LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Halloween Party), Plus A New Local Band Debuting There!!

Today's post is exclusively devoted to events surrounding some big LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this fall over the Halloween weekend! These were announced last month, but I waited to cover them here due to lineup & venue ambiguity that, while not entirely cleared up, has been addressed to a point where we can give it full attention! That said, we're leading off with a new band debuting at this event, unusually so given the propensity for renamed existing or one-off acts, so here's what you should know!

We have a new band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and in a rarity for our area, the band in question is a tribute band named The Soo Fighters! Launching via their Facebook page last month, it should be obvious to readers which band they're paying homage to, so if you're interested in hearing a local band cover Dave Grohl and company, keep tabs on this group! A side project from members of local pop rock cover quartet Cherry Crush, their lineup features singer/guitarist Jules Cote, guitarist John Amendola, and his son Jonny on drums, with their ranks filled out by 3 Day Millionaires guitarist Jeremey Salatuk. Cherry Crush videos of more rock-based songs would be ideal for readers to check out to see what The Soo Fighters have in store, as they do have the chops to handle Foo Fighters classics! To my knowledge, they're just the second local tribute band in our band links, joining 2007-2008 high school Kiss tribute Creatures of the Night.

There's no media online yet of The Soo Fighters, but when can you see them live for the (presumed) first time? How does The Algonquin Pub on Friday, October 27th sound? For his lucky 13th year hosting a Halloween party concert in the Soo, Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce is doubling up with not one, but two Halloween parties on the 27th and Saturday the 28th! Returning to The Algonquin Pub for the fifth time in six years with these events, The Soo Fighters will open the Friday show, which will be headlined by Toronto metal band Decatur, who local fans will better know as 2015 Halloween party headliners Caym! They changed their name early last year, but will still bring a ferocious brand of original metal to the local stage for their first Soo gig in 2 years! Other local openers will include Spinal Remains (a Misfits tribute that, if not a renamed Jack Spades, will be fronted by J.D.) and death metal favourites The Bear Hunters playing an all-Amon Amarth set under the name Mount Doom!

As for the lineup on Saturday, October 28th, there's some more ambiguity on the performers, who appear to be all local. Advertised headliners are local hard rock quartet Eclipse reprising their turn as "SSM of a Down" from last year (any guesses which band they're covering again?) A tribute to noted punk cover band Me First & The Gimme Gimmes are also scheduled under the name You First & The Passive Aggressives, which may be a renamed re-booking from last year, when a Gimmes tribute under the name Hey, What About Us?! (with J.D. singing) were quietly removed as headliners without public acknowledgement. If this is indeed take 2, hopefully they deliver a fun set in October! I believe the opening band that night, a Sublime tribute named SSMTaria, are The Elements, also returning from last year when they covered 1990s songs as The Plaid Martens. Remaining bands include a yet-untitled Blink-182 tribute band and the newly confirmed Anavrin (Nirvana in reverse.)

I have absolutely no idea on if these two are separate local bands adopting a temporary name & tribute set for the night, or if they're new/one-off supergroups, but if we get any confirmation, we'll let you know. Sponsored by the Northern Superior Brewing Company (hence Jack Spades' recent "wolves from the north" teasers), expect costume contests and more seasonal fun for these 19+ concerts, which each have 9:00 PM start times. The admission prices for the shows vary depending on your source, so here's what is currently stated. According to the Facebook event page, admission will be $7 at the door each night, but other sources give the daily price as $10. For the advance tickets (which appear to be for admission on both nights only), the event page says $10 in the description and implies $14 in a comment by J.D., yet the online sale page says that the printable advance tickets are $12.50 ($13.93 with service charges), though the description prices them at $15. Hopefully that covers each angle!

Unless otherwise confirmed, I would prepare for $10 nightly fees and $15 for an advance weekend pass just in case. No matter what, this is shaping up to be J.D.'s biggest Halloween party yet in both quality and quantity, so if you're up for some metal and punk rock action to end October with, you know exactly where to be for a scary good time! Stay tuned for updates as they roll in, and check the above links for more on The Halloween Party, The Soo Fighters, and much more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Gnaeus & Havadder) And Most Halloween Weekend Concert Previews!!

With the Halloween weekend almost upon us, let's kick off the previews of what should be another exciting weekend of shows, including a pair of SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! Note that we will touch on the Highway 63 Halloween show in our next post, plus potential late night notice concerts that we aren't aware of yet if possible. Here's what you should know!

Local post-punk/garage rock quartet Gnaeus will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT for a solo headlining Devil's Night gig at LopLops Lounge! Apologies for the short notice, the show was announced by the venue last week, but with a slow news stretch at the time, we held it for this weekend's previews. Busy working on their debut CD "Loomings" since their Emergency Festival set in August (I don't believe they ended up playing at the Dusty Tucker show after all), this will be their first LopLops concert since June's Lopstock II event, so if you've missed the VM Radio Battle of the Bands winners lately, be at LopLops TOMORROW! No word however on if the venue will welcome attendees in costumes a day early, but Gnaeus have teased a prize for "the best toga." Also, as a note regarding recording sessions for "Loomings", the band revealed on their Facebook page that they were "tracking one of our last songs" on October 20th, and indicated in a comment that the CD would "be out for Christmas."

Hopefully that holds out, I know it's been highly anticipated by fans! Also, look for some new songs during Gnaeus' set TOMORROW at 9:00 PM, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here they are at Lopstock II!



Also in newer announcements, local classic/hard rock cover quartet Havadder will return to Studio 10 THIS SATURDAY NIGHT for their second straight Halloween party at the downtown gentlemen's club! Again, apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the show via it's Facebook event page yesterday. Two weeks removed from their latest stop at The Rockstar Bar, this will be Havadder's first show at the Hudson Street venue in over two months, but will fit in with their prior pattern of playing there only on holiday weekends. Last year's Halloween party at Studio 10 apparently went well for Havadder, so they're having at 'er again THIS SATURDAY with their fan favourite covers, a costume contest (with prizes), and yes, exotic entertainment from the ladies, if that is your thing. Like last year, there is a $5 cover, you obviously must be 19 to attend, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the above links for more details, and here they are live at Rednecks!



