YouTube Channel Profile Series: Sam Mick, NorthernFunko, And Josh Belleau's Channels

After a bit of a delay while we worked through Halloween weekend concert previews, here's this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! Continuing out spotlight on local metal, hard rock, and punk-focused YouTube channels that were randomly selected from our YouTube subscriptions, we're tripling up for October 2023 due to the first chosen channel only having one video, and the second only having two videos from the same band's concert set, so a third single-video channel was picked to fill it out. Each channel here ended up having videos shot at high profile local concerts from the late 2000s-mid 2010s, so here's what you should know!

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

Sam Mick (http://youtube.com/@sammick6089)

Owner: YouTube user and Sault Ontario resident Samantha Mick

Channel Timeline: Launched on September 17th, 2012; Only video uploaded on July 2nd, 2016

Channel Summary: Sam (who sadly passed away in 2020, obituary linked here) was in attendance for Abbotsford, B.C. power pop/punk quartet Hedley's outdoor concert at The Yard on Canada Day in 2016, with her video capturing a memorable incident from the show where singer Jacob Hoggard called the mother of a girl (reportedly YouTube user stevie17058) caught texting during the show, using her own phone! He had done this at multiple shows, not just ours. Now, three different people uploaded video from this to YouTube, with C Auffrey getting the best quality and most complete video of the local occurrence, but Sam's captures the phone call side of things well also! For full disclosure, this video and concert came two years before the sexual assault allegations against Hedley and Hoggard were made public.

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

NorthernFunko's Channel (http://youtube.com/@northernfunko)

Owner: YouTube user NorthernFunko, possibly named Taylor, but I can't confirm anything else

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 25th, 2009; Videos uploaded on December 9th of that year

Channel Summary: This channel's only videos come from Norwood, Ontario hard rock quartet Three Days Grace's second and (to date) final concert at the Essar Centre (now GFL Memorial Gardens) on December 8th, 2009, where NorthernFunko filmed them playing "Never Too Late" and the slightly more popular "The Good Life". Though not as well attended as their 2006 debut here, it was a very entertaining concert (being a huge fan of Adam-era 3DG, I was at both), and the crowd response and energy are captured well on both of these videos! The choppy video quality, muffled audio, and somewhat jittery angle are forgivable to an extent given that these videos are almost 14 years old (hard to believe!), but more videos from both local Three Days Grace concerts are available elsewhere on YouTube.

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

Josh Belleau (http://youtube.com/@joshbelleau5068)

Owner: Former Garden of Bedlam guitarist Josh Belleau

Channel Timeline: Launched on May 26th, 2012; Only video uploaded that same day

Channel Summary: Josh's channel (distinct from his old Chainsaw666 channel) only features one video, and from a show that Garden of Bedlam didn't even play at. On May 23rd, 2012, Juno Award-nominated Ottawa grindcore band Fuck The Facts headlined at the former Canadian Nightclub, with Josh's video capturing that show's three local opening bands in performance order. These include Central Algoma death metal quartet For All That Is Lost playing most of "Ripped In Two", inactive local grindcore trio Shit Liver playing parts of five songs, and death metal quintet The Bear Hunters playing chunks of "Bloodthirst" & "Dominate". Given the age of the video, these come through pretty well today thanks to Josh getting some nicely varied angles, and while the staticy audio during Shit Liver's section, most songs being abbreviated, and the lack of Fuck The Facts are noted, this is a nice little slice of the local metal scene from over a decade ago!

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

I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! We're finally back to looking at a single video channel today, as our random selection has spotted us AshesToDustBand, the official channel of the short-lived early 2010s high school hard rock band Ashes To Dust! Look for that on or around November 26th, and for a Halloweeny news/concert preview post plus this month's CD review next! Thanks everyone!

A New Northwest Music Video, Border City Rock Talk, And More!!

Before we dive into fallout from last night's big concert, let's clear out some more backlogged news stories in today's post, including new material from a rising young metal guitarist, some very belated details on a local rock journalist's return to interviewing, and leading off, a new song from an upcoming album! Here's what you should know!

The second single from local indie/punk quintet The Northwest's upcoming third EP "All In" can now be heard on major streaming services and within their new music video! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Thursday, the video (directed by Andrew Sowka) features hands holding Polaroid photographs framed over the widescreen view of the picture-in-hand, and the song's lyrics progressively appear on the bottom of the Polaroid. If that's not your speed, the lyrics are also in the video description. Interesting approach and it's well made for what The Northwest were going for! They got a second interview with Niagara Falls music website From The Strait yesterday, where writer Kris Goetz asked an unidentified band member about this song's inspiration, their songwriting process, who they'd like to tour with, getting played on Hockey Night In Canada, and what helps The Northwest stand out as a band.

While the repeat coverage from an out-of-town site rather than a local one may seem a little odd, remember that The Northwest are getting more and more eyeballs on them thanks to the Hockey Night In Canada appearances and their own acknowledged talents & experience, and the interview gives us some good insight into what they're aiming for nowadays! I'll hold comment on "Shorelines" for now, pending our eventual review of "All In", but give The Northwest's new music video a watch below!

