AlgomA/Shit Liver - "Trading Faces" Split Album Review!!

It's now time for our 99th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at "Trading Faces", the new split album from local doom metal trio AlgomA & local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver! Released through AlgomA's old label Deadbeat Media on each band's respective Bandcamp page on September 5th, the album's physical release is only on cassette tapes rather than CDs or vinyl, and has been available on Shit Liver's release tour since it started on September 22nd (they are available locally through AlgomA members, and can also be bought online through AlgomA's Bandcamp page, and at the local tour finale at The New American Pub THIS MONDAY NIGHT.) This is the second studio release & first split album for Shit Liver, and the fourth total release & third split for AlgomA, while it is the first cassette tape for both. Digitally, "Trading Faces" is available on a "name your price" model, but tapes cost $8, not counting potential shipping fees if you buy them through Bandcamp.

AlgomA recorded and self-produced their half at Six, Two, Oh. this spring, while Shit Liver recorded theirs in St. Catharine's at "The Shithouse" in February with producer "Raz". Both bands' classic lineups are intact here, including singer/bassist Kevin Campbell, singer/guitarist Boyd Rendell, and drummer Jamie Vincent for AlgomA, while Shit Liver are represented by singer/guitarist Josh Penno, bassist Mike "Ralph" Kyle, and drummer Matt Baic. And yes, "Trading Faces" is an all-covers album, so keep that in mind before wondering why any new originals didn't make the cut.

With ten tracks running for 28 minutes (16 for Shit Liver, 12 for AlgomA), let's begin our split review with AlgomA's three songs from side A, in a nice alliterative coincidence! Their first cover is of "Why Should I Care?" by Toronto hardcore punk quartet Dead Mouth, which starts with a sample from the horror movie Food of the Gods II. This cover is suitably heavy & attitude-laden in comparison, varying mainly from Kevin singing alongside Boyd (in his only vocal appearance on the split.) This is a departure of sorts from most AlgomA originals because it's so fast paced & brief in length, but they acclimate well, and while they don't tinker much with the original, it's a crushing way to open the tape! Second is "Great Dane", originally by Winnipeg noise rock trio Kittens, which you may have heard AlgomA play live in the past. Opening with samples of a dog barking, this again plays closer to the original song, though it seems slightly muted in it's ferocity.

The song moves along well, and Kevin's bass work is clear yet heavy all at once, but this one could have stood to be louder and more aggressive, especially with the bizarre lyrics, and I'd have wanted Kevin's vocals to be harsher or more amplified compared to what made the final cut. Not a bad rendition at all, but I think this song works better in a live setting where it's not as controlled. AlgomA's side ends with their cover of the other band on "Trading Faces", as they tackled Shit Liver's song "Fabricated Nonsense" from their 2014 self-titled debut CD! Unlike on the preceding covers, AlgomA completely reworked the 79 second original into an album-high 6:24 rendition, so you could be forgiven for thinking this was AlgomA's own song. If you're craving a deliberately slow & sludgy experience after the preceding faster covers, this will satiate them, and I appreciate how they made the song their own! However, the lengthy feedback at song's end wasn't my cup of tea, and fans of the speedier punk-influenced songs on the rest of the split may not take to this one the same.

Side B belongs to Shit Liver, whose seven included covers begin with "Homeoapathy" (no hyphen here) by New York crust punk band Leftover Crack. Despite being half a minute shorter than the original, the guys cram the whole song into a faster package that introduces death metal growling and some more piercing screams, to solid effect! Sure, the spoken introduction isn't common for the originals, but the rest feels like classic Shit Liver, with blistering drums from Matt and nice trade-off singing, so loyal fans will be right at home! Second is their version of "Hitch-Hiker" (now with a hyphen) by Chicago extreme metal band Macabre, and much like on the prior cover, they sufficiently speed up and shorten the song, and also add a sampled intro from a Trailer Park Boys episode. This time, the song bears even less similarities to the original, but it's a nice dose of organized chaos, which Josh's guitar riffs meshing well with Mike's bass! The ending synced up vocals from the three guys aren't mixed very cleanly, but it's another solid cover!

Next is their version of "Blame It On God" by Florida death metal veterans Deicide, which opens with an audio sample from a telephone conversation between Deicide frontman Glen Benton and an Christian radio host, fittingly enough! This cover holds the most structural and tempo similarities yet to the original song, with the triple vocal attack being the biggest difference, but they do infuse some crust punk themes into the percussion. Aggressive and brutal, fans of Deicide will be happy with how this one turned out! Fourth is the split's shortest track, a 78 second rendition of "Lines On A Map" (the "Thinning The Herd" version) by South Carolina crust punk band Antischism, which again is a great match for Shit Liver's existing sound, and the mid-song vocal change of the original works extra well here! Crashing drums and blistering guitar work compliment everything well, and honestly, the song feels just right at it's short length, not feeling unfinished at all. Overall, this is one of the better songs on this side!

The fifth song on Shit Liver's half is a cover of "Socialized Death Sentence" by Oakland sludge/crust band Dystopia, even carrying over that song's sampled intro from The Hudsucker Proxy (will I have to dock them for repeating?!) While musically hewing close to the original, the vocals again take on a harsher and more varied bent, even sounding a little clearer at times. Another brutal performance, I will say that the vocals do overpower the guitars a bit, but it's a fine rendition that flows with the preceding songs! The tape seemingly closes with a cover of their splitmates AlgomA, trading in kind with a rendition of "Fell Down A Well" from AlgomA's own 2014 debut CD "Reclaimed By The Forest". Shit Liver originally covered this in 2015 for a YouTube posting, and the 2017 version is basically a remaster of their first cover, even preserving the spoken intro that I can't place. Blistering while preserving the original's structure, it's a solid tribute that feels like doom metal on fast forward, and it's a nice way to come full circle on the tape!

After 30 seconds of silence, we get one surprise bonus cover, namely Shit Liver's amusing cover of The 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up", complete with intentionally bad clean vocals and abrupt shift into grindcore onslaught mode, as fans have often seen live. Only take the brutal part seriously, and you should get a laugh out of this unexpected cover (that is, if you're not familiar with it from their concerts already!)

So, what are my final thoughts on AlgomA & Shit Liver's covers tape? I'd say that it's a successful experiment that showcases both bands paying tribute to some of their favourite acts (and each other) with ferocity! Compared to AlgomA's prior two splits, this feels like the best value thanks to 3 new recordings and a cheaper release format, and from slow & doomy on "Fabricated Nonsense" to the preceding hardcore punk-influenced covers, you get a nice cross section of their sound, and it's nice to hear them play things at a quicker and faster pace outside of their comfort zone! Shit Liver's side gives fans a quality look at their underground crust & sludge influences, with the songs converted to their existing style fairly seamlessly, with their usage of three singers often giving these songs some welcome variety from the originals! Some covers on both sides could have been tightened up a little bit, and it would have been nice to hear Boyd sing on more than one of AlgomA's entries, but for a covers album, what more can you ask for?

