YouTube Channel Profile Series: FRANKIE BANALI & Amanda Brown

With a slow news patch and a forecasted quiet concert weekend ahead, I expect to do some condensing this week, so let's keep the site active with this month's YouTube Channel Profiles a day early! Our monthly spotlight of 1-3 randomly selected YouTube channels with at least 50% local metal, hard rock, and/or punk content has taken us to two channels this month, including one unfortunate video hyping a show that didn't happen, but more still from a unique local band who we haven't seen nearly enough of on stage. Here's what you need to know!
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FRANKIE BANALI (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBO9pKFVZd0rB-EtNqiwwbg)

Owner: Unknown (the channel is named for Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali, but I don't think he'd launch a YouTube channel solely to advertise a single concert.)

Channel Timeline: Launched on March 29th, 2013; Only video uploaded on March 13th, 2017

Channel Summary: Posted two weeks out from their planned headlining concert at The Machine Shop on March 30th, this short video features Frankie Banali hyping up Quiet Riot's intended local return show, as well as noting that tickets were selling fast. This video felt slightly rushed, but it was solid promotion for this show, straight from the metal legends' longest serving member! It's too bad that promoters CSA International indefinitely postponed the concert due to "reasons beyond our control", and it's not clear if the show will ever be re-booked, so keep that in mind when viewing this clip. Also, this channel has not been publically used otherwise.


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Amanda Brown (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBO9pKFVZd0rB-EtNqiwwbg)

Owner: Noochin' Lanterns drummer, Apocalypse Afterparty songwriter, and Smokin' Heroines co-founder Amanda Brown, a.k.a. Apocalypse Afterparty MPC sample player "z"

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 23rd, 2014; Videos posted from that August through December 2016

Channel Summary: Ostensibly a personal use channel, Amanda has devoted five of her six videos to early performances and songwriting by her band The Apocalypse Afterparty, though all of these videos precede the debut of "z" in their lineup. Her only other video is of her and boyfriend/bandmate Paul Stanghetta touring their new house this past December, and is not otherwise music related.

Why You Should Watch: You should give Amanda's channel a look primarily as a source for early footage of The Apocalypse Afterparty, before their public concert debut and expansion beyond two man sets, so if you're curious to see this elusive band in action, this is a good spot! However, this channel doesn't feature any content from The Apocalypse Afterparty's public concerts or later quartet lineups, nor does it feature footage of The Noochin' Lanterns, though Amanda's last noticeable usage of her channel isn't that long ago, so newer videos could easily turn up.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

The Apocalypse Afterparty- The Crowd: Four of Amanda's five Apocalypse Afterparty videos come from their set at Six, Two, Oh.'s private concert festival Das Bunkerfest in Garden River back in August 2014, where The A.A.'s initial duo lineup were among the openers for The Archaics. Featuring founding singer/bassist "Z" & former drummer "X" (a.k.a. Paul Stanghetta & ex-Smeltzer bandmate Steve Mozarowski), they're seen here playing two untitled songs (linked here & here), as well as a cover of Lorde's "Glory & Gore" and, in Amanda's most popular video, a rendition of "The Crowd" from Paul's old band The Fury. Solid crowd reception here for this masked twosome, complete with a British accent & a dress, and these videos capture The Apocalypse Afterparty's unique rap/metal hybrid sound in it's minimalist early months! FYI, their public concert debut occured the following month.



New song!: Shortly after her Das Bunkerfest uploads, Amanda posted this video of her and Paul working on a new song for The Apocalypse Afterparty, with Paul rapping and playing the piano one-handed, and both handling percussion. The song doesn't sound familiar to the four tracks that made the cut for their 2017 debut EP "Bufflesnort", but it has a lively sound for fans of The A.A.'s more hip-hop-based material, and Paul does handle the drums and piano fairly well given that he's doing them simultaneously!


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Next month in this series, we'll again be looking at multiple profiles, as our next random selection gave us a channel with a single video, so we randomly chose one more channel with two distinct video types to round things out. That said, we'll look at YouTube user lukera81's channel (featuring a video from Kiss' Kewadin Casino concert in 2007) and local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements' official YouTube channel (featuring videos from two October 2015 concerts) next month, so look for these then, and stay tuned for more news and concert previews soon! Thanks everyone!

Battle Of The Bands Rewind Profile: The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands

At last, let's tackle our final installment (until a year after the next battle) of our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profile Series! One day removed from our look back at last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands, let's reflect on the other March 2016 battle of the bands that also entertained local music fans during this busy month. Like our prior installments of this series, this is strictly an informational feature with trivia, facts, and results, and no personal criticism or reviews of the competing bands. Now, here's what you should know on last year's second local battle of the bands!
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The 2016 Speak Easy Battle of the Bands (March 10th, 2016)

Background: Following the success of the Battle of the Bands at Algoma University's campus bar The Speak Easy on March 5th, 2015, organizers at the Algoma University Students Union indicated plans to hold further battles on at least a biennial basis, announcing a planned second installment for November 2015, though it was postponed due to unspecified "sponsorship issues". Instead, the second battle took place on March 10th, 2016, just over a year following the previous event. Like in 2015, seven competing acts played 15 minute sets each, and results were determined by a fan vote with no formal judging panel.
  
Prizes: Winnings were identical to 2015's Speak Easy Battle, with $400, $200, and $100 respectively going to the first, second, and third place bands.

Competitors: Two of 2016's competing acts were returning from 2015, those being alternative/hard rock trio The Din (who dropped "Mike Haggith &" from their name over the winter) and local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau. The other five bands were all newcomers to a local battle of the bands, and they included alt-electronic project Aldous, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown in  a rare solo set, modern hard rock quartet Eclipse, punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, and reunited death/thrash metal trio Pillory. Impressively, all of the confirmed bands from the original November date were still able to compete in March.

Results: Fans at the battle selected Jesse Merineau to win the 2016 Speak Easy Battle and the $400 top prize. The Din came in second place to win $200, while Eclipse claimed the $100 third place prize.

Aftermath: Jesse Merineau rode the momentum of his battle victory to work on his upcoming solo CD (scheduled for release this summer), while he also returned home for a handful of notable concerts last year, including one with runners-up The Din opening at LopLops in September. The Din and Eclipse would both go on to finish in identical spots in that month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, with The Din releasing their debut CD in the summer and continuing their upwards momentum well into 2017, and Eclipse playing steadily until suddenly disbanding for four months in November, though they will return to the stage next month. Pillory and Jack Spades remain familiar sights on local concert stages, with the former in pre-production of their second CD, and the latter teasing their new lineup's debut and first gigs since the fall in the near future. Aldous remain active in studio, but haven't advertised a live show since August, and Bryan Brown hasn't been publically advertised since as a musician, though both have indicated that they're now based out of town.

