Cross Dog & Half Past Concert Previews, Plus More Updates!!

In today's SMS post, we are finishing off this weekend's hard rock concert previews with two big downtown shows tomorrow night, along with updates from a prominent local band & a new live video with some familiar faces, so here's what you should know!

We'll pick up our weekend concert previews TOMORROW NIGHT, when Peterborough hardcore punk trio Cross Dog will return to the Soo for a special headlining concert in the basement of Discover The Canvas Studio at 317 Wellington Street West! Featuring ex-Fuller/Lion Ride/et al. bassist Mark Rand and his wife Tracy Ashenden on vocals, this will be Cross Dog's first local concert since their appearances at 2018 & 2019's Oh!No festivals in Leeburn, and their first public concert in Sault Ste. Marie proper since opening for The Dayglo Abortions at the former Roosevelt Hotel in 2013. Now, another homecoming for Mark should be a big deal, but be advised that as of 6:17 PM, their tour bus broke down outside of Sudbury, and they were waiting on a mechanic scheduled to fix it tomorrow morning. Hopefully things are repaired in short order so that tomorrow's local date goes off without a hitch, but we'll let you know if something changes!

Local openers will include online page-less indie punk quartet Honest Work (last seen when they debuted at Fuller's reunion concert in December) and new local hardcore quintet The Sault Side Squad (in their third public concert), so come early for these newer supergroups! Doors open for tomorrow's public festivities at 7:30 PM with admission of $15 through local openers and $20 at the door, and there is no stated age limit. It will be great to see Cross Dog's furious and no-guitar originals back in town tomorrow, let alone in the basement of a tattoo parlor, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Cross Dog live!

Lastly for known hard rock concerts this weekend, let's head to Soo Blaster, where local hard rock quartet Half Past will have their biggest headlining date since their comeback TOMORROW NIGHT! Metalheads may have last seen Half Past among the openers for Selias at the same venue two weeks ago, but this will see Half Past at the top of the bill, with their proficient modern hard rock covers sure to fill the big Soo Blaster stage tomorrow! They'll even be selling their own band t-shirts tomorrow, which is a neat sign for fans! Bullet Train frontman Cory Murchison (billed as "Cory Daniel" like when he opened for Fort Creek two years ago) will open with an acoustic set, so if you like the former Sense of Truth and Skeyes of Seven singer/guitarist's extensive local career, he should have a solid block of unplugged tunes to kick things off!

This ALL AGES concert takes place tomorrow night at 8:00 PM, and admission is $10 in advance at this link, at the venue, or through performers directly, though you will have to pay $12 at the door if you didn't get yours beforehand. Fans of modern hard rock won't want to miss out on all of the action at Soo Blaster tomorrow night, especially given the scope for Half Past, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here they are live!

Also today, here's some updates on the aforementioned Fort Creek, so what is the southern hard rock band up to nowadays! After unveiling a new band logo in May (which you can now buy official t-shirts with it on), they spent much of the summer working behind the scenes, only posting optimistic teasers about future activity. On September 1st, they revealed on their Facebook page that they were "wrapping up final vocals on our first release", namely an acoustic version of a song named "One For The Road". No updates followed until October 1st, when Fort Creek announced the addition of former Role Models/PROV3RB5 drummer Phil Greco to their lineup, replacing the already departed Anthony Fabiano. The guys talked up his skill set and professionalism, and he is a solid drummer that would be an asset to a long-term band, so it'll be interesting to hear how he factors in! We may not hear him immediately on the acoustic version of "One For The Road", granted, but we'll let you know when their new songs surface.

Fort Creek also posted the new band photo above of Phil alongside Justin, Shane, and Bill standing outside of a truck, but it remains to be seen how they'll handle their bassist vacancy (Robin "Bones" Lee left along with Tony last year). It's been a long and often quiet year for Fort Creek, but hopefully these recent updates are a positive sign, so visit the above links for more from their camp!

We'll close with a new video from (former?) Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers' solo acoustic concert at The Dive Gastro Pub this past Saturday! For the record, it was indoors, so clearly the "Patio Play" conceit is done for the season. Uploaded to The Dive's Facebook page, this is our first public video look at Rob's solo concerts since he began them in earnest, and while this isn't a hard rock or metal cover, I did want to mention it today because Rob's playing with most of Handsome Sandwich here! For this cover, he was joined by singer Taylor Emlaw, guitarist Jesse Cook (Rob's old Elements and Wyld Stallyns bandmate), and bassist Rafael Medina, while the guest hand drummer appears to be local classic rock/country singer/guitarist Jeremy Logan Newman. Handsome Speerwich (how's that for a hybrid name?) are seen in this 24 seconds long clip covering Marcy Playground's "Sex & Candy".

Never a song I loved, but this group cover exudes with good vibes in what we see, and it's fun seeing everyone jamming like this! Check it out below, and look for more acoustic concerts at The Dive to come this fall!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Half Past), A New Local Band, The Damn Truth Preview, And More!!

Today's post is full of big news and notes, including a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, a mid-week concert preview, and a high profile new cover video, but let's lead off with a kinda sorta new local metal band, so here's what you should know on them on this Monday night!

