Nothern Lights Festival Boreal Meltdown Review & Results!!

Hey everyone, here's my review of last night's Northern Lights Festival Boreal Meltdown audition/battle of the bands at LopLops Lounge! I haven't missed attending a judged local battle of the bands since the Algoma University Battle in late 2009, so even with late lineup notice, how could I resist? Of course, this event was held and designed by organizers of the NLFB, which is the annual folk/indie music festival in Sudbury each July, which has been going on since 1972, so you know this is a big and established deal. Festival staff were on hand to promote the NLFB, sell tickets, seek volunteers, and sign up attendees on their mailing list (complete with a raffle for festival passes), and hopefully this western outreach pays off come July! Even Sudbury's own Stack Brewery was on hand to dole out beverages for the night. Judging the battle were SooToday's Donna Hopper alongside NLFB executive director Max Merrifield (who MCed the Meltdown), outreach coordinator Krisha Patel, and marketing coordinator Shawn Kosmerly, plus Sudbury music scene veteran Darlene DarlenYa.

Before we begin our review of the performers, just a heads up that one previously announced band dropped out of the event, they being progressive rock veterans Machines Dream, the advertised closing act. The band cited "unforeseen circumstances" for their withdrawal, as per their Facebook page, and though they didn't elaborate further, note that they have been focusing on studio work since their Rotaryfest set last summer, and don't appear to be playing live until their teased CD release party later this year. It's still disappointing to see them drop out, but hopefully Machines Dream are back with a vengeance soon!

Performers only had 15-20 minute sets, so as bands averaged around 4 songs each, apologies if I seem to sum things up quickly. The opening act at the Meltdown was local folk singer/guitarist M.D. Dunn in a rare appearance at a local battle-formatted event from a solo performer. He played a short 3 song set, including originals named "Master of Doubt" and "Solace", plus an instrumental titled "Barnswallowing", and while his style isn't something I hear a lot of, his singing was pleasant and melodic, and he is a solid guitarist in this more reserved, laid back style! I wish he had played longer though, as all of the other bands played at least one more song, and none of them had an instrumental. Next up was alternative/hard rockers Id Iota (the only quartet of the night, believe it or not), and they powered through a 4 (well, sort of 5) song set of newer originals like "Happy Sailor" that got early fans moving!

Their first song had a definite late era-Chili Peppers vibe, while their second song was much faster and heavier, but I wish they announced song names a little more. Christian Lemay handled vocals and the melodica with ease, and everyone had good energy, especially bassist Dan Linklater. Good stuff all around, and it'll be interesting to hear how things shape up for their forthcoming full length CD! Third last night was local pop rock singer/guitarist Mike Mikus, in the first time I've seen his current solo project live, so what can I say? Well, in terms of his backing band, it was a surprise throwback to his old deal's final lineup, as he's replaced drummer Mitchell Harris with Pixo Control bandmate Keeghan Rosso, which was a nice surprise! Nothing bad happened with Mike and Mitch, as you'll see later in the review. Mike and crew (including Id Iota's Dustin Goodall) played a four song set included his debut solo original "Drowning Crown" and three more newer originals.

The latter two had more of an alternative/indie essence, but the second song (possibly titled "Electric Kiss"?) sounded like a Pixo Control outtake, with a very heavy and fast structure, which was really cool to see! I can't say whether Mike is trying to find his solo sound, or if he's intentionally varying things in his current music, but there was a little of everything, and hopefully he keeps at it in 2017! After a 10 minute break (the Meltdown was running ahead of schedule), newer local indie rock trio The Autumn Roots hit the stage in their LopLops debut, where they played a 5 song set including such originals as "Moon Song", "The North", and "Falling Down". A drummer wouldn't come amiss for their quickly expanding slate of material, but The Autumn Roots had a solid set, with Jeremy Hannah's melodic vocals fitting their songs well, and he and Chase Wigmore have a good rapport on guitar! Chase was really getting into it during their set, almost as if there was a metal show going on in his head.

Greg "Carlos" Carscadden needs to be more animated on stage, but overall, The Autumn Roots have a good thing going for their sound, and it'll be interesting to see how things shape up for them as this year rolls along! Local alternative/hard rock trio The Din hit the stage next, looking for their first battle of the bands victory in their fifth try, and they delivered an entertaining four song set including "High Park", "35s The Limit', and "Potato (Should Have Known Better)", with all but the latter expected for their next album. I've seen The Din a lot lately, so I don't have a lot to add (especially with their short set), but they played to their standards, with Tammy Hill's guitar work on point, and Brandan Glew kept the rhythm going well on drums, but be sure to check out The Din at upcoming shows when they're not as time-limited! The audition closed with local folk artist and Ears & Eyes promoter Jackson Reed playing a solo set, as joined by Mike Mikus on bass and his former solo and Fever Tops bandmate Mitchell Harris on drums.

Jackson and crew played a 4 song set largely culled from his "November Gales" cassette EP from last fall, including "Generation Vietnam" and "Welcome Home". I'd never seen Jackson perform live before last night, and if I had to compare his sound to anyone, I sort of got hints of Bob Dylan and Randy Newman from his sincere folksy originals, though he could stand to be a little more confident on stage. Mike's backing vocals could be a little distracting, but overall, Jackson has a good thing going for his genres, and ended the Meltdown in fine form! Afterwards, judges deliberated the winner, and when Max came back to the stage to make the announcement, he did acknowledge that this was a very tough decision, and it was like comparing apples & oranges. With all of that said, who won The Northern Lights Festival Boreal's first ever Sault Ste. Marie audition?

M.D. DUNN! Yes, Mark D. Dunn has claimed the surprise victory in the Meltdown, and has won the all expenses paid trip to Sudbury in July to play at this year's NLFB, as well as opportunities to participate in musical mentorship programs that same weekend. Congratulations to Mark on his victory, he's a talented veteran presence in the local music scene, and this is a nice feather in his cap, so hopefully he makes lots of fans out east! On the surface, this is an upset win given that he had no backing band, played first, and only played three songs, but his talents are clear as day, and Max did note in his introduction that the judging critera also included suitability for the festival lineup. Given their usual genre range, M.D. is a very good fit for the NLFB, and should fit in very well! Runner-up placements were not publically announced, nor were prizes for second place and beyond, but hopefully second place is considered if there's a vacancy at some stage!

For what it's worth, pre-audition advertising noted that there would be two winners in solo and band categories, but that was not the case, possibly as M.D. Dunn was the only true solo performer on the bill (Mike and Jackson had backing bassists and drummers with them.)