Some Notable Performers' Newer Bands (Metal/hard rock in italics, ex-members noted with an *):

The Bear Hunters (Justin Lam & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)
The Elements (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)
Great Chamberlain (Anthony Marcello from Jesse Merineau's backing band; Based out of Ottawa)
Handsome Sandwich (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades)  
Heavy Head (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger from Jack Spades and Daniel Horton from Eclipse) 
Project 421 (Curtis McKenzie, Daniel Horton, and Chris Thompson from Eclipse)
The Steeltown Girls (Tammy Hill from The Din)
Stegadeth (Tiffany Stocco from Jack Spades)
Winkstinger (Jesse Cook from Jack Spades)  

Trivia:

• New local hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head were advertised to compete at this battle, just one night after they finished in third place in the first VM Radio Battle semifinal, but they dropped out the day of this event due to scheduling conflicts for frontman Mike Gaetano. However, the remainder of the band still competed as members of Jack Spades or Eclipse.
• As was the case in 2015, the second Speak Easy Battle was held one day after the first semifinal of last year's second VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian Nightclub, which again differed by being a multi-band event over multiple nights, though the performer lineup actually fell from 11 competing bands in 2015 to 5 in 2016. The Din (who competed the day before) and Eclipse (who competed the following week) made the finals and finished in second and third place in both events, while Jack Spades played a non-competitive guest set on night #2 of that battle due to frontman J.D. Pearce's promotional involvement. The winner of the second VM Radio Battle was indie rock quartet K.I.C.K..
• After missing the podium in 2015 with a strictly solo set, Jesse Merineau recruited local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to serve as his backing band for his Speak Easy Battle return last year, which apparently did the trick, giving him some "divine" intervention for his first place victory. While the set was entirely comprised of originals from Jesse's upcoming CD, this was technically Caroline Divine's last publically advertised concert before singer/guitarist Anthony Marcello moved to Ottawa, though his old bandmates joined Jesse & guitarist Mitchell Nielsen when he headlined at LopLops in September.
• Similarly to Jesse Merineau's reversal of fortune from 2015 to 2016, The Din and 3/5ths of Project 421 (in their side project Eclipse) also moved from missing the podium to claiming top 3 placements in 2016, foreshadowing similar improvements in the VM Radio Battle later that month, which they also didn't place at in 2015.
• Pillory's set at this battle marked their return to the stage after a nearly two year hiatus following their final shows as a thrash quartet in mid-2014. The band debuted new bassist Jordan Leach, their trio lineup with no rhythm guitarist, and a heavier, death metal-influenced sound at this event, completely abandoning their older originals from their debut CD "Cringe At The Cross".
• Jack Spades' all-original set at the Speak Easy Battle was filmed by Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie personality (and VM Radio Battle guest judge) Christian Lemay for a feature that aired on channel 10 in mid-late 2016, interspersed with interview footage taken from an Oddfellows Hall concert around that same time. This can be seen as a precursor to Shaw TV's recently-debuted series OnStage, featuring full concert sets from recent local events.
• Twin City Sound & Entertainment were on hand to provide sound for the duration of the battle. Notably, Twin City Sound co-owner Steven Flint was a former bandmate of Eclipse's Curtis McKenzie and Daniel Horton in the short-lived hard rock band Punch, who were the 3rd place finishers in November 2013's Viva La Battle.
• The most notable band from the inaugural Speak Easy Battle to not return for year #2 was defending champions Gnaeus, who won both of 2015's local battles. The post-punk quartet are believed to have missed both events due to the departure of drummer Brendan Garlick over the winter, with his replacement Alex Proulx not debuting with Gnaeus until their Ontario tour run that April.
• While then-Haggith bassist Jordan Leach and experimental musician/Gore Street Cafe co-owner Sam Decter had promotional involvement in 2015's Speak Easy Battle, neither were publically involved with the event's return last year. Jordan did compete in the 2016 battle with Pillory, but as he wasn't promoting anymore, there were no concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest.
• Despite prior hopes to hold further Speak Easy Battles of the Bands at least twice a year, there has been no official public word on a third installment from the A.U.S.U. since last year's event, be it this month or at a different date. A third VM Radio Battle of the Bands also did not occur in March 2017.
• The Din later performed at Landmark Events' Showcase Festival in Toronto in January 2017, which was a competitive event to feature rising young bands to  music industry executives who would judge bands and select ones to get music industry grants. It's not known if The Din progressed any further in this showcase, but they did praise the event and the oportunities it brought afterwards.

Videos:
Shaw TV's video of Jack Spades' set
(No other public videos known; Videos of the top 2 acts from 2015 featured to supplement this section)




Sources/More Info:
Official Facebook event page
Event press release from SooToday
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I hope you guys liked this month's Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles, and hopefully this series will return next year, saying that someone holds a new local battle later in 2017! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews as this week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

The 2016 Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Preview!!

For the second time in as many days, here's our extended preview of a local battle of the bands, as for a second straight year, two separate battles are taking place on concurrent days! Just one day removed from night #1 of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, the Algoma University Students Union brings us the second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands TOMORROW NIGHT, where 8 acts will take the stage at Algoma University's campus bar for another night of action, with $700 in prize money awaiting the top 3 bands! Postponed from an originally planned November 2015 date due to "sponsorship issues", this year's Speak Easy Battle will largely be similar to last year's battle, with bands playing 15 minute sets each, while winners will again be decided via a fan vote rather than a panel of judges. With last year's podium finishers not back for this year's expanded 8 band event, the field's wide open, but which of the entered acts will win out tomorrow? Here's some extra info on each act before this battle goes down!

Aldous: One of the five acts making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, Nick Luck's alternative rock project Aldous will break out that strange electric taste that fans may have seen via the recent albums "Change2" and "The Fair", but many recent Facebook postings have been reasonably cryptic. How will Nick and company sound tomorrow, and will they impress fans to secure a podium finish?

Bryan Brown: Arguably the biggest dark horse in tomorrow's field, former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown will go solo for a set in tomorrow's battle, but I can't confirm much about what he'll be playing on his own. How will his solo performance sound? Is he taking a huge detour from his Coverfly work? Be at The Speak Easy to see how he does!

The Din: One day removed from their third battle of the bands appearance, alternative hard rock trio The Din will look to continue improving on their 2015 battle results, where the then-Mike Haggith & The Din (with Curtis McKenzie on guitar) didn't place in the VM Radio or Speak Easy Battles. With their new sound firmly in place, and with Tammy Hill now on guitar, can The Din improve on last year's run? Show your support via their own Facebook event page for this battle!

