LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Pixo Control), Plus New Videos!!

Here's another news post to open a new week, so what can you find within? New videos from two very different recent concerts, and first, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a rising young band's next three shows, all with some big developments attached, so here's what you should know!

Local alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control will indeed play a CD release concert in honour of their debut album "Probably Not" on Saturday, December 12th... two of them, in fact! The band announced on their Facebook page last night that they'll headline two separate concerts at LopLops Lounge that day, the first being an ALL AGES afternoon gig and the latter being a nighttime 19+ show, so fans of all ages will be able to check the guys out and be the first to get a copy of their first CD! Notably, these will be The Pixo Control's first concerts since The Emergency Festival in August, and consequently, just their second & third with new drummer Matthew Thibert (no word as of yet on if he recorded tracks for the album.) Support will come via post-punk quartet Gnaeus (fresh off of their Devil's Night concert at LopLops) and glam/punk trio Caroline Divine (in their first announced concert since July), and both are great fits, so don't miss them on the 12th!

No word yet though on if the openers are playing both shows, or if each band has one each, but we'll treat them as playing both unless said otherwise. Presented by label Tidal Records, each show has a $10 cover charge (it's not clear whether that includes a copy of "Probably Not" or if that's separate from entry), the all ages show is at 2:00 PM, and the 19+ show is at 9:00 PM, both on December 12th. For more details, visit the above links! This is an ambitious idea to play two release shows in the same day, but hopefully The Pixo Control have a successful launch(es) of their debut CD, and we'll keep you posted as extra updates roll in!

Next up, we have another new Pixo Control concert to mention, as they'll apparently be opening for Saskatoon blues rock favourites The Sheepdogs at The Machine Shop at Mill Square on Tuesday, February 9th! While not announced via other sources as of this writing, The Pixo Control's Facebook page indicated that they'd be opening for The Sheepdogs on Saturday. The second February gig in as many years to feature the guys as an opening band (joining this year's Treble Charger concert), this is another huge showcase for Michael, Steve, and Matthew, and hopefully they can make some new fans in February! If you're not familiar with them, The Sheepdogs are well known from hit singles like "Feeling Good" & "The Way It Is" from their platinum self-titled album, and have made lots of fans with their roots & southern rock-influenced originals, so there should be a very solid audience for their Soo debut! Also, the show is definitely on February 9th, SooToday's advertising accidentally has it listed for the 8th.

An 8:00 PM start time is listed for this 19+ concert, and tickets are available for $30 & $35 ($25 early bird tickets are sold out) at this link, so visit the above links for full current details! While The Sheepdogs aren't a "heavy" band, they're very talented and have a great fanbase, and they should rock the house on February 9th (and it's nice to see a big non-country show at The Machine Shop, hopefully there's more to come!) Stay tuned again for updates as we hear them on this and The Pixo Control's release shows!

We'll close today with new videos, including a look at Shot In The Dark Productions' production of The Who's Tommy at The Machine Shop earlier this month, featuring local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester as the house band! Uploaded by drummer Ric Datson to his YouTube channel yesterday, this is of That's Chester and the cast of Tommy performing The Who's "Pinball Wizard" during one night of the production (which one isn't specified), and it gives a nice five-camera look at arguably the most famous song from Tommy! Greg Simpson does his best Elton John for the rendition, complete with the cast acting and singing in turn, and while everything looks and sounds good, Greg's vocals are very muffled (and note that there's a 31 second intro before the video actually starts.) Excellent crowd, and good details for the set and acting (yes, that is a real pinball machine being lowered in), so hopefully we see more live stage musical productions like this in the future, and yes, more That's Chester concerts! Give everything a look below!



Finally for today, here's a new video find of the aforementioned Caroline Divine from their Rotaryfest afterparty concert at LopLops Lounge on July 18th! Apologies for missing it for this long, it slipped us by in prior Facebook scans. Filmed by attendee Katie Huckson and shared on the band's Facebook page the next day, this is an incomplete video of Brendan, Devin, and Anthony playing one of their originals (title unclear, possibly "Looking For A Fight".) Solid audio and energy to be had from this promising young band in their most recent concert, albeit with dark lighting, so check it out below, and don't miss them back at LopLops on December 12th!


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

Ten Kings Updates, Plus Lots Of Recent Assorted News!!

