Remember how St. Ignace, Michigan metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown had been interviewed for a podcast in March, only to get lost in our backlog despite me mentioning it in posts? Yeah, well they actually have another one from early 2023 that I didn't know about, so let's take some time today to finally address them! The new-to-me interview (I don't even think H.L.T.C. posted about it) is even earlier still, premiering as a Facebook live-stream on January 26th, and it was conducted via Zoom by Dustin Noell of Ghost Media Entertainment, a promotional agency based out of Missouri, with co-hosting duties by his young daughter Zelda, believe it or not. Heavy Lies The Crown are represented here by singer Brandon West and guitarist Ted Olson, and I do recommend that you crank the volume on your device while watching the interview, as Brandon & Ted are very quiet compared to Dustin & Zelda in the live-stream.
In the 59 minutes-long interview, Brandon & Ted talk about how their current lineup came together (including complications at some venues given drummer Jaxon Massaway not even being 19 yet), playing music for the passion vs. the money, their evolution from jamming to actually being a real band, their upcoming album and planned heavier material as of January, working with David Dominguez on mixing some older material, plans to play more shows in 2023, their favourite songs to play live, the inspirations of various songs of theirs, how they came up with the Heavy Lies The Crown name, their favourite (and most disturbing) movies, the band that they'd most like to play with, issues playing live when most of their shows are 5 hours away, their upcoming concerts & label aspirations, and much more. Zelda asks a few questions too, and Brandon's daughter even makes a cameo.
Fun interview with a casual atmosphere that benefits from Brandon & Ted knowing Dustin already (he clearly has Michigan ties and even notes plans to move back there for work reasons), and the addition of Dustin's daughter Zelda for the whole interview helps keep things light and approachable! How many metal band interviews feature bits about stuffed animals and Arby's, after all? Not many scoops to note beyond plans that may have already began rolling out (I am behind on recent Heavy Lies The Crown news), but give their Ghost Media Entertainment interview a watch below!
As for the interview from March 13th that I did know about, that one was actually an audio interview done for a podcast, namely Dark Side Of The Scene, which is hosted out of Indiana by To My Dismay frontman Brandon Wright and his co-host Ed Corella. This podcast (whose episodes are cross-posted to their YouTube channel) is themed around touring musicians and the ups & downs that they go through with bandmates, promoters, and venues, and given that H.L.T.C. travel downstate for the vast majority of their concerts, they should have stories to tell! In their 92 minute episode (the fourth ever for Dark Side Of The Scene), they talk to the whole band except Ted, now including guitarist Christian Thanasiu, bassist Christian Cook, and drummer Jaxon Massaway. The interview begins about 4 minutes in with plugs for their recent studio work and how things have been going for recording the material.
Diving into the themes of the podcast moreso, Heavy Lies The Crown next discussed how there's nowhere for them to play in the Eastern Upper Peninsula (they have gotten offers to play in Sault Ontario but various issues keep them from coming across), and how they have to commute downstate for almost all of their gigs. They also discuss how there isn't a massive scene for metal bands in St. Ignace and/or the E.U.P., but they do praise local musicians in general and how kind people are up here. The band do talk up the opportunities that they've had in the Lower Peninsula, but they are candid (if always polite) about their negative experiences from tour runs and the shows that they've played, which will be especially interesting if you were at these concerts. H.L.T.C. next discuss their lineup, how close apart they live, and exactly what led to Nathan, Danny, and Cale leaving last year, before going into experiences recording in studio.
After some more casual discussion about life in the E.U.P. and whatnot, they address the Heavy Lies The Crown name and how it is also being used by an existing death metal band from Indiana (I'm surprised that the two have coexisted for this long), before addressing their then-current merchandise, the genre that they consider themselves to be, and more assorted topics before playing "God's Butter" on air. Another solid interview, if often very respectful without taking any overtly direct shots at the bad experiences that they've had on the road, let alone their being an outlier in the E.U.P. in terms of contemporary original extreme metal bands. Check their Dark Side Of The Scene interview below!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more from Heavy Lies The Crown and other local bands on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
Single topic post today for this long weekend, as we're discussing some new interviews relating to a very prominent and dearly missed local metal band that popped up online in the last week. Here's what you should know!
