Defunct Local Band Profile Series: 415E

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This monthly feature ends its 2024 run by looking at another randomly selected local band who is presently inactive or defunct, but deserves a modern spotlight for current readers, and we're back in Sault Michigan to look at a long-running (if video-deficient) hard rock band that many E.U.P. concert goers of the 2010s will remember well. Here's what you should know on them!

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415E

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Genre: Hard Rock

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

Dave "Sonny" Menard (Dirty Musky), vocals
Chris Hubbard (Rhythm & Brews), guitar
Brett Blackwood (Dirty Musky), bass
Jason VanLuven (Unfortunate Sun), drums

Jack Slater (The Highest Of Fives, Unleashed), bass
Mitch Goetz (The Highest Of Fives, Hoist The Sails), bass
Devin Anderson (The Highest Of Fives, Free Refill), drums
Tony Hubbard (Splitshot, Stonewall Creation), drums

Audio/Video:  415E initially claimed to have finished an entire original album upon their September 2012 launch, and would play their own songs live at least into mid-2013, but the album was never visibly released. They were reticent to publically post videos of their shows or jam sessions online, possibly to encourage fans to actually see them live, but the band covered the likes of Shinedown, Godsmack, Ozzy Osbourne, and Volbeat in their early shows, with Chris also being noted for his Van Halen fandom and covering them thusly here. Dave & Brett's current band Dirty Musky will hold obvious musical comparisons to 415E, as will Chris' work in bands like Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, Trail's End, and (presently) Rhythm & Brews. Here's 415E's sole known public video, of their original lineup covering The Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" in their live debut!

Info/Analysis: Publically launching at The Hubbard-Menard Band, former Splitshot bandmates Dave Menard & Chris Hubbard soon added Jack Slater and Devin Anderson to their lineup, and took the name 415E (police code for a noise disturbance from a concert or party) in October 2012. Debuting to open for Sebastian Bach in January 2013, they began playing headlining concerts on the weekend nightclub circuit that spring, primarily at Kewadin Casino lounges, including road trips to Manistique. After a spell of shorthanded gigs (some as a duo), Dave & Chris added Mitch Goetz and Chris' dad Tony in the fall of 2014, with this era of the band running into mid-2017. 415E returned after a year+ hiatus in December 2018 with Brett Blackwood & Jason VanLuven as their new rhythm section, but shows became increasingly sporadic, and they were last seen at The Hilltop Bar on Sugar Island in October 2021.

I wish I could say more on 415E as a band, but given their elusive nature re: public videos, I'm limited for direct thoughts. Their STP cover was well done, and they always had a talented lineup, with Chris always showing considerable skill on guitar, so I'm sure that any videos from their heyday would be worth checking out if uploaded belatedly. Do check out Dirty Musky, Rhythm & Brews, and Unfortunate Sun to see what band members of their last lineup are up to nowadays, and R.I.P. Tony!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! This series will return on or around January 10th as we kick off 2025 in this series for another randomly selected profile, and next month, we're looking at 2010s Sault Ontario grindcore/death metal duo Rotopsy! Look for that then, and for weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews, And New Videos!!

I normally try to avoid getting 3 posts on the site in the same day, but I admittedly had a blonde moment: Sault Michigan-area weekend concert previews for this weekend! With that said, let's get right to it, plus some new videos, and LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year!

Kinross classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino for Friday & Saturday night concerts on July 15th & 16th, and then on August 5th & 6th! The new shows were confirmed via Banned's Facebook page in their newest cover photo, as Kewadin's entertainment page is not updated that far into the year yet. Alex, Don, and Wayne should rock out nicely for these newest summer dates, but remember, they'll first be hitting The Rapids Lounge TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT for this weekend's action, so don't miss this talented trio's latest local dates if you can help it! As usual for Banned's Kewadin dates, these shows have 9:00 PM start times, age limits of 21 or older, and no announced cover charges. See the above links for more details, and here's Banned live last year!



Also this weekend, Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quartet Highway 63 will themselves be rocking out at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Though the band curiously hasn't plugged a concert on their Facebook page in the past month, I have read nothing to suggest that they're not playing this weekend, so expect a strong weekend of familiar favourites and many heavier cuts as they rock The Northern Pines Lounge once again! No word though on the location pictured in the photos from their newest picture, which shows a casino, but that's not the stage backdrop for either Kewadin branch's lounge. Like with this weekend's Banned shows, expect 21+ age limits, no announced cover charges, and 9:00 PM age limits. Check the above links for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



We'll close today with new videos from a pair of Sault Michigan artists, including an audio cover of The Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song" by 415E singer Dave Menard! This was uploaded to bandmate Chris Hubbard's YouTube channel last week in two copies (one with dead air at the end and a scrolling picture of Dave, the other with no dead air and the same photo in a stationary frame.) A rare upload from Chris that isn't of him performing, it's a nice rendition of this S.T.P. classic by Dave, and it's a good preview of 415E's live show, especially with the lack of public concert videos of theirs. Give it a listen below!



