Vanity First Concert Preview, New Videos, And Much More!!

Here's a new news post to check out on this Monday night, including some assorted shorter updates, new videos, and leading off, a mid-week concert preview, so here's what you should know!

A special Tuesday night concert goes down TOMORROW when local punk trio Vanity First return to the stage at new local arts/concert venue The Distraction! Located at the former Big Guns Barbershop building at 72 East Street (down the road from Coch's Corner), this will be the second public concert held here, following former Raincourt frontman Eli Russell's solo gig there this past Thursday.  Unless you were at that concert, there will still be a lot of unknowns about The Distraction, but come on out tomorrow if you can to see what it's like! This will be Vanity First's... first concert since their June headlining gig at Soo Blaster, though fans will have seen Mikhal and Keegan since with Hails, and Mikhal alone in multiple other projects. It's good to see them back with Andrew after an unusually long break, and hopefully they draw a solid crowd to The Distraction tomorrow!

While this is unfortunately on a school/work night for many, it will have an early 7:00 PM start time, and admission is by donation ($5 is suggested). The venue is an alcohol/drug free zone, so this is obviously all ages, though be advised that it's not a handicap-friendly building due to the stairs to enter the front of the building. Punk fans should get their money's worth from Vanity First's return set, let alone at a new venue, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Vanity First live!

Next up, here's a brand new video from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Silent 9's Facebook page! This comes from their Halloween party gig at The Esquire Club on the 28th (the costumes give that away), and it features them covering The Knack's "My Sharona". Unlike prior videos from this concert, this was filmed from further back behind much of the crowd, so you don't get a great view of most of the band. This 37 seconds-long snippet still sounds good with the energy you'd hope for at a Halloween party, so give it a look for yourselves below! Yes, I am aware that Silent 9 have posted a handful of videos as "Stories" on Facebook too, but "Stories" aren't viewable more than twice, let alone embeddable here.

Also today, here's two new videos from local/Barrie alt-hard rock solo musician Mike Haggith's Facebook page from December 5th & 8th where he tells his fans how you can get your own music printed on vinyl records! The first video (embedded below) has Mike outlining the struggles and cost that used to be involved in printing his studio material on vinyl until he discovered Kunaki, the website that allows you to easily upload your albums and have records printed on demand on both CDs and vinyl, which is how you're able to buy vinyl copies of his newest albums today. The "part 2" video has Mike demonstrating the quality of Kunaki-printed vinyl records by playing part of "I've Seen It Before" from his new album "All The Best In All You Do" on a turntable. Personally, I'd have had these videos uploaded as one 3 minute video, perhaps while talking a little slower, but these were cross-posted on TikTok, so that may explain the formatting and structure.

Mike has strongly advocated for and promoted Kunaki since discovering it, and while I don't know how many non-Morningstar Records-affiliated musicians in town use it, fans who have heard Mike's recent catalogue on vinyl will be able to speak to its quality! Hopefully these videos are a good reminder that getting your albums on vinyl isn't the hassle it once was, so given them a watch above and below! 

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: 

 

• I have moved local extreme metal solo project Awokest to our inactive band links. One of the many project names used by Chase Wigmore apart from his own eponymous material, Awokest last posted on social media in November 2021, but I left Awokest in our active links until now due to Awokest-branded material being shared/posted on Chase's eponymous accounts as late as last fall. The lines between Chase's varying projects have admittedly gotten blurry, but with his teased break/hiatus from original music after "The Chaotic Rite" comes out, that may not bode well for his other efforts. We'll let you know if Awokest turn up again!
• In a lineup correction for the Fuller reunion at LopLops Lounge next Thursday, Pointless/Peach Thieves drummer David Peredun will be behind the kit for their set, not Nathan Sauve from their original run. I apologize for any confusion, I can be bad with faces and the similarly blonde hair in the jam session preview videos threw me off (note also that I don't believe he was publically confirmed by name on social media). David is a talented drummer across multiple genres, so don't miss him with Fuller next week, and thanks to frontman Jamie Vincent for letting me know!
• Local cybergrind/gorenoise solo project Malignant Neoplasm have also been moved to our inactive band links, as they have not posted on social media since November of last year aside from posts to promote their active sister project Crucify The Whore. Active since 2013, Malignant Neoplasm added an electronic approach and (originally) songs about medical conditions to the minimalist goregrind attack of C.T.W. and had their own distinct original material through Blood Shed Productions for the better part of a decade, though their music and imagery remained an acquired taste. Hopefully fans will hear much more from Tyler with C.T.W. and other acts in the new year!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more on the site as the month continues! Thanks everyone!

New Material From Three Local Solo Acts, Plus An Inactive Band Note!!

For your Wednesday afternoon reading, here is our first proper news post of May 2021, which is mostly devoted to the recent exploits from three very different local solo musicians, two relating to new albums of some kind. To cap things off, we do have a note on a band moved out of our active band links. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

 

Local punk solo project Slumshine have new stuff to talk about, including a couple of new songs! On April 19th, Brent posted a new original song named "Believe In Hugs" to Slumshine's Bandcamp page and via this Facebook slideshow video, marking the project's first released new material since their 2019 "SLMSHN" album. Then on Sunday, Slumshine posted another new song named "Slumlord" onto Facebook, and owing to it's longer length, that's embedded below. In fact, "Slumlord" is reportedly the title track for Slumshine's new EP, which will appaerently be released on Friday! If this is the same release as the previously teased "SllMSHN" (with two lowercase Ls to denote album #2), a physical run on cassette tapes would likely follow. With all of that said, I won't review the two new songs yet, pending our full review of the "Slumlord" EP, but the music on offer so far is thematically different from the first tape.

Notably, "Believe In Hugs" has electric instrumentation (live shows and the "SLMSHN" album were all acoustic), and both songs seem to have more of a spacey influence, but we'll see how the full EP sounds on Friday. Give "Slumlord" a listen below, and we'll have more on the EP proper soon!

