to hear it a bit longer than it is. The pace and Ken's singing work well though, and this is a solid rocker for what it is!

Second last on "Doo Hickey" is "Alone", which is the EP's shortest track, and it reminds me of a bit heavier and better structured variant of "January Guitar", and it has a nice guitar melody and good melodic rock singing! That said, it's way too short, and it feels like just the first part of a longer song that wasn't completed, but for it's length, it works as a mid-tempo rock original! Now if only it had more of a guitar solo. This album closes with by far it's longest track "It's Like Darkness & Cold Rain", which is also the only purely solo song on the EP. Maintaining a darker slow pace, Ken's Elvis-esque singing flows well with the backing instrumentation, and he gets ample time to show off his guitar skills in the middle of the song, but it feels like this song could have used a heavier interlude or some sort of tempo change to break up the song, which feels overlong at 7 minutes in length. That said, this song shows Ken's multiple instrument skill nicely, and though it's somewhat of a down note to end "Doo Hickey" with, his talent can't be questioned!

So, what's the final word on SweetKenny's newest EP? I liked a lot of it, but there were some things I'd have fixed. On the positive side, Ken Sutton has a nice vocal range that suits the material, whether he's channeling his Elvis influences or employing a grittier side of things, and both his and Scott Schroen's guitar work shows a lot of talent cultivated over decades of experience! The songs show a variance of influences too, so there's a little something for everyone, though myself, I took to "I'm Lost Without You" the most of the 6. There main aspect of "Doo Hickey" that I'd like to see amended on future albums is the song structures, either for repetition, short length, or rushed/messy transitions. Had those been addressed, each song could have really stood out even more, as there's a lot of good in this EP! Also, while this isn't a universally heavy release, Ken shows aspects of it here, and on earlier albums like "Jennifer's Box Of Junk", you can see a lot more as well. Overall, while imperfect, there's a lot to like on "Doo Hickey", and hopefully "Perception" builds on it with even more quality SweetKenny work!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what's coming up next month? Barring a new local metal album release, we'll be looking at Woods of Ypres' 2008 compilation CD "Independent Nature 2002-2007" on the site, as we finally move to reviews of their other albums apart from their main 5! As Woods of Ypres are posthumously nominated for a Juno Award in three weeks, I hope to tie in a review of it before April 20th, but is that indeed coming next? We'll likely bump it to May if something new comes out by April 20th, but what's on the horizon? We'll of course cover many new releases on Tuesday in this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, but note that if a new review is next month, it will NOT be of any albums by Mike Haggith, as it's too soon from our last review of his, though a review of a new Haggith band album is still possible. Stay tuned on or around April 20th for our next CD review, and keep an eye out tomorrow for a new news post, including a possible preview of THIS WEDNESDAY'S first night of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands! Thanks everyone!

Trapt/Hinder Fallout, New Videos, And More Recent Updates!!

The news keeps coming in, and our streak of consecutive days with new posts will run until at least the end of the month, as tomorrow (day 34) will see our review of SweetKenny's new album, so keep an eye out for that! Today though, we have some more recent news and notes, including a few new videos, but first, here's some fallout from a major concert that took place last weekend!

Waiting for any videos or news articles from this past Sunday's Trapt/Hinder concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino? I've finally got some to share, including a rare Kewadin Casino hard rock concert review on SooToday! Oddly not from usual concert reviewer/photographer Donna Hopper, the review heaps praise on the three bands (including fan-friendly openers Acidic), though it mostly focuses on Hinder's headlining set and how well recieved it was by attendees, especially during "Lips of an Angel" and "Get Stoned". I've never been high on Hinder myself, but it shows that their sound has a large appeal, and if fans left happy, that's what matters! 11 photos were also included in the article linked above, mostly of Hinder, but there are three from Trapt's set and one of Acidic frontman Mike Gossard as well. As for videos, I've only found two YouTube channels with any, including two Hinder videos from YouTube user suffacation2 (who had previously posted videos from local Papa Roach, Buckcherry, and Billy Talent shows), so click here to check out two videos of Hinder's biggest hits mentioned above!

The other new videos are courtesy of YouTube user Autumn Beard, in what are her first local concert videos, and including videos of the same Hinder songs above (plus "Better Than Me" and "Get Me Away From You"), and two Trapt videos of their songs "Headstrong" and "Sound Off"! These videos are alright too, and centered well, though the videos have an odd blur effect when the camera moves, and people's heads do sometimes get in the way. Check out Trapt playing "Sound Off" below, and see more from the show at the above links!



Next up, here's a new video from new stoner/sludge metal trio AlgomA! This is of their set-opening original song "Fell Down A Well", complete with the projected video that was synched up with it at 180 Projects last weekend. Uploaded to their YouTube channel this morning, the video footage used is from the 1926 German silent movie "Faust", and the sample intro comes from a Charles Manson interview. Featuring Kevin "Marty Chase" Campbell on lead vocals, this recording (which is from a jam session and not their concert last Sunday) sounds pretty good, and it captures the vocals and individual performances clearer, which is good to have! I'd be curious to see their other songs with the videos synched up too, but for now, this works, so check out AlgomA's quality doom metal sounds below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or store name:

• Sault Ontario music store Colosimo's Music has started a brand new Facebook page, so become a fan of it at this location for updates! Remember, this store opened last summer, and is located at 173 Spring Street (the original location of Case's Music before they moved.)
• Remember when a band named K.I.C.K. was scheduled for Toystock at The Canadian Nightclub in November, but later dropped out? As it turns out, they're an acoustic rock trio featuring Cowboys & Indians/Shore drummer Aaron Dunn that have been active since last summer, and they've been seen at a number of recent unplugged gigs. I know they're not metal, but I wanted to acknowledge the answer to a lingering question from our Toystock coverage, so now we know!
• Toast guitarist Mike Libertoski has uploaded a new 7 minute original instrumental named "Information" to his SoundCloud page on Tuesday, and it's an awesome sounding technical compositon with plenty of time changes and brutal solos and riffs, so check it out at the above links, and stay tuned for more from his solo work (and perhaps his most recent bands?)

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review tomorrow in our likely last post of the month! Thanks everyone!

New Shit Liver Songs, New Videos, And A Local Solo Project's Updates!!

32 days into our daily posting streak, we aren't gonna rest for the holidays, so what's on the docket for this Good Friday post? Along with updates from a local grunge project and some new videos from a pair of recently active local bands, we also have new songs from another popular local band, so here's what you need to know!

