LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Clutch & Selias), 104.3 The Fox Updates, And A 1999 Concert Bootleg!!

Let's dive into some more big news on this Wednesday morning, including a surprise local concert bootleg discovery, programming news from a local radio station, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on both sides of the border, so here's what you should know!

Toronto melodic death metal band Selias will head here for the second time in under six months when they perform at Soo Blaster once again on Friday, March 14th! As local metalheads may recall, Selias headlined Heavy North Entertainment's comeback concert there in September of last year, with next month's show kicking off the band's Western Canadian Annihilation Tour, which hopefully goes well for all involved! H.N.E. are promoting this show, in their first concert booking of 2025 and second since their relaunch. It's worth noting that drummer Tyler Reiner (better known currently from his work with Spades GT) is not pictured in Selias' newest band photographs, implying that he has left their ranks, though hopefully he comes back north with Spades soon! No word yet on opening bands, but in September, Selias were joined by fellow touring metal band Out Of Spite and six local hard rock/metal acts, including some big returnees.

One of those openers was new local technical death metal band Bardo (fronted by Heavy North Entertainment owner Tyler St. Amour), but I have no idea if they're playing next month. We'll let you know when additional bands are confirmed! No word yet on ticket prices or availability therein, but last year, the show was all ages with an early 5:00 PM start time to accommodate the eight band lineup, and tickets ran for $15 online, at Soo Blaster, via local openers, or at a couple of Queen Street East businesses.  There's blanks to fill in ahead, but visit the above links for more on Selias' St. Patrick's Day weekend stop at Soo Blaster next month!

Next up, here's yesterday's big Sault Michigan concert announcement for The Dreammakers Theatre at their Kewadin Casino branch, as Maryland stoner/hard rock quartet Clutch will make their local concert debut on Thursday, June 19th! While not a mainstream rock radio presence, Clutch have carved out a devoted following with their bluesy but hard hitting brand of original rock in the past three decades thanks to fan favourite songs like "Electric Worry", "The Regulator", and "X-Ray Visions", and it will be neat to see them in town this summer! If press releases and news sites like Blabbermouth are to be believed, Clutch will be playing their self-titled 1995 album in full on this tour, so fans of "Spacegrass" will be excited! Openers on the Full Ahead Flank MMXXV Tour will include Nashville southern hard rock quartet Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and Washington D.C. folk/country singer/guitarist Nate Bergman.

While we're obviously getting heavier as the night progresses, Tyler and Nate have a lot of talent, so don't bypass their sets for some bluesy southern fare! This all ages concert (on Juneteenth, no less) has an 8:00 PM start time, and this one is standing room only, so the seats are gone for the night. Tickets go on sale for $55 USD on Friday at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN, but pre-sale tickets are already available if you have the requisite code. I wouldn't have had Clutch pegged as a band that I expected to rock the Twin Saults in 2025, but this should be a solid concert, and decidedly unique compared to what often comes to the Soo Kewadin, so see above for more details!

Now let's dive into some programming updates from new Sault Ontario rock radio station 104.3 The Fox! The big reveal is that morning drive program The Brock & Dalby Show now has a nighttime version airing weeknights from 8:00-10:00 PM on The Fox and its sister stations in Northeastern Ontario and Kingston. As best as I can gather, this features condensed/select host segments heard in their regular 5:30-9:00 AM timeslot in between music, and it premiered after The Biggs & Barr Show on Monday night. Another note that I didn't bring up when first covering the relaunched CJQM is that Tuesdays have a slight theme, namely "Two For One Tuesday", where two back-to-back songs featuring the same artist (if not always in the same band) will be played on occasion. This is hardly an all-day, every-song theme (like "Twofer Tuesday" is on WRIF in Detroit), but it's something different every so often on Tuesdays!

Lastly, I never mentioned when noting local midday DJ Dan Koo's on-air work that he has a segment of his own called "Dan's Big Three", where he quickly goes through three big local news stories. It sounds like things are going well for the former Q104 in their new format, and I am enjoying the variety that their existence affords in conjunction with Rock 101, so continue tuning into 104.3 FM on your radio dial or online!

Finally, many readers will be aware of concert bootlegs being popular among diehard fans and collectors, and the Soo was not immune to getting them on occasion. Back on July 15th, 1999, Halifax hard rock legends April Wine headlined in Sault Ontario at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, one of their (at least) three local concert stops, including one at Sault Memorial Gardens in 1984 and another at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino in 2013. The 1999 show was recorded by rej1064 and remastered by Rocker200, and was first uploaded to the bootleg forum Dimeadozen in 2006, with the YouTube channel Classic Rock Live Concerts posting it publically on Sunday. I won't list the track order here, as you can see it below via the bootleg's back cover, but the hits that you expect April Wine to play were represented in the 17 song set. The audio quality isn't pristine, but you hear enough to get the gist of how April Wine sounded in 1999!

