Shit Liver/Bear Hunters Concert Review!!

At last, here's our review of Tuesday night's Shit Liver-headlined concert at The Rednecks Saloon, but be sure to check out the first of this weekend's concert previews in the post below this one! Before we get into the review proper, I wanted to give an outline of the venue itself, as believe it or not, this was my first time ever at the former Nicolet Tavern for a concert. If you only know it from pictures, the stage is to the right of the front entrance, and it's smaller than it looks online. There's a small floor section with tables to the right, and the saloon is fairly long, with the bar in the middle between the stage area and an area with pool tables and extra seating. There are various rustic and country themed items on the walls like at The Canadian, as well as strung up Christmas lights, but I can't verify how much of this was added after the name and theme change. The Rednecks Saloon is cozy and inviting, and though the turnout on Tuesday was medium at best, it'd be nice to see more non-cover shows here!

Opening the show on Tuesday was an acoustic solo set by Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger and Jesse Cook, who you may have seen at assorted recent events, including as "Sleigher" at X-Mess 2. If you've seen Johnny & Jesse's acoustic punk cover sets before, the song selection will be familiar, including covers of the likes of Social Distortion, Blink-182, and The Foo Fighters that definitely got a good reception! The guys kept things light-hearted during the set, with Johnny showing off his singing and guitar ability well that it would be nice to see expanded on beyond just the occasional unplugged gig and he and Jesse continue to have good chemistry in this form! I would like to see more of a range of covers and different songs in their set, but hopefully we see more of Johnny & Jesse together!

Next up was local alternative hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din in their Rednecks Saloon debut, and they delivered a very solid set to build on their recent debut shows with this lineup! Mixing renditions of Mike's solo originals like "Cowardly Hearts Beneath The Stars" & "Of Cars & Criminals" with select covers like Live's "Lightning Crashes", the band's recent evolution from extended improvised jam originals to more straightforward versions of Mike's own songs was more fully realized here than ever before, with Mike showing a natural ease up front, Curtis McKenzie demonstrating his underrated guitar ability, and Brandan Glew drumming consistently throughout! Personally, I do prefer the creativty of their old acid jam sets and recordings, and the Live cover is sort of a mood killer during their set, but The Din are on their way!

Third on Tuesday was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in a rare set not promoted by frontman J.D. Pearce, and they rocked the stage with a fun and energetic mix of their familiar originals and select covers! Songs like "Fear Corps", "Rise", and the newer "Negative Headspace" joined covers of The Ripcordz and The Misfits (with a Slayer interlude?!) to a positive reception, with J.D. and his new Right Hook Mic making use of his surroundings by exploring the floor throughout! Everyone was on their game musically, with Jesse Cook again delivering some blistering lead guitar work and Tiffany Stocco providing heavy riffs and improving backing vocals as well! It was odd seeing Justin Lam with his hair tied back, but still great to see Jack Spades again, and stay tuned for much more from Jack Spades and their upcoming three-way split release plans!

Co-headlining were local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who brutalized fans with their aggressive originals late in the night! A collection of mostly newer songs like "I Fear No God" and their newest "The Dying Den" joined their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard" and two versions of "Collapse the Sun" (the original and a jokey melodic rock version) which fans all seemed to eat up! Though guitarist/promoter Mitch Sirie apologized for his performance on Facebook, he sounded fine to me, and the VM Radio Battle runners-up were at their brutal best for their regular quartet sets, with Nik Deubel's devasating growling on form, and Johnny Belanger showed little fatigue in his third set of the night! Maybe because his windshield was fixed and covered, it helped his performance? Stay tuned for more from The Bear Hunters in the near future!

And your headliners on Tuesday were local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver in their Rednecks Saloon debut and second show of their brief home swing, and if you've missed the guys since last summer, rest assured that they haven't lost a step in the past year! On this stop of their Homeland Debauchery Tour, the guys powered through a somewhat abbreviated though blistering set of originals like "It's Not My Problem", "Helen Kellers", and the debuting "Just Take It" & "It Won't Change", even debuting the use of audio samples like on their album for the live show as well. Josh Penno, a nicely mohawked Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic let their extreme vocals loose with fury, and all kept up their end of the bargain on their respective instruments for a to-the-point set of brutality, even inciting some brief mosh pits! It was great to see Shit Liver again, and hopefully they play here again soon!

Very entertaining show overall, and in a sense, it felt like a throwback to the old Rosie metal nights... only not at The Rosie.... or on a Thursday. Kudos all around, and check out our photos from the event at this link or via our Facebook page! As for videos, we got one of each band, so here's Johnny & Jesse covering Flogging Molly's "The Worst Day Since Yesterday", Mike Haggith & The Din covering Simple Minds' "(Don't You) Forget About Me", Jack Spades playing "Frederick", The Bear Hunters playing their new song "Neckbreaker", and Shit Liver playing three songs in a row: their self-titled song, "You're Scared", and "Fabricated Nonsense"!











That's all for today, but stay tuned for more weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder & Tym Morrison) & The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!

(Updated at 2:02 PM) Today marks the first of our concert previews for this weekend, but just as a special mention, remember that the celebration of life for former Foggy Notions owner/bartender Patrick Casey will take place at Coch's Corner (formerly Foggy's) SATURDAY NIGHT at 8:00 PM! It was recently postponed from tomorrow to Saturday for unannounced reasons. Attendees are asked to wear funny slogan t-shirts like Pat used to if possible, and also, his obituary is finally up on SooToday at this link, confirming that he passed suddenly on April 18th at just 40 years old in Tottenham, where he had been living. No services beyond tomorrow's celebration are listed, and the family is asking for Sault Humane Society donations in lieu of flowers. Raise some smashlovs for Pat on Saturday!

Now, let's kick off this weekend's previews, starting with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS,  including the next scheduled Tym Morrison solo concert, as the local hard rock solo singer/guitarist will play once again at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! This will be the second straight week where Tym's only playing an acoustic solo concert on the Friday due to The Harp's broadcast of a sports PPV, and while referenced on the Facebook event page as UFC (who don't have an event this weekend), they're presumably showing the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight on Saturday. If you want to see Tym, be at The Harp TOMORROW, not Saturday! For reference, this remains the last listed gig on the calendar on Tym's website, but it remains to be seen when/if he'll announce new gigs at The Harp or elsewhere this month.