Woods of Ypres fans will want to take notice, as two important figures in the local black/doom metal band's history were recently interviewed on the YouTube interview series Metal Health! Hosted by musician & stand-up comedian Robbie Stevenson (who is based out of Southern Ontario), he is self-described as "a schizophrenic recovering drug addict", and you can expect discussions in that realm alongside music discussion in his interviews with metal musicians and fans. Huge kudos to friend and long-time reader Mike Boychuk for letting me know about Metal Health, and he was actually interviewed by Robbie in this episode, which does include references to the local scene (the AlgomA shirt should give that away!) The two newest episodes relate to Woods of Ypres, starting with last week's interview with ex-drummer Evan Madden, who was behind the kit in their Sault Ste. Marie-based doom era from 2008-2011.
Readers will recall Evan from Woods' last three local dates, "Woods IV: The Green Album", and the "You Were The Light" sessions that led to the "Home" single & the unreleased EP that will allegedly be part of Earache Records' "Woods V" reissue (source here). As for the Metal Health episode, Robbie instantly proves his fandom by showing off his physical copies of "Woods IV" and "Home", so we're in good hands in this regard. The interview starts with Robbie and a now bald Evan discussing how he joined Woods of Ypres in 2008, their Gates of Winter-infused sextet lineup at the time (Robbie saw that lineup live in Toronto), Evan's current music projects like Drones For Queens, a memorable story from touring with Woods, how he heard about & reacted to frontman David Gold's death in December 2011, and his favourite bands. The audio quality on Evan's camera is somewhat abrasive, but this is a good interview that keeps things light!
Robbie has good questions, and while he still feels somewhat new to interviewing, he does come across as honest and as a true fan. His asides about his own mental health issues and personal experiences add a genuine touch, even if they sometimes veer off topic. Give Evan's interview a watch at this link or above! The second interview is embedded below, and it is actually with David's mother Esther Gold (a.k.a. Mama Gold) who has been heavily active with Woods of Ypres' fan community since his passing, as any member of the band's fan club Facebook group will know, and who accepted Woods' Juno Award in 2013 on David's behalf (as seen here). After elaborating on his Woods fandom, Robbie starts by talking to Esther about what music David listened to, his early experiences discovering music, switching from sports to music, and learning the drums, his teaching aspirations and ESL teaching stint in South Korea (including his joining Necramyth there.)
Afterwards, Esther reflects on learning about David's death (I admire her composure and candor), and she acknowledged that Woods of Ypres were planning a European tour in 2012, followed by David planning to return to teaching overseas in Dubai, and even to record a Nick Cave-inspired solo album. That's followed by Robbie and Esther discussing "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" and it's musical and personal impact, especially with fans contacting her to say how much Woods of Ypres and their music has affected them, and how she has became a mother figure for many fans in the past decade. This interview had less finite questions, but that was a good call, as Robbie let Esther reminisce about her son and what he brought to the world, and it's extremely clear that she loves and misses David, and I'm sure she has many more great stories to tell about his life and music than one 28 minute interview could contain. Really good interview, so give it a watch below, and see much more from Metal Health above!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site this week! Thanks everyone!
