Mike Haggith - "Bridges" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 149th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith's 51st canon solo album "Bridges"! Released through Mike's own MorningStar Studios imprint on November 6th (his birthday), songwriting for "Bridges" commenced soon after Mike moved to Thompson in late 2017, with recording sessions, single previews, and teasers taking place into early 2019, before the album was indefinitely postponed due to mixing delays, personal life concerns, and the quick development of another new studio album, "If Ever Comes The Day", which jumped ahead in line for a May 2020 release. "Bridges" regained priority in 2021 and was finally completed as intended after four years of development. Recorded at MorningStar Studios & Lionheart Audio, this album was Mike's first solo release with an external producer, namely Justin Sobey, who also guests on guitar on tracks #1 & #5, as well as bass on track #9.

A concept album reflecting on mental health issues & struggling with isolation after moving to Thompson, "Bridges" is available to stream or buy on multiple digital platforms handily linked via Distrokid. In terms of actually buying it, the album will run you $5 on Bandcamp or $7.99 on Amazon, and like with The Din's recent "Give In To The Din" reissue, physical copies can be bought via Kunaki on both CD for $10 AND vinyl for $35, a first for Mike's discography, though the track listing was slightly re-arranged due to format limitations. Song names below are linked to their Bandcamp copies. With 10 songs running for about 43 minutes in length, let's begin this review!

The album leads off with "From The 55th Parallel", which is about reflecting on what/who he misses since his move to Thompson (which is near the 55th parallel of latitude), and seemingly how the distance magnifies his positive memories and ambitions. Opening with an organ effect that is admittedly a little harsh, the song proper is definitely more rock based than much of "If Ever Comes The Day", but the symphonic elements harken back to his pre-Din solo output. Is it wrong to get the vibe of Prince's "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" from this song? Mike's deep yet melodic vocals are put to good use here, though his and Justin's guitar feel a little like an afterthought, and the clapping percussion of the bridge isn't as loud as it should be. Not a bad song, especially for fans of Mike's early-mid 2010s solo work, but as a composition, it was missing something melodically.

Second is "Over Indecision", which talks about a lost shot at love & how one regrets not being as assertive about their attraction as they should have been, and how he wants another chance to prove himself. This song is more melancholy and downbeat, yet keeps up a brisk musical pace, complete with a nice build to a dramatic and well mixed chorus! If only the vocals in the choruses weren't so repetitive, I'd have at least alternated the two lines as it went along. The drum programming is also repetitive in the verses, but the chorus is where the drum track shines, which would compliment a human drummer well in concert! I like how grand this song sounds, especially from the orchestral keyboard elements, and musically, this is still an improvement for what I like from Mike's solo work! Next is "The Nature of The Times", which was this album's first single back in 2019, complete with music video. 

Lyrically about reflecting on a down time in one's life, but accepting it as just the way things are right now and aiming for a better future, the song is more of a straightforward indie rocker that more calls to mind what Mike later wrote for "If Ever Comes The Day", if with some backing harmonics. You can see why it was picked as the first single, as it has a nice authentic quality and good melodies, especially with how Mike's vocals are tracked on the chorus. Not the heaviest song on offer, and the lyrics are thin outside of the chorus, but it fits where Mike has been heading musically, and it's a well written highlight! Song #4 is "An Act of Strength", which reflects on Mike's move to Thompson and how, despite the hurt it caused a loved one, was the title act to better his life, as hard as it may seem on paper. This song is largely driven by the piano and percussion, with Mike singing softly overtop of it all.

The chorus does amp up the intensity and passion, but the song mostly stays on the same emotional track until a mournful coda at the end. Not my favourite song on offer, just based on my own musical preferences and how this song doesn't have the melodic variance of others, but it gets the lyrical point across and suits the album concept! Then we have "The Catalyst", which is a song about a loved one, specifically one who moved there to be together, but seemingly left again after things didn't turn out the way they hoped, yet is still missed.  Musically similar to earlier tracks in it's symphonic elements, this has a very 1980s vibe to it's structure, almost Huey Lewis-y, if that's fair. The vocals drive this song more than the instruments do, admittedly, which ironically happened in both songs with Justin on guest guitar. The song fades out a little abruptly too, but it's a tight power pop song while it lasts!