Next up, I wanted to give a long overdue spotlight to a local journalist and interviewer who we had talked about pre-pandemic, namely Ernest "Che" Skinner, who wrote the Rock Talk column for SaultOnline in the late 2010s before moving over to Wawa-News.com in February 2019. Well, he left that site as well and has since went independent, via last summer's launch of Border City Rock Talk, which specializes primarily in coverage of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and his own classic-leaning rock music reviews, interviews, and opinion pieces. For the most part, his rock articles on Border City Rock Talk so far have not been hyper-focused on local bands or concerts, but remember that the pandemic has been a steady concern. Still, Ernest has gotten some very big gets for both print and video interviews that you can read on their website and their YouTube channel! For example, who all has Che interviewed for YouTube in the past year?

Among others, you can check out interviews with Twisted Sister's Dee Snider, Triumph's Rik Emmet, Spinal Tap and The Simpsons' Harry Shearer, Great White's Jack Russell, and Helix's Brian Vollmer, so clearly Ernest is doing the right things to attract some big names! I will embed one here, as it crosses both the hard rock and local concert line, namely Ernest's 15 minute interview with Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd from last August, which was obviously in advance of Buckcherry's headlining date at Soo Blaster in October. Apologies for this being so late, I didn't know Ernest had resumed his rock interviews and writing until very recently. The interview has Ernest asking Josh about their new album "Hellbound", Josh's fandom of Minor Threat, how the tour was going at that point, what to expect from Buckcherry's setlist, what critics think, the struggle with alcoholism, Josh's work as a phlebotomist, ...

...and how the pandemic personally affected him. While there are a few hesistant points with Ernest's questions, this was a casual and well handled interview that goes along well with what he's been doing for so long now, and at least the Buckcherry show went on as planned last fall! Hopefully we'll see more from Border City Rock Talk that crosses over with local concerts & musicians as bookings tick up this year, but give his Josh Todd interview a watch below, read and view much more above, and Border City Rock Talk is finally linked on the SMS!

Finally, I wanted to give another spotlight to local metal guitarist Shane Desjardins, who has recently resumed working on original material under his project name Red Ruins Me! We've mentioned him on the SMS in 2019 and in 2020, and while I don't believe Red Ruins Me has a social media presence beyond their YouTube channel, Shane did post a "full album" there last month named "Resurrect", followed by a pair of instrumental deathcore tracks & two live videos. One is a compilation of guitar riffs, while the other sees Shane & a friend covering Killswitch Engage's "Rose of Sharyn" (albeit with the original song very loud). I don't know if Red Ruins Me will ever expand beyond free YouTube postings, but Shane is a talented songwriter with a good ear for brutal riffs that honestly remind me of something you'd hear in an action video game soundtrack at times! Give his music a listen above & below, and look for a surprise Rolling Stones cover!

That's all for today, but if all goes well, we will start looking at B.L.S. concert fallout tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of The Last(?) Episode Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

Today on the SMS, let's finally cover the final(?) episode of the Metal Morpheus radio show on local internet radio station The Borderline! As you may know, Metal Morpheus ran for an hour (give or take) on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM from July-December of last year, with host/local metal singer Josh Amendola typically featuring a genre or national scene each week, with at least one metal act with local membership per episode. However, following a heavily revised version of October's all-local episode on December 5th, the series fell into reruns for a month, and no new episodes have been posted on the station website since re-airing the power metal episode on January 9th. I don't know what happened to Metal Morpheus, especially given that Josh was very early into a planned series of alphabetical spotlights of the scenes in various countries, and he was improving as an on-air personality as time went on, so hopefully he isn't 100% done!

The possibility exists that Metal Morpheus is just on an indefinite hiatus, and hopefully we see Josh pick things back up for the series in some form when the time is right! If not, ending with the Soo Metal episode is a good way to go out, even if it was severely altered from what originally aired! I never recapped the October version on the site due to only catching up to it in the timeline after it was taken down. Alas, I do apologize for that, but how would I have known that it'd be deleted and overhauled? Just as a disclaimer, Josh does reference both the SMS and myself in this episode, and while he did ask me for suggestions of local bands to play on air last year and for input on how episodes turned out, I never knew he was going to make an all-local episode. I was as surprised as everyone else! As of this writing, I have never been on The Borderline in any on-air or behind-the-scenes capacity.

As for the revised Soo Metal episode, it runs for just over an hour, and it starts with Josh playing defunct local alternative rock band (and Papa Fogals Chair predecessors) Sulfur's song "Our Glass Universe" (0:05) from their 1997 CD "How Empty I Am". Next, we get a song by old school local hardcore punk band The Big Kahunas with their original studio recording "The Fighting Princess Club" (3:55), before abruptly switching gears to inactive Vancouver grunge trio Denderah with their song "Sweetness" (5:50). I've never heard of Denderah, but their frontman Kwin Cymons is a Saultite, so his band's material clearly found its way to The Borderline's rotation before passing my radar! They're a solid group, give their album a listen at their Bandcamp page! A rare Sault Michigan act hits the episode next via inactive progressive metal project Life's Eclipse's song "Not Dead But Dreaming" (9:05).