Finally for today, here's a new solo performance video from Project 906/ex-Ten Kings guitarist Joe Jenkins, as uploaded to his YouTube channel last week as well, and it's again of him demonstrating four new guitar pedals that he picked up. Featuring some discussion of them and some light performing to showcase the pedals in action, it's a fun video for guitar gear fans, so check it out below, and don't miss Project 906's debut on Thursday!



That's definitely all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Another New Album Release, New Videos, And Much More!!

Happy Thanksgiving and/or Columbus Day, everyone! Hope you guys are enjoying the holiday (if you're off), and remember that if you're up for a punk show tonight, go see Dearly Beloved, local favourites Redundant, and a new local band named The Northern Tragedy (featuring at least one Changing Waves member) TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! No word on if the latter band are heavier or not, but if I hear anything, I'll let you guys know, and click here for show details! Now, today's post (which thankfully has no band breakups) does feature some assorted recent stories, new videos from a local guitarist, and leading off, another new album release, so here's what you need to know!

Just a day after our drought for new Sault Ontario metal/hard rock albums ended, another one is already out, but from a familiar recent source, as Haggith drummer Mike Haggith has finally released his newest solo album "Neighbourhood Watch"! Over 8 months after it's originally announced release date, Mike has finally released his 45th official solo album for fans to pick up & stream, following months of delays and external work with other projects, so what should you know? His first main solo album since his independent label Rotten Records became Galactic Records, the album's final track listing has been amended & pared down from it's last posted incarnation, with it now featuring (in order) "To Whom This May Concern", "Room 822", "The Ballad of K2-K3", "The Day The Lights Went Out" (returning from older track listings), "Limb Coast", "Leon The Janitor" (itself a recent Haggith live track), and a new addition named "Far Too Long". As a result, the songs "Door To My Mind", "Wicked Midnight Ride", "Fading", and his covers of Black Hole Suns material have been removed for unannounced reasons, but there's still 7 quality original songs to give a listen to!

The album can now be purchased in mp3 format for the low low price of $4.50 via Mike's store on his Reverbnation page, with individual tracks going for 99¢ and ringtones for $2.49, but note that you'll save almost $2.50 if you buy the whole album rather than the songs individually. Physical copies can be bought as well by contacting Mike directly at this location, but if you just wanna stream or preview this new material, then you're in luck, as Mike has posted the whole album (as one 38 minute audio file) on his YouTube channel! Mike has described "Neighbourhood Watch" as having a lighter and more of a jam/groove feel than his last solo album "Suspended Animation", but what are my thoughts? I won't say yet, as I plan on formally reviewing this album soon on the site hopefully by year's end! We already have his band Haggith's debut "Dragon Joy Ride" lined up for this month, so a "Neighbourhood Watch" review could be coming as soon as next month, pending other new releases. Either way, there's a lot of new stuff from Mike's local projects to check out, and it's great to see this album finally out, so support his new material by buying it at the above links, and here's the full new album to stream!



Next up, here's some notes on a YouTube channel from a young local guitarist! After Sault Ontario hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust linked Facebook fans to a video of band members covering Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" with other students at a recent school performance, I found out that the video is one of many featuring and edited by Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy, who has posted numerous solo guitar covers to his YouTube channel since this summer (along with that Pink Floyd performance.) His channel features 19 solo guitar covers at present from various genres, ranging from Black Sabbath, System of a Down, and Drowning Pool to Bryan Adams, Gotye, and Lifehouse covers, including many songs that Ashes To Dust play in concert, so check the above links to see some or all of them! The editing and camera angles are nice on these videos, and Alex shows clear skill as a guitarist, and he keeps up well with the backing tracks when used!

I'm curious to hear Alex try some more heavier material, or maybe some original compositions, but Alex is a guitarist to keep an eye on, so check the above links for more, and here's his rendition of Three Days Grace's "Animal I Have Become"!




And finally, here's three more assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as always, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Michigan hard rockers The Hubbard-Menard Band have quietly changed their name to 415E for unannounced reasons, though I'd assume the addition of bassist Jack Slater is partly related, as they're no longer just Hubbard & Menard. 415E is the name of both their independent studio & one of their original songs, so there's roots already there for the new moniker. I like it, but hopefully we'll hear some more news from them soon, and SMS links are now updated for the new name!
• Though public updates continue to be sporadic, and their live hiatus is now approaching 20 months, local old school hardcore quintet Destroilet are working on new original recordings right now, with a song named "Eternal Fire" being previewed via this raw video from drummer Matt Waples' personal Facebook page! The quality's not too clear, but there is something there, so check it out above (I can't embed it here) while we wait for more Destroilet updates!
• According to their Facebook page, local grimecore trio Shit Liver are looking to play a Halloween concert of some type, be it at an actual concert venue or elsewhere. If this goes as planned, it will be their first live concert in over 4 months, but if you can help them out, give them a shout at the above links!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news shortly, including our latest Defunct Local Band Profile on Unleashed on Wednesday! Thanks everyone!

Haggith, Ashes To Dust, And AlterWhite News, And Much More!!

Happy October, everyone! The last quarter of 2012 is upon us, and after our quietest month at the SMS since the spring of 2010, hopefully this news post will be the first of many through Halloween. That said, there's no fallout from the Evans Blue show at Kewadin Casino yet (I expect some stuff to be forthcoming), but today's post does feature new videos and songs from some Sault Ontario hard rock projects, a bunch of assorted news items, and leading off, some Haggith updates, so here's what you need to know!