Moving to previously announced concerts, longtime Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will round out the month of October with his usual weekly matinee gigs at Gliss Steak & Seafood TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, followed by his usual Harp Bar & Grill shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! No word on of this weekend's shows at either venue will have a Halloween theme and/or costume contests (particularly on Saturday), but look for more acoustic hard rock classics from this veteran local favourite at the downtown restaurant and central pub this weekend! And yes, we will touch on his likely November concerts at both venues when confirmed on Facebook. The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges or age limits (but remember, it is a restaurant), while the Harp shows are at 10:00 PM with no cover and 19+ age limits. For more details, visit the official Facebook event pages (here & here), and here's Tym live at the former Bossy's!



Finally, local promoter J.D. Pearce (in association with Tidal Records) will host his eleventh annual Halloween Party THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Algonquin Pub! Returning there for the third time in four years (and to Saturday night after spending last year on Friday), this local Halloween tradition will once again see three bands hit the stage, but for the first time since 2008, neither Frightlight or Destroilet will perform, and like that year, all of the bands will take on tribute band themes for the evening, with Toronto extreme metal quartet Caym (or "Metallicaym") returning for the second time this year with a Metallica tribute set in store! Local support will include a Sublime tribute set from funk/hard rockers The Elements (replacing a one-off T-Rex Manning reunion covering The Misfits, and a Mitch Sirie-led Korn tribute), as well as a one-off(?) punk tribute band featuring Destroilet's Christian Foisy, Sykotyk Rampage's Tony Briglio, Jack Spades' Johnny Belanger & Jesse Cook, and The Billy Bastards' Greg Beharriel, who are hyped to cover Rancid, NOFX, and Operation Ivy songs.

Notably, this is the first Halloween Party in memory that doesn't feature a band fronted by J.D., but a guest spot with at least one band is extremely likely (Metallica covered The Misfits... just saying!) A costume contest of some description is also likely for this year's Halloween Party, which has a $10 cover, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time, so get more details at the official Facebook event page! This should be a great Halloween party as usual, and the tribute theme should be very interesting, so don't miss out at The Algonquin Pub THIS SATURDAY, and while I couldn't find them covering Metallica online, here they are live this summer!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Halloween Party), A New Video, And Many Assorted Updates!!

With a new week in full swing, here's a packed news post for your Monday, including lots of assorted recent news & notes, a new jam video, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the end of October! Here's what you should know!

For the third time in four years, The Algonquin Pub will host J.D. Pearce's 11th annual Halloween Party on Saturday, October 31st! Yes, this show was previously covered on here, but we hadn't officially called it as a concert because the venue wasn't confirmed yet, which J.D. announced on the Facebook event page on Saturday. Fitting choice, seeing as (save for 2013 at The Rosie), this long running Halloween concert event has found a good home at The Gonq, so keep the familiar venue in mind! No word though on if this will be considered as an official Gonqshow series event, as it's currently slated to wrap up the week prior at the Ripcordz concert. A previously announced, the lineup will take on an all-tribute band theme for the first time since 2008, with Toronto extreme metal quartet Caym tackling Metallica, and two local tribute bands (identities to be determined) covering The Misfits and a hybrid of Rancid & NOFX songs.

It's very likely that J.D. will front the Misfits tribute, but will they be existing local bands, or one-off tributes for the occasion? A presentation of Tidal Records, this Halloween party will have a $10 cover charge, 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and presumably, a costume contest with prizes, so be sure to check the above links for more details! This is a great event for the Halloween season, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

Next up, here's an almost 22 minute new jam session video from local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back! Uploaded to drummer Nathan Sauve's YouTube channel on August 9th (and shot the previous day), the video is somewhat unique among Bad Back jam videos in that frontman Jamie Vincent does not appear to sing at all for the duration, even though there's a microphone to his left (I wonder why?) More of a freewheeling jam that sounds at least partially improvised, it's a solid listen, but that glare through the window is a little much in terms of video clarity. Give it a look below, and don't miss Bad Back TONIGHT at The New A!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter news items from the last while, including two more inactive band notes. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades have been confirmed as the final opener for the Diemonds-headlined concert at The Rednecks Saloon THIS FRIDAY, as per recent updates on the Facebook event page. This is a bit surprising given that the band previously said they wouldn't play live again until their split CD release party, but they're a fitting choice, as J.D. Pearce & Tiffany Stocco opened for Diemonds with T-Rex Manning two years ago! Stay tuned for our preview of this show later this week!
• Frightlight alum & ex-Fist Fighting Stephen Hawking frontman Jeff DeRose is looking for a drummer for his new "rock/punk/metal" band, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Friday. Despite his own drumming background, he's on bass for this band alongside musicians named Mike and Ryan, last names to be confirmed (possibly Ryan McLaughlin from F.F.S.H.?) If you're interested in trying out, message Jeff above or at this link!
• Apologies for this being so late, but newer local grunge/punk duo The Red & Black (featuring Telephone & Address' Chris Shoust & drummer Damjan "Spider Fingerz" Binda) made their live debut at the IRN-headlined concert at The New American Pub on June 21st! Promoters never confirmed that The Red & Black were playing, or if they replaced or played alongside Telephone & Address that night. According to their Facebook page, Damjan came in from Wawa (where he's lived recently) for the show, and it apparently went well despite the two not jamming together any time recently. Good to hear, and hopefully there's more to come!
• We have moved Sault Michigan alternative hard rock trio The Spendthrifts to our inactive links due to a year's inactivity, albeit under their original name Plastic, as they were active far longer & accomplished far more under that name. The Half Stupid successors played a number of notable local concerts after debuting in 2013, but after drummer Paul Burns moved that fall, the band only played at last summer's LemmaFest, before changing their name & falling inactive. I liked what Plastic were doing, but hopefully they turn up again, and best of luck to Zac, Matt, Aaron, and Paul in the future (also, check out Zac Crook's active solo project at this link!)
• After less than a year as the Chinese buffet restaurant Waterfront Legend, the former Docks Riverfront Grill at 89 Foster Drive has change themes once again, and is now The River Cookhouse with a more general menu, though there are plans to bring back the Chinese buffet as a weekend attraction. This new SooToday article on the changes notes that the nightclub area formerly known as Club Current (or Club 89) will now be used as a hall for event hosting like weddings and banquets, which would presumably end concert bookings there if that goes through. Disappointing, but hopefully the new focus does well for them!.
• We've also moved Sault Michigan hardcore band When All Fell Silent to our inactive links, as they haven't posted an update since last summer's name change, after previously going as Angelic Genocide, The Eleventh Hour, Changing You For Better Days, and One Hour Till Dawn at varying points (we'll list them as The Eleventh Hour, which they were the most active under.) Active since 2012, this band has ambitious plans for albums & shows, but like most young extreme Sault Michigan metal bands of recent years, they sadly weren't able to get far off the ground. Best of luck to Sean, Josh, the Josephs, and other former members in the future!