Local death metal/grindcore trio Shit Liver posted a pile of new songs onto their new Reverbnation page last week, and these appear to be studio tracks towards their yet-released debut EP! 13 original songs in total (one less than early projections that I had read), and they're of Shit Liver's songs "Or What?", "Hateroleum", "(Friendly Old) Uncle Joe", "Shit Liver", "Fabricated Nonsense", "Helen Kellers", "Shift Liver", "You're Scared", "Contribute or Perish", "Pennotration", "Soo'er Living", "Drowning In Shit", and "Survival of the Shittest", so click here to stream them all! Note that these don't include any of their live covers (not even of their local predecessors OBCD), or original songs like "It's Not My Problem", "Shit Will Prevail", or "Unabomber", but maybe one of them is the missing 14th track. While I won't critique the songs yet (I still hope to review this album when it comes out), the studio recordings do add clarity and definition that can sometimes be lost at their live shows, and it's good to hear them in this fashion!

If you enjoy Shit Liver or miss their more frequent live concerts, definitely check out these new studio tracks at this location, and while we wait for their next show announcement (and the album's release), they will be playing another out of town date in June when they return to Cochrane for this year's Touch Of Death music festival, so click here for more details on this local-friendly outdoor event, and stay tuned for more Shit Liver updates!

Next up, here's some more new live video footage of new local doom/sludge metal band AlgomA! As filmed at their debut gig opening for Soul Killing Female at 180 Projects on Sunday, and uploaded to their new YouTube channel yesterday, this captures their full half hour set that night, including their original songs "Fell Down A Well", "Reclaimed by the Forest", "Tertiary Syphillis", "Go on, Git!!", and "Extinct Volcanoes" (complete with on-screen titles!) No word on who filmed the video, but it looks pretty good (better than mine), and it captures their sludgy and dark hardcore sound well! I still would like to see them be a bit more lively and engaging between songs, but as I understand it, that's an intentional artistic choice. Check out AlgomA's first live concert in full below, and stay tuned for updates on their next shows and activity!



Also in new YouTube postings, local grunge quartet Haggith posted two new live audio recordings from their Relay For Life performance this past Saturday onto their YouTube channel on Monday! The recorded tracks are "Rage Train" & the instrumental "Chaos in the Streets of Aftermath" (featuring guitarist Daniel Horton on keyboard), and each features a slideshow of pictures from the event of the band's performance, Sault College's live band setup in the gym, and the copies of their limited edition "For The Cause" EP that were being sold. The audio recordings are of good quality, and both songs are solid heavier leaning grunge rockers, but I wonder why they didn't have someone actually film their set? Good stuff though, so check out "Rage Train" below, hear more at the above links, and don't miss Haggith's first ever Battle of the Bands appearance on Wednesday night at The Rockstar Bar, where they take on Late & Loud and Sarah's Valley (who I should have more about on the site in the next couple of days) for a spot in the finals on April 24th!



Finally for today, remember when we talked about former FFB frontman Chris Shoust's grunge/lo-fi solo project last spring? We hadn't heard much on that since then, but there's a good reason, as the project's not self-titled. It's actually called Telephone & Address, which was the title of the project's first release, and my source for this is the project's Facebook page, which has actually been used and maintained since 2011 (my apologies for missing it for this long!) While only sporadically updated, Chris has revealed on Facebook that Telephone & Address finished their new album "Broken Head" in late 2012, and he does sell copies of their albums by request for $13.25 by messaging him at chrisshoust@gmail.com, though I can't confirm if these are formally packaged or not. The first three Telephone & Address albums (which were apparently released through hARMISNTUS Productions) can be streamed at the project's/Chris' MySpace page, and like before, these combine grunge and alternative rock with outsider folk material, and I am curious to hear them in a heavier format with a full band, as they mostly feel unfinished (even if this is the intended effect.) Check out more from Telephone & Address above, and their name is changed in our band links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for hopefully another news post tomorrow, and this month's CD review on SweetKenny's newest CD on Sunday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), Weekend Concert Previews, And Archive Band/Album Discoveries!!

As we approach the holiday weekend, there's no end in sight for the recent influx of news, so what's on the docket for this Thursday evening? Along with a cool archive metal album discovery, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a prolific U.P. band's next regional gigs, and previews of that same band's Easter weekend gigs, but first, here's a new band discovery to eventually add to our band links, so here's what you need to know!

We have a "new" band to add to our inactive Sault Ontario band links, and they're the mid-2000s local metal quartet Batteries Not Included! Active primarily from 2003-2004, we've alluded to them on the SMS in the past, but I just discovered their Angelfire website yesterday, so only now are we adding them to our links. Their lineup included a few notable musicians from more recent local bands, including future Free Beer/M.O.B. & Creatures of the Night bandmates Keith Gagnon & Ryan Gray, and current Asylum Country drummer T.J. Case, alongside guitarist Ian Connell, who I don't believe has had any major later band roles. Though their website says that they played "a lot of vintage rock and older music", they were definitely heavier skewing, as David Helwig's SooToday article on them from August 2004 mentioned that they covered Metallica, AC/DC, and Ozzy Osbourne songs. Visibly active during the members' youths, their live shows appeared to primarily take place in mid-2004 at outdoor venues like The Roberta Bondar Pavilion & The Bellevue Park Bandshell, before likely disbanding by early 2005.

I can't add a whole lot on Batteries Not Included, as their website is full of dead and unfinished links, and I can't find any media of theirs, but the members are talented judging by their later work! In a way, they remind me of Garage Inc., in that they're a young metal band who played notable outdoor gigs and later dispersed into more successful non-metal acts, but that's likely just coincidental. Check out Batteries Not Included at the above links, and when Blogger's link add-on issues get fixed, they'll be listed on the site!

Next up, here are some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as Kinross classic hard rock quintet Banned have announced a bunch of new regional concert dates through the summer via their most recent Facebook statuses! Among the new shows, they'll return to The Sundown Lounge in Pickford (a half hour south of the Soo) for concerts on April 13th & August 3rd, while they've booked more dates at one of their favourite recent venues, Todd's Tavern in Moran (a half hour northwest of St. Ignace) on April 20th, May 4th, and May 25th! While no strangers to Todd's Tavern in recent months, the April 13th Pickford date will be their first at that venue in 8 months, and as a result, their first with their current lineup. All likely have 21+ age limits and no announced cover charges, and while the Sundown Lounge dates have 9:00 PM start times, the Moran shows will start at 8:00 PM, as is usually the case. Check the above links for more details!

