LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), Plus The First Half Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

An exceedingly busy concert weekend is upon us in the Twin Saults, possibly due to timing with Canada Day and the (mid-week) Fourth of July, so here's how we're blocking things out for this week's hard rock concert previews. Today's post will focus on bands playing tomorrow in some respect, with Saturday's Re:Born-headlined concert joining remaining Sault Michigan-area previews in a post tomorrow. That all said, here's what you know to start this busy weekend, including a SHORT LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Yet another busy concert weekend for local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will see him continue his long-term Gliss Restaurant concert arrangement TOMORROW & SATURDAY, sandwiching a nighttime concert at The Roadhouse Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT! However, that's far from all for this talented solo artist, as Tym will return to La Terraza Franzisi in Richards Landing on St. Joseph Island for a special Canada Day concert THIS MONDAY, so if you missed him there last week, and want some live entertainment on the holiday, keep MONDAY'S show in mind! Apologies for the short notice, the gig was only announced via it's Facebook event page this morning. Now, Tym's personal Facebook page also lists upcoming dates at such diverse locales as the Pointe des Chenes campground, The Old Stone House, and The Duty Free Shop, but as none of these have been plugged on his Facebook group, I am treating these as private bookings unless stated otherwise.

Yes, I will get to his July slate of Gliss shows on the site within the next week, but on a weekend this busy, I don't have the space to fit them in without making today's or tomorrow's posts too long. Stay tuned! The Gliss shows are 6:00 PM matinees, tomorrow's 19+ Roadhouse show is at 10:00 PM, while his La Terraza Franzisi show on MONDAY is at an early 5:00 PM timeslot. None have announced cover charge, but mind the restaurant locales for the matinee concerts. Visit the official Facebook pages linked here, here, and above, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Next up, let's head to Soo Blaster for a very big show taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as Hamilton southern hard rock band Monster Truck will make their long awaited local concert debut! Winners of the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2013, Monster Truck have since became one of the biggest newer hard rock bands on Canadian rock radio thanks to hits like "Sweet Mountain River", "For The People", and "Old Train", and it'll be great to have their bluesy yet hard hitting brand of original music on a local stage to kick off their 2019 "Canadian Bonus Round" tour, so be sure to check them out! Sudbury grunge/hard rock quartet The Fortunate Losers are advertised to make their own local concert debut tomorrow, 2½ years after dropping out of a Blackwood Sinners show locally, and their own entertaining originals would be fun to hear locally! A Musicians Wanted Facebook group post by Fortunate Losers bassist Brent Boileau indicates that a local opening band is being sought on short notice.

Message Brent A.S.A.P. at this link or above if you want in on this big opportunity! A presentation of Thunder Bay promoters Loffredo & Associates, this 7:30 PM concert has $35 tickets available at Soo Blaster and/or at this link, albeit with a $5 service fee, and this is a 19+ event. Also, note the contest on the Facebook event page where attendees could win tickets to see "Weird" Al Yankovic in Toronto, which would be a great show in & of itself! I am very curious to see how Monster Truck goes over locally, as they're a big deal for modern Canadian hard rock, so don't miss out, see above for full details, and here's Monster Truck live!

Also this weekend, a couple of more bands are playing TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, including local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck, who will return to The Esquire Club for a couple of nights! After two weekends straight at the re-opened Reggie's Place and a Sunday matinee outside of the new A&W, gigs that largely didn't get much in the way of advance notice, fans may be happy to note that Travis, Terry, Paul, and Glen announced these shows in February via this concert calendar, so we've had lots of time to prepare! This is Soundcheck's first advertised concert weekend at the Esquire this season, so if you've missed their hard rocking yet diverse range of covers, you know where to go this weekend! 10:00 PM-ish start times are in effect for these 19+ shows, which have no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!