I hope you guys had a great Christmas and Boxing Day! We are back from the holiday break of sorts with this month's YouTube Channel Profile, also our final monthly feature post of 2017! This series spotlights 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is at least 50% devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk bands and/or concerts, as randomly chosen the previous month in order to promote their content and encourage readers to check them out and/or subscribe to them! This month's choice is stacked with footage from one of the Soo's biggest exports, so here's what you should know!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Detoxicated (http://www.youtube.com/detoxicated)
Owner:YouTube user Lauren DeDieu, who I don't believe is locally based
Channel Timeline:Launched on February 12th, 2006; videos posted from that day until February 2010
Channel Summary:Originally intended as a channel for videos from MuchMusic's programs Video On Trial and Live@Much, it quickly became known as a source for videos of or relating to local/Toronto indie punk quartet Treble Charger, as implied with the channel name referencing their 2002 album "Detox". Featured content includes music videos, live performances, band commentaries, behind the scenes sessions, and interviews, including many from MusicMusic during their early 2000s heyday. However, most content since July 2006 has been of separate projects, primarily Montreal alt-rockers Mobile.
Why You Should Watch:This is a must-watch channel for fans of Treble Charger, especially from their later years, and with 30 or so videos dedicated to them on the Detoxicated channel (not to mention a Greig Nori-featured episode of Video on Trial to lead off), you'll find a lot to like here, especially if you miss the good old days when MuchMusic truly aired music! However, note that this channel hasn't been visibly updated in well over 7 years, not even for post-reunion activity from Treble Charger.
Our Recommended Videos To Check Out
Treble Charger - Red (Original Version): Though outpaced by a Mobile & Video on Trial video each in popularity, the music video for Treble Charger's 1994 song "Red" is the most viewed here from the band's featured content, netting over 260,000 views. Notably, this is the video for the version of "Red" from their debut album "nc17", not the more famous re-recording from 1997's "Maybe It's Me". Featuring artsy footage of a woman running through a colourful forest full of unexpected items, this softer original (featuring Bill Priddle on lead vocals) is in line with the band's mid-1990s output, and it's a well written number accentuated with interesting visuals! Note that the video is letterboxed, having been uploaded before YouTube introduced widescreen videos in 2009. Also, while many other Treble Charger music videos can be checked out on this channel, a curious omission here is the video for the 1997 version of "Red".
Treble Charger - American Psycho Band Commentary: Much in the same vein as commentary tracks on DVDs, Treble Charger (sans bassist Rosie Martin) made very similar recordings back in 2002 for what I believe to be early website exclusives, before coming here in 2006. These feature Greig, Bill, and then-drummer Trevor McGregor giving running commentary on their music videos for "Friend of Mine", "How She Died", "Brand New Low", "Business", and as embedded below, "American Psycho". The video quality isn't great, and each half of the video is squished to fit the aspect ratio, but it's neat to hear the guys reminisce on the video shoots in an informal setting, and you do hear some good trivia and humourous facts throughout, if you don't mind the hit-and-miss audio quality! Note that the latter three videos are not on this channel in their original form, but are available elsewhere on YouTube.
Treble Charger - Live@Much Part 1: Most of the Detoxicated channel's videos are of Treble Charger's appearances on MuchMusic to promote their album "Detox", including five from a mid-2002 appearance on MuchOnDemand & seven videos comprising their entire episode of Live @ Much from November 13th, 2003. A hybrid concert & interview in front of a studio audience at Much headquarters in Toronto, the episode starts below with "Brand New Low", while part 4 features "Hole In Your Head" & "Don't Believe It All", and it closes with "American Psycho". Parts 2-3 & 5-6 are solely of interviews by host & then-VJ Jennifer Hollett, and they cover lots of ground for their career, music, and future plans (including some audience questions on part 3), though with Bill's departure shortly afterwards & their hiatus the following year, it's interesting to see how some of the responses turned out. Excellent flashback for fans of the band and MuchMusic alike, and well worth a watch!
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I hope you guys liked our final YouTube Channel Profile of 2017! To start 2018 in this series, our first random selection for the new year will take us to the official YouTube channel of local doom metal trio AlgomA, so watch for that on or around January 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!
As promised, here's our first news post of February 2013, so what's on tap? Today, we have a lot of assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, along with a new solo original song, and some catching up on hard rock band interviews from a major local news source, but first, here's a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TONIGHT (and check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one!)
