Where Are The New Albums? (October 2026 Update)

 

After a slight delay, here's this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, as we again look at the current release whereabouts of announced upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk acts! Just to clarify a few things first, while The Reeves and Riverside Stasis have signalled ongoing recording sessions on social media, neither has 100% unequivocally confirmed in their own posts that the end goal is an album, CD, or EP as of this writing. As for local progressive metal band Convergence, I removed them due to the release of their "Gemini" EP last month, but more teased original songs could follow on future releases. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out, including one new addition!

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Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "Welcome To The ShitShow", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here, and a new single "Welcome To The ShitShow" was released on streaming services in August.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", but announced release timeframes of "by the end of 2025" and "early 2026" have came and went. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera in 2022, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eden Plague's third album (and first under that name)

Rumoured Songs: "Primogenesis", "Colony Of Parasites"

Background: Local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters had teased plans to record a "final album" on their Facebook page in July 2024, during the band's long slowdown in activity dating back to late 2017 (which included the unceremonious release of their second album "The Dead Testament" during the pandemic), but they surprised many by relaunching under the new name Eden Plague in May of this year. Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny immediately signalled that they were working on new original music, debuting at least two songs during their mid-2026 concerts. They were recording two singles in studio in July (with Nik seen tracking vocals at Mission Control Studios in a Facebook "Story"), and the guys are currently on break from the stage, as they're "shifting all gears to our debut LP" (as Eden Plague). The band allegedly "discreetly revealed" the album name on social media earlier this year, with a free copy of the album promised to whoever figures it out first.

Current Release Status: The band has vaguely given a "sometime in 2027" timeframe for the release ON fACEBOOK, but things sound early for the final product, as as of September 3rd, five songs were still in demo stages. The former Bear Hunters are no strangers to album recording sessions, and with no pandemic and band activity uncertainty clouding things in 2026, here's hoping that this gets a deservingly widescale release when things are done!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to start the album over, and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past three years. Their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at then-drummer Phil Greco's own Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was released to major streaming services last month, which featured the studio debut of drummer Sam DeDominicis. New bassist Arthur Lacasse appears in the music video, but Liam Seymour played bass on a session basis.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and crew have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and the planned first single ("Carousel") was released online in June.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is was unveiled this summer. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

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The Realignment Project's second full length album

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: The current industrial metal solo project from Dirty Virgin/Riverin alum Matt Hicks, The Realignment Project are known for their quick recording schedule, with four EPs and a full length album being released since the beginning of last year alone. In April, Matt confirmed on the project's Facebook page that he had already begun work on their second full length album, days removed from the release of their full length debut "Long Cold Winter". By June, it had developed "some nice bones", and it was 75% complete as of August 19th. Among other teasers for recording sessions and songwriting, Matt was tracking vocals on September 14th (and even tracking demos for the third full length album last month), before entering post-production for album #2 late last month. Sessions were complete as of yesterday for the album, which will be released through the British indie label East London Recordings once again.

Current Release Status: Matt is no stranger to releasing Realignment Project albums with very little turnaround, and while things obviously take longer for full length albums, this could show up at any point on streaming services. Note that "Long Cold Winter" was released two months after the reveal that sessions had ended, so could that point to December for this album? Stay tuned in any event, and we'll have more on The Realignment Project from recent months in an upcoming post!

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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! As usual in this series, albums with updates have their title in italics. This series will return on or around November 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile this weekend. That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (September 2026 Update)

It's now time for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, as we give our monthly update as to where upcoming local metal, hard rock, and punk albums, CDs, and EPs are from Sault Ontario acts! All must have had publically confirmed recording sessions commence, not just songwriting, live performance of new material, or optimistic talk. This month, we have one new entry, so it and the album with updated info have their titles in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "Welcome To The ShitShow", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here, and a new single "Welcome To The ShitShow" was released on streaming services last month.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", but announced release timeframes of "by the end of 2025" and "early 2026" have came and went. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera in 2022, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convergence's self titled album

Rumoured Songs: "Gemini", "The Ebb", "In Bloom", "Breaking News", "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon", "Kraken Mara", "You Are Not Flesh", "Dead & Dreaming", "Dig Up Your Ghost", "Glass Statues", "Awake"

Background: After previously teasing a third instrumental EP named "Gemini" for much of 2024, local progressive/djent metal group Convergence wiped most most prior media as they retooled as a full band, now including singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. Convergence worked in studio last year with producer Dustin Goodall at Unsalted Audio, documenting the sessions in Facebook "Reels", eventually confirming in concert that the now-full length album (then named "In Bloom") is still in progress, with Adam Roxner mixing the songs in Sweden. A new version of "The Ebb" (from their delisted second EP "Dead And Dreaming") was released to streaming services on Christmas Day, while the song "Gemini" followed in April. As "Dead And Dreaming" was pulled from streaming, the possibility of Convergence doing full versions of its other four songs for this album has been hinted at, and other songs from that EP have been played live with the full band. Now self-titled, you can sample the studio sessions for the album in this video.

