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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

As It Stands - "The Lost Tapes" EP Review!!

It's now time for our 139th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and this is almost a decade in the making, as we're looking at defunct local hardcore quintet As It Stands' posthumous third EP "The Lost Tapes"! Recorded back in the summer of 2011 at Metalworks Studio in Mississauga with producer Kevin Dietz, a planned contemporary release did not occur before As It Stands broke up in 2014, but members finally had the material mixed locally by ex-guitarist Ryan McLaughlin at Relentless Audio and released on digital streaming and download platforms on December 18th. The band's first paid music output since 2007's now-obscure "Kill The Music, Save The Children", this new EP features the exact same lineup, including singer Justin Pregent, guitarists Garrett Masters & Albert Bourrier, bassist Angelo Huckson, and drummer John Mignacca. As of press time, "The Lost Tapes" is only available digitally, but it only runs for $1.99 on Amazon!

You can also stream this EP on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, and we'll let you know if it ever sees a physical release. Note that "The Lost Tapes" do not include the cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids" that A.I.S. also recorded at Metalworks, presumably for copyright reasons, despite that song being included with the EP's (now-deleted) unmixed Soundcloud posting in 2016. With four songs running for about 16 minutes, let's begin this review with the opening lost tape, "A Sinking Sinner"! Kicking off a steady drum intro from John, the band slowly joins in until everyone gets to their usual hardcore fury in the first verse, and just in case you need a refresher, early-2010s As It Stands had definitely trended heavier than you may recall from them in the mid-late 2000s! In fact, this song has some slight tweaks to the verse-chorus-verse structure that work well, and the guitar riffing pounds along well to match!

Justin's screaming is very solid here, and his two clean choruses have a nice grit to them, but the backing gang vocals don't mesh too well to me, and a guitar solo would have been a nice addition. Still, a strong metalcore opener that doesn't abide completely by the formula and showcases their musical growth! Next up is the longest song on offer, "Embay The Terrible", which immediately launches into a breakdown with vocals from Justin, but the music proper gets more melodic as the song progresses, especially in the choruses. No clean vocals here, but the gang backing vocals are used better, and Justin does go even harsher at points with his screaming! Angelo's bass work fills this one out nicely, and there's a proper guitar solo on offer too, if somewhat buried in the mix. This is definitely a more aggressive and entertaining track that will definitely please hardcore fans!

Song #3 is the peculiarly named "Oh Herm, Herm Delish" (honestly, I never liked that title), and after a lo-fi intro, the full band and production values kick into gear, complete with even more ferocious metalcore, including copious breakdowns early! The drum-centric bridge in the middle comes out of nowhere and somewhat kills the momentum,  but everything around it works nicely, including more varied screaming from Justin in the second half, pounding percussion from John, and a catchy rhythm, so fans will get a kick out of this one! The EP closes with it's shortest song, "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky" (fitting, given that the NHL season began yesterday!) Very punk-style intro to this one before the vocals bring us back into hardcore land, including the return of the "Sinking Sinner"-style backing vocals that sound like they were sung in a cave.

Musically, there's nothing too shocking here to report from the preceding three songs. It's very heavy and has good breakdowns to mosh to, and Garrett & Albert pair well on the riffs, but it does end abruptly, and it could have used a guitar solo to pad it out a bit. Still a solid track that stands up with the others! So, what are my final thoughts on As It Stands long, long awaited third EP? Overall, it's a strong batch of original material that will definitely make up for the long wait time for their old fans and interest new metalcore fans alike! While only one song from their mid-2000s EPs exists online for comparison, it's clear that "The Lost Tapes" are a huge jump in recording and writing quality. Justin's screaming was top notch, Albert & Garrett had strong guitar riffs and breakdowns throughout, Angelo's low end work was reliable, and John's known drum skill was put to good & varied use!

I appreciate the variance in normal song structures here, and the heaviness was almost non-stop, but it would have been nice to hear more of Justin's clean vocals, more than one guitar solo, and more natural sounding backing vocals. Of course, I understand why they dropped the Blink-182 cover (maybe they can post it for free again?), but it would have been nice if they expanded this EP via including the songs that As It Stands recorded in the Soo and in Stoney Creek in 2010, which never had a paid release of their own. Maybe we'll see them down the line, let alone re-releases of their early EPs, if this one does well! That all said, it took almost 10 years to get the Metalworks sessions released in a paid form, and I think it was worth the wait! Stream or download As It Stands' new EP above, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! That said, what are we reviewing on the site in February?