There are some abrupt stops between songs, so I take it that rej1064 was trying to record individual tracks and/or cut down on between-song banter/introductions. Still, 75 minutes of legit local concert audio from 26 years ago is really neat, especially as it predates the YouTube generation where you can readily find full concert streams from the past two decades, and the band sounds good throughout this concert. Check out the full local April Wine bootleg below, and R.I.P. Myles!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Dayglo Abortions, Greg Rekus & The Inside Job, And Bone Yard 225), And More!!

Here's a stacked news post on this Monday night that features a surprise kinda-sorta album release 2+ years in the making, but let's lead off with three big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next few months!

Local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 will make their Soo Blaster debut for a one-night-only event on Saturday, February 22nd! You do occasionally see covers-leaning rock bands headlining at Soo Blaster, as seen from past gigs from bands like Half Past and Fort Creek, so such a booking is usually a sign that they have big plans and upward momentum locally, and that is definitely the case for your local 225. Of course, the guys have three studio original songs now, they recently got a lengthy interview on The Borderline, and they have big plans for shows locally and afar in 2025, so hitting the big Soo Blaster stage should be a good stop as they continue their late-period rise! No word on any specific frills given the larger venue, but expect merchandise and their infamous "Bone Yard shot". This show has a 9:00 PM start time, 19+ age limit, and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more on Bone Yard's big show ahead!

Next up, Winnipeg folk punk band Greg Rekus & The Inside Job will make their second local concert appearance when they return to The Distraction on Saturday, March 8th! Fans may recall seeing Greg and crew at the former barbershop in May of last year, but when they return next month, this show will take place downstairs in their basement venue space The Stellar Door, which has hosted all of The Distraction's concerts since the summer (I know that the Ripcordz show downstairs was a huge hit, but the upstairs barbershop space is unique and I hope it gets used for concerts again!) Unlike last year, The Inside Job are not the advertised headliners, with new and online page-less local space rock duo The Spaceship Opening (featuring former Redundant bassist Andrew MacDonald) getting top billing. We still don't know a lot about this band, but in case nothing is posted online prior, you can learn more next month!  Local folk punk solo project Agnosticism (led by this show's promoter Mikhal Muto) will open in their first concert of the new year.

Kicking off the proceedings is Tucker Lidstone, an acoustic folk singer/songwriter who you may have seen at The Distraction opening for former(?) Sylo frontman Eli Russell and playing at last fall's Sewing In Solidarity event, but this is the first time that he's crossed our radar on a heavier/punk show. Doors open at 7:00 PM for this all ages basement event, and admission is $15 (up from $10 last year) or "pay what you can". Greg & The Inside Job should deliver a solid set of folk punk amongst this diverse array of local talent, so don't miss out on all of the action at The Stellar Door next month, and visit the above links for more details!

Also newly confirmed is the long awaited return of Victoria, British Columbia hardcore punk legends The Dayglo Abortions to Sault Ste. Marie when they rock the aforementioned Soo Blaster on Thursday, May 8th! This will be the Cretin and company's first local date since headlining at Soo Blaster in May of 2023, following two well received gigs at the former Roosevelt Hotel in the early 2010s and many in prior decades, though the Soo's half-own Spades GT have opened for The Dayglos in Southern Ontario in the interim. Should be good to have their ferocious old school punk attack on home soil once again, so don't miss out in spite of the work/school night scheduling! Two touring bands are joining The Dayglo Abortions on their cross-Canada spring tour, including Vancouver-based "west coast skacore" quintet Dirtnap and Prince Edward Island folk punk band The Devil's Punchbowl, both making their local debuts.

Hardcore punk fans will find Dirtnap to be closer spiritually to Dayglo, but there's a diverse array of punk stylings here, which will be kicked off by local hardcore punk/crossover thrash quartet Hails in a rare Soo Blaster appearance. This will be a huge feather in their cap, so don't miss their fast and intense originals in May either! Doors open at 6:30 PM for this all ages concert, and tickets will run $20 in advance (presumably in time on Soo Blaster's website and through Ha!ls members) or $25 at the door. For reference, the advance ticket price is identical to 2023, but the door charge this year is actually $5 less. Hardcore punk fans will not want to miss this huge concert in three months, so see above for more details!

Finally, here's a surprise, as inactive local hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley have posted what would have been their debut album on YouTube! As you may recall, this young group were working on an album from at least late 2020 onward, and included their song "Stuck In Rotation" on the "Clusterfolk" compilation album in 2022, but public activity dried up after that fall aside from posting a belated music video for "The Village" in June 2023. The 40 minute album was uploaded to their YouTube channel on January 29th, in both a single video format and as 11 individual songs. The upload order of the individual songs on the channel is is not accurate to the order on the full video, so the songs in presented order are "Onto The Path/Where Do I Go?", "The Uncanny Valley", "Middleman", "Something To Believe In", "This Love Is Psychedelic", "The Oracle", "The Village", "Glowin'", "Fumblin' Through", and "Wastin' Time".

