YouTube Channel Profile Series: Rik DVD

To wrap up another month at the SMS, here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our monthly spotlight feature on 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is half or more comprised of videos relevant to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists and/or concerts! I only realized when I got to work on this post that I did not pick our next featured channel last month, as usual for the series, so until I started writing this intro, I had no idea what channel I'd randomly select. I did randomly pick a channel now though, as well as the channel(s) for next month, so we're back on track, and let's take a dive into a channel with some interesting footage from two very different local periods!

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Rik DVD (http://www.youtube.com/rikdvd) 

Owner: Dell Bros. drummer Rick Dellavedova, also known as "Rick Widow", frontman of the defunct local glam metal band Amethyst

Channel Timeline: Launched on October 23rd, 2010; Videos uploaded from that day until April 2014

Channel Summary: Rick noted in the channel's description that it had "live performance music videos", which is largely correct. Five of his seven videos of local bands in action on stage, all filmed by himself for CML Productions, including one of original rock veterans Wishbone in 2014. The other two include a music video for an old band of his, and a 14 second clip of Crank Sound Distribution setting up their equipment before a 2010 concert that Rick filmed for his channel. While ostensibly for personal use, Rick did advertise his services for professional event filmography there.
 
Why You Should Watch: This channel will primarily interest fans of Garden of Bedlam, who are the focus of four of the videos and cameo on the Crank Sound Distribution clip, but fans of Amethyst and Wishbone will find something to like as well! Note that this channel has not been visibly updated in almost eight years, and it does not feature any videos of Rick with The Dell Bros. (f.k.a. The Paul Dellavedova Trio).

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Amethyst - Snakeye Strut: Rick's first video is a posthumous music video/slideshow for Amethyst's song "Snakeye Strut" from their 1994 studio album "Innocent As Hell", and features a rare extant source of actual Amethyst video footage, especially with their "Waste of Time" music video being taken down from YouTube years back. Featuring Rick alongside guitarists Jose "Wales" Temperao & Mike Haas, bassist Gordon "Chipp" Robb, and drummer Phil Temperao, this video is well edited and gives solid highlights of Amethyst's heyday, and being set to a catchy old school hard rock number never hurts! This is the channel's most popular video aside from the Crank clip, and the entire "Innocent As Hell" album is on Reverbnation.

 

 

Garden Of Bedlam "Shallow" Live @ Foggy's: All but two of Rick's videos have something to do with 2007-2015 hard rock quartet Garden of Bedlam, who he had a working relationship with in 2010 to film their performances, though his videos of them weren't uploaded until 2011. One video on Rick's own channel features Buzz, the Belleaus, and Derek playing "Shallow" during their headlining set at Rotaryfest's Second Stage in July 2010, but the better quality videos are of them at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) playing "New Rain" and (as featured here) "Shallow" again. These appear to be soundchecks before the show proper based on the sparse crowd, unloaded equipment, and dialogue with Crank Sound. In spite of that, these have solid recording quality with strong performances as you'd expect!

 

 

Garden Of Bedlam "New Rain" Live @ Essar Centre: After winning the Kiss Battle of the Bands in December 2009, Garden of Bedlam were tapped as the local openers for the long-delayed Kiss concert at The Essar Centre (now GFL Memorial Gardens) in August 2010, with Rick filming them from a side-stage angle. Note that this was originally uploaded in colour before being taken down to be converted to black & white. Still, this captures Garden of Bedlam performing to their fullest in their biggest ever concert set, and early fans were definitely into it! You can see more of Rick & CML's videos of the band on their own YouTube channel, including proper music videos.

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around March 26th, and unlike this month, I did remember to randomly select a channel (two in this case) ahead as normal! I first randomly picked Concert Channel, which features videos for 2019's Offspring/Sum 41 show at GFL Memorial Gardens, but there's not a lot of diversity there beyond just a few videos of both bands, so I chose an extra channel with only has one video to fill things out, namely Old Man Wyrn's channel, which has one song from inactive local black metal project Abhorrent Forest. Look for these next month, and for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck), More Local Artists On You Rock!, And Other Updates!!

In this final weekend with vaccine passports in the province, the hard rock concert calendar is very slim, but some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS have hit my news desk in time to give them some coverage before it is too late! Rounding things out, we do have some assorted notes from a popular Facebook group, and some local content on a popular indie music showcase series, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for traditional concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed these dates via their official Facebook page yesterday, but this is relatively common for their gig announcements, alas. TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S shows do follow their regular Thursday night role as open mic night hosts at the Reggievelt, but traditionally, we don't cover open mic nights as "concerts" on the SMS due to their unpredictable nature and variable performance length of the hosts. Open mic nights aside, this is Soundcheck's second normal concert weekend of 2022 and their first at Reggie's West in almost three months (largely thanks to the re-imposed pandemic restrictions), but with those lifted, hopefully a sizeable crowd turns out to safely rock out with their diverse but often heavy covers!

