Don't Look Back Concert Preview, New Video Finds, And More!!

On this Saturday morning, we have some more news and updates to tackle on the SMS, so what's in store here? A relevant video regarding our local OHL team, the latest from a prolific local bassist, and a new posting of a recent album release, but first, here's our remaining weekend concert preview!

Arizona-based Boston tribute band Don't Look Back will make their local concert debut TONIGHT when they headline at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! One of a handful of touring tribute bands to play at the Soo Kewadin's main indoor venue in recent years, this should be the next best thing to seeing Boston on a local stage, which we are a decade removed from as it is. Based on what I've seen from Don't Look Back, they live up to their descriptions with a faithful looking and sounding tribute to the 1970s and '80s hard rock legends and their hits like "More Than A Feeling", so be sure to check this one out for the Boston experience! Tickets for this ALL AGES and 7:00 PM concert still run for a paltry $12.50, and while there are still plenty of seats available from any row, the center section is almost gone! You can get yours at this link, the in person box office, or 1-800-KEWADIN. This should be a fun show for Boston diehards, so check the above links for more details, and here's Don't Look Back delivering their Boston experience live!



Next up, here's some new-ish videos from the Ontario side of the border, starting with the free YouTube posting of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's new studio album "Hitting The Fan"! Uploaded to their YouTube channel on Tuesday, this completes their free postings there of their entire studio recording catalog to date, so if you want an hour+ of crusty death/punk action, you know where to look! If you were curious to jump to an individual track, the 10 songs in order are "Evacuation", "Makes Me Sick", "Just Take It", "It Won't Change", "Liverated", "Cirrhosis", "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops", "Livin' In Shit", "Wait", and the album's title track. Yes, two songs are under 15 seconds in length, but if you're a Shit Liver diehard, that fact is nothing new! Of course, if you want to buy "Hitting the Fan" and missed last night's tour kick-off show like me (I have a cold), do so via ordering from the guys, or check The Rad Zone to see if they have any records!

Those who listen to streaming music on YouTube over Spotify or Bandcamp should enjoy this YouTube copy, but definitely consider supporting Shit Liver's work if you can financially! And yes, our review of "Hitting the Fan" is coming this month, hopefully sooner rather than later, but I wish I could have been at The Rednecks Saloon (moved on short notice from The Speak Easy) last night for Shit Liver's local return engagement! Hopefully cameras were rolling, but in the meantime, here's "Hitting the Fan" in full!

Also today, here's the latest from former Haggith/Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube, who indicated last summer that he was "leaving soon" and would need to be replaced in his local bands. That said, he may not be entirely done with the local scene, as he posted on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group last week that he is now recording bass tracks "purely for fun." Just send Jordan a file to add bass to, and he'll record with it, and send it back in WAV format. Former bandmate and collaborator Mike Haggith already expressed interest there, but if you're interested in working with Jordan on a studio track, message him at this link or above! On a related note, Jordan also has a YouTube channel documenting his recent travels in Asia, which may explain why he left his local bands. He has some interesting content there if you like travel channels on YouTube and Asian culture, so give them a look if you're so inclined, but he does have some bass content there to check out!

One video features him playing alongside Lon Granger's "Mr. Harris", but embedded below is a half hour-long video of Jordan trying out a new bass while repeatedly playing alongside an instrumental track from "a current project". It feels very death metal-esque, and while it sounds like it could be a new Pillory song (assuming that he didn't fully leave), note that we have not heard from Pillory publically in over 8 months, and this project may not be local at all beyond his involvement. The video quality is hit and miss, but it's interesting to see Jordan hard at work in this setting, so give his new bass videos a look above and below!