Their early original "Sweet Like Sugar" didn't make the cut, nor did "Stuck In Rotation", though the Clusterfolk compilation has the latter in full studio splendour. No idea if the band's logo was intended to be the cover art right along, for the record. This obviously isn't the ideal release method for what Adrian, Matt, Brenden, and Dylan had in mind in the early 2020s, but even 2+ years after they fell inactive, I'm glad that these songs finally saw the light of day! Nice slices of psychedelic and classic rock-tinged original material with solid melodies, and while not a proper paid album, do check it out on YouTube above and below to support what The Uncanny Valley worked on in their heyday!

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

Where Are The New Albums? February 2025 Update

It's now time for our latest "Where Are The New Albums?" post at the SMS! This monthly feature post looks at the current release whereabouts of albums, CDs, or EPs announced and at least partially recorded from local metal, hard rock, and/or punk artists, in order to look at their most recent public information as to their status and release timelines. This is largely a holding pattern installment with major updates only present for one of the five albums carried over from last month (as noted with its title in italics). So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

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Bullet Train's upcoming EPs

Rumoured Songs: "Atmosphere", "Illusions", "Profit", "Wayside"

Background: The current hard rock band from former Sense of Truth/Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchsion and ex-Fort Creek bandmates Robin "Bones" Lee and Anthony Fabiano, Bullet Train have existed solely as a studio band so far, releasing four original songs recorded at their own home studio to their YouTube channel in 2024, all very much influenced by their take on current events. After a quiet summer due to "life's trials", Bullet Train resurfaced on their Facebook page on September 1st to reveal that they were working on two demo EPs, with the first one entering post-production as of the 9th, though it's not clear if their 2024 singles will be on them.

Current Release Status: No idea yet, especially as this band has no prior track record for releasing albums, though all three band members have experience writing and recording studio material to varying degrees. Bullet Train claimed on September 9th that a release date for EP #1 would be announced "in the upcoming weeks", a timeline not realized as of this writing. It'll be interesting to see how fast things come along for Bullet Train, so keep tabs on their Facebook page for further updates!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

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 in 2022, 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 have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final eponymous solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific rate of original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook last summer that the album was 95% done earlier this year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in the past year were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

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Convergence - Gemini

Rumoured Songs: "Gemini", "In Bloom", "Breaking News", "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon", "Kraken Mara", "You Are Not Flesh"

Background: Just over a month after releasing their sophomore EP "Dead And Dreaming", local progressive metal band Convergence announced on February 9th that EP #3 would be named "Gemini", despite the obvious twin implications of that name. The cover artwork for "Gemini" was released at the same time, with the band asking fans if they should release singles in advance or put it all out at once. Teaser clips of most songs from the EP have been posted on their Facebook page and their YouTube channel since May. Guitarist Brendan Christie revealed the names of five songs in a recent Facebook conversation, one named after the band's prior name Kraken Mara, though a new or renamed song named "You Are Not Flesh" was posted an advance single on Bandcamp in September. New drummer David Peredun (who was confirmed to have joined the band in February 2024) will presumably make his studio debut here.

Current Release Status: No clue, and given the complexity of their music yet their independent studio trappings so far, that could bode a quick or lengthy timeline for "Gemini" to come out, depending on what angle you take. Since their modern studio cycle commenced in 2023, things have been relatively steady for Brendan and Jake as a recording act, and here's hoping that Convergence keep that up for their third offering! 

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Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road"

Background: Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from June 2022-August 2023, and were working in studio throughout 2023, revealing that "it's coming along" in a Facebook post that March, and teasing new recording sessions following earlier "learning experiences" there that May. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano (both now of Bullet Train) in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to abandon material recorded with them "as a show of good faith", and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past year. Now featuring Phil Greco on drums, their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online last month, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and Phil have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 4+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

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Handsome Sandwich's first EP

Rumoured Songs: "Without You", "Partyfuel", "Change A Bit", "No Idea", "All Done Now"

Background: Before even releasing their full-length debut album "Deconstructed" in May 2023, local alternative/hard rock quintet Handsome Sandwich revealed that not all of their existing originals would be on that album, with plans to instead release them and some brand new songs on a forthcoming EP. In September of that year, they began recording this EP (which will reportedly have seven songs) at the Algoma Conservatory of Music, with bass & drum tracks completes that month, and then-guitarist Mitch Sirie was finishing his parts as of that December, with vocals still to go. At least five of the seven songs have had their names revealed in concert setlists. After only contributing to the packaging on "Deconstructed", bassist Rafael Medina will perform on this EP, and a "Reel" of him recording an unidentified song in studio was posted to the band's Facebook page. It's not clear if new guitarist Brandon Ruch will be involved on the EP in some fashion or not, but Wyld Stallyns saxophonist Josh Norling may appear again, as he guested with them to play "Partyfuel" at August's Northern Vibe Festival.