Kudos to everyone on strong performances last night, and the turnout was solid too, despite the relatively late notice on the competing bands! After the battle, Id Iota and Mike Mikus played bonus sets, but I couldn't stay for them, though I hope they continued to rock the lounge as well as they did during the battle proper! Surprisingly, this was the first local battle of the bands with judges where I was just a spectator since Downtown Showdown in 2010, so I was in full reviewer/photographer mode, and you can check out my shots from the Meltdown at this link or via our Facebook page! As for videos, I got everyone's first song, so here's M.D. Dunn playing his song "Master of Doubt", Id Iota playing "Intro To American Literature", Mike Mikus playing "Drowning Crown", The Autumn Roots playing "Rock Bottom", The Din playing "Suburban Dream", and Jackson Reed playing "Generation Vietnam"!













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

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Integrated System Of Machines

After a slight delay (my apologies), here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! As usual, this is a monthly feature spotlighting one or two local metal, hard rock, or punk bands that are not active anymore, but deserve a spotlight for current audiences, and as usual, this month's band was randomly selected! This month's choice was a very prominent local metal band in both their first heyday and a recent major reunion, and had a solid fanbase too, so here's what you should know!
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Integrated System of Machines

Genre: Epic/Death Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup are in italics. This information may be incomplete, particularly surrounding early lineups and full band member identities. Let us know if you can fill in any blanks!)

"Orb Hearthstone" Bob Helsten (The Creepy Little Coffee People), vocals
Art Dietz (The Creepy Little Coffee People), guitar
Jonathan Bennett, guitar
Chris Leask (Highway 63, Power Slug), bass
"Black Trab" Bart Rennels (Nightmare Grin), drums

Chris Sevens, guitar
"Sven Gilesten" Steve Giles (Theatre of Night), guitar
J. Rizzo, bass
"Grg Gilesten" Greg Giles (End of Existence), drums
Craig "Tubesock" Harrison (Theatre of Night), keyboard
Rachel Mender, backing vocals

Audio/Video: Integrated System of Machines (or I.S.O.M.) released two albums during their runs, including their debut CD "Apocalyptic Vision" in 2008, and a self-titled album to coincide with their one-off reunion in 2015. The former is available to stream online & buy on iTunes, and while the latter is not available at present time, half of it is comprised of "Apocalyptic Vision" re-recordings. A handful of live videos survive online, including this version of their self-titled song from a Stanton concert circa 2008 (sadly, a music video of this song has since been privatized), and most prominently, their whole set from last year's concert, featuring all but two songs from their last CD!

Info/Analysis: Originally active from circa 2006-2010, Integrated System of Machines were arguably the most prominent extreme metal band to come out of Sault Michigan in the past decade, with tour runs to Detroit and Wisconsin, many battle of the bands appearances, opening sets for bands like Soilwork, and a number of high profile local gigs at venues like The Corner Pub and The Merchant's Bar under their belts, though surviving online information on their original run is in short supply nowadays. Following sets at the Hogg Bash in Bangor in September 2009, I.S.O.M. fell inactive, with much of their then-lineup regrouping in the similar early 2010s band End of Existence and their theatrical sister band Theatre of Night, with the latter still recording today. After a lengthy hiatus, frontman Bob Helsten (the band's only constant member) revived I.S.O.M. for a one-off set in July 2015, where they opened for P.O.D. and Hoobastank at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino.

Integrated System of Machines were a welcome dose of extreme epic metal for fans in the E.U.P., and I roughly equated them as Sault Michigan's answer to Gates of Winter during their first run. The band had a catchy, viking-influenced blend of heavy originals, as buoyed nicely by Bob's aggressive growls and Craig's effective keyboard work (it's a shame he wasn't part of the 2015 reunion.) Though last year's reunion also saw the band drop harsh vocals, the improved production and polish helped them stand out on the big stage, and I know I.S.O.M. will pick up right where they left off if they ever come back to try and integrate us once again, but check out End of Existence for similar later work!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection will take us back to Sault Ontario, where we'll be looking at two bands, as the first didn't have enough surviving information. As a result, we're planning to look at local black metal project Eden Plague (featuring Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie) and punk/classic rock trio Leaked (featuring The Din guitarist Tammy Hill), so look for them on or around December 10th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates soon! Thanks everyone!

Two Inactive Local Metal Bands, Plus New Videos!!

Before we tackle this weekend's concert previews, here's a new news post that's half devoted to new videos from each side of the border, but first, here's some notes on a pair of bands that we've opted to move to our inactive band links (hopefully not for good), so here's what you should know!

I've reluctantly moved local metal quartet Garden of Bedlam to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. While the guys haven't officially stated anything regarding their status, they haven't played live since June 2015's Go Skateboarding Day event, and aside from a Facebook page post from last month plugging this year's installment, haven't made a public statement in over a year. Arguably the biggest local metal band of the early 2010s, Garden of Bedlam have made huge waves in the local scene since their debut in 2008, including winning the next year's Kiss Battle of the Bands, releasing two CDs, headlining Rotaryfest's Second Stage twice, and opening for bands like Kiss, Anvil, Kittie, Airbourne, and Inflict during their heyday. However, they have been very quiet since the end of 2013, with the band only re-emerging for a 2014 stag & doe and last year's Go Skate Day, and with frontman Erik "Buzz" Boissineau's move to Southern Ontario last summer, future activity isn't publically certain.

I don't believe Garden of Bedlam are officially defunct, and I have a feeling an on-stage return would be in the cards when possible, but their high energy, modern hard rock sound has definitely been missed in the past year (beyond if you weren't at last June's show), and we all know their talent and chemistry that they continually showed during their peak! Hopefully we see Buzz, Josh, Evan, and Derek back at some point in the future, and that they stay active in music in the interim!

Next up, we have also moved Sault Michigan epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. We haven't heard anything publically from I.S.O.M. since their reunion show at the P.O.D./Hoobastank concert at The Dreammaker's Theater on July 3rd last year, where they also released their self-titled second CD, but to be fair, the band didn't launch a new online page at the time to post public updates. With that said, drummer Bart "Black Trab" Rennels lives out of town, which might still complicate future band activity. Integrated System of Machines' reunion last July was well received, especially from fans who missed them since their original breakup in 2009, which followed a number of high profile local & out of town gigs in the mid-late 2000s, and the release of their original album "Apocalyptic Vision". However, fans can see members Bob Helsten and Art Dietz in their active (and also reunited) acoustic hard rock band The Creepy Little Coffee People, and Chris Leask with Highway 63.

It was great to see I.S.O.M. back for last July's huge Kewadin show, and it definitely would be nice to see them back one stage again (or at least restore an active online presence), but I imagine there are fans that still miss their more symphonic, death metal-tinged sound of their original run, especially as keyboardist Craig Harrison didn't take part in last year's reunion. I do hope to review I.S.O.M.'s new album in the future, and hopefully we see Bob, Chris, Jonathan, Art, and Bart back together at some point down the road!

We'll close with new videos, including this new solo vocal/guitar cover of Alice In Chains' "Nutshell" by ex-Elipzis bassist Ryan Harrison, as posted to his YouTube channel yesterday! Shot in black & white, this is his first solo cover posting in a month, and it's not badly done, but the vocals sound a little too upbeat compared to the original, if that makes sense. Ryan's done good work again though, so check out his newest solo cover below!