Believe it or not, this is our first full news post at the SMS without concert previews attached in almost two weeks, but hopefully the news will pick up in short order! Today, we're touching on a number of shorter assorted recent notes, but first, here's a pair of new Sault Michigan video finds, including some updates on a recently dissolved band, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Sunday at 11:08 PM)

Here's the latest on the now-inactive local hard rock quartet Ten Kings, so what should you know on them now? While it's still not public what happened to them, it looks like singer Brandon Carr made use of their St. Ignace Kewadin Casino bookings for this weekend by playing both last night & tonight with half of fellow local hard rockers 415E (guitarist Chris Hubbard and bassist Mitch Goetz), as well as ex-Absolute drummer Justin Lawless. Our sources are personal Facebook posts by Brandon & Chris yesterday. No word on if this is an official new band or not, and if they'd still skew hard rock if they were, but Chris did jokingly muse on if they should call themselves Nixxon Dixxon (his and Brandon's old local band) or Two Weeks Notice (presumably referencing the time they had to get ready following Ten Kings' dissolution.) Whether this is just a one-off group, a Nixxon Dixxon revival, or something brand new, we'll keep an eye on things, and hopefully this weekend's concerts went well!

As for Ten Kings, we had embedded a YouTube video of them covering Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" at The Northern Pines Lounge in St. Ignace in August here that was still online when this post went up, but the band member that controlled the account took their YouTube channel down as well yesterday. I wish bands wouldn't erase their existence from the internet like this when they break up, as there are fans that still like and enjoy their material, even if something bad happened behind the scenes, but it is what it is. Hopefully their breakup was amicable, and best of luck again!

Next up, here's a new solo video from ex-Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins' YouTube channel! Uploaded last week, this is of Joe's musical discovery when stacking his guitar pedals, and he definitely seems to like what this produced! Also, this is unique from his past videos that we've shared here, as he talks to the camera about his gear and the pedals' effects on his playing. You get some solid instrumental playing too, so give it a look below!



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

• Former local concert venue Club Princess (a.k.a. The Princess Theatre) has had it's iconic arrow sign taken down amidst ongoing renovations by new owner Marc Muto (yes, the former Lion Ride drummer), who bought the Gore Street location and is planning to reopen it in the future in some form. The sign was removed due to safety concerns and that it was showing it's age, but it will be put in storage towards a possible restoration and return to the building. It's nice to hear that the Princess is being revived, and hopefully the sign returns down the road! Click here for more details!
• According to a post on Mike Haggith & The Din's Facebook page on Thursday,  the band shared the stage with funk/hard rock quartet The Elements (an apparent late addition) and DJ Seith during that night's Jason Michaud fundraiser at The Marconi Hall, without crediting the publically listed Redundant, Project 421, and Eclypse. No word on if those bands dropped out or not, but remember, official event advertising oddly didn't credit the full lineup. Nice of The Elements to rock this benefit too, and hopefully lots was raised to help Jason out!
• The recap article and photos from SooToday's Donna Hopper's coverage of last month's "Fed Up!" split CD release party at The Algonquin Pub can at last been seen at this link! Featuring brief remarks from Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce & Destroilet singer Mike Hull, the article recaps the show and CD, and reiterates plans to release the split in other formats, while the photos (all in black & white) include 7 from headliners The Ripcordz' set & five each of the local bands, including a guest return from the departed Brent Ellis during Destroilet's set. Despite the delay, Donna got some great shots again, so see everything above!
• Local classic metal quintet Project 421 will replace Destroilet on the lineup for the Sabrina Pelchat memorial concert at The Rednecks Saloon on Friday, as per updates to the official Facebook event page yesterday. A reason for Destroilet's exit wasn't announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and Project 421 will fit in nicely in their return to the former Nicolet Tavern! Stay tuned for more on this show next week!
• We have moved local grindcore/experimental duo This Is Your Band On Drugs to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The Blood Shed Productions project has not made a public update since being advertised to play at last October's Devil's Night concert at The Oddfellows Hall, which they dropped out of after being on hiatus since last spring due to work commitments. T.I.Y.B.O.D. were an entertaining and creative band in their genre, complete with a demo CD, and hopefully Chase & Nick revive them in the future!
• As you may have seen, there was not a Friday the 13th new music event from Sault Michigan independent metal label Werehold Records yesterday, breaking a streak of six straight Friday the 13th events dating to April 2012. Label owner Jason Mills said in a personal conversation that it was due to many artists on the label having "downtime" as of late, and he didn't want to post new songs from just his own projects. Hopefully things pick back up come the next Friday the 13th in May!