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

The Return Of The Halloween Party, New Treble Charger Videos, And More Rotaryfest Fallout!!

Here's another packed news post for your Tuesday afternoon at the SMS! Along with long overdue coverage of some Rotaryfest videos, and new footage from a prominent local band's recent our of town gigs, let's kick things off with an upcoming fall concert that, while lacking a venue as of this writing, should be a great time like usual, so here's what you should know!

Local concert promoter J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party will return on Saturday, October 31st! Listed as his 11th annual Halloween show (though 2005's wasn't officially branded in the series until last year), this will be the first to be presented through Tidal Records since J.D. began working with the local record label, and will return to it's usual Saturday night placement after being on Friday last year so it could (like this year) fall on Halloween night. This year's lineup is a bit of a throwback to 2008, as all three bands will be tribute bands, or at least bands adopting that theme for one night, so who all's playing? The listed headliners appear to be Toronto extreme metal quartet Caym in their second show of the year, and if all goes according to plan, they'll play a Metallica tribute set, which should be interesting! Also, this will mark the third time in four years that an out of town band is headlining this annual Halloween party, so keep that in mind as well.

The presumably local openers are listed as Misfits and Rancid/NOFX tribute bands, and while we can assume that J.D. will front the former like he did in 2008, will they be one-off tributes or renamed versions of existing local bands (like Redundant's 2012 turn as The Brews?) We'll keep you posted if there's confirmation! Notably, a venue is to be confirmed for this year's event, but for reference, two of the last three were at The Algonquin Pub,. This year's party will be a 19+ event with a $10 cover charge and 10:00 PM start time, and a costume contest is likely also, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for more info on the venue, bands, and more as it all rolls in!

Next up, here's some new videos from local/Toronto indie punk quartet Treble Charger, courtesy of recent out of town gigs that they've played! Apologies for not acknowledging them on the site, they slipped us by when announced, but remember, priority for the SMS is on local events. Two come from YouTube user Mike Maracle's channel, courtesy of (I believe) their show in Belleville on July 9th when they headlined this year's Canadian Independent Music Festival. One video is a summary video of clips from their set as set to the studio version of "American Psycho", which is well put together, but embedded below is a formal concert video of the songs from their encore. Featuring their memorable tracks "Red" & "American Psycho", I like the angle and stage lighting for this performance, but the audio is very staticy, and Mike did apologize for the shakiness of the actual video. Still, give these new Treble Charger clips a look above & below!



The other video comes from Treble Charger's outdoor set on Canada Day in Kitchener, also of the guys playing their early hit "Red". On one hand, this video (from YouTube user Angela Uttley's channel) is very clear, stable, and easy to watch, but on the other hand, it's only 20 seconds long. Still, nice to see Greig, Bill, and company rocking out again, and hopefully they're back home for more shows in the near future! Give this one a look below too!

Finally for today, here's, at last, our final major Rotaryfest stage coverage from local news media, courtesy of videos from Local2! Remember, Local2's video host doesn't allow external embedding. One of the videos (posted on July 20th) is a summary video of Rotaryfest events set to pleasant background music and featuring remarks from Sault Ste. Marie Rotary Club president Rod Stone, and it features brief clips of Second Stage performers Gnaeus, The Pixo Control, and Caroline Divine (sans their own audio.) Also, the returning Stage 2 was the focus of the newest episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper, as posted on Saturday, so what should you know about that? Focused on an interview with new Second Stage director Chelsie Parayko, she talks about the return of the all-original stage, the response to this year's installment, why it was moved from Queen Street to Clergue Park, the chances that it will be back for 2016, and how bands were chosen.

In terms of specific info, Chelsie cited an attempt to get more young people to Rotaryfest as a reason for Stage 2's return, and specifically acknowledged redirecting the stage to Clergue Park to get it closer to the rest of the festival, without addressing the Downtown Association debate that would have forced the move anyway (also, nothing she said implied this was a temporary change.) The band selection process she outlined was interesting too, I wonder if that will recur next year? Informative video, albeit without much audio of the bands, so give it and more a look at the above links!

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

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

For today's SMS post, we're sticking to weekend concert previews, as there's a fair amount of concerts going on this weekend, espeiclaly with all of these having some advance notice! We'll touch on potential short notice shows (and this weekend's Banned concerts in St. Ignace) tomorrow, but for now, here's this weekend's previews in rough chronological order!

We'll start back at The Rednecks Saloon for TONIGHT'S expected weekly jam night from local classic/hard rock cover trio Mourning Wood, as they're very likely back at the former Nicolet Tavern tonight for the tenth straight week! As in past weeks, this will see Terry, Steven, and T.J. as the house band at Rednecks, with encouragement for attendees to jump on stage with them and jam along, such as is often done with Mojo's jam nights, so this should be another fun one if you either enjoy this sort of event or just want to see Mourning Wood in concert! For reference, I have seen no confirmation of the guys playing any regular weekend dates yet, but the operative word is yet, as we're coming to expect late notice show announcements from their camp. TONIGHT'S jam night has no announced cover, a 19+ age limit, and a 9:30 PM start time, so check the above links for more details, and here's the guys last year!

Next up, we'll head to The Algonquin Pub TOMORROW NIGHT, as J.D. Pearce & Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series kicks off with Toronto groove metal favourites Caym headlining at The Algonquin Pub! Though they've parted ways with drummer Tyler Reiner since their last local stop last spring, Caym should still be tighter than your dad's boots in their first headlining set in the Soo, and they should provide an explosive set of metal originals for fans at The Algonquin tomorrow during their New Breed Tour! Local support will come via punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (who opened for Caym last year) and local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, both of whom are great and intense fits, so don't be late! Also, Jack Spades will take the trip out to Sudbury on Saturday to join Caym and fellow local concert alums Archelon in a show there, so click here for more details on that event!