Current Release Status: No clue, and given the complexity of their music yet their independent studio trappings so far, that could bode a quick or lengthy timeline for this album to come out, depending on what angle you take. David also moved out of town late last year to further his own music career, and while he hasn't left Convergence, that could help explain their slowdown in activity in 2026. Since their modern studio cycle commenced in 2023, things have been relatively steady for Brendan and Jake as a recording act, and here's hoping that Convergence keep that up for their third offering! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eden Plague's third album (and first under that name)

Rumoured Songs: "Primogenesis", "Colony Of Parasites"

Background: Local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters had teased plans to record a "final album" on their Facebook page in July 2024, during the band's long slowdown in activity dating back to late 2017 (which included the unceremonious release of their second album "The Dead Testament" during the pandemic), but they surprised many by relaunching under the new name Eden Plague in May of this year. Nik, Mitch, Justin, and Johnny immediately signalled that they were working on new original music, debuting at least two songs during their mid-2026 concerts. They were recording two singles in studio in July (with Nik seen tracking vocals at Mission Control Studios in a Facebook "Story"), and the guys are currently on break from the stage, as they're "shifting all gears to our debut LP" (as Eden Plague).

Current Release Status: Time will tell, but the former Bear Hunters are no strangers to album recording sessions, and with no pandemic and band activity uncertainty clouding things in 2026, here's hoping that this gets a deservingly widescale release when things are done!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to start the album over, and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past three years. Their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at then-drummer Phil Greco's own Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was being recorded as of August 31st, and a teaser of the song was posted to their Facebook page on New Year's Eve. Whether for that song or not, a music video shoot took place last month with new bassist Arthur Lacasse and drummer Sam DeDominicis, but it's not yet clear how involved they (let alone Phil) will be on the album.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and crew have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and the planned first single ("Carousel") was released online in June.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is was unveiled this summer. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around October 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, likely hitting the site around next Thursday. That's all for now, but stay tuned for Labour Day weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (August 2026 Update)

Keeping our busy pace to start August 2026 going, here's this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! In our monthly look at the release statuses of upcoming albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk acts who have 100% publically confirmed recording sessions for an album (not just singles), we have the same five entries as last month. However, three have updated information, as noted with the titles being in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "Welcome To The Shit Show", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here, and a new single "Welcome To The Shit Show" was released on streaming services yesterday.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", but announced release timeframes of "by the end of 2025" and "early 2026" have came and went. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera in 2022, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convergence's self titled album

Rumoured Songs: "Gemini", "The Ebb", "In Bloom", "Breaking News", "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon", "Kraken Mara", "You Are Not Flesh", "Dead & Dreaming", "Dig Up Your Ghost", "Glass Statues", "Awake"

Background: After previously teasing a third instrumental EP named "Gemini" for much of 2024, local progressive/djent metal group Convergence wiped most most prior media as they retooled as a full band, now including singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. Convergence worked in studio last year with producer Dustin Goodall at Unsalted Audio, documenting the sessions in Facebook "Reels", eventually confirming in concert that the now-full length album (then named "In Bloom") is still in progress, with Adam Roxner mixing the songs in Sweden. A new version of "The Ebb" (from their delisted second EP "Dead And Dreaming") was released to streaming services on Christmas Day, while the song "Gemini" followed in April. As "Dead And Dreaming" was pulled from streaming, the possibility of Convergence doing full versions of its other four songs for this album has been hinted at, and other songs from that EP have been played live with the full band. Now self-titled, you can sample the studio sessions for the album in this video.

Current Release Status: No clue, and given the complexity of their music yet their independent studio trappings so far, that could bode a quick or lengthy timeline for this album to come out, depending on what angle you take. David also moved out of town late last year to further his own music career, and while he hasn't left Convergence, that could help explain their slowdown in activity in 2026. Since their modern studio cycle commenced in 2023, things have been relatively steady for Brendan and Jake as a recording act, and here's hoping that Convergence keep that up for their third offering! 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to abandon material recorded with them "as a show of good faith", and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past two years. Now featuring Phil Greco on drums, their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was being recorded as of August 31st, and a teaser of the song was posted to their Facebook page on New Year's Eve. The band recently teased plans to shoot a music video this month, though it's unclear it if it will be for "Sweet Rosie" or not.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and Phil have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and the planned first single ("Carousel") was released online in June.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is being unveiled next month. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, and this series will likely return on or around September 2nd. Next up on the SMS later today is more recent news and notes that slipped by us during our busy July, so look for all of that shortly! Thanks everyone!

