Fuck The Facts Concert Review!!

At last, here's our newest concert review at the SMS, and believe it or not, our first from a public concert since Rotaryfest (blame personal family health matters, but I do plan to hit at least some Halloween season events!) Sunday night saw the return of Fuck The Facts to The Oddfellows Hall in the first all ages show there in what seems like way too long, but the crowd wasn't overly huge, and I'm not sure if there was ever 50 people inside at once. The fans gave a solid response all night long though, and the cool blue lighting gave a nice ambiance!

Sets were delayed by about a half hour, so things were a little condensed for most bands, but opening goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore packed in a heavy wallop to kick off the night! This was Tyler Gibson's first local C.T.W. show outside of house parties since the spring, but he broke out some newer effects pedals (including one that gave him more of a demonic regular voice) and played a mixture of established songs like "Bunk, Shake, and Headache" and newer material like "Texas". Though the crowd was pretty small at this early juncture, Blood Shed loyalists went wild as usual for Tyler's goregrind onslaught, but Tyler's energy wasn't at it's high from what I've seen, and Rotopsy's Dylan Taylor didn't make a guest appearance as he often does. Strong return, and C.T.W. fans left happy!

A minor lineup shuffle saw the planned second band switch places with the original middle band, local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA, but their ferocious set delivered despite the earlier placement! It's been way too long since I last saw AlgomA live last (back when they were still using stage names), and they definitely haven't lost a step, whether on established songs like "Fell Down A Well" (which indeed opened the set) or their lengthy newer song "Rabidus". Kevin, Boyd, and Jamie showed their strong chemistry while maintaining their intense stage presences throughout, with Kevin Campbell's harsh vocals laid well with the material, and Boyd Rendell's pounding guitar kept things slow and heavy in the process! The guys can still be a little more energetic and talkative on stage, but the intensity and material definitely made a huge mark, and hopefully we see them live again soon!

Due to personal commitments, late replacements Jack Spades (filling in for their upcoming split-mates Destroilet) were bumped into the later third slot, but they still delivered a fun set in, believe it or not, their Oddfellows Hall debut! With members' pasts at this venue with the likes of Fitswitch, Soldiers of Misfortune, and The Bear Hunters, you'd think Jack Spades would have played the Oddfellows by now! Their abbreviated set included fan favourites like "They Live", "Crossroads", and "Motorwolf", though an advertised cover of "All My Friends Are Dead" didn't make the live cut. Everyone was solid and on form despite the short notice, with Jesse Cook nailing some strong guitar solos, but J.D. Pearce was almost inaudible during their set (not his fault, the vocal mix throughout the night was fairly muted, but it stood out more here compared to the growlers.) The guys jacked the hall well, and stay tuned for the "Fed Up!" split release show next month!

Your final local band on Sunday night was death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, who powered through a set of six newer original songs for fans, and they definitely haven't lost a step! Though they didn't play their newest unveiled tracks like "The Wrath of Angmar" (possibly due to time?), we still got strong and brutal favourites like "I Fear No God" and "Neckbreaker" that produced a few small mosh pits, and the band responded in kind! Justin Lam's bass was on point, Mitch Sire laid down some blistering solos on both guitars, and while his vocals were a little muddled in the mix, Nik Deubel's growling was as consistently effective as always! I was hoping to hear one of their brand new tracks on Sunday, but The Bear Hunters still laid it down to their extreme, and proved once again that no bear is safe!

And your headliners on Sunday were Juno nominated Ottawa grindcore band Fuck The Facts, though they were sans guitarist Johnny Ibay for unannounced reasons (though note that I didn't see him in photos from recent tour dates.) The lack of rhythm guitar was noticeable at times, but Fuck The Facts still demolished in their short but entertaining set! Fans who missed them last year got a strong dose of new material from their newest album "Desire Will Rot", and while the crowd wasn't huge, the mosh pit definitely was, and it looked like most of the hall was involved! Mel Mongeon & Marc Bourgon's brutal vocals were a nice compliment as usual, and Topon Das' shone on guitar throughout their set, with a good use of backing effects as usual to set the mood! Fuck The Facts' creative brand of grindcore is always worth checking out, and while the crowd wasn't as high as it could have been, hopefully this was a great closing show for their tour!

Overall, this was a very entertaining and heavy show, and it was nice to be back out at a concert again! I can't commit to any more concerts in the next few weeks just based on the uncertainty regarding the recent personal family matters, but I intend to at least be at the Ripcordz and Caym shows at month's end... I hope! You can check out our photos and videos at this link or at our Facebook page, and for videos, here's Crucify The Whore playing "Batch Cones" & "Orthostatic Hypotension", AlgomA playing "Rabidus", Jack Spades covering The Ripcordz' "X", The Bear Hunters playing "Deception", and Fuck The Facts playing "Prey"!











That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

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

Let's close out this weekend's concert previews with this post for your Saturday morning, including a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT and a double dose of metal shows tomorrow and Monday, but we have a new studio song from a local solo act to share as well! Here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock quartet Mourning Wood will round out a double weekend shot at Reggie's West TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about the show via personal Facebook posts by members Terry Eaton and Glen Thomas last night, and it followed a gig yesterday that came too late for us to get on the site, hence the plug only on our Facebook page (our apologies, we'd have plugged yesterday's show on here had it had more notice!) This is Mourning Wood's first concert weekend at the former Roosevelt Hotel with Glen and new bassist Paul Belair, but it should be noted that Terry didn't tag guitarist Steven Flint with other members when plugging this weekend's gigs on his personal Facebook page, though nothing has been officially stated to imply that Steven will be absent this weekend or not.

In any event, you can take in Mourning Wood's varied and often heavy covers TONIGHT at 10:00 PM, it is a 19+ affair, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, check the above links, apologies again for missing last night's concert on here, and here's the new lineup in action!

Moving to previously announced concert previews, let's touch on the return of Ottawa grindcore veterans Fuck The Facts to Sault Ontario TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall! This Juno nominated band will rock the Soo for the first time since May of last year for this high impact Sunday nighter on their tour in support of their new CD "Desire Will Rot", which will also bring ALL AGES metal back to The Oddfellows Hall after an unusually quiet summer. If you've missed F.T.F.'s brutal, intense, and wide-ranging attack, you know where to be tomorrow! They're headlining at 10:00 PM, while a slightly smaller-than-usual opener lineup will include local death metal notables The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM (with new material in tow?), doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA at 8:00 PM, hardcore punk sextet Destroilet (in their Oddfellows Hall debut!) at 7:00 PM, and goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore opening the show with a short set at 6:30 PM. Strong and heavy lineup, especially with a few bands who haven't played a lot in recent months, so don't miss them!

Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment (in their first Oddfellows show in six months), there is a $10 cover charge in effect, doors will open at 6:00 PM, and again, it is ALL AGES! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see H.N.E. back at it with a big new show, and while the smaller lineup is a little unusual, it will end earlier than many of their past shows, which is very handy on a school night! Fuck The Facts always deliver a blistering show when they come here, and it shouldn't be any different tomorrow, so check the above links for more info, and here's Fuck The Facts live a couple years back!



Lastly for this batch of concert previews, here's a special concert for THIS MONDAY NIGHT, as Mexican blackened death metal quartet Evilheart will make their local concert debut at The Algonquin Pub for the final installment of J.D. Pearce & Tidal Records' Gonqshow concert series (more on that in a bit.) And you read that right, Evilheart are from the country of Mexico, but their devastating brand of death metal will be of interest to any fan of the genre, so don't miss their brutal originals come Monday night, especially as it's not every day where a Mexican metal band play here! The aforementioned Bear Hunters will hit the stage for the second time in as many days as openers, while "the original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage (replacing The Apocalyspe Afterparty) will kick things off in their first concert in four months, so come early for their creative hard rock and blues jams, as they don't play as often as they used to! There is a $10 cover charge in effect for this 19+ show which starts at 9:00 PM.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! As for this being the finale of the Gonqshow series, the concert next Saturday with Winnipeg black metal quintet Wilt & locals AlgomA was quietly cancelled recently (the September 26th date is now slotted for Sudbury, though it's not clear whether it's due to or the cause of the Soo cancellation), while October's Ripcordz & Caym concerts at The Algonquin are considered as "standalone" shows, possibly as the Gonqshow was intended to be a summer series. Having an international metal band like this is a great way to send off the Gonqshow in style, so don't miss out on Monday, and here's Evilheart live in Quebec!



 Finally for today, here's a new single version of one of Mike Haggith's recent solo songs, this time of "Out Of My League" from this years' "The Warinside"! Similarly to his last few single versions of earlier tracks on his YouTube channel, this version of "Out Of My League" is shorter (by about 1:40) and has less of an orchestral feel, and Mike noted in the description that Curtis McKenzie doesn't provide backing vocals on this version (likely due to his recent departure from Mike Haggith & The Din.) Like before, I do prefer the original, which has a grander and more technical feel, but if you want a shorter and cleaner mix, give the single version of this song a listen below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Lucky 13), Shit Liver & AlgomA Updates, And More!!

As promised, here's another post for your Friday with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, but just for the sake of clarification, if a band like Mourning Wood announce any weekend gigs on even later notice today, we probably won't have time to mention it on the site beforehand, so keep tabs on our Facebook page if something's announced. Today's post also has new updates from two local extreme metal bands, and some assorted updates, so here's what you should know, and check out last month's poll results and our new poll in the post below this one!

Local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rednecks Saloon for solo headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the shows via the official Facebook event page on Wednesday, and we only heard about them after our first concert preview post went up on the site on Thursday. Making their first concert appearance of the fall (having last rocked the stage at Rednecks in early August), it's good to see Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger back on stage, and hopefully their fan-favourite, often edgy covers find a strong audience at the former Nicolet Tavern TONIGHT & TOMORROW during their "world tour"! Both shows have 10:30 PM start times, both are 19+ affairs, and there are no announced cover charges. For more details, visit the above links, and here's Lucky 13 live last year!

Next up, local/St. Catharine's death/crust trio Shit Liver are spotlighted in the newest episode of the YouTube webseries Extreme Metal Television, which went online on Sunday! The Canadian-produced series has been ongoing since 2011, and may be familiar to some readers for featuring Woods of Ypres in their fourth and eleventh episodes. Though this newest episode's main features are interviews with members of Napalm Death & Iron Reagan, Shit Liver actually lead things off with an underground spotlight filmed during their Calgary tour date in May. Interspersed with concert footage from that show, Josh, Mike, and Matt are interviewed about how they formed, the inspiration of the name Shit Liver, the recording process for their debut album, their influences & musical style, and early plans for future albums, their east coast tour run, and new YouTube uploads. Their segment runs until about 6:15 of the video.

In terms of scoops, the guys revealed in the interview that their second album will be called "Hitting The Fan", and they also plan to record a split CD with Saskatoon grindcore quartet Grimace, who had previously teased that on their own Facebook page in May after their show together, but Shit Liver hadn't previously acknowledged the split that I'd seen. Solid interview and good exposure for the guys, so check it out below, and stay tuned for more from Shit Liver in an upcoming post!

Also, here's some of the latest from local doom metal trio AlgomA, who've been getting some nice exposure in a few different forms! Their song "Bedsores" is among the 75 Canadian doom & stoner metal songs on the new digital compilation "Doomed & Stoned In Canada" alongside such familiar bands as Ballot Burner, Biipiigwan, The Great Sabatini, Gypsy Chief Goliath, Public Animal, and AlgomA's upcoming splitmates Chronbot. Very solid compilation for fans of underground Canadian metal, so buy it at the link above for any price you want! As well, AlgomA were Tuesday's spotlighted band on the popular Tumblr account One Band a Day, which profiles... you can guess. Their review noted that they're an "excellent sludge doom band" that "probably makes noise flee in fear", even giving them a rating of 11/10. High praise in this short write-up, so give it a look above, and follow One Band A Day for more solid bands every day!

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

• Local hardcore punk sextet Destroilet have finally been confirmed as the last opening band for THIS SUNDAY'S Fuck The Facts concert, marking their Oddfellows Hall debut! While those close to the event knew they were opening for a while now, promoter Tyler St. Amour only confirmed that they were in the 7:00 PM slot on Tuesday on the Facebook event page, noting that the delay in the announcement was due to personal commitments. Surprising to be sure, but Destroilet will fit in well, and stay tuned for our full preview!
• Just as a clarification note from last weekend, we can now confirm that former Wishbone drummer Brent Royer filled in for Glen Thomas (another Wishbone alum) with Mourning Wood at their show on Saturday at The Rednecks Saloon, as per personal Facebook posts by Brent. Hopefully that show went well, and stay tuned for more on their next gigs!
• Veteran local rock guitarist Mario Carlucci posted an audio cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" onto his Soundcloud page on Monday that is credited to his old classic/hard rock band Sneaky Pete, who have been defunct for a couple of years now. There's no indication there that this is a new recording, but there's no word that it isn't either, so are Sneaky Pete getting back together? If we hear anything, we'll let you know, but check out the solid cover above!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fuck The Facts & The Man And His Machine), Plus More Recent Updates!!

Here's a new news post for your Saturday morning, including some assorted recent updates, overdue drummer notes from a June concert, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for death and grind fans in the coming months, so here's what you should know, and Happy Fourth of July!