Fondly remembered local hardcore punk band Fistmagnet's cover of "Live To Die" (17:15) is next, followed by local/London instrumental prog metal band Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's song "All Roams Lead To Roads" (20:10) from their self-titled album. Prominent and dearly missed local hard rock quartet Garden of Bedlam follow with the title track from their full length album "Everything Will Die" (23:15), while the second half of the episode begins with death metal quartet The Bear Hunters' song "Transcend Judgement" (28:20) from 2020's "The Dead Testament", conveniently followed by ex-guitarist Josh Stephney's old hardcore band Bring The Fallen with the title track of their posthumous EP "Stand Before" (34:40). This episode's only live cut is next, courtesy of defunct local metal band Sativa Rose with their lengthy original song "Bellows of the Beast" (39:10).

Juno Award winning local/Toronto blackened doom metal band Woods of Ypres come next with their dark ballad "Finality" (48:10) from their final studio album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", before heading back to Sault Michigan for defunct local epic death metal band Integrated System of Machines' song "Road To Valhalla" (52:10) from their 2008 album "Apocalyptic Visions". The episode ends with one more song by Denderah, namely "Natal Lies" (57:35), and no, neither this episode nor the last 100% new one from the previous week left any hints that the series was ending or taking a break. While Josh did leave some gaps regarding band members' full names or back stories (especially with Life's Eclipse given how we've covered them and Werehold Records over the years), this was an entertaining episode and showed how Josh was trying to expand the range of local artists!

Definitely give this and other episodes of Metal Morpheus a listen at the above links, as it is (was?) a good series and helped fill the metal void on The Borderline's scheduled rotation, and if Josh doesn't return to record new episodes, hopefully we hear more from him in some form, let alone more metal, hard rock, or punk-centric programming on the station! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of Episode #12 Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

After a bit too long of a delay, let's try and get caught up on some more recent episodes of Metal Morpheus, the weekly metal-centric series on local internet radio station The Borderline! After the punk installment last month, host Josh Amendola took a break from subgenre-centric episodes for a few weeks, but he returned to metal as a result, starting with episode #12 on Sunday, September 19th where he looked at (mostly) solo guitarists known for shredding. In other words, expect lots of technical and complex guitar skill here, especially as the usual theme song was severely abbreviated, and the episode proper runs for over 70 minutes! After outlining what shred guitar is all about, Josh first sets up pioneering rock guitarist Jeff Beck's 1975 song "Scatterbrain" (0:05), before truly getting into shredders with a look at Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force's "Marching Out" (7:15), which is not on Spotify, but I think it was slightly abbreviated on The Borderline.

Next, Josh looks at Joe Satriani via his classic instrumental "The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing" (11:40), followed by one of his proteges, Steve Vai with his song "Natural Born Boy" (17:40), and then with Tony MacAlpine's "Edge of Insanity" (22:10). Former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman follows with his song "Dragon Mistress" (26:50) though Josh did stumble his words a bit in setting up this track. Of course, you have to follow Marty with his Cacophony bandmate, the highly inspirational Jason Becker, with his song "Eleven Blue Egyptians" (32:25), which Marty guests on. The second half of the episode begins with one of Josh's favourite virtuosos, namely the late jazz fusion guitarist Shawn Lane, via his 1992 song "Illusions", which is not on Spotify (39:05). Josh speaks over the intro of this song, and is barely audible as a result, which has occurred in some prior episodes.

Staying in a jazz fusion vein, Josh next plays late British guitar legend Allan Holdsworth's song "Above & Below" (45:50), followed by the prolific & eccentric Buckethead's ambient rock song "Beyond The Knowing" (51:45), which is also not on Spotify. We steer back into metal territory next with Rob Zombie/ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5's solo song "Damaged" (56:45), before finally hitting this week's local musician at the latest point they've ever been introduced in a Metal Morpheus episode. On this week, Josh shone a spotlight on prolific local musician Tym Morrison via his instrumental song "Souls of Serenity" (1:00:20), which you can find on his 2006 "Solo Project" CD. This extended episode ends with it's only band (second if you count Yngwie's Rising Force), namely the instrumental progressive metal supergroup Blotted Science (1:05:45) with their more recent song "A Sting Operation IV: Omitting Eyes".

Entertaining episode once again, and I like how Josh gave every musician here some sort of biographical segment, possibly aided by all but one or two of the songs being from solo acts. You can tell that he was a genuine fan of many of these shred guitarists already, especially when he touched on jazz fusion late, but if he has to introduce certain songs over-top of their beginnings, I wish he'd fix the audio levels so we could hear him easier. Josh has settled into a good groove though, so click here or above to hear this and more episodes of Metal Morpheus, stay tuned for our recaps of episodes #13 and beyond soon, and listen to episode #16 live tonight on The Borderline at 9:00 PM, or on-demand after the fact! That's all for today, but stay tuned for our previews of two big concerts on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Recaps Of Episodes #5 & 6 Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

Happy Labour Day, everyone! Let's take a deep dive into two recent episodes of Metal Morpheus, the weekly metal-centric series on local internet radio station The Borderline, starting with episode #5 from August 1st, which is all about the New Wave of British Heavy Metal! Running for just under an hour, the episode begins with host Josh Amendola explaining how the genre/movement came into being in the late 1970s, before introducing Motorhead, giving lots of historical context for their early years and formation. Their played song is "Stone Dead Forever" (0:45), but not the studio copy, rather the bonus live recording from a later re-issue of "Bomber". Next up, Josh showcases the legendary Iron Maiden via their Di'Anno-era classic "Phantom of the Opera" (10:05), before moving on to Saxon, from whom he plays their song "747 (Strangers In The Night)" (17:55), and Savage, who barely get an intro for their song "Ain't No Fit Place" (23:00).