As for the cassette tape release, I have not heard the album in this format yet (I will buy my copy on Monday at The New A), but the digital release gives the best quality audio, if not the most authentic for fans of physical media! I admittedly don't think the green tape colour is a great fit for "Trading Faces", but that's a minor nitpick. Fans of both bands, and/or underground hardcore punk and death metal should definitely consider buying this split digitially or on tape, so do so at the above links! That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our preview of AlgomA & Shit Liver's show on Monday to end the "Trading Faces" release tour, but what's being reviewed next month as our 100th monthly album review? At the moment, the leading favourite is black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest's new album "Ethereal", especially as The Din's second & final album (scheduled for release in two weeks) can't be reviewed until at least December, due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period between reviews of the same band.

That said, if another new local metal, hard rock, or punk album comes out, our projections could change, but "Ethereal" is currently my working plan for October. Look for our next review by Halloween, and stay tuned for our next post on the site tomorrow to kick off the new month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

(Updated on Saturday at 12:31 AM) A quiet but eventful weekend of concerts is upon us to help end the month of September, and with no currently known short notice gigs, let's get right into what's going down for hard rock fans, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has his usual solo acoustic gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, but Tym will also return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Profuse apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse show (this post was edited on Saturday to add it), as it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Friday night. Now four weeks into a run where Tym plays a nighttime gig alongside his ongoing long-term Gliss arrangement, keep all four of this weekend's shows in mind for some entertaining hard rock covers, be you taking in the Gliss matinees or SATURDAY NIGHT's return to the popular downtown tapas restaurant for a second straight week! Yes, we'll touch on Tym's expected October gigs next week, we won't forget about them!

While there are no cover charges, mind the restaurant locale of these four shows, with the Gliss gigs being 6:00 PM events with no age limit, and SATURDAY'S Barrelhouse show being 19+ at 10:30 PM. Visit the Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, we'll head to The Canadian Nightclub, where local alternative hard rock trio The Din and fellow alt/punk trio Handsome Sandwich will join forces for their own concert TOMORROW NIGHT! After some earlier public uncertainty about this show's status, The Din have since verified that it's still on, meaning that their third-to-last concert (and last outside of LopLops) before their upcoming disbandment is on, so don't miss out on this one before it's too late! Material from their forthcoming second and final CD will be played along with older classics in what The Din are promising will be "a special night", so keep that in mind too! As for Handsome Sandwich, this will be their first live concert since the Oh!No Festival in Leeburn earlier this month, and first in Sault Ste. Marie since July's Vaultry show at The Canadian. This unique band has been quiet on Facebook since that event, but hopefully they deliver a fun set to kick off tomorrow's festivities!

No cover charge is announced for this 19+ concert, which has a 9:30 PM start time.  With The Din's time as an active band winding down, tomorrow's show is even more notable than it otherwise would be, so don't miss out, especially if you can't see them at LopLops next month! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's The Din live at The Canadian earlier this year!

In a quick detour to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, we'll next look at the return of Traverse City, Michigan metal trio Scarkazm to our area, as they'll be rocking The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Continuing a recent regular run of shows up north (having played St. Ignace and/or the Soo's Kewadin monthly since July), the Peril sister band should be in fine form for another high impact weekend of covers and perhaps originals, so don't miss Dave, Adam, and Jeff at the St. Ignace Kewadin tomorrow and/or Saturday! If you can't make this weekend's shows, Scarkazm will back in Sault Michigan in three weeks, and in St. Ignace in December. As usual for Scarkazm's gigs in our neck of the woods, expect 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits this weekend. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and for a preview, here's Scarkazm live!

Finally for this weekend, a rare metal concert at The Essar Center will take place THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, as Los Angeles hair metal legends Dokken will make their long awaited return to our area! Almost 12 years removed from their set opening for Quiet Riot in Sault Michigan, fans will surely be rockin' with Dokken all night as they play hits like "Alone Again" & "Burning Like A Flame", so don't bypass this one if you're a hair metal fanatic! This will also be Dokken's first local gig with current bassist Chris McCarvill, having changed bassists thrice since their 2005 show here. North Carolina glam rockers FireHouse will join them in their third local concert set and first since 2014's Bret Michaels show in Sault Michigan, so look for more entertaining classics like "When I Look Into Your Eyes" & "Don't Treat Me Bad" in their first gig on the Canadian side of the border! Los Angeles melodic arena rock quartet Love 'N Revenge (fronted by Rockarma's Damon Kelly) will open in their local debut, who should pair well with the headliners!

A rare cross-border event courtesy of Sault Michigan concert/MMA promoters Superior Entertainment (of 2015's P.O.D. & Saving Abel shows), floor seats from the fifth row and back are still available for this all ages concert at 7:00 PM on Saturday, and tickets cost $62.15 (minus online service fees) at this link, at the in-person box office, or by phone at 1-866-775-9422. This should be a fun concert for hair metal lovers, and remember, if this show's a hit, it will encourage more major touring acts to play at The Essar Center in the future! Check the above links for more on this concert, and here's Dokken live earlier this year!



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

YouTube Channel Profile Series: ForAllThatIsLost Fatil

Here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our ongoing monthly spotlight of 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is at least 50% devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk videos, be they of musicians, concerts, or anything of direct relevance! This month's randomly chosen channel is one from a regional metal band who many fans still miss seeing on stage, so here's what you should know in this month's feature!
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ForAllThatIsLost Fatil (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnStCnd6WPDzXYqMDBWaKPg) 

Owner: A member of early 2010s Central Algoma death metal band For All That Is Lost's 2011-2013 four-piece lineup (exact identity unclear)

Channel Timeline: Launched on November 4th, 2012; Videos posted from the next day through the following month

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for 2010-2013 death metal standouts For All That Is Lost (or F.A.T.I.L.), this channel features 11 videos, all taken from varying live concerts during their heyday.

