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!

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

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!

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

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!

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

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!