In our first feature post of the month, it's (of course) this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This monthly series looks at the current whereabouts and statuses of announced and (at least) partially recorded albums and CDs from local metal & hard rock projects. I've removed one album (Mike Haggith's now-renamed "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends") due to it's release last month, though I did add a long overdue album in it's place to spotlight. 6 of the 12 entries below have updated information, so as usual, they're noted with the album title in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out, and if anything's missing or incorrect, let me know!
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AlgomA's first EP
Rumoured Songs:
"Fell Down A Well", "Reclaimed By The Forest", "Tertiary Syphillis", "Go On, Git!!", "Extinct Volcanoes", "Bedsores"
Background: After
just two live concerts, new local stoner metal trio AlgomA (featuring
BeeFMouTH and Fuller alumni) began work on studio recordings early last
month as per their Facebook page, and though the end goal is vague through that source, singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus's film production company 62nd Chamber Productions' website
confirms that they are in fact working on a debut demo EP. Vocal
recordings were completed in August, and they were apparently sending
off the tracks to be post-produced somewhere in Southern Ontario. You
can see pictures from the sessions in this Facebook album, but stay tuned for more info as it rolls in!
Current Release Status: No
reasonable idea yet, but for a band launching recording sessions so
suddenly after launch, this isn't unheard of. The guys have a lot of
experience in music and production, and hopefully we see the final
product of these recording sessions sooner or later, so keep an eye out!
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As It Stands' third EP
Rumoured Songs:
"Conception", "Big Problem, Little Lock City", "Rise Above",
"One Last Chance", "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky", "Big Bucks, No
Whammy", "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Ho", "Embay the Terrible", "Oh
Herm, Herm Delish", "David & Goliath", "Stay Together
For The Kids" (Blink-182 cover)
Background: Continuing
their high success levels since their local re-emergence in
2010, hardcore quintet As It Stands started recording sessions
for their third EP with Metalworks Studios in Mississauga in July 2011 with producer Kevin Dietz.
The sessions lasted just a few days, but a
lot got accomplished, and you can see some of the happenings from
the sessions on their official studio vlog,
which features some audio samples and video of some members
recording their parts. The vlog also confirmed that their cover of
Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids" was recorded in
Mississauga, and that the songs will be part of an EP, not a full
length album as was previously believed. It was currently unclear
whether the songs they recorded at Stereo Soul Studios
in 2010 and/or in Stoney Creek in 2011 will be featured on the
EP in some form. A new track named "Oh Herm, Herm Delish"
was posted onto SoundCloud in early 2012, with studio copies of "Conception" & "Big Problem, Little Lock City" also being uploaded to their Facebook page last year, both of which you can stream at this location.
Mixing was underway locally with Brendan Clace at the former Dimension
Studios, so stay tuned for more news on this EP hopefully soon!
Current Release Status: Though a return from their year+ hiatus has recently been teased, I have no
idea if a full EP release is still in the cards (especially as Dimensions Studios
have closed in the interim,) They did seem to have everything under control and well
planned for the sessions and their studio work., but at this point, I
think fans would be excited to just see As It Stands live again. Just in case, keep an eye out for
any possible updates!
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The Bear Hunters - Eternal Hibernation
Rumoured Songs:
"Bloodthirst", "Succumb To Eternity", "Dominate",
"Overthrown", "Casualties Of War", "Collapse The Sun", "Render
This Void", "Karma", "Deception", "Servitude"
Background: Local
death metal quintet The Bear Hunters formally announced that
they'd begun recording for their debut EP "Bloodthirst" in May 2011,
just days after adding then-guitarist Josh Stephney to the band. The
news was broken on their Facebook page,
but details were extremely scant following that news, and the
recording plans fell dormant until January 2012, when the band
announced
plans to record material towards a full length demo release. This
appears to be an independent
production towards future better quality recordings, and plans are in
place to release official band t-shirts along with the demos when
completed. Plans are
for this demo (which won't be "slapped together") to feature at least
10 songs, and though progress has been made towards completions,
setbacks (including a dead computer) have pushed back a planned release,
including their non-album cover of Woods of Ypres' "Kiss My Ashes
(Goodbye)". As of July 2013, guitar recording had begun for the
album, with the title "Eternal Hibernation" revealed live last month as
well, and stay tuned to the band's Facebook page for continued
updates!
