Iron Maiden Comic Book Review, New Videos From Grindcore Acts, And More!!

Before we dive into our last weekend concert previews of the month, here's a new news post for your Wednesday, including some assorted recent notes, a new concert video, and some recent coverage of a popular local band, but first, here's a first for the SMS: A comic book review!

As you may remember, local artist Darren Emond launched the Iron Maiden comic book that he did the pencil artwork for at The Rad Zone on Saturday, and I absolutely came to get an autographed copy (this is a scan of mine), so I thought it was fitting to give it a review on here! One of a series of recent comic books from the Rock & Roll Biographies series from Acme Ink, the comic book is basically the Cliffs Notes version of Iron Maiden's band history, from the late 1970s through to the modern day, as nicely illustrated by Darren to a story by Paul Birch that covers most ground from their history. As well, the comic also explores a side-storyline on the band's mascot Eddie The Head and his efforts to protect the band and the titular Iron Maiden herself from evil forces out of the real world. The comic is solely in black & white, but the art pops, especially in the Eddie panels, and while some eras of the band are glossed over a bit in the story (the 1990s, in particular), the comic book is a fun way to explore Iron Maiden's history!

Note as well that Darren's last name is given as "Emmonds" in the credits, but everything else is well done and nicely laid out, with a tribute to late Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister even included. Overall, the Iron Maiden comic book is worth buying for $5 at The Rad Zone (if you can find it in the States, it's $3.50 there), so if you love Iron Maiden and/or comic books, pick up a copy A.S.A.P., and kudos to Darren on a job well done!

Next up, here's the latest from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, starting with an overdue note from their SooToday article from May 2nd, which bypassed us in our original write-up on it (my apologies), as Josh, Mike, and Matt will be performing in a Live at Six, Two, Oh. episode on Sunday! This occurs as Shit Liver return east from this latest Canadian tour, but unless there's a late notice show announcement, I don't believe they'll have a local concert this weekend. This should be a fun episode of the local recording studio's video series, so look for it on Sunday or later! Also from Shit Liver, their long awaited episode of Tuned with Donna Hopper went up on SooToday on Saturday, so what should you know on it? Filmed during the Motherfuckers-headlined concert last month, the episode features Donna interviewing all three guys about their move to St. Catharine's, what keeps them going, their work in the bluegrass band Dirtfight, and how they marry their bands' two genres, as set to video footage from both bands' tour dates last month.

Though the episode treads some of the same ground as the original article, it's a solid episode with some brutal clips from the Oddfellows Hall show, but the interview portion is badly drowned out when clips from Dirtfight's Gore Street Cafe show are featured (also, "Shitliver" is spelled without a space in the opening bug.) Still, this is some solid press for Shit Liver, so give the full Tuned episode a look above, and note that SooToday's video host still doesn't permit external video embedding.

Also today, here's some new concert footage from local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore, as per the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel yesterday! A 12 minute video with clips from C.T.W.'s set at the Metal Massacre 2 house party show on May 7th, the video captures some ferocious jamming from Tyler, with a receptive audience, but the video is compromised by being letterboxed when it doesn't have to be (it was already widescreen, why not upload it as such?) Give it a look below!



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

• After brief turns as Waterfront Legend & The River Cookhouse, the former Docks Riverfront Grill has again changed names & formats to the HD Sports Grill, as per this SooToday article plugging a recent job fair to hire new employees. Imee Yeun still owns the restaurant and former local concert venue, and it's unclear when the Foster Drive location re-opens, but part of the grill will include a golf simulator. Hopefully this theme and name takes for the long term at the former Docks, and we'll let you know if live bands return with it!
• Local musician Mario Gionet is looking for a singer for his new metal band that he's launched, as per his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from last week. No word on what he's playing in the band (I'm unfamiliar with him), but message Mario at this link or above for more details!
• In this SooToday article from Donna Hopper last week, downtown concert venue The Machine Shop is spotlighted to reflect on it's recent full launch as a public events site, it's upcoming restaurant, and the hiring of LopLops Lounge owner Stephen Alexander as the venue's events promoter (don't worry, he's still bringing bands to LopLops!) The article also serves to avoid confusion with St. Mary's Paper site locations from their development, as the Mill Square owners sold it in January, and it's not The Yard or The Tech either. Informative article, so get more above, and The Machine Shop's new website is now linked in our venue listings!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

New Archive Concert Videos, The End Of Docks, And More!!