Current Release Status: To be determined, and while they're not recording this EP at the same place as "Deconstructed", note that the sessions for that album at Unsalted Audio wrapped up four months before the album release. An article about the band from The Sault Star in June noted that the seven new songs "will likely be released as singles", but whether this points to a change of release plans or is just an acknowledgement that they have seven individual singles to put out, I don't know. It will be interesting to see how things progress in the coming months!

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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around March 2nd, while this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles hit the site one week from tomorrow. That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Bone Yard 225's Interview On The Borderline!!

It's been a while since we've talked about on-air content on local internet radio station The Borderline (they haven't had a lot of new hard rock/punk-leaning programming beyond what's in their music rotation in a good while), but on Wednesday, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 were interviewed by Adrian Vilaca on the Smart As Trees podcast! This is the first Smart As Trees episode that's really crossed the SMS' radar since their Clusterfolk episode in 2022, believe it or not. The interview is conducted by Adrian with all three members of Bone Yard, and just a warning before listening that there is some adult language. After introducing Greg, Alex, and Warren, the interview proper begins with frontman Greg Simpson acknowledging their beginnings in 2009 as a country cover band with him singing and playing guitar, with his old band Stiffler's Mom coming up along with Warren's own original music.

The reasoning behind tacking "225" to their name is finally brought up in an online context next, as the band wanted to differentiate themselves from the multiple other bands elsewhere named Bone Yard without rebranding fully, so a friend inspired them to add the number 225 based on placement of B and Y in the alphabet (B is the 2nd letter, Y the 25th), a'la biker codes, plus the existence of the angel number 225. Despite my initial assumption when the name extension was announced last year, it is not a reference to the United Steelworkers Local 2251, which I was corrected on at the time. After addressing the band's own colourful language and imagery, they introduced their debut original song "F.A.F.O." (as in, "fuck around & find out"), which is played on-air at the 7:10 mark. When the interview resumes, Adrian asks about the sing-along aspect for that track and how it went over when Bone Yard first played it live.

Next, we hear about their live shows and their recent runs of shows in Sudbury, plus planned on-the-road gigs in Thessalon and Kirkland Lake this summer, and Greg said that they're apparently exploring the possibility of playing shows in the United States. Warren did note that they're looking at writing new originals and working on a few new covers, seemingly implying that they might be doing a studio cover or two as well, and they're also trying to garner a loyal cult following as they continue getting their name out there. As of recording the interview, they had 79 shows booked for 2025, and the guys credited their support system as well, before their second single "Gypsy Spell" was played at the 18:45 mark. When the interview picks back up, Adrian asks the band about their charitable involvement in Toystock (for Christmas Cheer) and the Dragonfly Run (for ARCH), and what inspired them to support these causes.

The late Tyrone Souliere (Alex's former Mojo bandmate) is invoked here when discussing their support for ARCH and fighting cancer. Next, they discuss the fan support that they get, with the band criticizing the costs involved to both go out to see live music, and for venues to have the setups to host full rock bands, especially post-pandemic, while not being afraid to speak up about their issues with the state of live music in spite of the talent performing in the Soo. After discussing their belief to question things and debate the issues, Adrian plays their newest song "Fuck!" at the 35:35 mark. In the last three minutes of the interview, Adrian asks what Greg, Alex, and Warren's "desert island discs" would be (as in, if you were stranded on a desert island, what albums would you want to listen to indefinitely?), before closing with plugs for their social media and the guys giving Adrian a t-shirt, as seen in the teaser video below!

Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel prior to the interview's live debut on The Borderline, it features an on-air plug for the station from your local 225, plus photos from the interview and sample audio of their own music. Overall, this was a good interview that set things up well for fans of Bone Yard as they enter what should be their biggest year yet! Given how long they've been running, the fact that they're making such a push into original music and tour dates in 2025 is very neat, and while I did have some trouble differentiating Greg & Alex's voices, it's an informative listen for fans of "the dirty 3", so give the full interview a listen at this link, and stay tuned for more news and notes next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Just Leppard & Generations) Plus More Weekend Concert Previews!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews on this Friday evening, along with addressing some new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and a new song from one of the bands in question, so here's what you should know to end January 2025!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations will return to Jay's Piston Broke Pub for the Family Day long weekend on Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th! Barring an interim announcement, these will be the Jus' Chillin successors' first public shows after taking a near month-long break, and beyond the long weekend appeal, the Friday nighter does fall on Valentine's Day, which they are playing up in their own marketing. Whether you have a special someone or not, Generations' old school range of covers should prove to be a fitting soundtrack in two weeks, so don't miss out at Jay's! No word as of yet if the band (minus Valerie) will return as Thursday jam night hosts that week, but I'll let you know if something is publically said. As usual for the Korah Road nightclub, these are 9:30 PM concerts with 19+ age limits and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details on Generations' next gigs!