Next up, here's some more new release action from a local solo project, as cybergrind act Malignant Neoplasm have released their own new album "Hugz" on their Bandcamp page on April 28th! The fact that both MxNx and Slumshine happen to have songs with a variant of "Hugs" in their names is purely coincidental. If you're familiar with Tyler's Blood Shed Productions output, you can expect more of his usual trademarks on "Hugz", including pig squeal vocals, a drum machine, divisive and provocative song titles, and often short runtimes (only four of the songs exceed 64 seconds in length, and one runs for just 12 seconds), but compared to C.T.W., there is more of a computerized post-production influence. This brand of noise rock almost defies criticism (you either like it or you don't), but Tyler's bold, in-your-face approach can never be denied, and they're undeniably heavy!

Give "Milky Blue Eyes" a listen below courtesy of this video from Blood Shed's YouTube channel, though as it'll be over in 38 seconds, buy or stream "Hugz" above to hear more if you're up for it! The album is available on a "name your price" model, as are prior Malignant Neoplasm releases.

Also today, here's a new original song from local hard rock solo artist Tym Morrison's YouTube channel! Entitled "Heaven or Hell", the song is lyrically about how you ultimately have the choice where you go in the afterlife, and like his other recent original song postings, this has an attached video featuring lots of photos and video clips relevant to the very religious lyrics. Running for over eight minutes, this delivers the metal goods for fans of Tym's, especially the solo late, though the mid-tempo pacing does help the song proper drag a bit. Give Tym's new song a listen below!

Finally, I have moved local punk quartet The Sick Sons to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The former Filthy Dadicals have not issued a public statement since their planned LopLops Lounge concert with the aforementioned Slumshine in March of last year was cancelled due to the then-new pandemic. One of 2019's most promising new local bands, The Sick Sons united former 12 Gauge Ready, Bankshot, and Downshift alumni for four concerts in the second half of that year, notably opening for Random Killing and The Ripcordz in their first two shows, before playing LopLops alongside Tidal Records acts twice that December. Hopefully their hiatus since March 2020 is solely due to the pandemic, and that we'll see The Sick Sons back when things level out, as they are a solid band whose momentum crash wasn't their fault. Best of luck to Lucas, Steve, Dave, and Clint in any event!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on Friday or Saturday featuring details on "Slumdog" and more! Thanks everyone!

New Videos, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

Sadly, news at this stage of the pandemic remains painfully slow, hence the recent 6 day spans between formal news posts, with features dotted in between to keep our "one post every three days" rule alive. I have cobbled together enough content to keep things relatively active until Thursday,  Today's post is largely comprised of videos (with some assorted topics to end things with), so here's what you need to know!

 

Let's start with new music from Dafter, Michigan hard rock musician Kenneth "SweetKenny" Sutton, and it's been a long time since we've covered him on here! Ken's once-prolific slate of solo albums and scores quietly dried up in the late 2010s, but he has kept active online, and he uploaded four new videos on his YouTube channel this year. Two relate to his old score work, while the other two are of new music of his, including this remote vocal cover of "Sway" by The Pussycat Dolls(!) with South Korean singer An "Jerry" Sohyeon. Ken jumps in late via a picture-in-picture window. Very atypical of his guitar-heavy original songs and his scores, but An is a good singer, and Ken's accompaniment doesn't take anything away! Embedded below is SweetKenny's brand new original song "What If?", which is about growing old together with someone you love. The video features free-to-use stock footage of couples, which fits the theme well enough.

The lyrics feel a little over-detailed to me, but the song is well paced and melodic, and Ken's vocals work with the song without getting too Elvisy as was common on some of his harder edged material. Hopefully SweetKenny has more music in the works, but give "What If?" a listen below!

 

Next up, here's another new original song from Sault Ontario hard rock musician Tym Morrison's YouTube channel on Thursday! Entitled "Living On Mars", this is a song that he wrote back in high school about colonizing the red planet, but he has amended the lyrics since to be about alternate theories, with lyric video and photos to match. Musically, this is a metal song that lets Tym use his lower register singing well on verses, and it has a solid classic riff with some nice soloing, so fans of his past electric metal work will want to hear this song below, and stay tuned for more!

Also today, here's the newest video from local gore/cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm's Facebook page! Uploaded last month in their first post there in over a year, the video features 16 seconds of a promisingly heavy instrumental track on the computer, with no audible vocals. Tyler hints that there's new material coming soon, but will there be an attached album? Time will tell, but give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Malignant Neoplasm and the Blood Shed Productions camp! Yes, the video works, I don't know why the thumbnail is white.

 

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:

 

• Last month, in their first written Facebook page update in well over a year, local hardcore punk quintet Destroilet revealed that they have a new run of official t-shirts coming on sale soon for $20, and to let them know the sizes you want so they can have the right ones ordered. They look good as you'd expect, and it's great to see that the guys are still quietly active during the pandemic!
• I have moved local acoustic hard rock duo Tattoos & Scars to our inactive band links, not having updated their Facebook page since sharing a video from their now-defunct main project Halfway Loaded's page on November 7th of last year. Quietly and sporadically active since the fall of 2018, Tattoos & Scars updates largely tailed off once Justin & Shane formed their current southern hard rock band Fort Creek, so follow that band for their current musical work, including our next post on Thursday!
• The annual Toystock charity concert's Facebook page revealed on November 4th that there is an "announcement coming soon" and that "we finally have something in the works." Details have not followed at press time, but with the pandemic, a normal installment of Toystock IX likely wouldn't be possible. Could this be a virtual concert with Christmas Cheer fundraiser options? Would organizers have 10 bands again (let alone in 10 hours?) Also, the event proper likely would have been on Sunday, November 29th, so will that date mean anything with the likely changes? Stay tuned to the above links for details as they roll in!
  

 

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on Thursday, barring a massive influx of news! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Soo's Got Talent Finals) & Saturday Night Concert Previews!!