Note that this show was originally scheduled to be held at The Oddfellows Hall, and once was planned to be promoted by Heavy North Entertainment (complete with the band Them also opening), but H.N.E. & Them have since dropped out of involvement with this show, and it'll now kick off the (at least) 12 date Gonqshow series. With that, the cover has been cut to just $5, but it is sadly now a 19+ event. Everything starts at 10:00 PM, so check the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and don't miss Caym TOMORROW NIGHT! Here's Caym live earlier this month!



Also this weekend, fans of Tym Morrison's solo act can check him out, as usual, TOMORROW AND SATURDAY NIGHT at The Harp Bar & Grill! Pushing a year and a half of nearly weekly solo acoustic gigs at the former Madison's Pub, Tym will surely keep up the same good vibes with lots of unplugged hard rock covers and classics tomorrow and Saturday, and don't worry if you notice no shows this weekend on his website's calendar, as there's a Facebook event page confirming this weekend's events! You can check out the longtime Caveman Morrison frontman tomorrow & Saturday at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge for either night, and as usual, you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Tym back at The Harp this weekend, and here's Tym covering Metallica!



Finally for today's previews, we'll head to The Algonquin Pub's upstairs neighbour, The Rockstar Bar, where local hard rock quartet Long Shot will make their debut on SATURDAY NIGHT! This is a bit more of a conventional concert from this rising local band, but with the Speak Easy Battle of the Bands runner-up title under their belts, and many unique concerts on their resume, this could be a great opportunity for the Dawes, Nathan, and Jeremy to make a big impression! For reference, this is a one-nighter due to tonight's Rockstar Bar show headlined by Toronto pop rock band OzGoode. Long Shot are on Saturday night at 10:30 PM, there is an announced cover charge of $5, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and definitely give Long Shot a look this weekend if you can! Here's the guys covering The Darkness live early in their run!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), More Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

For our second of this busy weekend's concert preview posts, we're generally looking at Saturday nighters, including LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for TOMORROW and all month, but we also have some assorted updates at post's end! If you're wondering, we are previewing tomorrow night's fifth annual Swampstravaganza in a second post later today to spread it out and give it more emphasis, so don't worry, it's coming! Now, here's what you need to know for this weekend!

Local hard rock solo singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill will indeed continue TOMORROW NIGHT, so we'll add May dates to our concert schedule! Apologies for the short notice, we were waiting for Tym to announced new dates online before confirming them here. Though his listed dates on his website's calendar ended last Friday, and there weren't new updates to it at the time of this writing, his Harp run hasn't ended yet, so we'll add dates for May 15th & 16th, 22nd, and 29th & 30th) to our listings, with Saturday, May 23rd absent here due to The Harp's likely broadcast of UFC 187 that night. For reference, Tym is not visbily playing there tonight, presumably due to an outside booking, but we haven't heard what that is yet. Again, we're taking his Harp bookings a month at a time due to their uncertain length, but his acoustic hard rock covers are more than welcome any time of the year!

TOMORROW'S show (and the rest this month) have a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Tym's lengthy and successful run at the former Madison's Pub continue on past it's cutoff on his calendar, and hopefully there's lots more shows to come there! For a preview, here's Tym live in 2013!

Moving to previously announced concerts, local hard rock quartet Beaumont Avenue will return to the stage TOMORROW NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Last seen in March, the former Suicide Kings will be playing at The Rockstar Bar for the first time in over 4 months, and tomorrow's one-nighter (Havadder are playing there tonight) should be a great time for fans of this popular and talented band! However, like in March, Beaumont Avenue will feature bassist Mitch Sirie's Bear Hunters bandmate Johnny Belanger on guest drums in place of Ben Boudreau due to his out of town commitments in Hamilton, but he will likely be back behind the kit during summer gigs. Also, note that Beaumont Avenue's planned Rockstar Bar shows on June 19th and July 18th appear to have been cancelled, as per to the quiet recent deletion of their Facebook event pages.

A reason for the apparent cancellations hasn't been announced, but we will keep you posted if either is rescheduled! As for tomorrow, Beaumont Avenue are scheduled to rock The Rockstar Bar at 10:00 PM, there's no announced cover (but bring cash just in case), and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, don't miss Beaumont Avenue's return TOMORROW NIGHT, and here's the guys live last summer!

Also announced for this weekend is a rare Rednecks Saloon appearance by local party/hard rock cover trio Stiffler's Mom TOMORROW NIGHT! As announced via frontman Greg Simpson's promotional company Maxx Entertainment's website, this is the first instance that we can find of Stiffler's Mom playing at the former Nicolet Tavern among past shows listed online, but whether this would be their debut there or not, this has been a long time coming! For the sake of clarity, I will note that Stiffler's Mom have not confirmed this show outside Maxx Entertainment's wesbite, which also lists a Bone Yard concert there for tonight, but that presumably has been cancelled (the Redneck Rock 4 band show takes place there tonight.) If anything is stated to the contrary regarding the Stiffler's Mom concert, we'll let you guys know, but for now, we'll treat it as on.

A 10:00 PM start time is likely for tomorrow, you must be 19 to attend, and there is no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the above links, don't miss Stiffler's Mom at The Rednecks Saloon TOMORROW unless we hear otherwise, and here's the guys at The Canadian!



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

• The Emergency Festival is indeed coming back for a second year! The LopLops Lounge-produced summer concert festival (which arguably replaced Rotaryfest's Second Stage) will return downtown on Saturday, August 15th, and will presumably again feature concerts, performers, and vendors both outside on Queen Street and in LopLops all day, but performers and a schedule are to be announced. Stay tuned as more comes in, and click here for info!
• Local goregrind duo Rotopsy have added a new date to their summer tour plans, which will take place at "Crawford" on Saturday, June 20th. This presumably alludes to Blood Shed rapper Phat Boii's residence, as he referenced adding a house party gig there to the calendar, but details on the address (and if it's even a public event) are forthcoming. Stay tuned!
• Newer local grind/thrash trio Them have been named as the presumed final openers for the Caym-headinined concert at The Oddfellows Hall next Friday, as per a quiet recent update to the Facebook event page. Given Heavy North Entertainment's promotional involvement, their addition makes sense, so look for them alongside Caym, Jack Spades, and The Bear Hunters next Friday night, and keep posted for updates!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Swampstravaganza preview and more later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Caym), A New Local Band, And Much More!!