After a few months off from public local concerts, Heavy North Entertainment are back with some new public shows to announce, including a public house party concert on Friday, July 27th (two weeks from today) featuring Saskatchewan "gutter thrash" quartet The Man & His Machine in their local debut! TMHM have a gritty, distorted, but undeniably heavy and intense sound, and fans should get some solid pits going for them in two weeks, so definitely check them out! They're slotted in the 10:00 PM slot (a closing 11:00 PM act is to be announced), with a Blood Shed Productions-heavy local opener roster including goregrind duo Rotopsy at 9:00 PM, thrash/grind trio Them at 8:00 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 7:30 PM, and a three-way split rap set by local rappers Phat Boii, Miracle Man, and Killah Kai (who featured in at least one private Blood Shed event this year, but is new to our coverage) at 6:50 PM. To be held at a residence at 124 Anna Street (which also held April's Shit Liver house show), this ALL AGES event will have admission by donation, with a $2 minimum.

Note as well that the official poster lists grind solo project Crucify The Whore as also playing, which isn't out of the realm of possibility, as Tyler is in two bands playing that night, but the lineup is subject to change. Sounds like a fun time, especially if you've missed the recent H.N.E. and Blood Shed private gigs, so keep this was in mind in two weeks, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, Heavy North Entertainment aren't done yet, as they'll return to The Oddfellows Hall for the first time in six months when they bring Ottawa grindcore veterans Fuck The Facts back to Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday, September 20th! Touring North America in support of their new CD "Desire Will Rot", this Juno nominated quintet will be making their first local concert appearance since rocking The Oddfellows Hall last May, and they're definitely no strangers to the Soo, with plenty of explosive death metal originals in store once again in September in the 10:00 PM headlining slot! A shorter than usual lineup for a H.N.E. show will only see four local opening bands, including local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM, doom metal trio AlgomA (in their first announced local show since their recent tour) at 8:00 PM, a band to be announced at 7:00 PM (though there's currently a fan push to get Rotopsy in that slot), and Crucify The Whore opening at 6:30 PM. Admission will be $10 at the door for this ALL AGES concert, with advance ticket details to be announced.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! All of the above show announcements join some extra teases via Heavy North Entertainment's Facebook page, including another concert on August 20th and the return of "a new young local favourite", so we'll of course let you know when all of that is revealed. It's great to see Heavy North Entertainment back in the swing of things, and that they haven't completely ended use of The Oddfellows Hall as a concert venue after some uncertain months, so don't miss the return of Fuck The Facts early this fall, and stay tuned as more comes in!

Also today, here's some drummer notes from last month's Rockstar Bar Summer Bash, including the long awaited reveal of local classic metal quartet Project 421's new drummer, as they've enlisted Giwakwa's Chris Thompson to replace fellow Fitswitch alum Larry Mousseau in the band. Like they've done in the past, the reveal was made at the show, and online Facebook confirmation has since followed. Chris is a solid drummer with notable bands like Giwakwa, Frightlight, and Half Past, and he should fit in well with Project 421 going forward! The other drummer note is a temporary replacement, as local hard rock quartet Long Shot were joined by Gnaeus' Brendan Garlick last month in place of Jeremy Ganuelas, who was apparently on vacation in Europe last month, as per personal Facebook postings from himself and frontman Evan Dawe at the time.

Nice of Brendan to step in for the Summer Bash, and note that this gave us a union of sorts of the top 2 bands from the Speak Easy Battle! No word on if Brendan will join Long Shot for any other shows before Jeremy comes back home, but we'll keep you posted, and hopefully the concert was a hit!

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

• Sudbury death metal trio Fractal Generator are unable to make the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub concert on July 23rd, as per the new official Facebook event page (created by Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie, who apparently has taken over primary promotion duties from J.D. Pearce, though it's still on the Gonqshow event page.) No word on why Fractal Generator are out, but hopefully Mark can bring one of his bands back here soon! Mitch indicated that they might be replaced on the lineup, and we'll let you know if they are!
• Following the success of their recent High Valley-headlined country show, The Machine Shop at Mill Square asked for thoughts on possibly bringing British Columbia pop punk band Hedley there for a future concert, as per their Facebook page on Wednesday. There's already a ton of positive interest, but if you want to voice up on this potential show, see the above links!
• Local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven have released their new single "Enough" on iTunes! You can buy it there for 99 cents, though no word yet on if this will lead to full album plans. Nice to see though, so give it a download above!

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

Fuck The Facts/Empyrean Plague Concert Review!!

Finally, we have our review of Sunday Night's Empyrean Plague concert on the site for you guys, so you guys can hear what went down at The Oddfellows Hall for this well anticipated all ages show! The turnout was decent and better than at Dank Fest, especially late, though compared to the last Fuck The Facts shows in the Soo, attendance was down, which could partly be blamed on being on a Sunday night. Now, to the bands!

Opening this show was the new/old metal project named This Is Your Band On Drugs (replacing The Strange Coyotes), so what should you know on them? They feature Strange Coyotes frontman Chase Wigmore on guitar and vocals alongside singer Nick Burns with programmed drums, and their sound reminded me of a hybrid of Rotopsy and Chase's older solo/band material. Chase's creativity & energy were a constant (again, he looked almost possessed at points), and Nick has growling ability, but something seemed rushed and improvised about their set, and I'd be curious to see if they expand their sound further. Interesting stuff though, and it was nice to see Crucify The Whore's Tyler Gibson and The Bear Hunters' Johnny Belanger join in for guest spots during their set! No word yet on if This Is Your Band On Drugs will essentially replace The Strange Coyotes or not, but stay tuned for more info on them this week!

Next up was the aforementioned Crucify The Whore for another Oddfellows Hall set of solo goregrind brutality! If you've seen C.T.W. live, there wasn't much variance from the norm, but devoted fans of Blood Shed Productions got the first mosh pits of the day going for Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson's set, which included familiar existing originals like "People These Days" and "Bunk, Shake, and Headache", untitled new songs, a guest spot from Tyler's Rotopsy bandmate Dylan Taylor, and even a surprise cover of a boss theme from Super Mario 64! It did seem unfortunate that he had to call in fans and friends from outside for certain songs, but there's growing pains for any young musician regardless of genre. Musically, Tyler's guitar skill got some nice showcasing via some solid solos, but compared to Dank Fest, there were some more technical issues and more of an informal feel.  Solid work though, and stay tuned for news concerning the next C.T.W. demo!

Third was the first live set from local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters in 3 months, and despite the relatively long break between shows for them, they didn't have any rust to show for it! Their 8 song set was mostly devoted to newer originals like "The Void" and "I Fear No God", though classics like "Collapse The Sun" and their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard" were there for longtime fans, and shockingly, they didn't end 'er with "Render" (This Void) for a change. The ending of that song drags on far longer than necessary, so I wasn't too hurt by that! Talent-wise, everyone was on form, with Nik Deubel's growling as brutal as ever, and Mitch Sirie showcasing his guitar riffs and solos strongly as usual, but fans didn't seem as into the set as I'd assume they would be. Every show's different, but I enjoyed the brutality here, and don't miss them at The Oddfellows Hall again on Saturday at the 4th Sewer Swampstravaganza!