The second half of "Bridges" begins with it's longest track, "Dangerous Town", which seems to be reflective of what he's heard about Thompson, but regardless, how he'll persevere and be with loved ones again. The song has an ethereal quality to it's backing instrumentation that is well done, and contrasts nicely with Mike's standard tone of vocals and a simple yet effective guitar riff. While a little soft for my usual musical tastes, this song combines it's elements into a strong melodic package that lives up to it's intended ambitions, and fans of Mike's softer side should get enjoy this one a lot! Next is the album's shortest song, "Come on Home", which is about what it sounds like, wishing for a loved one to safely come home (good sentiment for the holidays!). This is a downbeat ballad with Mike singing in a lower register than normal, and with a generally simplified musical structure.

Not a bad composition, and it puts Mike's softer side to use in a somewhat new dimension (this plays very well acoustically), but the abrupt ending wasn't to my liking, and I do prefer Mike's more upbeat rock-influenced material. Still a nice change of pace! Then we have "Blue Highway", a title that appears to reflect flying, given Mike's day job, with the idea of taking to the skies to escape one's less than ideal situation. A mid-tempo song that definitely has a good driving (or flying) quality to it, you even get somewhat of a guitar solo here, and this puts more of Mike's musical talents to use for a fuller sound! I'd have sped this up a little, and the "give it to me" lyrics are overdone, but this is a musical return to form if you preferred the first half of the album, and it's one of the better tracks in terms of evoking the lyrics!

The penultimate song is "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost", which feels like a companion piece to "Come On Home" given it's very similar lyrical content, but this seems to be more based around hoping a loved one returns following an argument and/or personal strife. Similarly, this is another downbeat ballad, if more optimistically sung in a higher register, and it builds nicely into a more grandiose, intricate last stretch. Well performed, including via Justin's guest bass, and the passion and emotion is well channeled on this late album highlight! Things conclude with the album's title track "Bridges", which sums up the album's messages about lost loves, isolation, and mental health using symbolism of the real Mystery Lake Bridge in Thompson, with Mike wishing to build a bridge to bring loved ones closer to him. This song is more ethereal and reflective, without much of a rock base, but with the requisite emotion that comes so easily to Mike.

The tone of the vocals and the drum track feel slightly off, I'm not sure why, but as an emotional climax of the album, it does what it sets out to do lyrically! As a compositon, I do prefer rockier songs from Mike, but again, that's not the point of this song, and to put a bow on things, it's about what you'd expect! So, what are my final thoughts on "Bridges"? Overall, this is a strong album that feels like an old school Mike Haggith release, but with the added maturity and life experience to help this one truly feel like the next step in his musical evolution! Mike has called this album the link between The Din's last studio album (2017's "Suburban Dream") and "If Ever Comes The Day" (which, again, was written & recorded later), but honestly, I never thought of The Din as being a link in this way. This feels much more like coming between "If Ever..." and his last pre-Din solo album, 2015's "The Warinside", as The Din never had keyboard and symphonic components like we saw from Mike as a solo musician then and here.

If you like Mike's music with more of a rock or a power pop base, this will be more your cup of tea than what came out last year, and I did like a lot of what "Bridges" brought to the table musically and emotionally! Songs like "Over Indecision", "The Nature Of The Times", and "Blue Highway" were highlights for me in showcasing Mike's growth and maturity as a musician over the past six years, but there are parts I'd address. Repetitive lyrics, abrupt song fade-outs, sometimes overpowering symphonics, and an increasingly melancholy back half were chief among them, and I think as pure compositions, "If Ever Comes The Day" may have been a stronger album in spite of not being as heavy. Still, it's great to finally hear "Bridges" and it deserves the positive buzz it's getting so far in Manitoba, Ontario, and beyond, and definitely stream or buy it for yourself at the above links!