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

"Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split" CD Review!! (Part 2)

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FOR THE FIRST HALF OF OUR "FED UP!" SPLIT REVIEW, VISIT THIS LINK!
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As promised, it's time to conclude our special two-part review of "Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split", so be sure to check out our thoughts on The Ripcordz and Jack Spades' portions of the split in the first half linked above! The second half will feature closing thoughts on the ambitious split CD, but first, let's take a look at the final third of the split, courtesy of local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet! Self-recorded (presumably at The Litter Box) in 2012 and 2015, this is the third official release from Destroilet following their 2011 EP & 2012 full length CD, and like on those albums, it features their classic and current lineup, including singer Mike Hull, guitarists/producers John Conway & Christian Foisy, bassist Adam Larocque, and drummer/album artwork designer Matt Waples. As well, backing vocalists are used on two tracks, including Jack Spades drummer Johnny Belanger on "Bamberg Witch Prison" & "Murderers", Mike Denisch on the former, and John's Billy Bastards bandmate Greg Beharriel & Joni Radford on the latter.

With 5 songs and 1 cover running for about 16 minutes, let's round out our review of "Fed Up!" with the first song, "iBomb"! Beginning with a slower introduction with low spoken word vocals by Mike, the fury soon kicks in for fans of Destroilet's hardcore punk intensity, with a drum-driven attack, nice bass laid in from Adam, and a solid (if brief) guitar solo from John, but Mike's vocals are a little too monotonous compared to the song's energy. It's on pace with Destroilet's prior originals though, if not a bit more technical and diverse in it's competition, so fans will get the best of both worlds here! Second is "Lifer", a shorter song that begins with call and response vocals from Mike and backing vocals before fully launching into the song proper, which doesn't reinvent the wheel from Destroilet's working formula, but it makes good use of Mike's vocals, has a longer guitar solo section (albeit laid under verses), and a hard hitting, consistent pace! I do slightly prefer it to "iBomb" for it's intensity, but Destroilet are on form so far!

The third & final new original song is "Bamberg Witch Prison", inspired by real life German witch trials in the 17th century. Opening with a very heavy and crushing guitar riff before launching into the fastest and most brutal passages yet, Mike's vocals have never been more ferocious than on the verses, though the low spoken-word portion of the choruses is too much of a mood shift. The backing vocals from Johnny Belanger & Mike Denisch are effective as background effects as well. It definitely seemed to end too quickly, and I missed having a guitar solo, but everyone delivered well on this song, another promising entry in Destroilet's recent repertoire! The next two songs are both re-releases of older recordings, not unlike the two old originals from The Ripcordz' third of the split. Those tracks are "R.O.Y.C." and "Eternal Fire", both holdovers from Destroilet's self-titled 2012 CD, not unlike how they re-issued their 2011 EP in full as half of their second disc.

I won't re-review them in full (you can see our original thoughts from our January 2013 review of that album at this link), but I found that "R.O.Y.C." was a solid heavier song that didn't benefit from the lower and harsher vocals, and "Eternal Fire" worked as more of a punk-influenced song with great bass, but also had inconsistency in the used vocal styles. Both were and still are entertaining tracks for Destroilet fans! The "Fed Up!" split closes with a cover of Vancouver punk band The Rebel Spell's 2011 song "Murderers", with the album proper dedicated in the memory of late Rebel Spell frontman Todd "Serious" Jenkins. Similar in structure to the original but given more of a hardcore edge, the song makes good use of Johnny, Greg, and Joni's backing vocals on the choruses, while everyone shows their punk side of things nicely, including quality guitar work from John and Chris! You can sense the emotion on this cover too (Destroilet opened for The Rebel Spell locally and were big fans of theirs), and it's a fitting close to this split album!

