YouTube Channel Profile Series: Woodward Avenue Studios

After a road trip-accelerated delay, here is this month's YouTube Channel Profile in our second post today! This monthly feature looks at a randomly selected YouTube channel whose uploads are at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians/concerts, and this month's selection gives us a prominent and extremely talented local metal band, albeit an earlier glimpse as their studio work before their current lineup fell into place. Here's what you should know on this sunny Thursday!

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Woodward Avenue Studios (http://youtube.com/woodwardavestudios)

Owner: Convergence guitarist and Woodward Avenue Studios owner Brendan Christie, also known from prior work in local bands like Late & Loud, Stillbroke, and The Hydra's Teeth, and as co-host of the Late & Legends podcast

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 12th, 2009; Current videos uploaded from November 2023 until October 2024

Channel Summary: Originally a personal use channel that predated his best known local band work, Brendan converted the channel into focusing on his current progressive metal band Convergence in 2023, with the channel branded after Woodward Avenue Studios since 2024. All videos prior to late 2023 have long since been taken down from the channel, and Brendan exclusively uploads "Shorts" videos here now rather than standard videos, so all are vertical and typically under a minute each. The vast majority of the twenty-four "Shorts" are focused around Convergence teasers, but their most recent video hypes up Woodward Avenue (formerly Yellow Room) Studios for other musicians' professional recording needs.

Why You Should Watch: The limitations of "Shorts" acknowledged, this channel is still worth watching for fans of Convergence for some of their most frequently updated video content! While the channel likely still serves a purpose given that it is branded after the studio, Brendan has since focused on uploading videos (both regular longform/horizontal ones and "Shorts") on the band's own YouTube channel, suggesting that Convergence are prioritizing the newer channel for official content. Note that "Shorts" on the new channel are often jokier for social media promotion than the Woodward channel got. Still, the older channel does have some of the last extant public content from their second EP, so fans won't want to overlook it!

 Our Recommended Videos To Check Out:

 

Chimera Teaser: Possibly because it was forgotten in the culling of prior instrumental-era Convergence social media accounts, teasers for the band's early studio material make up most of the content on the Woodward Avenue channel. I wanted to highlight their very first "Short" here because it features an audio sample of "Chimera", an original song planned for their 2023 debut EP "One" that did not make the final cut for one reason or another. Convergence were represented here by Brendan and his brother-in-law Jake Valois, both on lead guitar. Visualized here via the song being tracked on Mixcraft 9 Pro Studio, this minute-long teaser is effective to sample what was a promising prog metal track, even if unreleased!

 

 

Glass Statues Short https://convergencessm.bandcamp.com/album/dead-and-dreaming #metal #metalcore: Ten of the "Shorts" on this channel are sub-minute long clips of songs from Convergence's first two EPs "One" and "Dead & Dreaming", and the latter is particularly notable because the band delisted it from streaming after relaunching as a full band with singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. The band has signalled plans to re-record songs from "Dead & Dreaming" for their forthcoming album, but this channel wasn't wiped, so if you want to hear that EP's initial instrumental versions, you have a partial way. I preferred "Glass Statues" out of the five songs on "Dead & Dreaming" thanks to its melodic structure and variance, even if the EP had heavier songs than this, and while a potential full-band version could still be ahead, it is nice to hear this again!

 

 

You are not flesh playthrough #metal #djent #guitar #metalcore #guitarist: Eight videos on the Woodward Avenue channel are of Brendan and/or Jake playing along to their studio material, including two Kraken Mara-era clips of them playing "Stratus" at the Bushplane Museum in 2021 (mainly to hype their endorsement of Halo Guitars). The most popular video on this channel is a playthrough video featuring Brendan playing "You Are Not Flesh" (the first unveiled song from their unfinished third instrumental EP "Gemini") in September 2024. Will this be reworked with vocals and live drums? Time will tell, but Brendan lays down the gauntlet here with professionalism and technicality in a promisingly heavy sample, and there's more to look at from Convergence's instrumental beginnings on this channel!

 

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I hope that you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Then next installment (hopefully moreso on time) is scheduled for around June 26th, so look for that then, plus more news and notes soon, as well as this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Havadder), More Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

With some serious personal family matters going on this weekend, I don't anticipate posts to be as frequent for the next few days (at least), so if we miss any late notice concert alerts from a band like Mourning Wood, my apologies in advance. Today's post features some assorted recent notes, a local band's recent activity, and more of this weekend's hard rock concert previews, starting with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for one night only at The Rednecks Saloon! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced this show yesterday via it's Facebook event page. After taking the Rotaryfest weekend off, this will be Jugga & company's first show since rocking Rednecks and Ride For Sight a couple of weeks back, and their hard hitting and often varied covers should find a solid audience once again TOMORROW! No word though on why they're not playing at Rednecks tonight. Like usual for Havadder concerts, tomorrow's show is a 19+ affair with no announced cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the above links! Havadder are always a reliably good time for your weekend entertainment, so keep tomorrow's show in mind, and here's the guys live last month!



Moving to a pair of previously announced concerts, Sault Michigan hard rock trio Power Slug are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! The local cover favourites featuring I.S.O.M. members Bob Helsten & Chris Leask will be making their first announced public concert appearances in over a month this weekend, and while the band hasn't acknowledged them on their own Facebook page, Kewadin's entertainment page confirms them (note also that we have new shows through September to announce at local Kewadin branches, so stay tuned for that!) As usual, this weekend's shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links! Power Slug haven't played as much lately, but hopefully the guys have a great weekend in store, so make sure to chug your mug with them! Here's the guys a few years back!



Next up, here's some long overdue updates from local rap/metal quartet & VM Radio Battle finalists The Apocalypse Afterparty, so what have they been up to in the past month? As per their Facebook page on Sunday, the masked bandits are still working on their debut EP, planning to be "reclusive & ghost-like" while recording brand new tracks at Mission Control Studios, and upon release "after many, many moons", it'll be a 3 song EP on USB sticks, mp3 downloads, and a limited vinyl pressing (no word on CDs though.) The guys also elaborated on their earlier teases of a comic book on the band, which is apparently in it's final draft, will have work by a professional comic artist, and a cover will be posted in a few weeks upon completion. In terms of concerts, the Afterparty teased an upcoming Gonqshow appearance (presumably August 7th's Hard Up show) and other upcoming concerts.

There's no direct reference within to their drummer vacancy, but the post includes some vague remarks including an apology to "Rotary support", and plans to start a war with "a loud, public figure", but you can read into things however you want. Nice to see that The Apocalypse Afterparty are still active and running through some ambitious plans, so follow the band above, and stay tuned for more from their camp as it rolls in!