Next up, Sudbury-based Def Leppard tribute band Just Leppard will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Saturday, April 26th when they headline at Soo Blaster! Hair metal fans may recall seeing Just Leppard here thrice from 2019-2022, but their planned co-headlining date with Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band Saturday Night Special in November 2023 was cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances". Rather than bring Just Leppard 3½ hours west last year, the Kuthy brothers instead played a local date under their Rush tribute guise Rust, so if you've missed their melodic and faithful take on Def Leppard's hit catalogue, come down to Soo Blaster to help send the month of April out in style! This "80's rock party" will be all ages and has an 8:00 PM start time, with tickets on sale online at this link for $25 + taxes/processing fees (this is cheaper than the cancelled 2023 show was, though that one would have had two touring bands).

The price will jump to $35 if buying at the door, but you can also buy tickets in advance at the venue. While not my favourite hair/glam metal band, Def Leppard have loads of hits that Just Leppard pay tribute to well, as evidenced by their three prior shows here, and hopefully their return after 2+ years away is a big hit this spring! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details on Just Leppard's local return in three months!

Now let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, and we'll start at Reggie's Place, where local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 will return to the stage TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! These will be Greg, Alex, and Warren's first concerts after a three week break, extended thanks to the cancellation of their Sudbury gigs last week due to mandatory electrical upgrades at The Coulson Entertainment Center. Disappointing for them and their fans out east, but hopefully they book makeup dates in Sudbury soon! Tonight's show caps off a busy run of nine shows at Reggie's Place in a two month span, and it will also be their first date since releasing their third studio single "Fuck!" on January 20th, which we'll include as a preview of these shows in a second. Yes, we'll have the "Gypsy Spell" lyric video and their recent interview on The Borderline in an upcoming post, so stay tuned for all of that shortly.

This weekend's Reggie's concerts have 9:30 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits, while their infamous "Bone Yard shot" and band merchandise will also be on hand. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's their brand new song "Fuck!", courtesy of their YouTube channel! The title is well utilized in the choruses on this defiant song, which has more of a country/bluegrass structure that reminds me of something that The Billy Bastards might have put out, but it's still a hard rocker with good guitar heft and a fun solo, and it'll be a sing-along favourite in concerts. Solid enough song for fans of your local 225's southern side, so give it a listen below or on Spotify and Apple Music!

Finally for this weekend's concert previews, former Project 421/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will headline at The Dive Gastro Pub for another acoustic concert TOMORROW NIGHT! While attendees at the Joy MacMillan tribute concert at The Dive last week saw Curt there solo and with the one-off Din reunion, this will be his first solo headlining date of 2025, so if you've missed his multi-set nights of grunge and hard rock covers in "the naughty corner", then head to the former Low & Slow tomorrow for all of the action! As usual for Curtis' concerts at The Dive, this is a 9:00 PM event with no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. It'll be good to welcome Curt back to "home base" for a few sets of fan favourite hard rock covers, so definitely visit the above links for more details on his solo debut for the year, and here he is live a few years back!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadFirst & Exit 808) And I-500 Weekend Concert Previews!!

With January coming to a close, let's wrap up the month and begin February at the same time with weekend concert previews! Due to the amount of shows this weekend, I'll hold this weekend's Bone Yard 225 and Curtis McKenzie shows for tomorrow's post. Now, here's what you should know, starting with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

Sault Michigan hard rock cover band Exit 808 will return to The Merchants Bar TONIGHT as entertainment during the West Spruce Street nightclub's participation in this year's International 500 snowmobile race's annual pub crawl! Apologies for the short notice, the band only confirmed this special Thursday nighter on their Facebook page last week. Last seen at The Merch around Halloween, this will be Exit 808's third public gig of 2025, and despite the late notice, things should be hopping TONIGHT as pub crawlers make their away to thirteen local bars and nightclubs, so if you want to participate in the action across the Soo TONIGHT, click here for more details on who and where is taking part! Thursdsy scheduling during the I-500 weekend aside, this seems to be a traditional concert, so look for more double vocalist-led hard rock covers at The Merch TONIGHT to kick off a very busy few days!

The only apparent hard rock-leaning concert during the pub crawl proper, TONIGHT'S Exit 808 show has a 21+ age limit, no cover charge, and a 9:00 PM start time. Visit the above links for more details on Exit 808's concert proper and the pub crawl TONIGHT, and for a preview, here they are live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario briefly, as local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will reportedly return to Shooters Downstairs Lounge THIS SATURDAY NIGHT, with returns also scheduled for Saturday, March 1st and April 12th! Again, apologies for the short notice on THIS SATURDAY's show, all three shows were only announced via the venue's Facebook page this morning, and HeadFirst themselves have not corroborated the bookings on their own social media at press time. Last seen at Shooters early last month, their show on SATURDAY will be their first local date of 2025, and third period following their trip to Sudbury earlier this month. Hopefully this proves to be a fun night of hard rocking covers and originals from this talented young group, and helps set their year off on the right foot! Remember, Shooters has hosted DJ nights on Fridays since the start of last year, so these are all one-nighters.