Finally for this preview post, let's take a trip south to the Eastern Upper Peninsula, where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock cover quintet Highway 63 will rock The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! This will be just the second concert weekend for this veteran band since they enlisted ex-Mamas Boys drummer Russell Mayer into their lineup, and it's a good weekend for them to be hitting up the St. Ignace Kewadin, as Saturday night's show will coincide with the Slaughter/Autograph concert there (preview coming tomorrow), so hopefully fans can hit up the on-site nightclub after the hair metal wraps up and get a double concert for their trouble! Fans can see the Switzers, George, Russell, and Brian at The Northern Pines Lounge at 9:00 PM both nights, these are 21+ events, and there are no announced cover charges. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63's old lineup live!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Slaughter, Project 906, and Re:Born concert previews (and more?) tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison), Plus New Videos!!

A new standard news post wasn't planned for today, especially with some big one-topic posts in the works, but with some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS popping up, my hand was forced this way. As such, we have a couple of new videos to round things out, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will play at the newly re-opened Reggie's Place on Queen Street East TONIGHT, after previously playing there this afternoon, yesterday and even on Thursday! Profuse apologies for the short notice and for missing most of their bookings there this weekend, they were only acknowledged on their Facebook page last night, after the Thursday nighter took place. As you'll recall from Soundcheck (and Mourning Wood) bookings at the original Reggie's, public advertising of shows there was either on limited notice or non-existent, so in that respect, not much has changed! Drummer Glen Thomas was able to fill in more of the details on his personal Facebook page, noting that today's afternoon matinee was a shorter gig to coincide with the Queen Street Cruise, so hopefully that attracted a good crowd! The Thursday nighter may seem atypical for Soundcheck, but recall that Mourning Wood once played for over a week straight at Reggie's, so this isn't anything new for them.

TONIGHT'S (and yesterday's, and Thursday's) shows are likely 10:00 PM engagements with no announced cover charges and 19+ age limits, while adjust things as expected for this afternoon's gig. Hopefully Terry, Travis, Paul, and Glen have a great gig of hard rocking classics TONIGHT after a 2 year wait for Reggie's return after the fire! Here's Soundcheck live, and again, I severely apologize for missing most of their shows this weekend, we'd have plugged them on Thursday had they given them more notice!

Next up, here's one more surprise matinee gig for local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison this weekend, as he'll return to La Terrazza Franzisi in Richards Landing TOMORROW! Again, apologies for the short notice, this concert was only announced via it's Facebook event page yesterday. Fans and regular readers will recall Tym playing frequent weekend gigs at this St. Joseph Island restaurant last August and September, including a few Sunday matinees in the process, so TOMORROW'S show isn't completely out of left field. This wharf-front restaurant proved to be a popular venue for Tym's unplugged covers last year, and while I don't yet know if this is the first of many for him this season, keep TOMORROW'S La Terrazza Franzisi concert in mind if you're on St. Joseph Island or up for an hour's drive east for some supper-time entertainment!

An early 5:00 PM start time is in effect for this show, which has no announced age limits or cover charge, but remember that this is a sit-down restaurant, not a traditional concert venue. Hopefully Tym delivers another fun show of classic hits at La Terraza Franzisi TOMORROW, even with the late notice, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live!



We'll move on to some new videos today, including a new video of defunct local 1960s-centric classic rock quartet The Peace Vibe covering Deep Purple's "Hush" at a car show outside of the new A&W at 659 Great Northern Road last year! A specific date wasn't given, but The Peace Vibe played a couple in August and September. Posted to drummer Glen Thomas' YouTube channel on May 30th, this was filmed on a vertical cell phone camera, but the angle is too distant and top-centric to add up to a decent visual clarity. The cover's solid enough for fans of the Rod Evans era, so give it a look below, and don't miss Glen with Soundcheck TONIGHT at Reggie's!