Finally for this post, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• With their announced breakup following their Rotaryfest set last week, we have moved local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue to our inactive band links, albeit under their original name The Suicide Kings, as they accomplished more & were active longer under that name. If a defunct band has had multiple names, we usually list them in our links under their most prominent name for familiarity's sake, not unlike with bassist Mitch Sirie's old band Stillbroke, who closed their run as Borderline Divine. If Beuamont Avenue ever reunites under that name, they'll be re-listed accordingly!
• This might just be re-stating the obvious, but we might as well confirm that next month's planned Das Bunkerfest II concert from Six Two Oh appears to have been cancelled outright. Promoters had hoped to host the Garden River-based house party festival in a new location after ceding control of the original venue, but with the Facebook event page now deleted, that presumably ends plans for the sequel event. Keep an eye out for new Six Two Oh shows!
• If you noticed that SooToday's "Soo To-Do List" from last week listed an appearance by Kingston country solo artist Tom Savage at the Pixo Control/Gnaeus concert at LopLops Lounge, you're not alone, but that appears to be a typo. Savage did play a LopLops event on July 10th opening for Brock Zeman, so that might be where wires were crossed, and no advertising for the Pixo Control show credits extra performers beyond the Gnaeus teases. Hopefully that show was a hit!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes when possible! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest 2015 Concert Video Showcase (Part 2)

Keeping this busy stretch going at the SMS, here's our second Rotaryfest concert video showcase post, and of course, give yesterday's a look below as well for Thursday, Friday, and Mourning Wood videos! Continuing our look at Stage 1 videos (Stage 2 and more is coming), these are split between Sault Online's Mike Caruso's YouTube channel once again and the YouTube channel of attendee Paul Von Voss, whose channel also includes assorted vocal covers of his own, but he's not familiar from recent local bands. All from Saturday's closing lineup, we'll start with Mike Caruso's video of local hard rock quartet Long Shot covering Queen & David Bowie's "Under Pressure" early in their set, and this is a strong rendition of this classic, with the Dawe brothers nicely handling the vocal harmonies! Give their Rotaryfest a look below, and don't miss Long Shot in Heyden this weekend!



That's followed by local blues rocker Paul Dellavedova & friends covering Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble's "Pride & Joy", while the next band was now-defunct local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue, who both Mike & Paul filmed on Saturday! Mike's video is of the prior Suicide Kings covering Collective Soul's "Shine", and it's also a strong rendition of this 1990s rock radio hit that the guys do justice to! Note that the description for this video labels this as Beaumont Avenue's second Rotaryfest set (it was their third), and Mike noted that "they are getting better all the time", which may be true, but it's sort of anticlimactic given their breakup. Still, great video, so give it a look below!



Moving to Paul Von Voss' channel, the first video that he shot was also from Beaumont Avenue's set, though a bit unfortunately, it's also of their "Shine" cover! The audio's very good on this alternate take, but the video quality is lighter and fuzzier, and look for Mike in action as he films the performance as well! Give Paul's take of this song a look below!



The rest of Mike's videos from Saturday include all-female classic rockers Domina covering OneRepublic's "Love Runs Out", one-off The Band tribute The Big Waltz playing "The Shape I'm In" (though not with the full advertised lineup at that point), classic rock veterans Mustang Heart covering Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", two videos each of the out of town tribute bands (Fleetwood Nicks playing Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" & "The Chain", and Practically Petty playing Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "American Girl" & "I Won't Back Down"), and closing country favourites Thin Ice covering Thomas Rhett's "Something To Do With My Hands", so check out all of those videos at the above links! No, as of this writing, there still isn't a summative video of the Saturday lineup like the other two nights got, so there might not be one at all. We'll close today's Rotaryfest post with Paul's last Rotaryfest video, this time of the aforementioned Domina's set!

A cover of Heart's "Barracuda", this is more in the ladies' usual classic rock wheelhouse, and it's a great display for Valerie Powley's impressive vocal range! This video has the same blurriness and brightness issues as Paul's Beaumont Avenue clip, but it's solid all the same, and with a nice crowd by that point, so give Paul's Domina video a look below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our latest YouTube Channel Profile later today, with more from Rotaryfest to come also! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest 2015 Review (Stage 1!!)

Hey guys, it's finally time for our reviews of Saturday's Rotaryfest stages, and as I effectively saw two concerts on the separate stages, we'll break our reviews into two separate posts today (but our Second Stage review is coming later today, I promise!) I started the day at Stage 1 at Clergue Park in it's usual location near the library, and while I have seen bands at the main covers-only stage in the past, this was the first time that I've ever attended and reviewed bands at this stage for the SMS. MCed by Q104's Jeff McNeice (who replaced James Warner-Smith in this role a few years back), he handled the job well and definitely has a good voice for the job, filling us in on tidbits on the bands, raffle draws, and Rotaryfest events in between bands, but the advertised guest appearance with Mourning Wood did not occur. During the early stretch of bands at Stage 1, attendance was medium at best, which could partly be due to the heat and humidity forecasts, but I toughed it out, and the weather slowly improved as the day grew long!

And before we touch on the Stage 1 bands that I caught, I will apologize to Thin Ice, Practically Petty, Fleetwood Nicks, Mustang Heart, The Big Waltz, and Domina for the lack of coverage, as I spent the rest of the day at Stage 2, but I know you all knocked it out of the park! I did hear a snippet of a slower cover from Mustang Heart as I left, and they sounded good, with a very good crowd to match!

Opening the First Stage on Saturday were local classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood in their Rotaryfest debut, but compared to the first times I saw them, they definitely had their country hats on for this show, with local country singer Mark Tarantini singing lead vocals for the first half of their set, and acoustic guitarist/keyboardist Scott Infanti guesting for the whole thing. The first portion of the set saw Mark lead everyone through country covers, largely of Garth Brooks classics, with him even entering the crowd for three songs to sing along with attendees and meet the public, which was a nice touch! He has a natural frontman air about him, which did contrast with the second half, as Terry Eaton wasn't as vocal and chatty on Saturday. The second half was more of a typical Mourning Wood show, if abbreviated, with covers of the likes of Bryan Adams and AC/DC (with impromptu guest singer Rob Gilmar), plus a turn by bassist Steven Flint singing "Folsom Prison Blues".

I'm admittedly not a country music fan, but Mourning Wood have the chops to pull it off, and having Mark & Scott on board was a nice touch to further the theme (no word on why Jeff's guest spot didn't occur though.) That said, fans of their more rock sound may have wanted a little more, but Mourning Wood entertained to kick off the day, and look for them often in upcoming concert weekends!

Second on Saturday were local hard rock quartet Long Shot in their own Rotaryfest debut, and the first time that I've ever seen them live, so what'd they bring to the table? A varied set of covers that took them from bands like The Darkness, Queen, and Free to The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, and Roy Orbison, so they definitely have their talents set across numerous genres! Talented group though, especially when you consider that these guys largely weren't well known from past major local bands! Nathan Muto's an excellent guitarist, Evan Dawe's melodic singing fit well on most songs, though occasionally couldn't handle parts out of his vocal range, and his brother Adam's bass work and Jeremy Ganuelas' drumming were solid compliments as well (and I liked Nathan and Adam's synchronized jumping!) The song selection works well to entertain a wide audience, but they definitely bring a modern edge to things and can get heavy if called for, and they're definitely on their way in the local scene!