Eclipse: This new modern hard rock quartet will be making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, though 3/4ths of the band competed in both of last year's battles with classic metal quartet Project 421 & The Din, missing out on a podium finish in each. Less than a week out from their own VM Radio Battle semifinal, can the 421 side project channel members' past battle success with Haggith to place in the top 3?

Heavy Head: With just two concert appearances (including yesterday's VM Radio Battle semifinal) under their belts, new local pop/hard rock quartet Heavy Head will look to continue their early surge with a high finish in this fan-voted battle, and with battle winners from The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, and Winkstinger in their lineup, they definitely have the experience to go far... but will they tomorrow? Show your support via following their own Facebook event page also!

Jack Spades: Surprisingly making their battle of the bands debut tomorrow, punk/metal standouts Jack Spades will try to jack the battle as well as the planet in their set, and with battle alumni from bands like T-Rex Manning, The Bear Hunters, and Soldiers of Misfortune in their ranks, don't sleep on them! With a guest set at the VM Radio Battle coming next week as well, will they snag a top 3 position tomorrow?

Jesse Merineau: Joining The Din as the only returning acts from last year's Speak Easy Battle, local/Toronto indie rock musician Jesse Merineau won't be alone for his set this year, as he's enlisted local power pop/glam rock trio Caroline Divine to back him up this year, with songs from his upcoming debut CD expected to be played. Jesse didn't make the podium last year, but will some "divine" intervention do the trick in 2016? Follow Jesse's run via his own Facebook event page!

Pillory: After a two year hiatus from the stage, local death/thrash metallers Pillory will at last return with their new trio lineup for this year's Speak Easy Battle, with last year's battle co-promoter Jordan Leach (ex-Haggith) now on bass, and now sans a second guitarist. Fans are already eagerly awaiting their return and their heavier death metal-influenced sound, but can Pillory surge to the the top of the field tomorrow night?

Like last year, TOMORROW'S highest voted band will win the top prize of $400, with second place receiving $200, and third place netting $100. Twin City Sound & Entertainment will be on hand to provide professional sound for each of the 8 competing acts, and while each band only has a short set, expect lots of talent to be on display! For attendees, admission is $5, bands begin playing at 10:00 PM, and while this is generally a 19+ concert, underage Algoma University students may attend the event if they have valid student ID with them. And of course, you can also see Eclipse and (non-competitively) Jack Spades at this coming Wednesday's last semifinal of the VM Radio Battle of the Bands, while The Din, Eclipse, and/or Heavy Head may also be back for the finals on March 23rd, pending how things go tonight & next week. Last year's Speak Easy Battle proved to be a bellwether for the VM Radio Battle results in terms of the common bands' finishes, but will that prove to be the case again in 2016?

Also, note that Heavy Head's Jesse Cook, Daniel Horton, and Johnny Belanger will all be pulling double duty tomorrow, as Jesse & Johnny are both in Jack Spades, and Daniel is Eclipse's guitarist. How will that impact their sets, and can any of them bring both of their bands to the podium? This should be an exciting battle, especially given the wide open field that guarantees one competing act it's first battle of the bands victory, but who will get the honours? Will Aldous' creative genre hybrid take them to the top? Is Bryan Brown's solo sound just what the attending fans are looking for? Will The Din improve on last year's battle finishes? Can Eclipse pick up where Project 421 left off with a higher placement? Can Heavy Head live up to their supergroup lineup's past successes? Will Jack Spades jack the $400 top prize in their first battle? Will Jesse Merineau claim a podium spot with Caroline Divine's help? And will Pillory reclaim their presence in the scene tomorrow?

Be at The Speak Easy TOMORROW to find out, visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll see you at The Canadian TONIGHT for night #1 of the VM Radio Battle! Thanks everyone!

Speak Easy Battle Of The Bands Lineup Reveal, Plus New Videos!!

Before we get into the meat of this post, let's frame it with a newly confirmed band for next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands at The Canadian, as new hard/pop rock quartet Heavy Head are the fifth confirmed band for next month, as per the official Facebook event page! With a lineup full of 1st and 2nd place battle finishers with bands like The Suicide Kings, The Bear Hunters, Winkstinger, and Haggith, can they find similar successes next month so soon after their debut? I say that now because they're also confirmed for another big event next month, which leads off this post, along with some new videos, so here's what you should know!

The full performer lineup for the second annual Speak Easy Battle of the Bands has been announced via the official Facebook event page, so who all is playing on Thursday, March 10th? Joining the previously confirmed modern hard rock band Eclipse are the same three acts that were confirmed last fall for the original date, so alternative hard rock trio The Din, returning thrash metal band Pillory, and indie solo musician Jesse Merineau are all still in! They will be joined by punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, the aforementioned Heavy Head (fresh off of their debut show this Friday), indie/electronic rock project Aldous, and former Coverfly bassist Bryan Brown in a rare solo set. Of note, this will be the battle of the bands (and Speak Easy) debut for Aldous, Bryan Brown, Jack Spades, and Pillory, unless any of them are joining The Din, Eclipse, & Heavy Head at next month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands, of which this battle takes place in the midst of.

The Din and Jesse Merineau are the only returning bands from last year, and with none of last year's top 3 in the field next month, this is a wide open contest! It may be surprising to note that this is Jack Spades' first battle of the bands appearance (and first announced concert since October), but members have ample battle experience with bands like The Bear Hunters & T-Rex Manning, and frontman J.D. Pearce has promoted or played at all but one local battle of the bands since 2012. This will also be Pillory's first concert since their 2014 breakup, and their first with new bassist Jordan Leach, but how will they sound come March 10th? As for Bryan Brown, I'm unfamiliar with his solo music, but he played for Coverfly for three years before departing that veteran cover band earlier this year. He's got the skills, but how will he handle the solo spotlight, and what exactly does he play in that regard? Find out on March 10th at Algoma University's campus bar!

Also, three Heavy Head members are pulling double duty on March 10th (Jesse Cook & Johnny Belanger with Jack Spades, and Daniel Horton with Eclipse), but will those bands snag multiple podium slots? $400, $200, $100 prizes await the 1st-3rd place bands, who each have 15 minute sets to impress the fans (no judges, it's a fan voted event again), and for attendees, admission is $5, it starts at 8:00 PM, and it's 19+ for all but Algoma students with student ID cards. This hould be another entertaining battle, so for more details, visit the above links, and stay tuned for more on both of next month's battles of the bands!

We'll close today with new videos, including the latest YouTube upload from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night! Keyboardist Craig Harrison posted this on his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's of him playing his part of a new original song called "I Guess This Is Goodbye". Though obviously still in the works, Craig lays down a solid and pretty sounding keyboard track here, and it should accent the full metal song well when complete! Give it a look below!