Like usual for Tym's lengthy regular run at the former Madison's Pub, there are no announced cover charges for tomorrow, a 19+ age limit, and a likely 10:00 PM start time. Don't miss Tym at The Harp TOMORROW ONLY for lots of hard rock favourites, and here's Tym live at the former Smack Daddy's!



Next up, here's a pair of other new concerts for this weekend, as local classic/hard rock quartet Havadder are advertised to return to The Rednecks Saloon for headlining concerts TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we heard about the shows when at the venue on Tuesday night via the outside marquee board, and as of this writing, Havadder haven't plugged the dates online. This will be their first concert weekend at the former Nicolet Tavern in a month, and the shows come fresh off of their Moose Lodge benefit appearance a couple weeks back, so if you've missed Jugga and company's hard hitting cover attack at a regular concert event, keep this weekend's shows in mind! That said, if anything is said to the contrary regarding this weekend's bookings, we'll let you know.

There's no announced cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and likely 10:00 PM start times for this weekend, and for a preview, here's Havadder live last year!

Moving to previously announced concerts, here's a big ALL AGES Thursday nighter going down TONIGHT, as Ottawa sludge metal trio Biipiigwan will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario at 180 Projects on Gore Street! Last seen locally at The Moose Lodge in the fall of 2013, this hard hitting band should devastate local fans once again with their doomy & relentless originals TONIGHT, so don't miss them if you can help it! Local support will come via doom metal trio AlgomA in their first show since releasing their debut CD "Reclaimed By The Forest" last fall, and they've also teased having new band t-shirts on sale for tonight, so keep that in mind too, and pick up their album if you haven't already! And finally, local alternative/grunge trio The Pixo Control will kick things off in their 180 Projects debut and first public gig since the Boot Hill Crooners release party, and while they're not doom metal, their talent speaks for itself! Note that Sudbury stoner metal trio Horse Lung were originally scheduled to co-headline, but dropped out of the event today due to "last minute work related issues."

Disappointing for sure, but we'll see Horse Lung at Das Bunkerfest II this summer! No word yet on a possible late notice replacement. This ALL AGES show is the first of the year from Oh! Right Arm Promotions, it has an $8 cover charge, and an 8:00 PM start time, and note that the new official poster (amusing as it may be) isn't embedded here due to potentially offensive content. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert for doom metal fans, so don't miss out TONIGHT, and here's Biipiigwan live in 2013!



Finally for TONIGHT is the expected eighth weekly jam night at the aforementioned Rednecks Saloon by local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, which has received a visibly positive reception over the past couple of months! Though we don't know yet if this union of Asylum Country & Beaumont Avenue members will be playing regular concerts this weekend at a separate venue (Havadder are listed there Friday & Saturday), fans can take in their diverse and often heavy covers tonight during this weekly jam night series, where anyone with musical or singing talent can join them to jam and rock out on stage! Should be fun as usual, and like in past weeks, there is a 19+ age limit, no announced cover charge, and an announced 9:30 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood last fall at Rock For Dimes!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our review of Tuesday's Shit Liver concert at The Rednecks Saloon next, guaranteed! Thanks everyone!

Europe/Black Star Riders Concert Video Showcase!!

Before we get to this post, I wanted to apologize for a pair of missed concerts, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E returned to the stage for the first time since New Year's weekend this past Friday and Saturday at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, shows that completely slipped us by despite being announced last Wednesday on their Facebook page. For what it's worth, Kewadin's entertainment page listed them as Crossroads shows, so they 415E were likely replacing them. There's no excuse on our end for missing the shows, so our sincere apologies to 415E and fans, and we'll try to make sure this doesn't happen again!

Now, here's our long awaited video showcase post from last Thursday's Europe-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, as there are now videos from the show on YouTube! Also, yes, there was a meet & greet, as per personal Facebook postings. Wawa author and frequent Kewadin concert attendee Duane Roy is the source of most of the Europe concert videos that we've found, as uploaded to his YouTube channel in the past few days, and his 13 videos include 4 of Europe's set. They include their songs "Cherokee", "Carrie", and John Norum's guitar solo, but embedded below is (of course) "The Final Countdown". Great quality of the whole stage from a far angle, Europe sound very good on these videos, if a little deeper than in their classic era, and the crowd seems to be eating it up! Give Duane's Europe videos a look above and below!



Most of Duane's other videos are of openers The Black Star Riders (a.k.a. the full-time, original recording Thin Lizzy successors), though uniquely, Duane filmed these from what appear to be front row rather than Europe's far angle. I wonder why that is? Duane shot videos of them playing their new originals "The Killer Instinct" & "Finest Hour", Thin Lizzy classics "Jailbreak", "The Boys Are Back In Town", and "Emerald" (in two parts, here & here), their cover of Bob Seger's "Rosalie", and as embedded below, their new original "Charlie I Gotta Go". Though the Thin Lizzy covers are oddly all abbreviated, Duane got more great videos here, and the far closer angle helps us get a great view of The Black Star Riders rocking out and sounding good whether tackling classics or new songs! Give "Charlie I Gotta Go" a look below, and see more above!



Before we close with one bonus video from Duane's channel, here's a Black Star Riders video from a separate channel, that being of YouTube user Mark Fluter, whose channel you may remember from 6 videos of Kiss' Sault Ontario concert. Though Mark didn't film any Europe videos, he did get this clip of The B.S.R. playing their original "Kingdom of the Lost" on Thursday, as shot on a vertical cell phone camera angle. I wish the angle was horizontal, as Mark has a nice close visual of the stage with good quality video and audio, but it works well enough, so give this video a look below!