We have a new-ish band to add to our Sault Ontario band links, and they are local "progressive tech death" metal quartet Bardo! I say "new-ish" because they're kind of a renaming and a replacement band all at once. Initial advertising for the Selias-headlined concert at Soo Blaster on September 28th had promoter Tyler St. Amour's mid-2010s death metal band Them returning after a seven year hiatus on this night, but it has since been confirmed on Facebook that they'll instead be going by the name Bardo, and a separate Facebook page was launched to reflect the new-ish band. Given everything, I'm treating Them and Bardo as separate bands (with Them back in our inactive links), especially given the gap since 2017 and that Bardo are not a duo and are playing more technical material, so there has been a clear evolution! No word on what Bardo means, for the record. Tyler aside (who is on vocals and bass), who else is in this group?

The lineup is not given in writing on social media yet, but it looks like two of Tyler's old March Into Regression bandmates are in this group, namely his brother Travis St. Amour (best known from Bring The Fallen) on drums and Christopher Neveau on guitar, but I have yet to identify who the second guitarist is. We'll let you know when things are confirmed publically! Two videos have been shared to Bardo's Facebook page so far, and while both have them short-handed (only one guitarist in the newer clip, and Tyler isn't playing bass in either), but these point to a brutal and more refined sound than Them were known for, and they should turn heads at Soo Blaster! Check out their first original "Blood Moon" below!

Next up, here's that LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, as local hard rock quartet Half Past will return to Soo Blaster on Saturday, October 12th for a big headlining date! The reunited foursome will actually debut there at the aformenetioned Selias-headlined concert, but they will be the topline attraction next month, in their first headlining gig since rocking Shooters early last month. As far as I can tell, there's no frills or raison d'etre for this show beyond playing some hard rocking tunes live, so don't miss out on Jordan, Alain, Arthur, and Jonny's encore at Soo Blaster two weeks after the Selias concert! Half Past will have an opening act next month as well, namely Bullet Train frontman Cory Murchison, who will break out his acoustic guitar for the occasion. Promotional materials credit him as "Cory Daniel", which is the handle used when he opened for Fort Creek in 2022, despite playing shows since where his last name was used in advertising.

Fans of Half Past's original 2008-2012 run will recall that Cory was active then fronting Sense Of Truth (and he played with Jonny in Skeyes Of Seven afterwards), so they're well acquainted, and it should be a fun atmosphere! Given the large upscale venue, this is a ticketed event, so admission will be $10 in advance at this link (physical tickets are available through the performers and at Soo Blaster), and the door price will jump to $12. This will be an ALL AGES event, and Cory kicks off the night at 8:00 PM. Hard rock fans will get their fill on this night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details on all of the action next month!

Also, here's a special Tuesday night concert preview, as Montreal classic/hard rock quartet The Damn Truth will headline at the aformentioned Soo Blaster in their local debut TOMORROW NIGHT! This retro-styled band have been getting some good local press attention this week, getting a brief write-up by Brian Kelly for The Sault Star (at this link) and some high praise on The Borderline's website, so you know that this female-fronted group will deliver a solid night of 1960s-inspired melodic rock originals, and no less than Bob Rock produced their new material, so you know they're on the up & up! A varied local opening roster includes local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback (in their second show of 2024 and first in Sault Ste. Marie city limits in over a year) and alternative rock trio The Haze (née Skinbox) in their first show since they added an unspecified new band member, so find out who is joining Steve, Jordan, and Brad in The Haze tomorrow!

Another show promoted locally by Mikhal Muto, tomorrow's concert has advance tickets running for $20 at this link and presumably at the venue, with the door price jumping to $25. Like the Half Past show next month, the music starts at 8:00 PM, though it was not stated if there will be a 19+ age limit here or not. The Damn Truth should turn heads tomorrow, especially with Lee-La's distinctive Janis Joplin-esque vocals, so don't miss out if you can swing this work/school night event! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Damn Truth live!

Finally for today, here's song #13 in local punk supergroup project Mikey & His Uke's 30th anniversary series of remotely filmed covers of Green Day's breakthrough album "Dookie"! Posted to their YouTube channel last week, this video came just two weeks after the previous cover of "Emenius Sleepius", in the quickest turnaround in covers for this series since song #7 ("Basket Case") went up in March, which is good to see! In the penultimate credited song on offer, Mikey & crew tackled the thirteenth track on "Dookie", namely the short deep cut "In The End". As always, Bookclub frontman Mikey Hawdon is on guitar and (initially) ukelele, with Goldfinger alum Darren Pfieffer back as the house drummer for the "Dookie" covers, complete with another hockey jersey. Vocals here are provided by Authority Zero frontman Jason Devore, while Buck-O-Nine bassist Andy Plafoot returns for his seventh turn on the low end in the "Dookie" series

Aside from Jason putting on a mask during his footage, there's no major frills to note from the filming locations and activity, but it's well edited as you'd expect, and the performance is strong, with Jason's vocals fitting well with the experienced musical hands on offer! Unless they tackle the bonus unadvertised song "All By Myself", the "Dookie" cover series will wrap up with "F.O.D.", which could arrive at any point up to October 21st based on past release timeframes (the current average would be September 27th). Check out "In The End" for yourselves below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadFirst), The Big Wreck Concert Preview, And More!!