Sault Ontario grunge quartet Haggith have kept fans updated with more recent uploads and statuses, most recently including the cover of their forthcoming debut album "Dragon Joy Ride"! Seen on your right, it was posted on Facebook yesterday, and while I really like dragon/yin yang design, the font used for the title seems too generic & slapped on. A formal paid release of this album is forthcoming, so stay tuned for updates on that front! In another recent note, drummer/producer Mike Haggith indicated on the Facebook event page for the Soo Zombie Walk's pre-party on October 20th that the band are looking into securing a busking permit so they can play their planned third album "Apocalypse" from front to back outdoors during the zombie walk itself, which would be interesting to see & hear, so hopefully that works out for them! Finally for Haggith news today, they shared this photo on Facebook last month hinting towards a future concert at Algoma University, presumably referring to The Speak Easy. Nothing's been hinted at since, but stay tuned in case we hear more on that and other Haggith developments!

Next up, here's the latest updates from young local hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust! We haven't heard much from them since they made their non-Superior Heights debut at the second Sewer Swampstravaganza in July, but they do have some recent news to cover, starting with some lineup changes. At some point recently (I'm guessing last month), the band parted ways with bassist Kyle Breckenridge for unannounced reasons. Disappointing, but I remember that he did need some work on his bass skills, so hopefully he'll come back stronger in a new band down the road! As a result of his departure, singer Noah Morden has taken on bass duties as well in the band, and Ashes To Dust have since enlisted Liam Yeomans as a second guitarist. I'm not familiar with Liam musically, but it'll be interesting to hear how two guitarists impact Ashes To Dust's sound, and hopefully Noah's bass skills work well for them going forward as well!

That said, footage of their new lineup isn't online yet, but some newer videos of their original lineup are, courtesy of their YouTube channel. Uploaded in late August, these include a short blooper video with some cute moments, and as featured below, a new jam session video of Ashes to Dust covering Judas Priest's version of Joan Baez's "Diamonds & Rust"! Featuring multiple camera angles & some visual effects, it's a solid cover that's familiar from their live concerts, and though it's not quite the best song for Noah's vocal style, the guys had a good handle on it! Check out Ashes To Dust covering "Diamonds & Rust" below, and stay tuned for more updates from them as they come in!



Also in the news, here's the latest updates from local metal project AlterWhite! Last week, singer/drummer Mike Matthews uploaded no less than 12 new original songs onto the band's YouTube channel, though curiously, they're credited under his name and not the AlterWhite banner. I don't know if he's phasing out the name for his original music, but it does look like he might have split with guitarist Kevin McCarthy, judging by the lack of mentions on the new videos and a recent posting on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group, where Mike referred to looking for a drummer for a rock band. I'm to assume (if this is for AlterWhite) that Mike's moving to other instruments in Kevin's absence, but best of luck to Kevin in the future if he is indeed gone, and if you're interested in trying out as Mike's new drummer, message him at this location! That said, Mike/AlterWhite's new songs are entitled "Broken Window", "When You Left Me", "Too Late", "Connected By Light", "What Is Sane?", "Pray", "Consider", "World of You", "Play Still", "That's Rude", "Wasted", and "Don't Cry For Me", so click each link above to check these songs out!

Seemingly grouped in album format (judging by the "Connected By Light" title on each video's image), these songs are showing gradual improvement from past AlterWhite material, and there's some welcome diversity and energy on these songs! Mike's singing is slowly becoming less of a James Hetfield copy, and the songs tend to be fairly heavy with some catchy beats! I'd like to hear these songs (and the older AlterWhite songs) done with a fuller band, but Mike's improving each time we hear his original material, and his stuff is worth a listen, so here's the first song "Broken Window", stream the rest at the above links, and stay tuned for more news from AlterWhite as I hear it!



And finally for today, here's some assorted shorter stories from the last little while! As always, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Michigan hard rockers The Hubbard-Menard Band have announced the addition of Jack Slater to their lineup as their new bassist, as per their Facebook page on Saturday. An alum of bands like 7/47, Unleashed and The Highest of Fives, Jack does have bass talent, and I'm curious to see what kind of chemistry he has with Chris & Dave, especially with what appear to be live concert plans in the future! Stay tuned for more band updates as I hear them!
• Eckerman metal quartet Life's Eclipse have quietly re-emerged with a snippet of a new untitled song on mainman Jason Mills' SoundCloud page, and it has a lot of melodic heavy metal promise packed in it's 57 second length, so it's worth checking out! SoundCloud also alludes to it being in the section "The Dark Kingdom", but is that a possible album name? Time will tell!
• I've moved Sault Ontario industrial metal project Riverin to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The band featuring Dirty Virgin alumni Matt Hicks & Matt Clement have not updated their online pages since May 2011, with the last direct mention on members' personal Facebook pages (that I can find) coming on September 29th of last year. Riverin had a unique sound compared to other local bands, so hopefully the Matts bring Riverin back down the road, and check them out at the above links!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Red Ribbon Walk), Weekend Concert Previews, And More Sault Michigan News!!