Finally for today, here's a short video of Rock 101's Scott Cook (the host of Scott Cook In The Morning and The Hair Scare) emceeing the concert, with Duane again at a different filming angle, this time behind Scott on stage! He must have had some prime access at the show, nice to see! In the video, Scott's hyping up The Black Star Riders for the crowd, which isn't a bad idea, as while they're not Thin Lizzy, they sort of are at the same time. Nice unique angle of something you don't see that often from local shows on YouTube, so check it out below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more from the Europe concert when/if it comes in, and stay tuned for our review of last night's Shit Liver/Bear Hunters concert next! Thanks everyone!

Various Artists - "Local Steel" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 70th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene! As we don't have an eligible new album in our possession to look at for this month, we'll dip in the archives for just the second time since April 2013 with an album that we can tie in to multiple local shows in the past month, as it's the 1998 compilation CD "Local Steel"! Just the second compilation album that we've ever reviewed on here, "Local Steel" was recorded at Full Scale Audio Productions with producers/future Gsis Murphy bandmates Keith Davis & Tony Marcello and later mastered by Dennis Mortson at Master Plant Productions. This showcase of Sault Ste. Marie artists compiles original songs from 17 different acts, all long since defunct by now, but there are many familiar faces to be heard along the way! They include four artists (Tony, Rob Adamson, Steve Batenchuk, and Shawn Daoust) who played on multiple tracks, with Steve on three.

This album is also long since out of print, but you can stream the whole thing on our YouTube channel at this link, and each song name below is linked to it's YouTube copy. Given the age of the album, not all bands will have surviving links or public photos, so more recent pictures & references will be used where needed. Featuring 17 tracks at around 71 minutes in length, let's begin our "Local Steel" review! The first track is "Ten Feet High" by local punk quartet Totally Confused, who featured Rising Tide singer/guitarist Dustin Jones, his Cover Up bandmate Mike Yorke on guitar, recent Wing-Its bassist Trevor Harding, and Mike's Room 206 bandmate Al Watson on drums. Harbouring somewhat of a proto-Inner City Surfers sound, Totally Confused show a fun pop punk sound here with lively guitar and a catchy rhythm, but the guys later work showcases more of a mature presence that you can still see at various local events.

Second is "Sweet Talkin' Women" by Hemp, a blues rock trio featuring recent solo artist Paul Dellavedova alongside bassist Patrick Breen and drummer Gino Sicoly. I don't listen to a lot of blues, but this is very good for the genre, with smooth melodic vocals and a nice bluesy tone, solid guitar solo, and good bass work throughout, though the backing vocals clash a bit. Paul has kept this up with his later solo work, so give that a listen if you can! That's followed by "Flesh & Bones" by defunct local metal quintet Hollow, whose lineup featured former J.A.B. singer Luigi "GiGi" Miceli, guitarists Terry Eaton (Mourning Wood) and Adam King (ex-Mustang Heart), Griphook bassist Dan Beaupre, and Knee Deep drummer Vinnie Milosevich. A straightforward metal song with an Alice In Chains vibe vocally, this is strongly performed by all parties, with a great solo and solid bass and it's an early highlight for me! Nothing too risky, but quality late '90s metal!

Song #4 is "Weight In Water" by Hemlock Tea, an alternative rock band featuring prolific local solo musican Chris Belsito on vocals, Machines Dream's Craig West on guitar, ex-Bigsuit bassist George Ravlich, and Leaves Off Trees drummer Roy Kreutzberger. Not too heavy, but a nice groove on this alt-rock original that switches moods well on verses, and Chris's vocals suit the song very well, but the guitar solo seemed to come out of nowhere and it admittedly clashes with the rest of the track. Next is "State" by Generation Gap, an alt-rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist James Guertin, former Boxcar Junction bandmates Rick Senko & Steve Dowding on guitar & bass, and Havadder drummer Scott McLurg. The softest song yet on "Local Steel", this has an easy to take sound that still blends in skilled drumming and a nice solo, but again, those elements clash a bit with the overall tone of the song.

The sixth track is "When Things Are" by Tripod The Dog, a more recently familiar rock band featuring Thin Ice's Mark Oliverio on vocals and guitar, Billy Bastards guitarist Greg Beharriel, Matt Miller on bass, and Mark's old Boogie Fever bandmate Tracey Hilderley on drums. Showcasing a funk/alternative sound, Tripod The Dog had an entertaining ambiance that's a bit hard to pin down, but it's easy to see why they stayed active for so long afterwards! That's followed by "Remember When" by 2 St. Thomas, a rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist Adriano Guzzo, guitarist Jamie Florio, bassist Jason Naccaratto, and drummer Jim Pulente. Though their members aren't visibly active in recent local bands, they demonstrated talent and chemistry on this alternative rock original that has a dreamlike quality and a pleasant rhythm, that adapts well for it's faster stretch without changing it's style too much, and you can hear this song on their debut album "From Above & Beyond" as well!

Eighth is "Under The Influence" by Marc Boyer & The Hellfish Bonanza, a hard rock quartet featuring Marc on guitar joined by producer/ex-Gsis Murphy frontman Tony Marcello, bassist Steve Batenchuk, and drummer Shawn Daoust. Apparently preceding an album from this band, Marc shows solid guitar ability and songwriting talent on this song, with The Hellfish Bonanza backing him up nicely, including strong vocals and a nice classic vibe that reminds me a bit of Deep Purple! Then we have "Wasted" by defunct punk trio Tha Bombed Squad, whose lineup featured future Lion Ride bandmates Brenton Ellis on vocals & bass and Mikey Hawdon on drums alongside guitarist Pat Suriano. A short & fast paced skate punk original, this is a nice indicator of things to come from Mikey & Brent's future local bands, with good intensity, and it's a quality look into their early local band work!

The tenth song is "Assassins Noose" by D.F.S. a metal band featuring singer Jay Faught, his brother(?) Marc on guitar, Greg Seyler on bass, and Donnie Dupuis on drums. Harbouring a very Rage Against The Machine-inspired sound with pseudo-rapped vocals, this is a solid heavier track, if not that original, but I wonder why we haven't heard much from the members of D.F.S. lately? There was talent there! Eleventh is "A Long Cold Rain Comin' Down" by current StonesmithGC mainman Troy Isaac, which is the only credited solo track on "Local Steel", though he's joined on bass by Rob Marcil. A straightforward mid-paced rock song that has that "driving down the highway" feel, it makes good use of rain effects, and it's well composed with a serious determination, but fans of Troy's heavier music might be disappointed.