There are indeed heavier concerts this weekend in the Sault Ste. Marie area, courtesy of Sault Michigan hard rock trio Powerslug! Their second announced concert weekend of the year, the band featuring I.S.O.M., Kilacel, and River Witch alumni are playing at Golanka's Bar (a.k.a. The Bird) TONIGHT, following a first concert either yesterday or Thursday. When drummer Bob Helsten announced the shows on his personal Facebook page on Thursday, he indicated the first show was that night, but bands in the area generally play Friday first instead of Thursday, so I'm not sure if there's scheduling differences at play, or if it was just a typo. Regardless, I missed the show until now, and I profusely apologize as a result! They could really use an online page to update show information though. As for tonight's gig, Powerslug will bring their hard rock covers to the stage at 10:00 PM, a cover charge wasn't announced, and you must be 21 to attend. If any more details pop up, I'll add them here! These should be good concerts from this talented trio, and with no online media either, take my word for it, and go occupy The Bird for some hard rock this weekend!
Next up, if you're a Sault Star subscriber, you may have noticed an interview last month with Sweet's Steve Priest in advance of their show with April Wine at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino next weekend! That alone was worth mentioning, but today, it's just part of a catch-up I wanna do for other recent Kewadin Casino hard rock performer interviews held with The Sault Star since the beginning of last year, so what'd I miss? All conducted & wrote by The Sault Star's Jeffrey Ougler, the recent SMS-suited articles included interviews with Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson (prior to their Kewadin show in August) and members of both of Stryper's opening bands last February (Slaughter bassist Dana Strum & Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch), so click each link above to give them a look! I apologize for the late notice on most of these, but I'm not a Sault Star subscriber, so I miss a lot of their quality articles as a result.
If you're not familiar with Jeffery's concert preview articles/interviews, these all feature general discussions with the band member(s) on their history and recent events, along with promotion of the Kewadin concert, and they're all informative and deserve a look, even late! Check them all out above, and don't miss Sweet with April Wine on February 9th at the Soo Kewadin!
Also today, here's the newest solo track from Alterwhite mainman Mike Matthews! Entitled "Erase Me (Please)", he posted it onto the AlterWhite YouTube channel on Thursday, Mike recorded this for his "album "Something Left Inside", but how is it? The music's good, especially the heavy second half, but Mike really overdoes the clean vocals on the soft first half, and he should have done the first few minutes in a more reserved and less exaggerated style. The second half makes up for it though, so check out "Erase Me (Please)" below!
Finally for today, here's SIX assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, as we've had a bunch of these in the last few days! As usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or band name:
Former Skull After Betryal bassist Adam Brett is currently looking to join or form a new local metal/hard rock band, though he aims to play guitar this time around. I know he's been working hard to improve his skills recently, so give him a shout at this location or find his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting from yesterday for more details!
Prolific Sault Michigan guitarist Mike Libertoski is back with a new original demo! His first publically available new song since 2011, this blistering & short technical metal demo is full of promise and shows a skill evolution from his other early 2010s work, so give it a listen at his SoundCloud page, and his solo project is now back in our active Sault Michigan metal band links! (Note that this is credited to himself, not his Galactic Alignment project.)
Valentine's Day Massacre frontman Steve Rhodes has joined a new band, that being the London, Ontario death/thrash metal band D3athcharg3r! Early reviews are very good, and congratulations to him on this big opportunity! However, he was quick to point out on his personal Facebook page last month that The V.D.M. (who all still live in London) remain alive, and he'll be with them as long as they want him, so fingers crossed we see both of his bands up here soon!
Last night, Sault Ontario hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings revealed on their Facebook page that they were working on their own debut EP, which should be "ready to go" by the end of the month. Nothing else is publically known yet, but keep an eye out to see how this progresses!
