Woods Of Ypres - "Allure Of The Earth" Single Review!!

Let's end the month strong with our 57th monthly CD review at the SMS, though for the first time in 11 months, we'll be looking at an archive release due to a slow schedule for new local metal/hard rock albums this month (not counting ones within our 6 month buffer period.) This month, we'll be reviewing a single for the first time, that being the "Allure of the Earth" vinyl released by defunct local blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres! The last release on frontman David Gold's original independent label Krankenhaus Records, this single saw it's limited release on September 6th, 2009 exclusively on 500 7'' vinyl records, each hand-numbered with lyrics sheets and download cards towards digital copies of this single and Woods of Ypres' 2009 compilation album "Independent Nature 2002-2007". The song "Allure of the Earth" was recorded at Spectre Sound Studios in Tecumseh, Ontario in 2004 and originally released on the "Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth" album (or "Woods II") that August.

Woods of Ypres were represented for these sessions by the late David Gold on all instruments save for Jessica Rose on keyboard, while ex-members Steve Jones & Connor Sharpe went uncredited for their guitar & bass parts due to leaving the band beforehand. As well, the second song on the single is a band-endorsed cello cover of "Allure of the Earth" by Australian cellists Sebastian Simpson & Chris Doig, which we'll cover in a second. Even with David's passing in 2011, this single was only available in one limited pressing (and isn't digitally available for sale), so sale copies can be expensive, but you can buy the original song and it's album on iTunes at this link, and both songs are readily available online in streaming copies.

We already reviewed "Allure of the Earth" as part of our full review of it's album in September 2011, so I won't rehash that here, but check this link to read it in full. Essentially Woods of Ypres' first toe in the water of softer ballad material, the song seemed to be based around the desire for death, which may strike familiar with fans compared to the themes of last year's "Woods V". As an early example of David's range and diversity as a singer, it does the job well with solid passion and emotion, but the first half still feels empty, almost like it needs extra instrumentation. Black metal purists will still prefer other songs on "Woods II", but "Allure of the Earth" helped plot the future course for Woods of Ypres' studio material, and it's dark emotion still holds up! The B-side cover of "Allure of the Earth" by Sebastian Simpson & Chris Doig is well performed and adds it's own haunting quality to the song, though with just cellos, it could be considered empty as well. Also, the arrangement is altered in some spots, making the total runtime of the cover a few seconds shorter.

Overall, the "Allure of the Earth" single was a nice release for diehard Woods of Ypres fans in 2009, and the inclusion of the cello cover and vinyl formats gave some solid incentives to pick it up, but given the length and limited availability, I'd only recommend seeking out & buying a copy to collectors. With only 500 copies printed, the price and availability of this record will only go up when copies turn up on the secondary market, and with just two songs, casual fans would be better off buying or downloading "Pursuit of the Sun..." to get their fix of this song & this era of Woods of Ypres, especially as there's no exclusive band originals on it, but this is definitely a recommended album for collectors to look for! I hope you guys liked this month's local metal album review, but what's coming next month? Given recent indications of imminent releases, our next CD review could very well be the debut EPs from Shit Liver or Jack Spades, which are both pencilled in for April releases, but Telephone & Address' "Rotten EP" could be this month as well, pending acquisition of a copy.

For reference, our next Woods of Ypres review (of their 2011 vinyl single "Home") will be our last of their CD reviews on here, barring any possible posthumous albums, but due to our 6 month buffer period to avoid repetition, that won't make it to the site until September at the earliest. Also, a SweetKenny review (of either "Ink!" or "This End Up") is likely for mid-2014, as it's too soon from our last review of his also. With that said, look out for our next CD review in the next 4 weeks, and stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Random Killing), New Videos, And More Updates!!

Even though March is leaving like a lion rather than a lamb, the news keeps on coming around these parts, so for today, we have a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this fall, new videos from each side of the border, and some more recent news items, so read on below for what you need to know!

A very influential punk band is returning to the Soo on Sunday, September 13th at The Rockstar Bar, and a trifecta of heavier local bands will be opening for them! The headliners in question are Toronto punk legends Random Killing (featuring Sault native Andrew "Drool" Kiteley on vocals) in what I believe will be their first local stop since the late 1990s, and if you know how intense their local stops were, and how much they affected many local musicians back then, you'll know that this is a big deal! Taking place during Random Killing's upcoming 30th anniversary tour, the scheduled local openers are local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, hardcore punk veterans Destroilet (in their first announced show of the new year), and new local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, all of which will be making (barring interim announcements) their Rockstar Bar debuts that night, if memory serves me correctly! Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this show (which is being called "Hardcore Homecoming") will have $15 advance tickets, a $20 door charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 9:00 PM start time.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The 1990s local heyday for Random Killing was before my time, but the optimism is clear from fans and performers, and hopefully we welcome Andrew and the band back with open arms in September! Tickets go on sale for the concert tomorrow, and only 150 are being printed, so get yours A.S.A.P., as this is sure to be a big show come September! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's a new Sault Michigan-area videos that I recently came across, this time from last year's third annual LemmaFest outside of Dondee Lanes! Courtesy of attendee Wayne Kozeyah's YouTube channel, this is from local hard rock trio Scofflaw's set from last June, and though we had shown Wayne's clip of their original "Burn One" on here last June, this one came over a month later on July 31st, so it slipped past our radar. This video is of Scofflaw playing their original "Knock You Down A Peg", complete with creative transitions and zooms once again, and it's of great quality even beyond that! Nice bluesy bite with lots of aggression too that fans will want to check out, so hopefully Scofflaw will pop up again at this year's LemmaFest, and check out this video below! (Just in case anyone asks, I know of the rough edit of Wayne's LemmaFest documentary that's online, but given that it's an unlisted rough edit of a school thesis project, I'll refrain from showing it on here until the end of the semester and/or the final public release.)



Also in new videos, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's newest solo cover video is now online via his YouTube channel, and it's a cover of John Mayer's "Daughters"! Like his other recent videos, this is a softer rock cover with vocals, but like usual, it's performed well with great camera work! Also, this is an acoustic piece with no bass or drum input, so if you have a preference, keep that in mind! Check out his new video below, and don't miss the long awaited return of Ashes To Dust at the fourth Sewer Swampstravaganza!