Fourth on the bill was scheduled to be the Soo debut of local/London death metal band Saints & Serpents, but they did not perform at the event. While a reason hasn't been announced, keep in mind that the band has not updated their Facebook page since February, and at last word, still had a drummer vacancy (plus, Steve & Andrew have been very busy with D3athcharg3r lately.) You think they'd have told promoters about not being able to play, but hopefully things are alright in their camp, and we'll let you guys know if we hear anything! Due to the late notice, they were not replaced on the bill, so the show ended an hour earlier than projected.

After 8 months away from the local stage (and their relocation to St. Catharine's), local death metal/crust punk trio Shit Liver finally came back to the Soo on Sunday night for a brutal and fast paced set of originals in what effectively served as the release show for their long awaited debut CD! Their set featured 12 of the 15 songs from said album, along with 5 newer and non-CD tracks like "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops", "Hitting The Fan", and the brand new "Sir-Osis" (which they were still writing on Sunday), and fans definitely ate up every minute of their return, inciting the best mosh pits yet of the night! Despite the wait for their homecoming, they had no rust due to a steady run of Southern Ontario gigs in the interim, and the intense growling and screaming from all 3 members, plus Matt Baic's steady drumming and Josh Penno's hard hitting guitar riffs kept fans going throughout! Hard to believe how they've grown, but their livers are still shitty, but hopefully we'll see them back in town at some point this summer, and thanks again for the CD!

Co-headlining on Sunday was North Bay black metal quartet Empyrean Plague in their first local stop since the Ypres Metal Fest two years ago, and they definitely had a stronger showing due partly to the longer set and happier circumstances! Oddly preferring to play with the house lights on, the band put their own melodic and brutal spin on black metal, and in all honesty, the visual look and presence of the band reminded me of Gates of Winter at points (I may be alone on that though.) Empyrean Plague's set was a mixture of new material from their upcoming album and classic originals like "We Are The North", and while their music was great and true to the Northern Ontario black metal sound, I could barely hear Mike Burge & Kyle Tayler's vocals for most of their set. It'd have been nice to get more moshing, but their talents are top notch, with bassist Kye Bell particularly impressing, and hopefully we'll get to see the guys back up here soon!

And of course, your headliners were Ottawa/Gatineau grindcore standouts (and Juno nominees) Fuck The Facts in their first local stop in 2 years, and they definitely put an awesome capper to the evening with their unpredictable and psychotic brand of metal! Like their last few local dates, I again think that their set went by too fast, partly thanks to their generally short songs, but the 12 songs and intro that we did get definitely got a great reception and some awesome moshing going! Mixing established songs like "Kelowna" and "Everyone Is Robbing The Dead" with French language songs like "Vent Du Nord" & "Jour De Souffrance" from last year's "Amer" EP, their set was relentless, unique, and very heavy, with Mel Mongeon and Marc Bourgon showing their brutal vocals well throughout, and Topon Das and Johnny Ibay keeping things crushing on guitar throughout! Fuck The Facts have a very big local following, and hopefully it grows further and helps get them back here sooner than 2 years!

Overall, this was another great concert, and kudos to Tyler St. Amour and Heavy North Entertainment for putting it on! I just wish the attendance was more consistent. Also, our best wishes go out to Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger (cool mask!) after being hospitalized post-show due to a cellulitis infection. Hopefully this won't affect the Jack Spades EP release show, and get better soon! I got plenty of photos at the show, so check them out at this link or at the SMS' Facebook page (which also has this "Tag Yourself!" crowd shot), and I did get videos too! Embedded below, here's This Is Your Band On Drugs playing their song "Black Metal Is Too Hard" (followed by another original, title unknown), Crucify The Whore playing their sister songs "Batch Cones" & "Orthostatic Hypotension", The Bear Hunters playing "Transcend Judgment", Shit Liver playing their songs "Livin' In Shit" & "It's Not My Problem", Empyrean Plague playing their new original "Ethereal Forger", and Fuck The Facts playing their song "95"!













That's all for now, but stay tuned either tonight or tomorrow for a new news post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Late Shift) & The Fuck The Facts Concert Preview!!

Today, we're devoting things to two topics: A SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT (along with a related new video discovery) and our extended preview of a big all ages show TOMORROW with some notable returning faces, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 8:02 PM)

Local hard/alternative rock cover band Late Shift are apparently returning to the stage TONIGHT for an acoustic gig at LopLops Lounge! Apologies for the short notice, we just heard about this one last night via it's advertisement on SooToday's Don't Say There's Nothing To Do In The Soo List, and Late Shift still lack an online page. Though we last heard of a public concert from them at their November debut at The Canadian (their cancelled Rockstar Bar gig in February aside), Late Shift have played a handful of private events like weddings and benefit fundraisers so far in 2014, and it will be nice to finally see them back on a fully public stage tonight! According to a personal Facebook posting by frontman John Barber, their lineup tonight will be sans drummer Anthony Gagnon for unannounced reasons, though it could be due to the acoustic setup, as not all bands use drums in this setting. John will still be joined his former Redefined bandmate Matt Sibilo on guitar and Northwest's Clint Wilson on bass for this set, and it will be interesting to see how things go tonight!

A 19+ age limit is in effect for tonight's show, which will begin at around midnight, and I'd assume there's a cover charge. For more details, check the above links! It's great to hear some new developments from the Late Shift camp, so hopefully tonight's show is a hit despite the unplugged theme! For a preview, here's a brand new live video discovery of Late Shift from one of their performances early this year, so what should you know? Uploaded to John's YouTube channel (which also features old Redefined videos) on February 23rd, this is of the full band playing three songs at a friend's wedding the previous weekend, location unclear. The video captures Late Shift covering Radiohead's "High & Dry", Modest Mouse's "Float On", and Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", so click each song link to go straight to the song in question! These covers are noticeably lighter than most of their songs at their November debut, but it's unclear whether this is due to a shift in sound, just when the video was shot, or an intentional choice due to the event type.

There isn't much to look at, as the lighting's poor (though to be fair, this wasn't a public concert) and the filmer didn't come close to the band until late, but they didn't wear the wigs & sunglasses for this gig. The guys sound good and know the songs well, but we'll have to see how they sound at future gigs, and hopefully they play publically with drums again soon! Go check out 3/4ths of the band TONIGHT at LopLops, and here's the new video!