We'll take a brief break from our Sault Michigan/battle of the bands coverage to look at some recent Sault Ontario topics in today's post, including a new video, a preview of a major concert taking place tomorrow, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you should know on this Monday night!

New local classic/hard rock quintet HeadFirst will return to Reggie's Place for concerts on Friday, December 22nd & Saturday, December 23rd! These dates were announced at the end of their post on their Facebook page on Tuesday where they talked about their Reggie's debuts this past weekend and thanked everyone for coming out. Photos were attached from the gigs, allowing us to see (if not via a video) how they look on a public stage, and for what it's worth, bassist Claire Jeffrey appeared to sing lead without playing bass on at least one song during the weekend. Landing gigs on Christmas weekend may be a mixed blessing for both weather and for many attendees having family commitments for the holidays, but hopefully this talented young group sets a festive tone with a good crowd! These are 9:00 PM shows with 19+ age limits & no cover. See above for more details, and don't miss HeadFirst at Toystock on Sunday!

Next up, here's a big mid-week concert preview, as Juno Award winning Toronto hard rock band Big Wreck will return to The Machine Shop for a headlining concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Best known for hits like "That Song" and "Blown Wide Open", this will be Ian Thornley & crew's first concert in town since they headlined at the same venue back in February 2018. This will also be their first local date since Chris Caddell & Sekou Lumumba replaced Brian Doherty (R.I.P.) & Chuck Keeping in their lineup. With songs from their upcoming EP "Pages" as well as fan favourite originals & Thornley holdovers to be expected, this should be a great time for domestic hard rock fans! London pop rock quartet Texas King (who headlined at Odeno at Sault College in the mid-2010s) will return to the Soo as openers, with their own distinct original sound sure to be welcomed back by fans!

Guelph hard rock solo artist Vilivant pulled out of Big Wreck's North American tour two weeks ago due to logistical issues (source here), but hopefully she can make it to the Soo down the road! This concert will still have three acts, as Watchmen frontman Daniel Greaves was added to this tour as an extra performer before Vilivant dropped out. Look for classic Watchmen songs like "Stereo" & "Any Day Now" in Daniel's show-opening set! This all ages concert takes place at 8:00 PM tomorrow, and while this show is all ages unlike 2018, ticket prices have jumped to $49.50 (plus online processing fees) if bought at this link rather than chancing the door. It's been well over five years since Big Wreck played in town, and while the Tuesday night scheduling is not ideal, hopefully there's another solid turnout at The Machine Shop tomorrow for their high energy hard rock hits! Visit the above links for more details, and here's Big Wreck live in 2018!

Finally for today, while local/Barrie alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has confirmed that The Soo's Got Talent finals was the final gig for his solo band in 2023 (as per his Facebook page two weeks ago), we haven't heard the last from him, Chris, Jacob, and Brandan this year! While Mike was in town for the finals, everyone took part in a "top secret" video interview that saw a preview clip uploaded to Mike's Facebook page on Wednesday, where you see everyone sitting in what looks like someone's jam space. The clip does not capture a specific question from the interview, nor does it give away who is doing the interviewing and for what outlet, but we do see bassist Jacob Quarrell eat a purportedly seven-months-old slice of pizza! If nothing else, this will be reason to see the full interview to gain context, assuming it isn't cut from the final product. Give the teaser video a watch below!

That's all for today, but we'll pick up our recent Sault Michigan coverage on the site next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Just Heart, The Elements, And Tripod The Dog), And More!!

We got crushed with a lot of new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS on social media today, so let's tackle the non-late notice ones in tonight's post! Look for the rest on Thursday in our weekend concert previews. I also have some assorted notes to wrap things up, but for now, here's what you should know for these concerts in chronological order!

Local ska-punk/hard rock trio Tripod The Dog will play their first publically advertised show of 2020 (that I know of) when they headline at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, January 25th! After a successful first year back as an active live band in 2019, Mark and the Amendolas should be raring to go with another set full of high energy covers, allegedly by popular demand, so if you missed their gigs last year, don't sleep on this one! Yes, this is advertised as a one-night-only event, though if it's due to a conflicting booking on Friday the 24th, I have not heard about it at press time. As usual for The Rockstar Bar's one local band-only events, this is a 19+ concert with no cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time (though doors open at 8:00.) Whether you recall Tripod the Dog's original run in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or are new to the party, their set always delivers a good time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details when/if they roll in!

Next up, we're not done at The Rockstar Bar, as local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play their own first show of 2020 on Friday, January 31st there! While arguably better known as a support act on multi-band events, The Elements are no strangers to being solo headliners on the weekend nightclub circuit, but there is a frill to note at month's end, as this concert coincides with frontman Rob Speers' birthday. Sounds like a fun way to celebrate the occasion, and hopefully he, Jesse, James, and Jonas deliver lots of hard rocking covers and originals for assembled fans in three weeks' time! For the record, I have not heard who's playing at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday, February 1st (if anyone) as of this writing. Like with the Tripod the Dog show, expect a 9:00 PM start time, no cover, and a 21+ age limit. Visit the official Facebook event page for more information, and stay tuned for more updates from The Elements and/or The Wyld Stallyns!