Lately, we've seemed to talk about Sault Michigan a lot, with three of our last four posts featuring at least half of the focus on activities across the river. Well, that trend continues today with an all Sault Michigan post, so what's on deck? We have some assorted news items from across the river, a new video from most of a local metal band, and this weekend's concert previews for the known metal & hard rock shows this weekend, starting with a short notice LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you need to know!

I apologize for the short notice on this event, but I only just heard confirmed and citable details on it last night. One week after the debut of the Sault Riverview Music Festival, another charitable all ages outdoor concert will hit City Hall at 225 East Portage Avenue, and it will cap off TOMORROW'S Red Ribbon Walk in support of substance abuse awareness! Note that most similar examples I've read online are for AIDS awareness, but I'm just going by what the Facebook event page tells me. Put on by Child & Family Services of the Upper Peninsula, there will be a fundraising walk downtown alongside vendors and some children's activities, with the walk itself kicking off at 4:00 PM, but after that wraps up, there will be live local music, including at least one heavier band! That band is local hard rock/metal quartet Tantrym Tyme, who will continue their streak of prominent outdoor concert events with a set at the Red Ribbon Walk concert, so look out for their improving and developing brand of heavier covers tomorrow! At least two other bands will join them, those being local cover rock quartet Chump Change (featuring Oddfellow, Bucksaw, and 2PumpChump alumni) and indie pop duo Missy & Chelsea (themselves frequently seen at recent outdoor events), while the event page linked above says that there will be more bands, though I can't confirm any others at the moment.

This FREE & ALL AGES event will go down at 5:00 PM outside of City Hall, and while a full schedule isn't out for the concert portion of the Red Ribbon Walk, Tantrym Tyme's Facebook page indicates they'll be on at around 6:00 PM. Check the above links for more details! This should be another entertaining concert full of great local talent, and hopefully more local fans show up to support this great cause and enjoy local music! For a preview, here's Tantrym Tyme covering Pantera & Iron Maiden this summer!



Seeing as that was also a concert preview given the short notice, let's keep the trend going with one more preview for the weekend schedule, that being for the return of Kinross hard rockers Banned TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off a date in Gould City (and at the Sault Riverview Music Festival) last weekend, Alex, Don, and Jim (and maybe Mike?) will head back to Moran, Michigan for their third stop at Todd's Tavern this year for another set of hard hitting and entertaining covers & originals! Note that this might be their first stop at the former Bullwinkle's since rhythm guitarist Alex Schrovenwever moved to Marquette for college, but I can't confirm that with certainty. Either way, the Traynors and company have made Todd's Tavern one of their favourite stomping grounds in recent months, so if you live near Moran or are up for a trip there tomorrow, go for it! Admission should be free for this 21+ concert, and the band's Facebook page lists an oddly early start time of 8:00 PM. For more details, visit the above links! Banned should rock hard tomorrow night, so don't miss this show if you can help it, and for a preview, here's the band covering Alice In Chains' "Man In The Box" at The Bird in January!



Thirdly today, here's a little something for you Scofflaw fans! Though they have a solid following in the area, shows & formal updates from this raw edged metal trio tend to be sporadic and/or without an online announcement, so the fact that this video got delayed for an SMS post isn't too surprising. Uploaded to drummer Ivan Schliska's YouTube channel in January, it's of the full band (bassist Barney Gravelle's there, just not in frame) playing what appears to be their self-titled song at a member's home (complete with foosball table), and it's a solid performance compared to what I'm used to musically from Scofflaw! The video quality's great (the best I've seen for Scofflaw), and frontman Jeff Barnes is putting his stage presence to great use, but he would likely sound better if he had a microphone to sing into, and why is Barney shoved so far out of frame? If you like Scofflaw and their rough but catchy brand of metal, you should like this video, so check it out below, and stay tuned in a future post for another video from Ivan's YouTube channel featuring more familiar faces!



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

• I've moved ex-Hammerspace guitarist Justin Smith's solo project Denaturant to our inactive Sault Michigan band links, due to the recent deletion of their Facebook page, which generally indicates a cessation of activity. I'm disappointed to see Denaturant end, but Justin has talent, and hopefully he pops up in a new band soon! As their Facebook page is now gone, I've replaced it's link on the SMS with their Reverbnation page.
• According to recent postings on their Facebook page, local/Grand Rapids epic metal band End of Existence are once again looking for a lead singer! This seems to indicate that their relationship with Theatre of Night frontwoman Gaby Koss is either temporary or shelved. If you can sing (you don't have to sound like their past vocalists), contact the guys at this location and/or record some vocals on their instrumental tracks!
• As of September 7th, sessions for The Hubbard-Menard Band's debut CD have finished! According to their Facebook page, plans are to order CDs so they can be sold locally "soon", before this new band featuring Splitshot alumni begin playing live concerts. I'm very curious to hear the full tracks and beyond from The Hubbard-Menard Band, so definitely stay tuned to the above links for further details!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our review of "Yooper Bars" and more news & notes shortly! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Banned), Sault Michigan News, And Some New Videos!!