As we continue to clear out a recent collection of somewhat behind local news and notes, here's a packed news post for your Saturday morning, including some assorted notes, a new studio track, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, but first, here's a brand new addition to our band links courtesy of a band who finally have an online page!

We have a new local metal band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, as at last, Them have a Facebook page! Not to be confused with the 1960s rock band with Van Morrison, the local Them (who generally spell their name in all capitals) were launched last year, debuting at house party events over the winter, and while early reports had them being a punk band, they identify as playing a hybrid of thrash, grind, death, crust, and tech metal. Possibly the successors to the defunct Social Suicide, their lineup features two members from that band, including Heavy North Entertainment owner Tyler St. Amour (formerly of Bring The Misery) on vocals & lead guitar, and current Infamous drummer Anthony Boudreau, with Revolution bassist Rainey Vincent rounding out their lineup. As well, former Strange Coyotes frontman Chase Wigmore is listed as providing "live vocals only", and our first report on Them from last year indicated that The Pixo Control's Keeghan Rosso was once in the band

Though Them made their non-house party debut at last month's Benighted concert, the Montreal Metal Shows YouTube channel didn't film them, so where can we get our first video of Them? The band's Facebook page shared this video from the Benighted concert's private pre-show house party, as filmed by attendee Joey Lacelle, and it's of their cover of Sons of Butcher's "Fuck The Shit", albeit sans Chase. It's a dark video with Anthony largely not in frame, but it's a lively rendition of this short song, and it'll be interesting to hear more from Them to come! Stay tuned for more on their next shows, and see more above and below!



Next up, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning one of two venue-less concerts coming up in the next few months, as the teased Caym-headlined concert on Friday, May 15th will now take place at The Oddfellows Hall! As announced on the Facebook event page yesterday, this will be Caym's third local appearance after two prior Canadian Nightclub sets as an opening band, and their extreme metal originals should find another solid audience next month! Local support will still include local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters (in their first announced set since their 2nd place battle of the bands finish), and as both have opened for Caym locally, they should fit in nicely! More local openers are to be announced, and while the show was originally announced to be promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, he revealed yesterday that he's handed over the reigns to Heavy North Entertainment so he can focus on Jack Spades' first ever Oddfellows Hall set.

J.D. hasn't played a show there with any of his bands in four years, so this is a long time coming in & of itself! Given that Heavy North Entertainment are now promoting this show, one can assume some Blood Shed Productions acts will be added as openers, but who might we see? Stay tuned here and at the above links to find out! Admission prices and start times are to be announced, but given the venue, this would be an ALL AGES concert! Sounds like a solid concert to me, so stay tuned for much more on it as it comes in!

Also today, the last song from local alternative/hard rock quartet Haggith's retracted EP "XIV" is now online courtesy of their YouTube channel! Joining "Red" & "Road Rash" (the other songs recorded with Daniel Horton before he left the band), the last track for the EP is "Anthem", which means that "Public Enemy", "These Four Walls", "Wasted", "By The Hand", "Runnin' From Love", "Metal Cage", and "Punch" will not be on the CD (whether we'll see them in future recordings or concerts is still up in the air.) Though co-wrote by Daniel, frontman Curtis McKenzie is given sole guitar credit for the track (maybe Daniel left before recording his parts?), while Jordan Leach does provide bass on the song. Pending a possible review of the EP, we'll hold comment on the studio version of "Anthem" for now, but check it out below, click here for pre-order info on this and "Apocalypse II", and all hail Haggith!



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

• The aforementioned Bear Hunters will also be among the openers for the Menstrual Munchies-headlined concert (venue to be announced) on June 25th in the highest local slot of 9:00 PM, as per updates to the Facebook event page in recent days. Guitarist Mitch Sirie revealed there that the band plans to debut a new song at the show, but might we hear it before at the Caym concert? In any event, stay tuned for more on both shows!
• Local death metal duo Brutally Fatal's new release "The D.P.E.P." was quietly released last month, as per their Facebook page! Though not acknowledged as out beforehand, the guys revealed on March 20th that it was on sale for anyone interested, and that they were jamming in preparation for their set at the to-be-announced Dank Fest 2. Contact them at the above links if you're interested in a copy now that we know it's on sale!
• Local progressive rock quartet Mannapool have been added as the last band to the Zaum concert at The Rednecks Saloon on May 11th, marking their debut at this venue and first set since their third place run at the VM Radio Battle! They'll add a lot to this already diverse concert, so make sure to stay late, as they're after the out of town bands, presumably due to their own scheduling. Stay tuned for more updates, and our source is the Facebook event page on Wednesday!

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

Anvil Concert Preview, A Major Lineup Change, And Much More!!

Our busiest month at the SMS since last July is almost at it's end, but before April rolls around, we have one last news post for the month of March, so what's on tap today? A new song posting, two newly announced shows that still await a venue announcement, and a surprise guitarist change for a prominent local hard rock band, but first, here's a big concert preview for a major Canadian metal band's local return!

We'll start with a special Wednesday night concert preview for TOMORROW, as Toronto metal legends Anvil will play their third local show since their resurgence, and I guarantee this is not an April Fools joke! Though fans will remember them from their packed appearances at The Canadian Nightclub, tomorrow's show will be at The Rockstar Bar, adding to a more intimate atmosphere that will still suit the metal to come during this stop of their 2015 Hope In Hell Tour! Also, this will be Anvil's first local show with new bassist Chris Robinson (who replaced Sal Italiano last year), but how will he fare with Lips & Robb? Two of the same bands who opened for Anvil last year will return to open tomorrow, including punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and classic metal quartet Project 421, who will both add their skilled renditions to the fray to open up this highly anticipated concert! FYI, if you were hoping for Caym to come back too, we have info on their own return (as headliners) in a bit, so don't worry!

Tomorrow's concert has a 19+ age limit, 10:00 PM start time, and a $15 ticket charge (they're available in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk or through promoter J.D. Pearce), though note that the door charge will be $20. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Anvil back inthe row, so do NOT miss this show ieat turnout tomorrow, so do NOT miss this show if you can help it! See above for more info, and here's Anvil live earlier this year!