Let's get a new news post up on this Tuesday evening, including some assorted recent notes, an archive concert video from a couple years back, and a recent concert venue closure, but first, here's a new video upload from a major metal show that we enjoyed over seven years ago!

Courtesy of AlgomA bassist Kevin Campbell's YouTube channel, this video is of defunct metal supergroup Heaven & Hell playing the Black Sabbath classic "Computer God" at The Essar Centre (then known as The Steelback Centre) on March 20th, 2007, and it's great to see another video from this show! Note that Kevin credits them as Black Sabbath in the video, as this was the "Mob Rules" era lineup, but they toured and recorded as Heaven & Hell. As preceded by Vinny Appice's drum solo, this is a nice video, and though Kevin wasn't too close to the stage, he used the zoom on his camera to good effect on this solid rendition of one of the better songs on the "Dehumanizer" album! I stand by this being the best concert to ever hit the arena on a musical basis (Kiss topped it theatrically), and I'll always be grateful that I got to see Ronnie James Dio live before his passing. I wonder if Kevin has any more footage from this event? Check out the full clip below!



Next up, we appear to have lost another local concert venue, as Docks Riverfront Grill re-opened earlier this month as Waterfront Legend, a new higher-end Chinese buffet restaurant. The Foster Drive location was quietly sold to new owner Imee Yeun on May 1st, and had operated as Docks briefly over the summer before the relaunch, though the venue hasn't hosted an advertised band since classic rockers Redline played there in late March. According to a new SooToday article on the overhaul from Michael Purvis, the main dining area is mostly unchanged, and the bar's still there, but there's Asian art and effects, new lighting, and buffet tables in place of the pool tables. Given the changes, it seems very unlikely that live bands will be in the cards for Waterfront Legend, which will be disappointing for old Docks regulars, as it was a nice venue that played host to numerous cover bands over the years!

We have moved Docks to our defunct local venue links under it's Facebook page (as it's website was closed), and if you like Chinese food and buffets, give Waterfront Legend a chance! I had heard rumours for a while regarding Docks' ownership and changes, and the lack of recent band bookings had also been noticeable, but hopefully old regulars there find steady places to play in the near future! Best of luck to all former Docks employees!

Also today, here's another older YouTube video of local classic/hard rock cover band Havadder, as we slowly get up to speed concerning their older videos that we never addressed on here! Courtesy of a February 2012 concert at The Nicolet Tavern (now The Rednecks Saloon), this was uploaded to the band's own YouTube channel at the time, and remains the only upload there. Featuring their 2011-2012 Turner Up-hybrid lineup, then-bassist (and recent live guest) Travis Sharpe handles lead vocals on this cover of The Foo Fighters' "These Days" alongside guitarists Jason Roy (Havadder's founder & usual frontman), Jason Nisbet, and Robert Brown, and drummer Scott McLurg. It's a well done cover shot from a good central angle of the stage, but Travis doesn't have the right force on the chorus vocals. Check it out below though, and stay tuned for more from Havadder, new and old!



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

• Likely stemming from a prior musician search in May, Social Suicide alum Anthony Boudreau is again looking for a rhythm guitarist for his new local band that would play hard rock & hair metal inspired by the likes of Avenged Sevenfold & Guns 'N Roses, with originals and covers planned. If you're interested, message Anthony at this link (or fellow member Damon King) on Facebook with media of you playing the song of your choice, and click here for more info!
• Former State of Misery drummer Nick Kainula is again looking to join a new local band, citing "any music from the '80s up" and Motley Crue as his biggest influences. Right now, he just wants to jam, but would love to play shows too. It'd be nice to see him back in an active band, but if you're interested in jamming with him, message Nick at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post from September 5th!
• I have removed Haggith frontman Curtis McKenzie's Sound X solo project from our band links for two reasons. One is that he hasn't posted public updates concerning the project since late last year, and the other is that the link we had for Sound X (Curt's solo music page) has not tended to focus on this project over his more active band work. Hopefully he revisits his solo work soon though, and stay tuned for more on Haggith's new CDs!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and previews soon, plus this month's poll and last month's poll results on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Lucky 13) & More Of This Weekend's Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