Next up, here's our promised preview of arguably the biggest concert in scope yet from Heavy North Entertainment, as a pair of prominent out of town metal bands and local favourites are hitting The Oddfellows Hall TOMORROW NIGHT! (No, the teased move of the show to a different venue did not occur.) The headlining bands are Juno nominated Ottawa grindcore standouts Fuck The Facts and North Bay black metal favourites Empyrean Plague, both of which are making their first local stops since playing at Dismembertainment shows at The Canadian two years ago! Both have an explosive and brutal sound, with F.T.F.'s unique technical themes and Empyrean Plague's battle-tested brutality sure to impress once again, so be at The Oddfellows Hall at 11:00 & 10:00 PM to see them! Note that this will be Empyrean Plague's first local stop since the departure of guitarist Dave Strba, now of Buried Out Back. The highest slotted local band are crust/death trio Shit Liver, who will be playing their first Sault-area date in over eight months tomorrow after moving to St. Catharine's last year!

Shit Liver have stayed busy in the interim though, playing a number of Southern Ontario gigs and finally releasing their debut album last month, and they'll be selling physical copies tomorrow as well, so pick yours up then! (No word on the price yet.) They're on at 9:00 PM, while local/London death metal band Saints & Serpents are also slated to play this show at 8:00 PM, which would mark their local debut and the first Soo show from former Valentine's Day Massacre bandmates Steve Rhodes, Andrew Angelic, and Adam Veale since December 2012, but I'll note that they haven't posted on their Facebook page in 3 months, and still have not visibly replaced ex-drummer Ian Timmermans, so I'm not sure if they're still playing this show. We'll keep you posted, but their death metal/hardcore hybrid sound has been missed regardless of name! Fully local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters are definitely playing at 7:15 PM in their first local date in almost three months, and their well recieved originals should fit right in tomorrow night!

The band at 6:45 PM was slated to be local thrash band Pillory, but like their other recent concerts, they have dropped out of this one, though they have not been replaced. The opening bands include local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore at 6:15 PM, while local funk/metal band The Strange Coyotes have been replaced on the lineup by singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore's old side project This Is Your Band On Drugs in the opening 5:30 PM slot for unannounced reasons, though it could be related to The Strange Coyotes' recent drummer vacancy. Chase will be joined by fellow musician Nick Burns in this act, and this YouTube channel appears to be of them, so will we get an experimental metal sound similarly to what's posted here? Hopefully we'll find out tomorrow! Admission will be $12 in advance (through Tyler or C.T.W.'s Ringsnaps Gibson) or $15 at the door, this is absolutely an ALL AGES show, and things are currently slated to start at 5:30 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

If things hold together, this should be the biggest show yet from Heavy North Entertainment, especially as it's seemed like forever that we've seen many of the performers! It'll be a nice throwback, and with lots of brutal death metal to go around, you won't wanna miss it, so stay tuned for any possible late updates, and yes, I do hope to attend if all goes well! For a preview, here's Fuck The Facts live at The Canadian 2 years ago!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for a big news post tomorrow, including lineup changes for another upcoming Oddfellows show! Thanks everyone!

Pillory, Banned, and Mike Haggith & The Din News, Plus Recent Profile Updates!!

Keeping the news coming on this Tuesday afternoon, we have new audio postings from bands on each side of the border, more recent updates to our battle of the bands profiles, and leading off, some news concerning a local metal band and concerts they are/were scheduled for, so here's what you need to know!

We'll start today with some potentially disappointing news from local thrash quartet Pillory, including the news that they parted ways with bassist Tyler St. Amour last month. Tyler confirmed the news on the event page for next month's Fuck The Facts show that he's promoting, and he said that his exit was "a mutual agreement", though he didn't elaborate publically. Tyler had joined Pillory last fall to replace Cole Royal, and he played at their full return gigs earlier this year, but Pillory's Facebook page has only minimally covered their recent bassist changes. This is disappointing, as Tyler is a skilled bassist, but hopefully he turns up in a new band soon! Tyler also noted in his above event page post that Pillory have dropped out the Fuck The Facts show on May 4th due to a "lack of recent activity", and he also added that he is prepared to replace Pillory on this Saturday's Dank Fest lineup at The Oddfellows Hall if they drop out (with Brutaly Fatal on tap to replace them, just like at next month's Swampstravaganza), but we await official word before calling anything positively.

I'll note that despite the above news (and them dropping out of last month's Anvil show), Pillory had indicated that they were writing "crazy" new material as of March 29th, but we haven't heard anything since from their camp. Hopefully this all isn't a bad sign for Pillory's future status, as they have a lot of blistering metal talent that was only just coming back to prominence after a slow 2013, but we'll keep you guys posted either way, and stay tuned for word on Pillory's replacement at the Fuck The Facts show!

Next up, Kinross, Michigan hard/classic rock trio Banned shared a pair of live audio recordings on their Facebook page yesterday that you can now check out! Their first public media postings of the new year, these are presumably live recordings from their dates at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this past weekend, which marked their return to the stage after a two month break due to drummer Don Traynor's recovery from a surgical procedure, as per a comment on the newer video, so it's great to see him and Banned back at it! Despite being uploaded via separate sources (one by Don's wife and frontman Alex Traynor's mom Hollie, the other on Banned's page), both videos have the same format, compiling slideshow footage from last weekend's shows with ending credits, and they are well put together! One is Banned's surprising cover of Eminem's "Lose Yourself" with Alex on vocals, while the other is their cover of Joe Walsh's "Rocky Mountain Way" with Don on vocals, so how does everything sound?

The Eminem cover is effective, if not really something that plays to their musical strengths, but the Joe Walsh cover works better for their skill set and usual sound! I would be curious to hear how Alex handles "Rocky Mountain Way" vocally, but it's nice to hear some new media of theirs that doesn't take from contemporary indie rock like their recent YouTube videos. Check out Banned's Joe Walsh cover below, hear more at the above links, and stay tuned as they hopefully add some more new concert bookings!



Also in new audio postings are half of a new "album" from the recently reunited local acid jam/hard rock trio Mike Haggith & The Din! Entitled "Dinner With The President", only 5 of the songs considered to be part of the album are online at present via this playlist on Mike's YouTube channel, as uploaded yesterday. These songs were recorded at Paperclip Productions, and each video credits the song's composition and arrangement to their original lineup (Mike on guitar, Daniel Horton on drums, and Curtis McKenzie on bass), though it's unclear whether these songs were recorded during Curtis' original 2013 run with the band, or if he's returned to replace Tyler Gibson. We'll let you know if we get clarification! The 5 songs are "Craters", "Something Digestive", "Flow (Part 2)", "Odometer", and "Obamader", and like older Din matertial, the song length widely varies (from 28 seconds to over 12 minutes.) Possibly most distinctive of these songs compared to older studio sessions is that all 5 songs are instrumental, though it's not clear yet whether the other half of "Dinner With The President" will have vocals.

Mike & The Din display some solid jam rock here, and there's a lot of experimentation and effects to be had, but "Something Digestive" in particular seems too short and inconsequential to warrant it's own track. Fans of Mike's solo music should be right at home here though, so check out the first song "Craters" below, hear more at the above links, and keep an eye out for the second half of this album!