We will be looking at one more Relentless Audio-mixed album next, namely local punk project 9 Times Dark's debut album "Vicissitude", so look for that next month, and stay tuned for a new post by Sunday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Tym Morrison), As It Stands' New EP, And Much More!!

We're back with a new post on this Friday night, including new videos, details on a new EP release, and leading off, a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend! Here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will play a special matinee concert THIS SUNDAY at Reggie's Place on Queen Street East! Apologies for the short notice, Tym announced this gig via it's official Facebook event page on Saturday, and given our slow news pace as of late, I held it for a post closer to showtime. This is the booking that was postponed from this past Sunday for publically unannounced reasons (perhaps just a date mix-up?), and it marks his first public concert since the abrupt cancellation of his Motley Market arrangement in the fall, as well as his first scheduled booking at the original downtown Reggie's in memory. Of course, Tym does have country covers in his extensive playlist, but he does not primarily play that genre, so will this be a reasonably tailored matinee, or is this another sign that the new Reggie's ownership aren't as country-centric as before? Find out on SUNDAY!

This booking is in Reggie's regular SUNDAY matinee timeslot of 3:00 PM, which will be old hat for regulars, but is relatively new for us. In any event, expect this to have a 19+ age limit, no cover charge, and the usual social distancing/mask requirements that venues hosting live music must abide by at present. Visit the above links for more details, and for a preview, Tym has two new original songs posted on his YouTube channel to check out! The first one was posted on Saturday, and it is entitled "Jesus Everywhere", which will be a massive hint to the lyrical content. The video proper has a slideshow with lyrics, and the song is a softer, mellower number that is well composed with good harmonics in the vocals. That said, if you want something heavy, his brand new instrumental "The Holy War" will be up your alley!

Thematically about the battle between good & evil, this is a solid and suitably dramatic piece of power metal that fans of his old original band work will be right at home with, though I somehow doubt we'll see an acoustic cover of it at Reggie's on SUNDAY. Cool stuff, especially with fantasy-laden slideshow to match, so give it a listen below, and see much more above!

Next up, it's official: As It Stands' long, long awaited third EP "The Lost Tapes" is now on sale! As promised, it dropped at midnight today on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, and you can also buy it for $1.99 on Amazon. The release 100% confirms that this includes songs from the defunct local hardcore quintet's Metalworks Studio sessions with producer Kevin Dietz in June 2011, and from no others, so I was largely right on my prediction from Tuesday's post! However, the EP only features four of the songs recorded there 9½ years ago, omitting their studio cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids", presumably over copyright concerns. Why not re-post it on Soundcloud to stream, at least? For the record, they haven't confirmed if Relentless Audio did indeed provide the final mix, at least not on Facebook. This has been a long wait for As It Stands to finally put this out, especially given that this is their first paid EP release since 2007! 

It is very encouraging to see them finally right a wrong from their well received second active period, and while it would be nice to have seen them include the songs recorded in their 2010 studio sessions, or even digitally release their first two discs, just be glad that we got these "Lost Tapes" at all! Baby steps! Will this be our first CD review on the SMS in 2021? I don't see why not, so stay tuned for that in the new year, and buy or stream As It Stands' new EP (at long last) at the above links!

Finally for today, here's a couple of new videos from Sault Michigan hard rock band Tarnished's Facebook page! While not plugged there in advance, the guys (minus Gary) returned as guests on local classic hits radio station Eagle 95.1 FM's morning show with host/station owner Tim Ellis a few days ago. Apologies for not plugging that on here, I would have had Tarnished mentioned it beforehand! The band uploaded two videos on Facebook on Wednesday, including one of frontman Alex Traynor and bassist Josh Fair playing an acoustic rendition of their own "Metalyn", and as embedded below, one of Alex and guitarist Nathan Webber covering Chuck Berry's "Run Run Rudolph". Normally, I'd embed the original over a cover, but it's the Christmas season! The guys handle these acoustic versions well, so give them a look above & below, and stay tuned for more from Tarnished!

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

As It Stands & Tarnished Updates, Plus New Videos!!

We're back with more news on this Tuesday evening, including a few new videos from both sides of the border, and leading off, here's some big updates on what a fondly remembered local band has been up to as of late!