Finally for today, here's a pair of new solo drumming videos from Bad Back's Nathan Sauve, as uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday! His first uploads there in about six months, these are "post-music" performances, with him taking on the handle "DJ Nato" on one, and the songs themselves are called "Haunted Head" and, as embedded below, "Spew on the Motorway". A bit of a diversion from his usual solo performances, Nathan drums here to electronic-influenced music that feels a bit trance-like at times, but his drumming is as sound as ever, so give them a look above & below, and hopefully we hear more from Bad Back soon!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), Ten Kings Videos, And Much More!!

I wasn't expecting to have a second post today, but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, here we are! To round things out, we have the first known videos from a major recent concert and lots of assorted recent updates, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will in fact play his usual Harp Bar & Grill show TONIGHT! Apologies for the very short notice, Tym confirmed that he would be playing there tonight on his personal Facebook page earlier today, and the Facebook event page was updated on Thursday night to confirm that, after our initial preview post went up. It made sense before that Tym was only playing yesterday given that The Harp usually broadcasts UFC pay per views when they occur, and there's one tonight (UFC 189), but the operative word is "usually", as Tym has played a handful of Saturdays despite a major UFC event being held. If you love live acoustic hard rock music more than the fights, this will be good news for you! I will apologize thought for missing one of his show, as Tym apparently played a matinee at Gliss yesterday too according to that show's event page, which completely slipped us by, but he definitely isn't playing there today.

Tym will be on at 10:00 PM TONIGHT, there is no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Tym live at The Harp!



Next up, here's our first videos from last night's Theory of a Deadman-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at The Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, though surprisingly, not of the headliners, as they're courtesy of local openers Ten Kings! Filmed by at least two attendees on cell phone cameras, the band shared three clips from the show last night, though none last more than 51 seconds. Two (posted to their Facebook page) are of portions of their renditions of Collective Soul's "Shine" and a song that I can't place the name of, but the other (embedded below) is shared from guitarist Joe Jenkins' personal Facebook page, and it's a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", with the filmer mainly spotlighting Joe's guitar solo. We don't really get a lengthy glimpse at Ten Kings here (most of their own videos so far are very short), but what I can make out looks good and energetic, and guest bassist Chris Hubbard blends in well! Give Ten Kings' new videos a look above & below, and stay tuned for more from them!



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

• Local doom metal trio AlgomA have officially released their first band t-shirts, and you can buy them online at this link, through band members, or at their next local concert (the Golers show on August 9th, unless something is announced in the interim.) There are two designs available, both for $15, so definitely consider buying these to show your support and love of AlgomA!
• Would you like to see Toronto epic death metal band Crimson Shadows headline the July 23rd Gonqshow concert at The Algonquin Pub? Financial constraints are why they're not on the show already, so Mitch Sirie has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund $150 to cover necessary fees so that the Napalm Records artists can join Vesperia, Ruptured Birth, and The Bear Hunters on the lineup. Mitch is $25 down on his goal, so to help really bolster this show with Crimson Shadows, visit the above links!
• We have changed local metal quartet Garden of Bedlam's link in our band listings from their website to their Facebook page, as their website's domain name expired during their hiatus. No word on if it will return at all, but Facebook works fine, and hopefully we hear more from them in short order!
• The Pixo Control's long-teased first tour run will see them play shows in Toronto, Barrie, and St. Catharine's in two weeks! Short, but you've gotta start somewhere, so click here to see the full poster and announcment! No word yet though on if this will coincide with any debut album plans from the young alternative trio, or if that will be later on this year.
• Thrill Junkies/ex-Turner Up guitarist Robert Brown is looking to fill in with existing local bands or potentially start a new band, with him on guitar or bass, as per his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on June 26th. He says he won't do metal, punk, "cheese pop", or disco, but that does leave open hard and classic rock like in his recent band work. No word on if this means anything negative for The Thrill Junkies' status, but if you're interested in more details, message Robert at this link or above!
• In more of a reasurrance note than anything, local goregrind duo Rotopsy have confirmed on their Facebook page that despite frontman Dylan Taylor's recent tendon injury in his ankle (which will impair his walking for at least six months), the band will not have to cancel any dates, and will still be playing at the Man & His Machine house show this coming Friday! No word on if Dylan will be performing on crutches or sitting, but it's good to see Rotopsy keeping the slam going!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more in the coming week! Thanks everyone!

Ray Brown Arrangements, Viva La Battle Updates, And New Mike Haggith Albums!!

I wasn't expecting to have a new news post today, but given our busy Thursday and some new notes on a recent sad story and a late notice lineup change for TONIGHT'S battle of the bands, I thought I should get another up tonight. Today, we also have album updates (including a surprise release) from two Mike Haggith-featured projects, but first, here's some follow-up on a well liked local musician's recent passing.

Former local metal/hard rock drummer Ray Brown's obituary has been posted onto SooToday at this link, where it confirms that his funeral will be held on Saturday at 2:00 PM at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, with visitation taking place Friday from 6:00-9:00 PM and Saturday from 12:00-1:30 PM, and cremation and internment planned at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. The obituary also adds that memorial contributions to the Algoma Residential Community Hospice and the Sault Area Hospital Cancer Care Fund would be appreciated, and he's survived by his fiance Candy, two brothers, and four nieces & nephews, among other extended family. I'll also note that his former The Chosen bandmate Taryn Bugyra has launched this Facebook group as a memorial to him, with the hope of obtaining pictures of him for use at his services, so if you have any pictures of Ray, join the group and share them if you want.

The outpouring of condolences and memories has been really nice to see, and though I won't pretend to have known him, it does reinforce all of the good things I have heard from his friends and bandmates. I hope the funeral on Saturday continues the recent good feelings, and I send nothing but the best out to Ray's family and Candy at this difficult time. R.I.P. Ray!

Moving to some lighter recent stories, a band has dropped out of TONIGHT'S Viva La Battle at The Canadian Nightclub, that being debuting "secret" band Keep It Lit. Promoter J.D. Pearce confirmed on the Facebook event page this afternoon that a band member broke their hand, and though I'm not sure which member it was, note that Keep It Lit's intended secrecy prior to their debut hasn't noticeably bowed despite their exit from tonight's battle of the bands. With their withdrawal being so short notice, a replacement band will not be secured (making this the smallest battle of the bands in recent memory), but J.D. did note that the remaining bands can play up to 45 minutes in their set now if they want. Disappointing news to be sure, especially knowing Keep It Lit's lineup and sound descriptions, but hopefully they'll have some public news or a new show date sooner or later! With that said, we still have The Bear Hunters battling with the debuting North West and Punch TONIGHT to earn the right to open for Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian next month, so don't miss out!