Overall, Destroilet's third of the split is a very good continuation of their past releases, slowly growing their sound with more technical and diverse influences while still retaining the old-school hardcore fury that has driven them since the late 2000s, with "Lifer" and "Bamberg Witch Prison" clear highlights! While Mike's vocals could be a little more diverse, and the mix of some songs could be a little smoother, Destroilet have a good formula and shouldn't break from it, and fans of The Rebel Spell should definitely eat up their "Murderers" cover as well!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split"? I find that it's an interesting experiment (split CDs of this magnitude are not an every day occurrence from local bands, let alone with a band of The Ripcordz' heft involved), but a successful one that has three bands from the same musical spectrum delivering eighteen quality songs! If you like even two of the involved bands, this is worth picking up, but as everyone's musical taste is different, many will likely prefer one artist to the rest. Myself, my musical tastes would lean more to Jack Spades, but all three bands delivered for their respective genres, and I didn't have a major issue with any of the songs! I'd have liked to have seen song lyrics in a full album booklet, and having over a quarter of the split comprised of previously released material is a little odd, but you can't complain too much. Fans of only one included artist on the split may want to wait for a digital release though, in case they only want that band's songs for less money.

Considering that fans essentially got a new Ripcordz EP, Jack Spades' sophomore CD, and Destroilet's third release all in one for $10, that's quite a good deal, and it'd be interesting to see more split albums of this quality, involving the same bands or not, in the future! Contact band members to get your copies A.S.A.P., and stay tuned for details on online and possible in-store availability! I hope you guys liked our (extended) latest CD review, and in all likelihood, we'll be looking at local grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back's first full length album "ALbums", which came out in September, so look for that next month, and stay tuned for more news and previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

"Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split" CD Review!! (Part 1)

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FOR THE SECOND HALF OF OUR "FED UP!" SPLIT REVIEW, VISIT THIS LINK!
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It's now time for our 76th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and as promised, it's of the newly released "Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split" from Montreal's The Ripcordz and locals Jack Spades and Destroilet! Independently released at the CD launch concert at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday, copies are available for $10 through members of the local bands, and an online digital release is in the cards, but that (and potential in-store availability) is pending further public details. As this is our first ever split CD review on the site, and as this (in effect) is three separate EPs merged together, we're taking the unique step of splitting this review into two, with The Ripcordz and Jack Spades in this half, and Destroilet and summary thoughts in the second half (when complete, we will link the second half in this review for convenience.) With one 50 minute album reviewed in two parts featuring three bands, let's begin our review of "Fed Up!"

Note that because our monthly CD reviews are focused on and devoted to Sault Ste. Marie bands, we won't go into as much detail on The Ripcordz' third of the split as we typically do with our reviews of single-band local releases. That said, as they are the lead band on "Fed Up!", and long-standing local favourites, I'd be remiss to not review their songs and offer my thoughts!

The opening third belongs to Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz, whose first three songs are newly recorded for "Fed Up!" with their current lineup of founding singer/guitarist Paul Gott, bassist Matty Fortyfive, and drummer Alex Roy, and as recorded by Rene D La Muerte. Entitled "War on Xmas", "Decide", and "Merry Crisis", you can probably surmise that two of the songs have a seasonal yet archaic vibe (good timing with the Christmas season arriving slowly), and they harbour some amusing lyrics therein! Of the three, I definitely prefer "Decide" musically for it's intensity and aggression, but it's also the shortest song on the split, so you take the bad with the good. "War on Xmas" is entertaining as well, with solid drumming in particular, but it did get a little repetitive by the end, while "Merry Crisis" has more of a slower, sing-along vibe that I can see going over well at a December show! I'm more familiar with The Ripcordz live than in studio, but Paul's gritty singing comes through nicely here, and holds up pretty well with their classic older material!

Their other three songs are all older recordings with older lineups, all featuring ex-drummer Francois Demers, and for the originals at least, recorded by Robert Martins. They are "Fuck the USA", (featuring late 1990s bassist Chris Moroz, and previously on the compilation "La Punkerie Vol. 1"), "Man In Black" (featuring current drummer Alex Roy on bass, and from the earlier compilation "North of the Border Vol. 1"), and their cover of Mitsou's "Bye Bye Mon Cowboy" (a bonus track from their live album "Dead or Alive in '92" featuring ex-bassist Danny "Duke" Laflamme.) Of the two originals, I prefer "Man In Black" for it's livelier sound, and glimmers that actually remind me of Motorhead from Paul's vocals and the bass work, but both are solid for longtime fans of The Ripcordz! "Bye Bye Mon Cowboy" was originally a Francophone pop song that was a Canadian chart hit in 1988, and is romantic in tone, so I can only assume that the cover was done ironically. Aside from the French lyrics, you'd never know it was a cover if you weren't familiar with the original song, and it packs a punk wallop!