Defunct(?) local hardcore quintet As It Stands have elaborated on their teasers regarding "The Lost Tapes" via their Facebook page, so what is going on in their camp? Well, "The Lost Tapes" is indeed an EP that they recorded 10 years ago but never released, and it will officially be released on FRIDAY at midnight! No word on physical copies, but you will be able to stream and/or download "The Lost Tapes" via Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, and Google Play. You can hear glimmers of the studio output in the teaser videos they've posted (embedded below is their newest one from Thursday.) As best as I can gather, the EP they are referring to was recorded at Metalworks Studio in Mississauga with producer Kevin Dietz in June 2011, and those five songs ("A Sinking Sinner", "Embay the Terrible", "Oh Herm, Herm Delish", their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For the Kids", and "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky") were previously uploaded in unmixed form on Soundcloud, only to be pulled from there presumably recently.

In fact, early A.I.S. guitarist Ryan McLaughlin's production company Relentless Audio plugged "The Lost Tapes" on their Facebook page, so is that a hint that he mixed his old band's EP? Time will tell! Unless there is a bigger surprise in store, I don't believe "The Lost Tapes" will include the also-unreleased songs recorded locally at Stereo Soul Studios in mid-2010 ("Rise Above" & "One Last Chance") or in Stoney Creek later that year ("Conception" & "Big Problem, Little Lock City"). We'll have more on As It Stands' long awaited EP later this week, so stay tuned for more details, and watch the newest teaser clip below!

Next up, let's continue getting caught up on Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Tarnished's prolific string of video uploads on their Facebook page as of late! Many of them into early December related to their now-concluded merchandise giveaways and the winner announcements (with or without the fox mask), so you can check those out at your leisure on their Facebook page to see who won what and when! On December 5th, the guys shared a TikTok video of them (minus Gary) acoustically covering The Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani California", and it's well done while it lasts, though the tight vertical camera angle isn't ideal. Also, did you know that the fox masked-character is named Puzzle Piece? He tells us so in this TikTok shoutout clip, whicb leaves us with more questions than answers! On Sunday, they shared a comedy sketch called "Never "Saw" It Coming", where Puzzle Piece plays a Saw-style torture game with Josh and Nathan.

Amusing, especially if you're familiar with the Saw movies and the options Josh is given! Lastly, following it's own gradual Facebook teasers (like this western-style one from last week, Tarnished unveiled the long-awaited music video for their original song "Metalyn" on Facebook and their YouTube channel yesterday, so what should you know about it? Filmed by Jay London Photography, the video features Tarnished performing on a roof-top in Sault Ste. Marie (with the International Bridge behind them), intercut with scenes of actress Malia Lefebre finding a cassette Walkman on the ground and getting her groove on to (presumably) this very song, before ultimately finding Alex's guitar at the end. Well edited and shot, this is a good first video from this fast rising band, and it straddles the line between hard rock and mainstream accessibility well! Give it a watch below, and see much more above!

We'll close with something festive for the holidays, namely this video of Sault Ontario progressive/hard rock solo artist Mike Cliffe covering the Christmas carol "We Three Kings"! Posted to his YouTube channel on Thursday in his first upload there in ten months, this is a relatively simple but effective guitar rendition with a nice and intricate ending, so give it a watch below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on Friday, barring sudden and unforeseen news that has to come sooner! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: For All That Is Lost

Wrapping up our eighth straight week of daily posts at the SMS, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, focusing on another spotlight of a past local metal, hard rock, or punk band in our inactive band links! This month's randomly chosen band will need no introduction for local extreme metal diehards from eight or nine years back, so here's what you should know!
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For All That Is Lost

Genre: Death Metal

Hometown: Desbarats/Bruce Mines/Thessalon/Laird, Ontario (later in their run, we labelled them as being from Central Algoma, Ontario for sake of convenience)

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)

Tyler Sperry, vocals
Brook Moreau, guitar
Ben Deslauriers, bass
Kameron Nicholson (My Dear Malice), drums
Graeme Caughill, guitar
Allen Piche, guitar 

Audio/Video: For All That Is Lost (commonly abbreviated as F.A.T.I.L.) never released a studio album, but they did write a number of original songs to go along with select live covers. A number of videos from their run circulate publically online, including on their own YouTube channel and the SMS' channel, among other sources. As well, an unmastered demo recording of their song "Northern Metal" can be heard on their Reverbnation page, plus two original guitar tracks from Brook. Here's For All That Is Lost live at The Rosie during their white mask era playing their song "Blood Law"!