You can see Soundcheck TONIGHT & TOMORROW at 9:00 PM with no cover charge and a 19+ age limit, but be advised that this is the last concert weekend where vaccine passports are mandatory to enter nightclubs in Ontario, so do not forget yours if you come out! Starting March 1st, they're no longer required, but regardless, please use common sense regarding any posted public health measures to keep everyone safe. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's some more local representation in a recent episode of Thomas Christ's independent music showcase webseries You Rock!, starting with episode #20 from January 19th! The mid-point of that episode is very locally friendly, as Thomas checks out three songs from local acts in a six song, hour+ long span (the episode runs for just over 3 hours). First up is inactive grunge trio No Arrow's song "Sikkha" (1:17:20), preceded by context about how the track came to be, and I won't get into the specifics here, especially with how they deal with band disagreements. Thomas complimented the song's raw grunge/metal hybrid feeling and how it really evokes a live performance, and it's great to see that No Arrow are still finding a strong audience so many years removed from their dissolution! Local indie rockers Man Feelings also get good praise at the 1:57:00 mark for their song "When You Win (You Win Ugly)".

That episode's local contingent ends with regularly featured You Rock! contributor Mike Haggith, specifically here via his old power pop/hard rock trio The Din's song "Missing" (2:04:05) from their last album "Suburban Dream". Thomas called this song "fantastic" and complimented it's straightforward indie vibe, live readiness, and Mike's overall professionalism. Solid thoughts as always, so give all of the local and international talent a listen above! Embedded below is episode #21 from January 26th, which features songs from both Mike Haggith and No Arrow, so what should you know there? Mike's up first at 1:54:55 when Thomas played his song "MorningStar" from 2020's "If Ever Comes The Day", and he praised the track as an "epic song", hyping up its orchestral elements and rocking vibe, especially so given that this was allegedly Mike's first song made solely on GarageBand for iOS!

As for No Arrow, their song "Genocyde Revealing Part 2" is played at 2:27:00, with frontman Dann Pichette giving some interesting thoughts on the song's origins and the band (if that explains anything!) Thomas said that the song sounded great, that it reminded him of a Nirvana b-side, and he liked the chaotic ending as well. Always solid insights from Thomas Christ (a strong musician in his own right beyond this series), and the breadth of talent from afar is always welcome in this series, so give everything a watch above & below! We'll look at more from You Rock! next week!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items, all related to posts on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from the last few weeks! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• Former Haggith/Eclipse singer Curtis McKenzie is looking for a drummer that would be interested in jamming with his current project, who cover bands like Nirvana, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden. A bassist is already enlisted, and Curt made it sound like he was on guitar. It'd be great to see Curtis back out there with a full band, but message him here or via his group post from two weeks ago for more details!
• In his latest Musicians Wanted post, former Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent posted about wanting to jam in a band again, naming "rock and roll, classic rock, hard rock, and maybe some country" as preferred genres. Mike can also play drums if needed. Maybe not a return to his best known metal work is in the cards, but if you want to jam with Mike, message him at this link or via his group post on Monday!
• Mustang Sally alum Nicholas Gingras is looking for a bassist (ideally aged 17-22) who would be interested in joining his current band The Floor Between Us, who play original "experimental comedy rock", and hope to play songs that, while "straightforward harmonically", can also have simple chord progressions churned out "on the fly". The brief musical samples on their Instagram page don't tell us a ton about their sound, but just in case they could get heavy, message Nicholas at this link or via his group post on Sunday for more info!

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile this weekend! Thanks everyone!

New Videos From Heavy Lies The Crown, A Surprise Full Concert Upload, And Much More!!

At press time, I haven't heard of any 100% confirmed hard rock concerts in the Twin Saults and area for this weekend, but I will definitely let you guys know either tomorrow or on Friday if anything crosses my radar! In the meantime, today's post features some assorted recent updates, a surprise new full concert video from an artist you may not expect, and leading off, some new videos from a recently prominent local metal band!