Alright, let's close out this weekend's concert previews, but to fill things out, we also have a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT concerning the finals of an ongoing competition, and fallout from it's semifinals! Apologies for erroneously crediting the finals as being part of this week's preview slate, I forgot that they were taking a two week break between the last rounds. With all of that said, here's what you should know!

After a very talented semifinal round this past Saturday, local rap/metal trio The Apocalypse Afterparty have punched their ticket for the finals of The Soo's Got Talent, which go down next Friday, October 11th at Soo Blaster! As attendees of the semifinals will already know, judges sent The Apocalypse Afterparty, Killabeatz, Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf, Juliana Regan, and Adrian Sullivan through as the five advertised finalists, but like last year, two wild card slots were also granted, this time to The Dancing Divas and Coulson Perri. With that said, Madison Blair, Colin Gasparelli, and Cameron Oliver were eliminated from the competition last week. As the only true band with instruments left in the competition, The A.A. definitely stand out in the crowd, but can they carry that to a surprise victory next Friday? We'll find out then, but look for another great night of rising local entertainment at Soo Blaster next Friday at 7:00 PM! Again, admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 16 and under.

Along with the finalists, organizers have announced that ONNtv morning host and veteran local entertainer Tim Murphy will return as a guest judge and performer, while 2018 Soo's Got Talent champion Daniella Brewer will also perform next week, as well as "a surprise celebrity tribute artist." Should be an exciting finals, but before then, SaultOnline's footage of the semifinals aired on ONNtv on Monday and is now up on their YouTube channel in a 1 hour, 40 minute+ video, so what can you see here? Again all sung covers unless otherwise stated, the acts include Cameron Oliver (The Eagles' "Hotel California"), The Dancing Divas ("A Million Dreams" from The Greatest Showman), Killabeatz with more of his skilled beatboxing, Coulson Perri (David Bowie's "Heroes"), Madison Blair (KT Tunstall's "Other Side Of The World", Juliana Regan (Sia's "Death By Chocolate") both Colin Gasparelli & Adrian Sullivan playing original songs, Bethany Pelletier LeBeouf (Miley Cyrus' "Party In The USA"), ...

...and The Apocalypse Afterparty playing a brand new original, possibly titled "Going To California." Very dark lyrics, but the upbeat hard rock sound is a nice contrast, as are their bright summery outfits! The video ends with another bonus Killabeatz and guest performance, followed by the results announcement, complete with dramatic music. Everyone performs well for their given songs, and despite some visual glitches during Colin's judges feedback, everything looks great at Soo Blaster, so give the footage a look below, and stay tuned for more when we preview the finals next week!



Next up, let's finally wrap up this weekend's metal & punk concert previews by looking at two shows taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, including the Arts Against Homelessness fundraiser concert at The Rockstar Bar! A collaboration between Live705, Celeste's Art & Photography, and Suzie DePlonty, this special concert event will see all proceeds go to the St. Vincent Place men's shelter on Albert Street East, which is a wonderful cause, and hopefully they get lots of much needed aid as a result of this fundraiser! I am unsure of the official lineup order, but this will be a rock vs. rap mashup of sorts, with Live705's flagship punk trio A Dire Setback and power rock quartet Re:Born (fresh off of a summer break) joining forces with Christian rapper Bold Noize and hip hop duo Planet Rock for the occasion. As well, Planet Rock's own DJ Seith and deep house DJ Bobby Lawn will be on hand to spin tunes between bands.

An increasingly rare all-local concert from Live705, this event has a $10 admission fee at the door or at this link, while there will be raffle draws for the cause, with tickets available via canned good donations, and you can see some of the prizes at the Facebook event page. This is a 19+ event, and a 9:00 PM start time is advertised. This should be a fun concert to help out St. Vincent Place with, and with some rock and rap for both tastes, what's not to like? See above for more details, and here's A Dire Setback live!



Finally, if you're looking for a more extreme headline act TOMORROW NIGHT, or a pseudo encore from Oh!No III, then head to Room 21 above Low & Slow, where Thunder Bay "pisscore" trio Femur will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut! As fans who saw them in Leeburn last month can vouch for, this brutal hardcore punk band should deliver another devastating performance full of fast paced original material, so if you want more Femur action or missed out at the festival, here's a second chance! In a quiet opener switch earlier this week, local alt-folk solo project (and fellow Oh!No performer) Slumshine will now kick off this concert, replacing cybergrind solo act Malignant Neoplasm. A reason for the change was not publically announced, and while there was briefly a private social media post on Malignant Neoplasm's end this week that indicated that they weren't happy about being removed, I could not find it today, so I hope things were reasonably smoothed out between Tyler and organizers.

Slumshine aren't as obvious of a genre match to Femur, but Brent's a talented musician and he should set the tone well before things get heavy! The first metal concert promoted by the Oh!No Collective since retiring the Six, Two, Oh. name, this 19+ show has a 10:00 PM door opening time, and admission is either $10 or "pay what you can." Should be a solid concert for fans of hardcore punk and masked folk rock, so visit the official Facebook event page for full details, and here's Femur live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Femur And Late & Loud), Plus New Videos!!

Here's a new news post on this rainy Sunday, and it's devoted to some big new video updates from a pair of prominent local acts, plus two notable LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month! Here's what you should know!

Thunder Bay "pisscore" trio Femur will return to the Soo area for the second time this year when they headline at Room 21 on Saturday, October 5th! Some readers will have just seen this band at the third annual Oh!No festival in Leeburn earlier this month as one of the later bands on night #2, but this will be their first ever advertised concert in Sault Ste. Marie proper. Femur impressed many Oh!No attendees with their harsh and unforgiving brand of original hardcore punk, and it'll be great to see them back just four weeks later for an encore! Another act from Oh!No III will be opening this concert, namely local cybergrind solo act Malignant Neoplasm, which you may recall is a side project of C.T.W.'s Tyler Gibson, though much like Slumshine, Tyler played under a mask in Leeburn when representing Malignant Neoplasm. Blood Shed loyalists won't wanna miss this one either! Like at the festival, this is promoted by the former Six, Two, Oh., now known as the Oh!No Collective, who now utilize that full name.

