The Din - "Give In To The Din: Deluxe Edition" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 148th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, but in a sense, it's part 2 of our 86th, as we're taking a look at defunct local power pop/hard rock trio The Din's "deluxe edition" of their 2016 debut studio album "Give In To The Din"! Originally released as a 9 song independent LP on August 12th of that year, The Din announced on it's five year anniversary that they'd be posthumously reissuing it through frontman Mike Haggith's own MorningStar Studios imprint with an equal number of bonus tracks, and the deluxe edition came out on October 23rd. The old and "new" tracks were largely recorded locally at Pretoria Hill Productions with producer Daniel Schmidt (save for "Alleyways & Apartments" at Mission Control Studios with Dustin Jones), and all feature the band's classic lineup, including Mike on vocals, bass, and keyboard alongside former Steeletown Girls guitarist Tammy Hill & current Re:Born drummer Brandan Glew.

The expanded reissue is available on most major streaming or mp3 download platforms accessible at this Distrokid link. Notably, mp3 copies will run you $10 on Bandcamp (song names linked below come from there) or $7.99 on Amazon, and you can order physical CD copies at this link for $10, with the nine bonus tracks included on the album's second disc. Now, as I have already reviewed "Give In To The Din" on the SMS when it first came out, I will not be re-reviewing it here, but I will lead off by recapping my general thoughts, and I will compare these new alternate versions to the original/final copies when necessary. To read my original review, click here.

In that review, I praised the album for The Din's chemistry & talent, the catchy and up-tempo sound that adapted well to different moods, and the solid production quality, with songs like "Flux", "75", and "Potato (Should've Known Better)" among my favourites in their selection. On the flipside, I did find the somewhat constant dinging effect on the cymbals to be overdone, the emptiness of the drawn out "A Drive Through The Peninsula" wasn't to my taste, and I did acknowledge at the time that this album felt a little short, as The Din had more originals/holdovers from Mike's solo career that they played live but didn't include on the album proper, which only had 5 songs that originated with The Din. Still, as a debut indie release, this was a solid first effort that showed what The Din were all about from the get-go!

The opening song on disc #2 is one of two brand new tracks for the deluxe edition, namely a studio demo of their previously unreleased song "Differences", which was played at this album's initial CD release party, the live cut of which will be released on The Din's upcoming "Technically Live" album. A mid-tempo rocker that makes good use of Mike's melodic yet deep vocal range, it strikes me as a simpler song than some that did make the cut in 2016, which may be why they left it off at the time despite the album's short length. There is a nice extended solo in the bridge, but it feels tacked on and doesn't flow with the song as well as others did from the original release. Despite being labelled as a demo, the recording quality isn't bad, it just sounds more like they were recorded off the floor during a jam session.

"Differences" isn't a bad song, and will deliver for fans who like seeing The Din's heavier side, but it's not the instrumental showcase that some other tracks proved to be. Next is the first of two newly released versions of "Flux", starting with an "alternate version", so what's different from the original? This is basically the same song, but slightly slower and less enthusiastic, and the recording just feels emptier than the final version. "Flux" is one of my favourite Din songs, but aside from maybe crisper quality on Brandan's drum solo, there's nothing here that wasn't improved on for the album proper. That's followed by a demo of "Remember", which was more of a campfire ballad if with more production value, but this demo is more stripped down, intimate, and a little faster, which actually suits it pretty well! Production's obviously not as good, but I do prefer this demo take overall!

The next five songs are early mixes for songs from the original album, including "first mixes" of "Potato (Should've Known Better)" & "In Search of The Perfect Moment", plus "instrumental mixes" of "75", "Flux", and "Potato" again. Instrumentally, these early takes are identical as the final copies, and the differences come from the mixing process & vocals (or lack thereof). Comparing back to back, the obvious tell is that the preliminary mixes are quieter and less dynamic, but Mike's singing does come through flatter on the first two songs, and backing vocals on "Potato" are completely gone. The instrumental versions are interesting, but once you're so used to hearing these songs with vocals, they do feel somewhat empty. This doesn't affect the album, but I feel like The Din missed the boat by not posting lyrics for the instrumental mixes, thusly allowing fans to have Din karaoke!

The deluxe edition of "Give In To The Din" closes with it's second & final new "song", namely a 98 second spoken word track named "Our Place In Tbe Scene". In it, Mike amusingly compares The Din to the creepy relative no one talks about in the "family" of the local music scene, with Mike even name-dropping other (mostly) contemporary bands at a hypothetical gathering. Tammy is present, mainly reacting to Mike's comparisons, but Brandan wasn't in on this one. Amusing listen, even if Mike heavily undersells The Din, and it's a fun bonus to end the deluxe edition with!

