It's finally time for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, with another look at the current statuses and release whereabouts of upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands who have publically confirmed studio sessions under their belts! While one album (Molten Imp & C.T.W.'s split) has been removed from the series due to its successful release last month, another upcoming album has been added following its commencement of recording sessions last month, and it's a big one! As always, entries with updated or new information have the album name in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite
Rumoured Songs: Multiple
Background: Ever
the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal
musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work),
originally named
"A Story
About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo
albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy
elaboration of the rock opera last year, now titled "The Chaotic
Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release
timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as well as the final artwork, while in promotion for his last
release, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final
eponymous solo album.
Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine for when this will finally come out, but remember that Chase is very prolific and varied in his musical interests, and not every album of his has seen a formal paid release, either by finishing it's lifespan as a demo, or by being released online for free. Regardless, he has been working on the rock opera for years to ensure a quality product, so stay tuned for updates from his camp!
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Fort Creek's debut EP
Rumoured Songs: "Hammer Down"
Background: Local
southern/hard rock quintet Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to
record an EP since February 2020, and while the pandemic lockdowns may
have gave them more time to record, they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared this snippet of their single "Hammer Down" their Facebook page, later posting this 72 second clip. The guys debuted it at their headlining concert at Soo Blaster
in June, and have played it live regularly since, but they have yet to
release any full tracks online. The band revealed that they have been working in studio in early 2023, but did not 100% say it was towards this album or not.
Current Release Status:
Fort Creek originally planned to release the EP in "late summer", later
adjusted to "late 2022", but both timeframes have obviously came and
went. The
band had been part of a three month hiatus late last year, but whether
the
break was to work on the EP isn't publically known. There are a lot of
unknowns either way,
especially given the 2+ years of production time and that this is a band
primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit (though some
members do have experience in name original bands, especially Tony). It
will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned!
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Handsome Sandwich - "Deconstructed"
Rumoured Songs: "All Or Nothing", "Bitter", "No Entry", "No Idea", "Better Off"
Background: After taking a year+
long hiatus during the pandemic, local "no genre" band Handsome Sandwich reunited in mid-2021 with a new
lineup, with Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger now
joined by singer Taylor Emlaw, guitarist Mitch Sirie, and (as of last summer) bassist Rafael Medina. Via their new Facebook page & YouTube channel,
the band almost instantly began teasing a debut album (after previously
being covers-only from 2017-2020), posting videos of them playing original songs. In June 2021,
Handsome Sandwich revealed that the album had began pre-production, with recording at Unsalted Audio
with producer Bill Priddle and mixer Dustin Goodall. The band also confirmed in July
that guest saxophonist Josh Norling will appear on their new song "No
Entry". In November, the band confirmed that the album's name was changed
from "Lettuce" to "Deconstructed", and recording sessions wrapped in January, with Jordan Zadorozny mixing the tracks at Skylark Park in Pembroke. The first single "Bitter" was released to streaming services last month, with "Better Off" and another song to come this month & next.
Current Release Status: The band has had a release date of May 6th planned for this album since last fall, and that will culminate in a release concert at The Loft, which is The Algoma Conservatory of Music's third floor intimate concert venue and attached recording studio. Handsome Sandwich did tease that this set will be "live recorded", but they have not specified if they meant in video or audio format, and if the latter, if they plan to release their set as a live album or not. Assuming no hang-ups or delays, May 6th should be a huge occasion, especially given the fancier setting for the release party, so stay tuned for updates!
Mike Haggith - "All The Best In All You Do"
Rumoured Songs: "I've Seen It Before", "Twist of Fate", "If Only You Could Hear Me"
Background: During his live-streamed Facebook concert
in February 2022, local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike
Haggith revealed that he was working on his newest studio album,
entitled "All The Best In All You Do". Like his other Thompson-era
albums, this will have an overarching concept, this time about the
transition out of depression and being manipulated by others, into a
happier personal life. At the time, Mike was 35% done with the album,
and he has played two new originals planned for it in live-streams and
in his 2022 concerts, as well as "If Only
You Could Hear Me", a still-unreleased song from early in his time in Thompson. A single version of "Twist of Fate" was unveiled in July, and live videos of all three songs can be
found on Mike's Facebook page and/or YouTube channel.
Mike moved to Barrie, Ontario for work reasons at the end of 2022, and
has indicated plans to resume work on his solo career, including this
album, in the near future.
Current Release Status:
Given Mike's day job and personal commitments, he hasn't been as active
on social media in recent months, but he was playing live dates last
year and
presumably working on recording the new album where time allows, though
all of the personal and professional changes involving his move to
Ontario are definitely acknowledged. Hopefully things are
progressing naturally, and we'll keep you posted!
Spades GT''s first full-length album
Rumoured Songs: "Cenobites", "Hands"
Background: After a successful local run from 2013-2020 that included their 2014 debut EP "The First" and six more studio tracks on 2015's "Fed Up!" split, local crossover thrash quintet Jack Spades were relaunched in late 2021 as Spades GT, once frontman J.D. Pearce moved to Barrie for work reasons. After playing live throughout 2022, the band announced plans to record a full-length album in January, hitting the studio in Toronto with producer Kyle Marchant (pictured with 4/5ths of the band here) last month. Only J.D. remains from the Jack Spades-era CDs, now joined by late-era Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton (who also moved to the GTA) plus new additions Jay Sarrazin, James Roy Daley, and Tyler Reiner on guitar, bass, and drums. The album will feature guest appearances from Anvil frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow on guitar and Daniel's Fast Life bandmate Andrew Moorehouse on vocals.
Current Release Status: The band announced via this Facebook post yesterday that the album is "coming out in May", and if that projection holds, it's convenient timing given that Spades alumni Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger's debut album with Handsome Sandwich is also slated for release that month! Given the extra opportunities and availability that Spades GT have in Southern Ontario, things can easily come together quicker and on a higher profile compared to their mid-2010s efforts. Keep posted to Spades GT's online pages for further updates, and songs from the new album have been filmed in live concert videos!
The Uncanny Valley's debut album
Rumoured Songs: "The Uncanny
Valley", "Glowin'", "Middle Man", “This Love is Psychedelic”, "Stuck In
Rotation", “Sweet Like Sugar”, "Fumbling Through"
Background: The new classic hard
rock band from 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan, fans will
have seen original material of theirs right from the start, as The
Uncanny Valley debuted their own songs in their first live concert at
The Canadian on New Year's Eve 2019. Live concert & jam session videos
have followed on their Facebook page featuring their own material as well. After posting a teaser audio clip of "Sweet Like Sugar" in September 2020, they posted the full studio version of "Middle Man" that October, finally confirming there that they are working on their
first album. The guys did
record a studio version of "Stuck In Rotation" at Unsalted Audio for the Clusterfolk Music Festival
and a related compilation album in April, but whether that
exact recording will be included on the band's own album is unclear.
Current Release Status: No clue,
which isn't helped by The Uncanny Valley's age and relatively unfamiliar
profile for many readers, not to mention the complications of the
pandemic, but they have played a number of local concerts in the past few months.
That said, they are a
talented group who seemed to be taking the
right steps for the future, and hopefully more updates on The Uncanny
Valley's debut
album follow in some form or another when ready!
I hope you guys liked this month "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around April 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile projected for Friday. Look for them then, and for more news and notes on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!
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