And to wrap things up, here's the latest video from Sault Ontario alternative/hard rock trio The Din, as posted to their Facebook page on Thursday! Another of their lighter videos, it starts with frontman Mike Haggith revealing that recording sessions for their debut studio "Give In To The Din" have finished, before guitarist Tammy Hill suggests that they should go on tour... much sooner than you think! Then, the two of them scout potential tour vehicles, decide on one in particular, and slowly discover it's pros and cons. Cute video that teases future band goals, so give it a look!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Two New Local Metal Albums, Plus Pixo Control & Id Iota Updates!!

We've got a busy post for your Tuesday afternoon, and while it includes the latest from two rising local bands, we're starting with not one, but two new-ish local metal albums that you should check out, with one from each side of the border! Here's what you should know!

Remember how Sault Michigan epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines released and sold a CD when they reunited for last July's P.O.D.-headlined concert at The Dreammaker's Theater? Well, we can now confirm a lot more on it, and huge kudos go out to frontman Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone) for sending me a full copy! The CD in question (their second) was indeed a fully packaged and pressed album, was self-titled and produced, and features their current lineup of Bob alongside guitarists Chris Leask (Highway 63) and Jonathan Bennett, bassist Art Dietz (The Creepy Little Coffee People), and drummer Bart "Black Trab" Rennels. I.S.O.M.'s newest CD features 10 songs, and their set on July 3rd actually presented the vast majority of the track listing in order (as featured in this YouTube video from the concert). In order, the songs include "Screams", "Patterns", "Stays The Same", "I.S.O.M.", "The Writer", "Last Time", "Prison Farm", and "Been There Before" with "Words To Say" and "Underground" closing the album.

The album is half comprised of 5 re-recordings from their 2008 debut "Apocalyptic Vision", with "Patterns", "The Writer", "Prison Farm", "Been There Before", and "Underground" being the new songs. I can't confirm if the album is available via local merchants (if it is, Grooves Music would be an obvious locale), and if true, what it costs, but in any event, it's not digitally available that I've found. Still, it's great to know more on I.S.O.M.'s newest CD, and hopefully we see the guys back on stage later this year!

The other new album is a complete surprise, as defunct(?) local funk metal trio The Strange Coyotes quietly released their second album onto their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! Entitled "Strange Coyotes II", the album is actually the delayed culmination of their plans to release a live album recorded during their set at Sault Band-O-Rama at The Primavera Hall in November 2014 (their last concert to date), and that is basically what we have here, so it's great to have it out, even if 15 months after the fact! Released through PaperClip Productions, the live nature of it (and The Strange Coyotes' own improvised style) means that their set/this album has no songs in common with their 2013 self-titled debut album, but consequently, more familiar songs from their runs and from bassist James Watterworth's own solo repertoire! He is joined by singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore and drummer Mike Haggith here, but apparently, Chase had to bow out halfway through this set due to illness, so Crucify the Whore mainman Tyler Gibson (who played that show with Rotopsy) filled in for the remainder.

As well, there are five short filler tracks that Mike (who appears to have spearheaded this album's delayed release) recorded with former Haggith bandmate Jordan Leach, so keep those in mind as well. Copies of "Strange Coyotes II" can be bought for $5 through PaperClip Productions, and are available on Bandcamp on a "name your price" model, so be sure to check it out above! Now, with that said, will I.S.O.M. or Strange Coyotes be next for a CD review on the site? We can confirm that The Strange Coyotes are next in the coming week, as that's a brand new album (I.S.O.M.'s came out over 7 months ago), and we can tie it in with Mike's show with The Din earlier this month, but an I.S.O.M. review is definitely coming in the near future! Check out both CDs above!

Next up, here's the latest news from local alternative/hard rock trio The Pixo Control, starting with a disappointing note, as their planned show with Aldous at LopLops Lounge this Friday has been cancelled, as per the deletion of it's Facebook event page on Sunday. A reason for the cancellation was not announced, but hopefully nothing bad happened, and remember that Aldous will still be playing there at the Moon King concert on April 21st! However, there is good news, as The Pixo Control have released a teaser video to their YouTube channel featuring 20 seconds of footage for their first ever music video! It's for their song "Scratch" from December's debut CD "Probably Not", and it was filmed at The Townehouse Tavern in Sudbury when they played there last month. Of course, it features the band's current lineup performing, with mixer/masterer Dustin Goodall now the band's bassist.

Filming was done by Sudbury's Here Kitty Kitty Productions, who The Pixo Control had been filming "footage of all sorts" with at the time, and while one can assume this was the "salty surprise" that the band had mentioned, the teased acoustic performance is not available yet. This is labelled as the "1st teaser" in advance of a full release on March 25th, which strongly hints that more teasers of the full "Scratch" music video are coming, so be sure to be on the lookout for them, as this is shaping up well so far! Give the first teaser clip a look below, and stay tuned for more updates!

Lastly for today, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock band Id Iota, who have been relatively quiet since last summer, so what's new from their camp? The band (featuring Free Beer, Pixo Control, and Vertically Impaired alumni) has shared a pair of new updates on their Facebook page to note that "we've been secretly working on some stuff", and again referenced their current recording sessions, though it's not 100% official on if these are for an album or just some new studio songs. The band also shared this Facebook video of the aforementioned Dustin Goodall at the laptop with drummer Blair St. John listening to a track while delivering some percussion (of sorts) to it. Check it out below, and stay tuned for more!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more updates in the coming week and beyond! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soo Zombie Walk) & Integrated System Of Machines Updates!!

A new month is upon us, and before we know it, a new season will be too, so let's kick off September 2015 in style with a new news post on this Tuesday morning devoted to two topics: A major recent concert set by a returning local band, and a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month, so here's what you should know!

The band lineup has been announced for next month's seventh annual Soo Zombie Walk, so what should you know for this year? Returning to The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre for a third straight year on Saturday, October 24th, the musical entertainment will once again rock out there prior to the walk itself, but things are now both later and condensed, with pre-walk activities taking place from 4:00-6:00 PM rather than 2:00-5:00 PM. The lineup will be familiar from last year though, with listed performers including local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage headlining in their fifth straight Zombie Walk set, so look for more zombified originals from these crash favourites in their third show of the year! Sudbury unplugged hard rock band Aggressive Acoustic (fronted by ex-Sykotyk Rampage bassist Brian Cattapan) are listed as co-headlining, which is a bit of a surprise given that the band apparently parted ways in December, as per their Facebook page.