The third act was local blues musician & ex-Southern Fried Band frontman Paul Dellavedova in his solo act's Stage 1 debut, so how'd he sound? Joined by his brother Rick (a.k.a. former Amethyst frontman Rick Widow) on drums, and Redundant/Elements bassist James White (nice to see him back on stage!), their set started with a trifecta of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble covers before transitioning to assorted artists, including Eric Clapton and a lead vocal turn by Rick on their cover of "I Thank You". If you love the blues, Paul and company definitely had a firm handle on it, with his lead vocals and guitar ability more than up to the task, and he has a good chemistry with James and Rick to boot! Some songs weren't as familiar to be as others, and at times, some covers sounded like they needed a backing guitar to fill it out, but Paul has a lot of talent in the blues, and hopefully he keeps this up in the coming months and beyond!

The last band that I saw on Saturday was local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue in their announced last concert, albeit first with drummer Ben Boudreau in over 6 months, so did the guys end things with a bang? I'd say so! Though their last show was sadly covers-only, the former Suicide Kings rocked dependably on covers of the likes of Guns N' Roses, Collective Soul, and Blink-182 during the first half of their set, though if there were any surprises (or public acknowledgements of their impending breakup), they came after I left to catch the last half of Stereo North's Stage 2 set. I still don't know why Beaumont Avenue are calling it quits, but the guys looked happy to be back on stage, and their musical quality hadn't diminished given the finality, with Mike Gaetano's melodic vocals flowing nicely with their renditions, and Steven Flint's guitar work wasn't fatigued at all during his second set in the humidity! Beaumont Avenue left us with a solid set to go out on, and best of luck to Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben in the future!

Overall, the bands that I saw on Stage 1 were solid, talented, and a nice variance from the norm on the all-cover stage (of Saturday's first 6 bands, only Beaumont Avenue and Domina had played the festival before), so fans craving something different may have liked that! The heat was a little much, but the waterfront breeze and incorrect rain forecast helped a bit, and I do admit that I love winter way more than summer. If you're looking for extra coverage of the Stage 1 bands, including of Thursday, Friday, and late Saturday acts, many local news sites will have you covered, and we'll touch on them in the coming days as well, so stay tuned if you're not on SooToday, Sault Online, and so forth before then! Our photos from the main stage can be seen at this link or at our official Facebook page (note the smaller total, as I was spreading things out between stages), and I apologize for not getting closer, but I didn't want to be "that guy" in everyone's road.

As for our videos, here's Mourning Wood (with Mark Tarantini & Scott Infanti) covering Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel", Long Shot covering The Foo Fighters' "Everlong", Paul Dellavedova & friends covering Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)", and Beaumont Avenue covering Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive"!









That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Second Stage review later today! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest First Stage Concert Previews!!

With a stacked concert lineup for this weekend, here's our second of at least three concert preview posts, this one 100% dedicated to Rotaryfest's music lineups downtown at Clergue Park! As usual, there are two stages of music from TONIGHT through SATURDAY NIGHT for fans to take in during the 94th installment of Sault Ontario's summer festival, with the cover band-only main stage in it's usual Clergue Park location, plus the relocated return of the all-original Second Stage that we'll cover in our next preview post, so here's what you need to know in rough chronological order! Tomorrow's main stage lineup is once again devoid of hard rock bands, but there's a talented veteran lineup in store, and it will be headlined by classic rock veterans Coverfly in their third straight Thursday closing set at 10:00 PM, with fellow classic rockers Flathead Ford (in their second Stage 1 set) at 9:00 PM, and local Elvis Presley tribute artist Larry Tschekalin (in his Rotaryfest debut) at 8:00 PM.

Country cover quartet Crossroad will play Stage 1 for the second straight year at 7:00 PM, and Rotaryfest mainstays The Bob Jenkins Band will play their usual Thursday set to kick things off at 6:00 PM. Solid lineup for classic rock fans in particular, so give this some consideration for tomorrow, and like the rest of this year's musical events, it is FREE & ALL AGES!

TOMORROW'S main stage lineup (again abbreviated like last year) will unite 5 bands for local attendees, all of whom have played the event at least twice in the past, so who can you look for tomorrow? Local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will play their (at least) sixth Rotaryfest, and first since 2013, as tomorrow's headliners at 10:00 PM, with songs from their upcoming stage production of The Who's Tommy in store for their first concert set of the year, so keep this in mind if you've missed the guys! Local country rock quartet Summer Thunder will play Stage 1 for the fourth straight year tomorrow at 9:00, while classic rock favourites Mid Life Crysis will do the same in their set at 8:00 PM. Classic hard rock quartet Griphook will end a 3 month hiatus to play Rotaryfest for the third straight year at 7:00 PM tomorrow evening, with classic rock veterans Obsession playing the main stage for the seventh time in eight years as the opening act at 6:00 PM.

Much like Thursday, there's a nice familiar lineup for fans of classic rock, with a splash of country for good measure, and if you're a fan of Rotaryfest's past, note that all 5 of tomorrow's bands were on the lineup in 2013 as well! Again, tomorrow's event is FREE & ALL AGES, so Check the above links for more details, and here's That's Chester live at Rotaryfest from that year!



Stage 1 at Clergue Park concludes on Saturday with the usual all day lineup, but with the most diverse lineup yet in both sound and for new bands (4 of this year's 9 local bands are making their Stage 1 debuts), so who will you see? For the first time since 2010, a local band will close Rotaryfest at 10:45 PM, they being local country veterans Thin Ice in their seventh straight festival appearance, with the usual touring out of town band(s) preceding, they being the linked Toronto based tributes Practically Petty & Fleetwood Nicks at 9:30 & 8:30 PM, so if you like Tom Petty & Fleetwood Mac, stay late for them! Classic rock veterans Mustang Heart will maintain their decade+ long Rotaryfest streak at 7:00 PM, while The Big Waltz (a one-off tribute to The Band, featuring many of the artists behind last year's Free Falling tribute) will take the stage at 6:00 PM. All-female classic rockers Domina will play their second straight Rotaryfest set at 5:00 PM, while local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will play the main stage for the third & final time at 4:00 PM, as they will break up after Saturday's set.
 
The former Suicide Kings had a strong run, and while it's disappointing to see them break up (and following a no-original set), hopefully they have a great turnout and reception for their send-off! Saturday's remaining bands are all newcomers to the main stage, and they include local blues rock solo musician Paul Dellavedova at 3:00 PM, local hard rock quartet Long Shot (fresh off of their Rockstar Bar show tomorrow) at 2:00 PM, and local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood (with special guests Mark Tarantini & Jeff McNiece) opening the Saturday lineup at 1:00 PM, and no, we have no word yet on if they're playing any regular concerts this weekend. As with tomorrow & Friday, this show is FREE & ALL AGES, and check the above links and your official Rotaryfest programs for more info!