Finally for today, here's three recent assorted shorter news items to clear out of our cache, and like usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or website name:

• The aforementioned Jack Spades announced the track listing for their upcoming debut EP on their Facebook page yesterday! In order, the songs are "They Live", "Ride", "Breakneck Speed", their cover of The Ripcordz' "X", and "To The Left", with songs like "Motorwolf" and "Frederick" not included. Sounds good all the same, stay tuned for updates on the planned release next month!
• Longtime Sault Star reporter Michael Purvis (who authored some metal-relevant articles for the paper) joined SooToday and Village Media's news team earlier this month, which is a huge gain for them, as Michael's experience at journalism will only add to their future coverage! Read more on Michael's SooToday hiring at this link, and best of luck at SooToday!
• The long awaited Earache Records re-releases of Woods of Ypres' black metal-era albums have officially begun, as the reissue of 2008's "Woods III: The Deepest Roots & Darkest Blues" came out on Monday through Earache's online store! Copies are available on CD and vinyl (with limited coloured discs too) along with shirts, hoodies, and patches, so if you don't own "Woods III" yet, click here to get your brand new copies!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon, plus this month's CD review tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Shit Liver's Album Release, More Recent Updates, And The End Of RamWagon?

Returning to all news today after this weekend's concert previews, we have new videos from a young local metal band, big updates concerning an out of town trip that could pay big dividends, what looks like a band falling inactive, and first, a long awaited CD release, so here's what you need to know!

Local/Toronto grindcore trio Shit Liver have finally announced a release date for their debut album, complete with a commercial for it! Nearing two years after recording sessions began, the band announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that the album (which will be self-titled) is scheduled to come out on Sunday, April 20th! The commercial (which is the first upload to their YouTube channel since 2011) is mostly text overtop of audio samples, but it does include this image (likely the album cover, I await a higher-res copy), a movie trailer rating card at the beginning, and references to the long delay in a release as it awaited mastering. The video confirms that upon release, Shit Liver's album will be available for a free stream on YouTube (it's already on their Reverberation page), while the album will be available online via this BandCamp link in three weeks on a "pay what you want" digital model (a'la the Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's album), though there will be hard copies and merchandise for sale there as well.

Note however that the video doesn't confirm concert availability, or if there will be a release party here or in Southern Ontario, but they will be back home to open for Fuck The Facts on May 4th, so they could have hard copies then. It's great to finally see Shit Liver release their album (even if after they moved), so stay tuned for updates as we near April 20th, and check out the full trailer below!

Next up, remember how we reported earlier this month that a new country rock band named Highway 63 had replaced local hard rockers RamWagon for this weekend's gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino? Well, it looks like a replacement for more than just those gigs, as their lineup is almost exactly the same as RamWagon's most recent full incarnation. Only bassist George Belleau is not a part of Highway 63, with Ryan Kitzmiller, Nathan Switzer (now on bass), and Ron Suchey all joining frontman Henry Switzer (Nathan's dad and Ron's former Monkey's Uncle bandmate) in this new project, while this past weekend's shows were considered a "test run". Highway 63's lineup has a solid level of talent and experience, so country and classic rock fans should enjoy them, but what does this mean for RamWagon? Given that Highway 63 features most of their last lineup, and has taken over this past weekend's dates (and presumably more), I'll reluctantly consider RamWagon to be inactive for our purposes.

Active for just a year, RamWagon became a popular sight from numerous Kewadin Casino gigs and other assorted events (like their LemmaFest debut) throughout 2013, but an ambitious 2014 concert lineup was slashed to only a few scattered dates last month, and both George and Ron were removed from their Facebook page's lineup around then, with no updates following. If RamWagon are done as an independent band, it's definitely disappointing, as they had been growing fast in prominence, but I wish the guys well with Highway 63, and the same goes for George, Cody, and Marcel in the future!

Also in the news, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings and some other notable local bands have applied a big upcoming concert event a few hours east of the Soo! As announced on their Facebook page on Thursday, they'll be among the competitiors at the fourth annual battle of the bands in Spanish next Saturday to determine openers for this year's Rock 'N Roar festival, where the top 5 bands (out of 14 this year) will win cash ($1,000 for first, $500 for second-fifth) and opening slots for Randy Bachman & Honeymoon Suite on Saturday, August 16th! I can also confirm that reunited local rock band Wishbone are joining them this year, and that their new lineup is almost a reunion of their late 2009 incarnation (longtime frontman Dennis Duguay, returning guitarist & drummer Jeremey Salatuk & Brent Royer, and Jeremey's Lucky 13 bandmate Jeff Gray in place of Chris Smith.) The official performer lineup has not been announced yet, but Saultites are no stranger to the Rock N' Roar battle, as Havadder & The Thrill Junkies both made the top 5 in the last two years, and Griphook also competed last year.

Both The Suicide Kings and Wishbone have made the podium of recent local battles (The Suicide Kings' Steven Flint even played with Wishbone at the Humane Society Battle), but will their local good luck translate to Spanish next weekend? We'll keep you guys posted if and when we hear more, but good luck to the local competitors, do us proud!

Finally for today, here's some new video footage from local goregrind duo Rotopsy! One is a new upload to the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel, and it's their new studio track "Your Blood on my JR Shooz", though viewer discretion is advised due to the adult content on the pictured artwork. To be included on Rotopsy's upcoming solo demo, it has the needed heaviness and will entertain fans, but those not acclimated to the grind on display will find it to be rough sledding. The other new video is from the Commencing Human Desperation concert at The Oddfellows Hall last weekend, though it was oddly shared on bassist Tyler Gibson's main band Crucify The Whore's Facebook page rather than Rotopsy's. Originally shot by promoter Tyler St. Amour and uploaded to his personal Facebook page last Saturday, this is of Rotopsy playing their original "T.F.T.", and though the video has dark lighting and is often blurry, it captures the extra spontaneity of the live setting well, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lucky 13), Weekend Concert Previews, And A New Video!!