It's nice to see a whack of new Banned show announcements, and I'm most surprised to see a confirmation this far ahead for August! It is sorta weird though that none of the dates are for full two night weekend engagements, but they've never been as exclusive to that concept as some other recent hard rock bands across the river. However, they do have a full weekend of music planned TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, so here's our only hard rock/metal concert previews for the Easter weekend! The aforementioned Banned will make their first ever appearances (I think) at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino tomorrow & Saturday, which will cap off a busy month of concerts from this prolific band, and hopefully their current lineup brings some great and varied metal/hard rock covers to the table at the Sault Kewadin! These shows have 9:00 PM start times, you must be 21 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. Again, check the above links for more details!

These should be some good shows, so keep Banned's Kewadin Casino debuts in mind this weekend, and for a preview, here's Banned covering a Carrie Underwood song recently, but click here for heavier covers with older lineups!



Finally for today, here's a neat find that you don't see enough of: A local metal band's cassette tape in full on YouTube! Back in the day, cassette tape albums were more common than CDs, but even some of the more obvious or notable ones (like Proposition 86's cassette or the Amethyst release with "Waste of Time") are extremely difficult to find nowadays. However, at least one metal cassette-only album has been posted on YouTube, and it's "Self Murder", the 1997 release by the defunct crossover/hardcore band Facedown! If I remember correctly, there were two local bands with this name, but I don't think it's the one that former Motion Carried drummer Jamie Whalen was in. I actually received this whole album in mp3 format a couple years ago from current Destroilet guitarist Christian Foisy, but I never did anything with the songs for SMS purposes because I didn't have a label scan to compliment the album for public uploading. No matter though, as YouTube user Richard Dryfist took care of that when he uploaded the album last month, but what do we know about it?

Uploaded as part of a playlist at this link, the 8 songs are "Self Murder", "Facedown", "Beat Up", "Facelift", "Dismemories", "World of Hate", "Emotionless", and "Loaded", so click each link to check them out! I'm unsure of their full lineup, but this is a great find, and whoever Richard Dryfist is, kudos to him! (He also uploaded a Canadian punk compilation featuring a Spigots track too.) As this is a full local metal album that I have access to, I do wanna review it on the SMS (hopefully after I learn a bit more on them), but there's some quality hardcore punk and crossover sounds in these 8 tracks to enjoy, so check everything out at the above links, and here's the cassette's title track!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news & notes likely tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, A Likely Inactive Band, And New Solo Videos!!

30 straight days of new updates at the SMS, thanks to everyone for following along over the past month! I'd originally planned to have some new shows today, but I'll slightly postpone them to tie them in with some upcoming weekend concert previews from the same band. So for today, we have some new videos from local metal musicians and a note on a band that has likely drifted into inactivity, but first, here's a recently reviewed band at the site that we can now add to our links, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new band to add to the SMS' listings, and as you may expect, it's new local hardcore/doom AlgomA! Fresh off of their debut gig opening for Soul Killing Female at 180 Projects on Sunday, the band launched their Facebook page on Monday, and also have a YouTube channel that'll hopefully feature some new videos in the near future. Thanks to the concert and past hints on 62nd Chamber Productions' blog, we knew some on AlgomA, but what's new to say now that they have public pages? They're from both the Soo & Garden River, stoner & sludge metal are among their subgenres, their songs deal with "a wide range of depressing subject matter", and they're inspired by a wide range of bands (everything from The Melvins to Eyehategod to Joy Division.) As well, singer/guitarist Boyd Rendell & singer/bassist Kevin Campbell are each credited under stage names, Boyd's being Darby Wigwaus (his name on Twitter) and Kevin's being Marty Chase, which lines up with their stage name use on posthumous BeeFMouTH material, so it's not that out of left field.

More photos from their debut gig (better ones than I got) can be seen on their Facebook page linked above, and AlgomA have promised some new videos from the show as well, so stay tuned for all of that and more band news soon, and hopefully their entertaining and very brutal doom metal sounds can be heard live again soon, including at hopefully some more all ages shows from drummer Jamie Vincent! AlgomA are now in our active Sault Ontario band links on your left!

Next up, I want to acknowledge a band we'll likely be bumping to our inactive band links soon, that being Sault Ontario glam/punk quartet Dirty Virgin. Though nothing has been posted to confirm their status, they haven't made any official public updates since their last concert, which will be a year ago on Saturday, hence why we're counting them as inactive. Dirty Virgin were a steady sight at local concerts in 2008 & 2009, playing shows at venues like the old Coch's Corner & The Grand Theater, including some memorable opening slots & a runner up finish at 2009's YMCA Battle of the Bands. However, news tailed off by early 2010 after their appearance at the Kiss Battle of the Bands, and amidst months of prolonged inactivity, they only resurfaced for two one-off Canadian Nightclub gigs, opening for Crued in April 2011 and Late & Loud in March 2012. I wish Dirty Virgin had been more active in the 2010s, as they had an entertaining sound that brought some classic hair metal influences and punk sensibilities to the stage, and they were original compared to other bands at the time!

Though the vocals were hit & miss at times, Dirty Virgin had a good thing going, and I'd love to see them resurface (even for one-offs) again down the road, or at least stay active in other bands (such as Matt Hicks & Matt Clement's industrial project Riverin.) Best of luck to Bobby, Ryan, Lionel, the Matts, and Dickie in the future, and if they come back at all in the future, we'll be sure to let you guys know!

We'll close today with new solo videos, starting with new solo videos from former Inhuman Methods guitarist Alex Swain! Though his band is now inactive, they were together as recently as late January, as Alex uploaded two solo guitar play-through videos then of a planned Inhuman Methods original song onto his YouTube channel! The videos were two parts of the same 6 minute original (name unknown), and it's really promising with a lot of fast technical riffing, though it can be somewhat repetitive, and I'd like to have heard more of a solo. I imagine it'd sound better with the full band, but with their breakup, I can only hope that Alex brings this track with him to a new project down the road. I've embedded the first half of the song below, but be sure to check out the second half at this location, and if I hear anything new on Alex's next musical steps, I'll be sure to let you guys know!