Lastly for today's new concert announcements (also at The Rockstar Bar), Toronto-based Heart tribute band Just Heart will make their local concert debut here on Saturday, April 11th! Almost six years after the real Heart rocked the future GFL Memorial Gardens, this tribute will hit Sault Ste. Marie with a faithfully attired and choreographed stage show, and from what I have seen and heard, Just Heart should deliver the goods for fans of Ann & Nancy Wilson and company and their long career of classic hits! Potential local openers have not been announced. Once again, this is a 19+ concert with a presumed 9:00 PM start time, though admission will be $20 via advance ticket purchases at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk (it is not clear if the price will jump at the door or not.) Classic hard rock fans won't want to miss this action, so visit the Facebook event page for more details!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, all courtesy of recent postings on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• On Sunday, drummer Craig Koziar (who recently moved to the Soo) posted here looking to start a new project, citing progressive music and bands ranging from Animals As Leaders & Gojira to Fleetwood Mac & Radiohead as influences. Assuming it's the same Craig, he previously played in Toronto and Halifax-area bands like Forgetting All I Know, Iduna, and Writers Strike, among others. He's a talented drummer from what I have seen, and message Craig at this link or above if you're interested in working with him!
• Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton is looking to start a new local band (he is flexible on the genre), citing recent inactivity for his two active bands as a reason for the search. One has "a broken drummer", and the other apparently "doesn't make time to jam", though I'll let you speculate on which is Jack Spades or the mystery newer band of his. If you're interested in working with Dan in a new project, message him at this link or via yesterday's group post!
• Local guitarist Rainey Rancourt is looking for a drummer (aged 13-19 years old) for his current band project, who play "metal/punk." This follows a search he posted here in November for a singer, though it's not clear how far along the band is other than that. Message Rainey at this link or via his group post yesterday for more information on the drummer opening!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Daniel Horton & TheLilSpirit

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profiles on the SMS! This monthly feature series looks at YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk artists or concerts, in order to spotlight them to current readers and hopefully encourage new hits and subscriptions! This month's random selection was a channel with only two distinct types of videos, so I added another random channel with only one distinct video type to fill things out. Ironically, both of today's selections heavily feature Jack Spades alumni with prolific band histories, so here's what you should know on each channel!
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Daniel Horton (http://www.youtube.com/paperclipprojectx)

Owner: Jack Spades guitarist Daniel Horton, also known from his past local music work with bands like Eclipse, Haggith, Havadder, Mike Haggith & The Din, Project 421, and Punch, among others

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 20th, 2009; Videos posted in July & August 2012

Channel Summary: While this channel's description correctly says that it has "Videos from HAGGITH", it predates his defunct local grunge/hard rock band's spring 2012 launch. As it currently stands, this channel has three live concert videos and one jam clip from early in Haggith's run. The channel URL's name of "paperclipprojectX" likely came from or inspired the band's also-defunct indie record label/studio Paperclip Productions.

Why You Should Watch: Daniel's channel is definitely worth a watch to see Haggith at their very beginnings as a local band, and it's four videos showcase a promising start for them! However, it's usage as an official channel for the group would be far superceded by Haggith's own YouTube channel not long afterwards, with three of these videos re-uploaded there anyway, two in full. Also, note that Daniel has not visibly used this channel since 2012, and while I believe it did feature videos of his pre-Haggith work at one time, that content is long since deleted.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

HAGGITH Yesterdays Fustrations live @ Party Bay: Three of Daniel's videos come from a private outdoor gig that Haggith played on Canada Day 2012 in Goulais Mission (a.k.a. "Party Bay".) These uploads capture Haggith's initial lineup, including singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie, Daniel on guitar, and band namesake Mike Haggith on drums, with no bassist added to the lineup yet. Filmed by attendee Morgan Gardner, these videos include renditions of their early originals "Rage Train",  "Livin' It On The Run" and "Wanko", and in his most popular video, "Yesterday Frustration". The smooth camera quality and Haggith's raw early aggression are captured well on these videos, though the best was yet to come from them locally! Haggith's own channel would later re-upload these songs (except "Wanko"), while adding a cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" from this same function.



I Am Acoustic: Daniel's only other video is an unplugged jam of their original "I Am", location unclear. The dark lighting isn't optimal, and it's odd seeing Haggith play without Mike Haggith, but Curt and Dan put some good emotion and grit into this acoustic performance! A second video from this session would become the first upload on Haggith's own channel in September 2012, where they played "Livin' It On The Run."


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TheLilspirit (http://www.youtube.com/thelilspirit)

Owner: YouTube user TheLilspirit, exact identity unclear

Channel Timeline: Launched on July 3rd, 2009; Videos posted on November 21st, 2010

Channel Summary: TheLilspirit's only uploads were of local rock veterans Wishbone covering The Surfaris' "Wipeout" and, as featured here, AC/DC's "TNT" at The Roosevelt Hotel (now Reggie's West) the previous day. This was during prolific local drummer T.J. Case's run with the band, and he is the primary focus here, with frontman Dennis Duguay and their other members not featured at this zoom level. T.J. takes over lead vocals on "TNT" and does a fine job, as fans of his later AC/DC cover work with Mourning Wood may attest, though the backing vocals aren't as effective. Wishbone fans may not like the singular focus, but T.J.'s skill level and versatility speaks for itself! However, this channel has not been visibly updated since 2013, and there are more plentiful sources for Wishbone videos elsewhere, albeit largely with different lineups.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Our next installment of this series will come on or around September 26th, as our next randomly selected channel will be the YouTube channel of inactive Sault Michigan hard rock band The Karstens! Look for that then, and for more news and notes soon! Thanks everyone!