It's now time for this weekend's hard rock concert previews at the SMS, and I apologize for these not coming tomorrow, but the news about The Roosevelt Hotel's closure took up yesterday's coverage. This weekend only sees advance knowledge shows in Sault Ontario, as RamWagon's Kewadin Casino dates this weekend now belong to Highway 63 (more on that tomorrow), but we do have a new Sault Michigan video to cap off this post with. Now, let's begin our previews with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local alternative hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar for a one nighter TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was only just announced on Wednesday. This Saturday night show will be Lucky 13's first show in 4 weeks, coincidentally another Saturday-only gig at the same venue, but if you've missed their alt-rock covers and often aggressive sound, be sure not to miss this one! For reference, they're not playing tonight due to the previously booked Who Made Who show tonight that we'll elaborate on in a second. Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger will be rocking out tomorrow night at 10:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and a $5 cover charge is likely. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Aside from their only Rosie shows over the Valentine's Day weekend, Lucky 13 have been a regular favourite sight upstairs at The Algonquin over the past 2 months, so hopefully the same good will continues tomorrow, and for a preview, here's the guys covering The Stone Temple Pilots!

Moving to previously announced shows, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert/jam night arrangement at The Harp Pub & Grill is advertised to continue for a 17th consecutive installment TONIGHT! I'll note that as of this writing, Tym hasn't plugged the show on Facebook, but it is on his concert calendar on his website, and as we're currently doing with the shows listed there, we're taking them a month at a time due to it listing constant weekly Harp gigs through 2028. Tonight's presumed show will return Tym to his usual Friday night slot following last week's one-off postponement due to Glitch's Harp debut, but regardless of day, Tym's acoustic hard rock covers always deliver a fun time for attendees at the former Madison's Pub, so keep his likely return in mind for tonight! There is a likely 19+ age limit in effect, no announced cover charge, and a 10:00 PM start time, so check the above links for more details, stay tuned if we get any schedule clarification, and here's Tym covering Metallica a while back!



Finally for known hard rock shows this weekend is the return of Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who to Sault Ontario TONIGHT for a one-night-only event at The Rockstar Bar! Last seen in local confines via a headlining gig at The Canadian Nightclub in early 2012, it will be nice to have this experienced and faithful tribute to these hard rock legends back in our neck of the woods tonight! The only nationally touring AC/DC tribute act in Canada, Who Made Who's proficient versions of classics from the Bon Scott & Brian Johnson eras should be welcomed back to town tonight, so if you're up for some high voltage rock 'n roll, you know where to be! Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:30 PM start time in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! AC/DC fans should be sure to enjoy the long awaited return of Who Made Who to the Soo tonight, so don't miss it, and for a preview, here's Who Made Who's promotional tour video!



Finally for today, here's a new video posting concerning Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night! As posted to keyboardist Craig Harrison's YouTube channel on Monday, this is of him playing along with the studio track of their original song "Ragnarok Rising", and everything sounds good, with Craig's keyboard skills displayed well, though the comic book-esque filter might not be every viewer's cup of tea. Check out the video below, and hear the current studio version of "Ragnarok Rising" at this link!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news this weekend, plus this month's CD review shortly as well! Thanks everyone!

The End Of The Roosevelt Hotel, Plus New Project 421 Videos!!

Today's post has some new videos you guys might wanna see at the end, but the main topic relates to the confirmation of some rumours from recent weeks that we only now have proof on, and it's definitely bad news for local metalheads, so read on below to get caught up.

The Roosevelt Hotel as we currently know it will close tomorrow, as the popular Korah Road bar and concert venue has apparently been purchased by a new owner, and will soon be changing it's name as well. Though rumoured for a few weeks, the news was only just confirmed on The Rosie's Facebook page last night, where they also plugged yesterday's karaoke night prior to the changes. An official statement has not been made to elaborate further, but numerous online reports state that Reggie Daigle (owner of the popular downtown country bar Reggie's Place) is the new owner, and The Rosie will be reverted back to a country-leaning bar upon it's relaunch, though it's not clear whether that will be on Friday or if there will be a period of renovations first. If we get any firm announcements or clarifications, we'll have them here! If true, this will mark the second local bar/concert venue in under 5 months to have a name change and subsequent shift to a country theme after The Nicolet Tavern became the Rednecks Saloon in November.

Assuming the new focus of 306 Korah Road ends all metal and punk shows, it is safe to say that the Heavy Thursday series at The Rosie has ended as well just two months after it's inception. To that effect, promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed in a personal Facebook discussion that the Tribune show on April 17th and the Cross Dog show in July are now off from their originally intended forms, and while he apparently has a new plan for Cross Dog, the Tribune show will depend on a venue being secured in the next few weeks. Until a new venue is announced for either, I'll remove them from our concert listings, but stay tuned for official word on them (also, remember that the Babysitter show on April 3rd had already been cancelled last week.) J.D. was exploring the late notice possibility of hosting one final Heavy Thursday tonight as a send-off & thank you to The Rosie's staff and management for all they've done for these kinds of music in the past 3½ years,  but the venue opted for another karaoke night due to time constraints, leaving Griphook's headlining show on Saturday as the last hard rock concert at The Roosevelt Hotel.

No matter what your views were on The Rosie (location, certain incidents, the on-stage pole, etc.), this will be a huge blow to local metal and punk bands and concerts if the reports of an all-country bar go into effect. Beyond just the Thursday night series', The Rosie became a reliable home for metal and punk shows since the fall of 2010, and while I know Reggie's is a very successful bar with a working formula, I hope they don't completely lock out rock bands and continue to host a mixture of styles and bands once the new look and focus takes effect (though in all fairness, an official statement is hopefully forthcoming to fill in any gaps.) If this is the end though, I'll offer my thanks to Robin Istace and the rest of the staff at The Rosie for their hospitality and support throughout the last 3 years, and to Rich Moreland, Typhoid Meaghan, Stephane Vincent, J.D. Pearce, and Mitch Sirie for their work in promoting the 64 Thursday night metal & punk shows (and more) at The Rosie during that span!

