Mike Haggith - "Bridges" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 149th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith's 51st canon solo album "Bridges"! Released through Mike's own MorningStar Studios imprint on November 6th (his birthday), songwriting for "Bridges" commenced soon after Mike moved to Thompson in late 2017, with recording sessions, single previews, and teasers taking place into early 2019, before the album was indefinitely postponed due to mixing delays, personal life concerns, and the quick development of another new studio album, "If Ever Comes The Day", which jumped ahead in line for a May 2020 release. "Bridges" regained priority in 2021 and was finally completed as intended after four years of development. Recorded at MorningStar Studios & Lionheart Audio, this album was Mike's first solo release with an external producer, namely Justin Sobey, who also guests on guitar on tracks #1 & #5, as well as bass on track #9.

A concept album reflecting on mental health issues & struggling with isolation after moving to Thompson, "Bridges" is available to stream or buy on multiple digital platforms handily linked via Distrokid. In terms of actually buying it, the album will run you $5 on Bandcamp or $7.99 on Amazon, and like with The Din's recent "Give In To The Din" reissue, physical copies can be bought via Kunaki on both CD for $10 AND vinyl for $35, a first for Mike's discography, though the track listing was slightly re-arranged due to format limitations. Song names below are linked to their Bandcamp copies. With 10 songs running for about 43 minutes in length, let's begin this review!

The album leads off with "From The 55th Parallel", which is about reflecting on what/who he misses since his move to Thompson (which is near the 55th parallel of latitude), and seemingly how the distance magnifies his positive memories and ambitions. Opening with an organ effect that is admittedly a little harsh, the song proper is definitely more rock based than much of "If Ever Comes The Day", but the symphonic elements harken back to his pre-Din solo output. Is it wrong to get the vibe of Prince's "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" from this song? Mike's deep yet melodic vocals are put to good use here, though his and Justin's guitar feel a little like an afterthought, and the clapping percussion of the bridge isn't as loud as it should be. Not a bad song, especially for fans of Mike's early-mid 2010s solo work, but as a composition, it was missing something melodically.

Second is "Over Indecision", which talks about a lost shot at love & how one regrets not being as assertive about their attraction as they should have been, and how he wants another chance to prove himself. This song is more melancholy and downbeat, yet keeps up a brisk musical pace, complete with a nice build to a dramatic and well mixed chorus! If only the vocals in the choruses weren't so repetitive, I'd have at least alternated the two lines as it went along. The drum programming is also repetitive in the verses, but the chorus is where the drum track shines, which would compliment a human drummer well in concert! I like how grand this song sounds, especially from the orchestral keyboard elements, and musically, this is still an improvement for what I like from Mike's solo work! Next is "The Nature of The Times", which was this album's first single back in 2019, complete with music video. 

Lyrically about reflecting on a down time in one's life, but accepting it as just the way things are right now and aiming for a better future, the song is more of a straightforward indie rocker that more calls to mind what Mike later wrote for "If Ever Comes The Day", if with some backing harmonics. You can see why it was picked as the first single, as it has a nice authentic quality and good melodies, especially with how Mike's vocals are tracked on the chorus. Not the heaviest song on offer, and the lyrics are thin outside of the chorus, but it fits where Mike has been heading musically, and it's a well written highlight! Song #4 is "An Act of Strength", which reflects on Mike's move to Thompson and how, despite the hurt it caused a loved one, was the title act to better his life, as hard as it may seem on paper. This song is largely driven by the piano and percussion, with Mike singing softly overtop of it all.

The chorus does amp up the intensity and passion, but the song mostly stays on the same emotional track until a mournful coda at the end. Not my favourite song on offer, just based on my own musical preferences and how this song doesn't have the melodic variance of others, but it gets the lyrical point across and suits the album concept! Then we have "The Catalyst", which is a song about a loved one, specifically one who moved there to be together, but seemingly left again after things didn't turn out the way they hoped, yet is still missed.  Musically similar to earlier tracks in it's symphonic elements, this has a very 1980s vibe to it's structure, almost Huey Lewis-y, if that's fair. The vocals drive this song more than the instruments do, admittedly, which ironically happened in both songs with Justin on guest guitar. The song fades out a little abruptly too, but it's a tight power pop song while it lasts!