Next up, we have a major lineup change to mention today, as local alternative/hard rock quartet Haggith have welcomed back former bassist Caleb Cachagee as their new guitarist, replacing founding member Daniel Horton. Other than to say his departure was "in similar circumstance" to his brief exit in late 2012, a reason for Daniel leaving hasn't been announced, but Haggith revealed the change on their Facebook page on Sunday, assuring fans "that this is for the best", and this is "the next chapter" in their evolution. While I had heard about some internal issues in the band as of late, this is still disappointing to hear, especially given Daniel's songwriting contributions and clear talent, but he's still in Project 421, and hopefully we hear much more from him musically in the near future! However, seeing Caleb back in the Haggith fold is a nice surprise following his two departures last year, but what does he bring to the table on guitar?

Haggith are next slated to open for Zaum at The Rednecks Saloon on May 11th, so we'll know by then! That said, it's yet to be determined what the guitarist switch means (if anything) for Haggith's upcoming albums "Apocalypse II" & "XIV", including if songs will be dropped like was once planned when Daniel left in 2012, but I'm sure we'll hear more shortly. For more details, visit the above links!

Before we wrap up with a Haggith-related video posting, here's some preliminary news on two upcoming concerts that fans are already anticipating, though both await venue confirmation. One will take place on Friday, May 15th, and it will feature the return of Toronto death metal band Caym for their third local concert appearance, with local support courtesy of Jack Spades, The Bear Hunters, and at least one more band to be announced. Promoted by J.D. Pearce, this show will have a $10 admission fee, but again, no venue has been announced yet (for reference, Caym's past local shows were at The Canadian.) Click here for more details in the interim! The other planned show will be on Thursday, June 25th, and it will see Dayton, Ohio "cyber pornoslam" band Menstrual Munchies (that's their name, don't shoot the messenger!) make their local debut alongside local metal bands Rotopsy, Brutally Fatal, Them, and Crucify the Whore, and rapper Mikey Thomas, along with a co-headliner to be announced.

Visibly promoted by C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson (who's apparently working on a split of some kind with the headliners), there's no venue for this planned show yet either, but given the track record of Blood Shed & Heavy North Entertainment events, this will likely either be an Oddfellows Hall or house party event. Click here for current details, but as always, we don't call concerts on here without a confirmed venue, so stay tuned for more info on both as we hear it!

Finally for today, here's a new song from Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's solo project, courtesy of his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's "A Drive Through The Peninsula", the same song that Mike teased via this Facebook photo of the lyrics. Featuring bandmate Curtis McKenzie on guitar solos, the song is planned for Mike's upcoming solo album "The Warinside", and it continues his recent orchestral rock trajectory, but we'll hold on reviewing the song until our likely review of the whole album later this year. Check out Mike's new song below!



That's all for today (and this month), but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

Anvil Concert Video Showcase!!

Today's post is 100% devoted to new video postings from last weekend's Anvil concert at The Canadian Nightclub, as frequent local concert attendee Christopher Paci was on hand once again to get lots of footage for his YouTube channel! Uploaded on Thursday and Friday, he got 3 videos of Anvil and one each of the opening bands, but for the sake of spreading things out and not making this post too long, I'll hold our full feature of Project 421 video (a cover of Iron Maiden's "Powerslave") for an upcoming post, so look for it then! Now, let's take a look at the Anvil videos first, as Christopher filmed Anvil's songs "March of the Crabs", "Metal on Metal", and (as embedded below) "Thumb Hang" from this entertaining concert, so how'd they turn out? Chris got a good angle of Anvil, and he captures Steve "Lips" Kudlow's crowd invasion well from the start of the set, but the vocals on his camera aren't very audible. Solid work as usual though, so check out "Thumb Hang" below, and more at the above links!



Next from the show is Christopher's footage of fellow Toronto metallers Caym playing their originals "Corvus" and "Tighter Than Your Dad's Boots", followed by some solo sections by band members, though it cuts off during Tyler Reiner's drum solo. Nice extended video that has a more central angle, though there are more fan heads in the line of fire than his angle for the Anvil videos had. He captured Caym's hardcore intensity nicely, so check out the full video below, or go to individual songs above!



Moving to local bands, Christopher's video of local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades was of their cover of SNFU's "Drunk on a Bike" (which was a late addition, replacing a cover of The Misfits' "Helena" on their setlist for that night.) The camera angle is further here, so fan heads are more of an issue (especially when trying to see Justin Lam), but it's another nice video for fans of J.D.'s local projects and hardcore punk, so check it out below, and stay tuned soon for more Jack Spades/Anvil-related media coverage!



Finally for today, Chris' video of local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings was of their original song "Beaten Down" (I believe that's it's name), which benefits in a sense from the low turnout of fans on the floor, as we do get a zoomed in full angle of the band in action! Mike Gaetano's vocals are hard to hear in the verses, but it's a nice clip otherwise, and their talent and chemistry comes through again, so give their video a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news (including Chris Paci's Project 421 video) this week! Thanks everyone!

Anvil/Caym Concert Review!!

Hey guys, I'm very sorry for this being so late, but after the Anvil show, I got bogged down with personal commitments, failed video uploads and conversions, and computer errors, hence why our review is only now up on the site. All of that also caused me to miss the Skynet/Chronobot show, but I heard it was wild, and hopefully I'll get another chance to see last night's performers! Now, Saturday night's show had a very solid attendance at The Canadian Nightclub, but how about the bands?

Opening things on Saturday was newer local classic metal quintet Project 421 in their fourth ever show and Canadian Nightclub debut, albeit the first time I've seen them with new singer Curtis McKenzie, so how'd he fit in? Pretty well, his vocal range works well on these sorts of songs (sounding a bit like Tym Morrison at times), but he did take a while to really loosen up and engage the crowd, which might be partially blamed on the restricted stage area from Anvil's drum setup. Their set featured 7 covers (including everyone from Black Sabbath & Dokken to Iron Maiden & Kiss), along with a new original (named "No One Rides With You"), and the guys' veteran skills and experience rubbed off on the fans, including really solid bass work from Daniel Horton! There were a couple flubs here and there, but with guitarist Blair Burch celebrating his birthday, I'd write off some of them. Solid set, here's hoping we get a lot more from Project 421 this year!

Second on the bill were Rockstar Bar Battle winning hard rockers The Suicide Kings (replacing Pillory), who powered through an all-original set that also got a solid reception from attendees! Songs played on Saturday night included older favourites like "Into The Fray" and "King of the World" along with newer tracks like "Jesus Concubines" and "Two More Jag", and they played with a lot of enthusiasm, with singer Mike Gaetano even making use of the floor level for one song! His vocals were on point, Ben Bourdreau's drumming was with a purpose, and it was nice seeing Mitch Sirie again after his recent ear infection knocked him out of the band's last show, he didn't seem too hampered! The Suicide Kings brought another entertaining set on Saturday, and fingers crossed they stay busy and get their EP out soon!