We'll close today's post with some happier news courtesy of one of the last metal bands to play at The Rosie, local classic metal quintet Project 421! Like their Black Sabbath cover that we shared the other day, these come from last weekend's set at the Medifest fundraiser at The Grand Theatre, and were shared via their Facebook page yesterday. One was filmed by (and shared from the account of) attendee Joey Phuckel, and it's of Project 421 covering Kiss' "Cold Gin", which sounds really good and has a nice angle, but with one big problem: the video's sideways for the entire duration! Couldn't he have flipped it to the right angle before uploading? The other video is filmed by the same attendee who shot their Sabbath cover (I think), and it's a cover of Judas Priest's "Living After Midnight"! Solid quality again, but the angle does dip on an angle for much of the early runtime. Check out the new Project 421 videos above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow morning, if all goes well! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Howling Bullets

It's now time for our newest Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile at the SMS! Like in past months, this monthly feature series looks at a metal or hard rock band that has featured a Sault Ste. Marie (and area) resident in any of their official lineups, as though the band itself has never been based locally, they deserve some attention and recognition with local readers! This month, we're tackling a long overdue band with connections beyond the music, so read on below for this month's profile! (Updated on November 27th)
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The Howling Bullets (Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics. This information is incomplete, mainly concerning ex-members' real names. E-mail me at robertfigures@outlook.com if you have any additions or corrections!)

Dan "Dano Villano" Gingras (vocals/bass)
Sean "Seanbelly" Sewell (guitar)
Jordan "Sane" Stewart (vocals/bass)
Elena "Red" Robinson (drums)

Gregory Chevette (guitar)
"T-Rev" (guitar)
Max "Overdrive" (drums)
Alvin Lapp (drums)

Official website: http://www.thehowlingbullets.com
Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/thehowlingbullets
Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/howlingbullets
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/thehowlingbullets
Official YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/thehowlingbullets
Official Soundcloud page: http://soundcloud.com/the-howling-bullets

Local Info: Though details on his local past aren't too prevalent online, Howling Bullets frontman Dan Gingras (a.k.a. Dano Villano) will be familiar to many local musicians for both his local band work and as the brother of ex-Frightlight bassist Mike Gingras, also known as Eddie Fright! The two have collaborated via Mike's film company Party Island Productions on both a Howling Bullets music video and an acting role by Dano in Mike's short film "The Kid Who Made The Face", and there's sure to be more to come. Don't sleep on Dano's well respected music work though, which has included a stint as bassist with Toronto grunge punk quintet The Von Drats, a few hillbilly projects, and his current role as The Howling Bullets' frontman!

Band Bio: Dano Villano began preparations for what became The Howling Bullets in 2009 by writing songs based on horror and myths, eventually forming this band by March 2011, with him and fellow bassist Jordan Sane remaining in every lineup incarnation since then. Debuting on stage that May on Friday the 13th, The Howling Bullets have became a popular sight on the Southern Ontario concert stage over the past three years, including an appearance at the 2011 Toronto Burlesque Festival, sets opening for bands like The Brains, Maximum RNR, and The Koffin Kats, numerous headlining shows, while releasing no less than three EPs during that span in 2012 & 2013, most recently their EP "Murder Is A Heavy Word" this past Halloween. Still hard at work with new concerts this year and more, keep an eye out for more horror rock entertainment from The Howling Bullets in the oming months!

On the surface, The Howling Bullets share many similarities with Dano's brother's band Frightlight based on their horror themes and on stage attire, but The Howling Bullets are their own animal, combining horror punk and some hard rock influences with blues and hillbilly influences, and it adds up to an interesting sound that has a little something for many different audiences! Dano and Jordan Sane also add a dueling bass attack to their repertoire that adds a little something extra to their sets, with their various guitarists and drummers also adding their own talents (current drummer Elena Red impresses a lot in particular!) Though we haven't seen The Howling Bullets up north yet that I can remember, their diverse hybrid sound should satisfy most punk and rockabilly tastes, with just enough heavier twinges to go around, and if you love horror, you can't miss their sound!

All of The Howling Bullets' albums are available for digital purchase at this link for $3.50 or $7 (plus a $15 compilation collection), while the band's various online pages linked above have streaming copies of many songs as well. YouTube is full of live videos from Howling Bullets concerts as well, but embedded below is their music video "Ghoul County Limits" that Mike Gingras directed, so check it out below!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Staying with Toronto punk-influenced bands, we'll be looking at Joan Jett/Ramones tribute band The Merves (featuring prolific local musician Mikey Hawdon) next month in this series, partially due to their local return next weekend, so watch out for that on or around April 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more soon! Thanks everyone!

Medifest Fallout, Brutaly Fatal Updates, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling today, we have some assorted recent news and notes, big updates from the new Brutaly Fatal camp, and leading things off, lots of fallout from a big benefit show this past weekend, so here's what you need to know!

We'll start today with some fallout from Saturday night's Medifest fundraiser show at The Grand Theatre, including some clarification on the performers! Through personal Facebook photo postings, I can confirm that Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison was joined for his acoustic solo set by bandmate Alain Fletcher as well as guitarist Kyle Sweet, who has performed with The Sault Ste. Marie Pipe Band recently, but was making his first on-stage concert appearance in over 6 years. Videos are floating around on personal accounts, so if you spot them, give them a look, they're pretty good! As well, late notice additions The Craig West Experience were joined by a guitarist named Rob Coleman in place of usual Machines Dream member Keith Conway, and hopefully their prog rock set was a hit too! Sadly, I don't have any concrete information on the identity or genre of the debuting Obviously D'uh yet, but I also want to note that the poster on your right actually lists dormant local hard rock band The Side FX (featuring promoter/Elements frontman Rob Speers & Papa Fogals Chair alumni) as one of the performing bands, which would indicate that their first live set in 8 months was on Saturday, so is their inclusion accurate?

I don't think they played Medifest, judging by the lack of Side FX-geared photos and discussion afterwards, so it's possible that The Craig West Experience replaced them on the bill. For what it's worth, the poster came out two days before the C.W.E.'s late announcement, but also keep in mind that The Side FX's Facebook page has not been updated since last August, and I never saw them listed on the event page's lineup. When/if we get clarification on The Side FX or Obviously D'uh's involvement in Medifest, we'll have it here! Finally for Medifest fallout, there is one completely public video that we can share, courtesy of newer local classic metal quintet Project 421's set! Filmed by an uncredited attendee and uploaded to the band's Facebook page yesterday, it features the end of their cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" before transitioning to their cover of Black Sabbath's "N.I.B.", and it's of really nice quality right close to the stage, so check it out below, and stay tuned for updates on the open band questions!