The second half of "Bridges" begins with it's longest track, "Dangerous Town", which seems to be reflective of what he's heard about Thompson, but regardless, how he'll persevere and be with loved ones again. The song has an ethereal quality to it's backing instrumentation that is well done, and contrasts nicely with Mike's standard tone of vocals and a simple yet effective guitar riff. While a little soft for my usual musical tastes, this song combines it's elements into a strong melodic package that lives up to it's intended ambitions, and fans of Mike's softer side should get enjoy this one a lot! Next is the album's shortest song, "Come on Home", which is about what it sounds like, wishing for a loved one to safely come home (good sentiment for the holidays!). This is a downbeat ballad with Mike singing in a lower register than normal, and with a generally simplified musical structure.

Not a bad composition, and it puts Mike's softer side to use in a somewhat new dimension (this plays very well acoustically), but the abrupt ending wasn't to my liking, and I do prefer Mike's more upbeat rock-influenced material. Still a nice change of pace! Then we have "Blue Highway", a title that appears to reflect flying, given Mike's day job, with the idea of taking to the skies to escape one's less than ideal situation. A mid-tempo song that definitely has a good driving (or flying) quality to it, you even get somewhat of a guitar solo here, and this puts more of Mike's musical talents to use for a fuller sound! I'd have sped this up a little, and the "give it to me" lyrics are overdone, but this is a musical return to form if you preferred the first half of the album, and it's one of the better tracks in terms of evoking the lyrics!

The penultimate song is "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost", which feels like a companion piece to "Come On Home" given it's very similar lyrical content, but this seems to be more based around hoping a loved one returns following an argument and/or personal strife. Similarly, this is another downbeat ballad, if more optimistically sung in a higher register, and it builds nicely into a more grandiose, intricate last stretch. Well performed, including via Justin's guest bass, and the passion and emotion is well channeled on this late album highlight! Things conclude with the album's title track "Bridges", which sums up the album's messages about lost loves, isolation, and mental health using symbolism of the real Mystery Lake Bridge in Thompson, with Mike wishing to build a bridge to bring loved ones closer to him. This song is more ethereal and reflective, without much of a rock base, but with the requisite emotion that comes so easily to Mike.

The tone of the vocals and the drum track feel slightly off, I'm not sure why, but as an emotional climax of the album, it does what it sets out to do lyrically! As a compositon, I do prefer rockier songs from Mike, but again, that's not the point of this song, and to put a bow on things, it's about what you'd expect! So, what are my final thoughts on "Bridges"? Overall, this is a strong album that feels like an old school Mike Haggith release, but with the added maturity and life experience to help this one truly feel like the next step in his musical evolution! Mike has called this album the link between The Din's last studio album (2017's "Suburban Dream") and "If Ever Comes The Day" (which, again, was written & recorded later), but honestly, I never thought of The Din as being a link in this way. This feels much more like coming between "If Ever..." and his last pre-Din solo album, 2015's "The Warinside", as The Din never had keyboard and symphonic components like we saw from Mike as a solo musician then and here.

If you like Mike's music with more of a rock or a power pop base, this will be more your cup of tea than what came out last year, and I did like a lot of what "Bridges" brought to the table musically and emotionally! Songs like "Over Indecision", "The Nature Of The Times", and "Blue Highway" were highlights for me in showcasing Mike's growth and maturity as a musician over the past six years, but there are parts I'd address. Repetitive lyrics, abrupt song fade-outs, sometimes overpowering symphonics, and an increasingly melancholy back half were chief among them, and I think as pure compositions, "If Ever Comes The Day" may have been a stronger album in spite of not being as heavy. Still, it's great to finally hear "Bridges" and it deserves the positive buzz it's getting so far in Manitoba, Ontario, and beyond, and definitely stream or buy it for yourself at the above links!

That's all for today, but what are reviewing to end 2021 with? Despite The Din's planned live album "Technically Live" coming out on Boxing Day, I have a 6 month buffer period in place between reviews of albums from the same act to a avoid showing a bias. Albums from The Din and/or Mike solo won't be reviewed on the site like this until the spring at the earliest, but "Technically Live" is very tentatively planned for April 2022! As for next month..... I think we may be entering Room 206 to look at the long-belated work of a few Soolebrities, and details will be forthcoming on the site soon, so stay tuned for that & more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Tarnished Concert Preview, And New Videos!!