Though some recent Rotaryfest regulars aren't on the 2015 lineup (like The Reptiles, Spyder's Web, Bone Yard, and KT, Kyle, and The Pocket), there's a very solid lineup for festival veterans and newer fans alike, but if you crave a change of pace, Saturday's the day for you! For a preview, here's Beaumont Avenue at last year's Rotaryfest!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more concert previews (including the return of the Second Stage) TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Rotaryfest's Main Stage!!)

The full music lineups for this year's Rotaryfest summer festival have been revealed! As per the official program (as posted online yesterday, which you can read at this link), there are once again 3 days worth of music at the outdoor Clergue Park stage from Thursday, July 16th through Saturday July 18th, while the Second Stage does indeed return after a year's hiatus in a new location, which we'll outline in an upcoming post, so stay tuned! The main stage lineup (again all-cover bands) will be very familiar for recent Rotaryfest attendees, as only five of the 18 local bands are new to the Clergue Park stage (though some performers in them have played there in other projects), but who all will we see this year? The Thursday lineup for Clergue Park's Stage 1, as usual, doesn't have any hard rock bands, but the headliners will be classic rock veterans Coverfly at 10:00 PM, with fellow classic rockers Flathead Ford (who played Rotaryfest in 2013) at 9:00 PM, local Elvis Presley tribute artist Larry Tschekalin (Thursday's only newcomer) at 8:00 PM, country quartet Crossroad (in their second straight Rotaryfest set) at 7:00 PM, and veteran festival favourites The Bob Jenkins Band leading off with easy jazz at 6:00 PM.

Solid lineup for classic rock fans, so keep that in mind for Thursday! The Friday, July 17th lineup is again retracted in length like last year, but there will be hard rock bands on the lineup, including the return of local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester as headliners at 10:00 PM! Last seen at Rotaryfest in 2013, this will be That's Chester's first announced public concert of the year, and given their recent focus, they will be playing songs from their upcoming stage production of The Who's Tommy this fall, so keep that in mind if you've missed the guys or love The Who! Local hard rock cover quartet Griphook will also play their third straight Rotaryfest set at 7:00 PM, which will also be their first announced show in three months, and it's great to see them back at it during the summer! Other performers (all veterans of the last two Rotaryfests, if not more) include country quartet Summer Thunder at 9:00 PM, and classic rock favourites Mid Lyfe Crisis at 8:00 PM and Obsession opening at 6:00 PM, so come early for their talented covers!

The Friday lineup is quality for longtime fans of Rotaryfest's main stage, with all veterans of the event, and hopefully there's a great turnout come the 17th! Both Thursday & Friday's lineups are FREE & ALL AGES, so be sure to check the above links for more details!

As for the Saturday lineup (which is the longest, most varied in sound, and has the most new bands), the announced main attractions are still the joint Toronto-based Fleetwood Mac & Tom Petty tributes Fleetwood Nicks & Practically Petty, but they are not last on July 18th, with local country rock quintet and festival mainstays Thin Ice getting the closing 10:45 PM slot for unannounced reasons. The Tom Petty & Fleetwood Mac tributes are on at 9:30 & 8:30 PM each, with local classic rock veterans Mustang Heart keeping their long Rotaryfest streak alive at 7:00 PM (for 90 minutes?), all-female classic rockers Domina playing their second main stage set at 6:00 PM, and The Big Waltz (a one-off local tribute to The Band featuring four of the same musicians from, ironically, last year's Tom Petty/Stevie Nicks one-off Free Falling) at 5:00 PM.

The hard rock action is all in the afternoon on Saturday, with Beaumont Avenue closing out their successful local run with their third & final Rotaryfest set at 4:00 PM, so be sure to send out the former Suicide Kings in style on the 18th! The remaining acts are all Rotaryfest newcomers, including local blues rock solo musician Paul DellaVedova (who played the second stage in 2012 with Paul D & The Double Down) at 3:00 PM, local hard rock quartet Long Shot at 2:00 PM, and local classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood opening the day at 1:00 PM alongside two advertised guest musicians: local country singer Mark Tarantini and Q104's Jeff McNiece, which are clear signs of their country ties. The Saturday lineup is pretty good as well, and the newest for fan craving some different bands, so keep that in mind, especially for the hard rock action in the afternoon!

Note however that some recent Rotaryfest regulars aren't on the bill for this year, like KT, Kyle, and The Pocket, The Reptiles, and Spyder's Web, each of whom played the last 3 years or longer. Saturday's lineup, like the rest, is FREE & ALL AGES, and there's lots of entertaiment for every taste, so check the above links for full details on who to expect at the Clergue Park stage for this year's Rotaryfest, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and our full breakdown on who's playing the returning Second Stage and where in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder & Mourning Wood), More Concert Previews, And A Surprise Band Breakup!!

We would normally start this second weekend concert preview post with a late notice show announcement, but as this leads directly into a cancellation and replacement band for this weekend, we'll lead off with the surprising news that local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue are disbanding next month. The former Suicide Kings made the announcement on their Facebook page yesterday, and while they didn't clarify a reason for the impending breakup (other than saying they went from "in a relationship" to "single"), they confirmed that they've cancelled their concerts tonight at The Rockstar Bar and on July 10th at The Rednecks Saloon (which wasn't publically announced beforehand), and they've pulled out of that weekend's Out Of The Ruins show as well. However, Beaumont Avenue will play a farewell concert set at Rotaryfest next month, which personal Facebook posts confirm will be on Saturday, July 18th at 4:00 PM on the main stage, but we're still awaiting official public confirmation on the lineup.

I don't know why they're breaking up so suddenly, especially a day off from their planned return, but Beaumont Avenue have had a very successful run since their 2012 debut that has seen them open for the likes of Airbourne, win 2013's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, and even play at Spanish's Rock 'N Roar Festival. At least they'll get a proper send-off (albeit covers only) at Rotaryfest next month, so be sure to see Mike, Steven, Mitch, and Ben one last time then, and stay tuned for updates on the full Rotaryfest band lineups on both stages when they come in!

With Beaumont Avenue's withdrawal from TONIGHT'S Rockstar Bar concert, here's our first SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this post, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will step in to take their spot for tonight, as announced via this Facebook event page late yesterday! This gives Havadder (with guest drummer Glen Thomas) the full weekend at The Rockstar Bar, as they'll headline the previously announced fundraiser for drummer Scott McLurg and his family TOMORROW NIGHT, with proceeds going to help Scott during his ongoing heart attack recovery! The second benefit for Scott this month, this has the benefit of extra advertising, a 50/50 draw, drink specials, and a prize table, so keep each in mind! Recent postings indicate however that Havadder are the only "band" tomorrow, though they'll be joined by guest musicians to jam during their set, as you never know who might have at 'er too!