Next up, here's the latest from local independent grind/death metal label Blood Shed Productions and related artists! First, the newly reunited Brutaly Fatal have announced their new larger lineup on their own Facebook page earlier today, as they've enlisted Pillory's Bret Shuttleworth as their new drummer (succeeding Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson from the original version for unannounced reasons), while Rainey Vincent has been enlisted as their first ever guitarist. Rainey may be familiar to Haggith fans for making some guest appearances with them last year, and it will be interesting to see how he adds to Brutaly Fatal! No, I still don't know the status of Re-Born (formerly the first version of Brutaly Fatal), as their Facebook page hasn't been updated in almost two months. The newest update on the Blood Shed Facebook page also suggests that Brutaly Fatal have a "new style", and we should "prepare for doom", so are they taking a doom metal path now?

It remains to be seen, but the new lineup is expected to debut at a private event on Friday at frontman Austin McCrea's house alongside Crucify The Whore, Chase Wigmore, rapper Phat Boii, and maybe Rotopsy, but their public debut will be at the massive Dank Fest all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall on April 19th, so stay tuned for updates on that front, as well as the new Rotopsy demo EP release scheduled for that weekend ($3 a copy!)

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

• Last week, local hardcore punk veterans Destroilet announced on their Facebook page that they would begin recording new material this past weekend, though it remains to be seen if this will be for a third CD release or just to get some new songs online. Further details weren't given, but this should get fans excited, so stay tuned as more comes in!
• Former J.A.B. guitarist Gerald McKinnon is now looking for a bassist for his new alternative metal/hard rock band, as per his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday. He's looking for someone with no ties with other bands unless you have the time for this new band, and he hopes to find "a fresh player", so if you're interested in trying out, message Gerald at this link or above!
• New Sault Ontario resident Greg Paul is looking to join or form a new punk or metal band, with him on rhythm guitar and/or drums. Most recently drumming for Sudbury band Death Ryder (and opening for Anvil on March 14th), he's influenced by punk mostly as a guitarist, but covers more metal as a drummer, and he's open to anything & willing to learn. If you're interested, message Greg at his own Musicians Wanted group post from last week, or at this link!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Album Release, More Anvil Concert Fallout, And Swampstravaganza Updates!!

We're back with a stacked news post today, including big updates from an upcoming all ages show, more notable fallout from a recent event, and leading off, updates on a new local hard rock album release and our spring CD review schedule, so here's what you need to know!

Dafter, Michigan solo hard rock artist Ken Sutton (a.k.a. SweetKenny) has officially released his eighth studio album "Ink!", over a week ahead of schedule! Originally slated to come out this coming Monday, Ken confirmed on his Facebook page yesterday that the new album can now be purchased on CD Baby at this link for $9.99 in digital formats, $12.97 on CD, or for 99¢ for each individual song, so visit the above links for more details! Self described as a heavy rock & fun album, "Ink!" has 10 songs, no credited guest perfomers, and features vocals again after not including any on last fall's "Cracks in the Wall". Ken also recently confirmed on his website that his ninth album "This End Up" (artwork here) is now in the writing & recording phase, and it is currently projected for a July release, though further details are not yet public. With all of that said, when can you guys expect a new SweetKenny album review at the SMS?

I had originally projected May (the earliest point after our 6 month buffer from our "Perception" review clears), but if another new album does indeed come out in July, I may hold it until then to determine whether "This End Up" is heavier than "Ink!" or not. There's still time to figure out scheduling for the late spring, so stay tuned as we hear anything, and check the above links to buy or preview SweetKenny's new album! As for this month, unless I get a copy of Telephone & Address' "Rotten EP" this week (or there's a flash new release), I've decided to give a long overdue review of Woods of Ypres' "Allure of the Earth" vinyl single this week, so look out for it shortly!

Next up, here's some more Anvil concert fallout, as the show is spotlighted in the third episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper, Local2's new music spotlight webseries! Posted on Saturday, it's the first Tuned episode to feature metal bands outside of their concert calendar segment, and it features excerpts from host/SooToday reporter Donna Hopper's interview with Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow (which you can watch in full at this link) before moving to Donna's interview with promoter/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, which also was previously online at this link. The "What's Happening" concert calendar segment spotlighted last weekend's Medifest fundraiser show at The Grand Theater and the upcoming fourth Sewer Swampstravaganza in May, before closing with some exclusive Anvil footage of Jack Spades' set! Coming from at least two songs (including their cover of The Ripcordz' "X"), 4 different video clips are included, and they capture the individual members well! Check out the full new Tuned episode (plus outtakes at the end) at the above links!

Lastly for our recent Anvil show fallout is YouTube user Christopher Paci's last concert video from the show on March 15th, this being opening classic metal quintet Project 421's cover of Iron Maiden's "Powerslave"! Filmed at a similar angle and clarity as his Suicide Kings video (partly thanks to lower crowd levels on the floor), the video captures their talents well, and Curtis McKenzie handles the song well on vocals, so give the full clip a look below!



Finally today, we have a bunch of updates for the aforementioned fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall, which has been postponed a week from May 3rd to May 10th, as per the Facebook event page two weeks ago. A reason for the date change wasn't announced, but it had came out a few days prior that the show was booked on the same day as the well anticipated A Tribe Called Red show at Sault College, so that could be related. The postponement is a bit disappointing, but no full bands had to drop out since, which is good, so hopefully things go well on the 10th instead! In terms of the lineup, this year's Swampstravaganza has actually gained two bands, one of which being local thrash metal quartet Pillory! Fresh off their late notice set opening for Commencing Human Desperation at the same venue, this will be this rising young band's first appearance at this annual event, though frontman Robert Sartini did play last year's installment as Crimson Crusade's guitarist. Very nice to see them staying active, hopefully they tear it up this year!

The other new band addition is young local hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust, who you may remember from numerous Superior Heights Collegiate performances and at the 2012 Swampstravaganza (which is still the only non-school event I've heard of them playing.) They quietly dropped out of last year's show, and I haven't heard a public update on their Facebook page since then, so how different will things look from their camp come May? We'll hopefully find out soon! Last for lineup alterations, the previously announced joint set credited to the reunited Ye Olde Mold Pickers & their Grand Rapids-based successors The Filthy Cur has been contracted into just a Ye Olde Mold Pickers set for unannounced reasons, though remember that only Mickey MacKenzie of The Filthy Cur wasn't a Y.O.M.P. member, so he might be unavailable. Disappointing, but a full Mold Pickers reunion will be welcomed by many! Currently sitting at 9 bands (same as last year), the Facebook event page still advertises a band search, so if you want to see if your band can play on May 10th, message promoters above, and stay tuned for updates!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, along with this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile and this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!