Overall, while The Ripcordz' third of the CD is the shortest (only running for about 15 minutes, with  "Decide" at an album low 97 seconds long), it'll definitely please long time fans of the band, and if you didn't know that the latter three songs weren't brand new, you'd never know! Paul's aggressive vocals and guitar riffs drive everything nicely, and Matty and Alex compliment him well on bass and drums, as did ex-members on the old tracks! If you love The Ripcordz' old school punk attack, you should be right at home here, and this is a fitting opening to the "Fed Up!" split!

The middle stretch belongs to local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, who were the only band on the split to record six brand new tracks for the CD, and you could effectively call this their second EP (maybe they'd call it "The Second" if released on it's own?) Featuring their current lineup of singer J.D. Pearce (a.k.a. Johnny Pints), guitarists Jesse Cook and Tiffany Stocco (a.k.a. Tiff Spades), bassist Justin Lam, and drummer Johnny Belanger, their six songs (including one cover) were recorded at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones earlier this year. Their chunk begins with "Crossroads", about selling your soul to the devil there for whiskey, and it's a fun and upbeat song that keeps the vibes of last year's "The First" going with their hard hitting hybrid sound, effective usage of backing vocals, and a solid guitar solo from Jesse as well! Arguably the most punk-influenced of their songs here, it would be interesting to see more of a blues influence given the subject matter, but fans of Jack Spades will have nothing to worry about here!

Second for their third (eighth total) is "Fear Corps", a faster and heavier song that generally works well, with nice charging riffs, solid drumming from Johnny, and an aggressive bite, but it's a little inconsistent. A guitar solo would have broken things up a bit, and I will admit that having J.D. sit out the choruses in favour of backing vocalists may not have been ideal, as they compliment him well, and without him singing there, there was a fair shift in tone. Still, it's a solid track, and will be up the alley of fans of Jack Spades' heavier material! Then we have the split's longest song "Frederick", inspired by the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, and it improves on the first two songs with some more complex songwriting, a darker horror-influenced tone that will remind some listeners of J.D.'s old band Frightlight, and a catchy sing-along chorus! Justin's bass suits this track nicely, Jesse has a solid solo, and aside from an abrupt ending, it definitely holds up the best of the Jack Spades' songs so far!

Their fourth original is "Motorwolf", though rather than Justin's growl of the title after the instrumental prologue, they instead included audio of a bark (I wonder why?) Arguably the most fastest and heaviest song from Jack Spades' section, this would definitely be the song most likely to get a mosh pit going, and Jesse's solo, while short, is his best yet! It's not as diverse as "Frederick", and the title is arguably leaned on too much in the chorus lyrics, but as a blistering speed metal/punk hybrid, it delivers the goods, and is a highlight on "Fed Up!" Their last original here is "Negative Headspace", which opens with a solid and heavy riff which maintains as the band kicks in until the first verse kicks in, and might be my favourite opening of their section! Here, I like the gradual escalations in speed and heaviness as the verses lead into the choruses, and everyone holds up their end of the bargain, but the chorus vocals seem too quiet in the mix.

Jack Spades' portion closes with a cover of defunct local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers' song "Ten Commandments" (or just "Commandments"), from their 2000 debut self-titled CD (also, note that Surfers frontman Dustin Jones produced Jack Spades for this split.) Compared to the original (which was fairly fast and aggressive compared to the Surfers' best known songs), the cover is a little longer and has less vocal distortion, though it's largely faithful in structure. It's a solid cover choice to fit Jack Spades' existing sound, and a nice treat to see a local band cover another unrelated local band that shared no identical members! Overall, Jack Spades' contribution to the CD (the longest of the 3 bands too, at around 19 minutes) is a successful follow-up to last year's EP, improving on their base sound with even better production, more of a live intensity, and more technical and diverse songwriting! Songs like "Frederick" and "Motorwolf" definitely led the way for me, but there were some repetitive moments, "Frederick" ended way too abruptly, and backing vocals affected the tone a bit when they led the way.