Have they reformed, will this be a solo performance by Brian, or is there an error? We'll let you know if we hear anything, but it'd be nice to see Brian back home again! Two local solo musicians will open things, including Northwest guitarist Greg Callaghan (in his third straight Zombie Walk set) and ex-Phlashback/Kick Start guitarist Terry Becker (brother of Sykotyk Rampage's Paul & Dirk Becker), which is awesome to see, especially given his recent health battles, so don't bypass his set! Other pre-walk activities will include zombie face painting, a photo booth, games & contests, local vendors and merchants, and more, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details on what to expect before the walk! Zombies will take to the streets for the walk at 6:00 PM, with prizes and the closing ceremony at 7:00 PM. Also, the 19+ afterparty will return to Coch's Corner after spending last year at Wacky Wings, but given the post-2012 shift of the main musical entertainment to the pre-show, don't expect much for live bands there beyond possible acoustic acts, though we did get a few there in 2013.

Admission is $3 + a canned food donation for attendees, while kids are FREE with a canned good, and check the above links for more details! It's great to see the Zombie Walk back, and at a slightly later time (and still on the week prior to Halloween) to boot, though local metal and punk fans may find themselves pulling double duty given that night's Ripcordz concert just down the road at The Algonquin Pub. Keep this fun annual family event in mind for your Halloween season plans, especially if you love Sykotyk Rampage and related bands, and stay tuned for updates!

We'll close today with some excellent new footage of the recently reunited Integrated System of Machines from their return show at July's P.O.D. concert at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! Filmed by Wayne Kozeyah at W.K. Media and uploaded to his YouTube channel on Thursday, this follows earlier rough cut samples from the show that he uploaded, but none were labelled as being of the local epic metal quintet, hence why we didn't know about them at the time. Apparently the first time that Wayne and/or W.K. Media have been on hand to film a full concert set like this, three camera angles captured the show, including a drum-cam (possibly a GoPro) on Bart Rennels, giving a unique first person view to much of it! In order, the performed songs include "Screams", "Patterns", "Stays The Same", "I.S.O.M.", "The Writer", "Last Time", "Prison Farm", and a short song whose title isn't given. Long time fans should know that "Patterns", "The Writer", "Prison Farm", and the closer were not on their prior CD "Apocalyptic Vision", so give those an extra look!

Now, you may notice that frontman Orb Hearthstone indicated during between-song banter that they had a CD (and t-shirts) on sale during this show, and the songs they played during their set were on the album in order, so it looks like the current lineup re-recorded four songs from "Apocalyptic Vision", but as you can tell from this video, there are two major differences. Obviously, there's no keyboardist anymore (Craig Harrison didn't return and wasn't replaced for the reunion), and Orb's growling is far less utilized than in their original incarnation, which fans will notice when comparing the old studio versions of these songs ("I.S.O.M." aside, which didn't have growling originally.) I have no idea yet whether this CD is a fully packaged and pressed release, or just a loose demo like Elipzis and Half a Man distributed at concerts, but I would be very curious to hear these songs in studio form!

In any event, copies would likely be available at future concerts when announced, though no word on if Grooves Music would have stock of it. Of course, if the band had new online pages to plug their shows and recordings, that'd be an obvious plus, but no word on if a new online presence is imminent. The video itself is excellent, albeit without as many camera angle switches as it could have used, and the new I.S.O.M. lineup sounds great! Solid work all around, so give WK Media's full I.S.O.M. concert video a look below, and stay tuned for more from the guys when announced!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Superior Festival) And New Videos!!

Before we dip back into Rotaryfest fallout, let's touch on some non-Rotaryfest updates today before they fall way behind on us, so what's on the bill for this Tuesday morning? New videos from bands on each side of the border, and leading off, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for early next month, so here's what you should know!

A long teased outdoor concert festival is now official for Sault Michigan on Saturday, August 8th, as Superior Entertainment are bringing us the first annual Superior Festival that day at the Aune-Osborne Campground at 1225 Riverside Drive! As previously revealed but not yet 100% finalized in this Sault Evening News article, the minds behind the P.O.D. concert will bring back Mississippi hard/modern rock quintet Saving Abel as headliners, following their concert at Kewadin Casino in April, while a stacked and varied lineup of regional and out of town talent is also secured, so who else is on board? In listed order, bands will include local epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines (in their second show since reuniting), Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris (who played the P.O.D. show), Muskegon hard rock quartet Voodoo Theory, young local hard rock trio Tantrym Tyme, and veteran local hard rockers Power Slug.

The lineup is rounded out by young Detroit punk trio Heroes of Charlotte, Chump Change frontman Terry Talentino in a solo set, and in the biggest surprise of all, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock trio Mourning Wood, in a rare cross-border set by a local band (Touch of Class aside.) Very encouraging, hopefully more of this can happen! Note that the above Sault Evening News article listed Nashville country band Lonestar, Chump Change proper, and local country/pop artist Missy Zenker as tentative acts for the lineup, but none are listed on the Facebook event page as of this writing. An ALL AGES event at the campground/park by the waterfront and the East Portage Avenue transition to Riverside, the Superior Festival will start at 12:00 PM and run until 11:00 PM at night, though a full schedule of set times is not public yet. The event will have $25 tickets (great deal!) or $10 for youths 15 and under, though if you're 17 or under, you must be accompanied by an adult (bummer for 16 & 17 year olds though.)

Though not being hosted at Kewadin Casino, their website and the in-person box office will have tickets, so head to either to get hooked up, and check the above links for more details! This sounds like a great event, if very ambitious, but hopefully there's a great turnout and weather to match in just under three weeks! If we couldn't get LemmaFest V this year, the Superior Festival will fill the gap just fine, so stay tuned for updates when & if they come in, and get your tickets A.S.A.P.!

We'll close today with new videos, including this new concert video from Sault Michigan hard rock quartet Ten Kings! Filmed during one of their St. Ignace concerts this past weekend at their Kewadin Casino, this was filmed by attendee Dawn Brown and shared on the band's Facebook page on Sunday. Like most of their videos, this is a short one (77 seconds), and mostly spotlights guitarist Joe Jenkins covering Van Halen's classic instrumental "Eruption" (which I assume segued into "You Really Got Me", but the video cuts off before then.) Strongly done, Joe's a clear talent, so give it a look!



Finally for today, we'll close things back in Sault Ontario with a new video from local alternative hard rock trio The Pixo Control, as per their Facebook page last week! Labelled a "Caroline Divine tribute" (complete with members of that band jokingly replying in the comments), it appears to be a short style parody of their sound and live show from Pixo Control members Michael Mikus and Steve Edwards (on drums here), but see what you think below!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for the first of our Rotaryfest fallout posts later today! Thanks everyone!

P.O.D./Hoobastank/Fuel Concert Fallout & Videos!!