I was not expecting to rush a new news post on the site today, but I completely blanked on previewing a concert taking place TONIGHT, let alone cover a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend! Blame general quietness as of late & holiday prep, I do apologize for these being so delayed (and partially too late). To round things out, we have some new videos related to local musicians, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place TONIGHT, after previously playing there last night! I profusely apologize for the short notice and for missing yesterday's concert entirely, both were only announced via their Facebook event page on Monday, though given their recent track record for advertising their own concerts on Facebook, that's an eternity by comparison! I should have caught these well before now, I apologize again, and I hope last night's concert was a hit (same for Thursday's open mic night at Reggie's West!). Yesterday's and TONIGHT'S concerts were/are Soundcheck's first normal concerts since their Reggievelt shows two weeks ago, and if you believe their most recent Facebook post, their last shows of 2021, so if you want one more chance to see Cameron, Terry, Paul, and Glen live this year, head downtown TONIGHT!

Both shows had/have 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, but please respect and honour any & all social distancing and public health measures at Reggie's, and vaccine passports must be shown to enter the bar. Don't miss out on Soundcheck TONIGHT, I am again sorry for missing yesterday's show, and here's Soundcheck live earlier this month!

Next up, let's head across the river to Sault Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Tarnished will make their Bird's Eye Outfitters debut TONIGHT as the featured band for their 1980s hair metal theme night! Again, apologies for being so late to preview this concert, but at least I did cover it when first announced, so we're not entirely in the woods here.... but given that Bird's Eye Outfitters is an outdoor store, you'd be well equipped if you were! This will be Tarnished's first Soo date in a couple of weeks, but elsewhere in the E.U.P., you may have seen live at Huck's in Rudyard last week. If you know anything about Tarnished's range of covers, you'll know that 1980s hair and glam metal is a staple of their setlists, and they're quite a fitting band for an '80s hair theme night, especially given their current hairstyles (Nathan excepted), so don't miss out tonight if you're free and in the area!

Yes, attendees are encouraged to dress in '80s hair band-inspired outfits, and while no one has advertised a contest for them, there will be drink specials. An early 7:00 PM start time (again, I'm sorry) is in effect for tonight's festivities, which have no announced cover charges and a likely 21+ age limit, but again, please respect any public health measures at Bird's Eye to keep yourself and everyone else safe. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Now let's look at a couple of new videos with no attached concerts to let slip through the cracks, starting with a new full-album upload of local classical metal band Theatre of Night's 2010 debut album "Christmas Night"! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on November 10th, this may have been intentionally timed for the 10th anniversary of this album's expanded reissue from November 2011, given that all 12 of the songs return here, but that's just speculation. So much of Theatre of Night's Christmas output in recent years has been centered around live performances and re-recordings with female vocalists that I'm kind of surprised they're bringing the original-ish "Christmas Night" back like this, but it was a very solid album that will get you in the holiday spirit! This album features long-time bandmates Craig Harrison and Steve Giles alongside Steve's brother Greg as their then-drummer.

For this YouTube copy, the track listing has seen very belated edits, "Woods IV"-style. "Carol of the Bells" was moved all the way to track #2, while a number of song names were altered, though aside from "The Nutcracker" becoming "Dance of the Sugarplums", all are just shortened, in what (to me) looks like consequences of the video dimensions & chosen font. If you want a TSO-style metal take on Christmas classics, give Theatre of Night's debut album a listen below, and stay tuned for more from their camp!

Finally for today, let's head north to Sault Ontario, where new local punk band Vanity uploaded a short new video to their YouTube channel on Wednesday of them playing a snippet of Avenged Sevenfold's "Unholy Confessions". This is just a short guitar harmony video with no Keegan/Ljubov present at all, and you can only really hear the lead guitar, but is sounds good while it lasts, and it's nice to see Vanity spreading their wings further into metal! Give it a watch below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned (in all likelihood) for this month's CD review on the site next! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Christopher Paci

It's now time for our penultimate YouTube Channel Profile of 2021, where we're taking another look at a randomly selected YouTube channel whose contennts are at least 50% devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists/concerts. We were spotted a doozy of a channel this month, with literally hundreds of videos to comb through, but any major rock concertgoer locally from the past decade will find a wealth of content within, so here's what you should know!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christopher Paci (http://youtube.com/greetingsbychris)

Owner: Sault Ontario resident and regular local concert attendee Christopher Paci

Channel Timeline: Launched on September 14th, 2010; Videos uploaded from the following month through October 19th, 2021

Channel Summary: After some sporadic personal usage in it's first two years on YouTube with five non-musical uploads, Chris uploaded his first concert videos there in September 2012 following Buckcherry's headlining concert in Sault Michigan that month. From there, he hasn't looked back, uploading well over 750 concert videos over the past 9+ years! This includes events in both Sault Ontario and Sault Michigan, with Canadian shows starting to appear with February 2014's Tragically Hip concert. While videos here are primarily from rock concerts, Chris has also brought his camera to country and hip-hop shows, and while most are from major concerts with touring headliners, he has filmed at select smaller venues and festivals.
 
