Local Metal/Punk Video Showcase!!

Today's SMS post is devoted to some recent video postings and the updates linked to them from four local acts, with a heavy dose of alternative-influenced bands for good measure, so let's get things rolling with lots of fallout from a recent tour run! (Updated at 7:00 PM)

We'll start this post with a look at new videos from the recent Skate By Day, Rock By Night tour from Tidal Records that saw local musicians and skateboarders hit the stage and streets in Southern Ontario, as there's a solid amount of clips to check out from there! Local post-punk/garage rock quintet Gnaeus made their first out of town concert appearances over the past weekend (debuting new drummer Alex Proulx in the process), and they posted two videos from the tour onto their Facebook page, including this clip where the guys announce their arrival in Toronto, and this video where they inspect their lodgings prior to their Bayfield concert. Light, but entertaining, and I'll tell you, I can't find Brad either! With that said, there are new live videos of Gnaeus to check out from their tour dates, so what should you know on them? One is a brief snippet of "An Exercise In Self-Awareness" from the Barrie show via tour-mates Id Iota's Facebook page on Friday (more on them in a second), but the best is yet to come!

Courtesy of fellow tour performer Conika's personal Facebook page, all 6 of her Gnaeus videos have since been publically shared by the band. With the exception of a Toronto clip of "Lovers", all of Conika's videos come from the Bayfield show, and they include Gnaeus playing a new song named "Hail Mary", their cover of The Cold War Kids' "Hang Me Out To Dry", their originals "Lovers" & "The Sound", and as embedded below, both "Mountains" & "Circles". Though the length & completeness of the videos isn't consistent, kudos to Conika for some solid quality footage of this talented quartet from a nice close angle, and Alex sounds good with Gnaeus! Check out Conika's videos above & below!



Next up, here's tour videos from alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota, who played live for the first time since June during this tour run, debuted new bassist Dan Linklater, and released their debut EP "Maudlin Fair" in the process! Like Gnaeus, they too posted two non-concert clips to their Facebook page in recent days, including this clip of performers getting ready for the Barrie show, and this 6 second video of tour performers & contributors in a celebration after the Bayfield concert wrapped up. The aforementioned Conika filmed her own video of this from a separate angle (which Gnaeus shared on their page), and yes, she did get one video of Id Iota playing at the Bayfield show as well! Yes, the Habitat Shuffle successors did share this publically, and it's of their song "Permanence In Pencil" from their debut EP. The camera angle is further from the stage than on the Gnaeus clips (until the video's second half), but the quality's fine otherwise!

It's nice to hear this mid-tempo song in full in advance of the local release of "Maudlin Fair"! And if you're curious, I think frontman Christian Lemay is playing a melodica in the song's opening, which is sort of like a handheld organ powered by blowing into a connected tube. Is it played on the EP? Find out when Gnaeus, Id Iota, and headliners The Pixo Control rock LopLops Lounge THIS THURSDAY NIGHT, so stay tuned for our preview of it, and here's Id Iota live in Bayfield! (For reference sake, we will wait until The Pixo Control publically shares Conika's videos from their tour sets before featuring them here, respecting that they were uploaded to a personal account.)



Also today, here's a full concert video from local goregrind duo Rotopsy's return set at Thursday's Metal Massacre house show! Filmed by a combination of fellow Blood Shed Productions artists (Brutally Fatal's Austin McCrae and rappers Phat Boii & Mikey Thomas), this was uploaded to the label's YouTube channel on Sunday. It runs for 37 minutes, though due to some potentially offensive titles, we won't link them here. It's great to see Dylan & Tyler back, complete with some extra accoutrements, like a Blood Shed banner, and an American Dad! sample clip before their opener. This likely won't convert any detractors, but it's lively & does the job, so check it out below!

Finally, here's the newest solo performance video from local hard rock band alum Ryan Harrison (ex-Elipzis, Riot! By Night), who shared this video of him (on vocals & guitar) covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man" onto his YouTube channel on Friday... or more accurately, Shinedown's version of it, given how he's singing. I think the echo/reverb effect on the vocals here is a distraction, especially as he can sing fine without it, but he handles this cover fine otherwise, and the sepia tone is good for the mood! For reference sake, Ryan's recent Muskegon band RedStone Riot (who also feature fellow Elipzis alumni Rachel Kiger & Wally David) have been strongly hinting at a reunion in recent days on their Facebook page. This is encouraging to hear, but might RedStone Riot have a Sault Michigan show in the cards for when they do fully return? We'll let you know if anything comes out in that regard, and here's Ryan's new cover!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post featuring lots of new concert announcements tomorrow! Thanks everyone!