Finally, here's some new audio recordings from Pillory/Lazer Queen drummer Bret Shuttleworth that I recently came across! Uploaded by YouTube user Jon Livingstone last month, they include two new original songs named "No Doubt In My Mind" and "Now I'm Here", and as best as I can tell, these only feature Bret on all instruments (unless there's some uncredited input from Jon or others.) Softer than his metal drumming repertoire, Bret is surprisingly good at clean singing (if that's him), and the guitar work isn't bad either, especially on "Now I'm Here", which is an instrumental number that sounds like a Metallica-esque song intro. That said, fans of his band work will probably gravitate to Jon's other upload of Bret's, which is a solo cover of Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" featuring him on all instruments again (I assume), and though he took a self-deprecating shot at it on his personal Facebook page, all it really needs is better recording quality & timing, , as the drumming's solid, and the vocals fit really well with the track! Check out Bret's Metallica cover below, and hear more of his recent solo work at the above links!


That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, including this weekend's concert previews and our review of SweetKenny's new album this weekend! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Brynhildr

For our second post of the day, we have this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! As always, this monthly feature series looks at a metal/hard rock band that isn't based in Sault Ste. Marie, but has at least one past/present Saultite in any of their lineups, and from there, we'll look at their local ties, bio, information, and material! This month's band comes almost a year after we looked at their leader's other recent project, so read on below for this month's out of town profile, and check out this morning's post featuring the near-complete details on the lineups for next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands in the post below this one! (Updated on November 27th, 2014)
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Brynhildr (Ontario) 

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Ryan "Geiravor Hrist Herfjotra" DeWinter (all instruments)

No surviving online pages
 

Local Info: Behind his Old Norse-language stage name, the mastermind behind Brynhildr is Sault College alum Ryan DeWinter, who may be better known for his earlier black metal project Winter of Silence! I don't know a ton on Ryan's local ties beyond his local college stint (not even if he's still living/attending school here), but he is originally from Southern Ontario, where he played in bands like Cimmarian and Coprophilism in the 2000s. If you can help fill in any other blanks, let me know!

Band Bio: Succeeding his now defunct black metal band Winter of Silence upon their launch in March 2012, Brynhildr were a similar black metal outfit that Ryan/Geiravor currently runs and releases material through. Like Winter of Silence, Brynhildr are signed to Razed Soul Productions, but unlike the previous band, Brynhildr takes on a persona and continuous concept based around Nordic legends and tales. Initial plans last year were for Brynhildr to release a series of 5 concept albums called "Through The Silks Of Time", starting with the CD "Act 1: For Tragedy Hath Befallen Us", but since initial hype for a release in mid-2012, nothing has visibly been put out (at least partially due to artwork issues), and all officially posted YouTube samples have been pulled for unknown reasons. As of February 2013, Ryan didn't even know the first album's current status, and the project quietly dissolved by 2014, with their online pages also deleted. Despite the removed audio tracks, YouTube user Pedro Joel did upload their song "Ljosalfar" ("light elves" in English) to his channel, so how does it sound?

It shows Ryan's multi-instrumental skills pretty well, and while I wouldn't say it's as "depressive" as Winter of Silence often were, there is a slower dirge quality to the song that black metal loyalists should enjoy, along with some faster sections! That said, there is repetition, and the Nordic themes aren't as visible as their Facebook page would indicate, but it could all be lyrically-exclusive. Fans of Winter of Silence or darker black metal should enjoy Brynhildr's surviving song, but I can't reliably compare Ryan's two recent bands without hearing more Brynhildr material. For now, check out "Ljosalfar" below, and hopefully Ryan's still active in music!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month, we'll take a look at the Edmonton hardcore band Flint, who featured current AlgomA drummer/Kidshit guitarist Jamie Vincent in their lineup through last year! This should be interesting, so watch out for that on or around April 26th, and stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow featuring a new addition to our band links and some new concerts! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rockstar Bar Battle Of The Bands), Plus The Complete Semifinal Rounds Schedule!!

For our 29th straight day of new SMS posts, we're focusing entirely on next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, as the final lineup and schedules for each night have been posted, hence we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS today! As you may remember, bands will compete in semifinal battle rounds at The Rockstar Bar on April 3rd, 10th, and 17th before the finals on April 24th, and despite early hopes for as many as 15 bands, the battle will instead have 9, with three bands each on the first three Wednesdays of April, and the winning bands each week going on to the finals on the 24th. As a result, there'll be no wild card finalist entries (barring an unlikely finalist band withdrawal.) We knew of 5 of the bands via their own public confirmations of their involvement, and the other 4 were announced via the Facebook event page yesterday, complete with what day they're competing.

Remember, as I'm one of the judges (joining Case's Music's James Case & The Rad Zone's Len Ward), I will not be critiquing any of the bands in relation to their battle sets or predicting outcomes, out of fairness and impartiality to all competing acts, which I did for last year's Humane Society Battle as well. The photo inclusions aren't slighting anyone on purpose either, I'm just trying to spread things out and keep the order roughly alphabetical. Without any further adieu, here's each day's lineup!

The first night of the battle is on April 3rd (one week from Wednesday), and the three bands include at least two heavier bands, including the previously announced Haggith! The local grunge/alternative rock quartet will make their first Rockstar Bar appearance next week as one of the first 3 battle competitors, in what I think will be the members' first individual local battle tries! Fresh off of the release of their limited edition "For The Cause" EP, will the guys ride their recent momentum to a finals slot next week? The other two bands next week are new confirmations, including prominent classic metal quartet Late & Loud! The only band next month to have won a prior local battle of the bands (last year's Humane Society Battle), this will mark their first live set since November's EP release gig, and just their third show since their initial battle win. Plus, members Benn Garside & Josh Hatherley took fourth place with The Glass Statues at 2009's YMCA Battle, and Josh drummed with Behind Society at the 2008 Case's Music Battle, so there's no shortage of battle experience for these guys!

However, there will be a bittersweet air to their return, as if Late & Loud don't make the finals, next week will mark their last show for a long while (perhaps ever?) with singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi, as he's apparently planning to move back to Southern Ontario later this spring, as per postings on his personal Facebook page, though no word yet if it's back to his hometown of Welland or not. This is really surprising, as he's a very talented multi-instrumentalist, and this would leave a void in no less than four local bands (Late & Loud, Lazer Queen, Pillory, and The Daybreak Johnnies), but hopefully Jon finds success in whatever comes next when he does leave the Soo, and hopefully all of his local bands will survive in some form! That said, can he go out on top with a second local battle win for Late & Loud? They and Haggith will also be going up against a new band (as far as I can tell) named Sarah's Valley, and I admit that I know nothing on them. All I know is that they registered for the battle at Case's Music, and I can't find any information on them online to verify their membership, sound, or anything.