AlgomA/Shit Liver Concert Review!!

Hey guys, it's finally time for our review of Monday night's Shit Liver split release tour finale at The New American Pub, so what should you know about this one? Surprisingly, this was my first ever concert at The New A, so I should start with some thoughts on the venue as a whole. Overall, it's cozy (especially before organizers moved tables out of the way), and the bar's placement in the middle of the building took some adjustments, but it looks like it's fairly inviting and would be of good use for downtown patrons, complete with a few modern flourishes! Also, how many other bars have a popcorn machine? In terms of the "Trading Faces" cassette tapes, I got mine upon entry to the Bay Street venue, and this is a high-res recreation of the album cover in it's physical layout (I haven't found one via official sources.) Aside from dedications in the liner notes, there's no missing information that isn't already given on Bandcamp, but there is something satisfying about holding a newly released cassette tape in 2017! I just wish that the tape itself wasn't green, and perhaps had a track listing on each side.

Before getting to the bands, I did listen to the tape on a Sharp surround sound system from the 1990s, which seemed appropriate given the retro format, and it sounded great, though AlgomA's half seemed a little quieter than Shit Liver's. As the synthesized woman's voice said at the end of side A, "All I know is that it's good!"

The concert started with a set by local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who were up to their usual tricks with a brutal set of old and recent originals alike! Playing originals like "The Omen", "I Fear No God", and "The Dying Den" (though curiously not ending 'er with "Render This Void"), everyone sounded great, even frontman Nik Deubel, who noted being under the weather and having a rough voice to the crowd. Luckily, it didn't show, and he delivered another ferocious performance, with Mitch Sirie's solid lead guitar and Justin Lam's skilled bass work complimenting everything to a T! The only real surprise of the set was their Amon Amarth cover, trading "Guardians of Asgaard" for "Free Will Sacrifice", as a teaser for their upcoming tribute band turn at The Halloween Party under the name Mount Doom on Friday the 27th. Nik told us that they'll be playing the Amon Amarth album "Twilight of the Thunder God" front to back during their Halloween tribute set.

The other new public announcement is that The Bear Hunters have enlisted Jack Spades & Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton to play rhythm guitar in "Mount Doom", marking a very rare instance where they've enlisted a guest guitarist rather than play as a quartet with Josh out of town. This will all  be very interesting to witness in a few weeks, but as Amon Amarth have two guitarists, this makes their set more true to the original band. Watch for Mount Doom on October 27th at The Algonquin Pub, and Monday night's tune up show was a good one for The Bear Hunters!

Next up were local extreme metal quartet Winkstinger, in the first time I've seen them since their latest reunion this summer, so what's different? Well, they've had more change than just the vocalist position, as it looks like former bassist Ryan Sherman is back in their lineup, replacing Andrew MacDonald. A reason for Andrew's apparent departure hasn't been publically announced, but keep in mind that the band's Facebook page is barely updated. Hopefully nothing bad happened, but it's great seeing Ryan back in the fold, assuming I have him identified correctly! This was also the first time that I've seen Winkstinger with Twistory's Josh Amendola on lead vocals, giving the band their most death metal-influenced vocals yet. Josh's vocal style suits the material, but it could be a little more distinct. That said, his stage presence was enjoyably chaotic & hard to photograph, and Josh was more at ease on stage than Keith was last spring, so he's off to a good start!

Of course, band mainstays Jesse Cook and Jonas Gasperas were on form, and while Jesse laid down some great solos as usual, he seemed a little restrained compared to some recent sets of his. One visible difference from Winkstinger's run of spring 2016 shows is that they seemed to play more originals than they did last year, with covers put on the back burner, so fans of Alan-era Winkstinger will appreciate the setlist. There's more polish to put on the wheels, but it's great to see Winkstinger back (again), and hopefully we hear more new stuff from them soon!

In a mild surprise, local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver hit the stage next rather than the headlining slot for their first local show in a year & a half, and they delivered a brutal assault of originals and covers that got the most packed crowd and mosh pit of the night! Alongside originals like "Sir-Osis", "It's Not My Problem", and "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops" (complete with sampled intro tracks for over half the set), they also played a handful of selections from their side of "Trading Faces" like "Blame It On God", though I was surprised that they didn't play more of it. No one seemed to mind too much, with a punishing onslaught capped off by Josh Penno, Mike Kyle, and Matt Baic' three-pronged vocals, while their punk-tinged death metal originals were as fast paced as ever, often flowing into each other nicely. It's not for everyone, but if you love brutal grindcore, Shit Liver gave you exactly what you wanted on Monday night, and hopefully we see them again soon!

