LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Zombie Walk Afterparty), Gates Of Winter Updates, And Much More!!

On this nice Saturday in the Twin Saults, we have some big news to cover, so what's on tap? Along with an archive video discovery and more recent items, we have some long awaited new audio samples from a prominent local metal band, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so read on below for what you need to know!

The fifth annual Soo Zombie Walk returns to terrorize downtown Sault Ste. Marie next month, albeit now on the Halloween weekend (Saturday, October 26th) rather than the weekend before to better associate it with other seasonal events. Aside from the date change, the host venue has also changed from The Grand Theater to The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, which is still downtown but in a bigger location with more parking, so this could work out well logistically! With that said, the fourth annual Soo Zombie Walk Afterparty will also be held at the Bushplane Museum this year after the walk wraps up, and while there hasn't been an official announcement from The Arts Council, Sykotyk Rampage & Haggith will apparently return from last year's afterparty to rock out with the zombies once again! For Sykotyk Rampage (who released an album named "Zombiez" last year), this will be their third straight year this event, while Haggith (who are working on a follow-up to their zombie-themed CD "Apocalypse") also played a fitting set at last year's afterparty, so both will be great fits with their alternative hard rock sounds this year!

My source for their participation is this Sykotyk Rampage-created Facebook event page, and no word yet on if  The Salty Mollies or a local DJ will be back from the last 2 years or if any other bands are scheduled. Admission details have yet to be confirmed, but last year, it started after 9:00 PM, with a $10 admission & a 19+ age limit, so it could be similar. Check the above links for more details, including on the zombie walk itself! Despite the more seasonal scheduling, it now conflicts with The Halloween Party at The Rosie, so I probably won't be in attendance for the afterparty this year, but hopefully it's a huge hit in it's new location, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's the latest preview video from local progressive death metal notables Gates of Winter, who are still slowly at work on their second EP & third CD "Perihelion"! Their first audio sample in 5 months was uploaded to their YouTube channel on Monday, and it's bookended with what could be previews of new artwork for the final product, but the meat of the video has fast-motion shots of the computer production along with samples from the EP. Commentary from a band member (likely bassist Steve Furgiuele) notes that while this has been a slow process, and he's returned to university this year, they're nearing the end, and are excited to work "beyond Perihelion", presumably referring to later studio work, ending with "The silence breaks soon." As I've said before, a lesser band than Gates of Winter likely would have thrown in the towel by now thanks to the incredibly slow recording process and almost 5 year break from concerts, but this 86 second preview clip (which is very technical & heavy) should whet fans appetites in the meantime!

Will we hear more before the end of the year, or will 2014 be the year of resurrection? Fans have been patient for this long, but we'll have to see what happens when things finally conclude, so stay tuned for updates when they come in, and here's Gates of Winter's newest sample video!



Also, here's one more archive video discovery from Nikkfitt guitarist Robert Ross' YouTube channel! This comes from a band of his in 2000 during a concert at the Harmony Beach Lakeview Resort in nearby Goulais River, and it's a cover of The Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla", complete with some fades and transition effects. It's a solid cover of these hard rock legends, and everyone has clear talent, but like with Robert's Hempfest video, I know next to nothing on this band. Let me know if you have any information, and give this 13 year old cover clip a look below! (Just in case you're curious, the woman in the shot below isn't a band member, she walked into the frame.)



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last couple of days, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name.

• Are As It Stands returning from their year+ break? In the first post on their Facebook page since January, a band member hyped that it's "gettin' to be about that time, kiddies", and the band is "coming to you this winter." We haven't seen these local hardcore favourites since the Dead & Divine show in August 2012 (their only show in the past 16 months), but we'll have to see what exactly comes of this as more details are announced. I'll be sure to keep you guys posted!
• Ex-State of Misery drummer Nick Kainula is now looking to join a new local band, as per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday. He didn't cite any direct preferences beyond his past experience, but he is a skilled player, so message him at this link or above if you're interested in him trying out! Note that I still don't have 100% proof that his most recent band With Blood Build Character (formerly Unbound) are done, but they've been quiet since the spring.
• The Rockstar Bar's James Scott asked fans on their Facebook group this morning what fans would want or like to see at this downtown bar/concert venue. This could lead to anything, but if you wanna voice your opinion for more new metal/hard rock concerts, reply to James' thread there via the above links! (No word though on if this would apply to downstairs events at The Algonquin Pub.)

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