Why You Should Watch: This channel is worth checking out as arguably the best source for F.A.T.I.L. videos, and given that it was launched late in their run, you get a nice swath of footage from their early CASS Cafe days through to their prominent run of Sault Ontario concerts! However, the band has been broken up for over four years now (despite reunion teases on social media throughout 2014), so further updates on their channel aren't likely.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

For all that is lost: The earliest filmed but second-to-last uploaded video on this channel is of an early F.A.T.I.L. set from April 2010 at a CASS Cafe event at Central Algoma Secondary School in nearby Desbarats, where the band got their public start. Previously uploaded as a MySpace exclusive video, this features For All That Is Lost's original quintet lineup, including singer Tyler Sperry, guitarists Graeme Caughill & Allen Piche, bassist Ben Deslauriers, and My Dear Malice drummer Kameron Nicholson. Performing an untitled original & "Viscosity of Blood", this was obviously early in their run & the lack of polish shows, but it's sufficiently heavy and it does show the promise that the guys would bring to their Sault Ste. Marie debut the following year! More footage of F.A.T.I.L. and their members at CASS Cafe events can easily be found on other YouTube channels.



For All That Is Lost The Return of Dionysus: Eight time veterans of the former Roosevelt Hotel's Thursday metal night series, it's no surprise that The Rosie figures into their channel's content, including this footage from November 2011's 39th installment, where they played their original "The Return of Dionysus". Now featuring Brook Moreau as their sole guitarist (replacing Graeme in late 2010, while Allen left in mid-2011), this was filmed by myself for our review of this concert, alongside videos of Late & Loud & the future Valentine's Day Massacre. F.A.T.I.L. were still working out some of the kinks after contracting to a quartet, but the technical aggression comes through very nicely, and it's another solid example of what For All That Is Lost had to offer locally during their Sault Ste. Marie dates!



Murmaider Dethklock cover by For All That Is Lost: The most viewed video on F.A.T.I.L.'s channel is their cover of "Mermaider" by cartoon death metal band Dethklok (via the hilarious Adult Swim series Metalocalypse), as filmed during their final concert set at The Locals Attack! at The Canadian Nightclub in November 2012. Yes, For All That Is Lost were wearing white masks, that was a frequent staple of their live shows late in their run. The video quality isn't great, and it's largely filmed from a poor angle to see the band clearly, but the audio comes through well, and the guys deliver a brutal cover that headbanging fans clearly enjoyed! A video of their original "Northern Metal" from this concert was the channel's final upload a month later.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection has given us the channel of Thunder Bay musician Peter Bastedo, whose channel largely features an assortment of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide concert footage from their early 2010s tour cycles! Look for that on or around October 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Din Updates, Sunrise Records' Local Artist Contest, And A New Concert Video!!

After a slow stretch for news and updates on the SMS over the weekend, we are back with a new news post on this Tuesday morning, and yes, our latest YouTube Channel Profile will follow by tomorrow! Here, we have a new concert video, and details on a new contest that four local bands (and counting?) have jumped in on, but first, here's big updates from a band whose days are numbered, but still have a lot to offer!

Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din have finally posted their live album "The Din Does Laundry" on Bandcamp... well, most of it! With their planned disbanding now under a month away, their sole paid non-studio CD (recorded at The Gore Street Cafe in March 2016 and released the following month) is now finally available for digital download on their Bandcamp page, complete with exclusive cover artwork in this format, so if you missed the limited physical release last year, here's your (partial) second chance! It's on a "name your price" model, but for reference, CDs cost $3 last year. If you're a purist, you will want to track down the original CD, as the Bandcamp version is noticeably pared down, primarily due to the four covers ("Fragile Bird", "The Old Apartment", "Times Like These", and "With A Little Help From My Friends") being removed for obvious legal reasons. That said, it'd be cool to see them posted as Facebook or YouTube exclusives if possible.

Apart from that, there have been more edits to the included songs, most notably the merger of the short introduction tracks "Spin Cycle" & "Leamington, Ontario" into the full songs "A Drive Through The Peninsula" & "75" that followed them, while virtually every remaining song has had minor edits to the start and finish (largely to remove dead air.) Finally, two songs were re-titled, with the closing track now using it's shortened title "Potato", while "We Met As Surrogates" (promoted from unlisted bonus status) now has it's alternate title "We Met At The Circus". So, a 16 track, 64 minute CD was chopped down to a 10 track, 45 minute digital album, but if you didn't/can't get the original copy, this is better than nothing, and a nice surprise as The Din wind down their active run, so stream or download it at the above links! In one more solely-Din related note, they recorded a new "cover of the month"-style video, albeit exclusively for their Facebook page on Friday, and it's their version of Matchbox Twenty's "3 AM".

Featuring multiple camera angles of The Din in their jam session locale of similar older clips,this is a solid cover, as fans will have come to expect, but it's not an overly up-tempo or heavy choice of cover. Still, with studio quality audio from Pretoria Hill Productions, this is another nice bonus in The Din's final weeks, so give it a watch below, and don't miss them at The Canadian THIS FRIDAY NIGHT in their third-to-last live concert!



Next up, a few local bands have thrown their hat into the ring for Sunrise Records' Local Artist Contest, where one lucky Canadian band will win nationwide distribution of their CD at the music store chain! The grand prize winning band will also receive 500 copies of said album on CD & vinyl, the album as a personalized plaque, a feature on Sunrise Records' website, plus "social & newsletter support", while a runner-up band will get 500 copies of their album on CD, distribution at regional Sunrise stores, and "social support". As best as I can tell, four local bands (The Din, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, indie rock quartet K.I.C.K., and prog rock quintet Machines Dream) have signed up so far, with Jack Spades leading the way locally in 14th place for total votes, but all four bands could use your support, especially Machines Dream, who are distantly trailing at press time. Your band can get in on the contest too, by signing up at this link, and you can also vote there as well, where you can vote for multiple bands, albeit only once a day for each (a free registration is required.)

Beyond that, voting ends on Halloween, when the ten highest voted bands will enter the "judgement round", where Sunrise representatives will determine the winners, to be announced on November 10th. This sounds like a cool contest that's already attracting lots of local interest, and with a chance to vote for as many bands as you want once each daily, you can help get all four local bands and potential further sign-ups to move up the ranks! Best of luck, and click the above links or visit the appropriate Facebook links for further details on the contest! Remember, Sunrise replaced HMV at the Station Mall earlier this year, so stop in to support our newest record store!