Next is "Mr. Silver Tongue" by alternative rock quartet Bud Shamble (who later became Middle of Nowhere), and they're represented here by singer/guitarist Sergio Palumbo, his brother Peter on guitar, ex-Fusion bassist Lino D'Orazio, and Redline drummer Rich Trevisanut. Lively and energetic, this song has pleasant vocals, a good vibe, and clear talent all around, though at times, it sounds a bit too reserved from where it might have gone. That's followed by "Run All Night" by The Second Hand Band, a blues rock quartet featuring singer/guitarist Tyler Caughill, future Crossbreed bandmates Mike "Conan" Kienhofer (now of ACR) and Bob Hollingshead on guitar & bass, and Rob Adamson on drums. I'm detecting a Stevie Ray Vaughan influence on this song, which has a grit to it's take on blues rock, and it has a catchy vibe going for it that blues fans should enjoy!

Rob Adamson makes his second straight appearance next with "I Know" by Alexis Machine, who also featured future Stiffler's Mom bandmates Jon Ferguson (also the former owner of album sponsors Foggy Notions) on vocals & guitar and Mike Davies on guitar, plus The Hellfish Bonanza's Steve Batenchuk on bass. A well-paced hard rock song that bears similarities with Stiffler's Mom's old originals, this is another solid rocker that should appeal to most listeners of "Local Steel"! 15th is "The Pale Horse" by The Porn Fairies, a techno/rock band whose members are cryptically credited as Crusty (guitar), Kekko (bass), and Pottsy (drums) with "Dan" on guest spoken vocals. I have no idea who these guys are, but they delivered an electronic experimental blast here that is hard to describe, but creative, laden with all kinds of effects, and very listenable overall!

The members of The Hellfish Bonanza (albeit with producer/Gsis Murphy alum Keith Davis in place of Marc Boyer) returned for the penultimate song "Deliver Me", under the band name Your Mother. Compared to "Under The Influence", this song is a bit heavier and has distorted verse vocals, but it delivers a solid sound with nice aggression on Tony's vocals, but the song isn't as melodic as some tracks that preceded it. "Local Steel" closes with "The Bones I Throw" by alt-rock quintet The Gully Yodellers, who featured singer John Paul Laberge, guitartists Rob Storch and Ryan Milne, ex-Barfly bassist Ben Garcia, and current Lucky 13 drummer Roger Sartini. A Pearl Jam-esque song at times, this definitely sounds like a 1990s recording (that's certainly not a bad thing), and there's a solid maturity to the sound and lyrics on this well written original, capping off "Local Steel" in fine form!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Local Steel"? While I can't comment on the individual bands as they were in 1998 (I was 9 years old), this compilation serves itself well as a collection of 17 diverse bands from the local scene, with all showing their own gifts and talent on each! I did gravitate the most to the songs by Hollow, Tha Bombed Squad, and Alexis Machine, but there are no bad songs on this collection, and if you like metal, punk, blues, or alt-rock, there are multiple tracks for you to enjoy! It is also interesting to hear how modern day veterans of the scene sounded 17 years ago, as well as discover some talent that we haven't heard much from in recent years, like D.F.S. and 2 St. Thomas. Though their later work with Gsis Murphy can be divisive, Tony and Keith did a great job producing this compilation, and while I'm not sure if a teased second installment ever came out, "Local Steel" is a great time capsule of the local scene of the late 1990s! Be sure to check it out! above!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, and as for next month, we will very likely be taking a look at local alternative/grunge quartet Haggith's second album "Apocalypse" next! As "Apocalypse II" is planned for a release on May 10th, it only makes sense to go in chronological order given the conceptual theme of both albums. If all goes according to plan, look for our review of the first "Apocalypse" at some point next month, and we'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Rednecks Saloon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Pixo Control), Shit Liver Concert Preview, And More!!

As we begin to wrap up April, we have a new news post for you guys on this Monday afternoon, including a new vlog posting, a local band's new Kickstarter campaign, and a preview of a special Tuesday night show TOMORROW, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Local hard rock/alternative trio The Pixo Control will return to the stage on Monday, May 11th when they open for Winnipeg pop rock quartet Naysa at Cafe Natura! This will be The Pixo Control's first show at the Elgin Street venue/whole foods cafe of the year, though it will visibly be upstairs rather than December's basement show. With that and Thursday's Biipiigwan show on the horizon, it's great to see the guys breaking out of the studio for some more gigs, and hopefully both go well! As for Naysa, they deliver a gloomy pop/indie sound that isn't "heavy", but has it's own appeal, so be sure to check them out and see what you think in advance of May 11th! This ALL AGES event has an 8:00 PM start time and a $7 cover charge, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details. This should be an entertaining show for fans of indie and alternative rock, and Cafe Natura has definitely earned a positive reputation as a concert venue, so keep it in mind for next month, and stay tuned for more from The Pixo Control in a bit!

Next up, here's a preview for a special Tuesday concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as local/St. Catharine's death/grind trio Shit Liver will make their Rednecks Saloon for their second and final stop of their brief homecoming! Currently on their Homeland Debauchery Tour of Canada, this will be your last chance to see Shit Liver in the Soo before they hit the road again, so keep this one in mind for TOMORROW! They're scheduled for 1:00 AM, while local death metal veterans The Bear Hunters (who also played with Shit Liver at this weekend's house party gig) will hit the stage at 12:00 AM. Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will also play at 11:00 PM, with alternative rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din making their Rednecks debut at 10:00 PM. The opening set will see Jack Spades bandmates Johnny Belanger and Jesse Cook reprising their acoustic punk set at 9:00 PM (last seen as Sleigher at X-Mess 2), and though the teased Mitch Sirie solo set is no longer listed, it may have always been a joke given the announced Alicia Keys covers.