Anvil Concert Video Showcase!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to new video postings from last weekend's Anvil concert at The Canadian Nightclub, as frequent local concert attendee Christopher Paci was on hand once again to get lots of footage for his YouTube channel! Uploaded on Thursday and Friday, he got 3 videos of Anvil and one each of the opening bands, but for the sake of spreading things out and not making this post too long, I'll hold our full feature of Project 421 video (a cover of Iron Maiden's "Powerslave") for an upcoming post, so look for it then! Now, let's take a look at the Anvil videos first, as Christopher filmed Anvil's songs "March of the Crabs", "Metal on Metal", and (as embedded below) "Thumb Hang" from this entertaining concert, so how'd they turn out? Chris got a good angle of Anvil, and he captures Steve "Lips" Kudlow's crowd invasion well from the start of the set, but the vocals on his camera aren't very audible. Solid work as usual though, so check out "Thumb Hang" below, and more at the above links!



Next from the show is Christopher's footage of fellow Toronto metallers Caym playing their originals "Corvus" and "Tighter Than Your Dad's Boots", followed by some solo sections by band members, though it cuts off during Tyler Reiner's drum solo. Nice extended video that has a more central angle, though there are more fan heads in the line of fire than his angle for the Anvil videos had. He captured Caym's hardcore intensity nicely, so check out the full video below, or go to individual songs above!



Moving to local bands, Christopher's video of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades was of their cover of SNFU's "Drunk on a Bike" (which was a late addition, replacing a cover of The Misfits' "Helena" on their setlist for that night.) The camera angle is further here, so fan heads are more of an issue (especially when trying to see Justin Lam), but it's another nice video for fans of J.D.'s local projects and hardcore punk, so check it out below, and stay tuned soon for more Jack Spades/Anvil-related media coverage!



Finally for today, Chris' video of local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings was of their original song "Beaten Down" (I believe that's it's name), which benefits in a sense from the low turnout of fans on the floor, as we do get a zoomed in full angle of the band in action! Mike Gaetano's vocals are hard to hear in the verses, but it's a nice clip otherwise, and their talent and chemistry comes through again, so give their video a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news (including Chris Paci's Project 421 video) this week! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Olivia Williams, Alanoth, And nick kainula

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, and for the first time of this year, we're looking at three separate channels (all randomly selected), as the first we chose only had one distinct video type, so I filled it out with extras. Remember, this monthly series looks at 1-3 YouTube channels that have at least 50% worth of local metal/hard rock videos, in order to profile, feature, and recommend them to prospective fans! We have a nice blend of hard rock talent from Sault Ontario this month, so read on below for this month's profiles!
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Olivia Williams (http://www.youtube.com/flangel22)

Owner: YouTube user and former Sault Ontario resident Olivia Williams

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 11th, 2007; Videos posted from February through December 2011

Channel Summary: A close friend of members of defunct local hard rock band Stillbroke (later Borderline Divine) during their heyday, Olivia's video postings are all uploads of studio tracks from their 2009 EP "Never Enough", though they were curiously not posted there until their ongoing concert hiatus in 2011. Featuring their classic lineup (frontman Jesse Frigault, guitarist Sam DeDominicis, bassist Kyle McKey, and drummer Jenny Hooper), the songs are "Forget", "Never Enough", and (as embedded below) "Tear Me To Pieces", which provide a nice sampling of Stillbroke's talent & abilities from the peak of their local run, and with solid production from Stereo Soul Studios, fans of modern hard rock should be right at home! Note however that the other songs from the EP ("No Reason" & "Wash It Away") are not on Olivia's channel, but they can be streamed here, and her channel hasn't been actively used in a year or more.


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Alanoth (http://www.youtube.com/alanoth)

Owner: Former 2wo Man Baand singer/guitarist & Sault Ontario native Elliott Corston-Pine

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 12th, 2006; Only video posted on October 17th of that year

Channel Summary: Effectively the official YouTube channel for the partially local improv/hard rock duo 2wo Man Baand, member Elliott Corston-Pine uploaded their only known public video there in October 2006, which was late into their collective run. The video and song (both entitled "Sky High") feature Elliott and guitarist Stephen Quackenbush jamming an improvised instrumental guitar track, which has a lot of promise that actually outshines their more comedic songs on their MySpace page, but the video suffers from washed out colours and a somewhat poor camera angle. In a sense, the 2wo Man Baand were ahead of their time in terms of their membership and style, so the video is worth looking at to gauge their talent! Also watch out for credits, and note that Elliott hasn't visibly used his channel since 2009.


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nick kainula (http://www.youtube.com/pearls666)

Owner: Former State of Misery & Unbound drummer Nick Kainula

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 10th, 2007; Only video posted on January 20th, 2013

Channel Summary: Talented local drummer Nick Kainula finally uploaded a video of his most recent public band Unbound to his YouTube channel last January, albeit not under optimal circumstances following the sudden death of frontman Justin Fratpietro on January 3rd of last year. Their only known footage with Justin, this originally came from a personal Facebook posting, as filmed by attendee Amy Roach at a jam session in November 2012, which fans may recognize as the same location as early State of Misery videos. Also featuring Nick's former State of Misery bandmates Ray Cowan & Kevin D'Orazio at the time, the video suffers from poor audio quality & a shaky camera angle (which is auto-corrected on YouTube), but it does show Unbound's hard rock base, with Justin's deeper melodic vocals flowing nicely, and it's definitely makes you wonder what could have been! Note however that videos from the band's later activity are not on Nick's channel, nor has he updated it recently.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Next month, I've randomly chosen just one channel (but it's stacked), and this one will be our first single channel profile from Sault Ontario in 5 months, so what's coming on or around April 22nd? The official YouTube channel for defunct local experimental/grunge trio SBD, which is stacked with videos, so watch out for that next month, and stay tuned for an all-Anvil concert video showcase soon! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of The Weekend Concert Previews, Assorted Updates, And The Return Of No Arrow?

Today's post both closes this weekend's hard rock & metal concert previews and covers some recent news items (including a band resurrection and some cancelled shows), but remember to check out yesterday's post for previews of shows taking place today! Now, here's what you need to know!