The first half of the episode closes with the more obscure but theatrical band Cloven Hoof, courtesy of their eponymous song (28:40). Josh next spotlights Tygers of Pan Tang via their classic song "Insanity" (36:20), before looking at another contemporary band with a self-titled song to play on air, namely Angel Witch (43:00). We get into more extreme territory next via black metal pioneers Venom, who get a little more talking up than some preceding bands, with their song played here being "Don't Burn The Witch" (46:35). The last British band on offer is Satan (yes, that was their name), and after discussing the band & the misconceptions about witches over their intro track "Into The Fire", Josh plays their song "Trial By Fire" (51:15). The episode closes with it's weekly local band, and they are.... Destroilet? Josh plays their song "Bamberg Witch Prison" (56:35) from 2015's "Fed Up!" split.

Josh links Destroilet (a hardcore punk band) into NWOBHM based on their "quick sound", but to me, that's a bit of a stretch, as fun and intense as they are. Granted, local bands that are purely inspired by/sound like NWOBHM acts aren't plentiful (unless you want to dip into hair metal-influenced bands like Late & Loud or Amethyst), but if they have to be an act with a studio album, maybe something from Tym Morrison's "Solo Project" CD? If you expanded out to bands with just live videos, Project 421 and/or their successors Re:Born would be ideal. Still a solid throwback episode with Josh's on-air personality and energy always increasing, and though the context on some bands was lacking, this gave a good spotlight on lesser known acts!

While we're here, let's also look at episode #6 of Metal Morpheus from August 8th, where Josh spotlighted death metal! A little longer than the previous week, he begins by playing "Jewel Throne" by pioneering extreme metal legends Celtic Frost (00:45), before playing Possessed's song "The Exorcist"  (5:55), inspired by the movie of the same name. Next, Josh looks at the legendary Death, with their on-air track being "Scream Bloody Gore" (11:10), with some good context about what the late Chuck Schuldiner had to do to get the band off the ground. Three more Florida-based bands are next, including Atheist, from whom we hear "Mother Man" (17:00), and just for casual listeners, note that Atheist are largely not on Spotify. They are followed by Morbid Angel, via their song "Immortal Rites" (22:15), with the first half closing via Deicide and their song "Carnage In The Temple Of The Damned" (26:55).

Josh next introduces the highest selling death metal band of all time, Cannibal Corpse, from whom he plays their classic song "Hammer Smashed Face" (31:05). Afterwards, we get Obituary's fittingly named "Slowly We Rot" (35:30), followed by Cynic' jazz fusion-influenced song "Textures" (40:15). This episode's local content follows next, courtesy of dormant local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters, whose song played on-air is the title track of their sophomore album from last year, "The Dead Testament" (44:45). We do get some information on the band & album afterwards, but it is odd that Josh only credits the guys by their first names. The episode closes with two of Josh's favourite death metal bands, including Autopsy playing "Severed Survival" (52:05) and Suffocation playing "Effigy of the Forgotten" (56:30). Another solid episode, helped by Josh's love of death metal being plainly obvious!

While Josh didn't wax poetic as much as he did for Motorhead in episode #5, you get a sense that Josh really liked all the bands he was talking about this time, and again, his jumps in emotion and intensity when hyping up bands/songs is always welcomed! Click here & here or visit the above links to hear both of these episodes, and as of this writing, Metal Morpheus is ten episodes strong, with episode #11 scheduled to air live on The Borderline this Sunday at 9:00 PM before being posted for on demand listening. I hope to recap episode #7 on the site shortly, but check out back episodes of Metal Morpheus above, and stay tuned for a new news post soon! Thanks everyone!

Our Recap Of The First Episode Of Metal Morpheus On The Borderline!!

Today's post is devoted to our long overdue recaps of the premiere episodes of Metal Morpheus, the new metal-centric radio show on local internet station The Borderline, which premiered on Sunday, July 4th and airs live on Sundays at 9:00 PM. Unlike some other on-demand episodes on the station's website, episode playlists aren't posted on their respective pages, so what can you expect going in? Starting with episode #1 (which runs for 62 minutes), it leads off with an introductory theme song that honestly sounds too busy, before former Winkstinger/Twistory frontman Josh Amendola (curiously credited just under his last name) introduces us to the show proper, which is themed around the beginning of heavy metal in both local and global senses. Fittingly, the first song played is Black Sabbath's eponymous song from 1970, and Josh does explain the back story of how that song was written. It's a long song, so the next segment doesn't begin until around the 9 minute mark, in case you want to skip ahead.