Happy Sunday, everyone! The long weekend is in full swing in Sault Ontario, but today's post largely focuses on goings on in Sault Michigan (with one exception), so read on below for a new video from a local record label, new live performance clips, some updates from two bands with Nixxon Dixxon alumni, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning an annual music festival!

Kinross hard rock quartet Banned are returning to The Sugar Island Music Festival this coming weekend! The annual festival in nearby Sugar Island is back for it's 12th installment from Friday through Sunday, and there will be plenty of family activities, vendors, and entertainment all weekend long for attendees to take in, so click here to see what's on tap! As best as I can tell, Banned will be the only hard rock band this year (the other heavier bands from last year, Free Refill & The Highest of Fives, have been dormant in recent months), but they'll bring their hard rocking and classic covers & originals to the outdoor stage on Sugar Island at 8:00 PM on Friday, which is a 2 hour improvement from last year for their set! The Friday headliners are 3-ZIP at 10:00 PM, with The Foster's Sportsmen's Club Band at 9:00 PM, and Banned will be preceded by Missy & Chelsea, Hillsdale indie band AllArms, and solo performer Frank Kieronski from 8:00-6:00 PM. Note that online information on these acts is generally minimal, but from what I understand, the bands that play at The Sugar Island festival tend to lean in a softer folk/country direction, so Banned are somewhat of an outlier. The Saturday and Sunday schedules contain no visible hard rock, but each Friday band except Banned and Frank Kieronski will return for at least one more set, so check the above links for more details!

Like last year, admission will be $6 for a single day and $10 for a full weekend pass (there's no deal for just 2 days), but children under 10 can get in free. Admission buttons can be purchased on site this weekend or in advance at Grooves Music in Sault Michigan or at Ed's Bayview Store, The Hilltop Bar & Grill, or the Westshore Convenience Store in Sugar Island. Camping and other activities have their own costs, so click here for all admission details! Though this year's festival doesn't contain as much heavy music as past installments, it should be another great weekend of music & family entertainment in Sugar Island, and hopefully Banned rock the stage well in their return! Stay tuned for more on the Sugar Island Music Festival as the week rolls along!

Next up, here's some more Sault Michigan news relating to two bands featuring Nixxon Dixxon alumni! First, the new local hard rock project The Hubbard-Menard Band have revealed a setlist that they're working on, which is surprising given that they're still just a two man project. Featuring 42 songs (one's double counted), it's split in three categories: All 15 of their original songs, 15 Van Halen covers, and 12 covers of other bands, and this looks very promising if The Hubbard-Menard Band become a performing act at some point! Van Halen-heavy for the covers, but Chris Hubbard is a huge fan of theirs and can do the songs justice (his solo YouTube videos are proof), so old Nixxon Dixxon fans should be excited! Click here for the full setlist, and stay tuned for more from them! The other news is that local indie rock quartet The London Gentlemen (featuring Chris' ex-bandmates Kyle Beaumont & Jake LaLonde) have been named as the local openers for the Buckcherry/Fuel concert at Kewadin Casino on August 13th (one week from Monday.) That news was broken on The London Gentlemen's Facebook page last month, but Allstar Promotions or Kewadin Casino have yet to publically confirm the local openers. This is a great opportunity, as even though they're not a real genre match, the talent's there!

Plus, all of the members have opened for major bands at Kewadin, including Steve Sivret & Mike Russo opening for Buckcherry in March 2011 as Fallen Heroes, and Kyle & Jake's numerous opening slots with Nixxon Dixxon, so they're all well suited for this event! Tickets are still available from the fifth row back for $35, so click here to order online, and stay tuned for updates!

We'll close this post with some new videos, and first, here's the latest footage from Sault Ontario grunge trio Haggith! Uploaded onto YouTube user paperclipprojectX's channel (which I believe is ran by guitarist Daniel Horton) last week, these newest two videos are also from their Canada Day weekend sets in Goulais River, and they're of their original songs "Rage Train" and (as embedded below) "Living It On The Run" and "Wanko"! The former song on the second video is brand new to me, but it has a nice contrast in softer verses and an aggressive chorus, though they have heavier originals. Solid stuff, but I wish the camera was consistently closer than it is. Check out Haggith's newest videos above and below!



Finally, here's a short video from Eckerman, Michigan studio/label Werehold Records entitled "The Birth of Werehold". Uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, it features the logos of 8 of the label's bands (including the yet-to-be-revealed Awaken Eidolon, but not Wearwithal or Orb Hearthstone's solo project) fading in and out of view along with the label logo, with text stating that "the birth of Werehold" is "coming soon". I'm curious as to what this means, as Werehold Records already exists, so what's being born? A full relaunch? Live concerts by their band roster? Album releases? Something else? Time will tell, but check out this video below and see if you can decipher anything!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes very soon! Thanks everyone!

Newly Posted Audio Material, Bands Looking To Play Here, And More!!