Finally, here's a somewhat belated write-up on another commercial for an upcoming Loffredo & Associates concert at Soo Blaster, namely the Monster Truck-headlined concert there on June 28th (one week from Friday!) A commercial plugging the Hamilton rockers' shows in Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, along with a contest to win tickets by liking and sharing the video, this is set to clips from the music videos for "Denim Danger", "Sweet Mountain River", and "Don't Tell Me How To Live". Strong way to help promote both shows, so give it a look below, and click here for more details!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Monster Truck) & Dopethrone Concert Videos!!

After a few quiet days, we're back with a new news post on this Wednesday night, and while it mostly focuses on new concert videos, we're leading off with a big LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Juno Award winning Hamilton southern hard rock quartet Monster Truck will make their local concert debut on Friday, June 28th when they rock Soo Blaster! Staples of Canadian rock radio since the early 2010s with hit singles like "Sweet Mountain River", "The Lion", "Seven Seas Blues", and "Evolution" (among others), Monster Truck's fan favourite blend of heavy rock aggression and a bluesy southern touch has served them well over the years (as NHL fans know from their cover of "Saturday Night" on Hockey Night In Canada.) If you ask me, it's long overdue to welcome Monster Truck to the Soo, and hopefully they deliver a huge concert late next month! Sudbury grunge/hard rock quartet The Fortunate Losers will open in their own local debut, though readers may remember them from briefly being scheduled to open for The Blackwood Sinners locally in October 2016 before dropping out of that concert. After a 2½ year wait, it'll be nice to see these Northern Ontario standouts back with the accessible yet heavy original attack at Soo Blaster!

Promoted by Loffredo & Associates out of Thunder Bay (much like this fall's Cancer Bats show), advance tickets run for $35 at the venue or at this link, albeit adding a $5 service fee. Sadly, this is a 19+ show, but an early 7:30 PM start time is advertised on the Facebook event page. This should be a great concert from one of Canada's best known modern hard rock bands, and while you're more likely to hear them on 92.7 Rock in Sudbury than on any local radio station, their reputation and talent speaks for itself! Visit the above links for more on Monster Truck's local concert next month!

Next up, we'll focus on videos from Monday night's Dopethrone-headlined concert at The New American Pub for the remainder of this post, as promoters Six, Two, Oh. live-streamed videos of all three bands on this Victoria Day event to their Facebook page! Seven videos were shot and posted during the show, including three of the headlining Montreal "slutch metal" band, though I apologize in advance for not titling the songs, I had a fair amount of trouble attempting to title them by myself. This clip comes in during a song (mid-mosh pit, even), while the other two (one linked here, one embedded below) come in before the song does. Dopethrone's sludgy, doomy, and downbeat original onslaught is well captured here, even if the dark lighting helps to obscure the visuals, and attending fans definitely look into the music! Give Six, Two, Oh.'s Dopethrone videos a look above & below!



In a mild surprise to the lineup order, local doom metal trio AlgomA got the co-headlining slot over Shit Liver, so we'll look at their videos next. Marking their return to the stage after 19 months off on this night, a Six, Two, Oh. representative filmed them in two videos, including this 4:29 clip, and as embedded below, a full 16 minutes of AlgomA playing multiple tracks. Watching these, you can hardly tell that AlgomA haven't played live since 2017, as their intense and crushing music (plus their serious stage presences) hold up as well as in their heyday, so give their videos a look also!



Finally, Six, Two, Oh.'s first two videos were of local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's first local set in over a year, with two short videos of their blisteringly fast originals, one linked here, one embedded below (note the audio sample from My Dinner With Andre.) Fans of Shit Liver's grimy and crusty attack will be right at home with these performances, and what a way to start the night before the contrastingly doomy backs to come! Give Shit Liver's videos a look above and below as well, and hopefully we see them and AlgomA back in the area soon!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Telephone & Address - "Monster" Review!!