Promoted by Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie, this is the show originally intended as a benefit to raise money for Johnny Belanger's smashed windshield, complete with Kickstarter-esque rewards for donating, but insurance covered the repairs, so Johnny just wants this to be a normal concert. With that said, admission is FREE, and the music starts at 9:00 PM, but there's a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert, and a throwback of sorts for fans missing the old Rosie metal nights, so don't miss out TOMORROW, and I hope to be there as well! For a preview, here's Shit Liver live last year!

Staying with a Bear Hunters related topic, the guys have launched a full Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their second full length CD "The Dead Testament"! Similarly to Jack Spades' Kickstarter to crowdfund their three-way split, The Bear Hunters are hoping to crowdfund $5,000 to professionally record this album, which would have 11 songs and is aimed for a release this winter. Mitch's write-up on the Kickstarter page notes that the band wasn't entirely happy with how "Eternal Hibernation" sounded, and while the top goal is lofty, they hope that this will ensure the best sounding album possible, with some of the money going towards limited edition digipaks and possibly their teased "Aftermath" EP. Like any Kickstarter campaign, there are multiple incentives that you'll get or recieve at various funding levels, so what lies ahead if you donate to the album?

Oddly, there's no sub-$12 rewards, but if you pledge $12, you'll get "The Dead Testament" upon release, while higher amounts could get you the digipak, handwritten song lyrics, complete tablature for each song, your own custom Bear Hunters song, private drum lessons, carpool rights on an upcoming tour, and at the $1,500 top level, a private concert. The Bear Hunters deserve the best possible album, so make sure to help crowdfund their next album if you can via the above links, and don't miss the guys TOMORROW NIGHT at The Nicolet Tavern!

Finally for today, we'll come full circle with more from The Pixo Control! Among numerous recent photo postings on their Facebook page from their ongoing album recording sessions, and this Instagram video reacting to their Shaw TV interview, the guys have also launched their own official YouTube channel, with the first video being of a planned vlog series! The five minute vlog features the guys playing and interacting in studio before transitioning to them having a photo shoot with Local2's Dan Nystedt at Village Media headquarters (note that this isn't from their Bare episode, which was also shot there.) You get lots of random light clips of the guys having fun and keeping things light, including a brief tour of the studio and a view of the band getting their photos taken, and it'd be interesting to see more of these! Give it a look below, and note that The Pixo Control teased a North American tour in the info for the vlog. Stay tuned for updates on that!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more this week, including this month's CD review by Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Our Place Or Yours

It's now time for our monthly Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we once again take a look at a metal, hard rock, or punk band that's not based in the Soo area, but just happen to feature a Saultite in any of their past or present lineups! This month's installment takes a look at a rising young band from Southern Ontario featuring a guitarist who made a big solo impression locally in the early 2010s, so here's what you should know!
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Our Place Or Yours (London, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics. This information is incomplete. Let us know if you can fill in any blanks!)

Tyler Seguin (vocals)
Jonny Grimm (guitar)
Matt Parr (guitar)
Jordan Cope (bass/ex-guitar)
Clark DeCaluwe (drums)

Adam Dos Santos (guitar)
Justin Demolo (bass)
Jake Leal (bass)
Mike ????? (?????)

Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ourplaceoryours
Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/ourplaceoryours
Official Bandcamp page: http://ourplaceoryours.bandcamp.com
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/ourplaceoryours
Official YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/ourplaceoryours

Local Info: Though he had no substantial live band work while living here, current Our Place Or Yours guitarist Matt Parr lived in Sault Ontario in the early 2010s, during which he recorded djent and progressive metal material with his Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe solo project, including a self-titled debut album in December 2013. Matt would move to London early the next year, but can now be seen making waves with Our Place Or Yours!

Band Bio: Launched under the name New Age Sin in early 2012, Our Place Or Yours would play their first show that May, and soon began playing numerous gigs in the London area, while beginning studio recordings that summer. The band released their debut EP "Ruins" in April 2013, and later signed with Brutal Tooth Foundation Records that same year, while Matt Parr joined the band the following summer shortly after moving to London. Since debuting, Our Place Or Yours have opened for the likes of D3athcharg3r, Forever Cadence, and Something You Whisper, and placed second at a regional battle of the bands in February. While the band has yet to announce new studio recordings with their current lineup, Our Place Or Yours' first EP delivers a hard hitting and enthusiastic post-metalcore sound with some progressive hints that should get fans of hardcore music going!

Not to be confused with the NHL star, Tyler Seguin has an aggressive raspy scream that suits the material, and while we can only compare live videos so far, Matt seems to fit in well with his skilled guitar background! Jonny Grimm handles the guitar nicely as well, an O.P.O.Y.'s originals show a maturity while still having a modern sensibility that fans of As It Stands should like! It'd be nice to see Our Place Or Yours live in the Soo down the road, but give their material a look and/or listen at the above links, including this video of them covering a Beartooth song last fall!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month in this series, we plan on looking at Toronto-based Green Day tribute band The Dookies (who are fronted by prolific local punk musician Mikey Hawdon), so look for that on or around May 26th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for news, previews, and this month's CD review in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Shit Liver & Wilt), The New Bare Episode, And More!!

For this Saturday, here's a new post featuring assorted recent updates, a new performance video, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall and TONIGHT, so here's what you need to know!

A long teased Heavy North Entertainment house party concert will indeed go down TONIGHT, as a venue has been found! Apologies for the obviously short notice, the show was announced via it's Facebook event page on Monday but we held it for this weekend's previews & for a venue announcement. TONIGHT'S show will be headlined at 12:30 AM by local/St. Catharine's death metal/crust punk trio Shit Liver in their first local concert of the year (and first of their brief return home on their current Canadian tour), so if you can't make it to The Rednecks Saloon on Tuesday, keep TONIGHT's show in mind for their grimy death metal intensity! The listed band order will also see local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters take the stage at 11:30 PM for the first time since their VM Radio Battle run, while Blood Shed Productions acts will fill out the lineup, including solo goregrind project Crucify The Whore at 10:30 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 9:30 PM, and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas splitting the opening 9:00 PM set.