Hey guys, it's time for our 41st and last post of July in what has been our busiest month in SMS history! Hard to believe that we've never posted 40 times in a month until now, but with some major concerts and happenings in the past four weeks, it makes sense! If we get 34 posts in August, we'll break our 2 month posting record from last spring, but who knows what August holds. For now, let's clear out some more backlogged news, including a bunch of new audio uploads, some bands hoping for new concerts in the area, updates to one of our monthly feature series, and more assorted news, so here's what you need to know! First, let's talk about some new media from Sault Michigan hard rock project The Hubbard-Menard Band, who have posted six new instrumental demo recordings onto their Facebook page in the past few weeks! These include songs named "Soo-Inside" (no relation to the local band Sue Inside), "One More Time Around", "415E", "The Zone", "All For You", and "Reach Around", so click each link to hear the new songs! That leaves 3 songs yet unrevealed for their planned debut CD, but a track listing posting on their Facebook page reveals that the remaining three songs will be titled "Whatever", "Heart of Stone", and "Right Here", while also confirming that the one song is spelled "Run Ragged", not "Run Ragid" as it was titled on the video. Also, the album's last track (which was previously untitled) will apparently be called "The Stranger In Me". I won't give detailed thoughts on the new songs yet (I'm still operating under the premise that I'll review this as a finished album), and I can't embed them here (Facebook needs to allow that), but old Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, and Trail's End fans should enjoy what Chris & Dave are working on here! I'm intrigued, especially for Dave's singing, and you know we'll keep tabs on The Hubbard-Menard Band and their CD plans as more updates come in! Next up, here's another new song from new Sault Ontario grunge band Haggith! Entitled "No Cure For Insanity", it's a composition by singer/guitarist Curtis McKenzie as uploaded to his YouTube channel earlier this month, and though the YouTube description doesn't indicate any Haggith connections, it's definitely either in or will be in their setlists. It's an energetic hard rock number with melodic and vibrant guitar work and effective singing, but it'd be nice to see the full band performing on this one. Still, it's definitely worth checking out, and hopefully we'll see it on Haggith's planned first album, which they've indicated is being aimed for a 2013 release. Check out "No Cure For Insanity" below! Thirdly today, here's a couple more bands looking for local concert bookings this year! Firstly, I recently received e-mails from Wayne Holden of Reversed Records, who's looking to secure a local booking for Vancouver speed metal notables West of Hell in early November, likely the 6th or 7th. You may remember them as headliners at a Dismembertainment-promoted Canadian Nightclub show in May, and anyone that was there knows that they stole the show with their brutal and entertaining set of originals! I sent him some contacts, but in case they don't help, can anyone out there help book West of Hell for another local concert date this fall? If you're interested, e-mail Wayne at this location! Also, from last word that I had, North Bay black metallers Empyrean Plague were still on the hunt for another local concert, following successful stops in Sault Ste. Marie last fall and at the Ypres Metal Fest. Frontman "Builder" Mike Burge has made postings on SMS pages this summer hinting at their desire for another local concert stop this year, and I know many of us would love to see Empyrean Plague back in town soon, so if you can help them get a local booking, message Mike at this location, and stay tuned for some more out of town bands looking for local bookings! Also today, here's three assorted shorter stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or website name:

• Eckerman, Michigan metal quartet Life's Eclipse have uploaded their song "Not Dead But Dreaming" to the Werehold Records YouTube channel! We've featured it on here before, so I won't go into a lot of detail, but it's a great instrumental metal song, and this version's of a higher quality than earlier postings, so give it a look! Also note that the description mentions that the album this will be a part of, "Shadow Over Superior", is based on stories by the writer H.P. Lovecraft.
• Local punk trio Redundant have been confirmed as the local openers for THIS FRIDAY'S Riding Shotgun/Project Mars concert at The Canadian Nightclub! The news was broken via the new local event page for the show, adding to a busy stretch of shows this weekend for Redundant, including the Shotgun Dolls show at The Rosie on Thursday, and an acoustic set at Coch's Corner on Saturday. Interesting choice to open, but the talent is there, so don't miss them, and stay tuned for my preview of this show later this week!
• SooToday's current poll is on what events you wanna see more of at The Essar Center, and among the numerous choices are "Metal music" and "Rock music"! As of this writing, the leading votegetter is "All of the above!" with 665 votes (30%-ish of the total), with rock music in second with 448 votes & metal in a distant fourth with 105 votes. Make your voices heard while the poll is still up at the above link, and click here for the current results!

And finally for this month, here's some updates to our Defunct Local Band Profile Series entries, to make them more accurate and current! On both the AtrophiA and Bring The Fallen profiles, I noted the name change of Bring The Misery to March Into Regression for both bands' common members' other notable band work, and I did the same on the AtrophiA profile for ex-bassist Ryan Gray's work in Free Beer, who I'd labeled under their lesser used name M.O.B.. On the M7K profile, I updated project leader Mike Vincent's band history to reflect his recent band breakups and include a brief mention for his old band Devastation of the Heavens. On the Harsh Heads profile, I noted guitarist Bob Bromley Jr.'s work in the London punk band Gatgas, while also adding a brief note on our review of their posthumous CD, and I edited the State of Misery profile to allude to their last show and latest breakup (while adding With Blood Builds Character as a later band of Ray Cowan's.) There's more edits to note next month, but check the above links for all that's different and new in this batch! That's all for today, but I'll see you guys in August with more news, previews, feature posts, and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman & Tym Morrison), A New Local Band & Album, And More!!

