LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands) And New Videos!!

In this second news post on this cold Wednesday, we're looking at some new song uploads, and to start, we have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning ond ot two upcoming battles of the bands in Sault Ontario next month, but be sure to check out last month's poll results and all the info on our new poll in the post below this one! Now, here's what you should know!

The Speak Easy Battle of the Bands on Thursday, March 5th now has four officially confirmed bands, so who's in for this second Sault Ontario battle next month? As of this writing, the competitors will include local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters & classic metal veterans Project 421 (both also in next month's VM Radio Battle at The Canadian), alongside bassist Daniel Horton's jam rock project Mike Haggith & The Din, and local hard rock/alternative quartet Long Shot, though neither are in the other battle. For The Bear Hunters, this will be their fourth local battle appearance (fifth if they kick off the VM Radio Battle on the 4th), so while they have experience on their side, can they win the fan vote for their second straight battle victory? The other three bands will be making their local battle of the bands debuts (though Project 421 may also be playing on the 4th), and all have things to prove in their own rights! For Long Shot, they haven't been seen at a formal concert in over 4 months, but can the Dawes, Nathan, and Jeremy make a big impression next month?

This will also be a big opportunity for both Project 421 and Mike Haggith & The Din (the latter of which playing live for the first time this year), but can their old school metal or acid jam rock take top prize! Note that while Daniel and his Din bandmate Curtis McKenzie are also in the band Haggith, they likely aren't playing this battle due to bassist Jordan Leach's role as a co-promoter of it, but we'll see Haggith at The Canadian next month! Three more bands are being sought for a maximum of 7 at this battle at Algoma University's campus pub next month, and solo artists are welcome if they're willing to compete with bands (rapper Mikey Thomas has expressed interest), but if you're interested in competing or getting more info, message co-promoter Meghan Rix at this link A.S.A.P., as registrations close one week from tomorrow! Also, Meghan clarified on the Facebook event page that the "Scan To Win" contest relates to an end of the year draw for Algoma students, so if you go there, bring your student cards and you could win an iPad!

Remember, this battle goes down on Thursday, March 5th at The Speak Easy, bands will get 15 minute sets, voting is done by a crowd vote, and $400, $200, and $100 await the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place bands. Attendees get in via a $5 cover charge, but nothing is firmly stated regarding admission fees. For more details on this battle, visit the above links! I still worry that this one will be overshadowed by the VM Radio Battle throughout the month, but things are shaping up for The Speak Easy Battle, so stay tuned for more on each as news rolls in!

We'll close today with new song uploads on YouTube, including the newest song from the aforementioned Haggith's upcoming album "Apocalypse II"! Entitled "We Are The Damned", it is the fourth revealed song on this sequel concept disc, and it was uploaded to their YouTube channel on Monday. Featuring guitarist Daniel Horton on bass rather than Jordan Leach, this is a slower and more dramatic song, but we won't give it a full review yet, pending a possible review of the full album. Give "We Are The Damned" a listen below!



Finally for today, here's the newest original song from Mike's Din bandmate Tyler Gibson's goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore! Entitled "Couch Kushins" (the spelling appears to be intentional), this song is planned to be a part of their planned split release with North Bay grindcore band Scrotox, though no word yet on if C.T.W. will include the track on other releases. Harbouring a fuller sound (if tinnier) than some other recent originals, fans of C.T.W.'s usual goregrind and pig squealing action will be right at home, so give "Couch Kushins" a listen below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next on the site! Thanks everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIuihbUwmU4