LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations, Legends Of Rock, And Curtis McKenzie) Plus Crush Updates!!

A surprise news post on this Saturday night is led off by LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, one on VERY SHORT NOTICE, so here's what you should know!

Southeast Michigan-based 1980s metal/hard rock tribute band Legends Of Rock will make their local concert debut TONIGHT at... the Ronald "Bud" Cooper Gymnasium at the James Norris Center on the campus of Lake Superior State University?! I profusely apologize for the short notice, this show completely skipped my usual channels, as scouting LSSU Lakers hockey games isn't common SMS protocol for me, but it has gotten primary social media promotion on the LSSU Athletics Facebook page. TONIGHT's concert is a post-game party following the Lakers' regular season hockey game at the Taffy Abel Arena (also in the Norris Center) that has commenced as of this writing, but you don't have to be a ticket buyer to go across the hall after the game ends at around 8:00 PM to see the concert. The raison d'etre for Legends Of Rock's show TONIGHT is that the game has a "Rock The Rink" promotional theme.

Attendees of tonight's CCHA conference game against he Bowling Green Falcons (who beat the Lakers yesterday) will get rock music all night during play stoppages, plus there will be an air guitar contest and more themed activities, which is a fun idea! Legends Of Rock pay homage primarily to 1980s hair metal and arena rock, and do a solid job of it with fun energy and lots of talent, so keep TONIGHT's show in mind if you're in the E.U.P. and want to rock out, though the scheduling opposite the Trixter concert at Kewadin Casino is admittedly curious! There's no announced age limit, and the concert (held where LSSU's basketball teams play) is FREE. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Legends Of Rock live!

Next up, let's head north to Sault Ontario for two more new show announcements, starting with local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations' next concert, which will see them rock The Water Tower Pub on Saturday, November 1st! Two weeks removed from their return from the stage after a two month break, this will be their first show at the Great Northern Road nightclub in almost three months. No word on if there will be a late Halloween theme for the occasion as other venues are taking advantage of (Elly McWatters & The Drifters are headlining their Halloween night concert on Friday), but we'll let you know if something is said by the band or venue! With their guitarist slot still vacant, Smokehouse's Michael Yurich will fill in with Generations once again, while drummer Tony Santoro promised "a special surprise" as well that night. This is a 19+ event at 8:00 PM with no cover. See the above links for more on this classic/hard rock attack! 

Also newly announced for next month, former Haggith/Project 421 frontman Curtis McKenzie will take his acoustic solo act to a rare support slot on Friday, November 21st when he opens for local Pink Floyd tribute band Dark Side Of The Soo at Beck's Bar! Itself, this show is a rarity as a Friday nighter, as Beck's usually reserves that day of the week for DJs and dance parties, but they have been slowly booking special Friday night concerts in recent weeks, new local Pearl Jam tribute band Even Flow on Friday (for Halloween) among them. Curt's unplugged hard and alternative rock covers won't be a perfect genre/era match to Pink Floyd, but the talent and familiarity with the former Vibe Lounge is certainly there, so keep his opening set in mind next month! Dark Side Of The Soo (a side project of pop rock cover band Bourbon Blue) debuted locally last summer and have played live sporadically since.

Their own Beck's debut in August was a hit, and hopefully Jules and crew deliver a night of classic prog rock goodness for west end fans in four weeks' time! An 8:00 PM start time is in effect for this concert, which has a 19+ age limit and no cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

We'll close this post with what new Sault Michigan hard rock trio Crush have been up to as of late! Keeping with their comedic lean for social media posts, this short video on August 8th sees bassist Isaac "Iggy" Royer getting into an altercation (of sorts) with a traffic pilon. I'll let you decide who won! On Friday, October 17th, Crush were interviewed live on Scott Cook In The Morning on Rock 101, which I'm surprised never got promoted in advance by the band on their Facebook page! That seems like the sort of thing that you'd want people to tune in for, you know? From what I was told, they performed an acoustic version of their song "Hey You". Hopefully that went well regardless, and it's always nice to see Scott promote local musicians on air! After a couple months of primarily teasing and hyping their concert slate otherwise, their next Facebook post was the day after their Rock 101 interview.

Said video is of Iggy reviewing the men's bathroom at their concert in Battle Creek the previous night, which has to be a first for us, so check above to see how he judged the amenities there! Embedded below is their newest Facebook update (tour concert photos aside), which sees Isaac working the front desk at Rock 101's parent company Sovereign Communications! Well, as far as you know. If you didn't know they were on the radio last week, you'd have lost a lot of context, but hopefully we hear more from Crush in musical and non-musical areas soon! Check out their new videos above & below!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (HeadFirst & Curtis McKenzie) And Weekend Concert Previews!!

Another busy concert weekend is upon us, with today's post covering SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and most announced hard rock/punk shows in Sault Ontario this weekend! Preview post #2 (likely hitting the site by tomorrow morning) will cover Tym Morrison's Saturday matinee and Sault Michigan dates. Here's what you should know to kick off October's concert slate!

Former Haggith/Eclipse frontman Curtis McKenzie will return to The Dive Gastro Pub for another "Think It Over Thursday" gig TONIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, The Dive only confirmed Curt's gig TONIGHT in this Facebook video hyping up this week's musicians and food/drink specials. This will be Curtis' first show at the former Low & Slow in two weeks, and it's no secret that he likes playing there (and they like having him, even on late notice). Hopefully Curt's acoustic hard and alternative rock covers go over swimmingly again at The Dive TONIGHT, and if you missed his show there two weeks ago, click here to see his full setlist! As usual for "Think It Over Thursday" shows regardless of headliner, TONIGHT'S festivities are at 7:00 PM with a 19+ age limit and no announced cover charge. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, here's Curtis live a few years ago!

Next up, local hard rock quintet HeadFirst will reportedly return to the stage TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT when they rock Jay's Piston Broke Pub! Again, apologies for the short notice, these dates were only announced on the venue's Facebook page yesterday. Surprisingly, HeadFirst have been silent on social media since before their most recent gigs at Reggie's Place almost a month ago, which may be slightly worrying for some fans. That said, if Jay's is promoting them as playing TOMORROW & SATURDAY, then they must be, and at least two band members shared the post announcing the gigs on their personal Facebook accounts! These will be HeadFirst's... first shows at or near Jay's since their set at last month's ARCH Run, and hopefully they will provide some fine opportunities to hear their classic tinged hard rock covers and select originals in the west end audience!

TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows are 19+ affairs with no cover charges and 9:30 PM start times. See above for more details on this weekend's late notice return to the stage, and for a preview, here's HeadFirst live!

With the late notice shows out of the way, I would normally look at a Friday-only gig next, but I'm going to deviate from procedure slightly this week due to a venue change. As advertised on their website's concert calendar, local southern hard rock trio Bone Yard 225 were scheduled to play separate one-nighters this weekend, with TOMORROW'S concert being an "uncorked" affair at The Water Tower Pub (who host different acts nightly) and SATURDAY'S being at Shooters Downstairs Lounge (who have only booked bands on Saturdays all year due to their Friday DJ nights). However, tomorrow's show has quietly been moved to Reggie's Place for unannounced reasons, and will presumably now be a normal plugged-in electric gig as a result. This was first announced by Reggie's Facebook page on Sunday, and Bone Yard corroborated the Friday venue change on their Facebook page yesterday. Hopefully all is well with The Water Tower Pub, but fans now have double the chances to see your local 225 in full power!

Greg, Alex, and Warren last rocked Reggie's two weeks ago, while they have surprisingly not played at Shooters since April, dropping out of a planned Saturday nighter last month. As Bone Yard 225 are booked at Shooters on Saturday, country rock veterans Tex Riviera & The Ride will be playing at Reggie's that night. The guys' southern fried rock covers can be enjoyed (perhaps with their shot?) at both venues at 9:30 PM with 19+ age limits and no cover charges. Visit the above links for more on Bone Yard's two downtown and fully corked shows this weekend, and here they are live!

Finally for this preview post, here's the aforementioned Friday-only concert, as Waterloo, Ontario pop punk quintet Among Legends will debut on a local stage when they headline at Soo Blaster TOMORROW NIGHT! As advertised on bulletin boards in town since July, this is the penultimate stop on Among Legends' western Canada tour, and will see Among Legends play cuts from their 2022 debut CD "Take Good Care". Genre fans will get a solid array of catchy and well composed modern punk, so definitely give Among Legends a spin to see what you think before making plans to stop by Soo Blaster tomorrow night! Local support will come by way of thrash metal trio The BAG in their first show since opening for The Devil's Sons on Monday, though they have oddly not promoted either show on their Facebook group. While obviously not a punk band, The BAG should get the energy levels onto a good high to start the night tomorrow!

If you want an (unembeddable and vertical) teaser of this set, attendee Jordan Dubois posted a "Reel" there of them playing a "tasty jam" at the Sylo-headlined all-local show at Soo Blaster in August. By necessity of "Reels", it's a very short and restricted video, but give it a look above, as what we see/hear is promisingly heavy! Another presentation by promoter Mikhal Muto, Tickets cost $15 in advance (at this link or at Soo Blaster) and $20 at the door for this 8:00 PM and likely 19+ concert. Visit the above links for more on this punk and metal double header tomorrow, and for a preview, here's Among Legends live!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post and more concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 183rd monthly CD review, and in a slight change of plans, we're looking at inactive local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's third album (fourth if counting reissues), namely "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"! This is their second album/score of songs from the Dungeons & Dragons podcast Late & Legends that the guys have been working on remotely since 2020, with instrumental music recorded by band members at their home studios. This second soundtrack release from September 17th covers songs included in season 2 episodes of Late & Legends from 2021, and features current Convergence guitarist Brendan Christie as the primary songwriter this time out. Guitarist Jonathan Tiberi returns in a reduced role compared to "Late & Legends 1", and bassist Benn Garside gets credited for contributing on a song here where he did not last time. Drummer/game master & audio editor Josh Hatherley is again not credited as a performer for this soundtrack album.

You can buy "Late & Legends 2" on Bandcamp for $8.99, and it is streamable for free there as well, but consider buying it to support the guys and the podcast! Like when I reviewed the first soundtrack, just a reminder that I don't play physical RPGs like D&D, and I am cognizant of the fact that D&D players (and listeners of the podcast) will have far more context into how these songs slot into the storyline as Giovanni, Val, and Mordechai continued their adventures in Renlan. Also, don't go into this expecting "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal 2". If you want to hear the podcast so far, click here or listen in on your preferred podcasting host services. With 12 songs running for only 20 minutes, let's begin this review!

This soundtrack leads off with "Late And Legends Theme", which is exactly what you think it is. This is a short 62 seconds-long metal instrumental with galloping guitar and an ominous overtone befitting a fantasy story, though given how the song ends with some guitar squeals that seem to hint at a longer composition (if not a solo), it ends before it really gets going. A good theme song, but an unfinished Late & Loud song, if that makes sense. "Bombastic" follows with a more grandiose, orchestral composition that feels much more like something from a video game rather than a metal band, The title is apt as a result, and while it has the epic qualities that would would assume Renlan to harbour, there's not a lot of guitar here, so adjust expectations accordingly. Third is "Battle Ready", which is the only song on the soundtrack that specifically credits Benn on it's Bandcamp link.

Despite that, this is way closer in spirit to "Bombastic" as a composition, but with dramatic percussion and themes that definitely evoke that an important battle is incoming. It's a cooler piece of music for me, but at the same time, did the last 50 seconds of 98 seconds-long piece need to just be the drumming? I'd have cut that down a lot, but the song is well done while it lasts! Track #4 is "The Rising Tide" (no apparent relation to inactive local band Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide), which is one of just three songs on offer to exceed 2 minutes in length. A slower number with some striking keyboard work and good clapping percussion early, the relatively longer composition has lots of room to breathe and show off different tempos and instrumentation, and for lack of a better word, it feels the most "epic" of the songs so far! A far cry from Late & Loud's original band run, but very solid! Note that this song ends with 18 seconds of silence.

That's followed by "The Darkness Is Here", which is a shorter and suitably dark orchestral piece that gets in and out without dragging on for too long, and basically sums up a low point in the storyline well. Not a ton to say here compared to prior tracks, but if you like how Brendan has been composing these numbers, you'll take to how big this feels in scale despite its short length! Speaking of short length, song #6 is "Run For Cover", which runs just 60 seconds total. Given the title and the stakes in the podcast, you'd assume for a song faster in tempo than this, let alone not as heavily structured around percussion and spare piano playing. Not bad at all, but based on my assumptions for a fantasy story, this is not what I would assumed a song about running for cover would sound like. The second half of "Late & Legends 2" begins with "The Storm", which reminds me a bit of the Lower Brinstar theme from Super Metroid.

Isolated piano key strokes and background thunderstorm effects combine for one of the most unique songs on offer, but it ends kind of abruptly and it really felt like there was more of a song here had it ran for more than 74 seconds. A cool piece while it lasts though! The next two songs do not have any individual writing/performance credits at all, but the first of them ("Back At It Again") is arguably the first song since the opener to really feel like something that a band worked on. Not a metal band, mind you, as it has more of a Renaissance fair/campfire vibe (I was reminded of both), but it works for how the story was progressing, and the percussion is well contrasted with the isolated guitar playing! This song also ends with a long silent stretch (well, seven seconds). Ninth is "No Time To Wait", which is the only song on offer to exceed 3 minutes in length, and not by much. The keys lead the way on this composition throughout its runtime.

Not a dramatically opposed song compared to most of its soundtrack-mates, it shares the ambiance and vibes of most of the other compositions here, but doesn't hit as many epic heights despite its length, possibly because the piano leads the way instrumentally. Still a good song when considering the concept! Next up is "The Trap Is Lit", which is both the shortest song on the soundtrack (53 seconds) and the only one to directly credit Jon as a composer. If you recall his work on the first Late & Legends album, he handled half of the songs there, and stuck way closer to metal band territory than on Brendan's songs. That bears out here too, with this brief song being just a metal guitar showcase, and one that ends way too soon. Like on the opener, this feels like the start of a full song rather than a standalone track, but it is nice to hear Jonathan take the lead on a new "Late & Loud" song again, even one this short!

Brendan gets control back for the last two songs, starting with "Mystery", an ominous 2+ minute piece that definitely evokes the feeling of an uncertain future, and given that this was near the end of the podcast's second season, that seems apt! There is more of an intentional unease in how this song proceeds, and it works in the context of the story, but for these compositions, I prefer the grander stuff. The soundtrack closes with "A Farewell To Brothers", which ends the album and season 2 with a mournful and very melancholy composition that definitely feels like the end of a chapter as the characters go their separate ways (for the time being), and while it's not what I musically prefer, it fits in context for how Late & Legends progressed in 2021, and of course, the story didn't end there, so we'll have to see if they release an album for season 3 at some point!

So, what are my final thoughts on "Late & Legends Season 2 (Podcast Soundtrack)"? Based purely on a musical level, I do prefer their season 1 score, but if you preferred Brendan's orchestral compositions on his half of that album, you will be right at home with the sequel! I don't know if Jonathan's decreased involvement in the season 2 score was an artistic choice or a scheduling one, but aside from the theme song and "The Trap Is Lit", there's not much here that would suggest that Late & Loud put this out if you heard the songs blind. Note that Jon hasn't lived in town for over a decade and currently plays in the Hamilton stoner metal band Astral Witch. With Brendan taking the lead, and possibly saving his metal ideas all the while for Convergence, this is mostly a pure score, and certainly a strong one that evokes a fantasy world from a movie or video game, so he definitely shows what he is capable of as a songwriter!

Contextually, this album is best served for Late & Legends listeners, and I do prefer earlier, more optimistic pieces to the darker and sparer later ones, but if you like fantasy soundtracks and scores, you'll have fun with "Late & Legends 2"! That said, if you're expecting anything remotely like Late & Loud, you'd be best served starting with their season 1 soundtrack given that Jonathan's songs for Late & Legends are closer in style, and he was more involved then. Strong work for what this is, so buy or stream it above, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Now, my original plan for this month was to review Sykotyk Rampage's new album  "Waerlogas Saga 1: Konfysion Of Fyck", but I was hoping to have the comic book arrive by now to help in covering the lengthy album. As such, I have delayed the review to next month. In any event, look for Sykotyk Rampage's new concept album as our review next month, and for more news & notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Generations), A New Local Album, And Much More!!

Today's post touches on some assorted recent stories, including a big loss for local news media, a new song from a local metal project, and a new album from a reunited local band of sorts, but we're leading off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Generations have announced two upcoming dates for next month, both Saturday nighters, as they'll rock Shooters Downstairs Lounge on October 19th and then Gateway Casino on October 26th! Fresh off of their set at this past Friday's Band Together To Rock Cancer benefit (more on that on the site soon), these two dates will be Generations' first at either venue since last month. The shows will also presumably see guitarist Tony Kajnar back after he missed the benefit gig on Friday (Muckrakers frontman Mike McDonald filled in for the night, and if you want a teaser of our upcoming coverage, click here). No word yet on if the October 26th gig at the casino will be Halloween themed or not, but remember that Halloween is a Thursday this year, allowing venues the opportunity to host their party a day late on November 1st rather than five days early.

You can enjoy Generations' classic and hard rock cover array on these Saturdays next month with no announced cover charges and 19+ age limits, and while they'll take the stage at 9:30 PM at Shooters, the Gateway Casino concert is at 8:00 PM. No word on if we'll see Valerie, the Tonys, and Pierre anywhere else before mid-October, but keep this talented veteran group's next announced shows in mind, and see above for more details! 

Next up, here's a mild surprise, as defunct local classic metal quartet Late & Loud kinda sorta reunited to release the second score/soundtrack album to their Dungeons & Dragons podcast Late & Legends last week! As you may recall, Late & Legends sees Jonathan Tiberi, Brendan Christie, and Benn Garside (with Josh Hatherley as game master and audio editor) play D&D with their own storylines and characters as they explore/save the city of Renlan, and they released their first score album of songs used in the podcast back in April 2021. It is still available to buy/stream at this link, but has brand new artwork and a slightly amended title. Now, Late & Legends began season 4 in May of last year and hasn't posted a new episode since that month, but "Season Two (Podcast Soundtrack)" reflects the episodes that aired in February-October 2021, and if you want to catch up on the action, click here or visit your favourite podcasting host service.

Unlike with "Late & Legends 1", it seems like Brendan Christie had a much stronger hand in recording this material, with Jon and Benn only getting limited credits, and Josh is not listed as writing or performing at all once again. You can buy the 12 song score album for $8.99 on Bandcamp or stream the whole thing for free there, and it may just get reviewed on the SMS in the coming week! Plans to review Sykotyk Rampage's new album may get delayed, as I was hoping to have the accompanying comic book for full context by now, so it may get bumped to October in lieu of "Late & Legends 2". Stay tuned, but give it a listen above! As this is three+ year old music, Late & Loud are not back in our active band links. 

Speaking of projects featuring Brendan Christie, here's the latest from his active progressive/djent metal band Convergence, who posted the first full song from their upcoming EP "Gemini" onto their YouTube channel on Friday! The song in question is "You Are Not Flesh" (obviously a new/altered title from prior track listing reveals), and it was uploaded there in two copies: an instrumental version and, as embedded below, one with vocals (it's a lyric video, to boot!). You can also buy (for $1) or stream it on their Bandcamp page, complete with altered cover artwork. As best as I can tell, Brendan himself provided the harsh vocals here, as also heard on their non-EP original song "Cancer" from last year, something I surprisingly never clarified on here at the time. I got kind of a Phil Labonte vibe from his vocals, which is neat! I'll hold comment on the song otherwise pending our eventual "Gemini" review, but check out "You Are Not Flesh" below!

Finally for today, I wanted to note the abrupt closure of a long running local news website that, in its various iterations, has crossed the SMS' radar multiple times. On August 30th, FirstLocalNews (née SaultOnline) shut down after just 15 months in operation following their change in ownership and branding. Producer and local news veteran Craig Huckerby revealed in this SooToday article by Alex Flood that the closure was due to low advertising revenue following the relaunch as FirstLocalNews, prompted when Rock 101/et al. parent company Sovereign Communications bought SaultOnline from Superior Media, starting fresh with a brand new site and name. FirstLocalNews had its roots dating back to Craig leaving the former MCTV News in 2003 to launch LTVNews (later SooNews and Local2), before SooToday bought it in 2014. Craig and Superior Media launched SaultOnline in Local2's wake, with ownership also producing local news television content via ONNtv, which also appears to have closed.

As SMS coverage goes, we always got more relevant material from SooToday and their offshoots than from the sites that Craig produced, but I always appreciated having different viewpoints for major concert events when Local2 or SaultOnline sent their own reporters to attend, and they had some good exclusive content that you can (partially) read about on the SMS where dead links allow. Truth be told, them starting completely anew as FirstLocal did them no favours, even if necessitated by the need to rebrand and launch a new website, but hopefully staff lands on their feet with new ventures, as local journalism is important! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news on the site this week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Among Legends), HeadFirst EP Updates, And New Videos!!

For today's post, let's cover some recent news and notes and break from, our recent single topic posts to fill in some lost ground! Along with recent festival fallout, we have some new videos, updates on a new album release, and more, but let's lead off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for later this year!

Waterloo, Ontario pop punk quintet Among Legends will make their local concert debut on Friday, October 4th when they rock Soo Blaster! Quietly announced on the venue's website, this show has (so far) gotten more promotion via bulletin boards at grocery stores than via social media, but it is 2+ months away, so a lot can happen before then. A relatively newer group who put out their debut album "Take Good Care" (produced by Siegfried Meier of "Woods 5" fame) in 2022, Among Legends' melodic brand of modern punk has many catchy qualities, strong percussion, and well written lyrics, so punk fans should find a lot to like from them this fall! The local openers are fast-rising metal trio The BAG (last seen in Leeburn this past Saturday), and while they're not a genre match, they'll inject some heavier energy to kick things off on a good note! Tickets cost $15 in advance and $20 at the door for this concert, which is likely 19+

You can buy advance "early bird" tickets at this link and presumably at the venue (no word on if The BAG have any), and this show has an advertised run-time of 8:00-10:30 PM, so it'll be an early-ish night. Punk and metal fans should find a lot to like with this double bill, so visit the above links for more details on Among Legends' local debut in October!

Next up, here's some details on local hard rock quintet HeadFirst's debut EP "Head Trauma", which was released on July 20th in limited quantities at Rotaryfest before its wide release at its launch party at Shooters Downstairs Lounge this past Saturday! I bought my copy at Loud & Proud on the 21st (#10 of the limited run of 20 discs that weekend). "Head Trauma" is very much a DIY production as far as physical pressings go, with burned CD-Rs with handwritten labels, and staples holding the cardboard packaging together, including the (mirrored) gatefold image of HeadFirst performing in concert at Reggie's Place (Saige Burch shot the included band photos). Lyrics are included for the four tracks via four individual lyric sheets in the sleeve, and while there are no guests, "Take You (Down)" does feature Liam & Anthony trading guitar and drums as also seen when played live.

Writing credits go to the entire band on "Hot Blooded Woman" & "Little Darling", all but Liam & Claire on "Take You (Down)", and just Red & Raine on "Don't Care, Don't Mind". Major streaming services like YouTube, Spotify, and even Boomplay have the album available, and physical copies will be on sale at future concerts, next including their return to Shooters on August 17th. Our review of "Head Trauma" will hit the site next month, as I'm reviewing Choking On Appendages' debut album tomorrow, but check out more from HeadFirst's... first EP above, and here's track #1!

Also today, here's some fallout from this past weekend's Go North Music Festival in Richards Landing, courtesy of the festival's Facebook page! Normally, these would get a fuller feature on the site, but alas, the page's administrator chose to upload all videos from Go North as "Reels", meaning that I can't embed any of them here (they're also vertical, short, and unplayable in background tabs, but my laments about "Reels" are well known by now). Videos from Centennial Grounds include Daniel Romano's Outfit beginning their set with "Field Of Ruins", Bleeker (née Bleeker Ridge) playing their song "Highway", and two "Reels" of The Trews' headlining set. This one features the end of their set, including guest appearances from fellow Go North performer Terra Lightfoot and Treble Charger guitarist Bill Priddle for the ending jam, while the other one has the band literally going into the crowd to perform their folksier classic "Ishmael & Maggie".

That must have been a thrill to have The Trews literally join their fans to sing this one together, and the sizable crowd definitely knew the song! "Reels" or not, the videos are solid quality and capture the stage setup on St. Joseph Island well, and it's great to see that lots of fans made the trip for the festival, whether making the hour's drive from the Soo or if they lived closer by! Check out the Go North clips above, and we'll let you know if any other public videos surface!

Finally, here's the latest from local skate punk/crossover thrash quartet Hails, whose next local concert will see them open for The Ripcordz on August 10th, but they will also hit the road for another show in Bay City, Michigan at The We/Us House there on September 21st! This will be a one-year anniversary event at this venue, and will feature eight other metal/punk acts. I don't know how Brent & crew made the connections to be playing Michigan (let alone downstate), but clearly their debut in Bay City in April went well for them to come back! Unlike then, they'll be arriving as a four-piece thanks to new second guitarist Carmen Muto, and Ha!ls showed him off in this new video from their Facebook page, where he's playing the guitar solo that he wrote for their newer original song "Ghosts" alongside his unseen bandmates. I usually don't make a big deal about musician ages, but Carmen is 14 years old, and he has serious skill level already!

Unfortunately, this video was shot horizontally but framed into vertical dimensions with pillarboxing, meaning that it's tiny. Why do some Facebook videos get that treatment? It's just Carmen, so it'd have been better to just crop it into the vertical orientation! Embedded below however is a horizontal new video from Hails, specifically of them playing their newer original song "Crustal Displacement" at Queen Elizabeth Park for last month's Go Skateboarding Day festivities, and the filmer used the placement to the side of the big ramp to get a lot of focus on skaters as well as the band. Mikhal is mostly hidden behind amplifiers, but it's an intense performance, and long for a Ha!ls video, so check it out below!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's CD review tomorrow and more news and notes soon!     Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Late & Legends 1" Album Review!!

It's now time for our 144th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and this month, let's take a look at kinda-sorta reunited local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's new album "Late & Legends 1"! I opted to review this over the new Molten Imp EP due to "Late & Legends 1" being released earlier, but Molten Imp are very likely coming next month! Released to their Bandcamp page on April 7th, this album is Late & Loud's second release (third if you separately count the "Still Hard" reissue of "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal"), though it is a very different album from what fans of their early 2010s local concerts will be accustomed to. Basically, this is a score, featuring instrumental compositions used in the band's Late & Legends podcast, where they play Dungeons & Dragons using their own characters as they explore the world of Renlan. If you want to check out full episodes in audio & video format, visit their website and/or YouTube channel.

All four Late & Loud members (guitarists Jonathan Tiberi & Brendan Christie, bassist Benn Garside, and drummer Josh Hatherley) participate in Late & Legends, though only "Jonathan Tiberious" & Brendan are credited musicians on "Late & Legends 1", alternating six songs each. The album is available exclusively on Bandcamp for $5 (or more), but it can be streamed for free there too. Also, for full disclosure, I'm not knowledged about physical role-playing board games, nor am I intimately familiar with the podcast, so this review will primarily be on the musical merits of the score and how it compares to Late & Loud's prior work as a full band. Featuring 12 songs running for about 35 minutes, let's begin this review with it's opening track!

In this album order, odd numbered songs are performed by Jonathan, while even numbered songs are handled by Brendan. The opening track is Jon's composition "Theatre Of The Mind", which is an ominous and vaguely spacey track that feels like a proper introduction, perhaps reflecting the theatrical narrative of the RPG proper. It does drag after a while, aside from the abrupt jump at 3:58, but it is a well composed piece with solid guitar work. Just don't go into this expecting "Love Letter Lockdown" (or Josh on drums, the percussion is clearly programmed). Brendan's first song is next, entitled "Far To Roam", and despite running for just 2:25, it is his longest song on the album. Again, don't come into this assuming that this is a Kraken Mara B-side. Rather, this is very reminiscent of medieval folk music, if more ominous, and you get the sense that our brave warriors are embarking on a great journey!

I don't mind some medieval influences, and Brendan contributes well with this track, but the beat could be varied a little as it goes. Jonathan's second track is next, entitled "Dark Forest", and this is the longest song on offer from either guitarist. You get the sense with this one that Giovanni, Mordechai, and Valerius have indeed roamed into the title location, and on this track, Jon does let loose with more of his metal influences (a very 1970s take on them, at that!) The methodical, classic approach works well, especially the marching riffs, and there is some guitar solo action within, so this will appeal to original Late & Loud fans the most so far! However, for a "dark forest", it could stand to sound eerier, but that's minor. Brendan follows with the 66 seconds-long "Make Haste", and despite the urgency of the title, it's a dramatically building piece with nicely fitting piano input!

Almost orchestral in tone, the song definitely fits the tone of events in the Late & Legends story, and while it's short, it's effective for what it is! Jonathan's third entry is "Will This Fight Never End?", which unwisely opens with the programmed drums, but beyond that, the song does give the impression of our heroes persevering through adversity (if in a less heavy fashion). The guitar sounds a little too processed in the riffs, but the 1970s influence comes through again here, including via backing keyboard instrumentation. Not a bad number as it goes, but the processed effects and too-obvious drum machine don't help compared to preceding tracks. The halfway point is reached with Brendan's third track "Clockwork Dilemma", which is an album-low 56 seconds long. At this point, it seems obvious that Brendan's contributions are mostly atmospheric compositions for the score, leaving Jon to handle the rock side.

For what this is, it sets the tone with an eerie, almost transcendental ambiance, yet still ominous with it's dramatic march that helps end the piece. As part of the overall story, this track does what it's supposed to! The second half of "Late & Legends 1" begins with Jonathan's "Fighting Even More", which has a persistent forward motion that suits the title well! I can picture this as video game theme music, if that's fair. The song always seems to be moving on the low ground though, which is great if you like some extra bass, but it only really gets into the air when Jon lays down a solo in the last minute, helping add some dramatics as the story progresses! Not bad, but it's more of a piece of the overall puzzle. Brendan's back half begins with "Lich It Up", and the spelling is correct, "lich" is an old English term for a corpse. Don't expect a Kiss cover here, this is strictly a piano piece.

Honestly, this kind of feels of out of place, partly because it almost has a jazzy quality. It does have dark overtones, but it doesn't really flow naturally from Jonathan's tracks before and after. Speaking of which, Jon's next up with "Green Slays", which is his shortest song on offer, running for 2:19. If you get into the Christmas spirit while listening to this, it's not just you, as this is effectively a retitled version of the carol "What Child Is This?", so you definitely get the sense that it's at least wintertime in Renlan at this point. Programmed drums aside, this gets the point across, complete with a galloping Iron Maiden-esque progression late and as someone who hates the summer, I appreciate the holiday vibes! Those continue with Brendan's next offering, "Dirge Of The Bells" (i.e. "Carol Of The Bells"), a straightforward and very eerie rendition that slowly gets darker and darker as the bells get louder. I like the approach Brendan took here!

Here, he effectively turning this Christmas carol into a gothic piece, and it gets in and out without overstaying it's welcome! The holiday portion of the album ends for it's final two tracks, with Jon wrapping up with "Escape", which returns to the 1970s-inspired hard rock sound (the organ certainly doesn't hurt!) While not a technical showcase, Jon delivers some solid music to help close the album, with a nice melody and dramatic flourish on the riffs! The abrupt ending wasn't for me though, and if you want guitar solos, check elsewhere. Brendan closes the album (fittingly) with "Goodbye", a 91 second piano piece that helps serve as a coda to this part of the Late & Legends story. This is soft, intricate, and serves it's purpose, but I do prefer the grander and darker pieces of his from earlier in the album.

So, what are my final thoughts on "Late & Legends 1"? While very different from Late & Loud's music in their local heyday, this is a well made score that showcases Jonathan's composition skills and Brendan's diversity beyond the guitar! I concede that you will probably get more out of this if you've heard every episode of Late & Legends to date and knew the exact context each song fit into, but that's the peril with any score, really. Jonathan's six songs feels like something he may have recorded for his dormant solo projects, and while Brendan's contributions are relatively small (his songs only make up about a quarter of the runtime), he does showcase skill as a pianist and composer to stitch together parts of the story, and he has a knack for dark, ominous pieces in this way! It would have been nice to see all four guys contribute to a song's instrumentation though.

I don't know if Benn supplied any bass tracks, but the programmed drums were unfortunate, especially given Josh's skill as a drummer (note that he serves as game master & audio editor of the podcast, and isn't one of the lead characters.) Of course, remember that Jonathan & Josh have since moved from the Soo, which could be factors in them not all working together in a musical sense. The music here is all good though, especially songs that made use of Jon's guitar skill and Brendan's dark compositions, and they do encourage me to check out more of the podcast! If you're not familiar with Late & Legends, it's probably recommended that you become familiar with at least a few episodes before listening to "Late & Legends I", but it serves it's purpose and has strong and evocative music to go around! Just don't dwell on the drum machine, and don't go into this expecting old school Late & Loud.