Current Release Status:
Though things seem to have been delayed from original expectations,
recordings for the demo are ongoing as per their Facebook page. Note
that concert dates have picked up, and no new timeline is out for the
release of it beyond before "the end of the world", but they seem to
have things in
good order, so keep an eye out for updates on official Bear Hunters
media as it comes in! (Also, saying the newest recordings aren't
scrapped, Josh Stephney will be on the album despite his exit from the
band in July.)
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion
Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics", "Prometheus"
Background: Despite
a hiatus from live concerts lasting almost 5 years, Gates of
Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up
to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". The first glimpse of the new album
was unveiled in February 2010, when frontman/producer Lee Maines uploaded a snippet of their new song "The Stars Call My True Name" onto his YouTube channel,
and he followed that up with more demo & rehearsal clips
sporadically over the last couple of years, though all were later taken
down. The band launched a new Facebook page
in August 2010 to keep fans updated on the sessions, including
the unveiling of a new song title, "Time Warp", and while Sault
native Jon Morrison
was announced as the album's drummer that fall, the album will feature programmed drums. In November 2011, bassist Steve
Furgiuele confirmed in a YouTube video
that the album, now titled "Perihelion", was planned for release
in
December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the
summer, but Lee confirmed last month that the album would be delayed
further, be retracted to EP length, and possibly be renamed. Other new
songs, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics" & "Prometheus",
was previewed in this video
& this video that were uploaded last year & this April respectively. Whether
ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included on the EP is currently unknown.
Current Release Status: Personal commitments and the like have slowed
things down incredibly, but in the band's most recent preview video (featuring audio samples), Gates of Winter hinted that work was winding down on "Perihelion", including noting that "the silence ends soon." I'm thinking a 2014 release is now targeted, but good art takes time, and knowing Gates of
Winter's
talent and attention to detail, they won't wanna release this until
everything's perfect. I'll admit that I know a bit more on "Perihelion"
than what I've posted here, but I'll wait until more public word comes
out before elaborating, so keep an eye out for updates!
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Pillory - Cringe At The Cross
Rumoured Songs:
"Onward to Death", "Fatal Woods", "Shattered By War", "No One Answers", "Cringe At The Cross", "Dethrone The Dictator"
Background: On
January 10th, new local thrash band Pillory surprisingly announced that
they would begin recording tracks towards their debut EP this weekend,
despite only making their live debut in November. Since then, updates
have been posted on their Facebook page
confirming the EP's title, the completion of recording sessions, and EP
artwork concepts by ex-bassist Jonathan Tiberi, though there has been some more recent recording done, and artwork will apparently be done by San Diego artist Anthony Sanchez. It's currently unclear
whether the late
guitarist Andres Duchesne will be featured on the recordings, but
while the band has replaced him with Josh Amendola, early concept artwork did
credit Andres with their original lineup members, so take that for what you will.
Keep an eye out for further updates!
Current Release Status: As per
their Facebook page on May 16th, Pillory were currently aiming for the
release to occur "sometime this summer", but that has since passed. Early date projections
have likely been delayed given the more recent sessions, but the
quick launch into recording after their debut does mirror Jon's early
tenure with Late & Loud,
who announced recording plans & held photo shoots to that end shortly
after their own 2010 debut. The guys definitely seemed deep into the
process though, so keep an eye out for word on a new release timeframe! (Note that I don't know if former bassist Cole Royal will be featured in any capacity.)
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RedD Monkey - Opus 2
Rumoured Songs: "Broken Parts", "Losing Friends", "The Jock Song"
Background: The planned third CD from this popular local hardcore punk/classical trio, RedD Monkey have hyped "Opus 2" (a follow-up to last year's "All Baroque") in online posts through this spring, along with previewing the disc at a Toronto concert on June 1st, though further updates on it's release status have yet to be made, nor has a release schedule been announced. I'd assume that "Opus 2" was recorded in a similar method to "All Baroque", but that's just speculation given that both CDs were labelled as opuses in a series. Keep an eye in case something's announced!