Info/Analysis: Debuting on stage by the spring of 2010, F.A.T.I.L. cut their teeth at Central Algoma Secondary School's popular CASS Cafe concert series that year, while also playing Thessalon-area house parties & community events. After Brook replaced Graeme on guitar that fall, the band began actively integrating into the Sault Ste. Marie scene, debuting here at the former Roosevelt Hotel in March 2011 during the heyday of their Thursday metal nights. Despite Allen's departure that summer, the band achieved their biggest heights as a quartet, opening for bands like Biipiigwan, Fuck The Facts, and Abriosis, placing in two battles of the bands in 2012 (including a second place run at that July's Battle For The Blood), and hosting well received F.A.T.I.L. gatherings in Laird that summer. For All That Is Lost played their last public concert at The Canadian Nightclub in November 2012, and despite songwriting plans, they abruptly announced their breakup in April 2013, though occasional reunion teases followed through 2015.

Arguably the biggest metal band to come out of the early 2010s crop of CASS Cafe artists, For All That Is Lost left their mark in the region with a brutal and well composed slate of original material, and it's a shame they didn't last for more than 3 years! Tyler's brutal growling suited originals like "The Return of Dionysus", Brook & Ben were underrated players, and Kameron's drum skills presaged his well recieved future band work in Southern Ontario. Masks or no masks, F.A.T.I.L. helped put towns outside of the Soo on the local metal map, and hopefully the guys are staying active in music!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around June 10th for another randomly selected band spotlight, this time focusing on inactive local pop punk project Anthems Vs. Oceans (formerly For July), so look for that then, and for more news and notes on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: ForAllThatIsLost Fatil

Here's this month's YouTube Channel Profile, our ongoing monthly spotlight of 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is at least 50% devoted to local metal, hard rock, and/or punk videos, be they of musicians, concerts, or anything of direct relevance! This month's randomly chosen channel is one from a regional metal band who many fans still miss seeing on stage, so here's what you should know in this month's feature!
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ForAllThatIsLost Fatil (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnStCnd6WPDzXYqMDBWaKPg) 

Owner: A member of early 2010s Central Algoma death metal band For All That Is Lost's 2011-2013 four-piece lineup (exact identity unclear)

Channel Timeline: Launched on November 4th, 2012; Videos posted from the next day through the following month

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for 2010-2013 death metal standouts For All That Is Lost (or F.A.T.I.L.), this channel features 11 videos, all taken from varying live concerts during their heyday.

Why You Should Watch: This channel is worth checking out as arguably the best source for F.A.T.I.L. videos, and given that it was launched late in their run, you get a nice swath of footage from their early CASS Cafe days through to their prominent run of Sault Ontario concerts! However, the band has been broken up for over four years now (despite reunion teases on social media throughout 2014), so further updates on their channel aren't likely.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

For all that is lost: The earliest filmed but second-to-last uploaded video on this channel is of an early F.A.T.I.L. set from April 2010 at a CASS Cafe event at Central Algoma Secondary School in nearby Desbarats, where the band got their public start. Previously uploaded as a MySpace exclusive video, this features For All That Is Lost's original quintet lineup, including singer Tyler Sperry, guitarists Graeme Caughill & Allen Piche, bassist Ben Deslauriers, and My Dear Malice drummer Kameron Nicholson. Performing an untitled original & "Viscosity of Blood", this was obviously early in their run & the lack of polish shows, but it's sufficiently heavy and it does show the promise that the guys would bring to their Sault Ste. Marie debut the following year! More footage of F.A.T.I.L. and their members at CASS Cafe events can easily be found on other YouTube channels.



For All That Is Lost The Return of Dionysus: Eight time veterans of the former Roosevelt Hotel's Thursday metal night series, it's no surprise that The Rosie figures into their channel's content, including this footage from November 2011's 39th installment, where they played their original "The Return of Dionysus". Now featuring Brook Moreau as their sole guitarist (replacing Graeme in late 2010, while Allen left in mid-2011), this was filmed by myself for our review of this concert, alongside videos of Late & Loud & the future Valentine's Day Massacre. F.A.T.I.L. were still working out some of the kinks after contracting to a quartet, but the technical aggression comes through very nicely, and it's another solid example of what For All That Is Lost had to offer locally during their Sault Ste. Marie dates!