"Co." didn't stand for "company", I wouldn't have guessed that! In any event, this will be the Oh!No crew's first metal concert post-renaming, so come down to Room 21 for all of the action next weekend! This concert has a 10:00 PM start time, it is a 19+ event, and while a $10 suggested cover charge is advertised, so is the "pay what you can" option. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, here's a surprise, as local classic metal quartet Late & Loud will reunite for one night only on Thursday, October 10th with a headlining concert at The Rockstar Bar! Many local fans will recall their well received active run from 2010-2014, and after over 5 years away, the guys will return for this special concert, intended as a fundraiser for bassist Benn Garside's upcoming wedding to ex-Danger Cats bassist Jamie VanSchooneveld. If you're keeping track at home, this will be the second marriage between the two bands this year, joining Josh & Kate this summer (what are the odds?!) It is great to see Late & Loud back, if only for one night, so if you've missed the Humane Society Battle winners in the mid-late 2010s, don't bypass this one! The surprise opening acts are DJ Seith and his hip-hop duo project Planet Rock, and while not perfect genre-matches, they should keep ther party vibe going! I don't know if Seith will be mixing songs between sets, or if he's just playing with St. James.

A $10 cover charge is in effect on this night, expect a 19+ age limit, and while an early 8:00 PM start time is advertised, I doubt the bands will be playing that early, potential DJ Seith mixing aside. Note that the poster implies that Late & Loud are "returning to the stage one last time", which could very well be true, but we heard similar finality in August 2014. In any event, this should be a must for fans and friends of Late & Loud who've missed them in past 5 years, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Also today, local alt-punk trio A Dire Setback released their long-teased debut music video to their YouTube channel yesterday! Of course, this is for their song "Kicking & Screaming", which is the first single from their forthcoming debut album, which their Facebook page newly confirmed yesterday will be self-titled. If you've seen prior teasers for the video, you'll know that property destruction appeared to be a common theme in the video, and now we get context as to why that is (the song lyrics may have given that away.) If you're hoping to see the full band playing the song, then you may be disappointed (only frontman Chris Nielsen appears on camera), but it's well shot and captures the lyrics and requisite emotion well! Give the full video a look below, stay tuned for more on "A Dire Setback", and don't miss the Michale Graves concert on Saturday!

We'll close with the latest from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt/hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who we haven't heard anything substantive from regarding his solo project since his trip home last month, so what's new to report? Well, Mike posted this teaser video on his Facebook page last night, saying that he's "been hard at work behind the scenes, and we're switching gears a little." The video proper features a computer monitor with what looks like the cover artwork for a new(?) album named "If Ever Comes The Day", plus a 30 second sample of a new song named "The Best You Never Had" that clearly has a full electric band behind it, compared to the music he had showcased from his upcoming solo album "Bridges", which leaned towards acoustic content. Is Mike revising/shelving "Bridges", or is this just another album he's working on too? Remember that he has also announced plans this year for a live album from Nickel Days in Thompson and a remaster of "A Place Of Our Own", neither of which is out yet.

Mike does have a lot on his plate on the best of days (remember what his day job is), but if this is basically "Bridges" being reworked or replaced in his discography, I can't complain about it having more of a rock edge with a full band, be it all him or with other collaborators. Time will tell what exactly is going on, but give the teaser video a look below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck), More Weekend Concert Previews, And A New Video!!

As promised, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews before we lose track of time! For previews of this weekend's Tym Morrison, Fluid 5ive, and Alex Traynor shows (plus the We Will Rock You production), visit the post below this one! We're tackling shows on both sides of the border tonight, plus apparent lineup shifts in one band, with a new concert video too, so let's begin with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to The Esquire Club for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, the band only announced these shows via their Facebook event page earlier today, and these gigs are not listed on their concert calendar posted on Facebook in February. Just two weeks removed from their last stops at this fan favourite west end venue, Soundcheck are promising to make up for those shows, as members were battling various illnesses that weekend. Assuming everyone is free and clear health-wise now, TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT'S concerts should provide more hard rocking good times from this talented group, so don't miss Soundcheck then! These shows have 10:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charges. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

Next up, we'll head to the E.U.P., where Sault Michigan classic/hard rock veterans Highway 63 are slated to return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These are Highway 63's first announced shows since rocking the Dondee in February, and will be their first St. Ignace stops since January. However, changes may be afoot in Highway 63, as frontman Henry Switzer was teasing that the band playing this weekend will feature "¾s of The Mamas Boys and half of Highway 63", a lineup that has been rehearsing for the last month & a half, and will be "one of the best darn bands in this town." In case you don't recall, The Mamas Boys were a classic rock quartet in the early-mid 2000s that (as of 2007) featured Henry and Highway 63 keyboardist Brian Drumheller alongside brothers Ray and Russell Mayer on bass & drums. No, they weren't the same band as Jager/Monkey's Uncle.

Given the hints Henry made regarding the lineup this weekend, did Highway 63 enlist one of the Mayers to replace George or Justin in their lineup? That seems like the easiest explanation, but we'll let you know when something is stated publically. You can see this new(?) supergroup incarnation of Highway 63 tomorrow and Saturday at 9:00 PM with no announced cover charges and a 21+ age limit. See above for more details, and here's Highway 63 live!