Also last night, new Sault Ontario metal project Unbound revealed that they plan to make their live debut in March, though extra details (i.e. location, lineup changes, Justin Fratpietro tributes) have yet to be posted. I'm very curious to see how Unbound shapes up after all that's happened, so stay tuned for updates as they roll in!
Has Jason Ladouceur rejoined Winkstinger? Nothing official has been publicized, but Jason plugged a Thursday night Winkstinger show on "the 11th" at The Rosie in a recent MSN status, which (barring a typo) would likely refer to April 11th. If true, this would mark the band's first show since July, and Jason's return to the band following his exit in May, with Anthony Orazietti replacing him on rhythm guitar last summer. If I here any concrete confirmations or denials, I'll let you guys know!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news at some point this week, as our cache of news slowly grows! Thanks everyone!
One week after we last focused a whole post on Woods of Ypres, we're back with another post all about our resident blackened doom quartet! Today, we have a mix of videos and interviews, including a few new interviews in text, audio, and video formats, and kicking things off, a new concert video, so here's what you need to know! Firstly, here's a new live video from Woods of Ypres' concert at Station 4 in Saint Paul, Minnesota on May 14th, and it's of the band playing their song "Pining (For You)" from "Woods IV: The Green Album"! Uploaded by YouTube user SpaceKev from Black Wind Metal on Tuesday, the quality's really good on this widescreen video, though aside from the stage, everything is really dark. The audio's good but David Gold's clean singing isn't as clear as it could be. Solid video though, well worth checking out, which you can do immediately below!
Now to the interviews, and to start, SpaceKev also interviewed the whole band for a video interview on Black Wind Metal, which you can check out below! In the interview, the various band members discuss their name, their border issues, the Woods of Ypres cult following, their live sounds and instruments, their thoughts on "the rapture", and more! It's definitely a more informal interview than some I've seen, and it's cool to finally see a video interview featuring the entire band answering questions! Also bookended with introductions by SpaceKev, it's a good interview with lots of well thought out answers, so check it out below, and lots more at the above links!
Next up, here's some audio interviews, and this first one is long overdue, but I only just recently managed to get it to play. Tyler McCaig from the music site Vision The Net posted an interview with David Gold recorded during their March stop in Halifax, and you can listen to it at this location! It's about 10 minutes long with Woods of Ypres audio clips bookending it, and in the interview, David discusses how the tour's going, reaction to the "Woods IV" re-release, the increased recognition since signing with Earache Records, and their lyrical inspiration. Fairly to the point as interviews go, but it has a lot of good discussion and clear audio, so click here to give it a listen! As well, a podcast interview with Fearless Radio on May 10th has been posted at this location as well! Clocking in at over 16 minutes, this interview features David discussing his varied musical influences and lyrical themes, the sounds of their past albums, the complex themes and sounds of "Woods IV", and their upcoming tour dates. Good interview, and it's even capped off with Woods of Ypres' song "Our Union (In Limbo)" too! Lots of nice band talk here, check the above links to listen in!
Also for print interviews, David was interviewed by Sarah Kitteringham of the Canadian music site BeatRoute earlier this spring, which you can check out at this location! Shaped more as an article with interview excerpts, he talks about the band's new state of touring following the Earache Records signing, the band's musical evolution and it's haters, their plans for "Woods V", and most surprising of all, some real discussion of their fake breakup last year! Though short on interview content compared to other print interviews we've seen, it's a solid read that answers some questions, so check it out at the above links! And finally, a lengthy interview with David was posted onto the metal blog Malicious Intent on May 1st, where interviewer "Wulf" asks David about the reception of "Woods IV", how that album almost never happened, David's overseas work, their musical evolution and themes, their upcoming tour plans, his favourite places to play, and their upcoming recording plans. It's really long, but David's answers and replies are well worded and you get the vibe that he and Wulf had a nice long friendly conversation! Check out that interview at this location, and of course, the above links have much more!
That's all for tonight, but I will see you guys at The Roosevelt Hotel TONIGHT for metal night! Thanks everyone!
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