Murmaider Dethklock cover by For All That Is Lost: The most viewed video on F.A.T.I.L.'s channel is their cover of "Mermaider" by cartoon death metal band Dethklok (via the hilarious Adult Swim series Metalocalypse), as filmed during their final concert set at The Locals Attack! at The Canadian Nightclub in November 2012. Yes, For All That Is Lost were wearing white masks, that was a frequent staple of their live shows late in their run. The video quality isn't great, and it's largely filmed from a poor angle to see the band clearly, but the audio comes through well, and the guys deliver a brutal cover that headbanging fans clearly enjoyed! A video of their original "Northern Metal" from this concert was the channel's final upload a month later.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection has given us the channel of Thunder Bay musician Peter Bastedo, whose channel largely features an assortment of Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide concert footage from their early 2010s tour cycles! Look for that on or around October 26th, and stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Din) & More Weekend Concert Previews!!

Our second weekend concert preview post is here, but with a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to lead things off, we've been forced to extend our previews to one more post, so Sunday's Bay Mills Band Together fundraiser in Brimley, Michigan will instead be featured in our next news post. Look for that then, and now, here's more of what you should know on each side of the border regarding most of this weekend's remaining hard rock shows!

Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will make their LopLops Lounge debut TOMORROW NIGHT when they open for Sudbury blues rock quintet Sulfur City! Apologies for the short notice, The Din only confirmed their involvement in the show last night via their Facebook page, though it's worth noting that the venue hasn't said the same as of last night. Despite the late notice, The Din should entertain at LopLops TOMORROW, and their sound would lend itself to certain shows at the downtown venue, so don't miss Mike, Tammy, and Brendan this weekend! Sulfur City (who were spotlighted in this Sault Star interview from Wednesday) are a very creative band who meld many different genres into their high-energy and soulful live concerts, with frontwoman Lori Paradis even playing an electric washboard during sets, so don't miss out on what I believe is their local debut TOMORROW either! Doors open at 8:00 PM for this 19+ concert, which has a $5 cover charge, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Din live!



Moving to previously announced concerts, we'll head across the river to the Sault Michigan area next, starting with the return of Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off of their Brimley show last week, these will be Alex, Wayne, and Don's first shows at St. Ignace's Kewadin branch in just under a month, and if you're at all familiar with Banned's varied and often heavy sets, you should be eager to check out Banned once again this weekend! They're not advertised to return to St. Ignace again until September, so just in case, you might want to take note of these ones! As usual for Banned's Kewadin stops, there's a 9:00 PM start time for tonight & tomorrow, you must be 21 or older to attend, and there's no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more info, and here's Banned live!



Also in the Eastern Upper Peninsula this weekend, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock quartet Highway 63 are advertised to return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Though the Monkey's Uncle successors are continuing their recent trend of not advertising concerts through their Facebook page, these shows are still on at last word, and will mark Highway 63's first at The Rapids Lounge in about 3 weeks. The Switzers and company should put in another solid weekend of familiar covers for fans and friends in the Soo over the coming nights, so definitely consider a trip to the Sault Kewadin tonight and/or tomorrow for some Highwat 63 action! There's no announced cover charges for these 21+ shows, which will start at 9:00 PM both nights. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



Finally for this preview post, we'll take a detour back to Sault Ontario, where Montreal alternative/punk quartet Lost Love will make their local debut with a headlining concert at The New American Pub THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! Lost Love's gritty yet melodic pop punk attack should be what the doctor ordered for genre fans this spring, and they have good energy and chemistry, so be sure not to miss them at The New A to end the weekend! The local openers will be pop punk quintet Northwest,who fans haven't seen on stage in nine months, which is way too long, and while it's not clear where they've been lately, don't miss their long awaited return to the stage on Sunday night! A rare non-metal concert from promoters Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ concert will start at 9:00 PM on Sunday, and it has a $5 cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and for a preview, here's Lost Love live in 2014!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Bay Mills Band Together preview and more next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Hedley, Hells Bells, Detroit Rock City, And Lost Love!!)

Before I head off to TONIGHT'S Gorod-headlined concert at The Oddfellows Hall, here's a stacked post devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from next month through July! We're half looking at touring tribute bands, and half looking at pop punk concerts, with the last two notable big in scope, so here's what you should know!