It took a few days for videos to turn up, but now there are a good amount, so here's a post dedicated to Friday's P.O.D./Hoobastank/Fuel concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino! By every account that I've heard, the show was a hit, so what should you know from it? Local2 crossed the border to film this video featuring clips of the three headlining bands on multiple cameras, capturing P.O.D. playing "Boom" & a song that I can't place (might it be brand new or from a jam?), Hoobastank playing "Crawling In The Dark" and "The Reason", and Fuel playing "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)". Nice multi-angle footage of the headliners, and all sound pretty good if you're a fan of theirs, so be sure to check out Local2's coverage above! Remember, we can't embed their videos here, as their host doesn't allow external embedding. The rest of our videos come from attendee Christopher Paci (a frequent filmer of Kewadin and larger local hard rock shows), who shot 12 videos from the show for his YouTube channel, as uploaded in recent days, and while there's nothing of openers Lights Out Paris & Redburn, he got some solid footage of the other four bands, so what do we have?

We'll start with the headliners,  San Diego alternative metal quartet P.O.D., who Christopher filmed playing their songs "Alive", "Boom", "Roots In Stereo", and as embedded below, "Youth Of The Nation", which saw frontman Sonny Sandoval invite a few kids in attendance on stage to party with the band with them, which occurs often in P.O.D. concerts during this song. Though the audio can be a little scratchy on heavier stretches, these are solid performances all around from this popular hard rock band, with all four songs familiar from their classic era, so give Chris' P.O.D. videos a look above & below!



Chris also filmed four videos of California hard rock quartet Hoobastank's set, including their songs "Running Away", "Crawling In The Dark", "Pieces", and as embedded below, "The Reason". Nice energy and enthusiasm on these videos, with Hoobastank seeming to barely age from their peak, and these familiar hits of theirs should get a good response if you can get around the sometimes scratchy audio! Check it all out above & below!



And yes, Chris also got three videos of Pennsylvania post-grunge quartet Fuel's set, those being of their songs "Shimmer", "Last Time", and as embedded below, "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)", which Chris incorrectly titled "Don't Fall Away". Very reliable sounding compared to Fuel's studio recordings, fans should get a kick out of these songs, filmed at a nice angle like with Chris' other clips, so give his Fuel videos a look above and below!



We'll close with one last video from Christopher's channel, this time of returning local epic metal quintet Integrated System Of Machines, so what do we know now? According to the video, the band no longer has a keyboardist as a permanent live band member, Chris Leask appears to be on guitar rather than his Power Slug bass role (Art Dietz is on bass), and as for their second guitarist, we can now confirm that his name is Jonathan Bennett, according to tagged pictures from Chris Leask's personal Facebook page. I can't find much on Jon's past band work (all I found was an old personal MySpace page that shows him playing with an unidentified band), but he's a solid player and does the solo in the video from the concert (and on a Dean ML, no less!) Chris Paci filmed I.S.O.M. playing their own self-titled song from their debut album "Apocalyptic Vision", which was one of their more accessible early tracks, so if you're not a fan of death metal or super-aggressive vocals, this one might be up your alley!

Note that there's also a personal Facebook video floating around of the end of one of I.S.O.M.'s songs, but it's strictly focused on Jonathan only, so keep that in mind if you're friends of his friends.  It's great to see Orb bring Integrated Systems Of Machines back at last, and they sound good here, but how are the album plans coming? Will we see them again soon? Will they launch new online pages? We'll keep you posted, but re-integrate yourself with I.S.O.M. below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and concert previews in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned) & Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews!!

As previously indicated, today's second post dives into a busy weekend in Sault Michigan and Eastern U.P. hard rock concerts, including SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the next two nights, and a preview of a major six band Kewadin Casino event, but be sure to check out this weekend's Sault Ontario concert previews in the post below this one! Now, here's your hard rock concert previews in Sault Michigan and area for this weekend!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will rock The Islander Bar in nearby Hessel TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were originally announced on Banned's Facebook page last month in a concert schedule posting, but they slipped us by until this week. Usually, the guys play at The Runway Bar when they play in Hessel (including at their most recent regional show on June 13th), so The Islander is an unknown commodity for our coverage, but it's located at 134 South Pickford Avenue, and is actually located in a century-old building that once served Hessel as a general store and ice cream parlor, so there's definitely history with this bar! They do book the occasional live band, so might we see more bands (including Banned) there in the coming months? For reference, Alex, Don, and Wayne also hit the road to play shows in Blaney Park and Curtis since their last Soo-area shows, plus a private party of some kind.

This weekend's Hessel concerts have 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no announced cover charge, so for more details, visit the above links, and if you want to check out Banned's hard rock covers over the holiday weekend, you know where to be! For a preview, here's Banned live last summer!



Next up, here's a preview of one of the biggest major hard rock concerts of the year, as three multi-platinum selling bands will rock The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino TOMORROW NIGHT! Those three bands are San Diego alternative metal quartet P.O.D. (in their local debut), California hard rockers Hoobastank (last seen opening for Staind here in 2009) and Pennsylvania post-grunge quartet Fuel (who opened for Buckcherry here three years ago), and this stacked lineup is responsible for many huge hits of the past two decades, like "Youth of the Nation", "The Reason", "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)", and many more, so Rock 101 listeners are bound to like at least one of these three headliners! Note as well that Fuel will have a different drummer than they had in 2012, with Shannon Boone in and Ken Schalk out. Openers will include Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris, Saginaw rap/rock quintet Redburn (who opened for Saving Abel earlier this year in the Soo), and the long awaited reunion of local epic metal quintet Integrated System of Machines!

After a 5 or 6 year breakup, the band's new lineup (Orb Hearthstone, Art Dietz, Chris Leask, Bart Rennels, and Jon, last name to be determined) are back in a big way with new material, so don't miss I.S.O.M.'s resurgence TOMORROW! Promoted by new local agency Superior Entertainment, tickets are still available from the third row & back for $38.50 in advance or $42.50 at the door at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. This is ALL AGES, and a 7:00 PM start time is advertised. With 12 top 10 Billboard chart songs between P.O.D., Hoobastank, and Fuel, you won't want to miss this one, so be there TOMORROW, and here's P.O.D. live!



Also this weekend, Traverse City metal trio Scarkazm are returning to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Fresh off of last weekend's Savoy debut in Sault Michigan, the band from Peril's Adam Crawford & Jeff Hudson will be making their first St. Ignace stops in four months this weekend, so if you've missed this popular Northern Michigan band's originals and covers since their last St. Ignace dates (or missed last weekend's shows in the Soo), and if you're not seeing P.O.D. tomorrow, here's a solid option for your weekend concert plans! There is no announced cover charge for either of Scarkazm's concerts this weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and there's a likely 9:00 PM start time in effect both nights. For more details, check the above links, and definitely keep Scarkazm's return in mind for this weekend! Here's Scarkazm live!