I hope you guys liked the first half of our "Fed Up!" split review, and we'll wrap things up with a look at Destroilet' third of the split and final summary thoughts on the entire release tomorrow! Thanks everyone, and stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post soon as well!

"Fed Up!" Split CD Information & Notes, Plus A New Solo Original Song!!

As we enter the final week of October, and slowly approach the Halloween season, here's a new post that mostly takes an extended look at the credits, track listing, and interesting notes on a big new CD release! As it's a three-band split CD with very different recording and performance credits as a result, so we have to give it extra attention in this way, hence why it takes up the majority of the post. We also have a new solo song posting to check out as well, so here's what you need to know!

While I was unable to attend Saturday's "Fed Up! A Canadian Punk Rock Split" CD release party at The Algonquin Pub, I received a copy on Sunday, so what should you know? Independently released, and with artwork of outgoing Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a Big Boy parody by Destroilet drummer Matt Waples, his bandmate John Conway mastered all of the tracks, including 5 originals & 1 cover each. Going band by band, Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz supply the first six tracks, including new songs "War on Xmas", "Decide", and "Merry Crisis", and three older songs from prior releases ("Fuck The USA", "Man In Black", and a cover of Mitsou's "Bye Bye Mon Cowboy".) Frontman Paul Gott is of course on all six songs, with current bassist Matty Fortyfive & drummer Alex Roy on the three new tracks, while Alex supplies bass on "Man In Black". Ex-drummer Francois Demers is behind the kit on the older songs, while ex-bassist Chris Moroz played on "Fuck The USA", and Danny "Duke" Laflamme played bass on the cover.

For local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades, they were the only band on the split to supply six brand new recordings, all recorded with their current lineup at Mission Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones. Their songs, in order, include "Crossroads", "Fear Corps", "Frederick", "Motorwolf", and "Negative Headspace", plus a cover of defunct local punk quartet The Inner City Surfers' song "Ten Commandments", which fans may remember from their self-titled debut CD from 2000 (albeit simply called "Commandments", though it was the tenth track.) You don't see a local band cover another unrelated local band every day, so this should be an interesting listen, especially with one of the original artists as the producer! The final third of "Fed Up!" belongs to local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet, who self-recorded and produced their songs, including three new originals ("iBomb", "Lifer", and "Bamberg Witch Prison"), which are followed by "R.O.Y.C." and "Eternal Fire", which are holdovers from their self-titled 2012 CD, which also featured new & previously released material.

Their closing cover (also newly recorded) is of The Rebel Spell's "Murderers", and the album is dedicated in the memory of late Rebel Spell frontman Todd "Serious" Jenkins, who passed away earlier this year in a rock climbing accident. The songs feature their classic & current lineup (Brent Ellis did indeed leave the band), while both "Bamberg Witch Prison" & "Murderers" feature guest backing vocals (Jack Spades' Johnny Belanger is on both, Mike Denisch is on the former, and both Billy Bastards guitarist Greg Beharriel & Joni Radford are on the latter.) Copies of "Fed Up!" can now be bought for $10 via contacting band members directly, or at their next concerts to be announced, and I'm unsure about in-store availability at The Rad Zone yet. Online posts have hinted at an online digital release to come, so stay tuned for full details (and you can stream "Murderers" and the older songs online, including at Destroilet's Bandcamp page!)

While it is a little odd that over a quarter of the split is comprised of previously released material, it's great to see this highly anticipated CD finally released, and and I'd consider it the highest profile local split CD in recent memory, so be sure to pick it up A.S.A.P. in case it has a limited print run! And yes, we are reviewing it on the site this week, definitely by Thursday, so look for it in the coming days, and thanks again to J.D. and Blair for hooking me up at a difficult time! I had to miss the release show due to family health concerns, but I believe Local2 was on hand, so keep an eye out for their coverage, and check personal Facebook pages for more media!