Finally for today, here's a new Facebook video of Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Project 906, as shared from guitarist Joe Jenkins' personal Facebook page to the band's own Facebook page yesterday! A nearly-complete cover of Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls", this was filmed at The Strongs Tavern in Eckerman on Saturday night, marking a rarity in both locale and length for their publically available videos. The video's visuals aren't entirely clear (the constantly changing lighting doesn't help), but it's a fine rendition of this Queen classic on a stationary camera, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more on their upcoming dates!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, with more news and notes to follow! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Steve Pevarnic

The Sault Metal Scene sends it's deepest condolences out to the family and friends of veteran local rock guitarist Steve Pevarnic, who passed away on Thursday night, according to numerous personal Facebook postings. Details on his final services have not been publicized at press time, so stay tuned to appropriate news sources for word therein. A prominent musician dating back to the 1970s, Steve will likely be most familiar in recent years as the co-owner and namesake of Steve's Music Center at 557 Ashmun Street (now Solomon's Tattoo Parlour) from 2004-2014, winning the Sault Evening News' award as the Best Music Store in the region from 2005-2008. As a guitarist, Steve performed in numerous memorable bands both here and during a run in Colorado in the 1980s (alongside the late Bruce Johnson & Banned's Wayne Lawrence), with his most recent documented band work seeing him replace Nathan Switzer in the classic/hard rock cover quintet Full Throttle (the first version) back in 2013, before moving to Washington state the following year.

I didn't know Steve personally, but from all public accounts, he was a kind person and a very talented guitarist, and I know his work in both performance & instruction affected many colleagues in the E.U.P.! Videos of Steve in concert aren't plentiful, but one of Full Throttle (featuring a lineup not publically documented elsewhere) can be seen on his personal Facebook page courtesy of former singer Jamie Roush, where they covered Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Three Steps" at the former Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird.) The video quality is mixed, but it's a nice sample of his talents, so seek it out if you can, and stay tuned for more on his services. R.I.P. Steve!

Project 906 Concert Preview, New Vol. Videos, And More News & Updates!!

With no public confirmation about the previously advertised 3 Day Millionaires show at The Canadian (which we are now treating as cancelled), we'll move on with some news and updates on this Friday morning, including some assorted notes, preliminary details on a benefit concert next month, and some new concert videos, but first, here's one more weekend preview!

We'll start today with our last verified hard rock concert preview of the weekend, as Sault Michigan hard rock cover quartet Project 906 will return to The Strongs Tavern in nearby Eckerman TOMORROW NIGHT! Last seen at Bay Mills Bands Together's softball tournament fundraiser in Brimley earlier this month, this will be Project 906's first show at The Strongs Tavern in over five months, so if you've missed this talented group there lately, here's your chance to see them in action again! Notably, this is their last announced show from their most recent concert calendar posting, though I would assume they'll have more shows in the works, so stay tuned for word when it rolls in. A 9:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, which has a 21+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more on this night of hard rocking cover favourites, and here's Project 906 live!



Next up, here's the first concert videos that we've seen from the Oh!No 2017 Music Festival in Leeburn whose colours weren't inverted, all of new Sault Ontario indie/hard rock trio Vol.'s set! Four videos of their set were posted to their Facebook page yesterday, all of original songs planned to be on their debut album, including tracks named "Dislocation", "In The Night (Part Two)", "Inspiration By The Ration", and as embedded below, "Early Bird". If their own write-ups are to be believed, these four songs were Vol.'s entire set, though no word on if there exists an "In The Night (Part One)". All filmed on a vertical camera angle (though the whole band's in frame), the songs showcase a variance in tempos, but all have a harder bite, especially the fast paced "Dislocation", and on "Early Bird" below, you get to see some dancing from attendees! Sort of grungy at times, and other times harbouring a 1980s indie influence, Vol. are off to a good start, so give their Leeburn videos a watch above and below!



Also today, here's some preliminary details on a big benefit concert event next month. The show is in support of Cherry Crush/ex-The Chosen singer (and former Foggy Notions owner) Taryn Bugyra, who was unfortunately diagnosed with kidney cancer last month. Taryn will need surgery in Hamilton on Halloween to remove the tumour, and will have to be off work while recovering in November, including a 2 week post-op stay in Hamilton. With no family ties there, and two children to support, her family is looking to raise money to cover accommodations in Hamilton and travel costs to and from there. As such, there will be a benefit concert at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, October 14th, which will feature bands to be announced, pizza, a door prize, games, and a prize table, with $10 admission via advance ticket sales and at the door. Prize donations would be appreciated by the family, and if you can't make the concert, you can donate $10 or more for the cause by messaging Taryn's mother Donna DeSimon at this link or via e-transfer at divadola@hotmail.com, so you have many options to help.

A band lineup has not yet been announced, but will be as soon as confirmations are received from those donating their time (though I'd be shocked if Taryn's Cherry Crush bandmates didn't play in some form.) Cancer sucks, there's no two ways around it, and my best wishes are with the Bugyra family during this difficult time, hopefully Taryn beats this thing! Stay tuned for updates on the lineup when they come in, and visit the official Facebook event page for more on the benefit next month!

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

• Local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback have been added as a second opening band for the Special Ops-headlined concert at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, November 3rd, and they will take on the middle slot that night between Special Ops and fellow locals Vol.. Not a bad choice to add some punk flavour mid-show, so check the above links for more on this intriguing event in over a month's time!
• Local alternative/hard rock trio Handsome Sandwich have been added as openers for The Din's Canadian Nightclub concert next week, as per the show's new Facebook event page. Solid choice, including with one final reunion of ex-Haggith bandmates Mike Haggith and James White on the same bill, so don't miss out... if the show is still on. Mike indicated in a comment that "there have been some issues" with bookings there, and that there's a chance that the concert may be cancelled. If that is the case, we'll let you know!
• We have removed The Roosevelt Hotel from our inactive concert venue links due to the deletion of it's Facebook page (their last remaining official page under that name) in recent months. Of course, the Korah Road venue was bought by Reggie's Place ownership in early 2014 and turned into the country-leaning sister tavern Reggie's West, though hard rock cover bands still play there on occasion. Hopefully fans don't forget the memories of The Rosie's original run, including their metal nights!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison) And Most Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Before we begin this weekend's first concert preview post, I wanted to note that we're not including the previously announced Friday nighter from The 3 Day Millionaires at The Canadian Nightclub, as the show wasn't listed on the venue's marquee board when last seen, and the band and venue haven't acknowledged it online. If the show is confirmed to still be on in time for tomorrow's concert preview post, we'll profile it then, but if it's off, hopefully all's well! Now, let's dive into the first of this weekend's concert previews, specifically hard rock bands verified to be playing on Thursday and Friday, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

Alongside his regular Gliss Steak & Seafood matinee gigs TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Barrelhouse Wine & Whiskey on Queen Street East for a solo nighttime concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice on the Barrelhouse gig, it was only announced via it's official Facebook event page on Sunday. For a third straight week, Tym is pairing his ongoing weekly trifecta at Gliss with at least one gig elsewhere in a more typical concert timeslot, with SATURDAY'S return to the downtown tapas restaurant marking his first Barrelhouse gig in almost a month. This talented hard rock solo musician should have more great cover action in mind x 4 this weekend, so don't miss out on all of these!