Lastly for this weekend's hard rock concert previews, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for one more big concert, as original AC/DC frontman Dave Evans will make his local concert debut THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at The Rockstar Bar! Though long overshadowed by his successors, Dave was AC/DC's first lead singer from 1973-1974, and was in the band for their first single release, so he is an important historical member of the Australian hard rock legends. Sonically, Dave does not resemble Bon or Brian, with a deeper yet more melodic singing voice, so how will he sound to a local audience tackling both his and Bon's era of the band, plus select originals and covers? You can find out tomorrow! Originally, Dave was advertised to be playing alongside an AC/DC tribute band named Thunderstruck, but this was changed in mid-April, as this tour run will actually see Dave playing alongside/after Barrie-based AC/DC tribute band Hells Bells, who will be familiar to readers from our past coverage!

Fans will recall seeing Hells Bells locally for shows in 2010 & 2015, though two attempts at a local booking in 2016 failed to take place as scheduled, so hopefully the third time will be the charm during their 25th anniversary celebrations! It's not clear if Hells Bells will be opening with a Dave-less set or not. Tickets for this 19+ concert are $16 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, or $20 at the door, and an 8:00 PM start time is advertised. It will be very interesting to hear how Dave Evans goes over with AC/DC fans locally this weekend, but a good time is in the cards, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Dave live!



We'll close today with a new live concert video from local independent label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel, featuring label head Tyler Gibson playing a solo set at the West of Hell concert at The New American Pub on April 17th, but as which project? The show was advertised to feature his rarely seen cybergrind project Malignant Neoplasm, but this video is credited to his better known goregrind act Crucify the Whore. Unreported switch, belated retcon, or intentionally blurred lines? In any event, the prior video of this set felt more like C.T.W. aside from maybe some extra backing effects, so judge for yourselves. The 2 minute video features two short clips of whichever of Tyler's bands this is, with the first half featuring him shredding a solid riff, and the second half featuring his requisite pig squeal vocals, but they are quieter in the mix via this recording. The vertical camera angle works fine given that this is a one man band, so I won't nitpick the orientation here.

While I'm still not as used to Tyler without long hair, the performance is solid and it feels like C.T.W. in their heyday (if not necessarily Malignant Neoplasm!) Nice to see him playing a little more often again, so give this video a look below, and stay tuned for more on Tyler's studio work soon!



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

Wyld Stallyns Concert Preview, Plus West Of Hell Concert Videos!!

In what will likely be our last news post of the month, we have some overdue videos to share from a recent extreme metal concert, but leading off, here's a preview of a concert taking place tomorrow at an unfamiliar venue!

Local acoustic hard rock trio The Wyld Stallyns will make their second appearance at The Whiskey Barrel at 113 Gore Street for a special mid-week concert TOMORROW! After debuting at this Scottish-themed nightclub on April 19th, the Elements side project will return to the former Konoba location tomorrow for this special Tuesday nighter, which will take place during the venue's "Kilt Night", with drink and food discounts awaiting attendees, so how's that for an extra pull beyond their varied and often heavy cover selection? Luckily for a school/work night, this is a matinee concert taking place at 6:00 PM tomorrow, and while there are no announced age limits or cover charges, remember the early evening timeslot may preclude a usual concert atmosphere. Visit the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details, and here's The Wyld Stallyns live!

Next up, here's the videos shot by Christopher Paci (for his great YouTube channel) at last week's West of Hell concert at The New American Pub! Apologies for the delay in these making the site, but with his new videos from the Killer Dwarfs show on Saturday night, I don't want to get any further behind regarding his channel. The videos all turned out well, kudos to him once again! Based on the order he uploaded the videos, it looks like rapper Conika closed this concert, presumably due to scheduling considerations, and she is performing in this clip with guest rapper Kodex. Both are talented MCs, and hip hop fans will want to give these a look! Moving to the metal bands, Chris filmed Vancouver thrash metal band West of Hell playing their originals "Water of Sorcery" and, as embedded below, "Hammer & Hand".

Intense performances here with some old school flourish, the quality is suitably nice here for fans who attended and missed the show alike, but other fans' cell phones can get in the way. Strong work overall from West of Hell in their long awaited local return, so give their videos a look above & below!



Chris also filmed fellow Vancouver thrashers Expain playing two original songs in their set last week, including "The Worst Is Yet To Come" and as embedded below, "The King". Oddly playing with much more natural house lighting compared to West of Hell, these videos capture Expain's arguably more ferocious, extreme metal-tinged sound nicely, and the crowd's definitely into both tracks! Check Expain's videos out above & below as well!



Finally, Chris captured one video of Tyler Gibson's cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm in what may have been their live debut (still surprised this wasn't a C.T.W. set.) Aside from maybe some added backing effects, this doesn't feel much different from C.T.W., for what it's worth! Chris got 7+ minutes of Tyler in action here, so fans of his minimalist extreme metal will enjoy the lengthy clip, but of course, pig squealing vocals aren't for everyone. Honestly, he seems fairly reserved on stage, though the lack of fans on the floor may be partly to blame. Hopefully we see more of Tyler's bands soon, and give Malignant Neoplasm's video a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's CD review to close April out next! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Go North Music Festival & West Of Hell), The Ozbourne Concert Preview, And More!!

As promised, we're capping off this weekend's hard rock concert previews today, but to fill things out, we have a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the coming months, and leading off, a surprise band discovery from about 14 years back, so here's what you should know!

While this will hardly make up for the 50 or so bands removed from our band links earlier this week (thank you, Myspace), we do have a newly discovered band to add to our defunct Sault Ontario band links, namely Nowhere Fast! A young all-female alternative/punk trio that was only visibly active for a brief period from April-May 2005, their lineup was comprised of singer Andrea Crofts, guitarist/bassist Rhiannon "Rhi" Jones, and drummer Jess Walls, none of which I'm familiar with from other local bands. No word on if "Kel" in the band's sole picture is a former band member or a nickname of Andrea's, as I don't know any members personally. Their Tripod page is inconsistently detailed (only Rhi has a full biography or thank-yous here), and their sole blog posting isn't musically related, but they had a clear sense of humour throughout available posts. Nowhere Fast had planned to write original songs, while covers were listed from bands like Switchfoot and Rise Against to Edwin McCain and Sarah MacLachlan, among various others.