So, what are my final thoughts on the second disc/bonus tracks for "Give In To The Din"? I think these are a neat bonus for long-time fans, but unless it's comparable or easier to buy this over the original, I don't think you have to go out of your way for the extras. It's great to hear a studio version of "Differences" finally, "Our Place In The Scene" is funny, and I do prefer the "Remember" demo as a piece of music to the final version, but the "Flux" demo is easily inferior, and the preliminary mixes are likely more of interest to diehard fans who want to catalog the progress of individual songs. It's hard to say what else (if anything) is left from the 2016 recording sessions that could theoretically have made the cut here, so I won't speculate, but opening the vaults like this is something I wish more local bands would do! I wonder if we'll see The Din do something similar for "Suburban Dream" in the future?

If you haven't bought "Give In To The Din" yet, or haven't heard it in a while, this would be more than enough reason to catch yourself up, and you can stream or download it at the above links! I think casual fans will be just fine with the original 9 songs/disc #1 though. I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what are we looking at on the site in November 2021? I'm not 100% sure yet, but here's what I can say. Our 6 month buffer period to avoid showing a bias or preferential treatment towards specific acts is still in effect, which means I can't look at Molten Imp's new digital single until 2022, while The Din's upcoming "Technically Live" (release date not yet known) will not be hitting the site until April at the earliest. The Inner City Surfers and (if they suddenly released something new) Slumshine or Late & Loud are also out next month no matter what.

The elephant in the room is arguably Mike Haggith's upcoming solo album "Bridges", which is supposed to come out before the end of the year, and as his solo project is distinct from The Din, it can be reviewed upon release, but could it be next month? Time will tell, but stay tuned for the identity of our next album review in any event, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone, and have a Happy Halloween!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Uncanny Valley) & Halloween Weekend Concert Previews!!

I promised a busy week to end October with, and I'm delivering, with this being our fifth post in as many days, and I hope to make it 6 tomorrow with this month's CD review! Before then, it's the Halloween weekend, and with concerts more amenable to happen at this stage of the pandemic, we have a decent amount of hard rock shows across both sides of the border to check out, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT! Barring anything else on late notice, here's what you should know!

Young local classic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley will make their Soo Blaster debut TOMORROW NIGHT when they play a special Halloween themed headlining concert there! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show via their Facebook event page this past Friday. TOMORROW's concert will be The Uncanny Valley's third of 2021 and with their current lineup, and will give this rising group a chance to unleash their growing arsenal of original material on a spooky audience. It may be a tough task for them to sell out a venue the size of Soo Blaster, but this is a prime downtown locale for The Uncanny Valley to do their thing at, so consider coming out TOMORROW! Advertising does not confirm if there will be a costume contest of any kind or not, but you should definitely wear one if you attend, as if you're paying at the door, you will save $5 by coming in a costume!

Tickets are $15 in advance or for costumed attendees, $20 at the door if you aren't dressed up, and while this may seem steep to just see one band, remember that holiday frills are a given, and regardless, this is a larger venue with pandemic measures in place. Otherwise, this is a 19+ concert with a 10:00 PM start time, and contact/head down to Soo Blaster for advance tickets. And of course, vaccine passports are mandatory to attend this concert, and please use common sense & wear face masks where mandated to keep everyone safe. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Uncanny Valley live earlier this year!

Next up, let's head to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula for some previously announced Halloween weekend concerts, and we'll start at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, where Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will play their only E.U.P. dates of the year TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While we have seen their sister band Scarkazm north of the Mack since, this will be Peril's first E.U.P. concert weekend since February 2020 for obvious pandemic-related reasons. Scarkazm are more frequently seen nowadays, but Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' brand of old school hard rock and metal classics are sure to bring in a solid crowd this weekend, so don't miss out on Peril this weekend, especially as they won't be back until next year! No special Halloween frills are in the band's advertising, but expect 9:00 PM start times, no cover charge, and a 21+ age limit, as is standard for Peril and Scarkazm's Kewadin bookings.

And as recently usual, please respect & follow any public health guidelines in place at the casino and/or lounge to ensure that everyone comes and goes safe & healthy. It's great to see Peril back in our neck of the woods after way too long away, and with or without costumes, hopefully tomorrow & Saturday night's concerts go off without a hitch! Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Peril live!