Both TONIGHT & TOMORROW's shows have 19+ age limits & 10:30 PM start times, and while tonight's has no announced cover (bring cash just in case), tomorrow's fundraiser has a minimum $5 cover, so given the cause, consider giving more. Scott McLurg is a good guy and a talented drummer, so our continued best wishes are with him as his recovery continues, and definitely consider coming to see Havadder this weekend to show your support! Here's Havadder live last fall!



Lastly for short notice show announcements in this post, local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood are apparently rocking Reggie's Place at 458 Queen Street East TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was originally confirmed in a thread on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Monday, and it apparently followed a rare Thursday night show from the band yesterday, as per bassist Steven Flint's personal Facebook page (apologies for missing it on the SMS, we couldn't rush a third new post last night to fit it in.) No word on if they're playing a Friday show now that Steven's Beaumont Avenue gig was cancelled, but tomorrow's proves to be unique if it's still on, as the above Musicians Wanted group post was to find musicians to fill in for frontman Terry Eaton and drummer T.J. Case due to a double booking. This is presumably referencing an Asylum Country concert, as both are in that band, but I haven't found a public reference to the show in question.

At last word, a drummer was found and a bassist was being sought (I assume Steven would be handling guitar if this show is still on), but at least we heard about a Mourning Wood show at the original Reggie's before the day of it! Tomorrow's show, if still on, should have a 10:00 PM start time, a 19+ age limit, and no announced cover. We'll keep you posted if more comes out, and here's Mourning Wood live last year!



Finally for this second of three weekend concert preview posts, we'll touch on a show that was previously announced, as local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will hit LopLops Lounge TOMORROW NIGHT to open for Edmonton psychedelic/garage rock band The Archaics for a second time in under three weeks! With the headliners coming back home on their Canadian tour, it's great to see The Archaics' old school-inspired garage rock back on a local stage tomorrow, so be sure to give them a look if you're not familiar with them! The Pixo Control will be kicking off a busy weekend (including a Sunday afternoon show that we'll preview in-depth tomorrow), and their grungy hard rock should fit in nicely again tomorrow! A more intimate show than the New American gig earlier this month, it is apparently a Six Two Oh production despite the Facebook event page being created by former Danger Cats guitarist Paula D'Agostino.

A $5 cover is in effect for this 19+ concert, which will start tomorrow at 10:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links, and if you missed The Archaics and The Pixo Control earlier this month, here's your second chance! For a preview, here's The Pixo Control at last year's Lopstock, and stay tuned for plenty of videos from this year's Lopstock in the coming days!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for previews of an unusually busy Sunday in local concerts tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Stiffler's Mom & Tym Morrison) And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

We have another busy concert weekend upon us, so with the exception of our post concerning this month's and last month's poll later today, we're focusing only on weekend concert previews and SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next couple of days! Today, we're mostly touching on shows with a Thursday-Friday element, with one exception, with Saturday and Sunday shows tomorrow, and any other late notice additions added where necessary. Now, here's what you should know for the next few days!

Loal hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison has announced more matinee concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY NIGHT to go along with his regular weekly gigs at The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Apologies for the short notice on the Gliss shows, Tym only announced them via their Facebook event page on Monday. While his ongoing Harp run is well established since late 2013, this will mark Tym's third straight weekend at Gliss at The Quality Inn, with an expansion to three days worth of music after last weekend's advertised Thursday-only appearance. No word yet on if he has a new weekly arrangement with Gliss or if this is still a week-by-week thing, but he's obviously staying busy, and his talented hard rock originals must be playing well at both venues! The Gliss shows will start at 6:00 PM each evening, and none have an announced cover or age limit, but remember that this is a restaurant.

And for his regular Harp shows this weekend, both are at 10:00 PM, both are 19+ events, and neither have an announced cover charge. For more details, click here & see above, and here's Tym live at Mill Square!



Also in new show announcements, local party/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom will return to The Rednecks Saloon for the second time this year THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, the band only announced the show on their Facebook page yesterday. Last seen on stage two weeks ago at The Rockstar Bar, this will be Greg, Mike, and Jon's first stop at The Rednecks Saloon since last month, and it's nice to see this popular veteran trio playing at the former Nicolet Tavern more often! For reference, Greg's country cover band Bone Yard are playing at Rednecks tomorrow night (source here), but no word on if both are one nighters by design or due to scheduling conflicts for a member of either band. Stiffler's Mom are likely on at around 10:30 PM on Saturday night, you must be 19 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Stiffler's Mom live a few years back!



Moving to previously announced concerts, local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Remember, this was announced in the spring, then had it's Facebook event page deleted, but it is definitely back/still on for tomorrow! Last seen on stage over a month ago, this will be the former Suicide Kings' first concert with their full lineup (including drummer Ben Boudreau) since January due to Ben's college commitments out of town, so if you've missed the full band this year, don't miss Beaumont Avenue at The Rockstar Bar tomorrow! Yes, this is a one-nighter, the Havadder-headlined Scott McLurg fundraiser is on Saturday night, and we'll touch on that tomorrow. There's no announced cover charge tomorrow night (but bring cash just in case), you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the new Facebook event page!

It's great to see the full Beaumont Avenue back at last, so welcome Ben back home TOMORROW at The Rockstar Bar, and stay tuned for more details on upcoming concerts from them! Here's Beaumont Avenue live!



Finally for this first preview post, we'll head to St. Ignace, Michigan, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 will rock The Northern Pines Lounge at their Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen at the same venue three weeks ago, this weekend's shows oddly haven't been plugged on their Facebook page yet, but they are definitely listed on official schedules. This popular band featuring Monkey's Uncle, Exiled, Bottom Line, and Analog Deficiency alumni should have a solid weekend of hard rocking covers in store for fans this weekend, so don't miss out if you're in the E.U.P. tomorrow and/or Saturday night! As usual for their Kewadin gigs, there are no announced cover charges, 9:00 PM start times, and 21+ age limits in effect. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Highway 63 live earlier this year!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's new poll and last month's results next, and for more weekend concert previews! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Ten Kings) & Lots Of Assorted Recent Updates!!

Today's post is mostly devoted to assorted shorter news and notes that have piled up in the last week or so, but we're leading off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for one week from Saturday in Sault Michigan, so here's what you should know on this Sunday evening!

Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings will play a unique concert event on Saturday, June 27th when they head to Lake Superior State University for their first ever Summerfest! Fresh off of this weekend's road trip to Manistique, Ten Kings will reportedly be among a few local artists at this event from the local university, which will be a celebration of music on an outdoor stage on the north side of the Cisler Center (the administrative & social building that hosts, among other things, their radio station WLSO.) LSSU's Summerfest will feature food, refreshments, and music from The Steeltown Silver Band at 3:30 PM, but Ten Kings' set will reportedly be at 12:00 noon that day, as per their own Facebook event page. The rest of the performer lineup has yet to be announced, but LSSU have indicated that a full schedule is forthcoming, so we'll let you know when we hear it! Given the theme and location of the event, is is FREE & ALL AGES, but remember that is is on a university.