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review, but stay tuned for the implied "Late & Legends 2" when the ongoing events in Renlan progress where they're intended, and buy/stream the whole score above! As already teased, next month's CD review will likely be Molten Imp's debut single "Double Dose (Me)", which came out last month, so look for that in July, and for a new news post by Thursday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tarnished), A Surprise New Album Release, And Much More!!

Well, this is a rare sight: two posts in a two day span! I wasn't planning to have anything new on the site today, but surprisingly, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT dropped into my lap courtesy of a prominent Sault Michigan band, so I cobbled together stuff I was saving for next week to fill this post out. There are some Sault Ontario topics to get to, including a new album release and more, but we're mostly staying in the E.U.P. here via some new videos and that concert, so here's what you should know!

Local hard rock trio Tarnished will return to Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast (well, outside of it) in nearby Hulbert Township TONIGHT for a special "summer rock party" concert! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced the event via this poster on Wednesday, but the venue had posted the Facebook event page for it over a month ago. While I'm surprised Tarnished waited until this week to plug the event, I should have caught Hulbert House's own event page before now, and I profusely apologize for that! Tarnished have played a few shows downstate in the interim, but this will be their first publically advertised local concert since March (also at Hulbert House), and this will mark their first E.U.P. date since the departure of bassist Donald Alexander. As per this low-res photo from their concert in Vandalia last week, it looks like Josh is still on drums, but I can't tell whether someone's playing bass instead of guitar or not.

As best as I can tell, Tarnished are the only band playing TONIGHT, and with no lockdown order in Michigan, why not come out to see some live hard rock, let alone outdoors! Be advised that 9&10 News is calling for isolated thunderstorms in Hulbert around 10:00 PM. TONIGHT'S all ages concert has a 6:00 PM start time, a $15 cover charge, and takes place outside of the B&B at 9920 South North Hulbert Road. Concerts, let alone outdoor ones, have been rare for obvious reasons in recent months, so if you can make the drive west, don't miss Tarnished under the stars TONIGHT, and here they are live!

Next up, defunct Sault Ontario classic metal quartet Late & Loud are back (kinda) with a new album.... kinda! While the band proper did dissolve following their two standalone reunion gigs in 2014, with members largely moving out of town at least temporarily, they obviously remained friends, as evidenced by the creation of their role playing game podcast Late & Legends last fall. I'm not super knowledged about D&D-style role playing games, but clearly the guys know their stuff and have made up a detailed fantasy world and characters to work with, and you can get links on their website towards audio and video episodes of their exploits in Renlan. Much to my surprise, the podcast has led to the release of a "new" album in April entitled "Late & Legends 1" that is on sale for $5 on the Late & Loud Bandcamp page, marking their first album since 2013's "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" reissue!

Honestly, this is more of a score than a proper album, compiling backing music heard in the podcast proper, so expect something more along the lines of SweetKenny's late-period albums than a true sequel to "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal". Still, it does feature 12 new instrumental compositions, six each by guitarists Brendan Christie & Jonathan Tiberi, though I don't know if Benn or Josh contributed to the recording sessions. As this is technically a new Late & Loud album, it is eligible for a review on the SMS (perhaps this month?!), but in any event, give the podcast and/or album a listen, watch the pilot below, and Late & Loud are surprisingly back in our active band links!

Also today, here's another new original song from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel on Tuesday! Entitled "Devoured", this is a collaboration that the St. Ignace product made with Darien Deilami, an Oklahoma-based metal vocalist from the band Xeropthalmia (among others). Given the long distance, it's surprising that the final product is only 73 seconds, but it's a brutal death metal track while it lasts, and Darien's brutal vocals fit very well (there's even a lyric track on the video if you want to try and sing along!) Give "Devoured" a listen for yourselves below!

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

 

• The Buckcherry-headlined concert at Soo Blaster in Sault Ontario has been rescheduled once again, this time to Tuesday, October 19th, as per a quiet update to the Facebook event page. Organizers and bands haven't made a massive deal of the new date yet, perhaps due to the uncertainty on the border and if normal concerts will have the go-ahead in the province by then, but optimistically, I have listed the new date on the site. Fingers crossed that things will be more opened up by the fall! If you do want tickets for the new date, or to inquire about refunds, click here.
  
• St. Ignace, Michigan progressive metal band Heavy Lies The Crown teased on their Facebook page last week that they are in "talks of a music video for a new song that has never been heard yet", but followed that up a day later by apologizing for not posting lately (despite the previous day's post), saying that "things have happened recently that has changed our route a little." Nothing too detailed has followed since, just vague teasers, but hopefully all is well in their camp!
• The rescheduled Queen: It's A Kinda Magic tribute concert at the Sault Community Theatre Centre in Sault Ontario did not take place on Wednesday for obvious reasons, but it has been rescheduled once again, as their website's tour schedule now lists it as taking place on Sunday, May 22nd, 2022. Surely, we won't have to worry about lockdowns and social distancing by next spring.... right?! Again, fingers crossed, and the new date is listed on the site! Yes, tickets are on sale at this link.
  

 

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