Finally for today, here's some more updates to our past Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles! In our profile of 2009's Kiss Battle of the Bands, I noted that many performers at this battle (namely Wishbone, Lucas Bugyra, and Gsis Murphy's Anthony Fabiano) all competed at the last two Rock N' Roar Battles of the Bands in Spanish, though none made the top 5 to earn a Rock N' Roar lineup slot. I also replaced the now-inactive Side FX and Small Town Rivals (plus out-of-towners Lucky Widmore) with more recent local bands Northwest, That's Chester, and Viva Emptiness in the section on performers' later bands. In our profiles of the Algoma University & Downtown Showdown battles, I added The Fury frontman Paul Stanghetta's current band Keep It Lit to the same section on these profiles (replacing Sounds From The Green Room in the latter), while also noting their near-participation in last fall's Viva La Battle before a member broke their arm. Finally for now, I also added Changing Waves drummer Alex Hagerman's new band The Elements to the later bands section on our profile of 2012's Battle For The Blood, while adding a trivia note on the closure of it's host venue The Roosevelt Hotel. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews in our likely next post! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & That's Chester) And Much More Recent Items!!

Before we dive into this weekend's SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, I wanted to acknowledge that yesterday, there was briefly an event page on Facebook advertising a second Late & Loud reunion date tomorrow at The Rockstar Bar, but it has since been taken down. I'm not sure whether it was an error on the venue's part, or a tentative plan that fell through, but for what it's worth, Late & Loud's show two weeks ago was also on a Friday. With frontman Jon Tiberi back out of town, this did seem unlikely, but hopefully the guys do reunite again down the road! Now, we have a small lineup of hard rock shows to get to this weekend, all late notice, so read on below for what you should know, and stay tuned after for a pile of recent shorter stories!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has announced his next slate of solo acoustic gigs/hosted jam nights at The Harp Pub & Grill! Now, I will preface this by saying that the calendar on his official website currently lists a consistent Friday night schedule for him at The Harp with no off weeks through February 2028. It seems very unlikely for Tym to be tied up on Fridays for the next 14 years no matter how well this weekly arrangement is going, so at least for now, I'm going to assume this is an error, and we'll approach these shows a month at a time until there's extra clarification. What we do know is that Tym's weekly unplugged shows will continue at the former Madison's Pub this month, and we'll start with shows TOMORROW NIGHT, next Friday, on Saturday the 22nd (postponed to accommodate Glitch's headlining show that Friday), and on Friday the 28th, so keep at least these ones in mind before we touch on the next 161 months! Apologies too for the short notice on tomorrow's show, I only just learned of them yesterday.

Like usual, Tym's Harp shows this month have no announced cover charge, 19+ age limits, and 10:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links! It's nice to see Tym back at The Harp again, and by all accounts that I've read, this is a successful relationship, but we'll have to see how long it does indeed go, and don't miss Tym Morrison (or the integrated jam night) TOMORROW! For a preview, here's Tym live at The Service Grill in 2011!



Next up for late notice weekend concert announcements, Sault Ontario classic hard rock quintet That's Chester will return to The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only just announced this show on Tuesday. Coming two weeks after the band's first appearance at this venue since 2011, this will be the first show of any kind for frontman Greg Simpson since his recent wedding and honeymoon, so help him celebrate in style with this popular cover band and their diverse setlist and talent! No word on why this is a one-nighter, but for what it's worth, the called-off Late & Loud show was scheduled for tomorrow. Admission should be $5 for this 19+ event, and a 10:30 PM start time is in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Sounds like another good time for this well regarded party hard rock band, so keep it in mind for THIS SATURDAY, and for a preview, here's the guys covering Jet at Docks!



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

• New photos of both local all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats (from their recent Docks shows) and Toronto-based Joan Jett/Ramones tribute band The Merves (from their January show at The Rockstar Bar) are now online via photographer Jeff McKersie's website, and they're very nice in quality, so check them out at this link! Note however that only the shots of The Danger Cats' Kate Kougar and Paula Panther are in colour.
• Local hardcore/punk quintet Destroilet will be apparently be making a cameo of sorts in the upcoming seasons of Trailer Park Boys on Netflix, as according to their Facebook page yesterday, cast members will be wearing Destroilet t-shirts on occasion! I'm not sure how that came about, but it should be great exposure from curious fans out of town, so keep an eye out later this year!
• The upcoming Fuck The Facts-headlined concert on May 4th is likely being moved to a different venue, apparently due to a major cost hike for rentals of The Oddfellows Hall. Promoter Tyler St. Amour mentioned the idea of hosting it at The Grand Theater (where Fuck The Facts headlined in the fall of 2008) on the Facebook event page, but nothing is official yet. We'll keep you guys posted!
• Smeltzer alum Paul Stanghetta is now focusing his member search for his new heavy band Keep It Lit to a drummer, more specifically, someone "awesome & fresh" that has the skills to do Every Time I Die or Holly Springs Disaster-calibre songs. Unlike before, Paul didn't cite a gender preference, but if you're interested in trying out, message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post (as Puablos Stancu) from Friday! 
• Here's a note that we haven't touched on from our newest "Where Are The New Albums?" post: Local goregrind duo Rotopsy have uploaded a new solo bass instrumental track to their Reverbnation page! Yet untitled, it's not badly written, but obviously incomplete without vocals. Look for the complete titled song on their upcoming solo demo, and stay tuned for updates!
• Moran, Michigan bar & concert venue Todd's Tavern apparently closed last September, as per posts on their Facebook group that month. Owner Todd St. Andrew said that "we gave it a shot but it just didn't work", though the reason for the closure wasn't elaborated on further there. Previously known as Bullwinkle's Bar & Grill, Todd's Tavern ran from May 2012 through last fall, and was a favourite concert venue for regional hard rockers Banned during that time. Disappointing for area fans, but best of luck to all of the staff, and Todd's is now in our Other Sault Michigan Links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, including the potential for more weekend concert previews with a late notice tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Fuck The Facts) & Some New Concert Videos!!

In our likely last post of the month, we're keeping the recent busy news and big updates coming with some recent concert videos and a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for the spring that you metalheads will surely be excited for, so read on below for what you need to know!

Ottawa grindcore favourites Fuck The Facts are returning to the Soo for the first time in almost two years for a headlining show at The Oddfellows Hall on Sunday, May 4th! Last seen at The Canadian in May 2012 (though we saw bassist Marc Bourgon with his other band Greber last spring), this Juno nominated quintet have developed a great reputation for their unique and extremely brutal live sets, and I'm sure the same will be said for their return in just over 3 months! Joining them from out of town are North Bay black metal standouts Empyrean Plague, also returning to the Soo for the first time since 2012 after their set at that April's Ypres Metal Fest! This will also be their first local stop with their current lineup, and if you know them well, their devastating blackened metal sound will be right at home once again, so it's great to see them coming back this direction! Fuck The Facts are slated to headline this ALL AGES show at 11:00 PM, though Empyrean Plague are actually slotted third on the bill at 9:00 PM, so who else is playing this huge show?