Now's a good time for our 105th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local garage/lo-fi punk project Telephone & Address' fifth official CD "Monster"! Released via Harmisntus Productions on February 3rd after previously being announced back in March 2015, this is the first new Telephone & Address album in over a year, and resembles that release ("Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been...") in musical style. Telephone & Address are once again represented here by singer/guitarist Christopher Shoust on all instruments, and while Jackson Reed had joined on drums before the "Monster" release, the album was recorded well before his arrival. This album may have had some production input from AlgomA's Jamie Vincent too, based on Facebook postings in 2015, but he is not visibly credited in online copies. "Monster" can be bought for $10 or streamed for free on their Bandcamp page, and while physical copies would likely cost $15, Telephone & Address have not not yet confirmed a CD release.

Featuring 13 songs running for about 44 minutes in length, let's begin this review with the first song, "Line"! Definitely in the spirit of Telephone & Address' lo-fi roots, this song has a simple guitar riff paired with well suited drumming, the song fits with the band's established sound for non-acoustic releases! Chris' vocals take on an impassioned if nasally vibe, which fits the song but can be somewhat muddled in the mix here. My biggest issue with the song was the persistent hissing noise in the background, which sounds like someone left a faucet going in another room, but the song works well for Telephone & Address loyalists! Second is "White Noise", which musically sounds like a late 1960s classic rock song in structure, which isn't a bad thing! Despite the title, this song doesn't have deliberate white noise (at least in the foreground), and it has a lively vibe that puts Chris' distinctive vocals to good use! Though very lo-fi in recording style, it's a good contrast, and it's a fun song at this early stage of "Monster"!

The next track is "Can't You See This Is The End", which runs for an album-low 2 minutes on the dot. The opening 30 seconds is just a slow and isolated guitar performance, but when the song proper finally kicks into gear, it takes a 180 degree turn into a speed punk blitz devoid of any drums. Despite the jarring shift in tone, I like where the song's going, and it's arguably one of Telephone & Address' heaviest recorded songs, but it feels very unfinished. Drums and more varied lyrics would go a long way here, but when it's on, it's on! Next is "I Can Bleed", which was notably the only song posted online before the album's release. Drums are back here, and in a loud, catchingly rhythmic fashion, which is nice to hear! The song proper is mid-tempo but suitably dramatic with strong deliberate singing, and a steady riff that matches up well with everything! So far, this song would work the best in a non-lo-fi setting, if that makes sense, and despite an abrupt ending, it works well!

"Rejection" is next, which has another dramatic rhythm from it's guitar and bass work, but here, it's almost more evil sounding, and that's not a bad thing! If anything, Chris' vocals on the chorus sound forced when trying to match the song's emotions, and the song itself seems to get stuck in autopilot after a while without really breaking from the existing riffs and structure. I like where this song was going, and it's well performed, but it could use more variance and shifts to it's structure. Then we have "In The Gut", which is a faster paced punk number that seems to overdo the cymbals, but will definitely please fans of Telephone & Address' more punk-based tracks! This track has a fun vibe, isn't overlong, and the vocals are a good fit melodically, so this is another solid inclusion as we near the midpoint!

Seventh is the longest track on "Monster", the near seven minute long "Bang, Bang, Bang". The song begins in full gear with a mid-paced, heavy but not punishing rhythm with more muted singing, steady drumming, and more of a clear recording quality than on some of it's sister tracks! That said, the song is basically one short track that winds to a close, then suddenly restarts after brief silence, only to repeat that cycle two more times. The four chunks have some differences, but it strikes me as padding to basically repeat one 1:40 track four times and call it one song (though it is solidly performed!) Next is "Why Did You Fuck Up & Die?" (they titled it, not me!), which begins with pounding drums and melodic guitar work, which contrast fairly well with the angry lyrics and recitations of the song's title. The lo-fi recording helps set the mood particularly well here, and while the song does get a little repetitive by the end, it's an effective and to the point track!