St. Ignace, Michigan progressive metal quintet Heavy Lies The Crown posted two new solo playthrough videos onto their YouTube channel in the past week, so what can you see in these? One features guitarist Ted Olson playing "Time Diffuser" (or something else, as he put it) alongside the original recording, and this captures his performance across multiple camera angles. Solid and technically sound as you might expect from this very talented axe-slayer, so check out Ted's well-edited and performed rendition at the above links! Embedded below is singer Brandon West's own solo playthrough (singthrough?) video, this time tackling "A Hell Bound Heart", f.k.a. "Thing #1". Like Ted's video, post-production editing was done to spice things up, including some fade transitions and mirroring, along with the multiple camera angles, but the same basic idea is here, just vocally rather than on guitar.

Again, a solid and well edited performance that may help satiate some demand to see Heavy Lies The Crown live, and it'd be neat to see something similar from the other members of the band go online at some point! Give Brandon's video a look below, and check out more from H.L.T.C. above!

Next up, here's a mild diversion while news is slow: A near-full video of legendary comedy musician "Weird Al" Yankovic's concert at The Dreammakers Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino in June 2007! This may seem out of left field for the SMS, but Weird Al has covered hard rock and punk songs multiple times in his long career, some of which are staples of his live setlist. To keep the SMS on relative brand, I'll only link to songs in our genre range here, but kudos to the Weird Al Concerts YouTube channel for posting this on Saturday! Touring in support of his 2006 album "Straight Outta Lynwood", Weird Al's set began with that album's polka medley "Polkarama!", which featured brief yet amusing vocal/accordion covers of the likes of Weezer, The Killers, and Velvet Revolver, while his very first proper song is "Canadian Idiot", his parody of Green Day's "American Idiot".

13 minutes into the 76 minute video, you can see Weird Al perform "It's All About The Pentiums", his parody of the rock remix of Puff Daddy's "It's All About The Benjamins" (the rock remix had Rob Zombie and Dave Grohl on it, so yeah, I can't ignore the inspiration!) Tenth filmed from this set is a 17 minute medley of assorted parodies that weren't performed in full on this tour, which is as good a way as any to witness his wide depth of covers in a short time! Within, he does perform "Bedrock Anthem" (The Red Hot Chili Peppers), "Pretty Fly For A Rabbi" (The Offspring), and "Gump" (The Presidents Of The United States Of America), among other songs. Immediately following, he performs "I'll Sue Ya", a style parody of Rage Against The Machine songs, while the last heavier detour is "Smells Like Nirvana" (parodying "Smells Like Teen Spirit, obviously).

For a 15 year old recording, these videos hold up really well, with the filmer getting solid audio from a near-front row vantage point, so don't let the age of the recording scare you off. Weird Al sounds great in these performances, almost album quality, and his energy and costume changes are excellent. Give the whole concert a watch below, there should be multiple things here for your musical and/or comedy tastes, and click here for SooToday's coverage of Weird Al's local concert proper!

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:

 

• I have moved Sault Ontario "shield rock" duo Swampgut to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band has not issued a public update since releasing their self-titled album on Bandcamp on February 19th of last year, and while their lack of a proper social media page outside of there may not help, singer/drummer Frank McCormick's related visual arts page on Facebook hasn't had an update in longer still. Swampgut was active from 2011-2015 before coming back in late 2020, culminating in the album release, and hopefully this isn't the last we hear from Frank & Rob!
• I have removed inactive local metal band Unbound (a.k.a. With Blood Build Character version 2.0) from our band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook (and only surviving online) page at some point in the past year. Successors to State of Misery, Unbound are sadly best known for the passing of their original singer Justin Fratpietro before they could even publically launch in January 2013, and their only concerts took place in Justin's hometown of Thunder Bay in his memory, before falling inactive that spring. Unbound didn't have much luck, but hopefully Ray, Christopher, Kevin, and Nick are doing well nowadays!
• While they have not publically elaborated on the release of their teased EP, local punk quartet Vanity are already back in studio, revealing on their Facebook page yesterday that they were recording a song at Mission Control Studios, complete with photos of the band tracking their parts there. Very cool to see a young band like this already working at Mission Control, and we'll let you know when more comes out on this song and/or the EP!
  

 

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

These Magnificent Tentacles - "Surfacing..." EP Review!!

It's now time for our 152nd monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at new local punk duo These Magnificent Tentacles' debut EP "Surfacing..."! Released to their Bandcamp page on February 7th, "Surfacing" was recorded last year at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones. This EP features T.M.T.'s original & current lineup, including Slumshine's Brenton Ellis (also formerly of Detroit, Lion Ride, Maximum RNR, and many other bands) on vocals, rhythm guitar, and bass, plus Pixo Control/Vol. alum Steve Edwards on lead guitar and drums. Though the band promised upon release that "Surfacing..." would be available on all major platforms "next week", it appears to be Bandcamp exclusive at press time, where you can buy it for $10 or stream it for free. While the Tentacles have played live, they have not yet signalled any possible physical release.