The second-last slot at 10:00 PM actually belongs to local/Toronto grimecore trio Shit Liver, in what is currently their first announced concert in over 8 months! We haven't heard a lot concert-wise since they moved down south, but it's great to have their crusty metal assault back in May, so keep their upcoming return in mind! A few more relocated Saultites are also opening, as local/London death metal quartet Saints & Serpents will also make their local debut in the 8:15 PM slot! Featuring the non-drumming members of the former Valentine's Day Massacre, it will be Steve, Andrew, and Adam's first local concert set since The V.D.M.'s last local date in December 2012, so this has been way too long coming, and hopefully they pick up where they left off in the early 2010s! As of right now, this show will also mark the debut of their new drummer (replacing the departed Ian Timmermans), though the search is still ongoing in the London area, so if you're down there or know someone who could try out, message Saints & Serpents A.S.A.P.!

The lineup's currently rounded out by resurgent local thrashers Pillory at 7:30 PM, local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters at 6:45 PM (though they're not 100% confirmed as of this writing), and local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore opening at 6:00 PM, and all should fit in well in their own rights, especially as both The Bear Hunters & Shit Liver have opened for the headliners! The second announced show promoted by Pillory bassist Tyler St. Amour at Heavy North Entertainment (though they have at least one show in the interim to announce), this ALL AGES show has a $12 advance ticket price (through members of the fully local bands starting on March 1st), though the door price will jump to $15, and as announced above, C.T.W. will open the festivities at 6:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Tyler's already outdone himself, and hopefully this is a huge success for H.N.E. and the included bands, including some missed local talent, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!

We'll close today in Heavy North Entertainment territory, as we have a pair of extra videos from last week's weather-affected all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall, both courtesy of Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel, including this brand new clip of The Bear Hunters playing their original "I Fear No God"! Sadly filmed on the vertical cell phone camera angle again, the quality's otherwise fine with The Bear Hunters sounding as heavy as ever, but the small crowd was somewhat inevitable given that night's storm. Give this new video a look below though!



Finally for today is that video of The Strange Coyotes' set that we alluded to the other day! Featuring members Chase Wigmore & James Watterworth amusingly decked out in their best black metal and drag outfits, this video has 7 minutes of original jamming, and though the vertical angle is still used, the energy level and enthusiasm is great as usual! I know the guys are hoping to get on the aforementioned Fuck The Facts show, and if anything happens to accomodate that, expect another enthusiastic performance like this one, which you can see below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for some more exciting news and updates as we enter February, along with next month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on Sunday! Thanks everyone!

Fuck The Facts At The Canadian Concert Review!!

It's time for my review of last night's Fuck The Facts-headlined metal show at The Canadian Nightclub, and of the three times I've seen them locally, this sadly had the smallest attendance. Being a Wednesday night, you could probably expect a dropoff compared to a weekend gig, but the lack of a consistent crowd was clear for the opening three bands. Good response though from whose who showed up, but how did the show itself go?

Opening last night was Desbarats death metal quartet For All That Is Lost, and though their masks remained missing (I assume that phase is done now?), they probably sounded better than I've ever heard them sound last night! They blasted their way through an all original set featuring songs like "Graves of the Ancestors", "Viscosity of Blood", and a set-capping new song that sounded very brutal, and though their set wasn't terribly long, they packed tons of metal into it! Tyler Sperry's unique stage presence was put to good use with the stage extension (nice addition for the concert), and his growling was on form, and the rest of the band sounded really tight and together as well, moreso than other recent gigs of theirs I've seen. Kameron Nicholson's drumming is really improving especially, and Brook Moreau's guitar solos are slowly getting more and more proficient! If anything right now, I'd like to see Brook and Ben work on their stage presences a bit more, as they are still a bit stiff, but For All That Is Lost are definitely on the right track! Also, if you're up for a house party with bands of sorts, note their headlining show on Neebish Road in Laird on June 22nd with a bunch of local acts, so click here for details!

Second was grimecore notables Shit Liver, and with a smaller stage and no echo to deal with compared to The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, their set last night definitely looked and sounded better than when I last saw them! Their second Canadian show in four days (and second Fuck The Facts opening slot) went about as well as you'd expect out of Shit Liver, who unloaded original songs like "Shift Liver", "Shit Will Prevail", and "It's Not My Problem" into their all original set of crusty and grimy death metal! No real covers this time, but maybe if they had a longer set. Though there was some technical difficulties with Josh Penno's microphone for a song, the guys all growled and screamed with a noticeable ferocity, and their instrumental talents suited their songs as always, but as I've said before on here, their music can be polarizing to some. If you can appreciate and mosh to their punk and death metal mix, you'll find a lot to enjoy, and I liked what I heard last night from them!

In the middle of last night's festivities was local melodic death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, who delivered a solid set of their entertaining blend of brutal metal genres! Among songs like "Dominate", "Deception", and "Casualties of War", they also broke out their cover of Amon Amarth's "Guardians of Asgaard" (sorry, "Sausages With Mustard") that kept the fans entertained! Justin Lam's bass work was stellar as expected, and with his birthday in the air, Johnny Belanger's drum work was on fire and kept the pace well! If there was any glaring problems last night, it's that Mitch Sirie's guitar volume was way too low, and on songs like "Succumb to Eternity", you could barely hear him, so that was a blow to their overall sound. Also, this is at least two straight shows now that Nik Deubel hasn't employed any clean singing, which was a nice variance on songs like "Condemned", and I personally would like to see him add singing back to some of their originals. Not a perfect set, but The Bear Hunters melted all the faces of the attendees, and I do hope to see them again soon!

The final opening band last night was local metal quartet Garden of Bedlam in their second show of the month, and while they had a much shorter set than on the 12th, the fan response and attention definitely didn't hinder one second of their performance! They knocked out 7 originals (like "Against The Grain", "Shallow", and "Your Disgrace"), along with a well received & timely cover of Pantera's "Mouth For War", while fan requests saw "Stand Your Ground" replaced with a cover of Volbeat's "Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood" that the crowd easily ate up! Musically, they sounded about as good as ever, and even though Buzz's singing voice didn't seem as strong later in the set as it did at the beginning, the nod to fans singing along was cool (and a sign that people are remembering the lyrics!) Derek Turner's drumming was fast and spot on, as was Josh Belleau's proficient guitar work, and the guys definitely are maintaining their chemistry and immense talents! Hopefully we see them back on the local stage soon, so stay tuned for updates, and don't miss their interview on Shaw TV this week!

