After a weekend concert preview-induced delay, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, as we again take a look at a band or solo project from our inactive band links, as randomly selected! This month gives us slight deja vu, as it's an early 2020s solo project with industrial metal influences again, but still very distinct and original as local bands go, so here's what you should know on them on this warm Sunday morning!
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Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario/Winnipeg, Manitoba
Genre: Classical/Industrial Metal
Lineup:
Pete Mozarowski (RedD Monkey), all instruments
Audio/Video: When launched out of his then-Winnipeg homebase, Pete released their debut EP "The Cancer Stage of Capitalism" on Bandcamp in December 2020, followed by a full length album named "Isn't This A Democracy?" in 2022, which featured two guest spots by guitarist/bassist Eric "Elow" Loewen and a bonus track for paid buyers. The "Live 2023" single (not live in concert, recorded live) begat the release of their final EP "Empires Everywhere!", released on CD and mp3 in January 2024 after Pete moved back to the Soo. As far as I am aware, Pete never launched a YouTube channel or a social media account to host videos of Sell This!, leaving Bandcamp as their only online presence to hear their music, but luckily, Bandcamp now allows you to embed albums on websites like this, so here's the opening song of their sole local release!
Info/Analysis: Best known as the cellist in the 2009-2015 local/Kelowna/Toronto hardcore punk band RedD Monkey (fronted by his brother Steve), Pete fell dormant as a live/original musician in the late 2010s, but re-emerged in the 2020s while living in Winnipeg via Sell This!. Self-described as sounding like "if Trent Reznor sang for Apocalyptica", Sell This! were distinguished by leftist & politically charged lyrics relating to societal decline, and Pete was even interviewed about the project on Winnipeg college radio station CKUW 95.9 in 2023 shortly before he moved, but the interview is no longer streamable. After Pete came back home, he played Sell This!' only local concert at the former Distraction (still located upstairs then) in January 2024. This concert also served as the release party for "Empires Everywhere". which was played in full that night. Possibly owing to Sell This!' lack of a social media presence beyond Bandcamp, this concert was the project's final public act, and they appear to have fell inactive later that year.
Sell This! had potential and a locally unique sound and lyrical bent that fans of the current Realignment Project should take to, but of course, the presence of a cello distinguishes this (and RedD Monkey prior) from any other rock bands of the past 15 years. Pete was never a super rangy singer, but he developed a lot of confidence and expression by 2023, and he was good at shaking up styles of songs while getting messages across. With improved production and possibly a full band, Sell This! could have made larger local waves, but there is something here for industrial and noise rock fans, especially if the political slant doesn't bother you, so give their back catalogue a listen, and hopefully we hear from Pete again down the road!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around August 10th, and after a two month spell of industrial-tinged solo projects, our next randomly selected band will actually be a band, namely 2012-2018 hard rock quintet Skeyes Of Seven, so look for that next month and for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!
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