Friday, January 18, 2019

Our Poll On Your Favourite New Local Metal, Hard Rock, And Punk Bands Of 2018!!

With 2018 now in the rear view mirror, let's try our year-end polls on the site again! Vote totals last year weren't very high at all, but we'll see if things turn around this time out. As usual, we are starting by posing this question:  What was your favourite new local metal, hard rock, or punk band of 2018? Last year was a lean one for debuting bands on the heavier spectrum, but enough launched, especially in the latter half of the year, to warrant this poll returning. To be included in the poll, the band must have publically launched AND played live in the 2018 calendar year, hence why Fluid 5ive (who launched way back in 2016) and Awokest (who dropped out of their sole advertised show last year) missed the cut. It's also worth noting that I can't confirm the genre range of new (and online page-less) Sault Michigan trio Roadhouse, so I opted not to include them. Of course, if we missed your preferred choice, "Other" is back too!

Lastly, in the poll form proper (on the right of the page), I specified which bands were tribute bands, just as a means of helping readers recall who they were, as upon their debut, only one of them had a publically acknowledged name on social media. Now, here are your choices in alphabetical order!

Coral Fang: Debuting at night #1 of last October's Halloween Party at The Rockstar Bar, Coral Fang are the Distillers tribute band from Jack Spades/Stegadeth bandmates Tiffany Stocco & Johnny Belanger, alongside A Dire Setback's Chris Nielsen and Destroilet's Adam Larocque. The band received positive notices at this show and at their LopLops gig with The Cover-Up last month, but would you agree that they're your favourite new local band of last year?

Parabol: Though they remained unnamed until this month, many fans felt that Parabol stole the show in their live debut at night #2 of the aforementioned Halloween Party with their authentic and proficient tribute to prog-metal legends Tool. Featuring ex-Late Shift bandmates John Barber & Anthony Gagnon alongside Odd Man Out's Steve Myers and Skeyes of Seven's Al Fletcher, this band has the skill level to go far, but did you like them more than the other options here?

Poison Girl: Tiffany & Johnny were very busy on October 26th, as they launched two new cover bands that night, including the HIM tribute Poison Girl alongside Stegadeth bandmate Bill Bennett and Machines Dream keyboardist Brian Holmes. Individual local covers of the Finnish gothic rock standouts are rare enough, so Ville Valo fans certainly ate up Poison Girl's debut last fall, and while more shows haven't yet followed, did you see enough then to vote for them in this poll?

Re:Born: The only poll option that is not a tribute band, Re:Born are the new power rock band from Project 421's Blair Burch & Frank McGillivray, Eclipse's Fred Dunn, and The Din's Brandan Glew, with the now departed Robert Nevitt singing at all three of their 2018 gigs. Sets opening for Archelon & All The Wasted Years gave them strong exposure, and while their 2019 debut with new singer Elly McWatters is up in the air, did their initial shows earn them your vote over the tribute band trio?

Other: Did we miss your preferred new band of last year? Should we have included Fluid 5ive their pre-2018 launch? Did a band that never played live in 2018 impress you more, like Awokest, Hubbard, or Tattoos & Scars? Are Roadhouse a heavier rock band? Maybe you preferred a new band that isn't hard rock or punk based, or even one that's not local? If, for whatever reason, we didn't include the band you want to vote for, pick "Other"!

VOTE TODAY!! You have until February 18th to cast your votes, and it'll be interesting to see which band comes out on top after a quieter than usual year for local metal and punk band debuts. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes this weekend! Thanks everyone!

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