Josh next sets up Led Zeppelin in a very similar fashion, outlining the band & their song "Whole Lotta Love", before introducing a segment on Deep Purple at around 16:30, with the played song being an abbreviated version of their 1970 epic "Child In Time". By about 21:30, Josh transitions to a segment on Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore's later band Rainbow, whose played song is "Man On The Silver Mountain". Ending the first half of the episode is a bit on Motorhead at about the 28 minute mark, from which their slower but still heavy classic "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch" is played. The second half moves into local territory, with Josh picking up here at 33 minutes or so by discussing local black/doom metal band Woods of Ypres, from which he plays "The Will To Give" from 2004's "Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of The Earth". Note that at 41:24, the on-demand stream glitches out.

At this point, it abruptly jumps from Josh outlining his appreciation for the riffs in that song to the middle of him appearing to credit members of Woods of Ypres' 2008-2009 lineup (back when they had members of Gates of Winter in their lineup). Speaking of which, that very band is brought up next, with Josh playing "Omega", the closing number from the long lamented progressive/death metal quintet's 2008 CD "Lux Aeterna". At about 47:30, Metal Morpheus heads back across the pond for a segment on Judas Priest, from which Amendola plays both "Dreamer Deciever" and "Deciever" (one flows right into the other, after all.) The episode's final segment hits at about 56:45 when Josh gives some closing remarks and comes full circle by playing one more Black Sabbath song, "Wicked World". Interestingly, he records a station promo at the very end and gives some biographical information, name dropping some of his bands (I never knew he was in Pillory once!)

Having now checked out episode #1, what are my thoughts on Metal Morpheus' premiere? Not bad at all, and Josh was especially good at giving each band a capsule spotlight to explain some of their backstory, songwriting, and why they made an impact! A few names could be mispronounced, but this is the premiere, and I don't know that Josh has done something like this before. Honestly, he came across very approachable and friendly in the episode, and you get the sense that he'd love to talk about metal music with others (could musician interviews happen down the line?) I would have kept Judas Priest in a chronological order with the prior pioneering bands, while perhaps elaborating on the local side of things beyond just Gates & Woods, but again, this was the first episode. Two more hour-long episodes premiered on the 11th and 18th (about doom metal and grindcore respectively). 

I will absolutely recap those episodes in future posts on the SMS (one/both could drop as soon as this weekend), and yes, both do spotlight at least one local band each, as teased in the photos on both episodes' pages. As far as I know, the fourth episode of Metal Morpheus will premiere on The Borderline this Sunday at 9:00 PM, so give it a listen to see what genre or topics are getting the spotlight! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Kraken Mara EP Updates, A New Local Metal Radio Show, And New Videos!!

Before we get into the meat of this post, today marks the 14th anniversary of The Sault Metal Scene's launch on July 4th, 2007, and I wanted to thank the vast, vast majority of you for your support and kind words over the years! I just wish that we weren't in a pandemic during the anniversary for a second straight year, so I won't get too self indulgent, but hopefully I can time it with a proper concert to mark year #15 in 2022! Today's sixth post in as many days (amazingly) has new videos, the impending launch of a new local internet radio show, and leading off, some new album releases (maybe?), so here's what you should know!

 

Local progressive metal duo Kraken Mara may have quietly released their debut EP "Press Start" for sale.... AND a second EP.... and I mean, quietly! The band has not publically announced anything regarding a release on their Facebook or Instagram pages (they haven't even posted on either since April), but at some point in the past month, Kraken Mara posted "Press Start" and a 3 song follow-up EP named "Game Over" on their website on Wix. Both appear to be on sale for $15 each, but when I attempted to click through to see what Wix's online storefront process is like (I have never heard of a heavier local band only putting out an album this way), neither allowed you to proceed past entering an e-mail address to get the files sent, so I am thinking that they haven't completely finalized the release. In any event, this confirms that both "Press Start" and "Game Over" are complete and fully streamable there, both remain instrumental releases, and like "Press Start", the second EP features session drummer Cliff Aubut.

"Game Over" features the song "Moon's Haunted" (a prior removal from "Press Start") and new tracks named "Escort Mission" & "Antipath", mostly shorter than what made the cut on the main EP. Even if their sale postings worked, I probably wouldn't be reviewing "Press Start" on the SMS until next month (Molten Imp are waiting in the wings already), but if you want to hear all eight songs for free until/unless you can properly buy them, click here or above, and we'll keep you posted when we hear more!

Next up, do you recall the occasional teaser from musician interviews on local internet radio station The Borderline where a guest was suggested/teased as the host of an upcoming metal-centric program? Well, one is finally debuting tonight! This has not been announced on the station's website at press time, but former Winkstinger/Twistory frontman Josh Amendola tells me that he will be hosting a metal-centric series named Metal Morpheus that debuts tonight at 9:00 PM! Naturally, the first episode will go through the roots of metal in the 1960s and 1970s, but Josh did say that local bands will be in the eventual playlist. If you can't tune in live, one imagines that episode #1 will be available for on-demand streaming after the fact, once Metal Morpheus appears on The Borderline's website. For obvious reasons, it's great that The Borderline finally has a metal show!