Finally, your headliners were local doom metal trio AlgomA in their sole appearance of the "Trading Faces" tour due to doctor's recommendations following guitarist Boyd Rendell's recent health concerns. As a result, I wasn't sure if he'd appear to be 100%, but he was none the worse for wear during their set, playing his suitably heavy and down-trodden riffs with intensity, and even singing (well, screaming) to his usual standard on a couple of songs! Alongside older originals like "Fell Down A Well" and selections from older splits, AlgomA played their entire side of "Trading Faces" to end their set, which was a nice way to wrap the tour. Kevin Campbell was just fine with his pounding bass and gritty vocals for most songs, and Jamie Vincent's drumming kept the rhythm going at a slow pace, until their faster covers came in, and he transitioned just fine! It was great to see AlgomA back in full force, and who knows what their next album will be! Perhaps another split on a retro format? Maybe get your 8 track players ready?!

Overall, this concert was a crushing good time for fans of death metal, and as a relocated homage to old Rosie metal nights, you have to appreciate this lineup, as you don't see even three of these bands on stage together very much anymore! You can check out our photos from Sunday night at this link or via our Facebook page, and as for our videos, here's The Bear Hunters (or Mount Doom) covering Amon Amarth's "Free Will Sacrifice", Winkstinger playing their original song "From Bullshit To Buzz (Lies = Weed)", Shit Liver covering Dystopia's "Socialized Death Sentence" & Macabre's "Hitch-Hiker", and Algoma covering Kittens' "Great Dane"!









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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Northwest), Highway 63 & Handsome Sandwich Videos, And More!!

Here's a new news post for your Friday afternoon, and if you're wondering where an announcement regarding a major show coming up in September is, don't worry, I am aware of it! We'll absolutely cover it in the coming days as a headline topic, with or without an announced venue! Now, let's clear out some recent backlogged stories with some shorter items, new videos from bands on each side of the border, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local indie/punk quintet Northwest will return to the stage for a concert at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, May 27th! This show will end a nine month hiatus from live concerts for this talented band, who were last seen opening for 1971 at The New A last August, and while I'm not sure where they've been for the majority of their break, they have recently been recording material in studio. Northwest's blend of high energy punk rock should find another solid audience in this rare headlining concert, so don't miss out on their LopLops return in three weeks' time! This show has a 9:00 PM start time, a $5 cover charge, and a 19+ cover charge in effect. It's great to see Northwest back on stage after way too long, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's a new video of Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 from one of their gigs at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace two weeks ago! Filmed by fan Leann Ross and shared to their Facebook page on April 23rd, this video was uploaded twice accidentally, and it captures the Sir Charge successors covering AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirty Cheap". Dancing fans get in the way of the band's view, but it's a sign that they're connecting with the crowd and encouraging lively responses, so you can't go wrong there, and the guys handle this classic hard rock number with gusto! Give it a look below!

Also, here's the latest from new Sault Ontario trio Handsome Sandwich, who now allege themselves to have "no genre" according to their Facebook page (not unlike The Fury), but there is one live video floating around so we can finally sample them! Sadly, this video was only uploaded on a personal Facebook account and not shared publically that I have seen, so I won't link it here, but it is of this curiously named band covering Biffy Clyro's "Black Chandelier" at Monday night's Gutter Demons show at The New American Pub during their soundcheck. It's hard to base them on one song, but the guys sound good on this alt-rock cover, and the bridge has a particularly heavy groove! As for drummer Johnny Belanger's singing voice, he handles things fine, as fans of his older acoustic sets will expect. If you can locate this video, give it a watch, as well as an Elements performance clip from the same filmer that same night!

That said, Handsome Sandwich did upload one new public video to their Facebook page on Monday, and it's basically a short epilogue to their earlier video of Johnny customizing a Bic lighter with a pen and white wrap-around label. Here, Johnny shows off a tray of 50 similarly labelled lighters, all visibly with the band's name on them, and he notes how long it took to make them, before plugging Monday's show, where you could presumably get or buy the lighters. Solid pre-show promotion, especially as it clarifies the whole lighter business, so check it out below!



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

• Former Garage Inc. guitarist & No Shadows Cast mainman Brian Lester is looking for a bassist for his new local band project, who will apparently play originals and covers, and though he didn't specify a genre, he said that they would play "whatever sounds good and entertains a crowd", and applicants "must have an open mind." We haven't heard a new musical update from Brian in way too long, and he did showcase clear talent back in his mid-2000s band work, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday if you're interested in trying out!
• Very similarly to Brian's search, Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton is looking for a bassist as well via the Musicians Wanted group on Wednesday, where he inquired about where all of the bassists have been hiding. It's not clear which project he intends for the bassist to be a part of, but if it's not Eclipse (who teased a bassist search so he could move to guitar last year), it's for the brand new project he hinted at starting over the winter. Message Daniel at this link or above if you're interested!
• Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle's new local "drone/noise/psych" band Pointless have been added as a surprise late band for FRIDAY'S Soo Art Rocks concert at The Canadian Nightclub, as per promoters Live705 on the Facebook event page this past Wednesday. Bill has been a steady sight locally in solo sets & open mics in recent months, and while this new band doesn't have an online page or public media yet, it will be very interesting to find out how they look and sound next week! See above for more details on this unique concert!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the SMS over the weekend! Thanks everyone!

More New Year's Eve Concert Previews, A New Video, And Much More!!