A special benefit event named Medifest 2014 goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Grand Theater! The first hard rock-featured show of the year at this venue, the event is designed to raise proceeds and awareness for the expiring Medical Marijuana Access Regulations program, and to help preserve existing rights to medical marijuana usage in Canada and promote awareness to the cause. For all information on that angle of Medi-Fest, visit the Facebook event page! In terms of the music, there are now 6 acts due to a late notice addition, so who's playing? The event will be headlined (and promoted) by new local alternative/funk rock quartet The Elements in just their second live concert appearance, while bassist James White's punk trio Redundant are also on board for their first Grand Theatre appearance since the Motion Carried days, and classic metal quintet Project 421 will make their own Grand debut tomorrow night while riding the momentum from the Anvil show! As well, Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison will make a rare solo appearance tomorrow night in his first public concert set in almost a year, which should be interesting!

A debuting local band named Obviously D'uh are also scheduled for tomorrow's show, but I still have no information on them, though I'll update this if I hear anything! The late notice addition is The Craig West Experience, a new local rock trio featuring most of local prog-rockers Machines Dream (minus Keith Conway), so don't miss their experienced talent! Admission is via a $10 donation (but advance tickets are available on request), an 8:00 PM start time is advertised, and age limits are unclear. Check the above links for more information! Though I don't smoke marijuana at all, I understand it's benefits, and if Medi-Fest succeeds at spreading awareness, then things will work out well! Hopefully there's a huge turnout, and for a preview, here's The Elements at their debut show!



Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's weekly concert/jam night arrangement at The Harp Pub & Grill continues TOMORROW NIGHT! Entering the 16th week of his current regular run at the former Madison's Pub, this week's show was postponed from it's usual Friday night placement due to tonight's Glitch show at The Harp, so if Saturday doesn't work out for you, Tym will be back at his normal day next week! Regardless of day, his acoustic hard rock covers are always a reliable option for your weekend concert/live music plans, and if you're a prospective open mic performer, there's always that angle to keep in mind too! There's no announced cover charge for Tym's show tomorrow, you must be 19 to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time as well. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tym should be at usual form for his unplugged and diverse covers tomorrow, so take note of it, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Extreme's "More Than Words"!

Next up, remember defunct local grunge trio No Arrow? Well, they re-emerged online last week, over 3 years after their last show, though their future status is somewhat muddled. The return of sorts appears to mainly be an outlet to finally release their debut album "Souls For Sale" (which was started in 2007) through Right Notes Recording, which I believe is drummer Joe Falco's new independent label, and they're even getting some internet radio play this week. However, there has been something of a falling out between Joe and frontman Dann Pichette since, and while I won't get into details on that aspect, Joe has updated the new No Arrow Facebook page since, and he also changed a few song names (i.e. "Sikkha" is listed as "Sik Master") via their streaming copies on Soundclick. Even before recent revelations, these plans just looked like a posthumous release of the album, especially with Dann living out of town & the band's various bassists not being visibly part of the new activity, though who knows what will happen now if Dann and Joe aren't on the same page.

I always enjoyed No Arrow during their active run, and while I'd love to see "Souls For Sale" finally out in a completed state, I'd definitely rather see it happen if Dann & Joe (who were with the band from the beginning) came to a consensus on everything. I would question why three song names were changed when that's what they've been called since the late 2000s, but I'm not involved in the process to know all that went on. If more comes out on these No Arrow plans, I'll have them here!

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 name:

• These Sins of Time frontwoman Alexa LeClair is looking for a bassist to play "rock originals", though it's not clear whether this is to fill the vacant bass slot in T.S.O.T. or for an unrelated music project (for what it's worth, she previously looked for a drummer without clarifying the intended band earlier this year as well.) If you're interested in trying out, message Alexa at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from this past Sunday!
• The previously announced Heavy Thursday at The Roosevelt Hotel on April 3rd has quietly been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page on Monday. A reason has not been announced, but as of last Saturday, Victoria punk band (and projected headliners) Babysitter listed their local date on Facebook as having a venue to be announced. Disappointing, but hopefully the series persists, and don't miss the next confirmed installment with Tribune on April 17th!
• It looks like next weekend's scheduled RamWagon dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino have been cancelled, as new local country rock band Highway 63 (which I believe features ex-Monkey's Uncle frontman Henry Switzer) are now advertising that their debut concert weekend will take place over the same nights. The venue has yet to confirm this, but I'll note that RamWagon haven't updated their Facebook page since they severely cut their 2014 concert schedule last month. Stay tuned in case we get any extra clarification!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles and new Anvil videos soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Commencing Human Desperation & Griphook) And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

It might not feel like the first day of spring, but let's keep things rolling at The Sault Metal Scene with most of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews! Now, due to the amount, we'll be previewing Saturday-only shows (namely, Medifest and Tym Morrison's postponed Harp gig) tomorrow, along with any extremely short notice events, so look out for those then! We'll start these previews with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend, so here's what you need to know! (Updated on Friday at 1:48 AM)

The long rumoured Heavy North Entertainment-promoted ALL AGES show that has been teased for this month at The Oddfellows Hall goes down TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the event was only just confirmed yesterday. The concert will be headlined by Winnipeg deathcore quintet Commencing Human Desperation in their local debut, and fans of hardcore & death metal music should enjoy their very heavy and intense hybrid sound tomorrow night! Local openers include local thrashers Pillory, Blood Shed Productions death metal projects Rotopsy and Brutaly Fatal while, a band labelled as "Them" dropped out due to the show's short notice, and they'll be replaced by sets from fellow Blood Shed grind act Crucify The Whore and a dual set by Strange Coyotes bassist James Watterworth (credited as "Delusionair") and someone named "Spider Fingers" (possibly Chase Wigmore?) The concert will be opened by the local return of acoustic indie trio Like Father Like Son (featuring former local metal artists Jeremy Hannah and Nathan Bouliane), who have moved to Ottawa and worked on material there since their last local dates in 2012, and while they're definitely outliers on the bill, it'll be nice to see them back home!

This concert has an $8 cover charge, no age limits, and a 6:30 PM start time, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! The short notice is somewhat worrying for the attendance and potential success of this show, but Tyler St. Amour sounds very happy to bring C.H.D. to town for this one! Yes, I believe this is the show Crimson Crusade turned down a slot on due to their hiatus. Stay tuned in case there's a late lineup change (or if we find out who "Them" are), and here's Commencing Human Desperation live last year!



Also in late announcements, local hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to The Roosevelt Hotel for shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these shows on Tuesday. After almost two months off earlier this year, these shows fall over the third out of four weekends that Griphook will be playing live in town, so it's definitely nice to see their new lineup staying busier as we enter the supposed spring! Just to get it out of the way now, I have heard a rumour about The Rosie getting new ownership, but unless there is an actual confirmation of that, we won't comment on it, as we're not TMZ. Griphook will be on both nights at The Rosie at 10:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there's no cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Griphook's wide ranging and often heavy covers should go over well this weekend, so keep their next shows in mind, and for a preview, here's Griphook covering AC/DC last year!



Moving to previously announced shows, fellow local cover quartet Glitch will make their first appearance at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! A rare non-Rockstar Bar appearance for them, this will be just their second show at a different venue (following Toystock in December), and their first show anywhere since January, and it will be very interesting to see how things go at the former Madison's Pub tomorrow! Since the name and theme changes last year, The Harp has generally focused on acoustic and open mic performers (a'la the new Coch's Corner), but Glitch have made no statements implying this will be an unplugged show, so is this a first toe in the water for having electric bands there again? It remains to be seen! Remember, Glitch's concert has forced Tym Morrison's regular weekly gig at The Harp to be postponed to Saturday night, so we'll preview that tomorrow. There's no announced cover charge tomorrow night, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

I'm curious to hear how Glitch do tomorrow at The Harp, and if all goes well, hopefully things will open up more for full rock bands! In terms of heavier acts, I don't think a non-acoustic hard rock band has played there since Garden of Bedlam's celebration of their Kiss Battle win in December 2009. For a preview, here's Glitch (featuring Lion Ride, Sneaky Pete, and Tripod the Dog alumni) covering The Rolling Stones last fall!



Finally for today's previews, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E are scheduled to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! This is according to Kewadin's entertainment page, which is generally a great source, but I will add the disclaimer that 415E have not publically promoted these shows at all, nor has their Facebook page been updated in two months. If I hear anything that contradicts what Kewadin Casino's website says, I'll update this, but we'll treat them as on. This weekend's shows are 415E's first scheduled dates in St. Ignace in eight months, and just their second weekend of live dates since last summer, so if you've missed Chris, Dave, and company, keep their return in mind for this weekend! Admission should be free, there is a 21+ age limit in effect, and 9:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, visit the above links! Hopefully 415E are playing this weekend as advertised, as they're a very talented band with a lot of promise, so go check them out, and for a preview, here's the guys playing their self-titled song!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!

Anvil Concert Photos & Interviews, Plus New Concert Video Postings!!

In case you're wondering, yes I do know of a handful of late notice concert announcements, we'll be touching on them tomorrow in conjunction with this weekend's concert previews, so look out for them then! In today's post, we have new video postings from each side of the border, and first, some fallout from a recent big show, so let's kick things off!

SooToday & Local2 were on hand for Saturday night's Anvil concert at The Canadian Nightclub, with two separate articles & videos documenting the event making it to Local2 in the last few days! Remember, the video host that Local2 uses does not allow external embedding, so you'll have to visit the links below to see them. The first video served mainly as a sample of the full later upload, with the second video full of 10 minutes of content, starting with footage of frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow playing "March of the Crabs" in the crowd to start their set, before transitioning to a pre-show interview with Lips (interspersed with some concert clips) where he talks about if Anvil are still chasing the dream, whether they regret anything from their career, the struggles with selling metal in Canada, how they feel about being an influence to newer bands, trying not to sell out, advice to younger bands, and more. It's a solid interview, and Lips speaks very well about the topics asked, so be sure to check it out above!

Also, don't sleep on the first video, as while it does preview the full interview with Lips, it also includes an interview segment with promoter/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce where he talks about his role in promoting Anvil's recent Northern Ontario run and it's importance for connecting Northern Ontario communities, as well as the other bands on the bill and Jack Spades' own quick rise, so be sure to check that out as well above! Finally, Donna's photos from the show finally went up on SooToday this morning, so what should you know on that front? All in black and white again, she posted 35 photos of the night's bands, including 10 of Anvil, 9 of Caym, 6 of Jack Spades, and 5 each of The Suicide Kings & Project 421, and like usual, Donna got some great shots of the bands in action! Note that I haven't seen any concert videos online aside from the Local2 footage above, but we'll have them here if any turn up, so keep an eye out!

We'll close today with new embeddable videos, starting with an 11 year old Kewadin Casino concert video! This comes from Sacramento hair metal legends Tesla's headlining show (perhaps their first in the area?) at The Dreammaker's Theater in Sault Michigan on April 6th, 2002, and though it was posted via Wawa author Duane Roy's YouTube channel yesterday, he told me it was filmed by the late Mike Lemma, who Yooper readers will be familiar with! Notably featuring the band's classic lineup (including now departed guitarist Tommy Skeoch), the half hour video starts with Tesla's cover of The Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil", before transitioning to their originals "Action Talks", "Gettin' Better", "The Way It Is", and "Song & Emotion", so click each link to check out each individual song! The video itself isn't much to look at, with a far angle to the right of the stage that often dips below people's heads (maybe the camera was being hidden?), but the audio is solid enough, and if you love Tesla or hair metal, or missed this show, be sure to give this video a look below and above!



Lastly for today, here's a new video from a recent private Blood Shed Productions concert! Uploaded to the label's YouTube channel on Sunday, this featured goregrind duo Rotopsy and other label-affiliated acts at label co-founder and Brutaly Fatal frontman Austin McCrae's house. There's assorted media from this private event on personal Facebook accounts, but there is one video on YouTube, and it's of Rotopsy playing their original song "Non-Profit Vomit Shop" (which is, as of yet, unreleased on CD) at the show. Decent recording quality with a good close angle (despite flipping on it's side for a stretch), but if you've heard past Rotopsy originals, there won't be a lot new from this track compared to others, so keep that in mind. Check it out below, and stay tuned TOMORROW for info on the next Blood Shed-affiliated show, which takes place sooner than you might be thinking!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for weekend concert previews, including some big short notice announcements! Thanks everyone!