Song #9 is "You Need", which feels like Chris had an acoustic number upgraded to electric status, thanks to it's casual, vocal-driven sound and airy yet gritty melodies. Similarly to "Bang, Bang, Bang", this song likes doing the "mini song, silent break, repeat" structure, but with a much shorter run-time, this only happens twice, which flows better and feels less like it's being padded out. It's a good song, but there are prior tracks I like more for the themes and instrumentation. Next up is "I'm Gone", which opens with seemingly programmed drums, simple yet distorted guitar, and unpolished singing that sounds almost like it's being sung in a trance come the choruses' lyric repetition. I can't deny this song's catchy qualities, and it almost has a grunge essence to boot, so this isn't a bad track at this late stage either!

Then we have "Outside", which is another of this album's more punk-influenced songs. The cymbals are slightly overdone again, but the guitar work is well suited to the structure, the vocals are a great fit in this form factor, and the length is perfect without the song getting too repetitive! Nothing too shocking to report, just a quality punk song from Telephone & Address that gets the job done without any undue risks! The album's penultimate song is "Spacious", which is also the only instrumental on "Monster". Thankfully, this isn't quite a reversion to the highly experimental "Rust Orchid" album, as it still has an outsider punk theme. If anything, it's a little more spacey, with some more psychedelic guitar riffing, which pairs well with the rhythm section, and while the lack of vocals is somewhat noticeable, the song has enough variance and melody to get by without it. I do prefer Telephone & Address with vocals, but for what this is, it's not badly performed at all!

The album closes with it's title track, "Monster", which has a bit of a Renderware quality to it, if that's fair to say. The song maintaining a steady rhythm and approach that is catchy, but always seems like the verses are drifting off as they're sung, almost like Chris is losing interest (though I'm sure that's not the case.) The accidental malaise aside, this is a well performed song, but it's abrupt ending and lack of varied emotions doesn't quite end the album on a high note.

So, what are my final thoughts on Telephone & Address' long awaited new album? Overall, it's a strong album that builds upon what Chris Shoust did on "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been...", with stronger instrumentation, less repetitive lyrics, and a better value for your dollar! As I've noted before, the lo-fi recording style and Chris' often nasally vocals won't be for everyone, but there is fun to be had here, with tracks like "I Can Bleed", "In The Gut", and "Outside" showing his fuller musical abilities well! There's enough of a genre spread here to please many fans, but the album still has some repetition and abrupt song endings to keep in mind, and "Bang, Bang, Bang" still feels like the same song repeated four times. The recording quality works for the genres on display and is recorded as such, so don't let that stop you from listening. I'm curious to hear what Chris has in store, especially with Jackson now in the fold, but give "Monster" a listen at the above links, and/or buy it today!

I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Next month, as part of our continued 2018 stretch of new album reviews, we will be looking at local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver's second original album "Hitting The Fan", in honour of it's release a couple of weeks ago and it's local release tour stop at The Algonquin Pub next month, so look for it in April, and stay tuned for more news and previews on here soon! Thanks everyone!

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

A quiet start to the month has been noticeable so far, but we have a full news post for you guys on this Wednesday, so what's here to check out? Some assorted recent news and notes, new videos from each side of the border, and leading off, a long awaited new album, so here's what you should know!

After an almost three year wait, local acoustic punk project Telephone & Address have finally released their fifth official album "Monster", courtesy of their Bandcamp page on Saturday! Frontman Christopher Shoust first announced this album on their Facebook page back in March 2015, but monetary concerns were partially cited for it's delayed release, and the later-recorded "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..." would go on sale first in late 2016. Presumably released through Harmisntus Productions again, "Monster" features 13 songs, including the previously unveiled "I Can Bleed", and the album resembles "Are You Now..." in musical style, including full instrumentation and drums. That said, I believe this was recorded well before new drummer Jackson Reed signed on, and while no credits are given on Bandcamp, Chris did hint at productional involvement from AlgomA's Jamie Vincent back in 2015, so keep that in mind just in case.