That's all for today, but what are reviewing to end 2021 with? Despite The Din's planned live album "Technically Live" coming out on Boxing Day, I have a 6 month buffer period in place between reviews of albums from the same act to a avoid showing a bias. Albums from The Din and/or Mike solo won't be reviewed on the site like this until the spring at the earliest, but "Technically Live" is very tentatively planned for April 2022! As for next month..... I think we may be entering Room 206 to look at the long-belated work of a few Soolebrities, and details will be forthcoming on the site soon, so stay tuned for that & more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Apocalypse Afterparty & Fort Creek), Plus A New Album Release!!

Before we get into this post, just a heads up that the Black Label Society-headlined concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Saturday has been postponed (again) after consultation with tribal health professionals, as per the Facebook event page last week. You can look into COVID case rates in Michigan on relevant news sites, and of course, this is disappointing to miss out on B.L.S. locally yet again, but tickets can be held on to for the planned rescheduling in 2022. On to happier news, as we head to Sault Ontario for a big new album release and, leading off, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next weekend! Here's what you should know!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to the stage for concerts at Reggie's West on Friday, November 19th and Saturday, November 20th! Making their first live concert appearance in just over two months, fans will have last seen Fort Creek in a injured motorcycle riders fundraiser on September 11th, but Fort Creek last rocked The Reggievelt back in July, following a cancellation at the same venue in late August due to an undisclosed band member illness. Twelve weeks later, the guys are finally back there, and during their two month break from the stage, they were learning new songs and even gave away some more merchandise in another Facebook contest, so they've hardly been idle. Hopefully Justin, Shane, Matt, Robin, and Tony have another strong weekend of covers in store for fans next weekend, so if you're up for some live music, keep these gigs in mind!

Another merchandise giveaway will take place next weekend, for the record. 9:00 PM start times, no cover charges, and 19+ age limits are in effect, but remember that vaccine passports must be shown to enter Reggie's West for either show, and as usual, please mask up where necessary and use common sense to keep yourself and everyone else safe. Visit Fort Creek's Facebook page for more details on next weekend's concert action!

Next up, local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty will play a rare public concert set on Saturday, November 20th when they perform at Glambition, a festival set up at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center as a fundraiser for local youth homeless shelter Pauline's Place! The title of the event is apt, as Glambition isn't just a concert, but promises to have "entertainment from every part of the community", including fashion shows, dancing, and of course, musical acts, with multiculturalism also promoted on the Facebook event page. Despite it's wonderful artistic and charitable goals, there are a lot of unknowns for Glambition, especially given that the event is 11 days away, and that organizers have not confirmed a performer lineup/schedule at press time, but The Apocalypse Afterparty signaled their own involvement (with an 8:00 PM set) on their Facebook page yesterday.

Note that a performer slot was still open as of 4 hours ago, so click here for details on how to apply, while Handsome Sandwich singer Taylor Emlaw promoted a performer search for it on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group late last month (that band proper has not publically confirmed if they're playing or not). In any event, admission is $10 via ticket sales at this link or at the door, food & drinks will be available, this is an ALL AGES event, and it starts at 6:00 PM. Vaccine passports must be shown upon entry, and please use common sense re: the pandemic, especially as kids will be present. Intriguing event with more to announce, so stay tuned for updates!

