It's now time to shut down last month's poll and launch our newest one at the SMS today! Remember, last month's poll ran until the 19th of this month so we can slowly acclimate back to the 18th following the vote limit screw-up in December. As you may recall, last month's poll posed this question to you guys: What was your favourite new local metal/hard rock album of 2013? An impressive 51 votes came in, so thanks to everyone for voting, and now, here are your final results!
Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe - Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe (17 votes, 33%)
Late & Loud - Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal: Still Hard (13 votes, 25%)
Pillory - Cringe at the Cross (11 votes, 22%)
Haggith - Deuce (3 votes, 6%)
Telephone & Address - Rotten EP (2 votes, 4%)
Various Artists - Heart of Gold: A Tribute to Woods of Ypres (2 votes, 4%)
Any of Blood Shed Productions' 2013 demos (1 vote, 2%)
Crimson Crusade - Upon the Eve of War (1 vote, 2%)
Other (1 vote, 2%)
Bring the Fallen - Stand Before (0 votes)
Mike Haggith - Neighbourhood Watch II (0 votes)
Sailor's Tongue - Pierced (0 votes)
Strange Coyotes - Strange Coyotes (0 votes)
Any of SweetKenny's three 2013 albums (0 votes)
What do you guys think? In ascending order, the 0 vote choices aren't huge surprises given the general release spread they had in Sault Ontario, but I did assume that Mike Haggith's newest solo album would get at least one vote. I can't speak for the "Other" voter, but for the single vote-getting albums, I did assume that Blood Shed Productions' demos would get more votes, at least to better reflect the amount of CDs and artists they handled in 2013. The 2 vote albums were encouraging, especially given Telephone & Address' late 2013 EP release and the lack of local performers on "Heart of Gold", and it was good to see Haggith get 3 votes for their last album "Deuce"! As you can see though, 80% of voters populated the top 3 choices (albeit with some blame on Facebook campaigns), but Pillory's EP got some solid support late last year, and Late & Loud's EP rerelease was a nice surprise last year!
But the surprise winner of the poll with 17 votes (a third of the total) was local technical metal solo project
Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's self-titled digital album! Though not in our consciousness for all that long, Matt Parr's a talented musician, and it shows on his progressive originals that both made this album and will be included in future projects! Recently, Matt actually moved back to London, but once a local band, always a local band, so follow H.M.M. for new material & updates, and I'll confirm right now that this EP will be this month's CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, so watch out for it in the next two weeks!
Thanks to everyone for voting! As for this month's poll, we're again resurrecting another "favourite _____ of 2013" poll topic, as this month, the question is
"What was the biggest local metal news story of 2013?" Like past installments of this question, I'm curious to see what readers consider to be the most notable, interesting, and newsworthy topics and events of the past year, and I've carefully selected 25 choices for your consideration (plus "Other") to vote for this month. Remember, this poll only includes events that took place in the calendar year of 2013,
not in late 2012 or since 2014 began, and like in prior versions, this is about
newsworthy topics, not necessarily the best, happiest, or most popular (so I discourage personal Facebook campaigns to drive up votes for X topic in order for X band to "win", as that's not the point here.) With that said, what was the biggest local metal news story of last year? Read on below for more info on your choices!
Airbourne run wild at The Canadian in August: Hyped as the biggest rock show to hit Sault Ontario since Kiss, Australian hard rock notables Airbourne headlined this huge Canadian Nightclub show on August 19th of last year, with
Bleeker Ridge and locals
Garden of Bedlam &
The Suicide Kings opening for an explosive and high impact night of hard rock! The Canadian was packed for this show, but were you there to vouch for it as the biggest event of any kind around here in 2013?
Bam Margera plays at The Canadian Nightclub: On December 14th, Jackass star and skateboarder Bam Margera brought his band Fuckface Unstoppable to The Canadian for a wild and intense concert that felt like a party from start to finish! Joined by fellow touring standouts
Wilson, and local favourites
Destroilet,
Jack Spades, and
The Bear Hunters, this concert was (in my opinion) one of the most fun of 2013, but was it the biggest single metal event last year?
Blood Shed Productions continue local growth: With a defiant, unwavering, and independent attitude, Tyler Gibson's goregrind/rap label Blood Shed Productions has steadily grown in prominence over the past year, including the release of numerous demo CDs from acts like
Crucify The Whore, and the commencement of live concert dates booked by collaborator Tyler St. Amour of
Heavy North Entertainment. Is the emergence of the Blood Shed the most notable of 2013 to you?
Bring The Fallen reunite for Oddzfest & release EP: After a 2 year breakup, local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen returned for one last time in July to co-headline singer Josh Stephney's farewell concert Oddzfest 2013 Metal Mash-Up, even
finally releasing their "Stand Before" EP that night! Despite a major rainstorm, the show went on and helped give much needed closure to Bring The Fallen's successful local run, but was this your top story of the past 12 months?