Further north but still in the States, fans can head to Sugar Island THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, where revived Sault Ste. Marie hard rock quartet 415E will return to The Hilltop Bar for a Halloween weekend concert of their own! Like Peril, we haven't seen 415E in concert locally since February 2020 (at the same venue in this case), and while guitarist Chris Hubbard and bassist Brett Blackwood did resurface with the debuting Rhythm & Brews a few months back, that band hasn't been heard from online since, with 415E resuming public activity afterwards. In any event, it's great to see 415E back after a lengthy break, and hopefully Dave, Chris, Brett, and Jason deliver a solid night of hard rocking covers for fans in Sugar Island on Devil's Night! This is unequivocally The Hilltop Bar's Halloween party, so costumes are encouraged, with a contest planned as well as drink specials & appetizers for the occasion.

This 19+ event has no announced cover charge (bring cash just in case), and while a start time of 7:00 PM is advertised with the costume contest winners being announced at 9:00 PM, I can't say for certain whether 415E proper will be playing that early or if they'll be after the winners are announced. Regardless, please respect and follow any and all social distancing and public health guidelines at The Hilltop Bar to ensure that every *one has a safe time on Saturday. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's 415E live in the 2010s!

Finally, let's head back to Sault Ontario for arguably the biggest hard rock-featured Halloween show of the weekend, if only because this one has two bands, namely new local pop rock cover quintet Lockdown and their sister band, Foo Fighters tribute quartet The Soo Fighters, who will hit The Rockstar Bar for their Halloween party on SATURDAY NIGHT! Both bands were last seen at The Northern Vibe Festival in August, which was the first show period for Lockdown and the debut of The Soo Fighters' new lineup, but that was in Ophir, so this will be the first time in Sault city limits on both fronts. Lockdown aren't a hard rock band, if videos from August are anything to go by, but 3 band members are in The Soo Fighters (and Nicole did some guest backing vocals for them too), so there's a lot of talented DNA between the two bands, and come early to get your hard rock fill via The Soos (hard to believe this is just their fifth show!)

Note that this is not J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween party, which was last held in 2019 due to the pandemic & his out of town work commitments, but given the locale and The Soo Fighters' involvement, this is the closest you're going to get to it this weekend! Expect a costume contest & the usual Halloween frills, with The Soo Fighters kicking things off at 10:00 PM. No cover charge is announced for this 19+ concert, but bring cash just in case, and vaccine passports are mandatory to attend, so use common sense once you enter! Solid music will abound at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night, so visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Soo Fighters live!

That's all for today, but barring some very late notice show announcements, stay tuned for this month's CD review next! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Episode #13 Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

For our fourth post in as many days, let's try and get back on track for our recaps of episodes of Metal Morpheus, the weekly genre-centric radio show on local internet station The Borderline! We'll next look at episode #13 from September 26th, which was the second in a three episode run to focus on guitar mastery over sub-genres, this time for bands/songs with amazing guitar solos. Like last week, the episode started with a severely abbreviated intro & runs for well over an hour (almost 68 minutes), with host Josh Amendola kicking things off by looking at hard rock pioneers Deep Purple and founding guitarist Richie Blackmore with their Coverdale-era classic "Burn" (0:45). Next, Josh looks at one of their contemporaries, German legends The Scorpions and then-guitarist Uli John Roth via their early classic "The Sails of Charon" (7:55). The episode gets heavier next with Ozzy Osbourne and his original solo guitarist, the late Randy Rhoads.

From the Prince of Darkness, Josh plays his "Blizzard of Ozz" deep cut "Revelation (Mother Earth)" (12:35), and it's clear that Josh is a big fan of Randy's in the intro & outro! Listeners will next get Van Halen and late guitar icon/namesake Eddie Van Halen, from whom Josh plays their Roth-era cover of "Ice Cream Man" (20:55). NWOBHM legends Judas Priest follow with their speed metal classic "Painkiller" (25:50), featuring acclaimed dual solos from both K.K. Downing & Glenn Tipton, though neither gets mentioned by name, oddly. The second half of the episode leads off with the late great Dimebag Darrell courtesy of Pantera's classic "The Sleep" (32:50), followed by one of the big four of thrash, namely Megadeth, whose on-air song is "Tornado of Souls" (39:55) featuring the dueling guitar of Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman.