Also, after almost four years, local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith finally released his 51st studio album "Bridges" on Saturday! The date wasn't announced in advance, but Saturday was Mike's 30th birthday, so the timing works out well in that regard! Released via Mike's own MorningStar Studios and recorded at Thompson's Lionheart Audio, "Bridges" is Mike's first canon album with an outside producer, Justin Sobey, who is a guest musician on three songs. Digitally, the ten track album is available on Bandcamp for just $5, but physical copies are available through Kunaki for $10 (CD) or $35 (vinyl, albeit with an altered track listing). Mike gave a long write-up about the album proper on Bandcamp, where he clarifies that "Bridges" is a concept album inspired by isolation and mental health issues, and that it reflects heavily on his early months living in & adjusting to Thompson after moving there in the fall of 2017.

Despite it's delayed release, Mike does note that "Bridges" sounds like a musical transition point between his old band The Din's 2017 album "Suburban Dream" and last year's "If Ever Comes The Day", and while it "is a straight-cut retro rock throwback" with more in common to The Din, he did acknowledge that his solo music has moved "toward lighter instrumentation and more pop-inspired tones", with more symbolism of the songs and cover artwork following. Of course, you can buy "Bridges" above and/or stream it on major streaming platforms, but Mike does have one more test printing of the album on vinyl that he's giving away in a contest if you are so inclined! You can hear a sample from it in this video from Mike's Facebook page, which has a factory test sleeve, but closer audio quality to the final pressings. Like, share, and tag a friend in that video's post to enter for a chance to win that test copy!

The winner will be drawn during Mike's next Facebook live-streamed concert on Saturday. Also, he has posted official lyric videos for most songs onto his YouTube channel, each with unique visuals! The exception is "The Nature Of The Times", which has it's own proper music video, albeit without lyrics. There's more to get into from Mike's new album (click here to get a head start before we cover them), and it's extremely likely that "Bridges" will be reviewed on the SMS later this month. For now, watch the lyric video for the opening song "From The 55th Parallel" below, and buy it above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Mike Haggith Album & Live-Stream Updates, Plus New Sault Michigan-Area Videos!!

Here's a seemingly all-too-rare news post on this Tuesday evening, which is neatly divided between the Twin Saults, with new videos from two distinct E.U.P,. acts to round things out with, but let's start with lots of recent updates from a popular musician who appears to have a lot in the works!

Let's lead off with the latest from prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba alternative/hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who has been quiet and/or cryptic about his solo music plans for most of 2021, but we are learning more about what he's doing next! In between his semi-regular series of "morning jam" song recommendations, he has been more open about current and future plans this fall, and he may have gleaned some teasers in an interview he did with Adrian Vilaca on local internet radio station The Borderline when he was visiting in the Soo last month, but as best as I can tell, that interview is not yet available to stream on the station's website. We'll let you know when/if it gets posted there! As of September 25th, Mike was trying to update the history section on his Facebook page, while on Wednesday, he announced there that he will be resuming his scheduled Facebook live-stream concerts!

Fans may recall these as Mike's series of fourteen #LockdownLive at-home concerts, which primarily took place weekly from March-June 2020 during the first pandemic lockdown (often with succeeding post-shows), but when the lockdown ended, Mike's plans to do the series monthly led to only one further installment last August. After a 14 month hiatus, Mike will pick things back up on Sunday, October 24th at 7:30 PM, and he is planning to reinstate the weekly contest where the person who shares the video the most times gets to pick a mandatory cover song for the following week, as well as some form of a recurring giveaway. Great news, I did miss his live-streams, and tune in on the 24th to see what Mike has in store! On Thursday, Mike floated the idea of resuming his planned re-recording of his 2012 CD "Neighbourhood Watch", so give Mike feedback if you'd like to hear the revisiting of theat album still!

And as the picture above may indicate, the release of Mike's long-delayed next studio album "Bridges" is nearing, and with CD and vinyl copies to boot! A contest is underway to win a one-off test printing of the album on vinyl for anyone who likes, shares, and tags a friend in the post about the giveaway, and the winner will be unveiled during the livestream on the 24th. Depending on when the album gets released, you could be hearing "Bridges" before anyone else if you win! Mike did tease the vinyl pressing in this Facebook video on September 24th featuring 30 seconds of live audio off the turntable. Very cool, so stay tuned for full updates, and see more above & below!