Why You Should Watch: Chris is a saint for filming all of these videos, and browsing his channel will give you a wealth of concert videos from the 2010s to check out, and often from good places in the crowd! Audio is often scratchy, and Chris doesn't have the accurate song titles for some videos, but given the sheer quantity of what he's uploaded, those are all comparatively minor. For very obvious reasons, Chris has only filmed at one concert since February 2020, but hopefully more notable concerts make their way to the Soo area in 2022, especially with border restrictions loosening!

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Sebastian Bach - I Remember You LIVE from Kewadin Casino Sault Ste. Marie 20/01/2013: Chris' most popular video is from the original Skid Row frontman's headlining concert at The Dreammakers Theater back in January 2013, and counting that month's Queensryche show at the same venue that Chris also filmed at, four of his five videos to cross 2,000 views are from that month! Some of the commenters are critical of Sebastian's voice on this classic Skid Row ballad, but he sounds serviceable to me, if worn around the edges a bit, and the like/dislike count is good! Chris also filmed Sebastian and his solo band playing "Kicking & Screaming", "18 & Life", and "Monkey Business" at this show, plus one video of local openers 415E (still that band's only publically viewable concert video from any source).

 

 

Theatre of Night - What Child Is This - Soo Theatre, December 16, 2017: While most of Chris' videos of local bands were in Sault Ontario for obvious reasons, he films E.U.P. bands on occasion, including via his annual trip to Sault Michigan from 2017-2019 to see local classical metal band Theatre of Night's yearly pre-pandemic Christmas themed concert, which was held at The Soo Theatre in 2017 before moving to Kewadin Casino. Featuring their 2017-only sextet lineup (including then co-vocalist Stacie McCarthy), Theatre of Night were filmed playing "Little Drummer Boy", "The Nutcracker Suite", "Silent Night", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", "O Holy Night", "Carol of the Bells", and featured here, their set opener "What Child Is This?". Solid renditions of these holiday staples by Craig, Steve, Rachel, Scott, Erik, and Stacie, and it's always nice to see some heavier local bands getting in the Christmas spirit! Even the darker lighting helps the mood!

 

White Cowbell Oklahoma - Loplops, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - Jan. 26, 2019: Picking just one video to showcase from Chris' ample Sault Ontario video cache is a daunting task, but I knew I wanted a touring headliner in a more intimate locale, and ideally one I hadn't embedded in a prior post. How does Toronto Southern hard rock band White Cowbell Oklahoma sound? A 9+ minute video of W.C.O. covering Frank Zappa's "Magic Fingers", their crowd pleasing hybrid sound attracted a strong crowd once again, and hopefully they return to our area again! Among his other 6 videos from that night, Chris also shot White Cowbell Oklahoma playing songs like "San Antone", "Cheerleader",  "Shot A Gamblin' Man", and "Put The South In Your Mouth".

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! We'll end 2021 in this series with another single randomly selected channel, namely YouTube user DeformedPie, whose channel is mostly comprised of uploads of Woods of Ypres studio tracks! Fittingly timed given that next month is the 10 year anniversary of David Gold's passing, but this channel was completely chosen at random, this is just a coincidence! Look for that on or around Boxing Day, and look for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

More Updates From Recently Active Local Hard Rock Artists!!

Before we begin this news post, I just wanted to note that Frightlight/Soo Fighters/et al. drummer Chris Thompson's obituary is now up on SooToday, confirming that he suddenly passed away on Monday night at Sault Area Hospital with his family by his side. Chris is survived by his wife Stephanie Nelson, his kids Destiny & James, his parents, his sister, and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews, among other extended family & friends. At Chris' request, there will not be a public funeral service, but a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements will be handled by the Arthur Funeral Home and Barton & Kiteley Chapel, and the family would appreciate donations (by check) to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Having lost my mother last fall, I know all too well what the Thompson clan are going through, and my continued thoughts go out to them!