Song names below are linked to their Bandcamp single copies. With just three songs running for just 12½ minutes, let's begin this quick review with the opening song (and the band's first ever song release) "The Abyss"! Lyrically alluding to pollution and the decline of civilization with references to a tentacled sea monster, the four minute track features an upbeat alternative rock sound buoyed with punk-style vocals from Brent, even getting into Detroit-esque screams for emphasis, an interesting contrast with such a relatively jolly tune. The instrumental performances are solid, though Steve's guitar solo kinda meanders for too long without a lot of variance. Given the vocal style on offer, I do think that "The Abyss" would have more punch if the music underneath was heavier, but it does kinda have that seafaring ease to it, and other local bands sure aren't recording songs like this!

The 5+ minute "Sewer Sailor" is next, which also uses heavy nautical references in talking of the title sailor's lonely desolate voyage, but will the call of a siren tempt him? The first 1:40 of this song is a very meandering, almost lo-fi instrumental that kinda dragged despite fitting the whole "lost at sea" vibe, but things improve afterwards with a more expected punk rock sound, if not as aggressive as Brent's late period bands (Slumshine excepted). The song never really shifts tempo or musical style once it gets into this gear, but the vocals are effective, the percussion's at the right level, and Steve's lead melodies fit pretty well! As a pure punk song, I do prefer "Sewer Sailor" to "The Abyss" for how it meshes the lyrics and song, so genre fans will be right at home, but you can start it 1:40 in and not miss much.

"Surfacing..." closes with its shortest track "The Sea Serpent & The Rainbow", which is a full-on 3 minute pop punk song, albeit continuing the whole "sailor lost at sea" vibe, this time seeming to be about perseverance despite insurmountable odds. In terms of being an upbeat, in-your-face piece of music, the song ends the EP on a high note with a strong use of Brent's vocals, Steve's best guitar performance yet, and a tight rhythm section that just works well for genre fans. Solid closer to an EP that definitely improved as it progressed!

So, what are my final thoughts on These Magnificent Tentacles' debut EP? Overall, it's not a perfect release, and it is way too short, but it sets up Brent & Steve for bigger and better things, and you can see a lot of what made them work so well in their prior local bands! Musically, don't go into this expecting Detroit or The Pixo Control 2.0, but if you liked Brent's past work in punk-centric music like with The Labour Of..., you'll be right at home here! The guys play off each other well musically, Steve showcases guitar skill that you may not be too familiar with, and the production layers everything well enough to keep the instruments clear and distinct! The songs definitely improved for me as they went along, that instrumental intro to "Sewer Sailor" notwithstanding, and while I get the sense that the Tentacles don't want to be pigeon-holed in one genre, their punk turn on song #3 felt very natural!

Above all else, I think the EP should have been longer with more of a detailed story about seafaring adventure, as there is clearly a conceptual theme here, but 12 minutes isn't enough time to spin that yarn. For what is on offer though, fans will get some solid punk and alternative music, especially from a first release by a two man group, and hopefully we hear more from These Magnificent Tentacles as 2022 rolls along! I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but what are we looking at in March? In all likelihood, we'll be taking a look at local industrial metal project Molten Imp's second two-sided digital single "Constable Sewage" from October of last year, as we're past our 6 month anti-bias buffer period from reviewing "Double Dose (Me)", and we're running out of time for the new one to be a "new" release. Look for it at some point next month, and stay tuned on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek, Tarnished, And The Wyld Stallyns), Plus Weekend Concert Previews!!

With pandemic restrictions easing up ahead of schedule this month in Ontario, and reports of the vaccine passport system ending at the beginning of March, this should be a good sign for Sault Ontario concerts in the near term, and that good will extends to today's weekend concert preview post, featuring a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border, some on SHORT NOTICE! Yes, Soundcheck's open mic series at Reggie's West returns tonight too, but we historically do not treat open mic nights as "concerts". Now, here's what you should know, and follow your preferred Ontario news source for more on what is and isn't being scaled back!

Local hard rock band The Wyld Stallyns will play their first live concert of the year when they make their long awaited return to The Whisky Barrel at 113 Gore Street TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the venue only announced this show on their Facebook event page on Tuesday, though note that the band proper has not promoted this show on their own Facebook page at press time. Last seen six months ago at The Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir and at the Entomica fundraiser at the Bushplane Museum, The Stallyns were once the most common SMS-covered band to play at The Whiskey Barrel, but they hadn't played an advertised show there since March 2020 (we all know why). Since then, they've became an electric band complete with a bassist, but will that play into this show, at a venue primarily known for acoustic acts? Find out TOMORROW NIGHT one way or the other!

