Local Metal Video Showcase!!

After a busy slate of weekend concert previews, let's dive into some recent videos from local metal acts, including a jam session clip, a solo performance, and a video explanation of a recent original song's recording progress, but leading off, here's some lineup updates and teasers!

Let's start in St. Ignace, Michigan for the latest from local progressive metalcore quartet Heavy Lies The Crown, who played their first concert since the pandemic began, and with their new lineup, on Thursday! Unfortunately, it was in Saginaw, continuing their run of non-local dates, but hopefully they melted many a face in the Lower Peninsula in their return show! Joining Brandon and Ted in their new lineup are bassist Christian Thanasiu (replacing Danny Tucker) and drummer Jaxon Massaway (replacing Cale Krist), who is credited as "The Kid" in the Facebook teaser video embedded below for the Saginaw concert. Just as a reminder, H.L.T.C. have not immediately replaced Nathan Switzer on rhythm guitar. I am not familiar with Christian or Jaxon from prior local bands, but crucially, both currently live in St. Ignace, so any distance hang-ups will be precluded, and maybe this will lead to more E.U.P. dates?

Over the past month, Heavy Lies The Crown have updated their Facebook page primarily to promote the Rock Rebel Show show in Saginaw, including this teaser clip focused on their duck mascot mask, and this short video featuring our best look yet at the new lineup jamming together, albeit without live audio. Frontman Brandon West had also entered a Michigan Metal Vocal Competition that they were promoting, and Belgian online host Evy Wisse reviewed them in her Twitch series highlighting underground rock musicians, a'la Your Music Live or You Rock. Good to see things falling into place for the new look Heavy Lies The Crown, so get all of their current updates above & below, and stay tuned for more!

Next up, here is a new teaser clip of revived Sault Ontario death metal quartet Exploring Detritus jamming, courtesy of their Facebook page on Thursday! This is not quite a full look at the band's current five-piece lineup, as new frontman Mitch Sirie is not visibly present, but we do get to see his (ex-?) Bear Hunters bandmate Justin Lam with the former Kaepora Gaebora for the first time. The 31 second clip doesn't tell us much, and Dan is unfortunately behind a pole (and glare) for most of it, but it sounds promisingly brutal while it lasts, so give it a look for yourself below!

Also, here's a new video of prolific local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore in action, though not on his Facebook page, rather his on-and-off label Blood Shed Productions' Facebook page. Uploaded on Tuesday, the caption-free video sees Chase playing more of a funk rock song, while impressively singing with a cigarette in his mouth! Very Primus-y vibes with this performance, but the audio quality is somewhat scratchy, and the foreground lighting is much darker than the background lighting. Check it out for yourself below!

Finally, here's a new video from local/Toronto progressive metal band PROV3RB5's Facebook page on Thursday, where guitarist Benjamin Roswell explains how the songwriting and concept of their third released single "Particles" came to be, notably with how he, Bryan, and the guest American musicians all came to the same theory about the song's meaning, while also thanking viewers of their virtual release party for the single. If you missed out, you missed a chance to win prizes, even! Ben does come off a little dry here, but he explains everything nicely and gives some solid insight into "Particles", so give it a watch , and look for more from PROV3RB5 soon!

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