This episode's local content is next, courtesy of early 1990s glam metal quintet Amethyst with their song "Presence of Mind" (45:55) from their second & final album, 1994's "Innocent As Hell", featuring some solid lead guitar work by Jose "Wales" Temporao. That's followed by Black Label Society and their frontman/guitar god Zakk Wylde with their song "Stoned & Drunk" (51:25), while Josh begins to enter the home stretch by going more recent, including Finnish power/death metal band Children of Bodom and their late lamented singer/guitarist Alexi Laiho, whose song played on-air was "Follow The Reaper" (57:15). The last song of episode #13 is also via it's only instrumental act, namely progressive metal prodigies Animals As Leaders with guitarist Tosin Abasi, whose track here is "Song of Solomon" (1:02:25).

Another solid episode of Metal Morpheus with lots of entertaining metal & hard rock tracks to go around, and I think Josh did a good job picking out songs with quality guitar solos to showcase, with more consistent background info to boot! Sure, which solos are the "most" amazing will be very subjective, and you could easily go on & on taking songs/bands out and adding new/overlooked ones in, but different strokes for different folks. Josh's on-air hosting abilities and banter have definitely found a good animated groove, and genre/solo fans should find a lot to like in this episode, which you can hear at this link or above! Yes, we will be getting to more episodes soon, including the final of Metal Morpheus' three week guitar-centric trilogy next, but Josh does return to metal sub-genres for a couple weeks afterward, plus an intriguing themed episode from this past Sunday, all hitting the SMS in due course.

Tune in live to episode #18 on Sunday night at 9:00 PM on The Borderline, and all past episodes of the show are available to stream on demand via the station's website. That's all for today, but stay tuned for Halloween weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: 1968vanderploeg's Channel & Electric Church

Here is this month's YouTube Channel Profile as we're continuing our monthly spotlight of 1-3 randomly selected YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk concerts, and this time, I have drawn two channels due to the first randomly selected channel only having two distinct kinds of videos and five total, with a second channel only having one video period being added to fill things out. These reflect two talented local bands from almost a decade apart, and there's a lot of good stuff to see despite the low video counts, so here's what you should know!

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1968vanderploeg's Channel (http://youtube.com/1968vanderploeg)

Owner: Former Browbeat frontman Randy "Dutch" Vanderploeg, also known from his stints as a bassist with Caveman Morrison and a guitarist with Nikkfitt, and more recently as a vlogger with the YouTube channel Randy's Rides

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 12th, 2012; Videos uploaded that day and on May 15th of that year

Channel Summary: A personal use channel, Dutch only ended up posting five videos here, all posthumous uploads of original songs by his local hard rock band Browbeat, who had disbanded in April 2011.
 
Why You Should Watch: Given the propensity for Dutch to take down band accounts after Browbeat's lineup & name changes (and ultimately, their dissolution), this is the most official extant source to check out Browbeat's original repertoire, and consider doing so, as they were an entertaining hard rock band who deserved more attention in their heyday! However, none of Dutch's work with Nikkfitt or other projects made this channel, let alone with their more familiar earlier lineups. If you want to see live concert videos of Browbeat (also known as Social Play for one gig), then our YouTube channel has some early 2010s examples.

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Skeletons.: Four of Dutch's videos are of a circa early 2011 jam session for Browbeat's final lineup, with him on vocals & guitar alongside current Dealing Without bassist James White and Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger (both were also bandmates in Caveman Morrison's last lineup and in the original version of Handsome Sandwich). The four videos are of Browbeat playing their original songs "Movin' On",  "Days Gone By", their signature song "The Sound You Need", and in their most popular video, "Skeletons". Dutch even briefly explains the songs' meanings in the descriptions of each video! "Skeletons proper is a fun song with great bass work, and all of these songs have potential that I wish was realized on an album, especially as Dutch's singing is sort of buried in the mix throughout.

 

 

Brighter Day: The last video on the channel (and only one that is just an audio recording) is for Browbeat's song "Brighter Day", as set to a photo of this lineup live at the former Roosevelt Hotel. While the song proper is slower and more melodic, it may be the optimal way to actually hear the band, as Dutch's vocals are perfectly audible! I like them heavier, but it's nice to hear this in such good quality, and hopefully Dutch is doing well nowadays!

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Electric Church (http://youtube.com/channel/UCynMgYZTnjE35rj0_7w9UnA)

Owner: A member of 2016-2018 local blues/hard rock trio Electric Church, exact identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 31st, 2018; Only video posted that  day

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for Electric Church, just a single video was posted there before the band fell inactive by mid-2018, namely of them playing their original song "Muddy Water" at Odeno at Sault College in September 2017 during the college's reunion festivities. Featuring singer/guitarist Spencer Pine, bassist Elijah Nielsen, and since-relocated drummer Beau Whitfield, this video is well framed and showcases their solid genre base & talent levels nicely, and it's a shame that Electric Church didn't last longer in some form! More live concert videos from their run are extant online, including this 25 minute video from Shaw TV.