No word yet on a physical release of "Monster", with or without their usual cardboard casing, but Telephone & Address next play live at The New A on March 18th, so check there in case CDs are on sale. Bandcamp copies of "Monster" are on sale for $10, while physical copies of their prior albums tended to go for $15. It's great to finally see this album released, and between this and Mike McCleary's "Weight of the Truth", our next two album reviews are set, but in what order? And will the long-delayed "Early Tapes" be next, or a full album with Jackson drumming? Buy "Monster" at the above links, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, here's the latest from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, starting with a few new tour dates of theirs in Southern Ontario! Confirmation of their spring tour dates (including a hoped local return) are still forthcoming, but the guys will join Toronto grindcore project Truth of All Death for shows in St. Catharine's and Hamilton later this month, albeit missing that band's other three shows on this run. Great to see the guys keeping busy, so look for them this month in Southern Ontario via the gigs listed on their Facebook page! To tease their February shows (including four with Cruel Bloom, starting tomorrow in Owen Sound), Shit Liver posted this video to their Facebook page yesterday featuring the 16 second intro to an original song from a recent jam session. Tinted in a bluish monochrome, the guys lampshaded the clip's "horrible audio quality", but given their extreme sound and the opening's heavy focus on Matt's drumming, it's not bad at all for what it is. Give Shit Liver's new video a look below!



Also today, here's a new-ish instrumental track from Sault Michigan metal project Life's Eclipse, courtesy of their label Werehold Records' YouTube channel! Uploaded last week, this is a partial revision of "Evil Star" from their unreleased 1998 album "Deeper In The Woods", though now featuring frontman Jason Mills playing his new 8 string guitar. Very solid performance, and the new guitar slides in nicely to the original, so fans of hard hitting groove-inspired metal should take to this one! Give Life's Eclipse's new/old song a listen below, and stay tuned for more from the Werehold camp!



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

• Hamilton, Ontario punk/grunge trio Doors & Fours have been added to the previously announced Archelon concert at The Rockstar Bar on March 10th, as per the official Facebook event page on Sunday. This will be a makeup date of sorts for Doors & Fours, who were forced to drop out of a headlining Algonquin Pub concert in November (also to have featured Jack Spades opening) due to their tour vehicle breaking down, so don't miss their long awaited local debut next month!
• The Gore Street Cafe will host their third annual Fishbowl Festival of Community, Food, Arts, and Culture from February 20th-March 5th (again during the Pisces stretch of the astrological calendar), and there are lots of varied events announced for it already that you can read up on a the Facebook event page! At press time, no events have been announced that visibly include hard rock or punk acts, but if you want to organize or play on one, contact the venue at gorestreetcafe@gmail.com. Best of luck for year #3!
• Musical acts are being sought for the Walk for ALS on Saturday, June 2nd at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. I have no idea if organizers would be interested in heavier or original acts, but fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease is a a great charitable cause to support. If you're interested in more details, message co-organizer Brigitte Labby at blabby@als.ca or via her Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week!

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

Project 906 & Telephone And Address Updates, New Archive Videos, And More!!

I know things have been slow on the site lately, but we are back with a new news post on this Wednesday morning, which features some new archive video finds, details on upcoming albums, and more, but first, we have some big updates from a prominent local cover band!

Here's the latest from Sault Michigan hard/blues rock quartet Project 906! On Sunday, the band announced via their Facebook page that they're "taking a short break" from live concerts, as half of the band are either expecting or new fathers. They didn't publically note who the new dads specifically are, but congratulations all around to them! This somewhat mirrors the baby-related break that guitarist Joe Jenkins' old band Exiled took in late 2014, but unlike then, hopefully Project 906 do actually come back as planned! With the above post, Project 906 also put up this new compilation video (made using the WeVideo mobile application) that includes clips of their early Van Halen, ZZ Top, and Stevie Wonder cover videos, and the end of their Van Halen cover from their Brimley concert debut over the St. Patrick's Day weekend in March.

There's nothing pressingly new here, and the videos aren't optimal looks at the guys in action (Billy Bernier isn't in frame at all on most clips, the Pickles video is only the song's tail end), but it's a nice extra to help tide fans over to start Project 906's break, especially as they only cited "the time being" for it's length. Hopefully we see them back in the new year at some point, and check out their new compilation video below!