I have no way of knowing how Nowhere Fast would have sounded as a live band, and Rhi's shared band roles indicate that they may have still needed to add a full-time bassist before then anyway, but an all-female band was a local rarity in the mid-2000s, and it would have been interesting to see where they would have went! Give them a look at the above links!

Next up, here's a pair of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, starting with the first true concert of 2019 from local metal promoters Six, Two, Oh., as Vancouver death metal quintet West of Hell will make their third local concert appearance on Wednesday, April 17th when they headline at The New American Pub! Last seen over 5 years ago at The Oddfellows Hall, this show will take place during their Infidels Tour of Canada, and their melodic brand of extreme metal will still be well primed for face melting next month! Fellow Vancouver metal quintet Expain are joining them for this tour, and they'll be bringing their own explosive blend of progressive thrash metal to the The New A as well, so be sure to check them out! Local openers will surprisingly include local cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm (led by C.T.W.'s own Tyler Gibson.) I can't recall if Malignant Neoplasm have ever had a formal live concert set, so I'm curious to hear how their noise attack translates live!

The surprise opening act will be local rapper Conika, who may seem like a major outlier on an concert billed as having "1,000% Metal", but she is a talented MC, and Six, Two, Oh. are no strangers to booking musically disparate acts on the same bill. Hopefully she sets the tone nicely! A $5 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which has a 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for full details on what should be a brutal night of extreme metal intensity, and stay tuned for potential updates!

Also newly announced, local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will hit the road for Richards Landing on nearby St. Joseph Island (45 minutes southeast of Sault Ste. Marie) to take part in the third annual Go North Music Festival on Saturday, July 13th! As far as I know, The Tide are the first punk, metal, or hard rock band to ever play at this one-day festival, and with their folksier Celtic side, they should fit in well! Held at the Centennial Grounds at 1511 Richards Street (previously the site of Cornfest), this family-friendly event will feature food vendors, craft beer, local artisans, children's activities and entertainers, and overnight camping, so be sure to visit the official website and/or Facebook page for full non-musical details. The diverse musical lineup will also include Toronto alt-folk band Birds of Bellwoods, Juno-winning local country singer Crystal Shawanda, Toronto indie rock quintet Sun K, Toronto folk singer/songtwriter Skye Wallace, ...

...London rock singer/guitarist Sarah Smith, Hamilton indie rock quartet Another Crush, and local indie rock solo artist Jesse Merineau & his solo band, with The Rising Tide listed as the festival openers. Tickets run for $30 until March 30th, $40 in advance afterwards, and $50 at the gate, while youths 13-18 in age can get in for $15, and kids 12 and under are FREE. You can buy tickets and camping packages at this link or at regional merchants to be announced. Sounds like a fun time, especially if you love folk and indie rock, and hopefully Dustin & company set the tone well in Richards Landing this summer! Visit the above links for complete current details!

Finally for today, let's wrap up this weekend's hard rock concert previews, as Winnipeg-based Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath tribute band OZbourne will make their Sault Ste. Marie debut TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock The Canadian Nightclub! 8 years removed from Blizzard of Ozz's show at the same venue, we can finally take in some more touring tribute action with OZbourne, whose sound is faithful in sound and visual appeal to satiate any Ozzy fan, so be sure to give them a look before you head to The Canadian tomorrow! The local openers are blues rock trio The Paul DellaVedova Band (replacing The Bearded Lounge) in a rare support appearance from them at a non-festival, and while they may not be your first thought as openers for an Ozzy tribute, remember that Paul and company have some hard rock songs in their setlist, and blues music was a big influence on Black Sabbath, so they should deliver strongly to kick things off!

Moved up to tomorrow from it's original March 29th scheduling, this 19+ concert has a likely 10:00 PM start time, and admission will be $15 at the door. If you love Ozzy and/or Sabbath, you'd be well served to check out Ozbourne tomorrow night, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and for a preview, here's Ozbourne live!



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

This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus New Videos!!

A quiet concert weekend is upon us, so barring a late notice confirmation, today's post features this weekend's previously announced concert previews, plus some new videos from two very different local acts. Without any further adieu, here's what you should know!

We'll start our previews with the Sault Ste. Marie debut of Sudbury punk trio Lightmares, who will rock LopLops Lounge TONIGHT! After two fan favourite appearances at both of the Oh!No concert festivals in Leeburn, this will be a long overdue chance for Oh!No attendees and newcomers alike to see Lightmares in the Soo proper, and with their alternative-tinged, upbeat blend of originals, they should get a solid reception among the LopLops faithful! Openers were quietly confirmed in recent weeks, and they will include new local hip-hop jazz quartet Bom Kronik (spelled "Bomb Chronic" on the Facebook event page) and local surf rock quartet The Dynowaves, who also played at Oh!No this year. Diverse but talent-laden lineup, so don't be late for the opening acts! Advertised as promoters Six, Two, Oh.'s 90th concert to date, this show has a 19+ age limit, $5 cover charge, and 9:00 PM start time.

With this show tonight and The Therapists returning to our area later this month, this is a good time to be a fan of this year's Oh!No lineup, so if you can swing a Thursday nighter, head to LopLops for all of tonight's varied action, and for a preview, here's Lightmares live last month!

Next up, the only other advertised local hard rock concerts this weekend will take place at the re-opened and relocated Gliss Restaurant, as Tym Morrison's weekly arrangement there begins it's second week since the big move TOMORROW & SATURDAY! Following the grand re-opening on October 27th, Tym resumed his regular run there last week, and will play his second public concert weekend at the former Cesira's location over the next two days. Fans of Tym's regular and proficient blend of hard and classic rock covers should welcome his weekly Gliss matinee gigs back after a 3+ month hiatus, and you can expect more of the same high quality entertainment on Spring Street tomorrow and/or Saturday! Unless there's a late confirmation, these are Tym's only publically announced shows this weekend, and they are 6:00 PM gigs with no announced cover charge or age limit, but mind the more intimate restaurant locale. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Tym live in concert a few years back!