We'll close this post with a new solo original recording by ex-Despised Eyes/Death Rise guitarist Willis Tholberg, as uploaded to his YouTube channel on Thursday! His only music upload there at the moment (the rest of his postings are video game related or not metal), this instrumental is called "A Forgotten Mountain", and is shows his songwriting ability that fans of his older bands may not have seen much of! I'm getting a bit of a Life's Eclipse-meets-doom metal vibe, and if he can tighten it up and add vocals & real drums, he'd be on to something! Give it a listen below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news this week, plus our review of "Fed Up!" in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Mourning Wood), More Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Barring even later notice concert previews, let's round things out today with the long awaited split CD release show and SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from a prolific cover quartet! We're rounding things out with lineup updates for an upcoming Halloween concert and a new live video, so read on below for what you need to know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Mourning Wood will return to The Rednecks Saloon TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the shows via drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page this morning, and as has often been the case, the band hasn't plugged the shows publically on Facebook themselves. Making their first stops at the former Nicolet Tavern in over a month, this weekend's shows will likely see the return of bassist Paul Belair, so if you missed the full quartet lineup at Reggie's last weekend, be at Rednecks TONIGHT and/or TOMORROW! You can take in their varied but often heavy covers there at 10:00 PM both nights, there's no announced cover charges, and you must be 19 or older to attend. For more details, visit the above links! While I wish Mourning Wood would plug their shows more often and with more notice, their talent speaks for itself, so don't miss them, and here they are live!

Next up, here's our preview of the long awaited CD release concert for the "Fed Up" split album, which goes down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Algonquin Pub! Fittingly, all three bands on the 18 song split (5 originals + 1 cover for each band) will take the stage, with Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz returning to the Soo for the first time since last year's Rad Zone anniversary party upstairs, so if you've missed Paul and company in the past year, be there tomorrow night! Of course, they'll be joined by the same local openers from last fall's show, they being local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades & hardcore punk veterans Destroilet, who will bring their own intense attacks back to the stage tomorrow, including Destroilet's first concert set in about 3 months! However, it should be noted that Destroilet co-lead singer Brent Ellis appears to have parted ways with the band, as per his quiet recent removal from their lineup on Bandcamp and his absence from their cover of The Rebel Spell's "Murderers" on the split (he's also not listed in the album's liner notes, as per personal Facebook posts.)

Nothing public has been said about Brent's status with the band, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and best of luck to Brent in the future if he is indeed gone! Also, note that a brief move upstairs to The Rockstar Bar due to a water leak in the pub has been called off, as the problems were fixed downstairs. Admission is $10 at the door (down from $15), while copies of the "Fed Up" split CD also cost $10 separately. The show itself is 19+, and has a listed start time of 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a great concert (and CD) for hardcore punk fans, so don't miss out, and here's The Ripcordz live at The Algonquin in 2013!

Also, here's some late lineup changes for J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party at The Algonquin Pub next Saturday, so what should you know now? The planned Misfits tribute band (essentially a one-off T-Rex Manning reunion) has quietly dropped out of the party, as per recent updates to the Facebook event page. A reason for their exit hasn't been announced, but given that J.D. is the promoter and will be in attendance, a scheduling conflict for another member may be to blame (also, note that a drummer was never publically confirmed.) After briefly being replaced by a one-off Korn tribute featuring The Bear Hunters' Mitch Sirie & friends (which would have been interesting), that slot is now being filled by local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements, who also feature Jesse Cook from that night's existing local punk tribute band, and will play a set of Sublime (formerly assorted 1990s rock) covers in their Halloween Party debut. Solid addition on late notice, and regulars of this event will recognize bassist James White from the 2011 & 2012 parties with Redundant!

Of note, this will be the first Halloween Party in memory that doesn't feature a band (one-off or permanent) that J.D. sings lead for, but it's extremely likely that he'll do a guest spot with at least one band, so never fear! Also, the one-off punk tribute supergroup (previously indicated as covering Rancid, NOFX, and Operation Ivy songs) are now listed as simply playing "mixed punk", though time will tell if that is just a simplification, or if their cover range has been expanded further. Sounds like a solid lineup even with the changes, and with the return of Toronto's Caym with a Metallica tribute set, how can you go wrong? Get more details above!

We'll close today with a new video of the aforementioned Elements, courtesy of their set at the Soup Kitchen benefit concert at The Algonquin Pub three weeks ago! This cover of Primus' "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" was uploaded to the band's new YouTube channel this morning, but despite frontman Rob Speers' Local2 connections, this is not from the same filmer who shot this song for the Tuned episode on the benefit. It sounds good, and has suitable energy, but the blur filter put on the video is very distracting, even if it was an intentional artistic choice. Give it a look below, and don't miss The Elements next weekend!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril, Hells Bells, And Mourning Wood), Concert Previews, And More!!