The Canadian Nightclub floods again in September: It was deja vu all over again for The Canadian Nightclub last fall when the Pim Street concert venue was hit with major flooding again, after previously dealing with it in the summer of 2011. Despite forcing the relocation of the Ray Brown benefit show, the newly renovated bar (complete with a newer and more rustic interior) returned with a vengenace only a few weeks later, but was the newest flooding incident the big story of 2013?
The Dayglo Abortions overcome rain for local return: After their successful late-notice local show in 2011, Victoria hardcore punk legends The Dayglo Abortions finally came back to
The Roosevelt Hotel over two years later in September, but the same rainstorm that flooded The Canadian took place the night of this concert, severely cutting attendance despite more notice. It was a great show though (and also featured
Cross Dog's local debut), but was this your top event of last year?
Destroilet returns to the stage after 2 year break: Though they never broke up or officially declared a hiatus, hardcore punk veterans Destroilet took more than two years (and two CD releases) to return to the stage, but when they did (to open for
The Ripcordz last April), they never let up! They've since opened for numerous prominent bands, made plenty of new fans, and began new songwriting sessions, so they've made a triumphant return, but was this a huge news item?
Echo Bay welcomes The Big Loonie Bus Show: Unlike in Sault Michigan, we don't typically see frequent metal shows in the outskirts of Sault Ontario (aside from
Hempfest), so the
Oh! Right Arm!-promoted Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay last October was a nice change of pace, especially with the chartered bus to bring fans to and from! Headlined by newer sludge metal trio
AlgomA, this show got a solid reception from fans, but did it top the events of the last 12 months?
For All That Is Lost surprisingly disband: Though they had only played live once since the summer of 2012, Central Algoma death metal favourites For All That Is Lost's sudden breakup last February caught a lot of people off guard, and their improving brutality is missed at local concerts! It's also really surprising that none of F.A.T.I.L.'s last 4 members have turned up in new bands yet, but was their end the biggest story of 2013?
Garden of Bedlam play live in Quebec: Usually when you think of a local metal band playing live, they usually head to another city in Ontario, but that wasn't the case for Garden of Bedlam, who brought their exciting modern metal sound to the Quebec City area on June 8th for a set at last year's
NissanFest, earning new fans in a new province in one of their highlights of the past year! Though not a local show, this was huge exposure, but was it newsworthy around here?
Haggith's breakup & farewell show: Despite being at the peak of their success, local grunge/alternative quartet Haggith stunned their fans by announcing their impending breakup last fall for personal reasons, concluding with a farewell headlining concert at The Algonquin Pub in December. Though members remain active with
Punch,
Project 421,
The Strange Coyotes, and solo projects, Haggith are still missed locally, but was their breakup the top hard rock story of 2013?
"Heart of Gold" tribute CD honours Woods of Ypres: A year and a half after the sudden passing of Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold, the double album "Heart of Gold" was released to pay tribute to his music and legacy, including 19 covers of Woods of Ypres songs. Though no local bands made the final product, this release got great reviews for both it's content & intent, and I can vouch for it's success, but would you put it the highest?
Late & Loud part ways after April battle of the bands: Though they're holding a one-off reunion show THIS FRIDAY at The Algonquin Pub, their last show as an active band was upstairs at The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, where they rocked hard with a stylish finals set (and EP re-release) last April before falling inactive. Band activity had slowed in the previous year anyway, but are you among the Loudmouths that found their functional end to be the biggest event?
Pop Evil headline Team Jessica benefit at Kewadin: Similarly to the prior Kim Rogers/Kelsey Raffaele benefit in 2010, Grand Rapids modern rock standouts Pop Evil hit The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on August 14th to help raise money for local student Jessica Jorgensen's battle with leukemia. Featuring local support from
The London Gentlemen and
Missy & Chelsea, this event was a big success, but would you concur with that?
Queensryche play at Kewadin Casino in January: The first major hard rock concert of the year at the Soo Kewadin went down on January 12th, when Washington progressive metal legends Queensryche (the original version now fronted by Todd La Torre) delivered a well recieved night of their classic originals to their U.P. fans! A nice change from the usual hair metal/classic rock bands, but was Queensryche's local stop the biggest event of 2013 in the area?
Ray Brown honoured with benefit concert: Though we lost an unusually high number of metal/hard rock musicians in 2013, arguably the most attention went to veteran local drummer Ray Brown, whose brave cancer fight last year peaked with an emotional benefit concert at The Verdi Hall on October 11th that he was luckily able to attend, albeit just a month before his sudden passing at just 41 years of age. Ray is still missed, but were his benefit & tributes most significant to you last year?
The Ripcordz make long awaited returns to the Soo: Almost
6 years after their last local date at The Speak Easy, Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz finally came back to Sault Ste. Marie on April 13th for a well attended headlining show at The Algonquin Pub, with locals Destroilet and
T-Rex Manning opening for good measure! This was an explosive and very fun concert, but was it the top event of any kind of the previous year?