Where Are The New Albums? (July 2026 Update)

Before we begin today's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, I wanted to briefly thank everyone for supporting the SMS over the past 19 years, as today marks our 19th anniversary! Not a milestone (will we do anything big for the 20th next year?), but still quite a mark to hit, and we have much more ahead this month and beyond, so stay tuned! Now, this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post is mostly a holding pattern installment again, but two entries have updated info, as noted with the album name in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "Welcome To The Shit Show", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers that they were planning to record original music, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here, while a snippet of their new song "Welcome To The Shit Show" was posted to their website last month.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", but announced release timeframes of "by the end of 2025" and "early 2026" have came and went. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera in 2022, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Convergence's self titled album

Rumoured Songs: "Gemini", "The Ebb", "In Bloom", "Breaking News", "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon", "Kraken Mara", "You Are Not Flesh", "Dead & Dreaming", "Dig Up Your Ghost", "Glass Statues", "Awake"

Background: After previously teasing a third instrumental EP named "Gemini" for much of 2024, local progressive/djent metal group Convergence wiped most most prior media as they retooled as a full band, now including singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. Convergence worked in studio last year with producer Dustin Goodall at Unsalted Audio, documenting the sessions in Facebook "Reels", eventually confirming in concert that the now-full length album (then named "In Bloom") is still in progress, with Adam Roxner mixing the songs in Sweden. A new version of "The Ebb" (from their delisted second EP "Dead And Dreaming") was released to streaming services on Christmas Day, while the song "Gemini" followed in April. As "Dead And Dreaming" was pulled from streaming, the possibility of Convergence doing full versions of its other four songs for this album has been hinted at, and other songs from that EP have been played live with the full band. Now self-titled, you can sample the studio sessions for the album in this video.

Current Release Status: No clue, and given the complexity of their music yet their independent studio trappings so far, that could bode a quick or lengthy timeline for this album to come out, depending on what angle you take. Since their modern studio cycle commenced in 2023, things have been relatively steady for Brendan and Jake as a recording act, and here's hoping that Convergence keep that up for their third offering! 

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Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to abandon material recorded with them "as a show of good faith", and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past two years. Now featuring Phil Greco on drums, their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was being recorded as of August 31st, and a teaser of the song was posted to their Facebook page on New Year's Eve.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and Phil have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

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Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and the planned first single ("Carousel") was released online last month.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is being unveiled next month. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series should return on or around August 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile on Saturday. That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone, and I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July!

Where Are The New Albums? (June 2026 Update)

Here is this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, as we again shine a light on the upcoming hard rock, metal, and punk albums from local artists who have publically signalled recording sessions! This is largely a holding pattern installment, as there's nothing major to report new from the bands in question, so links and dates have been updated where necessary. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out! 

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Bone Yard 225's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "F.A.F.O.", "Gypsy Spell", "Fuck!", "I Took A Pill In Ibiza" (Mike Posner cover)

Background: After months of teasers that they were planning to record original music, local southern hard rock cover trio Bone Yard 225 began releasing their own songs on major streaming services in July 2024, fifteen years after the pre-225 band debuted as a country cover quartet. Their first three singles (all recorded at their home studio) were posted online by January 2025, though it took until last May for the band to confirm on their Facebook page that they were indeed working on a proper album. It's not immediately clear if their existing three singles will be included, but it's not a given, as BAG fans saw with "Sacculus". As of August 11th, it was reportedly "album tracking time", while this video from three days later shows bandmates Alex D'Ettore & Warren Reville recording backing vocals for their cover of Mike Posner's "I Took A Pill In Ibiza". That will be one of "a couple of covers" for the album, as confirmed by frontman Greg Simpson during recent concerts. "Fuck!" was renamed "The F Word" on streaming services in December, but it's not clear if the less explicit name will stick on the album. The band was still "in the studio finishing shit" as of December 4th, source here.

Current Release Status: In that Facebook post from May 2025, your local 225 said that "the album is coming along nicely", and they hoped to release it "by the end of 2025", but Greg has since adjusted the timeframe to "early 2026" when mentioning it during live shows. While singer/drummer Greg Simpson did release an EP with his old band Stiffler's Mom, it's hard to compare the release methods and schedule given that "The Demo" came out in 2004. It is neat to see that Greg, Alex, and Warren are going all in on a studio album, and stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

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Chase James Wigmore - The Chaotic Rite

Rumoured Songs: "The Cities Alive & It's Angry"

Background: Ever the prolific artist & songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore has been working on an extensive rock opera for years (once claimed to be a 33 part work), originally named "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". Worked on in between his other unrelated solo albums, released for sale or otherwise, Chase posted a lengthy elaboration of the rock opera in 2022, now titled "The Chaotic Rite", outlining its concept, recording plans, and long-term release timeline. Clips of songs have surfaced on his Facebook page, as have full songs not explicitly tied to the album, as well as the final artwork. In more recent promotion, Chase has hinted that "The Chaotic Rite" might be his final solo album as part of aims to focus on his personal life more than his prolific original material. Regardless, the final product has been pared down to 25-30 minutes.