Adding some musical diversity beyond the occasional interview or one-off interview is very welcomed, and it's nice that it's slotted earlier than you may expect for a metal radio show on an otherwise non-metal station! There are unknowns yet, but tune in to Metal Morpheus tonight at 9:00 PM to hear how Josh does in episode #1, and I apologize again for the delay in mentioning this on the SMS! He originally caught me in a busy stretch what with all of the new concert announcements in the area, no hard feelings whatsoever!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with a new cover of Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" from ex-Garden of Bedlam frontman Erik "Buzz" Boissineau's YouTube channel on Friday! His first upload there in three months, this vocal/acoustic guitar rendition lets you hear a higher and softer aspect of Buzz's range that isn't as apparent from his proper bands, and while I prefer later, more progressive Radiohead songs, this is well done across the board! Give Buzz's newest cover a watch below!

Finally, here's a new instrumental jam video from veteran local hard rock guitarist Mike Cliffe's YouTube channel on June 23rd! An progressive rock playthrough alongside pre-recorded drums by Washington-based drummer Bill Ray, Mike suggested in the description that this isn't finished and may have had a timing slip-up, but it sounds fine so far! Smooth and melodic, well handled by a prolific musician who knows complex prog rock very well, and it's nice to see more new content from Mike's YouTube channel, so give this video a watch below, and hopefully we hear more from Mike soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site later this week! Thanks everyone, and to all of our American readers, have a happy Fourth of July!

Diamond Head Concert Preview, Winkstinger's New Frontman, And Much More!!

The fall months are upon us, so for our first post of September 2017, we're tackling a big concert preview for tomorrow to round our our Labour Day weekend previews, but also, there's some assorted recent updates, some new concert videos, and a big lineup change to take note of as well. Now, here's what you should know!

TOMORROW NIGHT will see one of the most influential metal bands to ever play in Sault Ste. Marie, as legendary British metal quintet Diamond Head will make their first ever local appearance with a headlining set at The Rockstar Bar! One of the linchpins of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Diamond Head will be ultra familiar to many metalheads for their influence on newer acts like Metallica (who have covered a number of their songs), so it'll be a thrill to see them on a local stage tomorrow! Only two local opening bands are slated to play tomorrow night, including local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades in their first date since last month's Ontario tour run, while classic metal quartet Project 421 will play an exceedingly fitting set to kick things off! I wouldn't expect to see them cover "Am I Evil?" tomorrow with Brian Tatler and company likely to play it themselves, but this is a huge platform for 421 as they continue their resurgence, so don't miss them either! Prior indications of a third local band have since been removed from the Facebook event page.

Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, advance tickets are likely still available for $22.50 at Case's Music, The Rad Zone, The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, online at this link, and potentially through opening band members, and while a price hike at the door isn't indicated, have extra cash on hand just in case you chance it. This is a 19+ show, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. This is a can't miss show for classic metal fans, so if you can help it, get down to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow for what promises to be a great night of NWOBHM action over the Labour Day weekend! For a preview, here's Diamond Head live earlier this year!

Next up, here's a big lineup change, as reunited local extreme metal quartet Winkstinger have added Twistory frontman Josh Amendola as their new singer, replacing Keith Gagnon. Though not yet announced on the band's sporadically updated Facebook page, Josh debuted with Winkstinger at The New American Pub last week, and later confirmed his addition to their lineup on his solo Facebook page on Tuesday. A reason for Keith's departure has not been publically announced, though whether his band status factored into their year+ long hiatus is up for debate. Best of luck to Keith in his recent solo work though, he's a talented musician in multiple roles! Josh's debut with Winkstinger wasn't without it's hang-ups, as last week's concert saw the late drop-out of Saskatchewan grindcore band Dour after miscommunication with promoters, though the local bands played on, and hopefully Dour try to play here again here during a future tour!

No word yet on how Josh sounds with Winkstinger, or if he's bringing back rhythm guitar to their live repertoire, but it'll be interesting to hear Winkstinger material with a harsher death metal vocalist compared to Alan and Keith's higher screaming work. Stay tuned for more on Winkstinger's new lineup when it rolls in, and don't miss their next live appearance at the Oh!No 2017 Music Festival in Leeburn next week!

Also today, here's our first known video footage from this year's Rudyard Musicians Festival, courtesy of Sault Michigan alt-metal quartet The Karstens' set two weeks ago! Posted to their YouTube channel on Sunday, three videos were uploaded of the online page-less band's set at Rudyard Township Park, including a cover of The Stooges' "Down on the Street" and, as embedded below,  The Deli Creeps' "Binge & Grab". The Karstens deliver some solid performances in these videos, tackling bands you don't often hear in this area, and while dark, I like how the lighting adds to the mood of the songs! Note that the Stooges cover isn't filmed from a stationary angle, so while that video gets a closer look at the band, it's also a shakier view at the same time. The other video from the show is a 30 second clip of their rendition of The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", uploaded to show vocal disparity between monitor and P.A. vocals that night, and it has a good chaotic sound from what we hear. Give these new Karstens videos a look above & below!