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around November 26th when we look at just one randomly selected channel, but it's a doozy, as I have drawn YouTube user greetingsbychris' channel, featuring over 700 videos, primarily of major local concert fgootage! Watch for this next month, and stay tuned for much more on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Mike Haggith's Newest Live-Streamed Concert!!

Continuing our busy final week of October 2021, let's focus in on prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith's long awaited first live-streamed concert in over a year! Taking place live at 7:00 PM last night on Mike's Facebook page, this follows his fourteen #LockdownLive shows from March-August 2020 (plus the occasional live post-show), which primarily occurred weekly during the first pandemic lockdown, but Mike is planning to do his relaunched live-stream series on a monthly basis. In fact, Mike has already scheduled his next live-stream for Saturday, November 13th at 7:30 PM EST, complete with his old bandmate (and comment section all-star) Brandan Glew joining in to discuss The Din's run and recent posthumous activity, so keep that in mind! As for yesterday's live-stream, it runs for 85 minutes, but trust me, Mike has went longer!

Mike starts by acknowledging how much fun the #LockdownLive shows were, and while he didn't 100% explain why he stopped doing live-streams for a year, he did acknowledge that this was kind of a pilot for the relaunch, and to show he's serious, he has a new microphone and a new 12 string guitar! For convenience, I'll timestamp the rough start times for performed songs, a'la my Metal Morpheus recaps, and yes, I will be doing more of those this week! His first performed song is a cover of The Killers' "When You Were Young" (3:10), which Mike follows by outlining how he got this guitar, and then he plays "Over Indecision" (8:35) from his upcoming studio album "Bridges". Next, Mike plugs the Facebook contest he held to give away a pre-release test pressing of "Bridges" on vinyl, with the winner to be announced later in the broadcast, though he warned us that it wouldn't sound as optimal as the final copies.

He also shows off the vinyl sleeve and record proper, so we know what to expect if you order that rather than a CD! Mike did address the very delayed release for the album, primarily chalking it up to the slow mixing process and getting it sounding perfect, and he plans to release it near the end of 2021, though updates are forthcoming. We next get two more performances of songs from "Bridges", including "The Nature Of The Times" (19:20) and "An Act Of Strength" (25:50), though during the bridge of the former, he plugs the share contest for this week, with the viewer who gets the most engaged Facebook share of the live-stream getting the right to pick a cover song that he has to play next week. After plugging his daily "Morning Jam" posts on Facebook, Mike asks for suggestions of artists to spotlight there, and promotes his still-to-debut album review series on his YouTube channel.

Next up, Mike plays "MorningStar" (34:30) from his newest album "If Ever Comes The Day", before discussing his guitar capos. The second half of the live-stream kicks off with the debut of a brand new original song named "Twist of Fate" (41:55), albeit slowed down from the planned electric studio version, and true to recent form, the song is very personal lyrically. He follows that with another new song "To Be With You" (52:50), which has aired on The Borderline Radio and previously been seen in performance videos, but is not posted online otherwise. After teasing his first planned album reviews for his soon-to-launch YouTube series in November, Mike covers "Alice" (59:15) by the New Jersey indie act Project Atlantic, as this song is on "Ghost Stories", an album Mike is planning to do a video review of. Passing the one hour mark, Mike draws for the winner of the "Bridges" test vinyl next...

...before playing one more brand new song entitled "I've Seen It Before" (1:06:25). Next, Mike shows off a CD copy of "Bridges" and hypes up the physical and audio quality, before playing one last song from that album, namely "Come On Home" (1:15:05). The live-stream closes with Mike discussing plans for the next episode and the idea of having regular guest musicians, with Jeremy Hannah planned for a future installment, while the winner of the share contest will likely be announced in a Facebook post as opposed to a post-show video. Entertaining live-stream overall, and a nice return to a highlight of last spring's lockdown, though some of the looser, more free-wheeling sensibilities weren't as prevalent, with less of an amusing array of viewer comments.

With Glew coming on as a guest next month, that should help, but with lots of album news and new songs, don't miss this live-stream at the above links, and stay tuned for the next one in just under three weeks! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next!

A New Local Album Re-Release, Plus More Buckcherry Videos!!