Finally, this is not a new news item in terms of the local metal, hard rock, or punk scenes, but it's very topical for fans of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and their excellent season so far. Fans may remember Julie Farkas' disco-tinged 1980 song "Hound Power", which still gets airplay at games and online, but if you want something with a punk flair, defunct local quartet The Inner City Surfers had you covered! Back in 2008, the guys recorded a 98 second non-album original named "Let's Go Greyhounds" at Insight Recorders in Toronto with producer Simon Head, and drummer Mikey Hawdon re-posted it to his YouTube channel in December, presumably to capitalize on the Hounds' success. This song would work well as a goal song at home games, and it has a lively spirit that preserves The Surfers' punk sound while leaving catchy lyrics for fans to sing/chant along with, so hopefully it gets some deserved extra airplay as the playoff run continues!

Give it a listen below, and good luck to the Soo Greyhounds next week as they continue their second round series with the Owen Sound Attack! You can catch games 3-5, plus 6 & 7 if necessary, on Rock 101 on your FM radio, and on Shaw TV (channel 10 if you have cable), while tickets for game 5 are now on sale at The Essar Center, so get them while you can!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Elements), New Videos, And More Recent Updates!!

With a surprising amount of backlogged news to tackle over the next few days, here's a surprise news post for your Friday night, so what's in store? Some assorted recent updates, a pair of new videos relating to local metal bands, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!

Local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements will play a rare headlining concert set when they hit The Rockstar Bar on Friday, August 11th! Last seen at this venue on Canada Day, this talented and raucuous quartet will be in ska-mode in two weeks' time, as the Facebook event page confirms that saxophonist Josh Norling will join them as a guest for the first time this year! (This also seemingly gives online public confirmation that he's not a full band member.) Josh always adds a fun "element" to The Elements' live show, and it'll be nice to see him back with the guys next month! Local alternative/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open on the 11th in a rare Rockstar Bar appearance of their own, and they'll be a fine compliment with their own horn instrument-infused originals, so don't be late for their set! This 19+ concert has no announced cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates when & if they arrive!

Next up, here's a pair of new videos, including a new promotional clip for the Oh!NO 2017 Music Festival in nearby Leeburn on September 9th! Posted to co-promoter/AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent's YouTube channel yesterday as his first upload there in three years, the video features assorted muted clips of local musicians (performing at the festival or not), friends of Six, Two, Oh., and other random footage, as interspersed with pan & scan views of the festival poster. The featured audio is of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares' song "The Sweat of a Hero" (will they play it here in September?), and while the video says more visually than vocally, it's a fun way to hype up this ambitious fall festival! I won't spoil the individual content, but it's well put together, if slightly random, so see more on this event above & below, and stay tuned for continued updates as they roll in!



Also, local punk/metal quintet (and Oh!NO Festival performers) Jack Spades' song "Motorwolf" is featured in a new YouTube video from Monday where Shit Liver frontman Josh Penno goes skydiving! Uploaded to Josh's personal YouTube channel (whose content is largely more based on his independent movie studio Spacebag Productions than his bands), the video features Josh and his buddy "Powers" as they prepare, take off for, and execute the skydive at the Niagara Skydive Center in Welland. Solid song choice for this well edited video, which is thrilling & amusing at different parts, though the audio is very quiet, so crank up your dial before you watch 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 name:

• Are you wondering who's promoting the Dokken/Firehouse concert at The Essar Center on September 30th? None other than Superior Entertainment (source here), the Sault Michigan agency best known for putting on 2015's P.O.D./Hoobastank and Saving Abel concerts, plus numerous MMA events at Kewadin Casino. This rare cross-border promotional concert could also be seen as redemption for Superior Entertainment, whose Firehouse-headlined Superior Festival last year was cancelled shortly before showtime. It'll be very interesting to see how the promoters do on the Canadian side of the border, so keep that angle in mind!
• Pillory bassist Jordan Leach-Berube announced in a Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Thursday that he is "leaving soon" and is looking for bass players to take over in his three current bands (not named there beyond genre, but I'm 99.999% sure he means Pillory, improv/jazz trio The Peach Thieves, and ambient/drone trio Pointless.) I'm not sure where Jordan is going, but he's a talented musician that will be missed in the Soo, and be sure to message him at this link or above if you're interested in auditioning with one or more of these bands!
• Sault Michigan metal quartet Stoned Ape Evolution will return to the stage as one of the opening bands at Bay Mills Bands Together's Labour Day Rock & Jock Softball Tournament in Brimley on September 2nd! They'll join fellow new confirmations Strange Brew (an acoustic rock duo) and The Damn Jahnkes (a new band presumably featuring past B.M.B.T. performer Ken Jahnke) at the outdoor fundraiser concert in just over a month. Solid choices, and it's nice to see S.A.E. alive and well, so visit the above links for more current details on this event!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dystraction), Haggith's New Song, And Much More!!