The Dennis Street nightclub has also teased having drink specials, "food features" (the kitchen will be open late), and promos/surprises of some kind, so keep all of that in mind on SATURDAY! These three shows are all 9:30 PM affairs with no cover charges and 19+ age limits. See above for more details, and for a preview, here's HeadFirst live!

Staying in Sault Ontario for an event that did have advance notice, here's a special charitable event going down TOMORROW NIGHT, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will headline the Alzheimer Society Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District's 40th annual Making Memories Matter fundraiser at The Grand Gardens! Listed as a "private event" on the concert calendar on Silent 9's website, Making Memories Matter XL will see Silent 9 rocking the night away for a great cause, while attendees will also be able to take in a silent auction, cash bar, dinner, cocktails, and a "silent disco" (dancing to music played through headphones so as to not disrupt other events). This will be Silent 9's first publically attendable concert of 2025, beating their Bon Soo gig by a week, but it is a pricey one, as tickets are $60. Remember the charitable aims and all the included frills for that money though, let alone how bad Alzheimer's disease is.

This event starts no later than 5:30 PM (when cocktails are served), but Silent 9 give their start time at 9:00 PM on their website. Contact the Alzheimer's Society if you want advance ticket before tomorrow's festivities, and hopefully they and Silent 9 have a great night to help raise funds and awareness for Alzheimer's disease! See above for more details, and for a preview, here's Silent 9 live!

Finally for this post, we'll return to the aforementioned Merchants Bar in Sault Michigan, where local hard rock quartet Unfortunate Sun will round out the busy I-500 weekend with concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! While Exit 808 get the short notice honours at The Merch for TONIGHT'S pub crawl, this is obviously a very busy tourism weekend in Sault Ste. Marie, and The Merch definitely leans into it. Beyond the concerts, they're hosting the annual I-500 breakfast on Saturday morning, and I believe they will be showing the snowmobile race on TVs there if you'd rather tune in there as opposed to outdoors in the cold at the oval. The race starts at 10:00 AM and runs about eight hours, so Saturday's concert would effectively be an afterparty if you're so inclined (there are bands at Kewadin Casino too this weekend, where the closing ceremonies and awards and such are given out, but not hard rock ones). With the cancellation of their Cedarville show two weeks ago, these will be Unfortunate Sun's first shows of the year.

Hopefully the Fake Chow successors' hard rock cover attack goes over well with what should be sizeable crowds of locals and tourists alike for the I-500 weekend, so don't miss out on all of the action at The Merch! Like with Exit 808 TONIGHT, tomorrow and Saturday's shows are at 9:00 PM with 21+ age limits and no cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Unfortunate Sun live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Bone Yard 225 & Curtis McKenzie previews and more next! Thanks everyone!

Agnosticism - "Happy Pills" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 187th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and our first one of 2025! With no known new local metal, hard rock, or punk albums to speak of, let's dip into the archives for a second straight month, and this time, let's take a belated look at online page-less local folk punk/emo solo project Agnosticism's debut album "Happy Pills"! Independently released to major streaming services on October 6th, 2022 (I don't believe it had physical CD pressings), this is the only full-length album to date from Agnosticism, though they have released a handful of EPs since. This acoustic project is led by Hails/Vanity First guitarist, Apocalypse Afterparty bassist, and local concert promoter Mikhal Muto, with "Vanity Official" being their given label imprint where stated on streaming sites. For the record, this album was picked to review this month as a tie-in with Mikhal's concert with Ha!ls at The Distraction earlier this month.

You can find "Happy Pills" on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and various smaller streaming services, but curiously, not on Amazon Music. If you want to actually buy the album in mp3 format, you can buy it on iTunes for $9.99, so consider doing just that to support Mikhal's music! Also, while I'll capitalize the song names here, note that Mikhal spelled them all in just lowercase. With 11 songs + a bonus demo version of one of them running for about 35 minutes, let's begin another year of local album reviews!

Song #1 on offer is "I'm Sorry", which has a slower and more intricate opening before Mikhal speeds up his playing, if at a bit of a repetitive clip at first. This regretful number picks up moreso after the first verse when he sings at full voice, unleashing his distinctive pop punk/emo tone of voice, but the use of layering two vocal tracks together on one verse really doesn't work for an acoustic singer/songwriter composition. The song doesn't subscribe to a "verse chorus verse" structure, so there's a lot to take in, and it's well written, but maybe a little scattershot as a composition. Good and effective opener despite the dual vocal part! Next is "Something About Anarchism", which is bookended with background noise with birds chirping. Mikhal alternates moods well between soft singing and intense screaming, and given that it is definitely very driven by its title, the passion and message is clear as day.