Given his deep musical connections, a tribute concert would be extremely apt, whether that's what the celebration of life will be or not, but I have no inside information. With Christmas just a month away, keep Stephanie, Destiny, James, and the rest of their family in mind over the holidays, and hopefully they hold their great memories as close as they can. R.I.P. Chris!

Now, today's post features some assorted updates from a couple of local hard rock/metal acts, and we'll start out in Thompson, Manitoba (literally), as prolific local alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith will play his first public concert since before the pandemic there this Saturday! Of course, Thompson is ever so slightly out of our coverage range (22 hours west of the Soo), but if you're curious, Mike is opening for a stand-up comedy show benefiting Thompson's Seniors Community Resource Council, and he will have a full backing band with four additional musicians, finally realizing a goal from his cancelled CD release party last year! It'd be very interesting to see Mike with a full band again, hopefully someone's filming! Mike will also be hosting the annual Thompson Santa Claus Parade earlier that day, but if he's performing any music there, no one has confirmed that.

Sure, none of this is taking place locally, but in the wake of the "Bridges" release (our review coming in the next few days) and with the long wait for Mike to return to some sense of normalcy as a live musician, I had to mention his busy weekend ahead. Moving things more towards "Bridges", the album did get a review on the Winnipeg-based blog Bad Gardening Advice, which didn't grade it proper or really analyze individual tracks, but the review uses a lot of symbolic and regional references for the overall concept, which helps when you're in the same province and know about the Mystery Bridge already! Finally for today's Mike updates, let's finally take things truly local, as The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed him for this article last week, so what should you know there? Mike discusses isolation and mental health, his adjustment in moving to Thompson, and the album release proper, ...

 

...though most of the interview is via Brian's solid write-up, hitting most of the relevant bullet points about Mike's recent activities. Solid read, so give it a look at this link, above, or in the November 18th edition of The Sault Star, and look for our review of "Bridges" by Tuesday!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty, who may not be a duo for long! As per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday, they're looking for "a willing musician... to balance the band", specifically looking for a second bassist or a keyboardist, and similarly to prior musician searches they held in the past, skill level and experience are not required and they'll teach interested parties. The A.A. were a trio pre-pandemic with two bassists (Alice Rose being their last publically named bassist aside from Paul), but in their masked days, they were a quartet with Amanda playing an MPC controller before moving to drums (they have never had a guitarist). Given their wide criteria, it's anyone's guess who The Apocalypse Afterparty will bring on, but we'll let you know when/if a new members signs on, and message the band above or here for more details!

Lastly from the Stanghetta camp, The Apocalypse Afterparty's newly released studio cover of Saul Williams' "List of Demands (Reparations)" has been included on "Nooooooo!!! Volume III", a Noise Rock Now compilation album to benefit German indie rock band Trigger Cut after they lost all of their gear in a fire two weeks ago. This is the third such compilation album already, and all three are available for €1 minimum. The A.A. are the only locally recognizable band on any of these compilations, but give them a listen to see what you think, and consider buying one to help Trigger Cut out! That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, plus a review of "Bridges" before the month ends! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Mike Haggith's November 2021 Live-Streamed Concert, Including Din Album Updates!!

After way too long of a delay, let's give a proper full-post recap to local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith's newest live-streamed concert, which took place on his Facebook page on Saturday, November 13th! This is another long one, running for over two hours & twenty minutes, so seats back, and tray tables must be in the upright position before takeoff! First thing I'll note is that this live-stream starts with very noisy background hiss through his new microphone, which is very unfortunate, and he gives up on it after 3 minutes. The episode proper is themed around Mike's old local power pop/hard rock band The Din to commemorate the recent release of the deluxe edition of their 2016 debut album "Give In To The Din", from which Mike planned to play the original nine-song album front to back, and he started with "In Search Of The Perfect Moment" (6:50).

After interacting with live viewers in the comment section, Mike next plays "Flux" (14:30), complete with a "drum solo" by Din drummer Brandan Glew in the comments section (how else would he play his solo from the studio track given the setup?). Mike calls up Brandan afterwards for a phone interview during the live-stream, which was a replacement option after attempts to have him pop up in a separate webcam feed didn't work out. Amidst lots of self-deprecation, joking remarks, and irreverence, Mike & Brandan reminisce on The Din's local run, including their original live album "The Din Does Laundry", why "Differences" didn't originally make the cut for "Give In...", and their release party for that album, which you'll be able to hear on the upcoming posthumous live album "Technically Live", and Mike even shows off a physical copy of it on camera, so is there anything to break from that?