As an LSSU graduate, I can attest to how nice and inviting the school is, and it should be a solid backdrop for their first ever Summerfest! They always hosted live bands in some form when I was there, but an outdoor festival like this sounds like a good time, so keep it in mind one week from Saturday, and if you're in the Manistique area, go see Ten Kings this weekend at their Kewadin Casino branch!

Finally for today, here's ten assorted shorter stories from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist, venue, or event name:

• After scattered hints in recent months, local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back have apparently completed recording sessions for a new album! As per their Facebook page yesterday, the band confirmed that it's "done", and to "stay tuned" for updates. This won't be their first CD release, as they released two minimally advertised demos at concerts last fall, but this album appears to be more formal and official. Good to hear, so keep posted when more comes in!
• Local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters confirmed on their Facebook page on Thursday that recording sessions for their second album "The Dead Testament" will begin in September! The album will feature 11 new songs (including 4 that have yet to be played in concert) and a re-recording of "Deception" from their debut as a bonus track. Other details are forthcoming, but fans should definitely stay tuned as we hear more!
• Local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue have replaced the aforementioned Bear Hunters on the lineup for the Out Of The Ruins concert at The Rednecks Saloon on July 11th, as per a recent Facebook event page update. The reason is likely due to Justin Lam and Johnny Belanger being out of town with Jack Spades that weekend, more on that in a second. Beaumont Avenue are arguably a worse genre fit, but the former Suicide Kings' all-original set should find a solid audience in their first opening set at a local show since last year's Rotaryfest!
• Now-defunct all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats posted studio versions of their original songs "On The Prowl", "Sugar Mama", and "Give Me" onto their Reverbnation page earlier this month, as recorded with producer Jamie Vincent at Six Two Oh (presumably where Bad Back's album is being done too.) The songs sound good, and it's a shame the girls wrapped things up before they could get their own EP released! Check them (and the earlier "Wanted Man") out at the above links!
• It no longer bears directly on the Soo, but this year's 17th annual installment of Hempfest (based in Moonbeam, 8 hours north of here, since last summer) will have a tribute band theme like it did in one of the last local installments, with Rush, Rage Against The Machine, and Metallica tributes booked (the latter, Misery, have played here too.) More acts are being finalized, so if you want to take a road trip for this year's Hempfest in August, click here for details!
• Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will take a road trip to Meyersburg, Ontario (an hour east of Peterborough) over the July 10th weekend to take part in this year's second annual Spiderfest! They also played this event this year, and they'll join such locally notable bands as IDNS, Gatgas, and The Dead Peasants Revolt on the lineup, with the classic comedy metal band Green Jelly headlining. Excellent to see the guys back for Spiderfest 2, and hopefully they jack Meyersburg once again!
• There has apparently been construction going on recently at Mill Square to build an outdoor concert stage outside of The Machine Shop, named "The Yard" at present time. The Machine Shop's Facebook page indicates that several outdoor events are planned, as well as big events for next year, plus the hashtag tease of "Bring Back Castle Farms", referencing the famed Charlevoix, Michigan outdoor concert venue. Very intriguing, so we'll keep an eye on this apparent new venue as more comes out!
• Local musician Peytan Andreola is looking for a metal drummer to jam with, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Tuesday. No word on his music background there, but if you're interested in more details, message him above or at this link!
• Recently reunited doom/punk trio The Revolution have quietly dropped out of the upcoming Eternal Prophecy/Lie Among Us concert at The Rednecks Saloon on August 10th, as per recent updates to the Facebook event page. A reason for their exit wasn't announced, but note that they haven't updated their Facebook page in almost two months. Hopefully all's well in their camp! They were not replaced on the lineup, so bassist Jordan Leach's other band Haggith are now the only local openers, and they now have $5 advance tickets, so contact members A.S.A.P.!
• While we continue to wait for the reveal of this year's Rotaryfest lineups, their website now confirms that the returning Second Stage's new presenting sponsor is local roadside assistance call-centre Agero (replacing Tenaris, who remain as a sponsor of other events.) As well, their site labels it as "Stage 2 Redirected", but whether that's a new moniker or an accident from website coding is to be announced. We'll let you know when we hear more!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Havadder & Mourning Wood), A New Song, And Much More!!

As predicted, we have one more set of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend, so those will lead off today's second post, but we also have a new show next week, a new song posting, and some assorted recent updates! Here's what you should know, and check out the rest of this weekend's hard rock and punk concert previews in the posts below this one!

Local classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood will be rocking Reggie's West TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about these shows via SooToday's entertainment page this afternoon, and while the band hasn't confirmed the shows on Facebook as of this writing, note that they generally only announce gigs on a few hours notice via personal accounts. In any event, this weekend's shows at the former Roosevelt Hotel will mark their second straight weekend at a Reggie's venue following their shows at last weekend's Reggie's Place 25th anniversary festivities. This talented trio should deliver some solid cover action to fans in the west end this weekend, so keep TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S shows in mind if you don't have other plans! They are 19+ gigs at 9:30 PMwith no announced cover, so see the above links for more info, and here's Mourning Wood live!



Next up, fellow local classic/hard rock band Havadder will hit The Rockstar Bar next Saturday (June 20th) as part of the lineup for a second fundraiser concert for drummer Scott McLurg during his heart attack recovery! Though a lineup for the event hasn't been announced yet, Havadder confirmed on the Facebook event page for TONIGHT & TOMORROW'S Rednecks Saloon gigs that they'll be playing at the fundraiser, with fill-in drummer Glen Thomas joining them for that show as well. Promoted by The Rockstar Bar's Hayley Warnock, next Saturday's event is a formally scheduled and planned benefit to help raise funds for Scott and his family while he's off work. Performers are being sought to play the show, so if you're interested in playing or donating raffle prizes, message Hayley or anyone involved with the event at this link! The fundraiser will have a minimum door charge of $5, it's presumably 19+, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. Check the above links for more details!

It's great to see a larger fundraiser booked to help Scott and family out (last week's Lucky 13 show was a late replacement gig, so there wasn't a lot of time to plan it like next week's is getting), and it'll be interesting to see who all joins on to play! Maybe some of Scott's former bandmates? Time will tell, but stay tuned for updates, and of course, get well soon, Scott!