With a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to touch on today, here's another news/concert preview post, which also features more new shows for out of town bands returning to our area in the coming months, the rest of the currently known hard rock concert previews for this weekend (including two that have been moved), and some assorted recent notes at the end! Now, here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quarter Mourning Wood will return to Reggie's West for one night only TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the show via drummer Glen Thomas' personal Facebook page yesterday, with the band themselves not acknowledging it as of this writing. A one nighter due to Glen's 1960s classic rock band The Peace Vibe playing at the same venue tonight, this will be Mourning Wood's first show in a couple of weeks, so if you missed the usually busy band last weekend, keep their return to the former Roosevelt Hotel in mind for TOMORROW NIGHT! You can check out their varied and often heavy covers at around 10:00 PM tomorrow, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Mourning Wood live at The Rednecks Saloon!



Next up, Barrie-based AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on Saturday, November 14th when they rock The Rockstar Bar! Announced by venue staff yesterday after a prior confirmation of a Soo date on the band's website, this will be Hells Bells' first local stop since headlining at The Canadian Nightclub in May 2010, and while we've seen Who Made Who multiple times since, can you go wrong with another AC/DC tribute? Hells Bells put on a good show back in 2010, and hopefully they can keep the high voltage rock n' roll going next month after over 5 years away! Advance tickets are available at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk for $12 (no word on if the price would jump if there's door admission, but they're expecting a sell-out), while a 10:30 PM start time is advertised, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and keep Hells Bells' return in mind next month if you're an AC/DC fan!

Lastly for new shows, and with linked concert previews for this weekend that were previously announced, Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino on Friday, December 18th & Saturday, December 19th! Among recent confirmations on Kewadin's entertainment page (we have more coming from there), the shows join more dates in the E.U.P. TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, but despite being advertised on their website as being at the Sault Ste. Marie branch, Peril's recent Facebook advertising lists the shows as also being in St. Ignace. It's not clear whether the band goofed or if the shows were moved south by the casinos themselves, but for reference sake, Kewadin's entertainment page doesn't list any upcoming dates at The Rapids Lounge in the Soo. Is something going on there that's putting shows on hold, or are they just slow to update that side of the schedule? We'll let you know if we hear anything on The Rapids Lounge either way!

No matter where they're playing, Jeff, Adam, and Brooks should deliver a fun weekend of metal favourites both this weekend and in December, as this relatively busy run of three St. Ignace weekends in a five month span continues for them! Both this weekend and December's shows have 9:00 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Peril live a few years back!



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

• Local rap/metal project The Apocalypse Afterparty is looking for a female drummer to join their lineup, which has had a drummer vacancy since Steve Mozarowski left this summer (and yes, they are specifically looking for a female drummer this time.) "Songwriter" Paul Stanghetta (Puablos Stancu on Facebook) noted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Sunday that you must be willing to wear a costume, and they aren't necessarily looking for an experienced drummer. If you're interested in trying out, message Paul above or at this link!
• According to personal Facebook postings by promoter Brenton Ellis on Wednesday, Alberta hard rock quartet Dusty Tucker did not play at that night's Nailheads show at The New American Pub, though I have not seen a posting explaining why from either side (for what it's worth, advertised local openers Gnaeus haven't mentioned the show recently at all, so they may not have played.) Hopefully nothing bad happened with either band! Brent also noted that the show was moved on late notice from The Rednecks Saloon due to "human error" and "miscommunication".
• The cover artwork for the upcoming "Fed Up!" split CD from Montreal's The Ripcordz and locals Jack Spades & Destroilet is now online via band pages and the Facebook event page for the upcoming CD release show featuring on October 24th at The Algonquin Pub! The poster for the concert can also be seen there, both designed by Destroilet drummer Matt Waples, and with election month upon us, both the cover & poster depict Canadian political leaders in an irreverent fashion. Well done as usual, so give them a look above! Note that personal postings reveal the track listing, but as far as I can tell, that's not public yet.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more this weekend! Thanks everyone!