Barrie-based AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells will return to Sault Ontario for a headlining concert on Saturday, May 14th at The Rockstar Bar! After a successful local return back in November at the same venue, this talented tribute to the Australian hard rock legends will surely be another entertaining blast of high voltage rock n' roll, so definitely keep this one in mind for next month! For tribute band fans, this show also joins the previously announced Bon Jovi Forever tribute concert on May 6th at The Rockstar Bar, whose Facebook event page also went up earlier this week. $12 tickets are now on sale at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk (it's not clear if they'll increase at the door), you must be 19 or older to attend, and there's an early 8:00 PM start time in effect. This should be a great concert for AC/DC fans, especially given Hells Bells' faithful sound and crowd-pleasing live show, so for more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, another new concert is now scheduled for that same weekend, just one day after the Hells Bells show, as Montreal alternative/punk quartet Lost Love will make their local concert debut at The New American Pub on Sunday, May 15th! An intriguing mix of pop punk with raspy, attitude-inflected vocals, Lost Love should find a solid audience for this New A show next month, so don't miss out if you want to see some pop/alt-punk in the Soo! Only one local support band is advertised, they being pop punk quintet Northwest, who will end a 9 month concert hiatus next month for their first show of the year. No word on where Northwest have been lately, but it's great to see them back at it! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh. in a slight deviation from their norm, this 19+ concert has a $5 cover charge and a 9:00 PM start time. Check the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates when & if they come in!

In a brief detour to Sault Michigan, Detroit-based Kiss tribute band Detroit Rock City will make their own local debut when they rock The Soo Theater at 534 Ashmun Street on Saturday, June 11th! It's been a very long time since we've mentioned a concert at The Soo Theater on here, but the venue (in association with local bar Moloney's Alley) are hosting the Raise The Roof Summer Concert Series from next week through August that will see 5 out of town bands come north for concerts at the theater. All proceeds from the series will go towards reviving The Soo Theater and making it a year-round concerts/events venue, which is a great idea for historical and entertainment reasons alike, so hopefully each show has a huge turnout! Detroit Rock City are the only hard rock-leaning band on the schedule, but their authentic looking and sounding tribute to Kiss should electrify fans in Sault Michigan in two months time, so don't miss them! Admission for this and all other Raise The Roof shows is $15 and you can buy them in advance at this link or at the door. Sadly, all are 21+, but all start at 7:00 PM.

VIP ticket passes for all of the series' shows are also available for $65 (a total $20 savings), while donations are also being accepted online. For reference, the other Raise the Roof shows include Wisconsin blues quartet The Organgrinders next weekend, Ann Arbor bluegrass quintet Dragon Wagon on June 17th & 18th, Traverse City indie rock trio The Accidentals on July 22nd & 23rd, and fellow Traverse City folk musician Billy Strings on August 5th. With The Soo Theater's future as a year-round events venue hanging in the balance, hopefully this summer concert series is a huge success, so see the above links for more details on it and Detroit Rock City!

Finally, we'll return to Sault Ontario for a huge summer concert on Abbotsford, B.C. power pop/punk quartet Hedley will make their long awaited return to our area when they rock The Yard at 75 Huron Street on Friday, July 1st during the downtown outdoor venue's Canada Day Kicker! Last seen here at The Essar Center in November 2010, the Jacob Hoggard-led band has attained a lot of domestic success in recent years with hits like "On My Own", "Crazy For You", and "Everything", and while the Juno Award winners' newer material has drifted from punk, Hedley should get a huge turnout on Canada Day! Support will come via all-female Toronto indie rock quartet The Beaches (a very talented band in their genre) and local/Toronto punk/Celtic quartet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide in their first local concert date of the year! No word yet on who will be drumming for them in July, but it's great to see Dustin & the Jaaskelainens back on a local stage, let alone at a concert this big, so don't miss out on The Tide's return with Hedley and The Beaches!

Notably the first concert of any genre at The Yard since The Tech (the former St. Mary's College) bought it from Mill Square, the Canada Day Kicker will be rounded out by a show from Barrie country musician Kira Isabella on July 2nd, so keep that in mind also! A "Play in the Yard" suite of attractions, food, and family events for the occasion will also be on site that weekend. Tickets go on sale TODAY for $48 for both shows, with $89 passes for both shows, and $132 for VIP admission for both. These are ALL AGES events with gates opening at 6:00 PM. Check the above links for full details, click here to buy your tickets, and stay tuned for more on this huge Hedley concert!

That's all for today, but we'll see you guys at The Oddfellows Hall for Gorod, Bookakee, and local bands TONIGHT! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Concert Promotion Agency, New Videos, And More!!

For our first news post of the new year, we have new video finds of the "newly posted" and "newly found" varieties, along with some assorted recent news items, but first, here's news on a new concert promoting group to watch out for (and check out our preview of 2014 at large in the local metal scene in the post below this one!)