While the video is mirrored, he shows the back cover on camera long enough for us to get the full tracklist for the CD, which confirms that every original song played that night will make the cut, except Mike's solo song "Of Cars & Criminals" for unannounced reasons, but you can hear that very performance of it on Shaw TV's OnStage episode of this concert, plus The Din's acoustic version from "The Din Does Laundry". In it's place, four outside covers that Shaw did not include for copyright reasons ("Learn To Fly", "The Old Apartment", "Times Like These", and "With A Little Help From My Friends") will surprisingly make the cut, while the spoken word intro to "75" ("Leamington, Ontario") is included as a separate track to lead off the album. Afterwards, they discuss the fire alarm that went off at the release concert, before Mike plays his next Din song.

The track in question is "Alleyways & Apartments" (37:10), after which Mike & Brandan discuss recording that song at Mission Control Studios, a possible lost take that they could have put on the new deluxe edition CD, and this week's share contest to determine a cover song Mike has to cover next month. His next song is "Out Of My League" (47:30), followed by Mike shouting out The Din's primary studio producer Daniel Schmidt, and then playing "75" (1:01:05) after some lengthy discussion with Brandan about it's lifespan before The Din & "Leamington, Ontario". Kicking off the second half, Brandan helps set up the next song that he wrote, "Remember" (1:14:05), followed by the renamed "Potato (Should've Known Better)" (1:27:25) and "The Rose" (1:30:55) played in short succession. Next, Mike plugs his new album "Bridges" and conducts the draw for the winner of his other test pressing of it.

Ironically, the winner of the test pressing was Obsession frontwoman Valerie Powley, who also won the share contest to pick Mike's mandatory cover during this live-stream (more on that in a bit). After both guys promote Mike's recent and upcoming albums and teased some possible further unreleased content, they gave a tentative release date of December 26th (yes, Boxing Day) for "Technically Live", so keep that date in mind! Brandan signs off before Mike ends the "Give In To The Din" playthrough with an abbreviated version closer "A Drive Through The Peninsula" (2:04:20), and afterwards, Mike moves on to the share contest to pick his mandatory cover for this month, and the aforementioned Valerie Powley had the most engaged share of the October video, so she got to pick Mike's cover. Rather than a joke or troll song, she nominated Bryan Adams's "Cuts Like A Knife" (2:10:45).

I'm not a Bryan Adams fan, but Mike's unplugged take went over well! The last 6 minutes features Mike talking to commenters, promoting his current activities and new/upcoming albums, including his "Morning Jam" series of daily Facebook song recommendations and his still-yet-to-debut YouTube album review series. Entertaining (if very long) watch, especially for fans of The Din and Brandan's usual comment section input from Mike's prior live-streams, so definitely give the whole thing a watch below, and stay tuned for more from Mike when it rolls in! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Chris Thompson (1979-2021)

The Sault Metal Scene sends its deepest condolences to the family & friends of prolific local hard rock drummer Chris Thompson, who just passed away at the age of 42, as per numerous posts on his personal Facebook page. Chris had suffered a heart attack earlier this month and had been battling complications from it in recent days, though I won't go into specifics out of respect to his family. If you've followed local hard rock, metal, and punk bands in Sault Ontario in the past two decades, then Chris' presence behind the drumkit will be very familiar, most recently as the drummer for pop rock cover band Lockdown & their sister group, Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters, who all just played live at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend. Chris was also a frequent bandmate of J.D. Pearce's in the punk/metal acts Fitswitch, Frightlight (as "Chris Freaknstein"), and Jack Spades, and he also drummed for classic metal band Project 421, their hard rock sister band Eclipse, hard rock quartet Half Past, and death metal band Giwakwa, among others.

I knew that Chris had been battling some health problems that may have explained why he was not part of the Half Past reunion, but I never expected he'd be gone this suddenly, and his loss will definitely be felt by friends, family, and fans alike. My interactions with Chris were always positive, and I know he greatly loved his fiancee Stephanie and his children, who shouldn't have to lose a parent already like this. I'll let you guys know when/if services are made public, but keep the Thompson family in your thoughts, especially with the holiday season fast approaching. R.I.P. Chris!