This isn't foreign territory, as we've encountered bands that had not publically launched before a battle of the bands before (remember Tiny Trebuchet at the Kiss Battle?) Plus, if they are indeed a new project, don't count them out, as Sense of Truth & Bring The Fallen are proof that a debuting band can win a battle of the bands, so when we hear some confirmation on anything relating to Sarah's Valley, I will be sure to let you guys know!

The April 10th battle semifinal round will see three more local bands gathering to compete, two of which we've previously confirmed, including local punk trio The Northern Tragedy! No strangers to The Rockstar Bar, they have been a steady live sight in recent months, and they also bring some battle experience to the table via singer/drummer Terrence Gomes, who played at the Algoma University Battle in 2009 with Creedon & The Animal Detectives and last year's Battle For The Blood with Changing Waves. Can their energetic punk sound carry them to the finals? Among the bands they'll be up against on the 10th, the newly confirmed band is The Pesto Shirts, an acoustic/folk/jazz rock outfit that have been active since last year, which included sets at Rotaryfest and other notable concerts! This will also be their live concert debut as a quartet, following the addition of Blues Harvest frontman Jake Rendell on drums, who has experience as a metal frontman way back in his local music repetoire with Garage Inc.

While somewhat of an outlier compared to the other competing bands, they have a lot of talent & chemistry, and both Jake & guitarist/pianist Steve Myers are no stranger to recent local battle success, with Steve winning the 2008 Skid Row Battle with former local metal standouts Sense of Truth, who (along with Jake & Blues Harvest) also made the finals of the Kiss Battle the next year! Can The Pesto Shirts fly to victory over their electric competitors in two weeks? The other April 10th band is local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings, making their own return to The Rockstar Bar in the midst of their own building local success! Fresh off of the recording sessions for their forthcoming debut EP, they have battle-tested members as well, with both guitarist Steven Flint & bassist Mitch Sirie competing at last year's Humane Society battle (with Steven placing third with Wishbone, and Mitch finishing a point away from tying them with The Bear Hunters.) Can The Suicide Kings build on those finishes with a finals berth on April 10th?

The final semifinal round will take place on April 17th, and metalheads might be drawn to this night the most thanks to all three bands skewing heavier, including the aforementioned Bear Hunters! Featuring The Suicide Kings' Mitch Sirie in a melodic death metal environment, this prominent quintet will play just their second local show since last summer, in what will be their Rockstar Bar debut! As mentioned above, it'll be their second local battle appearance, though their lineup is loaded with battle experience, with members Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger having done well in recent battles with bands like D.O.T.H. & Operation: Killdozer. Can they make the finals and top last year's narrow miss from the podium? Bear Hunters guitarist Josh Stephney will be a busy guy on the 17th though, as his new local death/sludge metal quartet Giwakwa will make their live concert debut at the battle that night! Featuring Josh on vocals alongside veteran local guitarist Chris Page, Josh's ex-Bring The Fallen bandmate Nolan Rainville, and Frightlight drummer Chris Thompson, these guys bring a mix of new and old influences and backgrounds to the table, after a long path to their first live appearance!

Plus, Josh & Nolan have a pile of battle success under their belts from the Bring The Fallen days, with that band winning three battles out of four entered in 2009 & 2010 (though Nolan missed their last win.) Is their reunion in Giwakwa the key to another successful battle finish? While simple math favours one of Josh's bands making the finals, there's another group that could overcome those odds, that being the original crash band, Sykotyk Rampage! This creatively original alternative/blues rock quartet will make their first Rockstar Bar appearance in three years on April 17th, in what will be their third competitive battle appearance (having competed at the Kiss Battle in 2009 & placed 3rd at the Sault College Battle in 2010), though they played at last year's Humane Society Battle out of competition. Plus, bassist Tony Briglio has a second place battle finish under his belt with The Fury at 2010's Downtown Showdown, but can Sykotyk Rampage return to the upper echelon on April 17th with their improvised and prolific original sound?

The winning band at each of the above three nights of the battle will re-convene on April 24th for the finals, where one band will win $1,000, recording time at Case's Music, and guaranteed opening slots at one or more of battle organizer J.D. Pearce's upcoming concerts, with other possible prizes to be announced. Each night has an announced 9:00 PM start time, the battle is a 19+ event, and tickets are $3 a night (save for the $10 final round on the 24th), but there are $15 ticket packages for all four nights available at either The Algonquin Hotel/Rockstar Bar or through many participating band members, as they each received tickets to sell through their applications. Check the above links for more details! This is shaping up to be a great event next month, and I hope there's tons of people turning out to support the bands and rally them to the finals each Wednesday in April! Of course, we'll keep you guys posted as updates come in on the battle, but for now, stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Brynhildr soon on the SMS, and if anyone knows anything on Sarah's Valley, LET ME KNOW! Thanks everyone!

Soul Killing Female Concert Review!!

Before we promote the full details on the bands and schedule for next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, here's my review of last night's Soul Killing Female-headlined metal show at 180 Projects on Gore Street! As this was my first ever time at this building since it's rebirth as an arts/concert venue, let's start with some thoughts on the building itself, so here's what you need to know!

I don't remember 180 Projects' past as MJ's to compare it, but the concert venue space is at the 178 Gore entrance, and the second floor was (as best as I can tell) storage. There was an art exhibition of some kind to the left of the concert area, and though things were somewhat barren, there was some interesting art pieces on the walls, and an inviting loft atmosphere with some lounge chairs for patrons to use! I'd personally like to see them display some for-sale local art pieces during open periods (similarly to what Feedback did in late 2011), but I don't know how feasible that is. I also really enjoyed the projector that shown videos on the right wall in front of the stage, which the two metal bands used to quality effect, and I hope this is a regular feature for future concerts! Plus, the pre-show videos on Aboriginal culture and rights by B.C. filmmaker Chris Bose were interesting both culturally and visually, including some trippy and experimental visuals that really caught my attention, so I recommend checking them out at this link!