Next up, we have some long awaited album updates from Sault Ontario grunge/punk solo project Telephone & Address! In his first Facebook page posting in over three months, project mainman Chris Shoust revealed that their fourth "official" album" is "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been...", confirming the earlier announcement from former collaborator Sam Decter, who mentioned that the album would be released through his BGP Tapes label on cassette. Chris didn't acknowledge that, possibly due to Sam moving out of town, but he noted that it's "being pressed as we speak", implying that it will be available on CD. This also seemingly confirms that "The Rotten EP", "Need Not Apply", and "Rust Orchid" are the first three "official" Telephone & Address albums, indicating that anything pre-2013 isn't in this canon, not that they were publically available anyway. Chris also noted that the previously announced album "Monster" is on track to be pressed in November, and he blamed money issues for the delays on both.

This picture went up today along with the album news, but it's unclear if it's a planned album cover, or one of Chris' own art pieces (for reference, physical copies of Telephone & Address albums have tended to come out in minimalist cardboard cases with stamped artwork.) The planned last song from "A.Y.N.O.H.Y.E.B.", entitled "You Say", can be streamed at the project's Soundcloud page as well, and while I won't review the track yet pending a possible review of one of these albums, "You Say" bears musical resemblances to the 2014 album "Need Not Apply". It's great to hear more from Telephone & Address, so stay tuned for more on their next albums!

Also today, here's some new archive videos of defunct local metal band Hollow that were posted on YouTube on Monday! Courtesy of drummer Vinnie Milosevich's YouTube channel, these both come from concerts at the former Eastgate Hotel in the early 1990s, including this 1992 cover of Collective Soul's "Shine", and as embedded below, Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" circa 1993 when they opened for Wild T & The Spirit. As per Vinnie's personal Facebook page, the band's lineup on the "Cemetery Gates" cover features Bob Cook (a.k.a. Schloppy from Sault Michigan's Clownsack) on vocals, guitarists Terry Eaton (Mourning Wood) and Tym Morrison, bassist Matt Miller (ex-Tripod the Dog), and Vinnie (now of the Kitchener rock band Knee Deep) on drums. I can't confirm if the "Shine" cover has the exact same lineup, especially as only Terry & Vinnie were in each of their various incarnations, but I believe they're mostly similar. The video quality is mixed (the joys of VHS camcorders), but you get a sense of Hollow's talents on each!

Bob has a nice vocal range that wasn't always as evident in the Clownsack days, Terry & Tym are solid guitarists as ever, and they do get a good crowd response (look at the turnout on the "Shine" cover!) That said, if you're more familiar with their late 1990s incarnations with Gigi, Dan, Adam, and the like, you may not appreciate these as much. Check out Vinnie's newest Hollow videos above & below, and visit his channel for more old Hollow clips!



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

• Local alternative/hard rock quartet Id Iota will open for ex-Pixo Control frontman Mike Mikus during his first ever solo tour next month! Running from October 7th-16th, the tour run will see run through Southern Ontario & Sudbury, but it's not clear if there will be a Sault Ste. Marie stop during it or afterwards. Sounds like a good way to introduce Mike's new solo sound and material to the masses, and Id Iota should bring some heaviness as openers, so click here for details! For reference, the Sudbury show listed at "The Speakeasy" is not a typo for a local gig, Sudbury does indeed have a concert venue with that name also.
• Former Bring the Misery bassist Kyle Derasp has issued an open call via the Musicians Wanted Facebook group for local artists to come by a jam session at 124 Anna Street (the site of a few Blood Shed-affiliated house party concerts) this Sunday! No times were given, but if you're interested in attending, bring your amplifiers, chords, and perhaps beer. Keep this in mind if you want to jam with other musicians this weekend!
• Tidal Records is hosting a songwriters competition at LopLops Lounge on Saturday, October 15th, where aspiring singer/songwriters can showcase their original material for the chance to win recording time at Mission Control Studios and a digital release package for their song. Entry is $25 for competitors and $5 for attendees. No word yet on who's performing, or if there will be any semblance of hard rock or punk musicians taking part, but this isn't a traditional "battle of the bands", it's geared to solo artists. Just in case, visit the official Facebook event page for full details!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Who Made Who & Exiled), Plus New Videos!!