He is really straining his voice to hit higher notes on the sung verses, and it ends kinda abruptly after the last chorus (birds in the outro acknowledged), but it is a better and more intense song that punk-leaning fans will take to more than the opener! Third on the album is "It Gets Better", whose title doesn't necessarily reflect on the album's progression. A simpler and relatively shorter song, it probably has Mikhal's best guitar work on the album so far, and his emotive pleas fit well, especially late, but his usage of a backing vocal track again doesn't really feel all that necessary. Good song for folk punk fans though! Then we have "Boys Will Be Boys", a pro-feminism number that is the most reserved and laid back song on the first third of "Happy Pills", and the least "punk" of them, shouted "gang vocal" outro aside. Again, I'm not huge on the layering of doubled up backing vocals, but it's a fine folk number while it lasts, and has a good message!

Fifth is the album's longest song "I'd Probably Kill Myself If I Had The Motivation", which brings the punk influence back with more of a structure that you'd hear from a plugged-in band (imagine if one of Mikhal's bands tackled this), and he uses his well controlled punk snarl to good effect! More strong lyrics here, accentuating solid guitar playing and some good aggressive vocal work, so if you're into the "punk" side of "folk punk" like me, this will be a clear highlight on side one of the album! Next is "40oz Of Fuck You" (he titled it, not me), which is a brisk and lively number that I can seen being a sing-along track live if fans learn the words! Definitely the angriest vocals that he has deployed so far, and the song ends with a full-on hardcore punk verse (if still unplugged), which helps make this another highlight, though I do wish that he laid out more of his issues in the song!

Seventh on "Happy Pills" is "Out Of My Mind", which is the shortest song here, at just 1:45 in length. Another intense number, this is well paced and has a good folk punk vibe, though it doesn't really break out with a really intense or angry stretch, and given how short it is, it does feel somewhat unfinished. Solid for fans, but in an album with 12 songs, it doesn't really stand out. Afterwards, you'll hear "Unholy Matrihomie", which has lighter and more carefree guitar strumming that feels more "coffee shop-esque", if that's fair, but the vocals still have that nasal pop punk twang and a direct, matter of fact delivery. The layered backing vocals return in the closing verse, which still don't really work for me, but this is an effective enough lighter folk punk song with some fun lyrics, and while I like the more in-your-face songs from Agnosticism, this does what it sets out to do!

The album continues with "Null", which has some good personal lyrics about the future and a nice extended acoustic punk verse that lets him really let loose, almost at bluegrass levels by the end, but it gets a little messy by the end, and the vocal track layering doesn't help. Really, I liked the first half of this song for its lyrics and intensity, but it kinda lost its way as it went along. Song #10 is "Beggars", which is possibly the most "standard" song on the album, in that it really doesn't feel like a punk song aside from some of his screaming at the end. It just feels like a mid-tempo acoustic rock number, and it's not badly written and feels kinda grandiose at points. Good change of pace, and it builds well, but if you prefer his normal folk punk attack, this may not be the song for you. The final unique song here is the title track "Happy Pills", which is largely a delicate guitar composition.

This really shows off what Mikhal can do as a pure guitarist, and I thought it was going to be an instrumental until the last 45 seconds, when he plays off what a doctor is prescribing him in a way that is very reminiscent of the last verse of Suicidal Tendencies' "Institutionalized", but without the chorus to let loose with. There's good ideas here but it feels like two promising but incomplete song ideas smushed together. The album closes with a demo version of "I'd Probably Kill Myself If I Had The Motivation", which is largely the same song, but with lower recording quality and a spoken word introduction and (self-deprecating) interlude. Overall, it is a rawer version, but it has more of an honest underground feel, so I kinda like it better than the original, especially for leaning into the folk punk side of things! I wonder if he has similar demo versions of the other songs?

So, what are my final thoughts on Agnosticism's full-length album? I do prefer it to his 2024 EP "A Letter Of Resignation" for the most part, and folk punk fans will get a kick out of it! Like on his newest release, he suits intense, freewheeling acoustic punk better than on laid back ballad material, especially thanks to his tone of voice, and you tend to get more of that here while still stretching his legs to do some different styles. Production wise, I can definitely tell that he put more work into making "Happy Pills" sound like a proper studio album, as it sounds cleaner as a rule than "A Letter Of Resignation", but my big qualm with the full-length is Mikhal's usage of layered backing vocals on some songs. They really don't fit for a solo acoustic album and I am glad with hindsight that he didn't use them on last year's EP. On songs like "I'd Probably Kill Myself If I Had The Motivation" and "Unholy Matrihomie", you'll get a solid balance of his influences and styles!

