Defunct Local Band Profiles: Denaturant & Driving Dave Home

News has been oddly slow as of late (pandemic acknowledged), so let's remedy that by posting this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles a day early! This ongoing monthly feature series looks at one or two defunct or inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, in order to spotlight their run and accomplishments for current readers, and as always, bands are randomly selected. We have two bands this month due to the first random selection having minimal surviving information, so a second band in a similar state was added to fill things out, and we have both sides of the border represented as a result. With all of that said, here's what you should know!
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Denaturant

Genre: Metal/Hard Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members:

Justin Smith (Hammerspace), all instruments

Audio/Video: Denaturant's only publically posted media during their run was a Facebook video of a brief original sample from the fall of 2011, though it was taken down when their Facebook page was deleted. The project was planned to play only original material with "the raw energy and skill that it deserves", and may have bore similarities to Justin's 2009-2012 local metal band Hammerspace, who do have surviving material online.

Info/Analysis: Quietly launched by July 2011, Denaturant appeared to have been Justin's primary music project during Hammerspace's waning months, and were at one time looking for band members to complete a full lineup to "take a specific journey through music", though nothing publically followed before their Facebook page was taken down by late 2012. As I recall, Denaturant's lone Facebook video had some promise, and Justin is a good guitarist, so hopefully we'll hear new music from him in some form!
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Driving Dave Home

Genre: Hard Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members:

John Barber (Parabol, Redefined), vocals
Matt Sibilo (Fort Creek, Redefined, Delay), guitar
Ron Baxter (Sense of Truth, Skeyes of Seven), guitar
David Grawbarger (100 Gran, Renegades), bass
Steve Brogno (The Red Rails, Down In Ashes), drums

Audio/Video: Despite this band's pedigree, no public videos are known to survive from their active run. A few 2008 videos are floating around personal Facebook accounts from shows at Foggy Notions and at Smokey's Patio, but the audio quality is admittedly rough (note that one of the Smokey's videos is of an original song). To hear music similar to Driving Dave Home's output, I recommend checking out John & Matt's prior band Redefined (who do have a CD), as well as John's newer bands like Late Shift, plus Ron's later groups.

Info/Analysis: Debuting in 2007, Driving Dave Home left a solid impression on fans while they lasted, including at the 2007 Hempfest, many Foggy Notions gigs (like their original March 2008 farewell concert), and opening for Sense of Truth's Skid Row make-up show at The Canadian Nightclub show that June. Driving Dave Home quietly disbanded by the end of 2008, though members have all been seen in live bands since, including Steve's high profile output since moving to Ottawa. In spite of the audio quality on surviving videos, D.D.H. had an energetic modern hard rock sound with clear talent across the board, and a seemingly good local following, and it's a shame that they didn't last longer than they did!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! This series will return on or around August 10th for another randomly selected profile, and staying in Sault Ontario, we drew a big one for next time, as we'll be looking at inactive hardcore quintet As It Stands! Watch for that next month, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!