Local Metal Video Showcase!!

In our likely last post of the month (as I always take my birthday off),  we're looking at some videos from our recent backlog, and let's start with updates from local/Barrie crossover thrash quintet Spades GT starting with an advance review of their upcoming album "Sewer City Radio"! Surprisingly, this comes by way of Japanese music website Upp-Tone Music, and don't worry, it is in English, if slightly broken. The advance review looks at "Hands", "XS", and the not-yet-released "Red", and while I don't want to skew my opinion of those songs given that I do plan to review the album myself, the review is positive, calling Spades GT "a ray of hope for the future of rock and metal". Good to see them getting notices way out east, so read it for yourself above! The album is still on track for a release on Friday, but one more advance single was posted last week, namely "Succubus", so click there to give it a spin!

Again, I'll hold comment on the song pending our review of "Sewer City Radio", which is currently pencilled in for September, assuming that the release date holds. Embedded below is something a little more visual than a still album cover, namely a 15 second behind the scenes teaser for their "Final Girl" music video from their Facebook page that kinda has to drop soon if they want it to coincide with the album release! The clip features director Josh Penno filming the video's lead actress sitting on a swing, with an axe wielding maniac (played by bassist James Roy Daley) on the prowl. The full video should be interesting, so stay tuned for more on it & the album, and get more from Spades GT above & below!

Next up, let's take a look at some new live concert videos from from new local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations' Facebook group! The band is not playing public shows this weekend, but you can relive this past Saturday's Esquire Club gigs via two new videos, including one filmed for attendee Christopher Bardawill's personal Facebook page (and publically shared by drummer Tony Santoro) of them covering Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" with guitarist Brandon Ruch on lead vocals. Alas, the video was shot vertically, but Christopher got an interesting side-stage angle focusing primarily on Brandon, so that much is fitting with him singing this one! It's a solid cover that Dire Straits fans should like!

Embedded below is a video shot by an uncredited attendee and posted directly by Tony, and while much shorter (45 seconds), I'm featuring it here for three reasons: It was filmed horizontally, it's an official band upload rather than a share, and the song in question (Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot") at least leans towards hard rock moreso. Valerie Powley sings lead on this cover and does a fine job from what we hear, though the filmer's angle means that Tony is out of view for the duration. Give these a watch above and below, and stay tuned for more from Generations!

Also, here's a brand new video from St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown's YouTube channel yesterday, which was posted to showcase drummer Jaxon Massaway's new Mapex Mars drumkit and Zildjian cymbals! The 78 seconds-long, multi-camera video features Jaxon (a.k.a."the kid") testing the equipment out, alongside still shots of the drums without a user in the way, and some outdoor scenery to boot. If you like drum solos, then you'll get a good one here, and this is a good way to show off Jaxon's abilities even beyond the kit, so give it a watch below!

Finally, here's a new video from Sault Ontario hard rock guitarist Mike McCleary's YouTube channel! We haven't heard much from Mike since he released his instrumental album "Fallout From Midnight Tides" in April, but he posted a new lyric video for his song "Be The One" (from 2018's "Weight Of The Truth") earlier this month. You may recall that Mike had a much more animated lyric video featuring stock footage lined up with the lyrics, but both of his extant videos on YouTube have been de-listed, and this new lyric video is now all that's shown. It's just white lyrics on a black background, but its lyrics about his mental illness struggle and the grungy sound still work, so give it a watch below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site next month! Thanks everyone!