The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced age limits as usual, SATURDAY NIGHT'S Barrelhouse show is at 10:30 PM with a 19+ age limit, and none of these gigs have a cover. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!

Moving to entirely previously announced concerts, next up is the return of Marquette, Michigan hard rock quartet Spun to The Satisfied Frog in Sault Michigan TOMORROW NIGHT (and maybe Saturday!) Currently their last advertised gig(s) in our neck of the woods until at least November, this will be another solid opportunity for fans to take in the Nudge successors' hard hitting and fan favourite range of covers, so keep this show or shows in mind! Note that the Facebook event page only lists a Friday nighter for Spun this weekend at The Frog, but this is atypical for their trips east, and their Facebook page just says that they'll be here "this weekend". I won't call a Saturday show if not advertised, but if you want to gamble on Spun playing that night, have at it! Tomorrow's show (and Saturday's?) is a 21+ affair with no announced cover charge and a 9:30 PM start time. See above for more details, and here's Spun live!

Also this weekend, fans will see Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned back at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Two weeks removed from their Kinross Speedway gigs, these shows comes just three weeks after their previous at the St. Ignace Kewadin, an unusually short turnaround for the Traynors and Wayne to play at the same venue. Fans in St. Ignace should be eager for a second weekend of Banned's cover action in the same month, so keep these ones in mind if you're in the area! As usual for Banned's Kewadin stops, expect 9:00 PM start times for tomorrow and Saturday's concerts, these too have 21+ age limits, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



Finally for today, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for a special lunchtime outdoor concert THIS SATURDAY, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will continue their farewell tour with an acoustic set at the Soo Locks during the Sault Pridefest's cosplay optional family picnic! Ostensibly your last chance to see The Din in an unplugged setting (and to see them play songs in the same vein as "The Din Does Laundry"), this event will help end this year's local LGBTQ support festival with a picnic, arts & crafts, children's games, and yes, cosplay and costumes are encouraged for the occasion. Sounds like fun, so visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for full details on remaining Pridefest events and the picnic! Note that The Din will be playing as a duo without drummer Brandan Glew for unannounced reasons, source here. This concert is FREE & ALL AGES, and the picnic begins at the locks at 11:00 AM. It's great to see The Din offer their support to Pridefest once again, so don't miss out on all of the family friendly action on Saturday, and here they are live and unplugged!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Project 906 preview and more in our next post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Special Ops), A Surprise Album Release, And More Updates!!

Here's another new news post for your Wednesday, so what's on tap? Some overdue videos to share, the latest from a prominent local metal band, and a surprising EP release to take note of, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year!

Montreal alternative metal quartet Special Ops will make their local concert debut when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, November 3rd! One of the last stops as they return home from their Take It All Tour (in support of their "Baby Take It All" EP), this hard rocking outfit has been making waves out east for the better part of a decade, and their sound is heavy yet accessible enough to appeal to many listeners, so don't bypass them early next month! New local indie/hard rock trio Vol. will open the proceedings in what should be another high impact set from this union of Pixo Control and Aldous alumni, and for what it's worth, they indicated on their Facebook page that they're currently "finish(ing) up our first album." News to me, but are they still just writing songs, or are they actually recording? Stay tuned for updates!

Yes, we are aware of another show that Vol. is opening next month at The Algonquin Hotel, but with ambiguity about which floor it's being held on, we're waiting for confirmation therein. Tickets for this 19+ show are $10 and will presumably be available at the hotel's front desk, though I cannot confirm a potential jump in price at the door. Bands start at 9:30 PM on November 30th, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more on what should be a fun night of hard rock action!

Next up, we have a surprise new album release, as local black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest released their second EP on Monday! Like their debut "The End of Life" from January, this EP (entitled "Ethereal") was an abrupt release on the project's Bandcamp page, though unlike it's predecessor, it has a minimum asking price of $10, rather than a "name your price" model. I would assume "Thorn of Torment" was left off of "Ethereal" due to the EP's theme, which eschews black metal for dark ambient instrumentals, so don't go into this expecting the same sound as earlier Abhorrent Forest material. As this is a new release, might we see a review of "Ethereal" on the SMS? Yes, possibly as soon as next month, as our review of the AlgomA/Shit Liver split is likely coming next week, and because I don't review albums from the same band twice in a 6 month span, I have to hold our review of The Din's final album (coming next month) until December.

That all said, it's a nice surprise to see Wyrn back in action with new Abhorrent Forest material, and if you like ambient music, this will be worth a listen especially, so give it a listen and/or buy it at the above links, and keep watch in case we review "Ethereal" later this fall!

Also today, here's the latest from local doom metal trio AlgomA, who apparently intend to remain on the bill for the local finale of the "Trading Faces" split release tour with Shit Liver on October 2nd (one week from Monday) at The New American Pub! Though the band had to pull out of the tour proper due to guitarist Boyd Rendell's health problems, he confirmed on the Facebook event page yesterday that "I'm gonna do my best to play this one", so at least we'll see both halves of the tape rocking out in their hometown! If anything changes in regards to AlgomA's set, we'll let you know, but hopefully Boyd rests up and gets well soon either way! FYI, Shit Liver kick off the tour proper in Toronto on Friday, and I have no new updates on the "Trading Faces" cassette tapes beyond what we already know from it's Bandcamp release. However, AlgomA are keeping busy with uploads of their contributions from their prior splits with Chronobot and Hooded Menace on their YouTube channel, complete with lyrics!

Uploaded yesterday for their first postings there in a year, both of their songs from the former vinyl record release are now officially available on YouTube ("Electric Fence" & "Phthisis") but embedded below is their half of the split single with Hooded Menace, namely "Failed Stunt Fatality". No word yet on when we might see their contributions to "Trading Faces" on their channel, but it's nice to have more studio quality AlgomA aggression available on YouTube, so check them out above and below, buy "Trading Faces" above, and stay tuned for the local release party on October 2nd!



Finally for today, here's some long overdue acknowledgement of some video shares to Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's Facebook page! Apologies for the delay in these making the site, Facebook videos can fall through the cracks very easily. All shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page prior to any talk of a Christmas tour became public, they include this video was uploaded with the caption "Studio time..." but it's just a silent slideshow of Craig, a studio computer, and a skull. No doubt we've heard some of the material from said studio time, but the video doesn't stand up well on it's own, especially without backing audio. Also, this video from February captures 10 seconds of a dark orchestral instrumental which sounds very promising, and it'd be cool to hear that one in full! A Facebook copy of the now deleted YouTube upload of the piano ballad "If I Could Just Tear Down These Walls" also still exists via a Facebook share in January. We'll touch on more if found, but what's embedded here on the SMS?