Note however that the lineup is "subject to small change", and we'll let you guys know if something is announced! To be held at 124 Anna Street in the east end, this definitely publically-advertised show is ALL AGES, and admission is by donation, though Shit Liver will have merchandise on sale too. For more details, visit the above links! If you've enjoyed other recent H.N.E./Blood Shed house parties, this will be right up your alley, especially with the local return of Shit Liver, so don't miss out TONIGHT AT 9:00 PM, and here's Shit Liver live last year!

Also in new concert announcements, here's the last of the currently announced Gonqshow events in J.D. Pearce's summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, as Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt (I believe) are scheduled to make their local concert debut there on Saturday, September 26th! If we have the right band named Wilt, then look for a night of intense atmospheric and drawn out extreme metal from this talented band that fans of Wolven Ancestry should take to! Openers are to be announced, but we are five months out from showtime, so we have lots of time for word on that front. Like most other Gonqshow events this year, this will be a 19+ event with a $5 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, but again, there could be announcements to the contrary over the summer. For more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more Gonqshow updates in a bit!

Next, here's the long awaited episode of Local2's stripped-down music performance series Bare, featuring local indie/punk band Northwest! Uploaded to Bare's YouTube channel yesterday, this has Northwest frontman Wayne Watkins and guitarist Greg Callaghan playing their song "Young & Wild", notably still with electric guitars. In a sense, it sounds like extracted master tracks in this form, and it's solidly done, but I do wonder how this would sound if unplugged? Nice work, so give Northwest's Bare episode a look below, and check out their new SooToday article on their CBC Searchlight run at this link (VOTE TODAY!!)



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter updates from the last while, including to two of the upcoming Gonqshow events! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or venue name:

• This recently came to our attention following a recent push to name a local concert stage in honour of late Case's Music founder, musician, and teacher Mike Case, as it turns out that the bandshell at Bellevue Park (which infrequently hosts heavier shows) was already named the Harry R. Pearse Memorial Bandshell in 1971 after the conductor of The Band of the 227th Regiment in the early 1900s. However, the outdoor country stage at the Chippewa Trading Post is being named after Mike, which is a great gesture! Click here for more on recent tributes.
• The planned Of Tall Tales-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub that was scheduled for Saturday, July 18th will apparently be moved to a different date, as per a recent update to the Gonqshow's event page that now lists it's date as "to be announced". A reason hasn't been announced, but hopefully it does take place, as Of Tall Tales are a solid band! Stay tuned for updates!
• Two Sudbury metal bands have been added to the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub show on Thursday, July 23rd, those being new "sci-grind" quartet Ruptured Birth (featuring members of Before The Black Gates) and death metal trio Fractal Generator (featuring members of Wolven Ancestry). Great additions, it's nice to see more Sudbury bands coming out west! Also, this show now has a listed $8 cover charge.

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Gnaeus & Ten Kings), Plus More Recent Updates!!

Here's another news post for your Friday, and before anyone asks, yes, I am aware of the announced Shit Liver-headlined house party concert scheduled for tomorrow, but as of this writing, promoters hadn't secured a venue for it, so we're waiting for official word on that before plugging it on here. Now, today's post features a new concert video posting, a local band's continued national contest run, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTs for next month and TONIGHT, so here's what you should know!

VM Radio Battle winning post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus will return to LopLops Lounge TONIGHT during the kickoff of the downtown venue's fourth annual Festival of Beer! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced their involvement on their Facebook page this afternoon. Recently launching their own official website as well (more on that in the coming days), this will be Gnaeus' fourth LopLops hosted or promoted concert of the month, and tonight's set will help wrap up day #1 this weekend's festivities, which will see craft and microbreweries sampling and promoting their wares for attendees at The Bushplane Museum, and if you're a beer fan or aficionado, you'll want to check out this successful event today or tomorrow! The above links have full details on the F.O.B. itself and admission, but the Gnaeus concert will be at LopLops.

TONIGHT'S Gnaeus show has a $5 admission, 10:00 PM start time, and 19+ age limit, so again, see above for more details! Given the annual nature of the Festival of Beer, I'm surprised this is such a short notice announcement, but Gnaeus are a very talented young band and you can see why at LopLops TONIGHT! For a preview, here's the guys live at LopLops last year!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings will return to the stage in two weeks when they rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, May 8th & Saturday, May 9th! These will be the first shows in almost two months for this new supergroup, and while I have no idea where they've been throughout April, it's great to see the guys back at it for another weekend of hard rock action next month! With alumni of Nixxon Dixxon, Scofflaw, and The Bottom Line on board, how could you go wrong? For reference, Kewadin's entertainment page lists the May 9th weekend as to be announced, but it hasn't been visibly updated recently to even include past Ten Kings dates. These 21+ dates have a likely 9:00 PM start time and no announced cover charge, so see the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from Ten Kings as it rolls in!

Also today, Sault Ontario indie/punk quintet Northwest have indeed made the regional finals of CBC's Searchlight competition to find Canada's best new artist! The fan votes have put them through the Northern Ontario region's top 10 (and last 226 bands nationally), and they remain the only locally based band in the competition, so be sure to vote for them A.S.A.P. to ensure that they make the next stage! You can vote five times a day per region, so do so at the above links, as only the #1 band in Northern Ontario will join the other 24 regional winners in the next phase, where fan votes will send 5 bands to join a Canadian musicians panel's 5 choices in the national finals of CBC Searchlight. For reference, Gates of Winter guitarist Bryan Belleau's wife Melinda didn't advance to this round for the Vancouver region, but give her work a listen if you haven't already! Voting for the Northern Ontario regional finals ends Monday at 3:00 PM, so VOTE A.S.A.P.!

Finally for today, here's a newly posted video of another local indie/punk band, the Juno nominated Treble Charger, from their reunion concert set in Toronto in May 2012 during that year's Canadian Music Week! Uploaded by the Canadian Music Week YouTube channel yesterday, this is a professionally shot video of Treble Charger playing their classic "American Psycho" at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto via multiple cameras, and it's definitely the best footage I've seen yet from this show! The video does focus heavily on Greig Nori over anyone else, but kudos to C.M.W. for this quality upload, and check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, and more next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Gatgas, Evilheart, Elements, And Hard Up!!)