Barring an extremely late notice concert announcement, this will be our last regular post of 2016, so what's in store? A handful of musician searches to take note of, a recent album trailer video, and to lead things off, previews of two hard rock concerts for your New Year's Eve plans, so here's what you need to know to end the year!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet The 3 Day Millionaires will end 2016 in style by headlining The Rockstar Bar's New Year's Eve bash TOMORROW NIGHT! No word on who's playing there tonight, but this show will mark The Millionaires first live concert appearance in 4 weeks, and if you know The Rockstar Bar well, you'll know you're in for a big party to ring in 2017! Given the special admission fee of $10, expect some extra party accoutrements, and perhaps even refreshments, not to mention some hard rocking cover favourites from this union of Cleveland Steamer, Turner Up, Sneaky Pete, and Wishbone alumni! Note that a previously announced opening set by new punk band A Dire Setback has been dropped from this show for unannounced reasons. This $10 show has a 19+ age limit as usual, and everything is slated to begin at 10:30 PM tomorrow. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The 3 Day Millionaires live!



Next up, new local classic/hard rock cover trio Nameus (is this their permanent name now?) will rock The Rednecks Saloon TOMORROW NIGHT to send out 2016 themselves! This union of Suicide Kings, Havadder, and Asylum Country alumni are still without an online page or any public media of their concerts, but they're definitely pulling out all the stops to get fans to the former Nicolet Tavern tomorrow, as not only will there be free pizza for attendees, but admission is FREE! Usually, promoted New Year's bashes like this have a higher admission charge, so kudos to Twin City Sound and Nameus for making this more open to the masses! Alongside the free admission, a 10:00 PM start time is in effect tomorrow, and you must be 19 or older to attend. Check the above links for more details, and hopefully some online pages and/or media of Nameus turns up at some point!

Also today, here's a belated trailer for local post-punk quartet Gnaeus' debut CD "Meditations", as uploaded to their YouTube channel late last month! Apologies in our own month's delay in getting this on the site, we didn't know it was online until the past week. The creativity points are high here, as the guys are green screened so that their heads are floating in space, while discussing the band, how to pronounce their name, songs on the album, and more odd topics (plus, did you know that Alex Proulx could fire lasers from his eyes?) My big problem with the trailer is the volume is woefully inconsistent, as the guys are very quiet when talking, yet the music is extremely loud, so I was constantly wrestling with the volume dial so I could hear everything at a normal volume. If you can get past that, this trailer is very fun and a nice (if delayed) promotion for "Meditations", so check it out below!



Finally, here's three assorted shorter stories, all relating to recent musician searches via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name!

• Project 421/Eclipse guitarist Daniel Horton is looking to assemble a new band that would play originals and occasional covers. He's aiming to play hard rock that perhaps veers into pop rock territory, specifically "well structured and tasteful music", while he'd actually only want to play up to 5 times a year, and just wants creatively similar musicians. Daniel noted that "I've got some more free time", but if he has left his recent bands or seen them disband, that hasn't been publically confirmed. Message Daniel at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from yesterday for more details!
• A local guitarist named Kyle Foster is getting back into music, and is looking to jam with fellow musicians. His influences include bands like Strung Out, NOFX, and Propagandhi, and he is a songwriter that would be interested in maybe forming a band to play his originals and maybe covers. For reference, he has been playing a guitar borrowed from local punk veteran Lucas "Dr. Sal Velinus' Schmiedendorf lately. Message Kyle at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from yesterday if you're interested in jamming with him in the new year!
• In yet another local band search, former Bear Hunters/Skull After Betrayl guitarist Mike Vincent is looking to join a metal band of any kind (preferably thrash or death metal) as a guitarist and vocalist. If you're interested in jamming with Mike, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted group post from December 20th!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our recap of the news & events in the local metal & punk scenes of 2016 tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Project 421), New Videos, And More Updates!!

Before we launch our new poll on the SMS, here's one more news post on this Monday morning, including some assorted recent notes, new videos from a pair of diverse local artists, and first, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month! Here's what you should know!

Local classic metal quintet Project 421 will play a solo headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar on Friday, February 5th! Their second solo show without extra bands (but first at this venue), this joins their first solo gig at The Rednecks Saloon this Friday, and it will be their first at The Rockstar Bar since New Year's Eve. It remains to be seen how Project 421's first toe into the solo cover weekend waters goes, but it's good to see this popular band increasing their concert frequency, and hopefully there's a great turnout at The Rockstar Bar in two & a half weeks for their old school metal renditions! There is a $5 cover charge advertised for February 5th, you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a solid concert full of classic metal, so keep it in mind for next month, and don't miss Project 421's first solo gig at Rednecks on Friday!

Next up, here's some new video finds, including the latest from local death metal duo Brutally Fatal! The Blood Shed Productions project from Crucify The Whore and Revolution alumni had been relatively quiet since the summer, but things picked up earlier this month when they revealed on their Facebook page that they'd be recording a new EP of some type within the next two weeks. That was posted on January 7th,  but it's not publically clear if any recording sessions have begun yet. They followed that with a video upload of newly remastered versions of two songs from their 2013 release "Acidic Sky's", namely "Cold Pulse" & "Drowning In Poison", so how do they sound now? Similar but louder and cleaner, and fans should enjoy these versions! Just to clarify, remember that Brutally Fatal (then spelled with one L in "Brutaly") began as a solo project from frontman Austin McCrae, hence the minimalist bass & vocals-only sound. Check out more from Brutally Fatal above and below!