We had originally planned for our look at the new Friday the 13th songs from Werehold Records tonight, but due to one more SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, we'll lead off with that, closing a very prolonged spread of hard rock concert previews on this busy weekend! We also have some assorted updates, a new concert video, and a studio track, so here's what you need to know!

Wausau, Wisconsin hard rock trio Dystraction will apparently make their local concert debut TONIGHT at The Merchant's Bar in Sault Michigan! Apologies for the short notice, the show has been announced since January on their own Facebook event page, but it's completely slipped us by. We rarely see a non-Michigan hard rock band playing across the river at a local bar, but Dystraction have an added local tie, as veteran local drummer Paul Burns (formerly of Bent Rollercoaster & Hammerspace) is in their lineup! Nice to see Paul (a.k.a. Dorothy) back in a band after his move from our area, and hopefully his homecoming is a huge hit! I severely apologize again for how late this is, I'd have plugged it in January had I known! I haven't heard a lot from Dystraction beyond some assorted demos, but they have a melodic modern hard rock sound that should fit in at The Merch TONIGHT!

The first hard rock show at The Merchant's Bar that we've heard about since Paul's old band Plastic played there in late 2013 (though I very well may have missed some since), this show has a 10:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 21+ age limit. For more details, check the above links, and don't miss Paul's homecoming with Dystraction TONIGHT! Apologies again for the short notice, and here's a Dystraction original demo!

Next up, here's a new song from local hard/alternative rock quartet Haggith, as per their YouTube channel last week! To be included on their album "Apocalypse II" (whose recording sessions are still ongoing), the song is called "Immunity", and the band are hyping it as being very different from anything they've ever recorded before. Notably their first released studio recording with new bassist Jordan Leach, the song is more of a straight dramatic ballad with keyboard and orchestration, bearing some similarities with drummer Mike Haggith's recent solo output. I won't critique the song due to Haggith being involved in this month's VM Radio Battle of the Bands still (we'll find out if they're the wild card or not on Wednesday), but check out "Immunity" below, and don't miss 3/4ths of the band on Wednesday with Mike Haggith & The Din and Project 421!



Also today, here's a new video from local goregrind duo Rotopsy, as per label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Tuesday! This comes from a private gig that they played on March 6th, which served as both a pre-show for the following night's Benighted concert, and a belated birthday party for rapper Jean-Paul "Phat Boii" Archambault, as per this event poster (the event also featured Crucify The Whore, Them, and Mikey Thomas.) Rotopsy's video is of them playing their song "Shovel Packin'", and the lighting isn't that bad given the house party setting, with a nice intimate atmosphere for Tyler and Dylan's grind action! Give it a look below!



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

• Haggith bassist Jordan Leach is looking to form "an all original, inspiring, uplifting, and political band" that would include elements of punk, reggae, and progressive rock that would lift people up. Unique and orchestral instruments would be a plus for this project. Interesting, so message Jordan at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post for more info!
• Following a recent set at their Superior Heights alma mater, local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control will apparently be featured in an upcoming Shaw TV Sault Ste. Marie special that will feature performance footage and interviews. It will apparently be a half hour, so look for it on TV or online in the near future! Our source is the band's Facebook page in recent days.
• When promoting his "Rust Orchid" CD release show earlier this week, Telephone & Address frontman Chris Shoust revealed on their Facebook page on Monday that he's starting to finish vocal tracks for new songs that he wrote over the winter, while his planned "Early Tapes" compilation "will be delayed for some time", though he didn't elaborate on why. Next for his local music work is his hyped Red & Black/Orange split release, so keep an eye out for updates on that and more!