Now to the bands, and after a delay from the 7:00 PM start time, the first band was actually new local band AlgomA rather than Honest Job, who were bumped to last on the bill due to (I believe) a band member's job commitments. Now, AlgomA have kept their profile low-key until yesterday, so we didn't know much on them, so what can we say now? Their sound is definitely metal, but far removed from any other current local bands, as they play a very sludgy mix of doom metal and hardcore (picture Winkstinger + late era Woods of Ypres), along with some effective samples and some cool silent movie footage to go with their set! As you may remember, guitarist Boyd Rendell & bassist Kevin Campbell were previously in the local hardcore/punk band BeeFMouTH in the late 1990s, and while AlgomA's sound is similar (especially thanks to Boyd's high pitched yelling vocals), they're no where near as fast or punk influenced. Myself, I really liked their set, as it was heavy, locally original, and very aggressive, and if you'd have heard Kevin's voice after co-singing last night, you'd know they gave their all!

There are things to work on though with AlgomA though, like they could stand to be a bit more lively and inviting, especially with their lack of banter with the crowd, as it did give a somewhat cold & serious vibe. Also, Boyd often played with his back to the crowd when he wasn't singing, which makes me wonder if he was nervous to be back on stage? Overall though, this was a good first gig, and Jamie Vincent's drumming fit well also for their debut! If they can work out the kinks, they'll be a definite band to watch soon!

Next was the advertised headliners, Winnipeg cyber-sludge metal band Soul Killing Female in their second local concert appearance! I was out of town when they came to the Oddfellows Hall last year, but I must say, I should have been there to see them then, as they were quite impressive! Shorter than expected set aside, they tore through some very solid technical metal originals, all of which were nicely accompanied by their own projector video! Project mastermind Michael Lewis made use of his bass talents and vocal aggression well throughout, and he added some liveliness and activity to the floor as well! The band's other live members also fit in nicely throughout, with James Jansen's keyboard and sampling work standing out especially, which is more proof that in the right hands, computer effects have a place in metal! The big problem with Soul Killing Female's set was the audio quality, which seemed badly muffled, and by the end of their set, Michael's vocals were almost inaudible.

I don't know what happened, but I'd love to see them live with the audio kinks worked out, and hopefully they'll come back, as they're a very talented and original band, and they have a unique sound and setup that would be welcomed here a third time!

Lastly last night was newer local garage/folk rock quartet Honest Job, who I've never seen live before, so what can I say about them? Their sound is diverse, ranging from ethnic-leaning folk songs (complete with accordion) to folk-inspired rock songs that, though not heavy, demonstrated clear talent! Aside from a Pixies cover, their songs were all original, including some songs in an ongoing concept series on Tarot cards by frontman John Hobbes, to a song dedicated to former local band/YMCA Battle competitors Waterslide (I wonder if any Honest Job members were in that band?) I liked their collective talents (even if I'm not entirely sure of their complete identities), and they shown good guitar and drum talents, but this show did seem like an ill fit for their genre. Diversity never hurts though, and Honest Job put in an honest set last night that was very good for their style, and they definitely have a good future locally!

Overall, this was an entertaining first concert at 180 Projects, and it's great to see live metal music back on Gore Street after a 2½ year hiatus! If more concerts get booked there, this could very well be a big new venue, so support it and here's hoping we get some new metal concerts there soon! Also, kudos to AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent for his first promoted local concert since beginning his new all ages promotion agency, and while this was somewhat of a soft launch (minimal promotion, no visible underage attendees), I see a lot of promise! I got a bunch of photos last night, so click here to check them out or visit our Facebook page, and for videos, here's AlgomA playing their song "Tertiary Syphillis" and Soul Killing Female playing their CD title track "Of Human Bondage"!





That's all for today, but stay tuned for all of the details on the schedule and bands (possibly minus one mystery act) at next month's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands! Thanks everyone!

Unbound Updates & Name Change, Plus New Videos!!

In our 27th straight day of SMS updates, we've got some more news and videos to share today, including some new solo covers & new material from separate local projects. However, we'll lead off today with a bunch of stories from a newer local metal band, including their first live concert video, a guitarist departure, and a familiar name change, so here's what you need to know!

Let's start with some news from the newer local metal band known as Unbound, starting with the news that they have changed their name yesterday. As revealed on the Facebook event page for their show in Thunder Bay on Friday, the name change is to avoid confusion & conflicts with a prior Thunder Bay metal band named Unbound, whose name late singer Justin Fratpietro got permission to use as inspiration for the local band's name. Good move on the surface, as you could tell that there was some questioning of a "new" Unbound playing there, and hopefully everything's smoothed over! As a result, the band's new name is With Blood Build Character... wait, haven't we heard that before? You may remember last summer when a band of that same name was formed by the non-drumming members of local hardcore/death metal band March Into Regression (Jeremy Hannah, Ray Cowan, Christopher Neveau, and Tyler St. Amour), but they only played one show in August before going inactive. Since then, Christopher & Ray joined the former Unbound, and it looks like Christopher had the W.B.B.C. name to give to this new band when the time arose!

Note that aside from the name & common members, these are definitely two different bands, as the current W.B.B.C. don't play hardcore songs, and they were initially formed under a different name. Personally, I find the new/old name is a downgrade, as it's grammatically awkward (shouldn't it be "...Builds Character"?), and it was initially conceived for a different style of metal band, but at least in this case, members have the rights to this previously used name!

It also looks like they've already split with lead guitarist Ray Cowan at some point in the past week, as per his removal from W.B.B.C.'s Facebook page's lineup recently. A reason wasn't announced, but hopefully things are amicable, and best of luck to Ray in the future, as he's a very talented guitarist! With his departure, their lineup currently lists Christopher Neveau back on guitar, with frontman Kevin D'Orazio on vocals only, and the bassist position is empty. If there's a member search on the horizon, I'll let you guys know! Finally, the former Unbound made their live debut two weeks ago at Pier 61 in Thunder Bay two weeks ago, and the first video from their debut is now online to check out! Normally, I wouldn't plug this, as it's a personal Facebook video, but with no other glimpses of 2013 work yet, I wanna spread the word until something public & embeddable pops up. Uploaded by attendee Kiko Tommasini, it's of With Blood Build Character playing an original song named "Pound It Back", and it seems to be influenced by groove metal bands like Prong or Pro-Pain, which is cool to see from a Sault Ontario band!

Kevin D'Orazio has the right vocal aggression and tone for the material, but he needs to get a bit more diverse and less monotonous in my opinion, and the song is somewhat repetitive. Their stage presences could also be a bit looser, but overall, I like where the new With Blood Build Character is going, and hopefully they play more local shows than the first version did! Stay tuned for more updates!