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

• Sault Ontario hard rock quintet Halfway Loaded announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they've changed their name to The Twin City Saints. The band cited "some thinking" and throwing around "a lot of names" as contributing factors, though this isn't their first name change, possibly debuting as "2 Far Gone". The new name, if it sticks, isn't a bad one, but will it conflict with Twin City Sound & Entertainment? Time will tell, but stay tuned for more on this newer band as it rolls in!
• Former Frightlight drummer Jeff De Rose is looking for "a bass player with punk rock abilities", presumably for a new band project he's working on. Jeff's been missed in local bands, so hopefully he finds someone, but if you or someone you know are interested in trying out on bass, message Jeff at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Tuesday!
• SooToday's Donna Hopper posted a promotional article onto the local news website on Sunday as coverage for next weekend's Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival in nearby Leeburn, so what's new to learn in it? Co-promoter Jamie Vincent is interviewed for the article, where he notes the festival's inspiration came from other regional music festivals in outskirt towns, plus noting how certain out of town bands signed on, as well as future goals and extra ground rules. Also, "Robbie's Church" is now a residence, but it was a church. Nicely detailed and laid out article, so visit the above links for much more on next Sunday's ambitious festival!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (AlgomA), New Video Finds, And More Updates!!

Before we begin this post, I wanted to acknowledge late changes to the K.I.C.K./Elements show at LopLops Lounge on Friday, which did not take place (Saskatoon's Whiskey Jerks played on Friday after all.) The concert was actually scheduled for last night, with K.I.C.K. citing a booking mix-up at the venue for the error, but as they were in Ophir for the Northern Vibe Festival, they missed what was actually the Chicken-Like Birds show, only with The Elements now playing after them in lieu of Sometimes Ange. Hopefully it was a great show from both bands, and apologies on our end for not getting this on the site sooner! Now, for today's post, here's some new videos, assorted updates, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA and local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver are joining forces for an eastern Canada tour next month in honour of the impending release of their "Trading Faces" split tape, and the tour will wrap up with a New American Pub concert here in the Soo on Monday, October 2nd! Marking arguably their largest Canadian tour run yet, this will be AlgomA's first local concert appearance in 3 months, while it will be Shit Liver's first stop in their hometown in about a year & a half, so if you've missed Josh, Mike, and Matt since last spring, don't miss their New A return in October! This show is one of 11 dates scheduled for the two bands this fall, including the tour kick-off in Toronto on September 22nd, a St. Catharine's show on the 25th, a Montreal date on the 28th, and shows in North Bay and Sudbury on the 30th and October 1st as they wrap things in the north, so stay tuned to band pages for details on other tour dates. FYI, the bottom of the poster seemingly confirms a release date of September 17th for "Trading Faces", which hasn't been stated otherwise by either band.

Potential extra bands have not been announced as of this writing, nor has a cover charge or event page, but expect this show to be a 19+ event with a 9:00 PM start time on October 2nd, and I'd be surprised if Six, Two, Oh. weren't promoting, given their obvious AlgomA ties. Despite being a Monday nighter, it's great to see AlgomA and Shit Liver join forces for a tour to match their upcoming split, so stay tuned for the teased early digital release and more on "Trading Faces" as it rolls in, and of course, keep watch for updates on what will be a highly anticipated night of local metal!

Next up, here's a new Jimi Hendrix cover video courtesy of... Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno?! In a cover that sort falls into the void between the aforementioned band and their St. Catharine's-based bluegrass side project Dirtfight, this rendition of "Hear My Train A Comin'" was posted to Josh's YouTube channel earlier this month under the handle "Penno-Cash". The video was produced by his own independent film company Spacebag Productions, and features shots of him walking (I presume) outdoors in St. Catharine's, as intercut with Josh playing acoustically on a plain white backdrop. While Dirtfight opened up a new side to the guys of Shit Liver already, this bluesy unplugged solo number does more of that, and Josh has a very good clean singing voice that fits the track! Give Josh's solo performance a look below, and watch for guest appearances from an AlgomA patch!

Also today, here's a Blood Shed Productions track that I only just discovered when compiling their YouTube channel's feature profile on Friday, one which I thought warranted a belated mention in a post, and it's the label's first rap-rock song! Posted to their channel back in June 2015, the song is "The King of Rhymes & References" by label rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault, but he has a full band behind him, including Them's Tyler St. Amour on guitar, Rotopsy bassist Tyler Gibson, and his Brutally Fatal bandmate Austin McCrae on drums (not to mention, Jean-Paul was a former bandmate of Tyler's in the defunct Tomgrindy.) The song proper has the instrumentation mixed too low, but Phat Boii's rhymes are amusing and quick while retaining the skill seen in his traditional songs! This is also partly notable as a Blood Shed Productions song with a full band rather than a minimalist solo/duo act, so it's worth a listen on that basis, which you can do below!