Current Release Status: Chase elaborated on Facebook in mid-2024 that the album was 95% done earlier that year when the files "got trapped on my desktop's hard drive", and he had been unable to procure a backup of the material or recover the files as of that post. In any event, three of the full songs uploaded to Facebook in 2023 were clarified as not being planned for "The Chaotic Rite", but they could surface on a separate EP. Fingers crossed that Chase is able to save this album and put it out when able, especially given the years that he's put into the making of it!

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Convergence's self titled album

Rumoured Songs: "Gemini", "The Ebb", "In Bloom", "Breaking News", "It Ate The F&$%ing Moon", "Kraken Mara", "You Are Not Flesh", "Dead & Dreaming", "Dig Up Your Ghost", "Glass Statues", "Awake"

Background: After previously teasing a third instrumental EP named "Gemini" for much of 2024, local progressive/djent metal group Convergence wiped most most prior media as they retooled as a full band, now including singer Stephen Gagnon-Ruscio and drummer David Peredun. Convergence worked in studio last year with producer Dustin Goodall at Unsalted Audio, documenting the sessions in Facebook "Reels", eventually confirming in concert that the now-full length album (then named "In Bloom") is still in progress, with Adam Roxner mixing the songs in Sweden. A new version of "The Ebb" (from their delisted second EP "Dead And Dreaming") was released to streaming services on Christmas Day, while the song "Gemini" followed in April. As "Dead And Dreaming" was pulled from streaming, the possibility of Convergence doing full versions of its other four songs for this album has been hinted at, and other songs from that EP have been played live with the full band. Now self-titled, you can sample the studio sessions for the album in this video.

Current Release Status: No clue, and given the complexity of their music yet their independent studio trappings so far, that could bode a quick or lengthy timeline for this album to come out, depending on what angle you take. Since their modern studio cycle commenced in 2023, things have been relatively steady for Brendan and Jake as a recording act, and here's hoping that Convergence keep that up for their third offering! 

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Fort Creek's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "One For The Road", "Sweet Rosie"

Background: Local southern/hard rock band Fort Creek have sporadically teased plans to record an EP since February 2020, but they wouldn't release any samples until almost two years later when they shared (now-deleted) clips of their original song "Hammer Down" on their Facebook page. The guys would play it regularly at concerts from 2022-2023, with studio sessions taking place in early-mid 2023 as well. After the departure of bassist Robin "Bones" Lee and drummer Anthony Fabiano in the fall of 2023, Fort Creek opted to abandon material recorded with them "as a show of good faith", and have been working on new material and rebuilding their studio over the past two years. Now featuring Phil Greco on drums, their first single (the acoustic "One For The Road") was posted online in January 2025, with the band confirming plans to now record a 10 song album at Jettison Studios prior to returning to live concerts. Their new single "Sweet Rosie" was being recorded as of August 31st, and a teaser of the song was posted to their Facebook page on New Year's Eve.

Current Release Status: Prior release timelines for their debut EP reflected their early 2020s lineup's material, and Justin, Shane, Bill, and Phil have largely kept things somewhat close to the vest prior to putting out "One For The Road". There are a lot of unknowns, especially given the 6+ years of production time and their decision to basically start over in 2023, and that this is a band that was primarily known for their work on the weekend cover circuit before their rhythm section left. It will be interesting to see how things develop, so stay tuned for updates!

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Mike McCleary's new album

Rumoured Songs: "Carousel"

Background: Background: A talented studio hard rock musician who has released multiple solo albums in the past (albeit almost entirely delisted from streaming services as his musical approach and personal life changed), Mike McCleary announced plans to record an instrumental album in 2023, but after a year+ public hiatus, he opted to shelve that unfinished album in 2025 in favour of a new album with vocals. He signed with Swedish indie label Rexius Records, with plans to put out an 8 song album covering "a variety of topics" and featuring "some fun, catchy, and energetic rock music for everyone to enjoy". A teaser video from the sessions was posted onto his Facebook page on December 6th, and as of February, the planned first single had been recorded and was in the mixing process. As quietly confirmed in April, that song ("Carousel") will be released to major streaming services on Friday (source here).

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but as this is is a one-man project likely aimed at streaming services, this album could pop up at any time, and may be close given that an advance single is being unveiled next month. The Rexius Records connection is a variable, but Mike is a strong musician with morals and a lot to say about himself, and hopefully this album comes out successfully in the near future!

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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around July 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next week. That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's weekend concert previews on the SMS tomorrow evening! Thanks everyone!