Finally last night was Ottawa grindcore quintet Fuck The Facts in their (at least) third stop here, and though they looked fairly tired (the joys of touring), they tore into a set that may have topped last year's local show for musical quality! The Juno nominees continue to impress with their brutal and proficient blend of death metal and effectively placed samples & backing tracks to suit the mood of their material, and both Mel Mongeon & Marc Bourgon traded off some brutal growling and aggressive lyrics to their local fans! Mel's stage presence was cool too, almost never not singing at the front row and putting her all into her singing! Johnny Ibay's guitar work was awesome too, I wish he was closer to the crowd than he was last night! However, the glaring problem from their last show here came back last night, as Fuck The Facts' set was way shorter than you'd expect. Again, I think they only played for about an hour, and for a band as talented and brutal as they are, you'd think they'd have a longer set. Still, what we got was awesome and well worth the price of admission, and hopefully Fuck The Facts can bring their exceptionally talented blend of grindcore back to the Soo soon!

Overall, that was a very heavy and entertaining metal show from Dismembertainment, if attendance-deprived, but Wednesday nights can be tough for a reliable crowd. Though I forgot a "Tag Yourself!" shot, I did get a bunch of photos of each band, so click here to check them out or visit our Facebook event page! And I did get videos, so here's F.A.T.I.L. playing their song "Hades, Lord of the White House", Shit Liver playing two short originals ("Pennotration" & "(Friendly Old)" Uncle Joe", The Bear Hunters' song "Karma", Garden of Bedlam's cover of "Mouth For War", and Fuck The Facts' newer song "Alone"!











That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news (and concert previews?) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Late Brat Attack Lineup Changes, The Fuck The Facts Concert Preview, And More!!

I wasn't expecting to have a new news post tonight, but thanks to some late lineup additions for a show TONIGHT, I had to get something up! So with those, I've also added the preview for a major metal show later this week, lineup news for a huge all ages summer concert, and a new video from a local guitarist, so here's what you need to know!

There's been late notice lineup changes for TONIGHT'S Brat Attack-headlined concert at The Canadian Nightclub, and metalheads should pay attention! Due to an illness in the band, local punk trio Redundant have dropped out of the show as per the Facebook event page, but despite that, promoters have confirmed that two local metal bands have been added to create a 4 band lineup, including grimecore trio Shit Liver and extreme metal quintet Winkstinger! This will be both bands' first gigs since the Roberta Bondar Pavilion gig earlier this month, and in Shit Liver's case, it'll be their first of two concerts at The Canadian in a four day span. Neither band may seem like a perfect match for The Brat Attack's political punk style, but metal bands have opened for them locally in the past, and the members of Shit Liver opened for them at their last show here in August 2007 in the punk band O.B.C.D., so this is not uncharted ground for them! It's a bit ironic that both of the original openers (Redundant and Winnipeg punk band Up N' Atom) have dropped out, but this lineup is even heavier for metalheads, so if you can make it out tonight, go for it! Admission is still $5, doors still open at 9:00 PM, and it's still ALL AGES, so make note of the lineup changes, and don't miss The Brat Attack, The Valentine's Day Massacre, and the new local metal additions TONIGHT!

Now, we might as well post the preview for a show we alluded to above, as Ottawa grindcore standouts Fuck The Facts are returning to Sault Ontario THIS WEDNESDAY!! Exactly one year & 2 weeks after they last rocked the area, the Juno nominated local favourites will bring their unique and devastating original material to The Canadian on Wednesday, and you won't wanna miss their brutal songs from new albums like "Die Miserable" at this show! A stacked lineup of area metal openers are lined up to set the tone on Wednesday, including local metal standouts Garden of Bedlam, the aforementioned Shit Liver (returning from last year's FTF show for their second Canadian Nightclub gig in four days), local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, and Desbarats death metal rockers For All That Is Lost, and if that isn't a quality lineup of area metal bands, then I don't know what is! Admission is $10 (which is extremely worth the money), it's ALL AGES like the rest of Dismembertainment's recent Canadian shows, and doors open at 8:30 PM with a start time after 9:00 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This sounds like an awesome metal show with loads of brutal and entertaining bands, and though Garden of Bedlam may be the sound outlier, their local prominence, success, and talents will only help this show!

I guarantee I'll be there on Wednesday to have my face melted (with a review to follow), and hopefully you guys can follow suit! Be at The Canadian TONIGHT for The Brat Attack and Wednesday for Fuck The Facts, with quality area openers all around, you won't be sorry! For a preview of Wednesday's show, here's Fuck The Facts music video for their song "A Coward's Existence", so prepare for their brutal assaulting style of grindcore and death metal in the lead up to Wednesday's huge concert!



Next up, here's the latest updates on the lineup for the second Sewer Swampstravaganza all ages concert at The Oddfellows Hall on July 13th! The lineup has apparently been capped at 10 bands (down from 11 last year), and the last added band is a new indie rock project named Like Father Like Son. Details on them are scant, but they appear to be the new band from local concert promoter and singer/guitarist Jeremy Hannah, and they sound similar to older bands of his like Ocean View. He's joined by former Lorax bandmate Nathan Bouliane (and maybe others?) in this band, meaning that Nathan will play with two bands at the Friday the 13th gig, along with his blues rock band The Moves. For their genre, they're very good, but they're a far cry from some of Jeremy's heavier older bands, but still talented and worth checking out! As well, the tentative order for the bands has been revealed, with each band getting one hour slots to play and set-up instruments, so let's go through the bands in descending order! Like last year, local classical punk trio RedD Monkey will headline at 11:00 PM, and they'll be preceded by a local metal trifecta, with The Bear Hunters, hardcore quintet As It Stands, and Winkstinger returning from last year at 10:00, 9:00, and 8:00 PM respectively.

The rest of the bands are new compared to last year, with The Moves at 7:00 PM, new local punk rock quartet Ashes To Dust at 6:00 PM, Desbarats death metal quartet Inhuman Methods at 5:00 PM, The Valentine's Day Massacre at 4:00 PM, Grand Rapids folk trio Ye Olde Mold Pickers at 3:00 PM, and Like Father Like Son opening the festivities at 2:00 PM. However, note that this is subject to change, and the lineup changed drastically last year with 4 band dropouts and numerous timeslot shifts, so this likely isn't final. Still, this is a great lineup of bands, and though a band smaller, it's more diverse musically and different for performers than last year! Only the main four bands and 3/4ths of The V.D.M. are returning from last year, so this will be a great chance to see some newer and more varied bands in the second Sewer Swampstravaganza in July! Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

And finally for tonight, here's a new video from ApolcayptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! A change from his recent acoustic uploads on his YouTube channel, this new video from Saturday is a new rough original instrumental idea he had recently, so he decided to film and upload it for his fans. There is something there, but it definitely sounds rough, and he should tighten it up a bit and expand on it more in the next while. Still, it's good to hear an electric guitar again for his videos, and he has skill, but hopefully this is just the start for this composition. Check out Jesse's new video out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our next YouTube Channel Profile on Tuesday, and more news as it rolls in! Thanks everyone!