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

• Griphook are back! After taking over a year off following their Rotaryfest Stage 1 set last July (largely due to frontman Joel Syrette's college commitments out of town), the hard rock cover quartet announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that their hiatus has ended, and that they "will be coming at you live real soon". No word yet on their return date, but this is great news from this talented veteran outfit, so stay tuned for Griphook's next shows when announced, and they're back in our active band links!
• A young local guitarist named Rainey Rancourt is looking for a metal and rock-liking drummer who'd be willing to jam with him and an already-found bassist towards some original compositions. If you're interested in more details, message Rainey at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from Wednesday!
• The aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. have apparently cancelled plans to host an online battle of the bands in December, as per the Facebook event page on Friday, simply saying "Yeah, nah..." in regards to the event. A reason for the online battle's cancellation wasn't announced, but given that band registrations weren't slated to begin until November, I hesitate to immediately blame low band interest. This was shaping up to be an intriguing contest, but hopefully Six, Two, Oh. revive their Live @ series on YouTube in another form, and don't miss their next concerts!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site as the month winds down, including this month's CD review! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rock The Border Music Fest & Ruptured Birth!!)

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Phlashback/Kick Start singer & guitarist Terry Becker, who passed away on Friday at the age of 65, according to numerous personal Facebook postings. Details on his services have yet to be announced, but definitely stay tuned to local news media for updates on that front. Though not known for work in hard rock bands (moreso country and blues rock), Terry will be familiar to many fans as a brother of Sykotyk Rampage mainstays Paul & Dirk Becker, and was once scheduled to join them with a solo set at 2015's Soo Zombie Walk, though he later had to withdraw from that event. I own an autographed copy of Phlashback's 2006 CD "Ride the Wind", on which Terry was the primary songwriter, where you got a sense of Terry's musical & vocal gifts, and he was definitely a talented musician and instructor, so our condolences are definitely with the Becker clan at this difficult time. R.I.P. Terry!

Now, today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS regarding two concerts taking place next month, one a long awaited festival announcement, and the other seeing returning Northern Ontario extreme metal bands after 2 years away or more, so here's what you should know!

Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth and North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will each return to Sault Ste. Marie for a concert at The Oddfellows Hall on Thursday, June 4th! Featuring former members of Before the Black Gates, fans may recognize Ruptured Birth from opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub back in 2015, and their crushing science fiction-inspired originals should brutalize local fans when they make their return to the local stage next month! As for Thekillingfield, this show is a long time coming for them, having not travelled west to the Soo since headlining at the former Roosevelt Hotel back in 2011, with two early 2014 Oddfellows Hall sets being cancelled in the interim. Thekillingfield played here a lot around the turn of the 2010s, and it's awesome to see them finally come back after nearly six years away, so don't miss out on their return on June 4th! Local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore will be among the openers in their first public set of the year, and fans should enjoy Tyler's solo return also!

At least one more opening act is to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on their identity. Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment in that agency's first event since September's Dumpster Mummy concert (and just their second since the fall of 2015), a 6:00 PM start time is currently advertised for this ALL AGES show, but admission prices have not been posted yet. This should be a brutal and heavy good time for local metalheads, including some acts we haven't seen enough of locally, so visit the official Facebook event page for continued updates!

Next up, the long-delayed lineup announcement for the Rock the Border Music Fest on Sunday, June 18th has finally been made, and organizers have confirmed that Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay will headline the show in a side project group! The two of them are actually in two side bands, the newer hard rock outfit Josh Todd & The Conflict, and a rap/electronic rock project named Spraygun War, but organizers just said that they will play "a little of everything". I'd be inclined to believe that The Conflict are the band coming, but we won't list them as such until/unless there's confirmation. Josh & Stevie D. are no strangers to the area, as fans who saw Buckcherry at Kewadin Casino in 2011 will know, but how will they sound in this side band next month? Stay tuned! The teased Australian band will be Sydney hard rock quintet The Lazys, who will hit the Soo as part of their Summer Ontario Fun Tour. Lively yet old school sound, they should find a solid audience when they rock the Soo next month, so give them a listen!

Three more bands are to be announced, but aside from at least one being Canadian, none have been confirmed publically as of this writing. Now that the lineup has finally been partially announced, what else should you know on the concert? Well, it's now advertised to take place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion instead of The Machine Shop, marking a rare local hard rock concert under the tent downtown, and it will be nice to see some live concert action there after too long of a wait! This is an ALL AGES show, though it is licensed, and an early 2:30 PM start time is advertised. Tickets are on sale for $45 for early birds (no word on when the discount ends), $55 for advance admission, $60 for general tickets, and $75 for VIP passes, which allow close access to the stage, a drinking section, and line bypass upon entry. As well, there will be a $100 meet & greet VIP pass that allows you to view the soundcheck and get an autographed poster, so keep all of the packages in mind!

You can get tickets online at this link, though no word on local in-person availability as of this writing. Also, just for clarification's sake, a post on the Facebook event page from organizers indicated that this is not promoted by CSA International (they of the postponed Quiet Riot concert), despite the fact that the "About" tabs on CSA's Facebook page & the Rock the Border Facebook page both list the same phone number. Given that, there must be a common person involved in both, but if they say this isn't a CSA event, who am I to argue? As for the show proper, I know there's already some pessimism online regarding the two week+ delays and the perception of the lineup quality so far, but remember, there are three more bands to be announced, Buckcherry fans should come out in force, and if this concert is a hit, more big hard rock shows will come to the Soo, from these promoters or others! Stay tuned for continued updates on the Rock The Border Music Fest as it comes in!

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