Next up, let's head to Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula for a new music video from St. Ignace progressive metal band Heavy Lies The Crown's YouTube channel! Premiered there on Friday in another scheduled upload, this is for their song "Every Step Of The Way", which was previously uploaded in audio form only this past winter (showing how long their album has been in the works), but what is there to see in the video proper? Shot in a room with dark blue lighting and band members lit in green, you primarily see them performing one at a time in front of the same square patterened wall, albeit with trippy post-production effects peppered throughout. About 20 seconds at the end are reserved for a clip of the guys jamming in studio with ominous background music rather than the real audio, plus reminders to subscribe to their channel. Solid video overall that will help build anticipation for their album release, but is that all from their camp?

No, as their Facebook page has seen some sporadic updates this fall, including this 10 second video featuring a fragment of Brandon clean singing on one of their studio tracks, this 21 second video of Nathan jamming while sitting at a computer, a couple of merchandise giveaways, and some behind the scenes photos from the "Voices" video shoot. As of October 2nd, Heavy Lies The Crown's new album was "almost ready for release", and that it's on-sale date would follow "very soon", so of course, we will keep you guys posted whenever that occurs! Give H.L.T.C.'s new music video a look below, and get more updates on the new album above!

Finally, here's a new video from local classical metal project Theatre of Night's Facebook page, marking their first post there in nine months! Uploaded on October 2nd, this comes from what keyboardist Craig Harrison called "just a little writing session in Texas", though I have no idea if he was/is there for a vacation or for something longer term. The 30 second clip features Craig playing an original piano piece that is tagged as being "emotional music" and "Cusack music", so take that for what it's worth. Not "metal" by any stretch, but it's well performed and suits the intended mood, so give it a look below, and we'll let you know if Theatre of Night bring back their Christmas tour this year in some form!

 That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fluid 5ive & Soundcheck), Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

After a few quiet days for news, we're back with this weekend's concert previews and a new song from a prolific local artist, but first, let's lead off those previews on a relatively quiet weekend with some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, partially on SHORT NOTICE!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but that's not all for their 2019 concert slate! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's concerts, we only heard about them via this concert calendar posting on the band's Facebook page this past weekend, too soon to redundantly cover TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows twice. In a change of approach from their past concert announcements (which tended to come the week of the show, if at all), Soundcheck have confirmed their currently booked shows through the end of the year, and you can see all of those dates on your right. I definitely appreciate the advance word, but to avoid stuffing our concert calendar with just listings from one band for a months-long stretch, I'm only adding shows through the end of May to our calendar at present, but I'll slot more in down the road and/or when new gigs are confirmed.

Not counting private bookings, the Wawa Bonspiel, and an unspecified "Goulais Bash" (we'll let you know if that's a public concert), fans can look for Soundcheck at Reggie's West TOMORROW & SATURDAY, April 26th-27th, and May 17th-18th, as well as at The Water Tower Pub on Friday, March 22nd, and at The Esquire Club on April 19th & 20th. There's much more to come, but for now, these are 19+ events with no announced cover charges and 9:30-10:00 PM start times. Soundcheck's classic and hard rock covers should go over swimmingly THIS WEEKEND and beyond, so see above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, here's another new show confirmation for The Water Tower Pub, as fellow local classic/hard rock cover veterans Fluid 5ive will apparently make their debut at this venue THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, we only learned about this show via The Water Tower Inn's events calendar earlier this week, though note that Fluid 5ive have not posted on their Facebook page yet this year. Assuming all is well, this will be a big opportunity for Colin, Liam, Rob, Pierre, and Jeff to make a strong impression on a new nightclub and patrons with their selection of "danceable rock" tunes that you don't often hear from other local bands! This will be their first announced show since the Habitat for Humanity Builders Bash in late November. Expect a 9:30 PM start time on SATURDAY, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. See the above links for more details, and no, I don't have a preview video yet!