We'll close today with some new videos, including one and some extra updates from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! Oddly, none of their recent news have been about their planned third re-recording of "Christmas Night", instead focusing on different new projects, possibly leading to a new EP that they hyped on their Facebook page on March 17th. Though it's possible concept or theme isn't known yet, could it be classical covers? They already posted one Mozart sonata in a metal style, and on Friday, they posted their cover of Mozart's "Symphony No. 25" onto their Reverbnation page, and it's predictably good as a metal rendition! It's not as familiar as Mozart's #11, but give it a listen above for some quality classical metal! The other new posting is a video previewing a re-recording of their 2011 original "Uthgar's Last Stand" (not "Ulfgar's Last Stand" as it was called then), though I'll note that their Facebook page is crediting it as a "brand new" song.

Posted to their YouTube channel on Thursday, it features two short samples of the re-recorded track, which will reportedly feature vocals from singer Gaby Koss when it's completed, along with footage from what looks like their recording studio. It sounds like it will be an improvement, but of course, stay tuned for updates as they come in, and check out their new sample video of "Uthgar's Last Stand" below!



Finally for today, here's a new solo cover from Valentine's Day Massacre bassist Adam Veale! Yes, he's getting in on the solo video action, as he's been featured in two filmed covers on his dad John's YouTube channel within the past 4 months. Featuring him on vocals & acoustic guitar from his current London homebase, the covers are of The Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" and (as embedded below) The Smashing Pumpkins' "Today", and they amount to the first videos of Adam singing that we've seen since before Sativa Rose got a full time singer. The Pumpkins have heavier stuff, but I think Adam's vocal range suits softer material like this better, and he does display some guitar talent in the process! See if you like Adam's solo clips above, and his cover of "Today" is below!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at 180 Gore Street TONIGHT for Soul Killing Female, the debut of AlgomA, and Honest Job! ALL AGES, don't miss it! Thanks everyone!

Trapt & Soul Killing Female Concert Previews, Plus A New Concert Promoter!!

Now, we'll finally close up this weekend's concert previews with the two notable hard rock-featured shows going down in the Sault Ste. Marie area tomorrow! Not generally a hopping day for shows, this Sunday promises to be different for at least one weekend, including a new venue's debut (with a possible new metal band in tow), and I've added some additional notes on a performer's upcoming concert booking plans as well! We'll start however with a big preview for a major concert going down across the river tomorrow, and tickets are still waiting, so here's what you need to know!

Allstar Promotions' second major 2013 concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino goes down TOMORROW NIGHT, and it includes California alternative metal quartet Trapt on the lineup! In this platinum selling band's local debut, be prepared for a set full of rock chart hits like "Still Frame", and (of course) "Headstrong", and with their new album "Reborn" released just two months ago, expect some singles from that album as well! Their alternative-leaning hard rock songs are often very catchy, and they have a lot more to say than just "Headstrong", so hopefully they deliver a quality set tomorrow night! They're the middle act in tomorrow's concert, with the headliners being Oklahoma post-grunge notables Hinder, in their second local appearance following a Kewadin Casino date in September 2010! I wouldn't say they quite cross the metal line, but they were among the biggest new American rock bands in the 2000s with hits like "Lips Of An Angel" & "Get Stoned", and they should attract a solid response tomorrow night! As well, Los Angeles indie rock trio Acidic will be tomorrow's opening band , and though their more minimal and softer music is a jump from the rock-based headliners, they have a lot of talent and should make some new fans tomorrow!

Tickets are still available in the fifth row & back for $29.50 (center section aside), and you can buy them at the Kewadin box office in person, at 1-800-KEWADIN, or online at this location! A 7:00 PM start time is advertised, there's no age limits, and call ahead to see if there's a meet & greet. Check the above links for more details! This should be an interesting concert, and though I'm not high on Hinder, the fans in attendance should have a great time, and don't miss the opening bands, including Trapt! For a preview, here's Trapt's video for their new song "Bring It"!



The other Sunday night concert with heavier bands goes down tomorrow evening at the new 180 Projects venue at 180 Gore Street, where Winnipeg cyber-sludge metal trio Soul Killing Female will rock the Sault for the second time! Last seen at The Oddfellows Hall opening for Weak Ends last summer, their mix of doom, alternative, and techno styles should add a unique element to the concert calendar tomorrow! I know their first local stop last year didn't have an immense crowd, but maybe this headlining set at a new venue will help? They'll be joined by two local opening bands, including debuting "Eeyore core" trio AlgomA, who feature BeeFMouTH alumni Kevin Campbell & Boyd Rendell alongside drummer/concert promoter Jamie Vincent (more on him in a bit.) Though we have no pages, media samples, or clear public word on their sound yet thanks to their intentionally-low profile since their 2012 inception, it will be very interesting to see how AlgomA shapes out in their live debut! The other scheduled band is newer local garage/folk rock outfit Honest Job, who I know a bit more on than AlgomA (though still not much), and they have an original hard-to-describe sound that should appeal to folk and acoustic fans!

As mentioned, this show will take place at 180 Projects, the new concert venue/art gallery host that's located at the former MJ's location near the former Club Princess. With past concerts there being indie rock-leaning, this is the first metal-featured show at this venue, and the first metal concert to hit Gore Street since Sativa Rose played at the former GLOW in September 2010, so it's great to finally see a new metal show on Gore after 2½ years! Tomorrow's show has an announced start time of 6:00 PM, there's a $5 cover charge, and this is an ALL AGES event, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I definitely want to be at this show, so hopefully I'll see you guys there tomorrow for all of the action! I'm very curious to hear the local openers & to see 180 Projects for myself (and to figure out what exactly AlgomA sounds like), and Soul Killing Female have an awesome sludgy original sound from what I've heard, so hopefully you guys don't miss this ALL AGES show either! For a preview, here's Soul Killing Female playing their song "Hometown" in Saskatchewan last year!