We'll close today with some new videos, starting with a surprise song posting from.... Room 206?! This comes from bassist Brad "Example" Lacell's YouTube channel last week, and while your first guess may be that the song (entitled "Last Stance") is a 20 year old demo from the punk quartet's original run, that doesn't appear to be the case, as the video's description says that it was "recorded for Tidal Records' compilation #1." This seems to imply that former Room 206 members recently reunited to record at least one more song, presumably at Tidal Records' own Mission Control Studios, for an apparent compilation album featuring Tidal-signed artists & collaborators, though this is largely conjecture until there is confirmation beyond this video. For what it's worth, Brad is on Tidal's roster already as a solo artist, and was a bandmate of Tidal head Dustin Jones in The Inner City Surfers. Also note that much of Tidal's recent online posts have revolved around the big Jesse Merineau concert yesterday, so outside topics may have been on hold then.

I was a kid (as in, under 10) during Room 206's heyday, so I missed out on the glory years of the Windsor Park Hotel concert era, but this new song should highly pique the interest of mid-1990s local punk fans! I can't confirm full credits for who's representing Room 206 here, and I'll hold on reviewing "Last Stance" pending teasers of a Tidal compilation album being true, but give it a listen below, and stay tuned for more when and if it comes in!



Finally for today, here's the latest from local cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm, who returned after a lengthy hiatus with two new digital albums on their Bandcamp page on Tuesday! One is entitled "Jesus Died For Our Tins", and the other (embedded below via label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel) is entitled "No More Medical Songs." This seems to signal a shift away from songs named after medical terminology and conditions, though this isn't new, as their 2016 album didn't have any medical song names either. In fact, Malignant Neoplasm's 2018 songs have more in common thematically with their sister goregrind act Crucify the Whore, so if that's more your thing, these will be familiar! While less cyber-influenced than previous material, these new songs (some with suitably provocative titles) remain a quick listen, as despite having 8 and 9 songs respectively, neither crosses 10 minutes in total length. Only 3 songs between them exceed 2 minutes, and 6 don't run for more than 20 seconds, so don't lose track of time when checking them out, as a song could end before you know it!

These albums are both available at the above links on "name your price" models, and while the polarizing gorenoise originals and typically undecipherable vocals will not win over any prior detractors of Blood Shed's grind acts, the aggressive noise rock will be right up the alley of existing label fans! Give all 9+ minutes of "No More Medical Songs" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from Tyler and company when it rolls in!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Still Of The Night & Stiffler's Mom), New Videos, And More!!

Here's a new news post for your Saturday afternoon, and while we had planned to put this up tomorrow, we have a SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so let's lead off with that! Also today, we have another new show, some new live concert videos, and more assorted notes, so here's what you should know!

Local hard/party rock trio Stiffler's Mom will hit the stage TONIGHT for one night only at The Rockstar Bar! Apologies for the short notice, the band only acknowledged the show on their Facebook page this afternoon, and the venue's Facebook group only confirmed the show online today as well. A one-nighter due to last night's show from newer dance rock cover band The Killer Hooks (featuring Gsis Murphy & Midpoint alumni), this will mark Greg, Mike, and Jon's first show together since rocking Rotaryfest's main stage last month, and their first announced Rockstar Bar stop since the spring. Stiffler's Mom should be raring to go with their fan favourite covers and high energy TONIGHT, so don't miss out at The Rockstar Bar on this fairly quiet weekend for hard rock shows! There is no announced cover TONIGHT, you must be 19 or older to attend, and a 10:30 PM start time is likely. See above for more, and here's Stiffler's Mom live!



Next up, here's another new show announcement for The Rockstar Bar, as Southern Ontario-based Whitesnake tribute band Still of the Night will rock Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on Saturday, October 1st! Self-described as "Canada's premier Whitesnake tribute", Still of the Night definitely provide a faithful take on the David Coverdale-led band's classic material, and given how well attended The Rockstar Bar's tribute concerts usually are, this one should be in the same vein! Of course, many local fans did see the real Whitesnake in Sault Michigan in August 2011, but if you've missed them in the past 5+ years, this is the next best thing! Like the venue's other tribute shows, there will be advance ticket sales at The Algonquin Hotel's front desk, but prices have not been announced yet (for reference, this year's cancelled Hells Bells show cost $12.) A 9:00 PM start time is advertised for this 19+ event, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and stay tuned for updates!

Also today, here's some new live videos of Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned from a private out of town function last night! Uniquely streamed live to their Facebook page during the show, these were filmed at an event for Northwind Services in Iron River, which is in the Western Upper Peninsula. One video is a cover of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", notably featuring bassist Wayne Lawrence on lead vocals, but embedded below is their cover of Alice in Chains' "Man in the Box" with guitarist Alex Traynor in his regular singing role. Dancing attendees can get in the way of the band at times, and the square dimensions are a little Instagram-ish, but Banned sound reliably good and diverse on these clips, and had I known that the band was experimenting with a live stream, I'd have acknowledged it on here beforehand! Give the videos a look above & below, and best of luck to Banned as they complete their tour run in Gould City tonight!



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

• Stemming from yesterday's YouTube Channel Profile on this band, we have sadly deleted Sault Michigan hard rock trio Division of Sanity from our inactive band links due to the closure of their Facebook page in the past year. Though the band still has an online presence via YouTube and Soundcloud, that was their only formal band page, so I reluctantly had to delete them from our listings. Division of Sanity had promise, and hopefully Caine, Myke, and Gabe return in new projects down the road!
• Sault Ontario goregrind/cybernoise solo project Malignant Neoplasm have resurfaced with a new digital EP! The Tyler Gibson-led studio act hadn't publically surfaced since "Kittens Have Crustys" was released over a year ago, but you can buy their newest 4 song release on a "name your price" model at their Bandcamp page, though note that the cover art and song titles may be seen as offensive. Give it a look if you want, and Malignant Neoplasm are back in our active band links!
• THIS THURSDAY'S SNFU concert at The Rockstar Bar now has in-person ticket sales for $20 at both The Algonquin Hotel's front desk & at The Rad Zone, so if you didn't want to or couldn't buy yours online, keep both of these physical options in mind before next week! Also, promoter J.D. Pearce noted on the Facebook event page that this is the "last show" that he has booked for this year... no Halloween party? We'll keep you posted!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news & notes next week! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Deathsticks & Eclipse), Tantrym Tyme Updates, And More!!