With one less band, there's now a 66% chance that a Suicide Kings member will win their second straight battle tonight, but will North West throw a wrench into those odds? Find out TONIGHT, and you can help win by entering your ballot! First band goes on at 9:30 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and the cover charge is $5! See you guys there!

We'll close today with some news relating to albums featuring prolific local hard rock musician Mike Haggith, starting with the latest from Mike's new band, local funk/metal/jam trio The Strange Coyotes! The Project Legion successors recorded a live in-studio album at PaperClip Productions a few days ago and released it to their new BandCamp page last night after some editing and trimming, and a YouTube upload of said tracks is also planned. With 7 songs spread across 27 minutes, the self titled album features all originals by The Strange Coyotes, and I don't think any of them are expanded versions of Chase Wigmore or James Watterworth's existing original songs. I'll note that like defunct Sault Michigan band Insipid Bruality's posthumous album, this is up on a name your price model, so while you can buy it free, I'm sure the band would appreciate if you paid a sum for the album! Knowing that it's on sale, I'll confirm that a review of "The Strange Coyotes" is now likely, but when can we expect it on the site?

Probably not until next year, as I've reserved this month for SweetKenny's "Perception", and I tentatively have Haggith's "Apocalypse II" planned for next month to go along with their impending demise (if it does come out for sale, of course), but stay tuned for it in early 2014, and give The Strange Coyotes' self-titled original debut a listen above!

Finally for today, here's some announcements on his upcoming 48th solo album! As per his solo project's Facebook page yesterday, tracking & mixing is underway for this album, which will be called "A Place Of Our Own" (album cover on your right), which will be a concept album. It replaces his original planned next CD "The Tower", which is now on "an indefinite hiatus", though he's pushed back planned album ideas before, so I wouldn't immediately assume that it'll never surface. A release date and samples/indications of the album's sound are yet to be confirmed, but Mike tentatively pointed towards a possible completion date in February 2014. I'll note that if "A Place Of Our Own" comes out on time from that projection, we won't review it (or "The Present Din" if it's heavier) until at least April, as it'll be within our 6 month buffer from our review of "Neighbourhood Watch II", but I fully expect to review a new Mike Haggith album by mid-2014, so stay tuned for updates on it and Mike's other solo work as it all comes in!

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys TONIGHT at The Canadian for Viva La Battle! Will The Bear Hunters, North West, or Punch earn the right to open for Bam Margera next month? Find out tonight, and stay tuned at midnight for a special look back at a popular former local concert series that recently celebrated it's third anniversary. Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Ray Brown, 1971-2013

The Sault Metal Scene sends it's deepest condolences to the family and friends of former local hard rock drummer Ray Brown, who lost his battle with cancer yesterday, just a month shy of his 42nd birthday. Details on his arrangements and services have yet to be announced, but we'll have them here when/if they're publicized. Ray had been fighting cancer of the lungs and liver for much of the year, which led to a great outpouring of support and condolences from his friends & colleagues, including a successful benefit concert at The Verdi Hall last month that he thankfully was able to attend. A well known metalhead & musician in the area, Ray had played drums in a number of local bands in the past, including stints with The Chosen (alongside Frightlight, Lucky 13, and Cherry Crush alumni) and the Wishbone predecessors Saint Mizry, among others, and he had jammed with his musician friends often in recent years as well. I never knew Ray personally, but I've never heard a bad word about him as a person or a musician, and from what I've learned since I learned of his illness, he was a funny and very kind guy who touched a lot of lives.

Just for privacy's sake (and because others can speak to Ray's qualities and life way better than I), I'll leave you guys with this song posting from his friend and fellow veteran local drummer Glen Thomas, who posted this song named "God Knows Why" by Ray's old band Saint Mizry onto his YouTube channel last month. Ray's heyday in local bands came before concert videos became more common, but this is a nice sampling of his drum talent, and hopefully there's some more media of his music work floating around! Stay tuned for details on his arrangements if they come out, and R.I.P. Ray, you are not forgotten!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Diemonds), Big Loonie Bus Show Videos, And More!!

In this Friday night auto-post (apologies if anything major isn't up yet, it's coming!), we have some assorted recent news and notes, a new live concert video, and a preview for a Sunday night concert in Sault Ontario, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

Toronto hard rock quintet Diemonds will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Thursday, November 21st at The Algonquin Pub! Last seen locally at the old Coch's Corner in the summer of 2009, this female fronted outfit have a fun and sleazy swagger that should fit in well for their next local stop, and after missing their 2009 show until after it took place, it's nice to get a rain check to cover it fully on here! Local all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will open the show in their fourth full concert appearance (and first at The Algonquin since debuting there last month), and they should be a solid fit as they continue to carve a local name with their entertaining and growing sound! The Facebook event page still hypes bands to be announced, and if any do get added, we'll let you guys know. Promoted by Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce (in his first Algonquin Pub show in over 4 months), admission will be $5 with a 10:00 PM start time, and you must be 19 to attend. Check the above links for more details!

It's great to have Diemonds back in town after such a long wait, and hopefully there's a big turnout next month for their return, and for The Danger Cats too! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's the first new videos from The Big Loonie Bus Show at La Cucina in Echo Bay last week, starting with local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade's entire set! Uploaded by 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel yesterday, this gives us our first clear view of La Cucina (white interior with a hockey jersey motif by the stage), but the stationary camera's at a high side-stage angle for some reason, so while the view is close, we only see the band's upper body and not much else. The video captures 30 minutes worth of action, including their songs "Here We Lay", "Pillage", "For Him", "Crimson Crusade", "Reality", "Vanquish The Tyrant", and "Lost Memories", closing with a cover of Death's "Pull The Plug", so click each song name to go straight to it! Crimson Crusade sound as great and brutal as usual, though I am sort of surprised that songs from their EP like "Left For Dead" and "Consumed" were snubbed. Check out Crimson Crusade's full Echo Bay set below!

Also from Echo Bay, here's a video from an act who you might be expecting. As you may remember, a secret special guest was hyped by promoters Oh! Right Arm! Promotions in the lead-up to the event, but the original planned act fell through for unannounced reasons (no word on who they were either, but my guess was a BeeFMouTH reunion.) Regardless, promoters felt obligated to ensure that there would still be a secret act to play at La Cucina last weekend, so they signed on local musician Chris Shoust's acoustic/grunge solo project Telephone & Address to play the Big Loonie Bus Show, and 62nd Chamber Productions filmed his set and posted this 15 minute video onto their YouTube channel on Wednesday! Alternating between stationary black & white shots and more psychedelic filtered & mirrored effects (but all from the side-stage angle), these continue with Chris' lo-fi original recording style, but all still retain the grungy outsider feel that would definitely be interesting to hear expanded to a full band.