Also, here's a brand new studio track from local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven! Uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, it's of their song "Enough", and while not stated there, personal Facebook postings mention that the song was recorded at Mannapool guitarist Korey Deluca's studio. Their second studio track and first with their current lineup (featuring Al Fletcher on bass and John Mignacca on drums), this is a mid-tempo rocker that has a dark edge to it and nice melodic vocals, and it's another strong composition from this rising band! Check it out below!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will still be playing at The Rockstar Bar THIS COMING FRIDAY! The original Facebook event page was deleted for unannounced reasons in the spring, but the show is either back on or still on, and the band confirmed on the new event page that drummer Ben Boudreau will indeed be back for the first time in 5 months after returning home from college! Great news, so keep this show in mind for next week! No word yet though on the July gig that was also advertised.
• Barring sudden new activity, we'll be moving local hard rock band Meant To Last to our inactive band links next week. The cross-border project featuring These Sins of Time and Tantrym Tyme alumni are nearing a year since singer Alexa LeClair last referenced the band in Musicians Wanted Facebook group searches, with their own Facebook page not updated since last April. The members are talented, and I liked the international angle for the band, but hopefully they keep active in music, and best of luck to Alexa, Dalton, and Ethan in the future!
• While the wait continues for the full schedule on both stages, Rotaryfest's website now confirms that two tribute acts will headline the main stage on July 18th, those being the joint Toronto-based Fleetwood Mac & Tom Petty tributes Fleetwood Nicks and Practically Petty, making the second straight year that the Clergue Park stage has featured a Tom Petty tribute (after year's local one-off Free Falling.) Should be fun for classic rock fans, so see above for more, and stay tuned for the full schedules!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow, and much more in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? June 2015 Update

As it's the second day of a new month, it's now time for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! Like before, this monthly feature looks at the current whereabous and known information on upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk bands that have officially & publically announced that recording for an album has begun. We've removed three albums due to their recent physical and/or Bandcamp releases (Haggith's "Apocalypse II", Mike Haggith's "The Warinside", and Crucify the Whore's split with Scrotox), while one extra album has been removed due to it's unlikely release status, as detailed at post's end, and seven have updated info, as noted by the title in italics. Now, where are the new albums? Read on below!
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The Apocalypse Afterparty's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "The Crowd" (The Fury cover), "Rebel Scum" (The Fury cover), "Sweet F*ck"

Background: Before ever playing a public concert, new local rap/metal band The Apocalypse Afterparty (then featuring 2/3rds of Smeltzer as "songwriters") announced on their Facebook page on August 21st that they had begun working on their 3 song debut EP with producer Jamie Vincent (AlgomA), though they also alluded to recording the remaining songs with different producers. The song that they recorded with Jamie is "The Crowd", which you can hear in full at this link, though recent postings have hinted at recording said EP this year for a release and recording sessions via Tidal Records.

Current Release Status: No idea, especially given "songwriter" Steve Mozarowski's departure from the band and related lineup changes, but things seemed to be progressing well despite the band's short existence. It should be noted that The Apocalypse Afterparty 's version of "The Crowd" is featured on Blood Shed Productions' recent 11-way split album, but at last word, the EP is still in the works. Hopefully more comes out soon on it!
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Beaumont Avenue - King of the World

Rumoured Songs: "Into the Fray", "Red Rover", "King of the World", "Way Out Of Hell", "Take Me Away", "Beaten Down", "Two More Jag", "Jesus Concubines"

Background: Already off to a quick launch with numerous concerts since their fall 2012 debut, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings (who changed their name to Beaumont Avenue last summer) surprisingly announced that they were officially working on their first EP on their Facebook page in February 2013. Three weeks later, the band revealed in another Facebook posting that they were busy working on their own material, and they had plans to complete an EP by the end of the spring featuring 5-7 songs, which was recorded over the past month at the former Smoke & Oak Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja. Though info on the sessions and release was sporadic for much of 2013, the band unveiled studio versions of their originals "Into the Fray" & "Jesus Concubines" last year on Facebook, presumably as a preview for the full release, though nothing has followed since, and the band is currently taking a break due to drummer Ben Boudreau's out of town college commitments.

Current Release Status: As of their Facebook page in September, Beaumont Avenue are planning to record 2 EPs of 4 original songs each (grouped by how they feel) before writing a debut album from scratch when Ben returns home, which may or may not mean that they're scrapping their Smoke & Oak Room session tracks for their pending debut CD. The band was working on studio work and songwriting over the holidays while Ben was back home, but it's unclear how much was done. We'll let you know when we hear more!
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Crucify The Whore's untitled three-way split

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: Rather than release their next material on single CDs, local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore have announced continued plans to include songs on split albums, a common occurrence for bands of this subgenre. Following the Blood Shed Productions 11-way split and last month's split with North Bay grindcore band Scrotox, C.T.W. have announced a three-way release alongside Ohio cybernoise band Menstrual Munchies & New York grind duo Soaked In Semən (don't shoot the messenger, I didn't name them!) Additional details are likely forthcoming, and it's not known yet whether the C.T.W. songs will find their way onto future solo releases.

Current Release Status: With the Scrotox split currently the main focus, the three-way split awaits finite details on it's content, title, artwork, and release date. Stay tuned to C.T.W. and Blood Shed pages for more details!
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Destroilet & Jack Spades' untitled three-way split album with The Ripcordz

Rumoured Songs (D): "iBomb", "Bamberg Witch Prison", "Heavy Artillery", "It's Over", "Kifer"

Rumoured Songs (J): "Frederick", "Fear Corps", "Motorwolf", "Negative Headspace", "Crossroads", "The Lot"

Rumoured Songs (R): Unknown

Background: In March, local punk/metal bands Destroilet & Jack Spades both revealed online that they'd be joining forces with Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz on a three-way split CD! Current plans are to fund the album through fundraiser concerts and a Kickstarter campaign, though recording sessions on at least Jack Spades' end have begun, with drum tracking completed last month according to their Facebook page. When complete, this will be Jack Spades' second release and Destroilet's third (though their first with new co-lead singer Brenton Ellis), and Tidal Records will likely have a hand in the recording and release of the project.

Current Release Status: Plans are to release this ambitious split album on October 24th at The Algonquin Pub with a planned CD release concert headlined by The Ripcordz, who have shared the stage with the two local bands and members within at various recent local concert events. There's a long time to go before then, but things sound like they're off to a great start, so keep posted as more comes in!
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion

Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics", "Prometheus"

Background: Despite a hiatus from live concerts lasting over 5 years, Gates of Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". The first glimpse of the new album was unveiled in February 2010, when frontman/producer Lee Maines uploaded a snippet of their new song "The Stars Call My True Name" onto his YouTube channel, and he followed that up with more demo & rehearsal clips sporadically over the last couple of years, though all were later taken down. The band launched a new Facebook page in August 2010 to keep fans updated on the sessions, including the unveiling of a new song title, "Time Warp", and while Sault native Jon Morrison was announced as the album's drummer that fall, the album will feature programmed drums. In November 2011, bassist Steve Furgiuele confirmed in a YouTube video that the album, now titled "Perihelion", was planned for release in December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the summer, but Lee confirmed last month that the album would be delayed further, be retracted to EP length, and possibly be renamed. Other new songs, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics" & "Prometheus", was previewed in this video & this video that were uploaded in 2013 & last April respectively. Whether ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included on the EP is currently unknown.