Remember how Pillory/Social Suicide bassist Tyler St. Amour promoted the Devil's Night concert for Blood Shed Productions at The Oddfellows Hall in October? Well, it looks like he is following through with plans to promote more concerts on a larger scale, as he launched the Facebook page for Heavy North Entertainment yesterday! The aim is to promote metal and grindcore concerts in the Soo and bring in out of town bands for them, and the Facebook description is optimistic concerning plans to make sure that planned events take place and requested bands will come here.The page also includes pictures of many bands that played at the afrorementioned Devil's Night show, along with a company logo, but further information is not there yet in terms of concerts. I will note that there was early indications of Tyler bringing North Bay metal trio TheKillingField back to the Soo after the success of the Devil's Night show, but it remains to be seen if that's still in the cards. I'm very curious to see where Heavy North Entertainment goes from here, especially if they can live up to some of their hype!

I would assume there's going to be more collaborations with Blood Shed Productions at future H.N.E. events, which is great for their exposure, but be sure to stay tuned to the SMS and the above links for more details on Heavy North Entertainment, who are now in our Other Local Metal Links on your left!

Next up, remember on Monday how I alluded to videos that I'd seen of new Griphook frontman Joel Syrette's old band 100 Gran? Well, they've never found their way here before (despite being over 6 years old), so now's as good a time as any! 100 Gran was a classic/blues rock band that was active in the Sault area in the 2000s, with Joel appearing to be their only constant member, though surviving online information is minimal on them. YouTube user Ojib07 uploaded 12 videos of them in action at two late 2000s installments of Hempfest in nearby Ophir onto her YouTube channel, including a 2008 cover of a Traffic song featuring bassist Dan Beaupre (also of Griphook) and former Huckster drummer Cliff Alloy. The rest are from the 2007 Hempfest, and there are a few heavier covers within! Joining covers of everyone from The Black Keys to Indigenous, we do see 100 Gran's then-lineup (featuring ex-Driving Dave Home bassist David Grawbarger & prolific local drummer Ed Young) covering a pair of Jimi Hendrix classics!

The Hendrix covers include renditions of "Red House" and (as embedded below) "Manic Depression", and on these and other videos, we get a solid sense of both 100 Gran's skill and Joel's vocal & guitar abilities! I like the soulful qualities and smooth singing voice, and he does know his way around some tough guitar parts, so even if he has Jim O'Leary's shoes to fill, he should do a solid job of it with Griphook! Check out 100 Gran covering "Manic Depression" in 2007 below, and don't miss the new Griphook this weekend at The Roosevelt Hotel!



Also in new video finds, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's newest cover video was posted onto his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's a cover of John Mayer's "Heartbreak Warfare"! Continuing with his trend of multi-camera videos with him on vocals & guitar (though featuring drums this time), it's again well done and put together, but I'm not sure if this song is the best showcase for Alex's vocals, given it's structure. Solid work as usual though, so check it out below!



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

• An aspiring local metal/hard rock drummer named Brett Norton is currently looking to jam or join a local band project, as per his post on our Facebook page last week. If you're interested in trying him out, message Brett on Facebook at this link!
• According to their Facebook page yesterday, Sault Ontario hardcore punk quintet Destroilet are going to "take a little live break" and plan to return with new material for a new album (which would be their third total, but second if you count last year's full-length as a reissue of their original EP.) As long as this break doesn't last two years again, all should be well, so stay tuned for updates!
• Though broken up for 9 months now, defunct Central Algoma death metal quartet For All That Is Lost posted a new audio recording of guitarist Brook Moreau jamming their song "Black Ritual" onto their Reverbnation page last week, which sounds good, so check it out at this link! Note that I have no clue if this is just a posthumous bonus, or if it's a precursor to a reunion, but just in case, keep an eye out!

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

The End Of For All That Is Lost, Another Inactive Band, And More Recent News!!

For our 40th straight day of new SMS posts, today's updates have a bit of a downer feel to them, as we have a major band breakup, another who've likely fallen inactive, and a member departure from another local band in this post. There is some levity concerning a venue change (sort of) for a major upcoming show, but read on below to get caught up on these recent stories!