A 9:00 PM start time, no cover charge, and 19+ age limit are in effect, while vaccine passports must still be presented upon entry (pandemic willing, this will no longer be the case in two weeks), and please respect and follow any public health guidelines posted at The Whiskey Barrel, especially as they're only just now hosting live music again. Visit the above links for more details, and here's The Stallyns live before the pandemic!

Next up, Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will play a special concert THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at Rudyard Town Hall as part of a birthday party event! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this gig via their Facebook page yesterday. Despite advertising for the event being private, the band themselves confirmed that it is publically attendable, hence why we're covering it here despite ostensibly being a birthday party first and foremost. Held in honour of area resident Amy Jo's 40th birthday, SATURDAY's concert promises a live band (Tarnished), glow sticks, and fun, while attendees are asked to dress in black. Hopefully Amy has a great birthday, and Tarnished should provide a fitting musical soundtrack with their hard rocking covers & originals! There's no advertised age limit or cover for this 7:00 PM event.

As for the venue, town hall in Rudyard (a half hour south of the Soo) is at 18725 South Mackinaw Trail. Visit the above links for more on this somewhat unique event, and for a preview, here's a brand new video of Tarnished live at Snows Bar & Grill in Cedarville last week! Featuring Alex, Nathan, Isaac, and Josh covering the back half of Ratt's "Round & Round", this was uploaded to the venue's Facebook page during the Snowsfest pub crawl gig proper. The cover is solid (I honestly like Alex's voice more than Stephen Pearcy's), but the focus on the crowd over the band is unfortunate, so give things a listen below, and don't miss Tarnished on SATURDAY!

Also in new shows (but not this weekend), Sault Ontario southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will play their first shows of 2022 when they return to Reggie's Place for two nights on Friday, March 4th & Saturday, March 5th! These will be Fort Creek's first live appearances in almost four months, with the re-introduced pandemic restrictions a key reason why not, but with those loosening and soon to be taken off the table completely (mask mandate aside), their return to the stage was inevitable! The band has promised new songs in their setlist and merchandise giveaways for both shows, while the concert on Friday the 4th will have an opening act, as they had begun experimenting with last fall. The musician in question is classic rock solo musician Jeremy Logan Newman, who opened for Fort Creek in November with his duo project Whiskey & Beer. Come early to avoid missing his set!

9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no cover charges will be in effect on March 5th, and while the vaccine passport system ends in Ontario at the start of March, please continue to use common sense re: the pandemic, and follow all public health measures in effect at the downtown Reggie's where asked. It'll be great to see Fort Creek's experienced and fan friendly brand of rock on stage again, so keep both shows in mind in two weeks' time, and visit their Facebook page for more details!

Finally for today, let's head back to this weekend's previews for a show that also had advance notice, as Sault Michigan blues/hard rock quartet Project 906 will return to Hulbert Happy Hour in nearby Hulbert Township TOMORROW NIGHT! Originally scheduled for January 6th before being postponed six weeks due to pandemic case counts in the state, this will be Billy, Joe, Dustin, and Odin's first public concert of 2022, their first show anywhere in three months, and their first publically advertised Hulbert gig since 2019, so if you've missed the 906 crew's hard rocking originals and select covers, you know where to be tomorrow! This show will take place at Hulbert Happy Hour (10402 South Maple Street, an hour west of the Soo) tomorrow at 9:00 PM, and you can expect a 21+ age limit and no cover. 

As usual, please respect any public health measures at the bar. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's a new video of Project 906 live at The Strongs Tavern in November! Uploaded to the band's Facebook page to help promote tomorrow's concert, this appears to be from the same filmer as their original video from that show, albeit in a slightly different position on the counter (unfortunately, more of the counter is in frame here). This video features Project 906 covering The Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post", and giving it some strong emotion and hard rock edge, so fans will wanna check it out below in advance of TOMORROW'S return gig at Hulbert Happy Hour!

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

Our Recap Of The Last(?) Episode Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

Today on the SMS, let's finally cover the final(?) episode of the Metal Morpheus radio show on local internet radio station The Borderline! As you may know, Metal Morpheus ran for an hour (give or take) on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM from July-December of last year, with host/local metal singer Josh Amendola typically featuring a genre or national scene each week, with at least one metal act with local membership per episode. However, following a heavily revised version of October's all-local episode on December 5th, the series fell into reruns for a month, and no new episodes have been posted on the station website since re-airing the power metal episode on January 9th. I don't know what happened to Metal Morpheus, especially given that Josh was very early into a planned series of alphabetical spotlights of the scenes in various countries, and he was improving as an on-air personality as time went on, so hopefully he isn't 100% done!