Things have been quiet lately, but the SMS will be busier in the home-stretch of October 2021, and that starts with a new news post on this Sunday morning, including more new videos from a recent notable concert and leading off, a new album re-release, so here's what you should know!

As promised, defunct local power pop/hard rock trio The Din released the "deluxe edition" of their 2017 debut album "Give In To The Din" on multiple digital platforms yesterday, so what should you know about that? Early promotion for the re-release indicated that there would be 18 tracks, double the amount on the album in it's original form, and whether you expected this would comprise of an alternate version of each song or completely unreleased material, you'll be partially right on both fronts. Two of the nine songs are new in studio form, namely a demo version of the previously unreleased original "Differences" and a 98 second spoken word track named "Our Place In The Scene". The rest are pre-release variants of songs that did make the cut for the album, including an alternate version & instrumental mix of "Flux", first and instrumental mixes of "Potato (Should've Known Better)", a demo version of "Remember", ...

...a first mix of "In Search Of The Perfect Moment", and an instrumental mix of "75". You can stream all 18 songs, new & old, on Spotify and Bandcamp, while the album will run you $7.99 on Amazon or $10 on Bandcamp in mp3 format. Full links for it's streaming/download locations can be found on The Din's Distrokid page. I won't comment on the deluxe edition yet, as this will very likely be reviewed on the SMS this week, but give the whole album a listen/purchase above, and stay tuned for news on when The Din's teased live album "Technically Live" will come out, let alone frontman Mike Haggith's first live-streamed solo concert in over a year tonight on his Facebook page!

Next up, here's the rest of prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci's videos from Tuesday night's Buckcherry concert at Soo Blaster! Chris started uploading these on Wednesday night, well after his first Bad Chug video was uploaded that morning, but too late for me to include in our last news post on Thursday, which was auto-posted at midnight and completed the previous day. Starting with the headliners, Chris filmed five videos of the Anaheim hard rock quintet playing their set-opener "54321", "Hellbound", "Rain's Falling", "Sorry", and as embedded below, the end of their cover of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69", followed by their own song "Crazy Bitch", which was extended to over 10 minutes via frontman Josh Todd introducing the band, bantering with the crowd, and covering a bit of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary" before the final chorus. This is all fairly common for this song live, FYI.

While I personally am not a Buckcherry fan, it's great to see them finally make up their May (and November) 2020 date here and tour Canada successfully without any visible illnesses throwing a spanner in the works! I'd have liked to have seen more masks on fans, especially given how packed the floor was for Buckcherry's set, but remember, vaccine passports were mandatory to enter Soo Blaster for this one. Audio has it's scratchier moments, but Chris had a good angle of Buckcherry, and they were on form compared to their Kewadin gigs from the 2010s, so check out all of their videos from Tuesday night above and below!

Chris also filmed three videos of opening local punk trio Redundant's first public concert set in over two years, including of them covering Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", and an abbreviated 1:40 version of The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop", but embedded below is them playing their own original "What Will You Do". Nice to see Justin, Andrew, and Rick back on stage after far too long, and they seem happy and in their element on these strongly done tracks, though note that Chris was on the opposite side of the stage for their set. Give these a look above & below as well!

Finally, Chris had one more video of local/Ottawa hard rock quartet Bad Chug to upload that didn't go up at the same time as his prior song of theirs, so here it is! Also featuring Aaron on lead vocals, it's a slower number (but still heavy) compared to their first upload from Tuesday night, and appeared to feature Jacob using a talk box for backing vocals, which you don't see here too often! Like before, I couldn't make out enough words to tell if this was an original or a cover. Chris' vantage point of the stage was better here, so Aaron is much easier to make out, but this is at the expense of Kyle, who was at least very active! Give Bad Chug's second video a look below, and hopefully we hear more from them soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our recap of the aforementioned Mike Haggith's revived live-stream concerts tomorrow, but remember that you can tune in tonight at 7:00 PM EST on his Facebook page to watch it live first if you are so inclined! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (415E), Buckcherry Concert Videos, And More!!

We're back with a new news post on the SMS on this Thursday morning, and it includes one more teaser for a concert tonight at a technically private venue (organizers want fans to come though, and this may be the push you need!), plus the first public videos from a recent major concert, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this month! Here's what you should know!