Check out Telephone & Address live in Echo Bay below, stay tuned in case there's more fallout from this show, and watch for some more recent Telephone & Address video discoveries! (Also, note that Telephone & Address' Facebook page has been deleted for unknown reasons, but I've since replaced it with Chris' website again for their link in our active Sault Ontario band links.)



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

• I've replaced the link for the now-closed Bottoms Up Lounge in our inactive Sault Ontario venue listings with their Facebook page, as their website has been shut down. The Queen Street bar/acoustic venue's been closed since June, so this won't be a major change, but I wanted to give the heads up!
• Sault Michigan solo guitarist Mike Libertoski has posted a rough demo of his/Galactic Alignment's original song "Abort the Export" onto his SoundCloud page, featuring vocals! They're done by his Toast bandmate Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone), who used to sing with I.S.O.M. & End of Existence, among other projects. His growling vocals fit really nicely on this technical death metal track, so give the new version a listen above!
• In terms of lineup notes from the Ray Brown benefit concert last week at The Verdi Hall, I can now confirm some additional performers, including that Mike Case's Junior Rockers (featuring ex-Jack Spades drummer T.J. Case) apparently replaced Redundant on the bill, and Ray's former The Chosen bandmate Taryn Bugyra sang guest vocals during Lucky 13's set. My source is performer Valerie Powley's photo album on her personal Facebook page, and I hope the event was a huge hit for Ray!

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

This Weekend's Sault Ontario Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

In our second post of the day, we're previewing this weekend's slate of metal & hard rock concerts! All are in Sault Ontario (at least, for ones that I can confirm at present), but if any across the river (or any short notice ones in general) turn up, we'll have them here tomorrow or Saturday! There's a pair of big multi-band concerts with very different aims and sounds in store, but we'll start with a new acoustic solo gig, so read on below for the previews, and check out this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles in the post below this one! (Updated on Friday at 12:18 AM)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Roadhouse Bar & Grill ("Roadhouse" is officially one word now) TOMORROW NIGHT! Despite earlier word confirming tomorrow's date, this show was publically advertised on it's Facebook event page as taking place tonight, but it's since been confirmed there that this is a Friday night show as usual, so apologies for any confusion! Tym's acoustic hard rock and metal covers are always a welcome sight at a local venue, and if you can't make the Ray Brown benefit tomorrow night (more on that in a second), you can still see Tym somewhere in the next few days! TOMORROW's show has a 19+ age limit, and there isn't an announced cover charge, but for more details, checl the above links! Keep the return of Tym's solo act in mind for tomorrow night if you're up for some acoustic rock action in the East End, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Heart's "Alone" at Mill Square!

Also this weekend, a variety of local musicians will gather for a bittersweet benefit/tribute show TOMORROW NIGHT at The Verdi Hall to honour local drummer Ray Brown (formerly of The Chosen and some past heavier local bands), who is currently battling cancer in the lungs & liver, and was given only a few months to live last month. As a result, his friends and fellow local musicians have banded together to help raise money to cover his final expenses, and to help him and his family out and honour him as a person and musician. A pasta dinner will be provided for attendees at 7:00 PM tomorrow, while there will be raffles, a door prize, and games to help the cause, so visit the Facebook event page for full details on the non-musical entertainment. Confirmed bands for tomorrow night include local rock cover band Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), newer local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies, alternative hard rockers Lucky 13, fellow hard rock quartet Griphook, Obsession singer Valerie Powley and some unidentified friends, and the aforementioned Tym Morrison (who will also be playing in between breaks.)

Local punk trio Redundant were also confirmed initially for the event, but have dropped out due to drummer Rick White's ongoing recovery from last month's hospitalization. His brother & bandmate James had suggested that his other band Caveman Morrison could fill in, but this hasn't been confirmed by event organizers. Also note that this event was moved from The Canadian Nightclub last month following the major flooding that took place there, and it was bumped from Saturday to Friday due to The Verdi Hall not booking events on the actual Thanksgiving weekend. Advance ticket sales closed yesterday, but you can still get one at the door for $25 IF you inform an administrator of the Facebook event page linked above so they can hold your ticket (also, there's no announced age limits.) Check the above links for more details! I don't know Ray personally, but I know he's a very talented musician and a good guy who's been hit hard by cancer, and it's just sad that news like this is what draws everyone together.

I just hope it's a huge success to help his family through a very trying time, and I know Ray will enjoy and be grateful for everyone's help as a result! On the musical side of things, this event really reminds me of Toystock from last year given it's base of veteran cover bands, so there should be a solid assortment of proven talent to entertain everyone and give Ray his due! Check the above links for more details on this very special event, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 covering The Stone Temple Pilots last year!




Finally for the known hard rock concerts this weekend, a rare concert on the outskirts of Sault Ontario goes down THIS SATURDAY when new local concert promotion agency Oh! Right Arm! Promotions host The Big Loonie Bus Show, a metal concert at La Cucina (the bar underneath Bucci's Place) in nearby Echo Bay, right near the big loonie! As recently hyped with video interviews with half of the announced bands, the bands playing on Saturday include local sludge/stoner metal trio AlgomA (in just their fourth show & third public concert), popular local death metal quartets The Bear Hunters & Crimson Crusade, and local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet (in a rare show for them with no out of town headliners), while the Facebook event page still hypes a "special secret attraction" to perform as well. Note that most of the bands have new material to debut, so there's more reason to attend! Besides the unique location in Echo Bay (40 minutes east of the Soo), another unique angle is that promoters will be renting a bus to trek fans to and from La Cucina for free on Saturday night!

Drop-off and pick-up will take place outside of the Station Mall Wal-Mart and at the front entrance of the Wellington Square Mall (the earlier Wendy's/Tim Hortons spot on Great Northern is no longer planned), so if you can't/don't want to drive, or want to take a unique ride to and from this very heavy show, keep it in mind! Tickets for this 19+ show (complete with a chocolate loonie) are still available at The Rad Zone or through AlgomA members (with free delivery!) for $10, but the price jumps to $11.50 at the door, regardless of your method for getting to Echo Bay. For more details, and to get your tickets, check the above links! I know Oh! Right Arm! are really hoping that this show's a huge hit, and will encourage more concerts in Echo Bay, so take advantage of the unique location and the party bus to not miss out! Besides, with new material and that surprise band, why not go? I've got family coming up from London that night, so I can't confirm my attendance yet, but make this show a hit, the promoters deserve it and they've put in a lot of work to make this a brutal and unique concert! For a preview, here's AlgomA live at The Rosie in June!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and any late notice concert alerts shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Ray Brown Benefit & Griphook), Danger Cats Info, And More!!