Third on Saturday (and last of the local bands) was local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who also impressed with their ever expanding slate of original songs, and though their EP didn't come out on Saturday, the band was taking pre-orders! In fact, only two covers of The Ripcordz and SNFU made their set, with originals like "Breakneck Speed", "Frederick", and the debuting "Crossroads" driving things, and the guys got a good reception! Already riding a wave of momentum from opening for Anvil and Caym in Sudbury, everyone was in full form, from Jesse Cook's blistering lead guitar work to J.D. Pearce's aggressive lead vocals, and there was a solid amount of crowd engagement and energy all around! It was a little weird seeing one of J.D.'s bands play live without a Misfits cover, but I enjoyed Jack Spades on Saturday, and hopefully their North Bay show was just as successful!

Co-headlining the show was Toronto hardcore metal quartet Caym in their second local stop in under a year, and while one could argue they were outliers as the only "extreme" metal band on the lineup, fans didn't mind, and Caym brutalized with their set of intense original material! Their set included every song from last year's full length album "From Red To Black" along with older favourites "Jukai" & "Tighter Than Your Dad's Boots" and an extended mid-set solo section, and they definitely captured our attention with brutal jams and catchy hooks throughout! This also marked the first time that we saw new members Cory Manahan and Chris Friesen since they replaced Gord Laferla & Julian Bartucci earlier this year, and both more than held their own on Saturday, with Cory's skilled lead guitar work on excellent display, and of course, established members Jay Sarrazin and Tyler Reiner did their things as well as expected! Here's hoping we see the guys back in the Soo soon!

And of course, your headliners on Saturday were Toronto metal legends Anvil, and after a successful local return in 2012, they picked up right where they left off with another old school onslaught of their own classic and newer material! Drawing solely again from their first three albums and post-2006 output, songs like "Swing Shift", "School Love", and (of course) "Metal on Metal" kept a packed floor moving, and all of the Anvil trademarks were there, from Steve "Lips" Kudlow's sense of humour and marital aid-assisted guitar solo to joining the fans for their set-opener "March of the Crabs", and the chemistry between him, bassist Sal Italiano, and drummer Robb Reiner was clear as day as usual! I'm stll struck by the genuine happiness that Anvil still have to play for and meet their fans, and while it would be cool to hear more of their 1990s output live, Anvil still know how to win a crowd over and put on a great metal show, and hopefully they come back to smash the north again soon!

Overall, this was an excellent show, and kudos to J.D. from Jack Spades for putting it on, Crank Sound Distribution for the awesome sound, and to the guys who asked how I was after I fell on the ice leaving The Canadian! I was definitely sore the next day, but nothing unmanageable. Photos and videos (including a "Tag Yourself!" crowd shot) can be seen at this link & our Facebook event page, and as for videos, here's Project 421 covering Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?", The Suicide Kings playing their original "Take Me Away", Jack Spades playing their song "Motorwolf", Caym playing their newer song "Fire Water", and Anvil playing some "Badass Rock 'N Roll"!











That's all for today, but stay tuned for two posts tomorrow: A long overdue news post, and the closure of last month's poll and launch of this month's poll! Thanks everyone!

Anvil & Tym Morrison Concert Previews, And More Recent News!!

Here's another news post for you guys on this cold Thursday! It covers most of the hard rock/metal concert previews for this weekend that have advance notice, but if you're curious by it's absence, I will confirm that our preview of Sunday night's Skynet/Chronobot show at 180 Projects is coming either tomorrow or Saturday night, as it's a little early yet to cover it, and it might be lost in the shuffle if we did. Look for it in our next news post, and here's the first of the weekend previews and some more assorted recent notes!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's ongoing concert/jam night arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill continues for it's fifteenth straight week TOMORROW NIGHT! Now over three months into this current run, this will be Tym's last Friday nighter before taking a one-off bump to Saturday next weekend, so if Friday nights are your best bet for his wide range of unplugged hard rock covers, it might be a good idea to head to the former Madison's Pub (in the Food Basics plaza on Pine Street) tomorrow! Admission should be free for tomorrow's show, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time is in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Whether you go as a possible jam night performer or to see Tym play his usual acoustic covers (and he knows a ton), this should be another solid night of entertainment at this resurgent central venue, so keep it in mind, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Mill Square last summer!



Next up for our current weekend schedule, Toronto metal legends Anvil will return to Sault Ontario THIS SATURDAY NIGHT for a headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub! After a successful local return in July 2012, Anvil will return to the same venue on Saturday in the middle of their Smash The North mini-tour of Northern Ontario as they continue to celebrate their 37th year of pounding metal and their newest CD "Hope In Hell", and if you love classic metal (or their documentary), you surely won't want to miss this show! Joining them are Toronto hardcore/metal quartet Caym (featuring Anvil drummer Robb Reiner's son Tyler), who we saw open for Skeletonwitch last summer at The Canadian, and their brutal and intense originals should fit right in once again! Three local opening bands are also signed on, including local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who will join Anvil & Caym for their Sudbury & North Bay shows this weekend as well, which is a huge opportunity for them!

Facebook postings confirmed that their EP won't be ready for Saturday, but keep an eye out for new originals! The other opening bands include local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings (replacing Pillory), who should be back in full form after bassist Mitch Sirie missed their last show due to an ear infection, so get ready for their hard hitting originals & covers! Yes, I am aware of a show that they're playing at Sault College next week, we'll be plugging that on the site shortly! The opening band will be new local classic metal quintet Project 421 in their Canadian Nightclub debut (and just their third show with their newly short-haired singer Curtis McKenzie), and it will definitely be interesting to hear how their sound has developed in recent weeks! Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this concert has a $20 ticket price (which jumps to $25 at the door), and you can still get advance tickets online at this link, or in person at The Canadian's front desk, The Rad Zone, or through J.D. or members of Project 421.