In today's second post, we're 100% focusing on local concert promoter J.D. Pearce's new Gonqshow summer concert series at The Algonquin Pub, as there are plenty more concerts announced on it's Facebook event page through September for it! Four of the five shows that we hadn't touched on yet here are below in chronological order, so here's what you should know, and check out this weekend's concert previews (remember: Europe rock Kewadin Casino TONIGHT!) and more in the post below this one!

We'll start with the previously hinted concert on Saturday, June 27th at The Algonquin Pub, which we can now confirm will be headlined by London hardcore punk quartet Gatgas! The band featuring Sault natives Bob Bromley Jr. and Garry Ingram memorably made their local concert debut in September upstairs at The Rockstar Bar for Hardcore Homecoming, but they're the announced headliners this time, and their gritty and aggressive originals should find a similarly high reception in June! Actually, this may be considered a sequel of sorts to Hardcore Homecoming, especially as the announced openers both played that show too, they being local hardcore punk veterans Destroilet (in their third announced show as a sextet) and local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, and they should fit in fine once again! I wonder if we'll see Garry join Destroilet again for another rousing cover of "Evil God Hater"? No word yet though on the Fistmagnet reunion show that was teased for June.

Like most of J.D.'s Gonqshow events, this concert has a $5 cover charge unless later stated otherwise, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! Hardcore punk fans will want to sit up and take notice of this event, especially if you loved Hardcore Homecoming, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up in the Gonqshow is a concert on Saturday, August 1st that will be headlined by Elements! No, not local funk rock quartet The Elements, I mean Edmonton hardcore metal quintet Elements, who will make their local concert debut this summer. Their hard hitting progressive-tinged originals should be welcomed by metalheads to kick off August, so be sure to check them out! Another touring band will join them in the Soo, that being Guelph progressive metal quintet Becomes Astral, and their own relentless brand of extreme metal has earned them a solid following that will hopefully grow even more in the Soo come showtime! One more (presumably local) band is to be announced, so contact J.D. A.S.A.P. if you want in, but imagine if the local Elements opened this one? Again, this is a 19+ show with a likely $5 cover and a 10:00 PM start time, so see above for more details, and give the out of town bands a listen!

Less than a week afterwards, The Algonquin Pub will also welcome a Gonqshow event on Friday, August 7th, and the headliners appear to be Montreal folk/punk quartet Hard Up! Also making their local concert debut, I believe, Hard Up mix punk and bluegrass together with stand-up bass and banjo thrown in for good measure, and if you like bands like The Rising Tide or The Brains, you'll find a lot to like with Hard Up! Local rap/metal quartet The Apocalypse Afterparty will open in their first announced concert apearance at The Algonquin Pub, and hopefully they add well with their diverse and creative sound for what may end up being as diverse a show as the AxMinister Gonqshow event! At least one more local band is being sought, so get on that if you want in. Like above, this will presumably have a $5 cover, a 10:00 PM start time, and a 19+ age limit, so see above for more details, and keep this show in mind!

Finally for today, here's one of at least two Gonqshow events at The Algonquin Pub in September, as Mexican blackened death metal trio Evilheart will make their local concert debut on Monday, September 21st (and yes, I meant the country Mexico!) Evilheart's brutal brand of death metal has alot of technicality and ferocity going for it, so metalheads should not miss this show, especially as how often do we see bands from Mexico play this far north? Fittingly, local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters will open the proceedings this fall, while the aforementioned Apocalypse Afterparty are also scheduled to open in a slightly surprising addition, but their entertaining stage show should find it's audience to kick things off! Unless later stated otherwise, expect a 19+ age limit, $5 cover, and 10:00 PM start time, but 5 months from showtime, a lot could change. Check the above links for more details, and don't forget about this show for your fall concert schedule!

There is one more September concert to announce here, plus some assorted updates for previously announced Gonqshow events, so look for those and more in the coming days, plus more news and notes! Thanks everyone!

Weekend Concert Previews (Including Europe) And Much More!!

Before we begin this post, just a heads up that former Foggy Notions owner/bartender Patrick Casey's celebration of life will fittingly take place at Coch's Corner (which moved into the Foggy's building in 2012) next Saturday, May 2nd at 8:00 PM. As per the official Facebook event page, Pat's sister Genevieve Lavoie is asking attendees to wear funny slogan t-shirts like he used to, so keep that in mind! This should be a fitting way to celebrate Pat's life and contributions, so don't miss out next weekend, and hopefully lots of smashlovs are had for the occasion! For reference, an obituary hasn't been publicized yet that we have seen, in case anyone was wondering.

Now, today's post will mostly touch on weekend concert previews, but there's also some assorted updates at post's end, so we'll start with the next major hard rock concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT, as Swedish glam metal legends Europe will make their local concert debut! Best known for classic songs like "The Final Countdown", "Carrie", and "Superstitious", this well regarded quintet are touring in support of their new album "War of Kings", and you know their familiar hits and hard rocking sound should find a big audience TONIGHT at Kewadin Casino! Opening the show are The Black Star Riders, who are more or less the successors to Thin Lizzy, so members of the latter can tour more frequently and record new original songs. They've been making their own waves in recent years with classic hard rock fans, so if you like Thin Lizzy, you shouldn't have anything to worry about! And yes, this is ALL AGES!

The first hard rock show from Allstar Promotions in 18 months (though they promoted the Parmalee-headlined country concert last week), tickets are still available from the third row and back for just $27.50 online at this link, via 1-800-KEWADIN, or at the in-person box office, while call ahead to see if there will be a meet & greet like Parmalee had. For more details, visit the above links! This should be a great concert for Hair Scare listeners and general audiences alike with lots of familiar classics, so don't miss out TONIGHT, stay tuned for fallout, and here's Europe live last year!