We're behind on news at the SMS, so let's stack this post with a ton of news! Today, we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for a bunch of shows featuring a prominent local musician this month, a brand new local metal album release, and some more assorted stories, but leading things off is a new addition to our band links, so read on below for the news, and check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one!

We have added a new band to our active Sault Michigan band links, locking us in the 20 band range again, and it's The Hubbard-Menard Band! The new hard rock project from former Splitshot bandmates Dave Menard & Chris Hubbard (ex-Nixxon Dixxon/Trail's End) finally launched their Facebook page on Saturday, which is already updated a lot more than Chris' previous bands' Facebook pages ever were, which is a good sign! These include lots of photos, including the back cover for the proposed Hubbard-Menard Band album, which lists the song titles and credits 415E Studios as where the tracks were recorded. As well, instrumental demos of 6 songs (including the 3 that were previously on Chris' personal Facebook page) have been posted there (most with titles), including the tracks "Better Way", "Gypsy", "Wonderland", "Livin' It Up", "Run Ragid", and an untitled track that they plan to end the album with, so click each link to check them out! Remember, as Facebook video files, I can't embed them here. Plans are to record the remaining 9 songs towards a 15 song album release, and add vocals to each, with plans still in place to release the recordings on CD in the future, so keep posted at the above links!

Will The Hubbard-Menard Band take off successfully? Will this CD come out, and in what forms? How does Dave sound as a singer? How will this material compare to the originals Chris recorded with his old bands? All of these are questions I'll follow for the site, but it's just good to see Dave & Chris back together in this new project, and to see a new Sault Michigan band pop up, as this could be a good shot in the arm for their scene! Stay tuned to the SMS for more on The Hubbard-Menard Band as it comes in, and they're now in our Sault Michigan band links!

Next up, it's time for a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS relating to local singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's various projects, as he's booked solid for every weekend this month, including three concert weekends from the metal trio the fronts, Caveman Morrison! After a month+ break from the local stage, Caveman Morrison will return to The Roosevelt Hotel over the next two weekends (This Friday only & July 13th-14th), while they'll hit The Nicolet Tavern for the first time this summer on July 27th & 28th, which sounds like a busy and hard hitting month of shows for this talented local band! Note that I don't know why they're not playing this Saturday, and I also haven't heard who'll be on bass yet, as they parted ways with James White shortly before their shows at The Rosie last month, though if I hear anything on that front, I'll let you guys know! Admission for all of the above shows should be free, you must be 19 to attend any of them, and 10:00 PM start times are likely on all fronts. For more details, click the dates above, which is where I linked the Facebook event pages to save some space. It's great to see Caveman Morrison lining up so many new concerts, and hopefully they get great crowds at each one this month, so don't miss them, including THIS FRIDAY at The Rosie!

Leading from the new Caveman Morrison shows, you may have noticed no bookings over the July 20th-21st weekend from them. Well, Tym Morrison will bring his solo acoustic show back to The Service Grill on Korah Road over both nights with very long nights of his unplugged hard rock and metal covers, as you've come to expect! Like his other recent solo gigs, he'll be playing two sets on Friday the 20th and Saturday the 21st, with each one starting at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM. I don't believe there's an age limit, given the restaurant setting, and there shouldn't be a cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's always good to check out a Tym Morrison solo concert, and at one of his favourite stomping grounds no less, so West Enders and Rosie regulars don't have to go too far to see his unplugged metal and hard rock covers on July 20th & 21st! Stay tuned for more updates from Tym & Caveman Morrison as they roll in!

Also in the news, a new local metal album went on sale yesterday as expected, and it's Sault Michigan classical metal trio Theatre of Night's second album "The Dawn's Early Light"! Though the release on Canada Day rather than Independence Day is still a headscratcher, this American patriotic-themed album is now available to purchase through Reverbnation, CDBaby, Amazon, and other retailers to be announced (likely including iTunes), so check the above links to pick it up! The price does vary a lot though, as Reverbnation has it for $4.99 in mp3 format, while CDBaby's mp3 cost is almost double that, so do some price shopping. I have my copy already, and with it's successful scheduled release, I can guarantee that this month's CD review will be of "The Dawn's Early Light", but how will it stack up to "Christmas Night" as a classical metal concept album? I'm curious to find out for sure, so stay tuned to the SMS this month (hopefully earlier in the month) for my review, and pick up Craig & the Giles brothers' latest handiwork at the above links!

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

• The new Coch's Corner location is hosting live music once again! Members of local blues rock band Blues Harvest played there late last month as per their Facebook page, while the open mic nights hosted by Greg Callaghan have returned as well from what I understand. As for when metal will return to the former Foggy's location, that's up in the air, but keep an eye out in case I hear something!
• I'll likely be moving ex-Hoist The Sails/Analog Deficiency guitarist Nathan Switzer's solo project to our inactive Sault Michigan band links tomorrow due to a year's inactivity. He hasn't posted on his solo Facebook page since a year ago tomorrow, though I know he still does some local music work & songwriting. Hopefully he revisits his solo work though, as he's definitely a talented young musician!
• The Sault College Health & Wellness Center will have a bar & restaurant on site! The news was briefly confirmed in a recent Sault Star article on the new building, and this basically confirms that there will be a replacement for The Outback of some type when the new wellness center opens next summer. Will it house live bands? Time will tell, but even this small note is encouraging, and I'll keep you guys posted!
  