(Updated on Monday at 3:25 PM) Before we begin this post, I wanted to apologize for missing local classic/hard rock cover band Mourning Wood's shows at Reggie's Place this past weekend, as the band didn't publically plug them on their Facebook page (we only heard about them after the fact via drummer Glen Thomas' personal page today.) Hopefully they were great shows, we'd have plugged them had we heard about them! Now, today's post features two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), plus a new concert video and more updates, so let's get things rolling!

Fresh off of opening for The Ripcordz last night, local modern hard rock quartet Eclipse will head to The New American Pub TOMORROW NIGHT when they open for Montreal stoner rock trio The Hazytones in their local debut! Apologies for the short notice, we only heard about Eclipse's involvement via the headliners' new Facebook event page on Friday (an earlier private event page didn't list Eclipse.) The Hazytones' brand of psychedelic originals have been getting a solid response during their Canadian tour, and while they're not a metal band, their songs do have some heavy thematic qualities, so don't miss them TOMORROW NIGHT! Eclipse will join forces with local indie rock quartet and fellow VM Radio Battle finalists K.I.C.K. on TOMORROW's lineup, so look for K.I.C.K. to keep it cool mid-show also! Admission for this 19+ show is $5, and the headliners have confirmed that it will take place at a typical 9:00 PM start time, not 5:00 PM.

This should be an intriguing show for fans of a few different styles, with psyhedelic, indie, and hard rock all represented on the bill, so definitely keep this special Monday nighter in mind TOMORROW! Also, I believe the guys in K.I.C.K. are largely responsible for promoting the show, marking a rare original show at The New A that's not from Six, Two, Oh. Check the above links for more details, and here's Eclipse live!

 
Next up, here's a new show that Six, Two, Oh. are definitely putting on, as Whitby, Ontario garage/noise rock duo Deathsticks will make their local concert debut at The New American Pub on Saturday, October 15th! Described by Six, Two, Oh.'s Boyd Rendell as his "favourite new band discovery" from AlgomA's recent tour run (having played together in Peterborough in June), Deathsticks' hard hitting brand of "power slop" originals definitely have original and entertaining qualities, so come see Matt & Laura lay into the Soo for the first time in two months! A debuting (one off?) hardcore punk band named The Eighties will open the proceedings, and while I can't confirm their lineup yet, they appear to be a supergroup merger of AlgomA & Winkstinger alumni. Sounds promising, we'll let you know if we hear more from The Eighties, whether they launch a Facebook page or not! At least one more local band is to be announced to round out the lineup.

Admission fees haven't been announced yet for this 9:00 PM & 19+ concert, but in the event that promoters don't announce them, bring $5 or so just in case. Sounds like a solid time, with Deathsticks carrying a solid endorsement from the guys in AlgomA, not to mention the debuting Eighties, so circle this show on your calendars for your fall plans, and visit the official Facebook event page for more info as it comes in!

Also today, here's a new video from Sault Michigan hard rock band Tantrym Tyme, in their first Facebook page update in almost a year(!), so it's great to see that they're still alive and well! This comes from a (publically unannounced) outdoor set that the guys played during the annual Downtown Days events earlier this month, with the video capturing Tantrym Tyme covering A Perfect Circle's "Judith", so how does the 75 second clip sound? The vertical camera angle does the band no favours, but the guys are definitely progressing their material and cover selection towards more difficult and less predictable songs, and they sound good from what I can hear, with Jacob Hotlen's voice maturing very well! It should be noted that the video does not feature second guitarist Michael McLeod, who played with Tantrym Tyme at last year's Superior Festival, but with no visible public evidence of him playing with the band since, it's looking more & more like his involvement was a one-off.

Michael was a solid guitarist from the videos that I saw from the Superior Festival, and hopefully we see him in a band again at some point! I wish Tantrym Tyme would update their public online pages with more frequency (what else have we missed in the past year?), but hopefully Jacob, Mike, and Ethan have much more to come for fans in the E.U.P., and give their Downtown Days video a look below!



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:

• Hamilton garage punk duo Artificial Dissemniation have been added as the third and final band on the K-Man & The 45s concert at The New American Pub on September 17th, where they will play second between the headliners and The Elements. Promoters Six, Two, Oh. confirmed their addition on the Facebook event page on Wednesday, and Artifical Dissemination's hard charging minimalist punk should give this "Ska Saturday" an extra kick, so see above for more details on this event!
• During last night's Ripcordz concert at The Canadian Nightclub, local punk/metal quartet Jack Spades reportedly enlisted a special guest performer during their set, and while there hasn't been a public confirmation, personal postings indicate that the guest was Dayglo Abortions bassist Willy Jak! Nice surprise to be sure, and hopefully media turns up of Willy with Jack Spades! For reference, fellow performers Project 421 reportedly debuted at least one new original song too, as per sister band Eclipse's Facebook page.
• We have moved local cybergrind solo project Malignant Neoplasm to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity. The Crucify the Whore side project hasn't posted a public update since releasing their "Kittens Have Crustys" album on August 10th last year, with their Facebook page having since been taken over as C.T.W.'s new Facebook home. Malignant Neoplasm were a creative studio act for Blood Shed loyalists, if an acquired taste for many newcomers, but don't miss Tyler Gibson in all of his other active bands!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more news and notes as this week continues! Thanks everyone!