A New Local Punk Band, An Inactive Band Note, And A New Music Video!!

Here's a new news post to check out on this Sunday morning! While it includes a new music video and an inactive band note, things are leading off with a new and promising young band to roll into our full coverage. There's a lot to get to, so here's what you should know!

We have a new local punk band to add to our band links named Vanity, so what should you know about them? Launching their Facebook page just last week, they actually have had a YouTube channel since December, and quietly debuted as early as October 2020 when former Mustang Sally guitarist Mikhal Muto (son of ex-Issues/Band Camp Rejects bassist Mike "Vinyl" Muto) posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group looking for a bassist for Vanity. A relatively younger group, Mikhal is joined here by singer/guitarist Andrew Beggs, bassist Nick McClelland, and drummer Keegan McAllister (credited as "Ljubov" in their Facebook teaser video), none of whom I'm familiar with from prior bands, but Andrew does have live stage experience in local musicals. Despite not being a proper live band yet, Vanity have already carved together a few original songs, which is very encouraging at this early-ish stage!

The Facebook video notes that they "are working on producing our first EP", but whether they're officially recording for it isn't clear. The guys also have covers in their repertoire, mostly of 1990s punk & alternative songs, though they do go newer and heavier on occasion, and they talk up their approach & aims for their sound in the Facebook video mentioned above. You can also find some short video content on Vanity's TikTok page and on Instagram, plus one demo on Keegan's Soundcloud page. Covers-wise, they tackle the likes of Green Day, Weezer, Rage Against The Machine, Billy Talent, Pennywise, NOFX, The Cars, which is a good range of bands to start with, plus a few surprise cartoon theme songs! The original song in the Facebook teaser is named "Empty Home", and their other originals so far are titled "Breathe" and "Black Flies", but overall, how do Vanity proper sound so far?

Not bad, they already have a good sound that wouldn't feel out of place from busier times for local punk bands, and the guitar & bass especially fit on these songs so far! Andrew's voice has a good melody and tone for more melodic punk songs also. Local bands that work on original material before debuting tend to get off to quicker starts, which bodes well for Vanity, though I have no clue how much the pandemic would affect their eagerness to play live short term. We'll let you know when more comes out, but give Vanity's Facebook teaser video a watch below!

Next up, we have a notable band to reluctantly move to our inactive band links, namely local grindcore trio Shit Liver. The band has not issued a public update since one year ago today on their Facebook page, ironically when they noted there that November 21st, 2020 was the 10 year anniversary of their live concert debut. For current activity, we last saw Shit Liver via the belated release of their 2016 tour documentary earlier that fall, and they were last seen live opening for Dopethrone at The New A in May 2019. One of the most prominent local extreme metal bands of the 2010s, Shit Liver started as a metal concert staple in the early 2010s before moving to St. Catharine's in 2013, after which they grew in prominence both in the province & nationally, especially with their two nationwide tours and their 2014 self-titled album, it's 2018 follow-up "Hitting The Fan", and their 2017 "Trading Faces" split cassette tape with AlgomA.

Of course, the pandemic may play a factor in Shit Liver's live hiatus, but most of the band has remained artistically active in recent months, from Josh's continued filmmaking work with Spacebag Productions (more on them in a second) to Mike's acoustic folk output in his Sibling project. Shit Liver didn't close the door on a return to the stage in their November 2020 post, and hopefully their brand of raw, fast-paced grindcore returns to the stage in some form when the time is right, but best of luck to Josh, Mike, and Matt in the interim, they've definitely been missed around here!

We'll close today with the long awaited release of local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty's music video for their cover of Saul Williams' "List of Demands (Reparations)"! Released on schedule as planned this morning on singer/bassist Paul Stanghetta's YouTube channel, this was filmed by the aforementioned Spacebag Productions, and confirming the teasers, it primarily features Paul and his wife Amanda (on drums) playing this staple cover of theirs in a small cramped room with concert lighting, and eventually, a lot of smokebombs. Well shot video that shows how many distinct angles Josh could get in such tight quarters, and the song proper is well performed and lively, showing that you can get a full sound with just two people, let alone without a guitarist! No word on if this studio recording will lead to more songs from The A.A., but we'll keep you posted when/if more comes out, and give the music video (at last) a full watch below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), A Band Reunion & Breakup, And Much More!!