First, Central Algoma death metal quartet For All That Is Lost have surprisingly announced that they've broken up. In a posting on their Facebook page last night, they announced that they will "no longer be a band", though they added that they had a great run, they appreciated their fans, and they encouraged other local bands to keep their music close & their friends closer. A reason wasn't given for their breakup, though their brief bassist departure status on Facebook from last month could have been linked. This ends a successful three year run for F.A.T.I.L., who launched at CASS Cafe gigs in early 2010 before moving to concerts everywhere from St. Joseph Island to Thessalon, later becoming a favourite at Sault Ontario metal shows from early 2011 through last fall. Memorable concerts included 8 Rosie metal night appearances, their various multi-band gatherings at members' homes, opening slots for bands like Fuck The Facts, and their third place tie at last April's Humane Society Battle of the Bands, though they only played one live concert in the past 7 months.

I really enjoyed For All That Is Lost, and I thought that they had steadily improved as a unit during their run with a lot of brutal originals (plus their unique masked look in many later shows), helping make them arguably the highest profile of the Central Algoma metal bands that sprouted in the early 2010s! I don't know what led to their breakup, but I can only hope things were amicable, as they're talented guys that would all benefit newer bands! Best of luck to Tyler, Brook, Ben, and Kameron in the future, and hopefully we'll hear of new music from them all sooner or later!

Next up, we have another band to add to our inactive local band links, that being the former locally-based metal band Sue Inside. They last updated their then-new Facebook page on April 10th of last year, but they have shown no visible signs of life since then elsewhere, so it seems likely that they fell inactive. Sue Inside had been active since their 2007 inception in Sault Ontario, and they may be best remembered locally for their duo appearances at the Skid Row and YMCA Battles of the Bands in 2008 & 2009 (in fact, they were the last continuously active band from either battle.) After members Shane Lipsit-Fraser & Jeff Vogel moved to Southern Ontario in mid-2009, the band remained active over the next three years, including the addition of Shane's former Paricide bandmate Adam Veen on bass, the posting of many new songs (many of which were acoustic) onto Shane's YouTube channel, and the occasional show in the Sarnia/Oil Springs area, but updates grew more sporadic, and hopes for more concerts & larger activity following their Facebook page's launch don't seem to have panned out.

I think Sue Inside flew under the radar a lot during their run thanks to their small lineup and few live concerts, but they had a solid chaotic death metal sound that would have fit well at newer local metal shows, though from what I heard of the guys with Adam, he added a nice new dimension that I wish we could have heard more of! Best of luck to Shane, Adam, and Jeff in the future, and hopefully they stay musically active going forward!

Now, let's break from the break-ups and departure news briefly to talk about next Saturday's Ripcordz-headlined concert (featuring local metal openers Destroilet & T-Rex Manning!) While the physical location of the show (864 Queen Street East) hasn't changed, the venue still has, as the show has been moved upstairs from The Algonquin Pub & Sports Bar to The Rockstar Bar, as per Destroilet drummer Matt Waples on the Facebook event page this past Wednesday. A reason for the change in floor wasn't announced, but the upstairs bar will arguably give the show a bigger feel, so hopefully this will benefit all involved, and the music will still rock! Nothing else has changed regarding age limits and ticket prices, just the floor. Also, if you've seen a YouTube video about The Algonquin Pub being "born" on March 8th as the Lower Lounge at the Rockstar with a dance nightclub theme, I wouldn't read into it, as that video was posted well before The Ripcordz show was announced, so I don't think metal/punk shows are off limits downstairs. Keep an eye out for any other possible updates on this huge concert coming news weekend!

Finally for today, local thrash band Pillory have announced the departure of bassist Jonathan Tiberi, as per a posting on their Facebook page on Monday (which the band emphasized was not an April Fools joke.) A reason wasn't given, but it's already been reported that Jon's moving back to Southern Ontario later this spring, so that's likely at least part of why he's left. No word yet on if the band will launch a replacement bassist search, but Jon's departure (and guitarist Andres Duchesne's sudden passing in December) leaves just frontman Robert Sartini & drummer Bret Shuttleworth in their current lineup. I expected to start hearing winds of change with Jon's local bands following the news of his impending move, but Pillory's coming first surprised me a bit because he'd been so important & involved with the band's planned "Cringe At The Cross" EP (as seen on Facebook), and after such a promising debut show last fall, it's disappointing that he likely won't be there for their second.

Don't worry though, as he still has one gig with Late & Loud left at the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Finals, so best of luck to him in the future no matter what, and contact Pillory at the above links if you're interested in their open guitarist or bassist positions! That's all for today, but stay tuned for hopefully a new news post tomorrow, possibly including a new concert announcement! Thanks everyone!