Studio Updates From Two E.U.P. Bands, Plus Lots Of Assorted Updates!!

For the first time in 12 days, we have an actual multi-topic news post on the SMS! Blame the Ontario lockdown for that, but hopefully things will start to pick-up once the province starts re-opening next month. Fittingly, given the slowdown of Ontario topics this month, most of today's post reflects Sault Michigan and area, but there are a few shorter Canadian topics sprinkled in the back half. We will have more of an Ontario focus in our last post of the month, tentatively scheduled for Sunday. Here's what you should know!

We'll start today with the latest updates from St. Ignace progressive metal quintet Heavy Lies The Crown, so what have they been up to in the past month? After an almost two week break from new Facebook page postings, the band posted a (sideways) photo of their studio on May 21st, which is captioned "Finish vocals." That appears to have been their current/future plan re: their new full-length album, and an emoji-laden post the next day implied that they had completed recording clean vocals, with screaming next in line. That night, H.L.T.C. posted this 22 minute video of Brandon & Nathan (I think) working at the computer on tracking the recordings. This is also sideways, alas, but it is an interesting fly-on-the-wall look at their studio recording process! It definitely sounds like Heavy Lies The Crown are deep in the process, but see for yourself above & below, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, local blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 have unveiled another new studio track from their planned debut EP! As teased to premiere today at noon via this preview video on Wednesday, this is a studio version of their original song "The Comeback", which has been in their live setlist since at least August 2019 (click here to see 906 perform it then). The black and white video features all four band members performing their parts separately, and this notably features new drummer Gary Croad on camera for the first time, though I'm surprised he's only filmed from behind. Without reviewing the song in full yet (save that for our review of the EP, assuming it comes out), this is a relatively long and bluesy number, so fans of that side of Project 906 will be right on board! Unfortunately, external embedding of this video is blocked, but click here or above to give it a watch, and hopefully we hear more from Project 906 soon!

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

 

• In their first Facebook page posting in over a year, Allstar Promotions revealed on May 17th that they are "working on booking shows for the fall/winter time" (presumably back at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino), and they hope that, once the border is re-opened, "it will open the doors to rock/country shows in our area", as half of their ticket sales come from Canadians. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for vaccinations and the re-opening this summer on both of the Twin Saults! No word on if Allstar's newly posted photos of Pop Evil & Steel Panther are hints for future shows or not.
• A Sault Ontario-based vocalist named Corey Derry is looking to jam with like-minded musicians, preferably on rock, blues, or (non-hair/death) metal music. In deference to the lockdown, he did ask for people to "send me something to work on until restrictions are lifted". I'm not familiar with Corey musically, but if you want to get more details, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!
  
• New local hard rock sextet Dealing Without have quietly added Jamie Labreche as their new drummer, replacing Larry Mousseau, as per updates to their Facebook page in the past two months. A reason for Larry's departure was not publically announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened! Jamie is a long-time bandmate of bassist James White's from Blind River's The Disciples of Rock & the local Rage Against The Machine tribute Stoned To Deaf. He should fit in fine with Dealing Without that way, and stay tuned for more from this promising new band when it goes public!
• This is old news now, but Sault Michigan FM radio station Rock 101 got a new website last year with a new layout, extra programming information, and a new web player that actually tells you what songs are currently playing & are up next, complete with artist trivia and news! From my experience, the end of some songs & DJ breaks can stop the player, but pausing & unpausing does resume playback. If you want to tune into 101.3 FM without a normal radio, keep the internet stream in mind!
  
• Sault Ontario hard rock solo project Stonesmith GC (formerly StrykerGC) are back! On Monday, in their first post about their actual music in 7 years, Troy noted that "we are cutting a new album", and now have a full studio to work in. Very surprising news, but hopefully their relaunch is productive, and Stonesmith GC are back in our active band links! Coincidentally, I had randomly picked them for next month's Defunct Local Band Profile earlier this month, but as they are active again, I'll slide the profile to an alphabetically adjacent act, namely the Soo's own crash band, Sykotyk Rampage! Look for that profile on or around June 10th!
  
• Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished have posted Facebook event pages for concerts they're playing this weekend in Southwest Michigan, specifically in Grand Rapids and Vandalia, so click here for details on both shows, despite the minimal notice. Good luck on the road trip! For what it's worth, their newest Facebook photo is hashtagged with "threepiece", implying that they're not adding someone to replace Donald, but who's playing bass & drums now? We'll let you know if we hear anything!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post either on Sunday or early Monday morning! Thanks everyone!