Also today, here's a new video of Leaked drummer Nic Buckner that was uploaded to Mannapool guitarist Korey Deluca's YouTube channel in October! Recorded at Deluca Sound Productions, this video is of Nic drumming along to Ryan Holliday's "Blinded" before playing a drum solo with no backing track, and he performs strongly in both settings! The description notes that Nic filmed the videos as part of an application to play with a travelling youth outreach band that would play at American schools, and while I'm unsure if he got that gig, this video is well shot and demonstrates his ability nicely! Give it a look below!



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

• Project 421 bassist Daniel Horton is looking for 3 or 4 bands to play a Valentine's Day-themed show on Friday, February 12th (venue unclear), with preference to bands who have "some dance music or upbeat tunes", maybe even love songs. In case this will have a hard rock presence, I thought I'd mention it here, so message Daniel at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post by the Tuesday deadline if you want in, or if you want to play on any other future shows that he's working on!
• A celebration of life concert for late That's Chester guitarist Eugene Orlando will be held at The Water Tower Pub on Thursday, March 3rd! Though advertised as being headlined by his classic rock band Agave Blue, the Facebook event page notes that it'll feature Eugene's longtime bandmate Gabe Tessaro alongside That's Chester frontman Greg Simpson in a joint acoustic set with special guests. It's odd that this tribute concert is taking place so late after Eugene's passing, but hopefully there's a huge response on March 3rd, and see above for updates as they roll in!
• We have moved local experimental metal project The Strange Coyotes back to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. A throwback post aside, the band hasn't issued any public updates since December 2014, and hasn't played live since November of that year, shortly into a brief reunion. The Strange Coyotes were an entertaining band that had a lot of promise and creativity, but lineup changes and lengthy hiatuses didn't help matters. Best of luck to Chase, James, and Mike in the future, and hopefully we see them back again down the road!

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

Haggith Album Updates & More Benighted Concert Videos!!

Well guys, we had a good run, but I'm shutting the SMS down.... APRIL FOOLS! Now that that's out of the way, we're coming in hot into a new month with a new news post on this Wednesday afternoon, including the rest of the videos from last month's Benighted concert, but first, here's some updates on a local band's album plans following a major recent lineup change!

We'll start today with some more updates from local hard rock quartet Haggith, fresh off of the departure of Daniel Horton and the return of Caleb Cachagee to replace him on guitar, so what's new from the band now? On their Facebook page yesterday, the band clarified the status of their third mainline CD "XIV", which will now be retracted to an EP, as "recent events" (presumably Daniel's exit) mean that the album as intended "will never be released." While disappointing, this also came up during the "Dragon Joy Ride" sessions in 2012, as Daniel's brief first departure then led to plans to scrap songs that he wrote from the album and start anew with songs wrote fully by the other members. Though things were patched up then, it looks like the same is basically happening here, but Haggith said that releasing "XIV" as an EP "is the least we can do" for their patient fans. No word yet on how much of the planned original album will survive for future projects, but a new song from "XIV" is now online!

Presumably collecting the songs recorded with Daniel before he left, Haggith posted the studio version of "Road Rash" onto their YouTube channel yesterday (complete with final cover art), which also features Beaumont Avenue/Mourning Wood bassist Steven Flint on a guest bass solo, which is fitting, as "Road Rash" began as a Punch original when Steven, Daniel, and Curtis McKenzie were in that band together! Haggith have teased one more song for the EP (it's identity is yet unclear), but check out "Road Rash" below, and stay tuned for more on "XIV" as we hear it!



The rest of today's post is devoted to the remainder of the Montreal Metal Shows YouTube channel's videos from the Benighted-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall on March 7th, and kudos again to them for their great footage from this well-received all ages concert! We already touched on videos from that night's last 4 bands (Benighted, Bookakee, The Bear Hunters, and Bad Back) on Saturday, but click on the band names above to see their videos, and remember that this channel did not film the secretive, online page-less metal trio Them, who opened the show, but hopefully we hear more on them sooner or later! We'll start today with local alternative/acid rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din (who replaced the aforementioned Haggith on the lineup, as Daniel was out of town), and their video is of them playing Mike's solo song "This Potato May Be Used As A Flotation Device". Strongly performed and shot, this is one of my favourite of The Din's recent live songs, and it captures their energy well, so give it a look below!



Closing with videos from Blood Shed Productions acts, one is of local goregrind duo Rotopsy playing their lively original song "Swamp Donkey", and while the music may be polarizing for some, their enthusiasm and aggression are on full display, so give their video a look below!


 
Lastly from this concert (Them aside) are two videos of local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore, both of short originals, including this song (the title could be seen as offensive, but you can find it on C.T.W.'s Facebook page) and the track embedded below, whose title starts with "Foot", but as it's title may also be seen as offensive, I won't post the rest here. Again, nice quality video of Tyler in action here, so Blood Shed fans should be right at home both below and via the above links!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and this month's Where Are The New Albums? post next (and remember not to miss Anvil TONIGHT!) 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!