In fact, it's the newest of these clips from June 29th, featuring Craig manipulating an iPad for effects while guitarist Steve Giles and uncredited guests play on in the background. Not bad for what it is, and it has a somewhat eerie feel! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night as we hear it!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Bret Michaels), Plus Diamond Head Concert Videos!!

Here's another new post for your Tuesday, and while it's mostly devoted to some long awaited video footage from a big recent concert, we're leading off with a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year, so without any further adieu, here's what you need to know!

Poison frontman Bret Michaels will return to The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for another headlining concert on Saturday, November 25th in what the venue is calling their "Thanksgiving Weekend Mega Party" during his The Party Starts Now World Tour! Make this concert Bret's seventh (at least) in the Twin Saults, having previously rocked The Eastgate Hotel in 2005 and the Soo Kewadin in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014 and last November, which is a clear sign of how well his local concerts go and are received! Falling over the American Thanksgiving long weekend, hopefully fans' turkey hangovers are gone in time for a night of hair metal classics from Poison like "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" & "Unskinny Bop", plus selections from Bret's solo career, so keep this huge show in mind for later this fall! As of this writing, there are no announced opening bands, though none were advertised last year either.

Tickets go on sale this Friday at the in-person box office, online at this link, and at 1-800-KEWADIN, and while tickets start at $48.50, expect higher prices depending on seating location and announced VIP packages. Expect this one to be another 7:00 PM event with no announced age limits. It's great to see Bret return to Sault Michigan for his sixth show here in the past decade, and if he keeps coming back, something is obviously clicking, so for all you Hair Scare fans, don't miss out on this one over the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, and tickets go on sale FRIDAY!

Next up, here's some long awaited videos from the Diamond Head concert at The Rockstar Bar in Sault Ontario from earlier this month, courtesy of Christopher Paci's awesome YouTube channel once again! Uploaded yesterday despite a two week wait for his footage, Chris filmed 13 videos on September 2nd, including seven of the headlining British NWOBHM pioneers, including their songs "Streets of Gold", "It's Electric", "Set My Soul On Fire", "Diamonds", "Wild on the Streets", and of course, "Am I Evil?", complete with a mishap near the end where Chris says he "got decked". Hopefully he was OK! Given that song's local familiarity from 421 sets, I'll instead embed Diamond Head's rendition of "Helpless" below. While Diamond Head only retains guitarist Brian Tatler from their classic era, the current lineup sounds good from what I've heard, and singer Rasmus Bom Andersen is a solid fit, though the bass doesn't come through well in the videos, and earlier clips are shot at a worse angle from further away. Check our more from Diamond Head's local set above & below!



As for Chris' other videos, he got three each of the two local opening bands, including punk/metal quintet Jack Spades playing their songs "Rise", "To The Left", and as embedded below, "Motorwolf". These are their first public online videos with Rob Speers on bass, but from what I can tell, the band was also playing as a four-piece with no sign of guitarist Anthony Orazietti. No word on why he missed their set, but we'll let you know if anything else is afoot! Yes, J.D. Pearce was there, he's just singing in the crowd once again. The guys sound good as usual, and Rob fits in well, but he could show more of the energy he uses when fronting The Elements. Check these out above & below!



Finally, here's footage of classic metal quartet Project 421's opening set, as they tackled covers of Iron Maiden's "Running Free" & "Powerslave" and as embedded below, Saxon's "Denim & Leather". This isn't an optimal view of the band, with guitarist Frank McGillivray often out of camera range, but it captures 421's sound well, and for a band that covers Diamond Head so regularly, you know they were firing on all cylinders for this one! Give their videos a look above & below, and kudos to Chris again for his hard work filming all of this footage, it's much appreciated!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this week on The Sault Metal Scene! Thanks everyone!

New Facebook Video Postings, Plus More Recent News & Updates!!

After taking the weekend off while seeing family out of town, I'm back with a new news post on this Monday morning, including some assorted recent updates, but first, here's some new Facebook videos, starting with one from local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church! Filmed by an uncredited attendee during their set at Odeno at Sault College for their reunion events on Friday, this video is of their cover of Gary Clark Jr.'s "When My Train Pulls In", and while incomplete and containing no vocals, it captures Spencer, Elijah, and Beau in fine form on this more modern selection! Give their newest video a look below, and stay tuned for more on their upcoming EP!

Next up, here's some interesting "new" videos of local author George Case (Led Zeppelin FAQ, Whole Lotta Zeppelin, etc.) from his Facebook page on Friday, courtesy of the launch party of his book "Arcadia Borealis: Childhood and Youth in Northern Ontario" at LopLops Lounge back in early 2008! That evening, George picked up his guitar to play some songs, including an original named "The Bartender Is My Friend", while he was also joined by future Turner Up guitarist and then-Rad Zone mainstay Len Ward for some covers, like Jimi Hendrix's "Stone Free" and, as embedded below, Kiss' "Hard Luck Woman". These aren't bad, and I like the laid back feel for the book launch, complete with a LopLops stage that's nigh unrecognizable compared to it's state nine years later! It's nice to see Len performing here, and while George's singing voice isn't the rangiest in the world, he makes it work on these performances. Give them a look above & below, and see above for details on his bibliography and how to purchase his books!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, event, or venue name:

• After a six month hiatus, local black metal solo project Abhorrent Forest re-emerged with a new single on their Bandcamp page yesterday, entitled "Thorn of Torment". Wyrn says that this won't be on any albums "since I haven't been home in months", and it's been "collecting mildew" while other songs were cut. The song delivers more brutal instrumental death metal action, despite being somewhat repetitive, so give it a listen at the above links!
• I have removed Brian Tremblay Photography from our links of local concert and musician photographers due to the closure of his website, the last remaining substantive link to his work in this field. Brian had indicated prior to December 2016 that he'd left photography to move on to another career, but we left him in our links as he still had an active website at the time. Best of luck to Brian in his current endeavours!
• I've also deleted Joe's Bar & Grill in Rudyard from our listings of Sault Michigan-area concert venues, due to the deletion of it's Facebook (and only online) page at some point earlier this year. As it turns out, Joe's was bought by new owners, and after a period of renovations, it re-opened in June as Huck's Pub & Grill, with concerts booked so far appearing to lean towards country acts. Hopefully Huck's finds continued success, and we'll be sure to cover hard rock and/or metal shows if we hear that they're booked there!
• Former Bear Hunters guitarist & Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent has revived his solo project (again!) After over a year's hiatus for personal reasons, the Sault Ontario mainstay posted a new instrumental song on his Bandcamp page on Saturday named "Filters of Fire", and while the recording quality isn't perfect, the song isn't bad, and it has a good bite to it, with elements of groove metal with some doomier stretches! Give it a listen above as well, and Mike's back in our active band links!
• Ride For Sight Northern Ontario planning committee chairman Dave Ostrowski-Gallant and his wife Nicole have announced that they are stepping down from organizing the annual blindness motorcycle rally (and related concert), as per the event's Facebook page on Friday. Dave cited their personal lives getting busier and heading "down a different path of good change" for their reasons, but he thanked everyone for helping put on the rally for the past 6 years, and to message him on Facebook if you're interested in taking over as chairman next year. Good luck to Dave & Nicole in their next projects, and hopefully the rally continues on!
• Room 21 co-owner Billy Blackula is looking for artists to play weekends at the new nightclub above Low & Slow on Albert Street West, though he's specifically looking for trios and smaller (possibly due to space concerns or sound limitations.) Best known to our coverage from recent Tym Morrison shows, it'd be nice to see Room 21 expand further with a wide array of artists, but message Billy at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday if you're interested in playing there!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates as this week continues! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Solo Project, New Video Finds, And More Assorted News & Notes!!