Finally for today, we'll head to the aforementioned Savoy Bar & Nightclub in Sault Michigan, where newer local hard rock quartet Ten Kings will return for Independence Day weekend shows TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Making their second weekend appearance at The Savoy, this weekend's shows are part of The Savoy's returning Summerfest outdoor concert series, which sees bands playing on an outdoor stage behind the venue (Scarkazm kicked things off last week.) Great to see Ten Kings hopping on board for some live concerts over this popular series, so don't miss this familiar quartet this weekend as you celebrate the Fourth of July! No word yet though on who's playing The Savoy in upcoming Summerfest weekends, and if you were curious, the bar's hosting karaoke inside while the bands rock outside (source here.) There is no announced cover for this weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and there are 10:00 PM start times, so check the above links for more details, and here's Ten Kings live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Emergency Festival), Gatgas Concert Preview, And More!!

Barring a late notice Saturday nighter or extremely late notice show tonight, we're closing out this weekend's concert previews today with a big hardcore punk show tomorrow night, but joining it today are updates for a major upcoming Sault Michigan show, a new video from a rising young band, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for August! Read on below for what you should know, and check out this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile in the post below this one!

Here's some long awaited venue confirmation on this year's second annual Emergency Festival on Saturday, August 15th, so where's the LopLops Lounge-promoted music & arts festival being held? Well, how does Rocky DiPietro Field at The John Rhodes Community Centre sound? Due to the ongoing debate over the future of The Sault Downtown Association and postponement of their outdoor Queen Street events this summer, The Emergency Festival will move to the football field at 260 Elizabeth Street (not far from the skatepark) for it's second year, which sounds like a good location to keep this successful sophomore event going after another "emergency" affecting the summer concert calendar! No word yet on the band setup, including on if there will be multiple stages as was previously intended, but we'll keep you posted. As previously announced, The Emergency Festival will welcome local punk/alternative bands The Pixo Control, Gnaeus, and Northwest alongside a large out-of-town roster of primarily folk, roots, and indie rock artists, so click here for full current lineup details!

Also scheduled to have a special Art In The Park exhibition, The Emergency will again be an ALL AGES event at 12:00 PM on August 15th, with tickets going on sale at LopLops, Case's Music, and Dish Espresso Bar & Cafe at 740 Queen Street East tomorrow. Oddly, tickets will be $25 until July 2nd, then they'll jump $5 a month until August, so there's incentive to get yours early! Students with school ID will get in for $20, and kids under 14 are admitted FREE. Amidst all of the downtown association struggles, it's great to see Stephen and everyone at LopLops keeping The Emergency going, so check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates as they come in!

Next up, here's our preview of the fifth installment of Tidal Records & J.D. Pearce's Gonqshow summer concert series, as London hardcore punk quartet Gatgas will headline at The Algonquin Pub TOMORROW NIGHT! Featuring Saultites Bob Bromley Jr. & Garry Ingram in their lineup, fans may remember their memorable local debut at last fall's Hardcore Homecoming concert upstairs at The Rockstar Bar, but now they're headlining downstairs and should be up to their usual old school hardcore tricks! Local support will come via two of the local openers from last fall, those being local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades and local hardcore/punk sextet Destroilet (in just their third show with two singers), and given the presence of both Gatgas & Destroilet, might we see another Fistmagnet reunion of sorts like we saw at Hardcore Homecoming? It was a crowd pleaser, hopefully there's a reprise of it! Note that the Gonqshow event page still lists newer local metal trio Faceityoureametalband as opening, but they have since been removed from the concert's event page, and are not listed on the show's poster.

A reason for their exit hasn't been announced, but frontman Steve Mozarowski went on a trip to British Columbia this week as per personal Facebook postings, so that could be related. Hopefully we hear from his new band again soon though! Note also that I'm not sure if the presented band order on the poster is accurate (which would see Gatgas sandwiched between the local bands) or if they will indeed be last. This 19+ concert has a $10 cover charge and a 10:00 PM start time, so for more details, visit the above links! It's great to have Gatgas back (and Bob & Garry back home), so keep this show in mind for TOMORROW, and here's Gatgas live earlier this month!



Also today, here's some news concerning the P.O.D./Hoobastank/Fuel concert at The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino this coming Friday, including news of a late addition to the lineup, them being Rochester, New York post-hardcore band Lights Out Paris! Our source is co-promoter John Yeubanks on the Facebook event page on Monday. Currently slotted as the third of now six bands, Lights Out Paris have an intense modern hardcore sound that almost sounds like it'd better fit an Oddfellows Hall show, so don't miss them amidst the hard rock action next week! Also, in terms of the returning Integrated System of Machines (who will reunite after a 5 year breakup for this show), their teased new album is reportedly finished mixing, and sounds close to being done entirely according to frontman Orb Hearthstone's personal Facebook page! Remember, I.S.O.M. don't have a new updated online page as of this writing, we'll let you know if one turns up in the future.

Also, a separate personal posting confirms that I.S.O.M.'s new lineup will be a five-piece, with Orb, Chris Leask, Art Dietz, and Bart Rennels joined by a musician with the first name Jon, though I can't confirm a last name or instrument role yet (though process of elimination points to either the guitar or keyboard.) It is great to have Integrated System of Machines back, and hopefully we hear much more from them soon! Stay tuned for details on this huge concert, and get your tickets A.S.A.P. at this link!

Finally for today, here'a a light new video from the aforementioned Gnaeus, courtesy of their YouTube channel on Tuesday! It's of the local post-punk quartet watching their Lopstock II YouTube video on TV via a Playstation 3, so we're literally watching the guys watch themselves, though there is a temporary break late when bassist Matt Fronzi arrives with McDonald's food. Light and amusing, so check out Gnaeus' new video below, and don't miss drummer Brendan Garlick filling in with Long Shot TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar, as per personal Facebook postings!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more this weekend! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (P.O.D. & Theory Of A Deadman), The Return Of I.S.O.M., And Theatre Of Night Updates!!

For the first time in what seems like way too long, we have an all-Sault Michigan post for you guys on this Saturday afternoon, so what lies within? Updates from a popular local studio metal project, a surprise return of a related metal band, and two major LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the Soo Kewadin this summer, so here's what you need to know!

A huge modern/alternative rock concert is hitting The Dreammaker's Theatre at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on Friday, July 3rd that will feature three multi-platinum selling rock bands! The listed headliners are San Diego alternative metal quartet P.O.D. (best known for hits like "Alive" & "Youth of the Nation") in their first local concert appearance, and they'll be joined by fellow California hard rockers Hoobastank (who you may remember from their hits "Crawling In The Dark" & "The Reason") and Pennsylvania post-grunge quartet Fuel (of "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" & "Shimmer" fame), and given their familiar rock radio hits and long standing success, it's great to have all three here! You may also recognize Hoobastank & Fuel from opening for Staind in 2009 and Buckcherry in 2012 respectively at The Dreammaker's Theatre, though Fuel have since changed drummers, with Shannon Boone now behind the kit in place of Ken Schalk. If you've missed both bands in recent years, then circle July 3rd on your calendars!