Finally for this weekend's currently known and announced hard rock concert previews, let's tackle another weekend of acoustic hard rock concerts from prolific solo artist Tym Morrison, who is slated to keep his long-term arrangement at Gliss Restaurant going with shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY! With no nighttime shows elsewhere this weekend, fans of Tym's diverse and prolific batch of covers will want to head down to Spring Street on one/both of these evenings for his solo concert action, and if you know his talents well, you know he'll deliver some great dinner-time entertainment at Gliss both evenings! As usual for his Gliss shows, these are 6:00 PM matinees with no announced cover charges or age limits, but remember that this is a formal sit-down restaurant. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!

To close today,  and after weeks of teasers, local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith finally released the title track from his upcoming album "Bridges" to major streaming platforms on Tuesday! Mike shared a lengthy post outlining the song's inspiration on his Facebook page as well, specifically linking the title to bridges connecting people to come together against the mental health crisis and feelings of isolation, which readers who know Mike will recall has been an issue he feels very strongly about. Updates on the album proper are "coming soon", and while I'll hold comment on the song pending our review of the whole CD, fans of Mike's slower paced and more dramatic originals may want to take notice. You can hear the song "Bridges" for yourself on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and below via an auto-created YouTube channel under Mike's name, so give it a listen, and stay tuned for more from Mike's solo project!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Mike Haggith's New Album, Project 906 Updates, And Much More!!

For our first news post of this month, we're bringing back the postponed shorter stories from this past Friday with even more to spare! That said, leading off are stories from each side of the border, including a recent concert video and some major details on an upcoming album, so here's what you should know on this Tuesday morning!

Prolific local hard/alt-rock musician Mike Haggith unveiled lots of details regarding his 50th official solo album on his Facebook page yesterday, so what should you know about it? As previously hinted on his Bandcamp page, the album will be named "Bridges", and this is the album cover, taken from a Din photo shoot last year by local photographer Josh Pace. The album and same-named song derive their title from how bridges are both built to unite each other, even if they can be burned to divide people in other cases, as influenced by the relative isolation, social, and wellness issues Mike encounters in his current Thompson, Manitoba home base. "Bridges" will be engineered, mixed, and co-produced by Justin Sobey (frontman of the Thompson metal band Lionheart), who will also feature as a guest musician. Songs on the album will have a common personal theme, including one newly confirmed track, entitled "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost".

Mike says that "Bridges" is already fully recorded and will next enter the editing/mixing phase, while CD and digital releases are planned, plus a music video (or two), and some distribution to mental health organizations, though it's too soon for a release date to be confirmed. Finally, Mike shared the video below on Facebook on Friday featuring a 35 second studio sample of a raw studio track, which is a nice teaser for what's ahead! Though Mike never firmly publicized recording sessions until last week, he's maintaining his usual professional and well-planned recording process for his first solo album in three years! Be sure to follow the above links for all current details!



Next up, here's a new video of Sault Michigan hard/blues rock cover quartet Project 906 covering Foreigner's "Hot Blooded" at at The Back Bay Grill & Games at Bay Mills Resort & Casino in Brimley on Saturday! Filmed by attendee Cindi Jenkins and shared to their Facebook page on Sunday, This is a solid and well-filmed rendition of this rock radio classic, though Billy struggles a bit on the higher chorus notes. The big difference on this cover is that Paradise Excuse bassist Jason Haske (also of Oddfellow and Chump Change fame) filled in for an absent Dustin Paras on Saturday, which I apologize for missing on the site when originally announced. Jason's a talented musician with lots of regional experience, and he sounds good on this clip, so hopefully the rest of the set was similarly solid in that regard! Give Project 906's new video a look below, and stay tuned for more on Project 906 when it comes in!