Happy Friday the 13th, everyone! Today does mark a certain spree of new song postings from Sault Michigan-area label Werehold Records (along with recent tradition), but we'll have that on here tomorrow just in case the song uploads aren't done yet. Today, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next week and next month (including long awaited confirmation of bands for a major event), some details and information relating to another upcoming concert, and some new song postings, so read on below for what you need to know!

Sault Ontario hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to the stage on Friday, September 20th (one week from today) at The Nicolet Tavern! This talented veteran outfit (featuring Flat Stanley, Bigsuit, Hollow, and Gsis Murphy alumni) had been taking a break of sorts since their Rotaryfest weekend gigs two months ago, but it's great to see the full band (rather than the one-off trio "The 7 Year Itch") back at it for another concert next week! For the record, this is their first Nicolet Tavern appearance in 4 months. There's no announced cover charge for next week's concert, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Griphook back after their oddly long break, so don't miss their varied hard rock covers at The Nic next Friday, but if you can't make it, where else can you see them this fall?

We can see them as well at the Ray Brown benefit/tribute concert at The Verdi Hall on Friday, October 11th, as they're on the newly announced lineup for the event! As revealed by event co-organizer Donna DeSimon on the Facebook event page, Griphook will be among 7 bands (mostly cover acts) on the lineup, and in listed order, they include local punk trio Redundant, notable rock cover band Boxcar Junction (formerly Cleveland Steamer), new local hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies (in just their fourth announced local show), alternative hard rockers Lucky 13 (in their first gig in 2 months), the aforementioned Griphook, Obsession singer Valerie Powley "and friends" (identities unclear), and Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison in a solo acoustic set, while he'll also have short performances during breaks. Nice diverse lineup, and with a solid selection of hard rock bands too! Of course, this event is in honour of veteran local drummer Ray Brown to help raise funds for his final expenses, as he was not given long to live by doctors due to his cancer battle, so come on out to pay support!

Remember, this event has been moved from The Canadian due to Monday night's flooding, and it's now on the Friday rather than Saturday due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Tickets are now on sale for $25 at The Rad Zone, along with Superior Hodge Podge & The Music Depot on Gore Street, or through event hosts credited at the event page, but get yours A.S.A.P., as only a few will be at the door. Check the above links for more details on the musical and other events (including dinner and prizes), and best of luck all around to Ray and his family!

Next up, here's the newest updates concerning the Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub one week from today! The Facebook event page now has an event poster that outlines entry details and the bands, while Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie confirmed there that his band's label PaperClip Productions will provide the evening's lighting and sound. That should work out well, they have a good setup! As for the opening band that night, all-female rock band The Danger Cats, here's what we now know on them! They launched in April but only recently posted a Facebook page, and their lineup includes Summer Stevens on vocals, Paula D'Agostino on guitar, Jamie-Lynn VanSchooneveld on bass, and former Lazer Queen frontwoman Kate Drew on drums. However, all 4 members use alliterative stage names relating to big cat species (similarly to most of Lion Ride), so they're credited on Facebook as Summer Snow-Leopard, Paula Panther, Jamie Jaguar, and Kate Kougar.

I know a bit more on them given that my mom works with Jamie (and Paula formerly too), so I can confirm that some members are still gaining experience on their instruments, but they do cover at least some heavier songs, so come on out next week to support them! Compared to Sault Michigan, Sault Ontario tends to lack for women in rock bands, so hopefully The Danger Cats have a successful debut next week to help change that up! Stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Finally for today, two new songs from local grindcore solo project Brutaly Fatal were uploaded to their label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel yesterday! Entitled "Shank Shock" and "Acidic Sky's" (which is the title track of their demo), the songs still show Austin McCrae's growling and bass skills fairly well, but the absence of a full band is still all too clear, and it'd be nice to see Austin enlist other band members to fill out these promising tracks. Check out "Acidic Sky's" below, and stay tuned soon for more updates on Blood Shed Productions' grind artists!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our recap of today's Friday the 13th uploads from Werehold Records! Thanks everyone!

More Flooding At The Canadian Nightclub, Plus New Material From Mike Haggith & No Arrow!!

Before we preview this weekend's metal & hard rock concerts, we have a new news post that's half good news and half bad. The good news comes from new song postings (including from a brand new album), but we'll start with bad news, as a local concert spot got hit hard by recent inclement weather once again, so read on below for what you should know!

Pim Street bar/concert venue The Canadian Nightclub has been hit by major flooding once again, thanks to the local rainstorm on Monday night. This is deja vu for sure, as The Canadian was flooded under very similar circumstances in July 2011, so while there isn't as much shock value given that this happened before, it's still very disappointing knowing that they'll be closed and employees will be out of work for an indefinite time period (for reference, the 2011 flooding led to 7 weeks of renovations before it's return.) In fact, The Canadian just re-opened after cosmetic renovations on August 1st, so this is weird timing for a flood to cause more work to be done. The Canadian's Jay Perron shared photos of the new damage with SooToday via this article, and the flood waters look comparable to what happened 2 years ago, but like then, I'm not in the position to estimate damages or cost of anything. Despite being on the hill, The Canadian's not in a great spot in terms of flood risk, but I hope they can bounce back from this stronger than ever, as it's a nice venue with friendly staff, and if they can overcome this once, they can do it again!

As a result, all events at The Canadian through early October will either be cancelled or relocated. If the renovations take 7 weeks again, it'd re-open in time for Halloween, but that's a personal guess & nothing else, as I don't know the extent of the coming work. In terms of announced SMS-coverable events there, the only one that's been affected by the flooding is the Ray Brown benefit/tribute concert that was scheduled for October 12th. Instead, it's been relocated from The Canadian to The Verdi Hall at 455 Queen Street West, and it's also been rescheduled to Friday, October 11th, as no local banquet halls are booking events that Saturday due to the Thanksgiving break. Nothing else has changed, so click here for all current details & for info on playing or donating prizes! I'll also note that according to Haggith's Facebook page, the Hydra's Teeth-headlined concert at The Algonquin Pub next Friday was indeed originally scheduled for The Canadian, but was moved for unknown reasons before the flooding ever happened. Stay tuned for updates on the flooding and any other related news as it comes in, and best of luck all around!