Support will come via Saginaw rap/rock band Redburn (who opened for Saving Abel earlier this year, among other local appearances) and.... Integrated System of Machines?! You read that right, the local epic metal band has reunited after a 6 year breakup and will play live for the first time in the 2010s at this show, which is awesome to hear! Though fans did get unofficial successors End of Existence in studio in recent years, I.S.O.M. had their own big following at their late 2000s peak, including one CD, but what else do we know about their reunion? While I haven't found a newly updated online page for I.S.O.M., personal Facebook postings imply that their new lineup features original singer Bob Helsten (a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone), his Power Slug bandmate Chris Leask on bass, drummer Bart Rennels (a.k.a. Black Trab), and guitarist(?) Art Dietz, with longtime keyboardist Craig "Tubesock" Harrison noticeably absent.

This doesn't appear to be a one-off, as one Facebook posting suggests that I.S.O.M. are working on a demo of some kind, but we'll keep you posted when/if more is announced, and Integrated System of Machines are now back in our active band links! As for the P.O.D./Hoobastank/Fuel concert in general, it is being promoted by local MMA promoter Robin Cook via his new concert promotion agency Superior Entertainment (also now in our links), who also put on the Saving Abel show earlier this year. Tickets for this ALL AGES show are $38.50 in advance or $42.50 at the door, and you can buy tickets right now at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. For more details on this huge upcoming show, check the above links, and stay tuned as updates roll in!

One more big modern rock concert is hitting The Dreammaker's Theatre this year (just one week after P.O.D. in fact), as British Columbia hard rock quartet Theory of a Deadman will rock the Sault Kewadin on Friday, July 10th! Making their second local concert appearance (after a headlining show at The Dreammaker's Theater in 2012), Theory of a Deadman have 3 platinum albums in Canada, and are well known from hit songs like "Bad Girlfriend", " Lowlife", and "Nothing Could Come Between Us", and their own familiar hits and selection of heavier favourite should serve them and fans well during this stop on their Summer Savages Tour The announced openers are Missouri hard rock quintet Shaman's Harvest, who have charted some rock rasdio hits with songs like "Dragonfly" & "Dangeorous", and should fit in nicely in their local concert debut on July 10th! There will reportedly be one more band added to the lineup, we'll let you know when/if they're announced.

Promoted by Allstar Promotions in their third show since resurging (though their first in their usual modern rock wheelhouse since then), this show has a flat $36.50 ticket fee, and like the P.O.D. show, tickets for this ALL AGES event are available at this link, at the in-person box office, or at 1-800-KEWADIN. For more details (including a Facebook contest from Allstar Promotions where you could win backstage and/or meet & greet passes), visit the above links! These two shows will help bolster the summer concert season in the twin Saults, so if you enjoy modern hard and alternative rock, definitely keep your eyes on these two July shows! Stay tuned for more info!

We'll close today's all-Sault Michigan post with some news from local classical metal band Theatre of Night, so what's been going on in their camp? In terms of new music, the band featuring I.S.O.M. and End of Existence alumni have uploaded new "zombie soundtrack" songs named "Demonslayer" and "Revenge of the Living Dead" to their Reverbnation page, but whether this is an intended album theme or not isn't stated there. Both sound good and dramatic, so check them out above! Theatre of Night have also launched a campaign on the crowdfunding website Patreon, which is like Kickstarter, but allows fans to fund artists per each completed work to help them continue producing more in their medium. A lengthy biography written by keyboardist Craig Harrison can be read there, where he outlines Theatre of Night's history and past work, and it's a nice read! That said, if you pledge money to fund Theatre of Night projects, what will you get?

If you pledge $1 per song, you can get new songs as released for free plus possibly studio outtakes and Craig's own art prints. Higher amounts (i.e. $100 and $200 a song) could see money donated to the Wounded Warrior Project or you recieving ALL produced music. Crowdfunding is still a new and hit & miss idea for local bands, but hopefully fans can jump on board to help Craig, Steve, and Gaby to continue making music and finally get that third CD out, so click here for full details on the Patreon campaign, and stay tuned!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for an all-Sault Ontario news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Merry Christmas From The Sault Metal Scene!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you guys got lots of presents and are enjoying the holiday season, and as  one last present for you guys, we have a very seasonal post today full of Christmas surprises and holiday-referencing videos from recent years, including info on a Christmas album you guys should get, a Christmas-draped performance from a couple of years ago, and our last surprise audio uploads for the year, but first, here's this week's classic video (and our final one of 2012!)

Knowing that the last full week of 2012 would fall over Christmas, a seasonal metal video would work here if it was able to find, and we found one, as this is of defunct Sault Ontario metal quartet Fountain of Betrayal covering "The 12 Days of Christmas" at a Case's Music event on December 21st, 2008! We already uploaded one Facebook video of F.O.B.'s set that day onto our YouTube channel (a Beastie Boys cover), but this one fully embraces the Christmas spirit, with the 2008 Case's Battle of the Bands winners putting a hard rock spin on this classic carol! Now, it is differently arranged and shortened, but the members do show their talents for their young ages, including March Into Regression bassist Tyler St. Amour on bass & vocals, his brother/bandmate Travis on drums, and guitarists Chris West and Ryan (last name unknown, any help?) If anything, the shortening of the song doesn't work to it's advantage as it's too obvious for the cuts, but it's well performed, especially knowing that the members were preteens at the time! This was originally uploaded to Facebook by attendee Kelly Godson the day of the show, and you can view the original video at http://facebook.com/photo.php?v=105145970261.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All credit for this video goes to Fountain of Betrayal and Kelly, I'm just trying to share it with a deserving wider audience! For seasonal local metal, this video should work well, so check it out below, and stay tuned for news on the St. Amour brothers' next band projects when/if I hear of them!

Next up, here's our final surprise Christmas audio uploads of the year, and it's a full CD, that being defunct Sault Michigan metal band Integrated System of Machines' only album "Apocalyptic Vision"! One of the most prominent original metal acts in the area in the mid-late 2000s, I.S.O.M. independently released this album on March 6th, 2008, with it being available at the band's later concerts, as well as online through various sites for a couple years afterward. As best as I can tell, the band's lineup on this album featured Powerslug drummer Bob "Orb Hearthstone" Helsten on vocals, along with Chris Sevens on guitar, J. Rizzo on bass, former Dust N' Bones drummer Bart "Black Trab" Rennels, End of Existence/Theater of Night keyboardist Craig "Tubesock" Harrison, and Rachel Mender on operatic & backing vocals. Some of the lineup information is incomplete, but if you can fill in any blanks, let me know! Little else is publically known on the album through surviving online pages, but it's definitely out of print now, and I don't believe it's even on sale digitally on any active music websites.

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED!! All 10 of these songs deserve a wider audience, especially to introduce I.S.O.M. to newer fans, though partial successors End of Existence's first album does share many sound similarities. I won't individually credit every song from this album on here just to save space, but click here to see each YouTube upload, and of course, you can stream the album through I.S.O.M.'s Reverbnation page. It's a solid quality album of epic death metal, with nice heavy riffs and brutal vocal work (as alluded to in my review of this album), despite some production flaws, so check out the album's title track below, and more at the above links!