Revived Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will return to The Hilltop Bar in nearby Sugar Island for a Devil's Night concert on Saturday, October 30th! This will be 415E's first publically advertised concert since playing at the same venue in February 2020, with guitarist Chris Hubbard publically working on his long-gestating solo project and his new band Rhythm & Brews in the interim. I'm not sure if 415E were just on hiatus during the pandemic or if Rhythm & Brews were functionally "replacing" them, but it's great to see 415E back, and with their pre-pandemic lineup intact! This includes singer Dave Menard, bassist Brett Blackwood (who played in Rhythm & Brews' debut gigs), and drummer Jason VanLuven joining Chris once again, as revealed in this 5 second "video" to promote the concert, though it's more of an animated poster than anything else, hence why it's not embedded here.

Hopefully 415E's hard rocking brand of covers get a strong reception from fans in Sugar Island next weekend, so don't miss out if you're able! Pre-pandemic Hilltop Bar events had 7:00 PM start times, there's no announced cover charge, and expect a 19+ age limit, and please respect & follow any social distancing and public health guidelines at the bar to ensure everyone's safety, especially over Halloween weekend. See above for more details!

Next up, and from what accounts I've heard online so far, last night's Buckcherry concert at Soo Blaster in Sault Ontario was a success, and a couple of public videos from it are now online to check out! One is a brief 15 second clip of the headlining Anaheim hard rock quintet playing their 2012 single "Gluttony", as shared by 705Live Sound Co.'s Facebook page yesterday afternoon. Not to be confused with dormant concert promoters Live705, 705Live provide sound at live events, and they were on hand in that regard last night, hence why their video is so far from the stage. Still, you can get a sense of the crowd numbers, and even with the vaccine passport mandate, it looks like a sizeable crowd came out! Fan heads do mostly block Buckcherry from view, but the overall quality is respectable despite the video's short length and lack of zoom. Give it a watch below, and we'll let you know if more videos surface!

The only other video I've found on a public source so far comes from new-ish local/Ottawa hard rock quartet Bad Chug's opening set, as filmed by prolific local concert filmer Christopher Paci for his YouTube channel, marking his first concert video upload since The Hair Scare Live in Sault Michigan in February 2020! We all know why it's taken this long for him to film anything else. No word yet on if Chris shot anything from Buckcherry or Redundant's sets (the Bad Chug video was uploaded early yesterday), but we'll let you know if anything else surfaces! The video gives us our first look at Bad Chug on a Sault Ste. Marie stage and with new second guitarist Jacob Quarrell (no comment on his attire), and on this song, it looks like guitarist Aaron Desmoulin is on lead vocals. Alas, the scratchy audio & steady cymbal hits don't help in my efforts to identify if this is a cover.

The song proper is an up-tempo hard rocker that has a little bit of a classic rock feel to it that almost reminds me of some horror punk. Not bad, but again, this isn't the clearest quality audio, so hopefully more footage of Bad Chug (at this show or otherwise) surfaces! Chris wasn't too far from the stage and he had a good vantage point of the proceedings, but Aaron is very hard to make out from the very bright stage lighting above him and his placement at the side of the stage. Give this Bad Chug video a look below, and we'll have more videos from this show when & if they goes public!

Finally for today, here's a trailer for tonight's Alien To The Ignorant concert at the private venue Mellow D's Underground, but this one isn't focused on the headliners, rather openers/venue hosts The Apocalypse Afterparty! Uploaded to their Facebook page on Sunday, this serves a double purpose, as while it promotes the concert (including finally giving away Mellow D's current address!), it also features 17 seconds of their to-be-released music video for their cover of Saul Williams' "List Of Demands (Reparations)". The video (shot by Spacebag Productions) shows the band playing in that very cramped room as we saw in prior teasers from the shoot, perhaps not a bathroom like I had guessed, but it is worth noting that The Apocalypse Afterparty appear to just be represented here by frontman Paul & drummer Amanda Stanghetta without a second bassist, which would 100% signal that Alice Rose has left the band.

A reason for her departure was not announced, but she had initially been absent on temporary basis as of December 2019, and The A.A. had enlisted uncredited bassists to fill in through last summer, but the video has the Stanghettas in full-on Death From Above 1979 mode as a two-person band. Hopefully all's well with Alice! The music video teaser is promising and shows Paul & Amanda getting an energetic, full sound out of this staple cover of theirs, and hopefully the full video is released soon! Give it a look below, and remember, the address for TONIGHT'S Alien To The Ignorant concert (also featuring the returning Bear Hunters) can be found within!

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

Buckcherry & Alien To The Ignorant Concert Previews!!

Today's post is devoted to previews of two notable mid-week hard rock/metal concerts in Sault Ontario, one well over a year in the making, and the other featuring a lot of intrigue for it's cryptic locale and touring headliner, with both also featuring local openers we haven't seen in a long time. Here's what you should know!