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

• Former Griphook/Gsis Murphy drummer Anthony Fabiano is looking for "young bands" to play at "an upcoming event" in Sault Ontario designed to help showcase their material. Only two spots are open, though he didn't give details on the location, format, further criteria, or  potential stakes. If you're interested in trying out, message Tony at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week! As best as I can tell, this is not related to The Tech's ongoing "The Soo's Got Talent" auditions.
• Former Bring the Fallen guitarist Dan Souliere is looking for a singer, guitarist, bassist, and drummer for his next planned musical project, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Sunday. Dan linked his most recent band project Exploring Detritus (f.k.a. Kaepora Gaebora) in the comments, but it's not clear if he intends to revive that band or is just citing it as a recent example of his music. It'd be great to see Dan back in an active metal band, and there's already lots of interest, but if you want more details on this project, message Dan at this link or above!
• Local "no genre" trio Handsome Sandwich did not open for A Dire Setback at Room 21 late last month, and as far as I can tell, were not replaced on the bill. Bassist James White noted in a comment on the Facebook event page that he and guitarist Jesse Cook were going to be attending the Northern Vibe Festival in Ophir that same weekend, hence the scheduling conflict. While not advertised on official schedules, Jesse's acoustic band The Wyld Stallyns actually performed at the festival as the hosts of the campfire jam session, though a time and date was never publicized online. Hopefully everything went well! 
• As outlined in Sunday's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, local solo metal musician Mike Vincent has begun work on his third studio album "For Dear Life", with it's first song "Nocturnal" posted in demo instrumental form to his Bandcamp page. Mike has indicated on his personal Facebook page that he is planning to include vocals on all but one track for the new album, but further public details are forthcoming. Nice to see Mike staying busy, so keep tabs above for more on his next solo album, and stream "Nocturnal" above!
• Mik & Steve singer/guitarist & former Pixo Control bassist Steve Edwards is looking for a drummer towards a new band project that he's working on. He's seeking a drummer between 18 and 30, he already has guitar, bass, and vocals covered, original material is planned, and candidates must "be committed to practicing." For what it's worth, the lack of a drummer impaired his recent band Vol.'s final months, but I don't know whether or not the new band will have any direct relation to that group. There was some interest, but if you want more information, message Steve at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from Sunday!
• Remember how Tym Morrison's Canada Day show at Room 21 saw him open for Australian musician Steve Lane, despite Tym not advertising the headline act and the venue not advertising Tym on the shows' respective Facebook event pages? Well, it happened again this past Saturday, as Tym didn't mention in his own advertising that he opened for Toronto soul/R&B artist Mattie Leon that night, and vice versa for the venue not mentioning Tym. Apologies again for missing that, but hopefully the concert went well! Also, Friday's Tym Morrison concert there was indeed a Fishbowl Friday-themed event.

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

The End Of Eclipse, New Mike Haggith Songs, A Local Punk Video From 1987, And More!!

On this Saturday afternoon, we have lots of stories to touch on, including some assorted recent updates, a 30 year old video from a big local punk concert, and a revived solo project's new material, but first, here's a note on a removal from our active band links!

We regrettably have to remove local hard rock quartet Eclipse from our band links due to the deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page at some point in the past few months, which seems to signal their second and final breakup. A reason for their apparent demise hasn't been announced, but rumours of internal issues have came up more than once last year, so read into those if you want. This does mirror the recent deletion of frontman Curtis McKenzie's solo Facebook page, though I don't know if the two were deleted for the same reason. As you may recall, the Haggith successors initially reunited early last year after their tumultuous original split in November 2016, with the guys notably opening for bands like The Hazytones, The Raygun Cowboys, and Speaker in 2017, among other events, with their tribute turn as "SSM of a Down" at The Algonquin Pub on Halloween weekend appearing to be their last public appearance.

Eclipse were a talented band with good chemistry and a fun selection of originals and covers, and their disbandment (and page deletion, sigh) is disappointing even if you factor in certain rumours. Hopefully we see Eclipse back down the road (or their originals/prior bands' songs carry over to a new project), best of luck to Curtis, Daniel, Fred, and Chris in the future, and don't miss Daniel in Jack Spades!