Now to some happier news, starting with Haggith drummer Mike Haggith' latest solo album, which is now available on his YouTube channel and Reverbnation page for free streaming! Like his last few solo releases, there has been changes between their last public updates and first full unveiling, so what's different? His 47th album has had the name "Where It Ends" demoted to a subtitle, and it's now called "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends", a reference and acknowledgement to his 2012 album that many songs originally were planned for. A new album cover is planned as well, and though it has yet to be unveiled, this was the original prototype. The album still has 11 songs, but the track order has been altered, and four songs have been replaced, with "Miss 76", "Lacking Common Sense" (formerly "Stalking Booze & The Raptor"), "Solitude", and "Goodbye" replacing "The Curse (of 13)", "Fading", and his covers of "The Man In Green" and "The Trip". No reason for the song changes was announced, but this is par for the course for his solo work, and the dropped songs could be on his next CD "The Tower".

Somewhat softer & more orchestral than the first "Neighbourhood Watch", a full paid release is planned for "Neighbourhood Watch II: Where It Ends" (including physical pressings), but details and information on that front is not yet out. If the paid release comes out in the next month or so, a solo Mike Haggith album will likely be our next CD review subject (either this or "The Present Din"), so keep an eye out, click here for more information, and visit this link for the whole YouTube playlist of the album! Embedded below is the first song, "Grace", and stay tuned for info on the full paid release!

Finally for today, here's a bunch of new audio uploads from defunct local grunge trio No Arrow! Ex-frontman Dann Pichette (who currently lives in Terrace Bay) recorded these at some point (with him on vocals & all instruments), but only just posted them on his YouTube channel on Saturday. The songs include originals named "Trial & Error", "System", "Rehashed Acid Reign", "Question Mark", "Far", and "Bleed Out", along with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire", so click each link to check them out! I saw Dann make references online to these being part of an "album", but like "Souls For Sale", it's never seen a full paid release. These are solid overall, and they fit with No Arrow's past and more prominent original work, so grunge/alternative fans should get a kick out of these songs! (Note that "Rehashed Acid Reign" is an extended instrumental composition that's hard to describe.) I think No Arrow are still very underrated, and given the grunge resurgence of the past year, it's a shame they're not around to capitalize on it! One of the better tracks "Trial & Error" has been embedded below, so give it a listen!



That's probably all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for at least some of this weekend's metal & hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!

Ray Brown Tribute Information, Hydra's Teeth Updates, And Much More!!

Back to the news on this Wednesday morning, so what's in store today? Not the new concerts some may have been expecting (we're saving those to tie in with this weekend's concert previews), but we do have a bunch of recent assorted updates, the latest from a newer local metal band, and leading off, a very special tribute event coming sooner than you may think, so read on below for details!

A benefit/tribute concert has been announced for Saturday, October 12th at The Canadian Nightclub that will be in support of local musician Ray Brown and his family. Ray (who plays drums and has been in heavier local bands in the past) has been battling cancer in the lungs and liver for the past few months, and according to the Facebook event page, it's estimated that he only has two months left to live. As a result, his family and friends are coming together to help Ray and his family out with this event, that will hopefully help cover some of his final expenses. The benefit will feature a pasta dinner, door & raffle prizes, and musical performances from artists to be announced, though all will be donating their time in honour of Ray. The benefit will be held at 7:00 PM that night, tickets will be $25 through administrators of the event or at the door (I assume), while age limits haven't been announced. Check the above links for more details! I don't know Ray personally, but we have a lot of mutual friends, I've heard good things about him as a drummer and person, and no one should have to go through this at just 41 years of age.

It's too early to say if I'll be able to attend, but I definitely wish him and his family the very best at this difficult time, and I hope the event is a huge success for them! In terms of bands, while no one is confirmed, a handful of local musicians (including Obsession's Valerie Powley) are among the event hosts, so keep that in mind just in case. Stay tuned to the SMS for updates as they roll in, including for potential heavier bands!

Next up, here's the latest updates from newer local classic metal band The Hydra's Teeth! The group featuring Late & Loud, Sativa Rose, and Startlefish alumni are hard at work on both their live debut and some studio work as per their Facebook page on Monday, so what should you know? In terms of their first concert, they apparently have a date lined up for later his month at The Canadian Nightclub, and they'll share the bill of local grunge quartet Haggith and a "brand new band" of some kind, though no hints were dropped on their identity. As more official word comes in, we'll have it here! The other news is that The Hydra's Teeth are apparently writing a pile of original material, with 10 songs written and another 10 in the works. From what I can tell, the band is hoping to do studio work very early and get it out to the public A.S.A.P., which isn't entirely foreign, as Brendan Christie & Benn Garside began EP work early in Late & Loud's run also. We'll have to see how this all shakes out, so keep posted here and above!

Finally for today, here's six assorted recent news items, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or event name:

• Have you seen a poster for an event named "Anti-Capitalist TacoFest" on Facebook in the past week that featured acts like Shit Liver, AlgomA, James Watterworth, and ex-Chronic Demonic singer Sabrina Strange? As best as I can tell, that was a private event in Garden River (I think) last month, but I wanted to address it just on the basis of getting an undated poster for it after the fact, let alone one for a private concert. Hopefully it went well though!
• Former Lazer Queen/Apocrytha singer Kate Drew is looking for a drummer and bassist to complete a new "rock/alternative" project she's started, which would practice 1-2 times a week and play covers & originals. Applicants must have professional gear and would apparently play out of town gigs on weekends. Sounds intriguing, and Kate has some heavier experience, so if you're interested, message her at this link or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from yesterday!
• AlterWhite mainman Mike Matthews is looking for a rock influenced guitar player for a music project he's working on, though no word yet on if it's to replace Kevin McCarthy in AlterWhite, or for a completely new project. If you're interested in trying out, message Mike at this link or visit his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from August 29th!
• Skeyes of Seven frontman Cory Murchison updated fans to the band's current status on their Facebook page on Monday, where he revealed that drummer Jonny Amendola is recovering from surgery to repair a leaking heart valve last month, but he is back playing the drums and is regaining strength every day. In the interim, the band has been writing new original material and hope to record it A.S.A.P., so stay tuned for updates on that & their next concerts, and it's great to hear Jonny's recovering well!
• Defunct local classic/hard rock band Turner Up's Facebook (and only online) page has been deleted in recent weeks. Though a reason hasn't been announced, it's likely to focus on their successor band The Thrill Junkies, who feature 4/5ths of their last lineup. While it is disappointing to lose the page, there was little there beyond some band photos and older event posts, so no Turner Up videos were lost. Keep an eye out for The Thrill Junkies' Soo debut!
• A poster for the Walk & Rock Against Bullying event outside City Hall in Sault Michigan on August 14th is now out, which confirms event sponsors and some non-musical events, but it also lists "...and more!" after the already announced bands. Are more bands being added, or will there just be some special guests? If we hear anything, I'll let you guys know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!