Current Release Status: I'm not really sure, but given that the sessions appear to be complete, and a preview of it was held in June, a release can't be terribly far off. I imagine it could be on hold until their next concert cycle to have a proper CD release show, but stay tuned for updates!
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Sailor's Tongue's debut album
Rumoured Songs:
"Float, "Out of the Woodwork", "Wired For No Sound", "Shadow", "Doctor
John", "BootScattered", "Beauty's Limousine", "Don't Shoot The
Messenger", "Horses & Trains", "Navy"
Background: Despite only playing two gigs (both at the Rotaryfest Second Stage)
since returning from their three year breakup in 2012, local hard rock
notables Sailor's Tongue have hit the studio to record what I believe is
their first full length album, which will feature their current quintet
lineup. Drummer Dean McKey uploaded four tracks (some labelled as
demos) to his Soundcloud page earlier this year that are likely towards the album, while there are existing songs on their Reverbnation page
from earlier sessions that will likely be featured in some form. Though
info on the album is as sporadic as their live dates, a preview demo CD
named "Pierced" was sold at their Rotaryfest set in July featuring 7
tracks, though Dean later told me on Facebook that the album was just a
sampler for attendees and was not the final product. Keep an eye out for
updates!
Current Release Status: No finite
idea as of right now, but given their long breaks between live concerts
& page postings, there hasn't been many outlets to give updates
either. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see the final CD released
at next year's Rotaryfest, but maybe they'll play more live dates in
the interim to shake up that guess. In any event, keep posted to hear
more!
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Shit Liver's debut EP
Rumoured 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",
"Survival of the Shittest", "It's Not My Problem", "Shit Will Prevail", "Liverated"
Background: Curiously
not plugged at all on their online pages until January 2013, I have
heard from those close
to the band that local grimecore trio Shit Liver have independently
working on a debut EP since at least mid-2012 which is supposed to have
14 songs, 13 of which were posted onto their new Reverbnation page in March 2013. A demo disc with 5 planned tracks was visible at
their local return on February 21st, but as they've only minimally
acknowledged EP plans
online, it's not clear how far along they are in terms of actually releasing these on disc. I'll keep you guys
updated if they say anything!
Current Release Status: On their Facebook page in March, Shit Liver implied that this album could be done by their local concert return in February at The Roosevelt Hotel,
but that has since came & went. Given how quiet they've been on
the recording sessions, I have no idea how close to a physical release
they are, but from what I understand, the sessions are done or close to
it. Potentially complicating things is singer/guitarist Josh Penno's recent move to Toronto, but all indications suggest that they are not breaking up as a result. Hopefully we hear some
big news on this front soon, possibly in conjunction with future concerts!
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The Sorrow Fields - Godlessness
Rumoured Songs: "Godlessness"
Background: Previously known as
Animas, April Eyes, and By The Gods, The Sorrow Fields is the long
gestating black/death metal solo metal project from Bear Hunters/Suicide
Kings guitarist Mitch Sirie. He resurrected the project under it's new
name last year, complete with an atmospheric & dark sound, and he
has sporadically updated fans as to his newest planned debut album via their YouTube channel and deleted Facebook page. As of June, he'd titled the album "Godlessness", with a preview of the title track and another unnamed song uploaded there to check out, but news since has been slow to nonexistent.
Current Release Status: I have no
clue, but knowing how delayed his past solo album "Hollow Hope" was
prior to it's cancellation, this could be a long road. Mitch is a
workhorse with his two bands also, so that likely plays a part in any
delays for his solo material, but I've heard nothing concerning the
project's end as of today, so take that for what it's worth. In case new
"Godlessness" or Sorrow Fields news rolls in, we'll have it here!