As we continue our busy stretch of posts this week, here's another new post for your Friday morning, which includes some assorted recent updates, a pair of new video discoveries, and leading off, here's a new local solo project!

We have a new local solo artist to add to our active band links, and he is Mike McCleary, who you may see performing live TODAY at Sault College's reunion concert! Though I was unfamiliar with Mike until yesterday, he has a lot to talk about, so what should you know? First posting audio material onto his Soundcloud page in May, Mike launched his Facebook page last month, and has already hyped plans to release a solo EP and a music video for his song "The Working Poor", so how's that for a fast start? Actually, Mike's been a self-taught musician since he was 15, as noted in his extensive Facebook biography, where he indicated that he played in some bands while in high school, but he took a break from music for a while due to "the responsibilities of adult life" and starting his family, though he credits music for inspiring him during that time. With his wife's encouragement, Mike has restarted his music career, but how does Mike sound so far?

Inspired by everything from political punk bands to hard rock/metal acts, and even some roots and blues rock, Mike is a talented musician who seems adept at handling multiple genres, whether it's the hard rock bite of "Fire & Fury", the funkier "Weight of the Truth", or emotional ballad "Aylan", and many more (including some early covers), and while his singing voice fits more rock-based material better, I like where he's going! Mike says that he wants to write thought provoking songs that "evoke a response", and you get a sense of that lyrically in many originals. Solid work so far, so check out Mike McCleary at the above links!

Next up, here's one more archival That's Chester video that I came across on YouTube, courtesy of user Robin Joanisse's channel, as filmed when the inactive local classic/hard rock cover quintet took a road trip out to Hawk Junction (15 minutes east of Wawa) to play at the community's homecoming reunion event in August 2008! Robin was a co-organizer of the reunion, and also uploaded this video of a remembrance ceremony there that same month. In terms of That's Chester videos on YouTube, this will be extra notable as it may be the only one publically viewable one featuring then-singer Jim O'Leary, who also brought the other band he fronted at the time (Flat Stanley) to Hawk Junction for the festivities, as cited here. The video features That's Chester and a guest harmonica player covering Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" with some occasional lyric changes to suit the locale, and while it's a solid cover, loud cymbals can get in the road, and much of the song was cut from the final copy.

Also, you get a long stretch of Gabe Tessaro talking to the crowd before the song proper begins, but overall, this is some fun and light action from That's Chester Mark II's run in the late 2000s, and I wish that there were more videos of this lineup online! Jim was a good fit, as we later saw with Griphook, and he can adapt his voice to many genres well! Unfortunately, the video was uploaded with settings blocking it from being embedded on external websites, but definitely give it a look at the above links!

Also today, here's a new video of Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's rehearsals for their upcoming Christmas tour, this time courtesy of their YouTube channel on Tuesday! This exclusive video features guitarist Steve Giles rehearsing numerous familiar carols for the tour in quick cuts, like "The Little Drummer Boy", "Carol of the Bells", and "What Child Is This?", among others. Featuring pre-recorded tracking audio with recently added performers, this is a solid sample of what's to come, despite the vertical camera angle, and again, nothing too substantial is being given away pre-tour! Check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Theatre of Night!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last week or so, and as usual, these stories are in alphabetical order by artist, station, or event name:

• Sault Ontario doom metal trio AlgomA have unfortunately pulled out of their upcoming split release tour with Shit Liver due to "some unforeseen medical circumstances", as per the band's Facebook page yesterday. This may be related to the same medical occurrence that scuttled their Toronto show in April, but the band hasn't elaborated other than to say that "it's (not) in our best interest" to do the tour, but will be back "in no time." Shit Liver will still headline the tour in full and sell the "Trading Faces" tapes, and while there has been no direct confirmation or denial yet, we'll let you know if AlgomA can still play the local stop at The New A!
• Classic Rock: The Bear (which gets fringe reception here at WCHY 97.7 FM in Cheboygan) has officially dropped the syndicated Bob & Tom Show in favour of a new local morning drive show from former KLT hosts Steve “Omelette” Normandin & Rick Coates. Music & branding aside, this cuts the last tie to what aired on The Bear's 2002-2010 local affiliate in Newberry (WIHC 97.9 FM), with Bob & Tom having been a constant on The Bear's network since the late 1990s. It's great to see Omelette & Friends back on the radio, but hopefully Bob & Tom return to a regional FM dial elsewhere!
• Sault Ontario promoters Choose Maxx announced on their Facebook page yesterday that the annual Toystock fundraiser concert will return for it's sixth installment (and third at the Northern Grand Gardens) on Sunday, November 26th, and to private message them if you or your band are interested in playing! No word yet on who might be playing Toystock VI, but remember that this Christmas Cheer event features 10 (typically covers-centric) bands in 10 hours, and lineups largely don't stay the same year to year, with only Bone Yard and the inactive Lucky 13 playing Toystock three times to date. Stay tuned for updates as they come in!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the Sault Metal Scene in the near future! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (A Dire Setback), An Inactive Band Note, And New Videos!!

Here's a surprise second post for your Thursday evening, so what lies beyond with this one? A couple of new videos (actual new ones posted this week), and a note on a band that was recently moved to our inactive band links, but first, here's a unique SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW!