The biggest Sault Ontario hard rock concert of the pandemic era will finally take place TOMORROW when Anaheim, California hard rock quintet Buckcherry will make their fourth local appearance (and first in this half of the Twin Saults) when they headline at Soo Blaster! This concert was originally scheduled to take place way back on May 13th, 2020 before everything went topsy turvy in March of last year, forcing a postponement to November 11th, and then ultimately to tomorrow night, but barring an imminent COVID outbreak, this show is taking place! Buckcherry are definitely in Canada and they have been touring across country all month, so fingers crossed! Well known rock radio staples from hit songs like "Sorry", "Lit Up", and "Everything", Buckcherry are touring in support of their new CD "Hellbound", so expect lots of familiar songs and new cuts in their first local stop since 2019's outdoor Kewadin Casino gig with Pop Evil, and before that, headlining Dreammakers Theater shows in 2011 & 2012.

This will also be Buckcherry's first local appearance since Billy Rowe replaced Kevin Roentgen on lead guitar last year. Amazingly, the local support acts remain unchanged since last spring, and they will include punk trio Redundant in their first public concert set since they opened for The Cancer Bats at Soo Blaster in August 2019, as far as I can gather. Obviously, it's great to see Justin, Andrew, and Rick back on stage after over two years, so don't be late for their familiar punk attack! The other opening band is local/Ottawa hard rock band Bad Chug in their long-delayed local concert debut, but they were previously active in Ottawa dating back to 2016! In case you're unfamiliar, their lineup features guitarist Aaron Desmoulin, bassist Kyle Dube (who was quietly re-added to their lineup anew), and drummer Matt D'Ettore, plus local folk singer/guitarist Jacob Quarrell as their newest member.

I'm not 100% sure if Jacob will play the same roles in Bad Chug (they credit him as "bender"), but readers may be familiar with his acoustic solo sets, previously under the project name Shit Creek Survivor. Bad Chug's mid-2010s Ottawa material had a solid carefree hard rock base, and it will be very interesting to see how they do in 2021 with in a new city, so find out first tomorrow night! Promoted by the Ottawa-based Diamond Mine Agency in their first major local booking with heavier bands, tickets are still available for $39.99 + taxes and service fees on Eventbrite, so click here to get yours online in advance! I presume you can also pay at the door, and yes, tickets bought for Buckcherry's 2020 dates will be accepted tomorrow. Everything starts at 8:00 PM, and unfortunately, this is a 19+ event. And as recently usual, attendees must show vaccine passports at the door to get into Soo Blaster.

Given the size and anticipation for this show, it's more important than ever that attending fans please mask up, follow social distancing guidelines at Soo Blaster, and use common sense to keep everyone safe, and thusly ensure that we get more concerts like this in the short term. Admittedly, I'm not a Buckcherry fan, but it's great to see that at least one of the COVID-postponed concerts is finally taking place, and hopefully Josh and crew deliver a fun set of up-tempo rock hits for fans tomorrow night, complete with local openers we haven't seen on a public stage at all in the 2020s! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Buckcherry live in Sault Michigan in 2019!

Finally for today, here's a special preview of a technically private concert taking place THIS THURSDAY NIGHT, but organizers are treating this as a public event, just with the venue being given out on request if you want to come out. The show in question will see Saskatchewan post-hardcore trio Alien To The Ignorant make their first ever local concert appearance when they headline at local party metal band The Apocalypse Afterparty's re-opened and relocated private venue Mellow D's Underground! Alien To The Ignorant's brutal hardcore sound and none-too-serious approach to their promotion should serve them well to attract an audience on Thursday, so don't miss out if you can come out on a work/school night! Local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters will play their first concert set in over two years on Thursday, which will also be their first live appearance since releasing their album "The Dead Testament" last fall, so hopefully they shake off the rust with their brutality!

And yes, The Apocalypse Afterparty themselves will perform in a rare live appearance that isn't purely a private house party, so what musical shenanigans will the Stanghettas be up to with their up-tempo brand of music? Be at Mellow D's Underground, wherever it is, to find out! There is no advertised cover charge for this concert, which has a thankfully early start time of 6:00 PM, and inquire with The Apocalypse Afterparty and/or Paul & Amanda for the address in case they never publicize it. Vaccine passports must be presented upon entry, and please use common sense re: social distancing. Visit the above links for more details, stay tuned for more updates, and here here's Alien To The Ignorant live!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!