Sebastian Bach rocks Sault Michigan in January: A rare non-modern rock show from
Allstar Promotions, they kicked off 2013 in style by bringing ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach to Kewadin Casino after a prior swing through the area to shoot parts in the Swearnet move, and lots of fans were eager for this one! Featuring local support from the live concert debut of
415E, this concert was a big hit with Hair Scare fans, but can you vouch for it yourself above other 2013 events?
Shinedown rock Kewadin Casino: Speaking of big Allstar Promotions shows at The Dreammaker's Theater, multi-platinum Jacksonville hard rockers Shinedown blew the roof off the joint with their headlining concert at Kewadin Casino on July 21st, and even if you only saw the videos, you'd know how big this one was! Joined by Memphis rockers
Prosevere, this was definitely a big show for many local hard rock fans, but was it the biggest show/news event of 2013 in the Soo?
Soo Zombie Walk moves to the Bushplane Museum: After spending it's first years at The Grand Theater (and hosting live bands there for most of that stretch), the fifth annual Soo Zombie Walk moved to a new date (Halloween weekend) and location (the Bushplane museum), which included a drastic change to the band schedule, with most bands now playing in the afternoon before the walk, turning the afterparty into an all acoustic event at
Coch's Corner. The walk got mixed reviews, but did all the changes top the year?
SooToday buys Local2: The news media in Sault Ontario was changed last September when SooToday parent company Village Media bought fellow local news site Local2 (the former SooNews.ca), while refocusing it on local internet television and news broadcasting. Reactions were mixed, but the increased attention on local TV is great, and it could be beneficial for local metal bands going forward! Was this 2013's biggest news story?
The Suicide Kings win Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands: As part of the biggest local battle of the bands since the Kiss battle, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings defeated 8 other bands (including spirited wild card runs by Haggith &
The Pesto Shirts) with strong semifinal and final round performances to claim first place, furthering their climb up the local ladder! This was definitely a big event, but was the battle (And the winners) the top story of 2013 to you?
Woods of Ypres win Juno Award for Best Metal Album: It was a big enough story when local doom metal quartet Woods of Ypres recieved a posthumous Juno Award nomination for their last CD "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", but then in April, they won it, with late frontman David Gold's mom Esther giving an emotional acceptance speech on her son's behalf. This is definitely the biggest local metal story on the national stage from last year, but is it the biggest for you?
Other: What did we miss that you thought was a bigger event? Perhaps the biggest show of 2013 was another Kewadin Casino date, LemmaFest, Hempfest, or Rotaryfest? Maybe a new band launch like Jack Spades or AlgomA topped your year? Did you consider a venue closure or renaming to be the biggest, or maybe a band's lineup changes? Or maybe you an album release we didn't cover above was the single top story last year? If your preferred top story of 2013 isn't included in this poll, vote for "Other"!
VOTE TODAY!! You have until March 18th (normal schedule again) to vote, so what was the biggest local metal/hard rock news story of 2013? Cast your votes A.S.A.P. to find out, and stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!
Local alternative/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar for a one-nighter TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert was only just announced on Monday via it's Facebook event page, though I only first heard about it yesterday. After an off weekend, this will be the third weekend out of five to feature Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger at The Rockstar Bar for at least one night, so things must be going well for their recent Algonquin Hotel appearances, and hopefully their gritty alt-rock covers get a solid turnout once again! Note that they're not playing tomorrow night due to the previously announced Suicide Kings show that we'll touch on next. Admission should be about $5 for this 19+ show, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, check the above links! Should be a solid night of entertaining hard rock covers, so don't miss Lucky 13 at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, and for a preview, here's the guys covering a pair of songs at the first Toystock!
Moving to previously announced concerts, the aforementioned Suicide Kings will return to the site of last year's battle of the bands victory when they rock The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT for their own one-night-only appearance! Last seen at The Marquee at Bon Soo two weeks ago, this will be their first stop at The Rockstar Bar in almost six months, so tomorrow's show has definitely been a long time coming, but sadly, they'll be sans bassist Mitch Sirie tonight, as per their Facebook page yesterday. Though the band gave a joking reason for his absence, his personal page confirms that he has an ear infection, and I know how painful that can be, so get well soon, Mitch! According to guitarist Steven Flint's personal Facebook page last night, his and drummer Ben Boudreau's Punch bandmate Daniel Horton will fill in for Mitch tonight, and knowing their chemistry, Daniel will be a solid fill-in, so fingers crossed everything goes great in honour of frontman Mike Gaetano's 30th birthday!
Finally for this post, Sault Ontario all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will make their official Docks Riverfront Grill debuts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off a successful set at last week's Late & Loud reunion show, these won't be the girls' first experience at Docks, having been a surprise guest at a Stiffler's Mom gig there in October, but now the spotlight is theirs in the Docks' Playroom performance area, so don't miss their ever improving originals and covers this weekend! Remember, these will be just their second and third shows since ex-singer Summer Snow-Leopard's departure, but if the reception they got last weekend is any indication, their current lineup shouldn't have much to worry about over the next two nights! Admission is FREE both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, definitely think about checking out The Danger Cats this weekend, and here are the girls at The Algonquin Pub last year!