Next up, here's the first new original songs from former Din frontman/Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's solo project since the release of "The Warinside" in 2015! As you may know, Mike moved to Thompson, Manitoba for work last fall, and announced that he was resuming his solo project shortly beforehand, so we're starting to see some new material from him in this new year. Both of these songs were uploaded as solo performance videos to his Facebook page, and they are titled "Come On Home" and (as embedded below) "An Act of Strength". Both are acoustic solo performances in this current form, but Mike has indicated that a proper album entitled "Bridges" (source here) will come out later this year, presumably with a full band structure. The former song is more of a downbeat soft ballad, and while the latter has backing instrumentation and a drum track, it also has serious subject matter about a friend who survived domestic abuse.

It's great to see Mike finally getting his solo career back into first gear with some solid first demos, and remember, he has dozens of official studio albums, so this is old hat for him! Most of the Windsor-era ones aren't on his official pages anymore, but he still has a good deal of solo albums online to listen to, including some songs later played by his local bands. No word on if he'll resume work on "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited" in Thompson too, but check out Mike's new songs above and below, and visit his Bandcamp page to hear his Sault Ste. Marie-era solo output!



Also today, here's a surprising YouTube find: footage taken during Toronto hardcore punk band Hype's local concert appearance way back in 1987! This was uploaded to their promotional company Reuben Kincade Productions' YouTube channel late last month, and features the band arriving in the Soo for their show, setting up for it, and leaving for Winnipeg (you can see more of the trip there at this link.) Unfortunately, no concert video footage survives from this channel, but you can see that from other stops if you check out the other six videos of the tour. I wasn't born until May 1989, so I definitely can't comment on the scene as it was then, but you see lots of familiar sights on Gore Street surrounding this concert, including Rad Zone predecessor Radical Records (Paul Muncaster himself was key for getting Hype here), and there is a funny moment when Hype run into some kids going to a birthday party.

This video is a nice time capsule of downtown Sault Ste. Marie, but the audio quality is it's achilles heel, often sounding like the camera is attached to a propellor. You can't complain too much, as this is over 30 years old and no one could have forecasted putting this on the internet back then, but overall, kudos for putting this online! Hype themselves were an explosive and fun band, as you can see through other videos on the channel, and they were apparently the first hardcore punk band from Toronto to release a full length album, so it was cool to see them here on their second tour! Give this a look below, and see more from Hype at the above links!



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

• The opening band for the Big Wreck concert at The Machine Shop on February 13th was quietly announced last month, as Winnipeg alternative rock trio Attica Riots will join them on their "In Loving Memory Of..." 20th anniversary tour! Playing more of an upbeat power pop/indie sound in support of their new CD "Sunshine & Hysteria", they'll add an interesting contrast next month, so give them a listen as well, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!
• A musicians' competition is being held at Bird's Eye Outfitters at 107 East Portage Avenue in Sault Michigan on Saturday, January 27th, with gift cards awaiting the winners! There is a $10 registration fee, but solo artists and full bands are welcome, drums & a PA system are supplied, and while the term "battle of the bands" isn't being thrown around, this sounds like a fun way to showcase some local talent, so click here for more details! Also, if an outdoor equipment store strikes you as a peculiar venue for this, keep in mind that Bird's Eye Outfitters used to be Golanka's Bar, a.k.a. The Bird!
• In advance of their live concert return TONIGHT at the Joni Radford benefit, Sault Ontario punk quartet Redundant announced on their Facebook page that they are recording their long awaited debut album at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones starting next month! This seems to imply that their 2012-2014 recording sessions are now completely discarded, but if they wanted to include Yannick, they'd have to rework things anyway.  Exciting news all around, Dustin is be a great choice to get this album sounding as good as possible, so stay tuned for updates!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!