The possibility exists that Metal Morpheus is just on an indefinite hiatus, and hopefully we see Josh pick things back up for the series in some form when the time is right! If not, ending with the Soo Metal episode is a good way to go out, even if it was severely altered from what originally aired! I never recapped the October version on the site due to only catching up to it in the timeline after it was taken down. Alas, I do apologize for that, but how would I have known that it'd be deleted and overhauled? Just as a disclaimer, Josh does reference both the SMS and myself in this episode, and while he did ask me for suggestions of local bands to play on air last year and for input on how episodes turned out, I never knew he was going to make an all-local episode. I was as surprised as everyone else! As of this writing, I have never been on The Borderline in any on-air or behind-the-scenes capacity.

As for the revised Soo Metal episode, it runs for just over an hour, and it starts with Josh playing defunct local alternative rock band (and Papa Fogals Chair predecessors) Sulfur's song "Our Glass Universe" (0:05) from their 1997 CD "How Empty I Am". Next, we get a song by old school local hardcore punk band The Big Kahunas with their original studio recording "The Fighting Princess Club" (3:55), before abruptly switching gears to inactive Vancouver grunge trio Denderah with their song "Sweetness" (5:50). I've never heard of Denderah, but their frontman Kwin Cymons is a Saultite, so his band's material clearly found its way to The Borderline's rotation before passing my radar! They're a solid group, give their album a listen at their Bandcamp page! A rare Sault Michigan act hits the episode next via inactive progressive metal project Life's Eclipse's song "Not Dead But Dreaming" (9:05).

Fondly remembered local hardcore punk band Fistmagnet's cover of "Live To Die" (17:15) is next, followed by local/London instrumental prog metal band Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's song "All Roams Lead To Roads" (20:10) from their self-titled album. Prominent and dearly missed local hard rock quartet Garden of Bedlam follow with the title track from their full length album "Everything Will Die" (23:15), while the second half of the episode begins with death metal quartet The Bear Hunters' song "Transcend Judgement" (28:20) from 2020's "The Dead Testament", conveniently followed by ex-guitarist Josh Stephney's old hardcore band Bring The Fallen with the title track of their posthumous EP "Stand Before" (34:40). This episode's only live cut is next, courtesy of defunct local metal band Sativa Rose with their lengthy original song "Bellows of the Beast" (39:10).

Juno Award winning local/Toronto blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres come next with their dark ballad "Finality" (48:10) from their final studio album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", before heading back to Sault Michigan for defunct local epic death metal band Integrated System of Machines' song "Road To Valhalla" (52:10) from their 2008 album "Apocalyptic Visions". The episode ends with one more song by Denderah, namely "Natal Lies" (57:35), and no, neither this episode nor the last 100% new one from the previous week left any hints that the series was ending or taking a break. While Josh did leave some gaps regarding band members' full names or back stories (especially with Life's Eclipse given how we've covered them and Werehold Records over the years), this was an entertaining episode and showed how Josh was trying to expand the range of local artists!

Definitely give this and other episodes of Metal Morpheus a listen at the above links, as it is (was?) a good series and helped fill the metal void on The Borderline's scheduled rotation, and if Josh doesn't return to record new episodes, hopefully we hear more from him in some form, let alone more metal, hard rock, or punk-centric programming on the station! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New EP Release, New Videos, And A Local Musician's New Website!!

Before everyone settles in for the Super and/or Puppy Bowl, here's a new news post on this Sunday morning! Along with belated details about a local musician's new website, a new cover performance, and more local musicians on a popular music review series, let's lead off with a surprise new album from a talented newer band, so here's what you should know!

After scattered studio work teasers in mid-2021 and over four months of public silence, new local alt-hardcore duo These Magnificent Tentacles released their debut EP "Surfacing..." onto their Bandcamp page this past Monday! The band never 100% confirmed they were working on an album, just new songs, so this was a nice surprise during a quiet stretch! Featuring their current two-man lineup of Slumshine's Brenton Ellis and ex-Pixo Control bassist Steve Edwards, "Surfacing..." was recorded at Mission Control Studios with producer/Tidal Records head Dustin Jones, and it is a short release, only containing three songs. One is "The Abyss", which was their debut single when the band launched, while the other two are titled "Sewer Sailor" & "The Sea Serpent & The Rainbow". The cover artwork appears to be a painting of Brent's, going along with his prolific visual art work.