Current Release Status: Personal commitments and the like have slowed things down incredibly, but in the band's most recent preview video (featuring audio samples), Gates of Winter hinted that work was winding down on "Perihelion", including noting that "the silence ends soon", with this year now targeted for a release. Good art takes time, and knowing Gates of Winter's talent and attention to detail, they won't wanna release this until everything's perfect. I'll admit that I know a bit more on "Perihelion" than what I've posted here, but I'll wait until more public word comes out before elaborating, so keep an eye out for updates!
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The Pixo Control's debut CD

Rumoured Songs: "Land of the Moles", "Reasons", "Sixty Extra Chances Called Minutes", "The Great Salute To Radio Edits", "Tall Ships", "No", "Quick Little Quarter", "Call Me A Liar", "Scratch", "Alphabetical Order", "This Is Momentary, Forever", "Growing Pains", "Potpourri", "Feather", "Vicinity", "Congratulations"

Background: After earlier teases of recording sessions, young local grunge/alternative trio The Pixo Control revealed on their online pages (including on Instagram in November) that they were indeed working on their first album, with veteran local musician Keith Conway having a hand in the album's production. An Instagram video was also posted that featured bassist Steve Edwards working on a studio track, and updates have steadily followed to tease fans on the album's progress. The band also confirmed in February that they have signed with Tidal Records, who will presumably also release this album, and will be holding a fundraiser for it and upcoming tour plans at a fundraiser concert at The Rankin Arena next weekend.
 
Current Release Status: No idea, but the guys sound like they've gotten a fair amount done already, and they've been turning a lot of heads so far, so don't bypass them, and stay tuned for more on their first album this year!
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Redundant's debut CD

Rumoured Songs: "Miles Apart", "That December", "What You'll Do"

Background: Over two and a half years after their last documented studio sessions in the spring of 2012, local punk trio Redundant revealed on their Facebook page on November 16th that they're finally working on finishing their debut CD, and will look to hold a CD release party for it upon it's completion. Details are otherwise minimal, including on if the guys will just package their older studio work for the release, or include new recordings, perhaps at bassist James White's studio White Wreckords. We'll keep you posted if we hear more!

Current Release Status: Though we don't know much on the new/revived album plans, Redundant did sound serious about completing their CD. That said, Redundant have issued no public updates this year, and recent personal postings by James have indicated that he's moving to Toronto for college later this year, which would presumably impact their status. If we hear any updates from their camp, we'll be sure to let you know!
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The Revolution - Roll Call

Rumoured Songs: "Prisoner of Hate", "Monsters", "Cold Temptress", "Into The Fog", "Get High With Me"

Background: Then-new local doom/punk trio The Revolution (originally the second version of Brutaly Fatal) surprisingly announced on their Facebook page that they were heading into the studio to begin recording their debut EP last July. The sessions are being done at their new label PaperClip Productions, who signed the band in May. To be titled "Roll Call", a 5 song track listing was announced at the same time, which omitted prior live originals like "Murder For Sport", "We Are The Gladiators", and "Mercury". One of the songs (title unclear) was previewed in this Facebook video on Christmas, and while they surprisingly disbanded in late February, they reunited in April and have resumed work on "Roll Call". Drum tracking is finished, with guitar & bass tracking beginning on April 12th, while the band also shared this image on Facebook, which might be the planned cover art.

Current Release Status: It's hard to say when we'll see the final product, but they are hard at work, and will return to the stage in August as well. It's surprising enough that the guys are back after their month-long breakup, so follow the above links for more on this resurrected album!
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The Sorrow Fields - Let Go

Rumoured Songs: "Godlessness"

Background: Previously known as Animas, April Eyes, and By The Gods, The Sorrow Fields is the long gestating black/death metal solo metal project from Bear Hunters/Beaumont Avenue guitarist Mitch Sirie. He resurrected the project under it's new name in 2012, complete with an atmospheric & dark sound, and he has sporadically updated fans as to his newest planned debut album via their YouTube channel and deleted Facebook page. As of June 2013, he'd titled the album "Godlessness" (though it was changed to "Let Go" last spring), and a preview of the title track and another unnamed song were uploaded there to check out before being privatized for unannounced reasons. Mitch is still working on the album though, and has aims to finish it after 6 years of off & on work, as per a personal Facebook posting last year.

Current Release Status: Mitch's most recent release timeframe for The Sorrow Fields' album was this winter, though we're past that now. Knowing how delayed his past solo album "Hollow Hope" was prior to it's cancellation, this could be a long road, especially as he's a workhorse with his two bands. It should also be noted that Mitch hinted on personal Facebook posts in the fall that a studio version of his fan favourite "Squirrel Buddy" is in the works, but whether it's a single or a renamed full album isn't clear. In case new "Let Go" or Sorrow Fields news rolls in, we'll have it here!
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Telephone & Address - "Monster" and "The Early Tapes"

Rumoured Songs (M): "Unknown"

Rumoured Songs (E): "The Plumbers"

Background: Telephone & Address mainman Chris Shoust announced on their Facebook page in January that he's working on releasing "The Early Tapes", a compilation of songs from the first 4 Telephone & Address albums (2011's self titled album, and 2012's "Live", "No. 3", and "Broken Head"), all of which being released before their recent full integration into the local scene. Since then however, he quietly revealed on Facebook that a separate new album named "Monster" is done, with an advanced copy leaked to him by AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent, which likely hints that Jamie helped produce it. No other details have been revealed yet, but some songs may be on their Soundcloud page, and when both are released, they're likely to turn up on Telephone & Address' Bandcamp page and on Interpunk, which Chris is also using to distribute physical copies.

Current Release Status: Chris is aiming for "Monster" to come out in July once he has the funding to press physical copies of it, so look for it this summer!. As for "The Early Tapes", Chris revealed in March that it "will be delayed for some time", though he didn't elaborate on why specifically. It's also worth noting that Chris is now collaborating with Boxes of Boom's Sam Decter on original music under the name Are You Now? or Have You Ever?, but has alternately referenced Sam as drumming for Telephone & Address, with future distinction between the two projects unclear, as is what this means (if anything) for the "Monster" release. We'll keep you posted!
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With all of the above said, we have removed one album due to it's unlikely release prospects, so here's what you should know on it!
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Haggith - "Time Machine: Live"

Rumoured Songs (T): Unknown

Background: Amidst their busy studio recording plans since reuniting last year, local grunge/alternative rock quartet Haggith announced plans in November to release a live album named "Time Machine: Live", which would be their second recorded live album and first with current bassist Jordan Leach. Little else followed, including what show the recordings were made at (or would be made at), and references to it have not been made since guitarist Daniel Horton's departure from the band earlier this year.

Reason For Removal: We're removing this from our tracking as it was a product of their old lineup, and you may remember that Haggith severely cut their recent studio album "XIV" down to an EP after Daniel left, and have seemingly shifted their recent focus to older material since Caleb Cachagee's return. If the intended concert was already recorded, we might see a release in some form, but for now, we won't treat it as an imminent album for this series' purposes. If we're wrong though, we'll let you know!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums" post! Barring a sudden review of "The Warinside", our next feature post will be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile one week from tomorrow, and stay tuned for more news and previews! Thanks everyone!