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news tomorrow, and on Wednesday, keep an eye out for what we have planned for our fifth anniversary! Don't be an odd fellow or inhuman, for all that you know, we may just be going to a cafe in St. Ignace... are those too much of a hint? Stay tuned!

LemmaFest Fallout, Chris Hubbard News, And A Local Band's Likely Inactivity!!

The blitz of Sault Michigan-centric posts continues today with our third all-American post in the past three days! In this case, we have news on a local guitarist's latest band project and performance video, the likely negative status of a local hard rock band, but first, here's some notable early fallout from a big recent concert event! (Edited on Monday at 12:22 AM)

Let's start with some fallout from yesterday's second annual LemmaFest outside of Dondee Lanes, and by all accounts I've heard so far, the event went great! A nice big photo album has been posted onto Brimley metal trio Half A Man's Facebook page featuring over 300 photos from the event, so we can get some insights into what happened and the differences from last year, so here's what I've noticed! This year, the stage was covered (unlike last year), which is handy to provide some shade and rain protection, but I believe the weather was clear all day. Half A Man got nicely varied photos of each outdoor band except themselves (understandably) and indie rock quartet The London Gentlemen, as the band was hauling gear during their set. The photos also include a Brimley-based solo musician named Caitlin LeBlanc, who appears to have been a late lineup addition before Chump Change's set. Even without advance word, I can tell that she is a talented young singer/guitarist thanks to the videos on her YouTube channel, which includes two from LemmaFest, the first I've ever seen from either year on YouTube. Feel free to check out her videos, she definitely can go places in the area for her genre!

Other notes from the photos: Munising metal band Infathom played as a quartet last night (guitarist Josh Stadler currently lives out of state), Half A Man were indeed selling some type of demo CD at the event (looks similar to the demo that Elipzis sold in 2010), Bucksaw's lineup appears to be the same as last year's (no word on their genre or possible online pages though), there were speakers on stage this year before the last two outdoor bands (possibly Mike Lemma's family?), Half A Man drummer Mikey Bishop joined Infathom on stage later in their set (no word on if he played anything though), and there were some nice aesthetic touches among the outdoor setup, including a floating lantern and a LemmaFest 2012 banner that the bands and attendees signed once again. Check the above links to see all of the new photos! Everything sounds like it went great for the second annual LemmaFest, and hopefully next year's event is even bigger and better! Mike would be proud of everything that happened last night, I'm sure! Stay tuned for more fallout from LemmaFest as it comes in, including hopefully some more videos and clarification to any lingering questions!

Next up, here's some news relating to talented local guitarist Chris Hubbard! The Nixxon Dixxon alum is apparently working on a new original project with former Splitshot bandmate Dave Menard named Hubbard-Menard that are apparently planning to release an album of some type! Now, album plans for local bands can mean anything from a full release to just a collected free posting, so we'll have to see if this ever gets compiled for sale, but Chris announced on his personal Facebook page that he's hoping to release this all on CD by "the end of the month". The Hubbard-Menard project will feature Dave on vocals and Chris on all instruments, and instrumental demos of three original songs have been posted onto Facebook at this location, but as Facebook video files, I can't embed them here. They definitely sound promising and have a nice heavy sound with proficient guitar work, and they sound a bit heavier than Nixxon Dixxon's originals did, but I'm especially curious to hear Dave's singing voice with this material. Splitshot never posted media from their run, so he's still a wild card in some ways, but hopefully the guys can create some magic in this new project! Stay tuned for more on the Hubbard-Menard project as I hear of it, including hopefully an online page or something similar!

That said, what's the current status of Chris' local hard rock band Trail's End? I'm not entirely sure, but it's not looking good. The band formed last fall by Chris and his ex-Nixxon Dixxon/Splitshot bandmates Kyle Beaumont & Jake LaLonde have been relatively quiet on the local scene since late January, with their online pages never acknowledging their announced Kewadin Casino dates in February and April. I also haven't seen any of the three guys refer to Trail's End on their respective Facebook pages since the winter, with Chris' current original work with Dave Menard and Kyle & Jake's new band The London Gentlemen seeming to be their primary focuses right now. With that all put into consideration, plus the lack of announced future dates, I've decided to move Trail's End to our inactive Sault Michigan band links, but if I hear anything relating to a return, I'll be sure to move them back! Chris, Kyle, and Jake have recorded a lot of great music in the past few years, and even if Trail's End didn't take off as fast as their older work did, their older bands and the successes they hit will be sure to remain high in our minds, and hopefully they continue to keep on the right path in their next musical steps!

We'll end this post on a related positive note, as Chris posted a new solo performance video onto his YouTube channel last week! It's of Chris covering another Van Halen song ("She's The Woman"), but like some of his other videos, it's not showcasing him as much as his equipment, this time his wide array of pedals & switches. He plays this song excellently, and he definitely shows is deep Van Halen appreciation here, but even though I understand showcasing his gear, it'd be cool to see him playing this cover as well. Check it out below, and stay tuned for much more material and news from Chris' music work!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!