Well guys, this is our 2,000th published post at the SMS, so I just wanted to briefly thank everyone for the support and readership since we moved our main operations from Facebook to this website in December 2008! Here's to 2,000 more, and beyond! Now, today's post is otherwise business as usual, as we have some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and recent video postings, so here's what you need to know!

New Sault Michigan hard rock quintet Exiled will make their Dondee Lanes debut this coming Friday (Halloween night) when they headline a "Monster Bash" there! Announced on their Facebook page last week (apologies for the delay, it slipped us by), this show comes three weeks after their joint show with Ricochet at The Savoy, and adds to a stacked Halloween weekend concert lineup for hard rock and punk bands in the Sault area next weekend, including the previously announced Banned shows in St. Ignace and plenty more on the Canadian side. Featuring alumni of Absolute, The Bottom Line, and Division of Sanity, Exiled should deliver an exciting night of music on Halloween, so keep it in mind for your Halloween concert plans, and bring your costumes! Like this weekend's 415E shows at the Dondee, there's an earlier start time of 8:00 PM and a 21+ age limit in effect, though a cover charge hasn't been announced. See above for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Also in recent concert announcements, Toronto-based AC/DC tribute band Who Made Who will return to Sault Ontario on Saturday, November 15th for a headlining show at The Rockstar Bar! Our source is the new concert calendar posting on their Facebook page, though keep in mind that the venue hasn't officially confirmed the booking on their pages. One of the most frequently seen tribute bands in the Soo, fans may remember seeing The Ultimate Tribute to AC/DC at the same venue in March, which followed a number of prior gigs (mostly at The Canadian) through 2012. Fans of AC/DC should be amped up Who Made Who's high voltage rock 'n roll and their return next month, and I wonder if the guys added AC/DC's new song "Play Ball" to their set? A $5 cover charge is likely for next month, you must be 19 to attend, and a 10:00 PM start time makes sense. Check above for more info, and we'll let you know if we hear more!

We'll close today with new videos, including a new live video from local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester! You may remember that drummer Ric Datson pulled videos of them covering AC/DC and Supertramp songs from his YouTube channel in September due to copyright issues, but the absence didn't last long for one of them, as the video of them covering AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" was re-posted on his channel on October 1st! This comes from a recent wedding that they played in Elliott Lake, apparently outdoors under a tent, and it's a solid cover from these local veterans! No word who's playing the bongos though, the odd corner camera angle mostly cuts off their head, but Ric confirmed that the person's not in the band. Give the full video a look below, and hopefully the Supertramp video resurfaces at some point!

Finally for today, Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night are the subject of two new videos on keyboardist Craig Harrison's YouTube channel, as uploaded there over the past week! Both feature Theatre of Night original songs alongside a slideshow of his own art, including one for their song "Ragnarok Rising" and another embedded below for their song "Uthgar's Last Stand", which he noted in the description was based on a Norse comic he drew in college. We still await the new Theatre of Night original CD, but fans should like the orchestral metal on display, and Craig's art (while noticeably different from former drummer Greg Giles' art that used to be prevalent in their material) is very well done in it's own right! These new postings join a brand new original song on their Reverbnation page named "FellHallow's Eve", which is obviously seasonal, and taps moreso into their classical sound than their metal side. Give everything a look above, and here's Craig's new video for "Uthgar's Last Stand"!



That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at The Bushplane Museum TODAY for the Soo Zombie Walk and the pre-walk bands! Thanks everyone!