Despite being a three song EP, "Surfacing..." costs $10 on Bandcamp, though you can stream the songs free there, and teasers of availability on other digital platforms have not come to fruition yet. No word either on a possible physical release, but for reference, Slumshine have put out CDs, and These Magnificent Tentacles have played one live concert, so the possibility is there. I won't comment on the songs yet, as it's looking very likely that "Surfacing..." will be this month's CD review on the SMS. Stay tuned for that, and check out T.M.T.'s debut EP above! 

Next up, here's a new video from prolific local metal/folk punk solo musician Chase Wigmore's Facebook page, where he covered Steve Vai's instrumental "For The Love Of God"! The video is heavily filtered with Chase's performance mirrored and de-colourized in very Rorschach test-y fashion, which is a neat look! Chase plays along to the original song very well, even if this isn't an optimal way to actually see his playing of the song given the filter, but check out this solid cover below, and stay tuned for more from him!

Also today, let's look at some more local representation on the popular indie music review series You Rock! with Thomas Christ! In the 3+ hour episode #19 from January 12th, two local acts made the cut for live reviews, including Inner City Surfers bassist Brad Example's solo song "The Queen's Secrets" (2:01:50), which Thomas positively reviewed, while we dip more into hard rock when Thomas checked out defunct local grunge trio No Arrow's song "Genocyde Revealing Part 1" (2:32:15), and he praised the song for its mix, Nirvana vibes, and it's raw, live essence. Always good thoughts from Thomas about bands here and abroad, so check out all of the talent below!

Finally, while the ever-prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith wasn't in episode #19 of You Rock!, I do have stuff to talk about from him today, via his new website, which I've put off discussing for way too long. Perhaps a very belated successor to his once exceptionally detailed Facebook page biography and discography, his cleanly laid out website gives a massive updated biography, running down Mike's career as a musician from Windsor to the Soo to Thompson. Mike's major bands (from S.C.A.R. to Between The Ditches) also get subpages outlining their runs and highlights, even considering The Din to be distinct from the acid jam era of Mike Haggith & The Din, though the articles do leave out some very minor details. Curiously, James White is not credited as a former bassist with the band Haggith, though he never performed on an album with them, so that may explain his omission.

The discography on the website only reflects The Din and solo albums Mike put out since moving to the Soo, though way back when, I did save a text document listing every album by Mike's old Rotten Records catalogue numbers, which is good for reference! You can also order Thompson-era albums through the website. Very professional looking site with great insight into Mike's career, especially in a local sense, so fans of Mike's extensive career will definitely want to check out his website above! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site this week. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck, Tym Morrison, And Tarnished), Plus A New Video!!

With the concert restrictions easing up in Ontario, it's great to see that we have multiple acts playing live in Sault Ontario this weekend, including one band who actually returned last week (my apologies!) As such, this post is loaded with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, including for one E.U.P. gig, but we do have a new video to wrap things up with. Here's what you should know on this Thursday night!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished will play their first concert of 2022 when they hit nearby Cedarville for the first time TOMORROW NIGHT at Snows Bar & Grill! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this concert on their Facebook page on Monday. Last seen in Rudyard in December, Tarnished's concert TOMORROW will take place as part of the annual pub shuffle (or pub crawl) during the annual Les Cheneaux Islands Snowsfest, which is the annual winter festival in Cedarville and Hessel. The official program is on the area's chamber of commerce's Facebook page, confirming that Snows (a new location for our coverage) is one of five Cedarville/Hessel bars taking part in the pub crawl, so if you're interested in taking part in the festivities, definitely inquire within while you still have time! Tarnished will basically be the wrap party for the pub crawl at Snows.

FYI, Cedarville classic rock band Shipheads on Shore will end the night at The Islander Bar in Hessel, so two participating venues will have live music. As for Tarnished, they'll be on at 8:00 PM TOMORROW at Snows (1187 South Park Avenue, 38 minutes south of Sault Ste. Marie), this is a 21+ event, and as far as I know, there's no admission fee for the concert alone. Of course, please follow any stated public health measures at Snows Bar & Grill, let alone other bars in the pub crawl. See above for more details, and here's Tarnished live!

Next up, let's head to Sault Ontario, where local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, after previously playing there last weekend as well! Again, apologies for the short notice (and for missing last week's gigs), they only announced TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S via their Facebook event page yesterday, and while last week's were announced on the Tuesday prior, they entirely slipped me by. Remember, Soundcheck often only announce their concerts on less than a week's notice, and have done so on the Friday of before. It's atypical of Soundcheck to play the same venue in consecutive weekends, but seeing as they couldn't play anywhere during the return of pandemic restrictions in December, I'm sure they were itching to get back on stage as soon as they could, and Reggie's likely felt similarly!