Next up, Sault Ontario classic hard rock trio Mourning Wood are expected to continue their weekly jam nights at The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT! Though the band hasn't plugged week #7 of their regular run at the former Nicolet Tavern yet, look for Terry, Steven, and T.J. to deliver fun and often heavy covers once again, with likely jam night performers joining them on stage to rock out like in past weeks, so if you have music talent, consider coming out TONIGHT to join in! Note that, unless another short notice matinee at The New A awaits, we likely won't see regular shows from Mourning Wood this weekend, as Terry & T.J. will be rocking out at The Rednecks Saloon this weekend with Asylum Country (source here), so keep that in mind if you want some live country music! Tonight's jam night however has a 9:30 PM start time, no announced cover, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, check the above links, and here's Mourning Wood last fall!



(Also, apologies for an error last week, as we cited the above Asylum Country shows as taking place last weekend, when they were always planned for this weekend. I must have assumed that they automatically meant that coming weekend, but their New A show last week was almost definitely still at 6:00 PM, as all of their shows there have been. Apologies again!) 

Lastly for today's previews, longtime Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT as his ongoing weekly concert arrangement continues on! A one night only event due to The Harp broadcasting Saturday's UFC PPV once again, this is the second-last date on Tym's website's calendar (nothing after May 1st is listed), but time will tell if more shows are announced in Tym's successful year+ run at the former Madison's Pub. Fans of Tym's diverse and hard hitting repertoire of covers should be right at home no matter what tomorrow, so be sure to keep his latest solo concert in mind, and again, don't come Saturday if you want to see Tym! There's no announced cover charge, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the Facebook event page, and here's Tym covering Heart live!



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

• Local rap/metal quartet The Apocalypse Afterparty (who are curiously now billed from Rothera, Antarctica) revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they "just finished a meeting with Tidal Records", telling fans to "get ready." Are they signing and/or recording with the local independent label? Stay tuned!
• This is more of a clarification than anything, but Rock 101's morning show is now called Scott Cook In The Morning following the departure of longtime co-host Brian Davie, as per recent on-air plugs, though their Facebook page still uses their old name. Listen in weekdays from 6:00-9:00 AM on 101.3 FM for Scott's blend of music, news, and infotainment on the morning drive!
• Local blue Chinese metal crash punk quartet Sykotyk Rampage's 49th "album" was quietly released to their Reverbnation page on Valentine's Day! Entitled "W.Y.R.D. Radio" (presumably a resumption or reworking of their cancelled 2014 album), all 20 tracks can now be streamed at the above links, though remember that the band no longer releases paid copies of their albums. Might we hear some of these songs live at the Swampstavaganza next month? Keep an eye out for more!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news on the site next, including details on a recently announced Blood Shed house party event ! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: kennybekendam, Jon Livingstone, And George Poury

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles, as our monthly feature series on local metal/hard rock/punk YouTube channels enters another month! As usual, we're looking at 1-3 randomly selected channels (3 this time) with a 50% or higher count of videos relevant to our coverage, in order for readers to check them out, subscribe, and/or learn more about the presented artists and shows, and yes, the first channel is the one we postponed after realizing we had more different videos last month than anticipated. There's a wide array below to check out in this installment, so read on for what you should know!
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kennybekendam's Channel (http://www.youtube.com/kennybekendam)

Owner: Hamilton pop rock solo musician Kenny Bekendam

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 17th, 2011; Videos uploaded from January 2012-April 2014

Channel Summary: Though intended as a solo YouTube channel on his music and performances, two of Kenny's four videos are from local/Toronto indie punk quartet Treble Charger's reunion concert on March 21st, 2012 at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre during that year's Canadian Music Fest. His videos include Treble Charger playing their songs "10th Grade Love" (complete with an enthusiastic fan dancing on stage) and, as embedded below, the more viewed "Red". Greig, Bill, and company sound good on two of their popular early hits, and the crowd's definitely into both, but the videos aren't terribly close to the stage, and they can be a little blurry. Still, Treble Charger fans should like these clips from their first concert in nine years, and though this channel hasn't been updated in almost a year, give Kenny's own material a look too for some solid indie rock!


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Jon Livingstone (http://youtube.com/channel/UC62PXyx9K6IkL2qQVpwySRA)

Owner: Sault Ontario resident and local musician Jon Livingstone

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 30th, 2012; Videos posted on January 28th, 2013

Channel Summary: All three of Jon's videos are audio recordings of his friend, ex-Pillory drummer Bret Shuttleworth, playing what are labelled as solo tracks. These include apparent original songs named "No Doubt In My Mind" & "Now I'm Here" and the most viewed video, a cover of Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", though it's unclear if Jon plays an instrument role on them. If that's Bret singing on these tracks, then he has a good voice, and that fits very well on the Metallica cover, but the two originals are much softer than Bret's band work, though the dark "Now I'm Here" does give the vibe of an intro to a metal song yet to be written. Bret's talented, and it'd be nice to see him pick up his solo work again, or join another local band in the future! However, keep in mind that Jon hasn't updated this channel in a year or so.


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George Poury (http://www.youtube.com/jurgenss88)

Owner: YouTube user George Poury

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 26th, 2012; Videos posted on February 16th, 2013

Channel Summary: Though not from the Soo (a post on his channel is in Latvian), George's two YouTube postings are both of songs by defunct local doom metal band Woods of Ypres, both from their final album, 2012's "Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light". Both uploaded as lyric videos with the song lyrics synched with the music, the songs are "Modern Life Architecture" and (as embedded below) "Silver", both among the doomier of the songs on the disc. Though there are fuller and more substantive sources of Woods of Ypres studio material on YouTube, these videos are worth checking out if you want to sing along with or get the lyrics for these two, so they work well on that basis! Note however that George hasn't visibly updated this channel since last year.


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I hope you guys liked today's YouTube Channel Profiles! Next month in this series, we'll return to a single channel profile, as next month's random selection is Skeyes of Seven/ex-As It Stands drummer John Mignacca's current YouTube channel, featuring a bunch of A.I.S. and solo postings! Watch for that on or around May 22nd, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!