A 9:00 PM start time is advertised, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome concert, and if you love metal, you should definitely make an effort for the metal on metal that Anvil and guests will provide! I'm especially curious to hear how the Anvil dates go in Sudbury and North Bay, as if they're successful, maybe we'll see more similar mini-runs with local talent? I will definitely see you guys there, GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P., and for a preview, here's Anvil live at their local show in 2012!



Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or show name:

• The aforementioned Jack Spades recently posted an unmastered copy of their original song "To The Left" onto their new Reverbnation page as a preview to their upcoming EP! Assuming we'll be reviewing it upon it's release, I'll hold on my thoughts of the song until then, but check it out at the above link, and stay tuned for updates!
• Ottawa/Quebec party grind band Killitorous are again looking to play a local concert on June 1st, as per a recent e-mail from their management. Alumni of Blind Witness, Immersed, and Today I Caught The Plague are in their stacked lineup, and they have a fun brutal sound, so if you're interested in promoting them locally on June 1st (or helping the cause), message this link for more info!
• The second episode of Local2's new local music video series Tuned with Donna Hopper was posted on Saturday at this link! This installment features an interview with local musician Jackson Reed, and performance footage of local/Ottawa indie rockers Kalle Mattson and the recent Gathering at the Rapids pow-wow, though like before, the only metal feature is in the concert calendar segment (this time plugging the Anvil show.) Solid work once again, so check it out above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Skynet preview and more either tomorrow or on Saturday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Anvil & Tym Morrison), And More Recent News Updates!!

We're back with a new news post on this cold Friday evening, and today, it includes a bunch of recent assorted stories, news from a recently reactivated metal project, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS concerning a pretty big event this spring, and first, a show TONIGHT and recurring four more times this month, so here's what you need to know!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will (as expected) continue his weekly concert arrangement at The Harp Bar & Grill TONIGHT, and for the rest of the month too! Apologies for the short notice for tonight's event, Tym only just publically confirmed this show earlier this evening via it's Facebook event page. Entering the fifth week of his current arrangement with the former Madison's Pub, Tym's newly updated calendar on his official website (which now runs off of Google Calendar, a big improvement) confirms that he'll be back at The Harp over the next four Fridays as well (January 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st), while the entries there elaborate the theme of his Harp gigs too, as while Tym is the primary performer and host of the events, they also double as jam/open mic nights, so if you like performing at such events, keep that angle in mind! Tym's shows this month (including TONIGHT) all start at 10:00 PM, none have an announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, check the above links!

It's great to see Tym giving attention to his website's calendar/schedule again, so hopefully these give us a "new" outlet to hear about his solo and band dates! This arrangement with The Harp is going well so far, so don't miss Tym there TONIGHT or over the other Fridays this month, and for a preview, here's Tym and ex-Half Past frontman Luke LeBlanc covering Extreme's "More Than Words"!

Next up, a huge concert's coming our way on Saturday, March 15th at The Canadian Nightclub, when Toronto metal legends Anvil return to the Soo! Last seen at The Canadian 20 months ago in July 2012, the stars of the acclaimed documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" are still touring in support of their newest CD, last year's "Hope In Hell", and if their 2012 show here was any indication, they'll put in another wild and very heavy set of classic and highly influential originals in March! Drummer Robb Reiner's son Tyler's hardcore/metal quartet Caym will also return to the Soo as openers at this show, marking their second local stop after opening for Skeletonwitch at The Canadian last June, and their extreme hybrid sound should fit in well in their return this spring! Local support will include local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (in their second announced date with new guitarist Jesse Cook), which will also mark members J.D. Pearce & Tiffany Stocco's second time opening for Anvil in town, as they both played with Frightlight at the July 2012 concert, so they'll fit in nicely again!

The other currently confirmed opening band is new local classic metal band Project 421 in their second announced concert (and Canadian Nightclub debut), so look for these talented veterans to rock the stage once again in March! A third local opening band is being sought, and though their identity has yet to be confirmed, The Suicide Kings, Punch, Telephone & Address, and The Danger Cats have shown public interest in the empty slot. We'll keep you posted when something's announced! This 19+ concert has an advance ticket price of $20 or $25 at the door, and while you can buy them online right now at this link, they will be on sale through local merchants in the near future. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to have Anvil and Caym back in Sault Ontario after their own well received dates here in recent years, and there's a promising lineup of local openers too, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in, and get your tickets A.S.A.P. online at the above links! Kudos to J.D. once again for another huge concert, he outdoes himself over & over!

Also today, here's the latest concerning a recently dormant Blood Shed Productions death metal project, that being Social Suicide, who appear to be getting back off the ground after a few months of dormancy! The Tyler St. Amour-led band is apparently working on new jam sessions of their original songs and covers, along with lots of new material, as per their Facebook page yesterday. The post also indicated that they'll have an all new lineup plus "a secret non-credited member of the original lineup", which would imply that either Anthony Boudreau or Keeghan Rosso is back in the fold, but again, Tyler did say that his identity was "secret" for one reason or another. Social Suicide have been active under varying lineups since at least August 2011, but they have only seen scattered activity since, though they did play at least one public set (which I believe was solo) at a Blood Shed Productions event in August of last year. Hopefully we'll get lots more updates soon from Social Suicide, as for a project around for this long, I'm surprised they haven't done a lot more. Stay tuned for updates as we hear them!

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

• According to singer/guitarist Darby Wigwaus' personal Facebook page, local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA played an impromptu set on New Year's Eve during Honest Job's concert at 180 Projects, marking their first live appearance in over 4 months, and returning them to the site of their debut show from last spring (which also featured Honest Job.) Nice to hear that AlgomA are back at it, and hopefully 2014's a huge year for them!
• Local progressive metal solo project The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe have posted a handful of new djent recordings onto their Soundcloud page in the last few days, including a Periphery cover, a different version of their original "Whatever", and some "Drop E Riffage", which all sound very promising and brutal, so give them a look at the above links! Matt's talented, don't bypass his work!
• Woods of Ypres fan Jacob Brooks has posted an unofficial "Live & Rarities" album onto BandCamp that compiles 9 live recordings from one of their last concerts in St. Paul, Minnesota along with two rehearsal tracks of Woods of Ypres playing "Shedding The Deadwood" & "I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery", neither of which was played in official setlists at the time. All proceeds from the album (which is on a "name your price" model) go to David Gold's family, so consider picking it up or checking out these nice quality recordings from late in their run!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, including perhaps our next CD review? Find out shortly! Thanks everyone!