Local alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback, blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, and punk/hard rock solo musician Mike McCleary will join forces for a concert at Sault College's campus lounge Odeno TOMORROW in honour of Sault College's reunion fesitivies! Apologies for the short notice, A Dire Setback only announced their involvement via their Facebook page this afternoon, with a share of the post by Andrew Pucci noting the other acts, though Mike had plugged the show on his Facebook page last month. While not acknowledged as such by the two announced bands, this is a day-long event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ontario's college system, with students, alumni, and past & present faculty encouraged to come to the the Northern Avenue East college for special events, speeches, tours, an hors d'oeuvres social, an alumni vs. varsity basketball game, and yes, music, so visit the official Facebook event page for full non-musical details!

It's great to see everyone involved with sets TOMORROW, especially Electric Church after taking much of the summer off from gigs, and as for Mike McCleary... we'll have more on him in an upcoming post, so stay tuned, but he'll be worth seeing for sure! There are no cover charges or advertised age limits for TOMORROW'S reunion, which starts at 1:00 PM with bands beginning at 4:00 PM at Odeno (which replaced The Outback), though be mindful of the reunion aspect if you're not a prior student. See above for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!

Next up, I have reluctantly moved Sault Michigan metal trio Tantrym Tyme to our inactive band links. This is partially due to a year's public inactivity (last posting on their Facebook page with a video share in August 2016), but with their online updates always being somewhat sporadic, I was hesitant until learning that drummer Ethan Twardy currently lives out of state, which can't help their status. Active since 2010 under early names like Aux, Abstract, and Tantrum, the guys initially attracted attention as late-period graduates of the Guitar Studio rock camp, with members being around 11 years old when they first started making waves. Though gigs weren't always advertised well online, Tantrym Tyme played numerous concerts, community events, and fundraisers through last summer, and their development and improvement as musicians was always great to see as they got older! Hopefully the guys get back on stage down the road, but best of luck to Jacob, Mike, Ethan, and other former members in the future!

Also today, here's our first video look at new Sault Ontario based Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters! A side project from members of Cherry Crush (more on an upcoming benefit event for their singer in the coming days), The Soo Fighters are featured in this video shared by guitarist John Amendola to their Facebook page on Tuesday, where the band (sans guitarist Jeremey Salatuk) jam the Foos classic "All My Life". The softer verses are a little shaky, and Jules Cote's singing can be hard to hear, but this is a good preview that the guys can hopefully polish up in time for their debut at The Algonquin Pub for their first of two Halloween weekend parties, and give their first cover video a look below!



Finally for today, here's one more new video from local recording studio Mission Control Studios' Facebook page on Tuesday, and it's of Electric Church frontman Spencer Pine playing a guitar solo! Performed alongside presumed material from their forthcoming debut CD (recorded at Mission Control), this is a quality solo that will come as no surprise to diehard Electric Church fans, even while sitting down, so give it a look below as well!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & The Elements) And This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Now, let's dive into another weekend's worth of hard rock concert previews in a somewhat quiet stretch of concerts, but we do have some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

Local funk/ska/hard rock quartet The Elements will once again open for indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. for a show at LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was first announced on K.I.C.K.'s Facebook page one week ago, but we couldn't fit it into a post before it got too soon to cover here in full twice. Last seen together at The Canadian last month, this will be a makeup date of sorts for the two bands, who were slated to play together at LopLops three weeks ago, but a scheduling mix-up and the Keep It Cool Kids' commitments at the Northern Vibe Festival scuttled plans as originally announced. The Elements played on that weekend alongside touring headliners The Chicken-Like Birds, but if you wanted to see these bands together at this popular downtown venue, TOMORROW is your new chance! Remember, The Elements are riding high off of their Oh!No Festival set last week, while K.I.C.K. are still preparing for their debut album's release and will play songs from it in their headlining set.

A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ concert, which has a 9:00 PM start time TOMORROW. With some heavy ska-influenced originals and covers to compliment K.I.C.K.'s blues/indie sound, this should be another fun contrast of styles, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details, and here's The Elements live a few years back!



Next up, prolific local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison is slated to return to Gliss Steak & Seafood for matinee headlining concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, but he will also rock Room 21 above Low & Slow on Albert Street West with two more regular nighttime shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice regarding the Room 21 shows, they were only announced via their Facebook event page yesterday. Playing five shows across the two venues for the second straight week, Tym's Gliss shows remain a reliable presence at The Quality Inn's house restaurant, while his third weekend at Room 21 should be another fun opportunity to see his skilled acoustic hard rock covers at this new nightclub, especially now that their logo unveiling last week was a hit, so keep those newly announced gigs in mind for TOMORROW & SATURDAY!

As usual, Tym's regular weekly Gliss shows tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday are at 6:00 PM with no announced cover charges or age limits (but mind the location), while TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S Room 21 shows are 19+ events with no announced cover and 10:00 PM start times. Visit the official Facebook event pages linked here & here for more details, and here's Tym live!



Moving to entirely previously announced concerts, outgoing local alt-hard rock trio The Din are apparently opening for Lindsay, Ontario indie/pop rock quartet The Kents TONIGHT at Sault College's campus lounge Odeno! Before I get ahead of myself, just a disclaimer that the headliners have not acknowledged any local support publically, and The Din have not promoted the show since announcing their final concert calendar listing last week. If The Din confirm that they're not playing, we will edit this post! Perhaps an opportunity for frontman Mike Haggith (a recent aviation graduate at Sault College) to say goodbye and thank his alma mater before his likely move out of town, this will be a rare hard rock-featured show at The Outback's successor lounge, and assuming The Din are playing, consider a trip to Odeno tonight before it's too late! The Kents are bringing their adult alternative sound to Sault College late in their Eastern Canada tour, which features a number of college campus gigs, so if you're a regular WLSO listener, they'll be up your alley!

As promoted in Brian Kelly's Sault Star interview with Kents frontman Warren Frank last week, tickets for this 7:00 PM show are available online at this link, at the Sault College Students' Union office and Health & Wellness building for $10 each (the door price jumps to $15), and while the Sault Star article implies that non-students will not be allowed entry unless guests of a current student, that isn't stated in advertising elsewhere. Check the above links for more details on tonight's concert, and here's The Din live!



Finally for this weekend's currently announced hard rock concerts, we'll head to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return for solo headlining concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Continuing their regular recent run of shows at regional Kewadin branches, this will be Peril's first weekend in the E.U.P. since rocking St. Ignace last month, and their first in the Soo since June. This talented veteran group continue to be fan favourite sights at the two nearby Kewadin lounges, and this weekend's shows should be no different, so consider a trip to The Rapids Lounge for more hard hitting cover action tomorrow and/or Saturday night! As usual for Peril's northern trips, expect 9:00 PM start times both nights, these shows both have 21+ age limits, and there are no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates in the coming days! Thanks everyone!