I prefer my punk to be plugged in with a full band, and Mikhal definitely has that in spades right now, but if you like a raw, personal, and anarchic brand of unplugged emo-influenced punk, Agnosticism delivered that, and this album would be a good starting point before exploring their EPs! Give "Happy Pills" a listen at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's album review! As for what our album for next month will be, I really don't know at this juncture. Our new album backlog is clear, so if nothing brand new comes out, we'll likely dip into the archives again, with preference being with local musicians who play live at some point in February 2025. In the event that they have a quick turn-around for new albums, next month's review will not be of an Agnosticism or Sykotyk Rampage release due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period, though Agnosticism is eligible again as early as July.

In any event, stay tuned for our next album review in February, and for this weekend's hard rock concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadFirst, Silent 9, And Headrush!!)

On this blustery Monday night, let's devote it to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the months ahead, including for a popular nightclub's upcoming schedule and a big booking for a prominent act, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9 will headline the opening night concert at this year's Bon Soo Winter Carnival on Friday, February 7th! This booking was announced on the band's Facebook page yesterday, and marks their return to The Machine Shop, a venue that they've played multiple times as both openers for touring acts and for private functions. The official program also lists this concert, among multiple other family events at the Canal District and downtown for Sault Ste. Marie's annual winter carnival, though I don't believe any of the other Bon Soo-linked concerts fit the SMS' coverage. Silent 9's concert caps off a busy first day for this year's Bon Soo, so definitely read on there to find out what all is going on on day #1 for the opening ceremonies and beyond! This all ages concert takes place from 8:00-10:00 PM, and admission is free with your $12 Bon Soo button or $8 jacket tag. See above for more details!

Next up, the early 2025 band schedule for The Esquire Club was (re-)posted on their Facebook page yesterday! The Second Line West nightclub had previously posted a schedule that was quickly taken down and amended (it's mostly similar but I did notice that the now-defunct Soundcheck were listed for a weekend in the spring on that version). Like in recent years, the schedule stops at the end of June, with the venue taking a two month break from live bands in the summer before picking things back up in September, so aside from this month's mostly-concluded slate, who is coming to The Esquire Club in the first half of the year among hard rock-leaning acts?

First up is local hard rock quintet HeadFirst, who will play their first local dates of 2025 on Friday, February 14th & Saturday, February 15th! This talented young group have not corroborated these bookings yet on social media, but they just played their first ever Sudbury gigs at The Coulson Entertainment Center over a week ago, which has hosted Bone Yard 225 on multiple occasions in the 2020s, and despite teasing working on stuff behind the scenes otherwise to start the year, they have hinted at more dates to be announced. As it turns out, HeadFirst (who last played at The Esquire Club in mid-December) drew both the Family Day long weekend and, in the case of the Friday nighter, Valentine's Day for scheduling, so keep both angles in mind if you're coming out for either gig next month! You can enjoy their hard rocking originals and covers next month at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. See above for more details on HeadFirst's upcoming activity!

Next among SMS-amenable acts is the aforementioned Silent 9, who will return to The Esquire Club for their first times this year on March 21st & 22nd before returning on May 9th & 10th! If you have missed seeing Jess, Ryan, Paul, and Steve's fan-friendly blend of classic and hard rock covers in a normal nightclub setting, you'll want to keep both of these spring weekends in mind, especially given the gap since they last rocked The Esquire Club just after Halloween! Speaking of which, neither of these 2025 weekend bookings fall on holidays (the former gigs are after St. Patrick's Day and well before Easter, and the latter are a week out from the Victoria Day long weekend). Like with HeadFirst above, expect these shows to be 19+ affairs with no announced cover charges and 9:30 PM start times. Visit the above links for much more on Silent 9's 2025 schedule, and look for them after Bon Soo's opening ceremonies next Friday!

Lastly for now, fellow local classic/hard rock cover quintet Headrush (not to be confused with the aforementioned HeadFirst) will keep the good times going on Second Line West when they return to The Esquire Club on March 28th-29th and then on May 30th-31st! This skilled 1980s-centric group played their first shows of 2025 here just this past weekend, and while a different Head____ band will be there next month, fans of Headrush will get their fill later this spring, when the snow should be gone to boot! No word yet on if we'll see them elsewhere before late March, but neither of these weekends falls on a Canadian holiday either. As with the shows above, expect Headrush to take the stage at 9:30 PM on both nights with no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 or older to attend. For more details on Headrush's upcoming gigs, visit the above links!

Other existing bands on the early 2025 schedule are not hard rock-leaning that I am aware of, but I do want to point out that new local rock cover band Separate Wayz (scheduled for weekends in April and May) appears to be the new band from former Soundcheck bandmates Terry Eaton and Jim Michaud, alongside Terry's old Mourning Wood/Soundcheck bandmate Steven Flint, but we await full details on their sound and lineup. Click here for more on them as it's announced! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site shortly! Thanks everyone!