Plans for a single-topic post today went out the window once I discovered a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend, but not from the band I expected! To round things out, we have a surprise band reunion from a decade or so ago (with a linked band dissolution), and some assorted recent updates, so let's get things rolling!

For a second straight post, we're leading off with a new date from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished, as they'll hit Huck's Pub & Grill in nearby Rudyard TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue only announced this show via their Facebook page on Wednesday, with Tarnished following suit a day later. Yes, TONIGHT's show (attached to a hunter's bash at the former Joe's Bar & Grill) was supposed to be headlined by fellow local hard rockers Rhythm & Brews, but Huck's quietly edited all promotion of this concert on Facebook to reflect the band change (click the three dots and "View edit history" for proof), so this truly is a short notice booking! A reason for Rhythm & Brews' withdrawal was not publically announced, but they deleted their mention of TONIGHT's concert outright. Hopefully all's well in their camp, but Tarnished are a fitting replacement!

Hunter or otherwise, you can enjoy Tarnished's hard rock and 80s metal-inspired covers & originals TONIGHT at 11358 West Main Street (a half hour from the Soo), with a 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and a 21+ age limit. Please follow and respect social distancing and public health measures posted at Huck's to ensure that you and everyone else has a safe time, especially in light of Michigan's new face mask recommendations for indoor gatherings. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, Sault Ontario hard rock quartet Half Past are back after being defunct for over nine years! The band made the announcement on their Facebook page on Monday. Originally known as Fingerbone, Half Past launched in 2008, and peaked in popularity & live frequency in 2010, complete with original songs & EP plans, but lineup turnover often stalled their momentum, and they last played live in October 2011, before dissolving early the next year. The new lineup is mostly a revival of Half Past's early-mid 2011 incarnation that you may have seen at that year's Hempfest in Ophir, with Isolation Sessions bandmates Jordan Rains (ex-NAClamation) on vocals & Arthur Lacasse (Lockdown/Soo Fighters) on bass, plus Parabol's Alain Fletcher on guitar. On drums, they have enlisted ex-Disciples of Rock/Stoned To Deaf drummer Jamie Labreche, replacing Chris Thompson for unannounced reasons.

Hopefully nothing bad happened with Chris, and that we see him back behind the drumkit in due course, but remember that he still(?) plays with Arthur in his other active bands! You may have noticed that everyone but Al are also in the new local hard rock band Dealing Without, so where do they fit in? Nowhere, apparently, as that band's Facebook page was quietly taken down at some point in recent months, so it looks like they have broken up, with the new Half Past succeeding them outright. Dealing Without had launched in March of this year, and uniquely planned to play live with two different lead singers, but they never really got off the ground despite a promising lineup. Best of luck to Robert, Rick, and James in the future though, they'll be assets in their next bands! I have removed Dealing Without from our band links, as they had no other online pages.

As for Half Past, it's great to see them back after almost a decade away! While this is mostly a reunion of a relatively short-lived period from their original run (Half Past's best known singer, Luke LeBlanc, died in 2015), their 2011 dates showed a lot of promise and the same instrumental heft fans had came to expect from them, and it'll be very interesting to see and hear what they bring to the table for their relaunch. Stay tuned for updates!

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 one more Facebook page contest in the lead-up to Sunday's music video release, local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty are allegedly giving fans $1 each if they take a picture of themselves holding something with the band's name written on it, and people who do so will be entered to possibly win gift cards, a lottery ticket package, and/or shout-outs from the band on social media. The contest runs for a month, and click here for full details!
• Prolific local metal/folk punk musician Chase Wigmore posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last month looking for opportunities to jam with local musicians and/or play live concerts. While he cited that he's a "solo acoustic metal act", he's open to playing pre-written material and has no genre preferences. Chase's talent level is well established, and he has been missed on stage during the pandemic, so message him at this link or above if you want to play with or book him!
  
• Lockdown/Soo Fighters singer/guitarist Jules Cote posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Wednesday looking for a drummer for an "easy-going, fun-loving cover band". The sound & setlist description heavily points towards this being for Lockdown, and while they're not a hard rock act, they share three members with The Soo Fighters, one being ex-(?)drummer Chris Thompson, who is not part of the aforementioned Half Past reunion (Arthur Lacasse is in all three bands). The group post does not reference The Soos directly, but if you want more details regardless, message Jules at this link or above, and hopefully Chris is doing alright!
  

 

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