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The Suicide Kings - King of the World
Rumoured Songs: "Into the Fray", "Red Rover", "King of the World", "Way Out Of Hell", "Take Me Away", "Beaten Down"
Background: Already off to a quick
launch with numerous concerts since their fall 2012 debut, local hard
rock quartet The Suicide Kings surprisingly announced that they were
officially working on their first EP on their Facebook page
on February 1st. Three weeks later, the band revealed in another
Facebook posting that they were busy working on their own material, and
they had plans to complete an EP by the end of the spring featuring 5-7
songs, which was recorded over the past month at The Smoke & Oak Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja. As of March 28th, the tracks
were in the final stages of mixing, though recent updates have been
limited to in-concert teasers of the EP, where the reveal of the title
came from. Stay tuned for more!
Current Release Status: With the
EP likely done it's recording phase, it's now likely a waiting game for
the release of "King of the World". I know that a brief band member
posting on
Facebook suggested a free distribution of the EP, but that was either
premature or incorrect. I just hope this doesn't encounter the same
delays that have hampered bassist Mitch Sirie's other band The Bear
Hunters' demo recording plans. Things seem in good hands so far, so
watch out for updates as they come in!
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Sykotyk Rampage - "The
Adventures of Captain Awesome Sex & Chastity Boy" & "Eye For An Eye"
Rumoured Songs: Unknown
Background: Just days after posting streaming copies of their six albums from 2012 onto their Reverbnation page, Sykotyk Rampage unveiled the album covers
towards at least three new albums scheduled for a release in 2013,
which were recorded this year at River Front Recreation Studios. Their
first recorded material with
new bassist Tony Briglio, Reverbnation now hints at no less than 8 albums this year to add to their 35 existing ones, with six o of them ("Beat Your Ox With A Bag Of Kittens", "Yamaraja", "Environ-Mental Suits", "Wonder About Baby", "Revenge of Professor Perv & The Crimson Nipple", and the newly-titled "The Electric Mirror")
being uploaded to Reverbnation this fall, albeit with no packaged sale
options. At least 2 more albums (likely the ones listed above) are yet
to be posted, but stay tuned for updates!
Current Release Status: Given that six of the eight announced albums are now online, I have to imagine
we'll see the rest this month, but they have not been averse to lengthy
delays from the public postings of their albums. Also, they haven't
posted formal "for sale" copies of their albums since 2011, with
everything since only seeing a free online stream, but the jury's still
out on if any of their 2013 releases can be bought. Be they free
postings or full paid digital albums, keep an eye out for the remaining
new Sykotyk Rampage material!
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Tym Morrison's second solo album
Rumoured Songs: "Moon
Patrol", "Dungeons & Dragons", "Nag Hamedi", "The
Reason Why", "The Dark Shred", "Song For Jen", "No Name",
"Amy", "Lay It On The Line", "Someday", "How I'm Wanting You
More", "The After Life", "9/11", "His Sacrifice", "Termination of
Exystence", "Classical D", "We Will Decide", "The Evil In Disguise", "Key To Reality", "Into the Light of Darkness"
Background: I
honestly don't know a lot about the background for Tym
Morrison's second album, but he has posted samples of nine songs
for his "next album" onto the music player on his official website.
The songs are all of good quality, and feature Tym in
familiarly good form! Original information about recording
sessions for his solo album are either very sparse or were made
quite a while ago, so I don't know a lot about it, but the
songs were likely self-recorded at Morrison Studio Productions
with Tym on all instruments save for the programmed drums. He's
worked on the album sporadically since, including scattered song
postings (with some of a comedic or acoustic nature) onto his YouTube channel, and Facebook
postings have hinted at a double album release. It's unknown how close we are to
seeing a second Tym Morrison album release, or if all of the originally
announced songs will make the cut, but keep an eye out!
Current Release Status:
I don't have any real idea, but his recent song postings hint
towards good things! Hopefully Tym does release
these songs in the near future, as his older samples and newer
material deserve an audience, but for now, check out the above
links to hear what he has to share that could make the cut!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Our next monthly feature post (our Defunct Local Band Profiles of Elements of Madness & No More Landmines) are on their way one week from tomorrow, unless our review of Mike Haggith's new CD is quick for a posting, and look out for weekend concert previews and more in the next few days! Thanks everyone!
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