We'll close our Christmas Day post with just some light seasonal fare, starting with I.S.O.M. keyboard slayer Craig Harrison's current work, including the classical metal band Theatre of Night, who are hard at work once again on their ever-evolving debut CD "Christmas Night"! Originally released in the fall of 2010, the album has been re-released once already, and while a planned 2012 re-release with new downloadable tracks hasn't came out (from what I've seen), the best is yet to come next year, as they're overhauling the album with new arrangements and material featuring German soprano vocalist Gaby Koss! The first samples with her on vocals came out a couple weeks ago, and you can of course search the SMS using the form in the upper left for detailed coverage of their recent activity and 2013 plans. For today, enjoy the band's most recent video, which features Theater of Night's rendition of "What Child Is This?" with Gaby's very impressive singing, and keep an eye out for more big news from the Theatre of Night camp in the coming months!



Lastly, here's a video from December 27th, 2010, when three local bands descended upon Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) for The Nightmare After Christmas Party! Despite numerous pre-show lineup changes and a visit by the police over a noise complaint, the concert was a hit, from RedD Monkey's entertaining headlining set to the impromptu return of Reagle Beagle, but the video we're focusing on is from Frightlight, who added a belated festive spin to their set by having the members & stage decked out in Christmas attire (with a horror flair, of course!) Featuring the band's late 2010-early 2011 lineup (singer Johnny Pints, guitarist Rick Styles, bassist Eddie Fright, and ex-drummer Jeff "The Count" De Rose), this video is of their song "C.H.U.D.", which definitely isn't seasonal, but it's a cool song all the while! Apologies for the quality, I believe I used a borrowed camera that night. Quite possibly the last Christmas themed concert at Foggy's before it's name & owner changes, this was a solid show from what I remember (I still have the band-autographed bloody Santa shirt), and you can catch a glimpse of what went down 2 years ago below!



Once again, merry Christmas from the SMS, and here's to an even better holiday season in 2013! We'll be back to normal news and posts tomorrow, including this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on The Dyadics in the next few days! (Maybe tomorrow, but it depends on personal timing.) That and more are coming though, so stay tuned!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Suicide Kings), Plus Plenty More News & Notes!!

Before we get to this post, I just wanted to send my condolences to everyone affected by the school shooting in Connecticut yesterday. To do that to children right before Christmas is just disgusting, and hopefully something's done to prevent something similar from ever happening again. Now, it's time to clear out much of my current news cache, so we have lots of updates on this Saturday morning! Today, we have a new drumming video, a band's local concert search, the latest Haggith news, and more, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT from a band we've covered a lot on recently!

The Suicide Kings have yet another new concert on their ledger for this month, as the new hard rock quartet will return to The Nicolet Tavern one week from today! Just announced on Facebook yesterday, the band is hyping this show as a "survival party", given that it takes place on December 22nd, the day after the supposed Mayan apocalypse (note that there is no Friday show next weekend, as bassist Mitch Sirie will be in Sudbury with the returning Bear Hunters for the Doomsday Massacre metal concert that day.) This show comes just two weeks after their most recent stop at The Nic, and hopefully their originals and hard/alternative rock covers go over swimmingly once again next week! Admission is likely free for this 19+ show, and a 10:00 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Now with 6 advertised concerts on the horizon, The Suicide Kings are definitely staying busy, which is great for fans, but hopefully they can plug future shows a bit closer together or in clumps, just for convenience sake. Stay tuned for more from The Suicide Kings soon, including maybe more new concerts?

Next up, here's the latest studio updates from local grunge quartet Haggith! According to their Facebook page on Tuesday, the guys have completed the conversion and post production for their projected live album "Flight 75", which is on track for a release in January. An album cover has been chosen, but has yet to be publically revealed, so keep an eye out for updates! They also noted that they're working on upgrading recording equipment so they can hopefully record material in an analog format, and then digitize it, which would offer better sound quality on future CDs. If this goes through, their planned third studio album "Deuce" would be the first recorded this way. I'm all for improving the sound if this will help, as their recordings are good but can be muddled at times, so we'll have to see what comes of this! Also, I swear I saw on a band member's personal Facebook page that they were currently on a minor break (partly because drummer Mike Haggith is in his hometown of Windsor for the holidays), but I can't find the post to source it or cull other details. Still, look out for lots more from the Haggith camp soon!

Also today, can you help bring a metal band here for a show on Monday? Short notice, yes, but I was only able to slot it into a post today. Reader Jeffery Mills brought to my attention in a recent e-mail that Vancouver hardcore quartet Machines were hoping to play a local concert on Monday during their current Canadian tour run, as they're passing between Hamilton & Thunder Bay that day. You may recognize Machines as featuring 3 ex-members of Callahan, who played at least once in Sault Ontario back in 2009, so there's a familiar sound and essence with this band, and it'd be good to see their melodic hardcore sound in town on Monday night! If anyone out there can help book, promote, or host Machines for a possible late notice concert on Monday night, message the band at this location, and give them a listen, as they have talent and a sound that would go over well with newer hardcore fans!

Let's not leave out Sault Michigan in this post, so here's a new solo performance video from London Gentlemen/ex-Nixxon Dixxon drummer Jake LaLonde! Uploaded to his YouTube channel on Tuesday, this is his cover of Halestorm's "I Miss The Misery", as filmed above his kit (similarly to his other recent drum covers), albeit in a sepia tone for some reason. Jake's drumming is on form as you would expect for this recent hard rock hit, and his skills are clearly visible, so check out Jake's newest solo drum cover below!



Finally for today, here's three shorter assorted news stories from the last little while, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band or venue name:

• I've moved Coch's Corner from our Sault Ontario Concert Venue Info section to the Other Sault Ontario Metal Links, as its been a year since a hard rock band last played live at 708 Queen Street East. While the last Coch's Corner metal show at the old Bay Street location was only in February, the venue's current acoustic direction & recent slowed band activity haven't boded well for metal acts. Hopefully heavier music finds it way back to Coch's Corner/708 Queen at some point in the future though!
• Keeping with their recent onslaught of updates related to their new CD release, local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet have launched a SoundCloud page featuring streaming copies of the 10 tracks from the iTunes release of their self titled album! Nice little bonus to preview their work, so check the above links to stream the songs (and contact band members for the two unposted covers from the CD pressings), and if you like what you hear, buy Destroilet's new CD!
• A recent Facebook campaign has begun to try and get local horror punk/metal standouts Frightlight as an opening band for Marilyn Manson's Sudbury concert on February 1st! If successful, it would be Frightlight's first ever Sudbury show & their biggest concert to date, and there are already 48 likes in support of the idea, so if you want to voice your support of this goal, click here! Fingers crossed!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news shortly, including this month's poll and our first Christmas surprise uploads beginning next week! Thanks everyone!