That's all for today, but stay tuned (at last) for our look at the newest Werehold Records Friday the 13th song uploads tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Bear Hunters CD Release Party Review!!

Hey guys, it's finally time for our review of Saturday night's Bear Hunters CD release show at The Canadian Nightclub! I was at Toystock all day yesterday, hence the delay, but better late than never, and our Toystock review will follow either tonight or tomorrow! There was an OK turnout on Saturday, though honestly less people than I was expecting, but fans made their presence felt by night's end! As for the Bear Hunters' merchandise, shirts weren't ready, and there was no sign of the mini-posters or stickers from the planned prize draw, but both their new CD "Eternal Hibernation" and the previously released "Collapse The Sun" single seemed to sell briskly! If you're wondering, we will go over the contents and surprises of each CD in a coming news post, but now, to the bands!

Opening on Saturday was local grunge/hard rock quartet Haggith (replacing Destroilet), who had their fourth different bassist in four shows, as the guys unveiled Jordan Leach as the newest "candidate" for the bassist position (so it looks like Caleb Cachagee's return at Sault Band-O-Rama didn't last.) Jordan has been actively looking to join or start a new band recently, so if this sticks, it's big for him! He sounded good, but he needs to work on his stage presence, as he was very stiff and mostly looked off to the side. As for the band as a whole, their set included 6 songs from their upcoming CD "XIV" and two from "Dragon Joy Ride", plus "Hands of Death" from "Apocalypse II", and set-bookending covers of Jethro Tull and Jimi Hendrix, the latter after calls for an encore. Aside from "Locomotive Breath", no real surprises, but the guys sounded good and heavy, keeping with their recent shows! Curtis McKenzie did strain his voice on high notes, and Daniel Horton seemed too serious for much of their set, but solid work all around!

Second was Brampton deathcore quintet Livid & The Bloodthirsty in their local concert debut, and despite a slow early crowd response, the guys made some fans with their energetic hybrid sound! Playing a number of original songs like "Gear Up" and "Senseless Debauchery", their mix of modern hardcore with death metal vocals was fun and well worth checking out, with singer Matt Chepetto a visible ball of energy throughout, including entering the crowd on multiple occasions! I did notice that fan response did start to turn once L.A.T.B. covered Lamb of God's "Laid to Rest" (and opened a second mic to the fans), and by set's end, fans were eating everything up! Joe Baldasio & Sandy Thompson were impressive on guitar in their own right, and while a bass mishap brought an early standstill to their set, the guys filled time well and left a good impression! Hopefully we'll see them up north again!

And of course, your headliners were local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters, as it was their CD release show, after all! Playing for an extended length with two sets, their first was comprised of the entire "Eternal Hibernation" album in exact song order, while the shorter second set featured newer songs to be included on their next album "The Dead Testament" (like "The Omen" and "I Fear No God"), and more expected additions. With the lengthy album recording and release process finally at it's end, the guys seemed renewed and happy to just play for a change, and fans responded in kind! Even if there was no new CD, seeing Josh Stephney back with the band for just the third time since he moved to Brampton was great enough, as his rhythm guitar is a missing element from most of The Bear Hunters' recent shows, so we got to hear them as intended on Saturday! The guys all sounded tight, especially Justin Lam on bass, though Nik Deubel's vocals were sometimes hard to hear. Great set, and make sure to buy your copies of their CDs A.S.A.P.!

Very solid concert, and congratulations go out to The Bear Hunters on finally getting this CD out! We'll cover it in greater detail in the coming days, and our review of it will be this month too! Donna Hopper and the SooToday/Local2 crew were on hand for an article/Tuned episode, so be sure to look out for them in short order as well! Our photos from the show can now be seen at our Facebook page, as can our videos, so here's Haggith playing "No Cure For Insanity", Livid & The Bloodthirsty playing "This Scene's Too Preteen", and The Bear Hunters playing their CD's opener "Dominate"!




That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Toystock review, this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, and more news and updates very soon! Thanks everyone!