You can take in Terry, Cameron, Paul, and Glen's brand of old school rock favourites and select country cuts TOMORROW and/or SATURDAY at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no cover charge, but please be mindful of the current capacity restrictions at Reggie's, follow any posted public health & social distancing guidelines, and do not forget your vaccine passport. Visit the above links for more details, I apologize again for missing last week's shows, and here's Soundcheck live!

Lastly for announced hard rock concerts in the area this weekend, local classic/hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play his first publically advertised concert of 2022 THIS SUNDAY when he plays a matinee concert at the aforementioned Reggie's Place! Apologies once again for the short notice, Tym only announced this show via its official Facebook event page on Tuesday, and remember that he also often first announces shows on social media the week that they occur. Similarly grounded from the stage since December, this will be Tym's first show since his Mane St. Cafe gigs late last year, and his first SUNDAY matinee at the downtown Reggie's since November, following an early December cancellation there. I know Tym was eager to get back on stage, and hopefully there's a receptive crowd for his extensive setlist and vocal/guitar skill on SUNDAY as he so often got last year!

As usual for Tym's weekend matinees at Reggie's, this concert has a 3:00 PM start time, no cover, and presumed 19+ age limit, but please follow and respect any social distancing and public health measures in place at Reggie's to ensure that everyone has a safe time. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Tym live!

Finally for today, here's a new song from young local punk quartet Vanity's YouTube channel, namely a demo recording of an original song named "Hard Feelings"! If you follow the band on Facebook, you may have seen teasers this week for a self-titled physical CD of theirs (limited to 50 copies), though aside from the print run number and track listing, they didn't glean anything specific about how the release will go, how much CDs will cost, if it will see a digital release, or if the songs on the disc are the same six demo versions on YouTube rather than more complete studio recordings. We'll definitely keep you guys posted, but give "Hard Feelings" a listen below!

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

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Smeltzer & Gorrifier

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles, continuing our monthly spotlight of local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands from the past, all as randomly selected from our inactive band links! Given our random pick last month, I optimistically pencilled today's first band in for a single band profile, but alas, not enough media or information is publically available all these years later, so we're doubling up with another randomly selected band, this time a solo studio project. Here's what you should know!

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Smeltzer

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Punk/Alternative

Lineup:

Steve "Knuckles" Mozarowski (RedD Monkey), vocals/guitar
Paul "Pauliford" Stanghetta (The Apocalypse Afterparty, The Fury), bass
Kevin "Kevo" Overton (RedD Monkey, Gates of Winter), drums

Info/Analysis: Active from around 2005-2008, Smeltzer were a common sight for genre fans at the time, primarily from appearances at Oddfellows Hall all-ages shows opening for bands like Propagandhi, Means, and The Full Blast. After dissolving, Smeltzer held a one-off reunion in 2011 at The Oddfellows Hall, while Steve and Kevin would later succeed them in the cello-infused local favourites RedD Monkey, and Steve would cover Smeltzer's "The Jock Song" with that band and as a solo artist. Smeltzer had original songs and once teased releasing an album called "Dropping The S-Bomb", but MySpace's degradation has left none of their media online, and I can't find any videos. I recall liking Smeltzer's grungier alt-punk sound and darker aesthetic compared to members' later groups, and while it's a shame they didn't run longer, follow RedD Monkey & The Apocalypse Afterparty for members' diverse recent material, visually & musically alike!

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Gorrifier

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Lineup:

Robert Sartini (Pillory, The Peach Thieves), all instruments 

Info/Analysis: Originally active for a brief spell in 2014, Gorrifier was a straight death metal project of Rob's, playing original songs distinct from his YouTube covers of that time period. Their Reverbnation page and its six original songs were quietly pulled from public view by year's end during a mass social media exodus for his non-Pillory projects, but it quietly returned at some point circa 2016, albeit without new material.With brutal song titles like "Grotesque Creation" & "Psychological Nightmare", you can expect punishing death metal from Gorrifier, whose intense originals foreshadowed Pillory's shift to death metal during their mid-2010s revival, and while production wasn't pristine, these showcased Robert's ability and improved Death-inspired vocals very well! Give Gorrifier a listen to see what you think, and hopefully Robert returns in one project or another!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! This series will return on or around March 10th for our first single-band profile of 2022, or artist in this case, as we'll be looking at ex-Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie's inactive solo project! Tune in then, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!