Finally for today, here's some notes on AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's recent concert booking plans! As you may remember, Jamie's a veteran local musician, often on guitar, from bands like Fuller & Kidshit (both with prolific Sault native Mark Ranᶁ), along with a four year stint with the Edmonton hardcore band Flint when he lived out west, though he moved back home last year. Along with his recent AlgomA work, Jamie's apparently enterting the concert booking world, as he launched a Facebook group named "Sault Ste. Marie All Ages" this past Sunday. Ostensibly a group to promote concerts that he's booking, the description promotes "live music in Sault Ste. Marie for everyone", starting with tomorrow's Soul Killing Female gig, with another show (likely punk-centric) scheduled for May 10th at The Oddfellows Hall featuring out of town punk bands The Royal Red Brigade (who also played at last year's Weak Ends show) and The Rhubarbs, with openers to be announced. Initial response to the group's aim and Jamie's bookings sound very positive, and with good reason, as all ages shows haven't been nearly as plentiful in the last few years, and it'd be great to have more shows open to everyone, and to encourage younger fans to attend shows, play in bands, and follow local music!

Even beyond ages, we've had less active concert promoters lately as well, with some more frequent recent bookers either moving out of town, focusing on their bands, or just not promoting all together, so hopefully Jamie takes off locally in concert promotion, as we could use the extra shows, especially all ages ones! That's all for today, but stay tuned hopefully for a new news post tomorrow! Can we extend our posting streak to it's 27th day? We'll soon find out! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Haggith, The Suicide Kings, And Destroilet) & Short Notice Saturday Concert Previews!!

I wasn't planning to have a new post until tomorrow, but thanks to some recently confirmed short notice concerts, I've gotten a second one up for today, but of course, check out this month's YouTube Channel Profile on dfunker76's Kewadin Casino concert video channel in the post below this one! Tonight's post features SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TOMORROW NIGHT, along with news on a limited edition EP to be sold at one, and another huge new concert next month, so here's what you need to know!

As previously referenced on here, local grunge quartet Haggith will be playing in the gymnasium at Sault College TOMORROW as part of the entertainment for this year's Relay For Life cancer fundraising event! I originally hesitated to plug it as a full concert though because I believed you needed to be a registered relay participant to attend, but according to Haggith's Facebook page earlier today, you can get in by donation, so we'll call it on here for sure now (and apologies for the short notice!) The band's first concert in two months, Haggith will likely join at least one other act on the entertainment bill (identity unclear), but for the occasion, they'll be releasing a special limited edition EP named "For The Cause" tomorrow as well! Pictured on your right, the EP (the band's first of this length & fourth released album to date) will feature 5 songs from their forthcoming third studio album "Deuce" ("Clifton Hill", "Livin' It On The Run", "75", "Leon The Janitor", and "To Stay Alive") along with a live cover of Cheap Trick's "Reach Out", and the songs are radio edits with no swearing where necessary.

"For The Cause" will be available for $5 tomorrow, and all proceeds from sales of the EP will go to the Canadian Cancer Society, which is awesome of them! Now, if you can't make this show, all of the songs (minus the Cheap Trick cover) will be on their next full length album, and all of the originals (save "Livin' It On The Run") can be streamed in studio form on their YouTube channel, but if you're at the Relay For Life tomorrow, pick up "For The Cause"... for the cause! As for the show itself, Haggith will be playing two sets of covers and originals tomorrow in the Sault College gym (with no Outback, where else could they be?), there's definitely no age limits, entry is by donation, and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details on the relay itself (which raises tons of money yearly through donations, fundraiser campaigns, and the annual relay walk), visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Haggith supporting such a great cause & event, and hopefully they make a big impression on Saturday!

If you can, bring donations and support cancer research tomorrow and pick up Haggith's limited edition EP, which likely won't be available for long after tomorrow! For a preview, here's the guys playing "Livin' It On The Run" last fall!


Also in Saturday shows, according to a new Facebook event page, Sault Ontario hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings will be playing at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT! The upcoming Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands competitors are hyping this as a "surprise show", as they're replacing the previously scheduled Peterborough rock band Thrill of Illusion on short notice tomorrow night, due to their apparent drop-out of tomorrow's concert. My source is Suicide Kings bassist Mitch Sirie on the event page linked above. Solid replacement choice overall, and hopefully The Suicide Kings have a great set of hard rock covers and originals in store for what may be their last Rockstar Bar gig before the battle commences! I'd expect a cover charge in the $5 neighbourhood, you must be 19 to attend, and a 11:00 PM start time is advertised. Shame that Thrill of Illusion can't make it, as their alternative rock sound would have been great to hear here, but The Suicide Kings should fill in very well on short notice tomorrow night! For a preview, here's The Suicide Kings playing their original song "Into The Fray"!



Finally in new concerts, local metal bands will play support on April 13th when Montreal punk legends The Ripcordz come back to Sault Ontario! Last seen at The Speak Easy in August 2007, they've made a large name for themselves through relentless touring and numerous albums in their 30+ year existence, and they're definitely no strangers to Sault Ste. Marie through their travels! Though a large crowd hit The Speak Easy 6 years ago, the April 13th Ripcordz date will instead go down at The Algonquin Pub (downstairs from The Rockstar Bar) in the first metal/punk show there in almost 4 months, but which bands are bringing the metal? How about the long awaited return of Destroilet?! That's right, the local old school hardcore punk quintet will open for The Ripcordz next month, in what will be their first live concert since February 2011! Despite the long concert hiatus, these 5 local hardcore/punk veterans stayed together & busy with 2 CD releases, and you know they'll have a set full of chaotic originals and covers on the 13th! I couldn't tell you why it's taken 2 years for a new show of theirs, but I have a feeling things will work out just fine for Destroilet's return next month!

The other opening band will be local metal/punk quartet T-Rex Manning in their first show since "The Fiend Brigade" rocked The Canadian on March 1st, and their inclusion is a good one, given that singer/promoter J.D. Pearce & drummer Rick White (I think he's still in the fold) opened for The Ripcordz with Fitswitch's final full-time lineup in 2007! Very fitting choice, and they should add a great element to the proceedings downstairs at The Algonquin Pub on April 13th! Tickets will be $10 and can be purchased at The Algonquin Hotel, The Rad Zone, and Case's Music, as well as from members of the local opening bands. Unlike the 2007 show, there is a 19+ age limit, and the listed start time is 9:00 PM for this Saturday nighter. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a can't miss concert, if what I've heard from The Ripcordz' last show here was any indication! I missed the 2007 date, but I don't plan on missing this one, so of course, stay tuned for concert updates as they roll in! How can you go wrong with Canadian punk legends & local metal favourites?

That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for previews of the Trapt/Hinder and Soul Killing Female/AlgomA concerts on Sunday night, along with maybe some more news! Thanks everyone!