In another busy local concert weekend at the SMS, we're actually gonna have to bring this to a third post to cover all the hard rock shows due to another SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so with that in mind, I'll postpone our preview of tomorrow's Slopefest 2014 to a second post later today along with some other news items (unless a recent note concerning a member departure leads to their withdrawal, but we'll elaborate on that tonight.) Check out the post below for our first of the weekend previews, and now, let's tackle the next hard rock shows this weekend!

Local alternative/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will return to The Rockstar Bar for a one-nighter TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this concert was only just announced on Monday via it's Facebook event page, though I only first heard about it yesterday. After an off weekend, this will be the third weekend out of five to feature Ed, Jeremey, Jeff, and Roger at The Rockstar Bar for at least one night, so things must be going well for their recent Algonquin Hotel appearances, and hopefully their gritty alt-rock covers get a solid turnout once again! Note that they're not playing tomorrow night due to the previously announced Suicide Kings show that we'll touch on next. Admission should be about $5 for this 19+ show, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, check the above links! Should be a solid night of entertaining hard rock covers, so don't miss Lucky 13 at The Rockstar Bar TOMORROW NIGHT, and for a preview, here's the guys covering a pair of songs at the first Toystock!



Moving to previously announced concerts, the aforementioned Suicide Kings will return to the site of last year's battle of the bands victory when they rock The Rockstar Bar TONIGHT for their own one-night-only appearance! Last seen at The Marquee at Bon Soo two weeks ago, this will be their first stop at The Rockstar Bar in almost six months, so tomorrow's show has definitely been a long time coming, but sadly, they'll be sans bassist Mitch Sirie tonight, as per their Facebook page yesterday. Though the band gave a joking reason for his absence, his personal page confirms that he has an ear infection, and I know how painful that can be, so get well soon, Mitch! According to guitarist Steven Flint's personal Facebook page last night, his and drummer Ben Boudreau's Punch bandmate Daniel Horton will fill in for Mitch tonight, and knowing their chemistry, Daniel will be a solid fill-in, so fingers crossed everything goes great in honour of frontman Mike Gaetano's 30th birthday!

Likely The Suicide Kings' last show before they open for Anvil at The Canadian on March 15th (remember, they replaced Pillory on the lineup last month), these local hard rock favourites will be on at 10:00 PM tonight, a $5 cover charge is likely, and you must be 19 to enter. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Hopefully the remaining Suicide Kings & Daniel paint it red as advertised with their hard hitting originals and covers, so don't miss out, and for a preview, here's the guys at the last year's battle!

Closing this preview post are some two night runs in the area, including the return of Charlevoix metal trio Peril to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Their second concert weekend of the month at a regional Kewadin Casino branch, these will be Peril's first St. Ignace shows in almost two months, and as they won't be back to the U.P. until May, why not consider a run down to see Jeff Hudson and company tear through some classic metal covers this weekend? Like usual for Peril, this weekend's shows have 21+ age limits, no announced cover charge, and 9:00 PM start times. For more details, visit the above links! It's always nice to see Peril back up in our area, so be sure to check out their diverse metal attack TONIGHT & TOMORROW, as they always bring a good time when they play at one of the Kewadin Casinos! For a preview, here's the guys live in Vanderbilt in 2012!



Finally for this post, Sault Ontario all-female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats will make their official Docks Riverfront Grill debuts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT! Fresh off a successful set at last week's Late & Loud reunion show, these won't be the girls' first experience at Docks, having been a surprise guest at a Stiffler's Mom gig there in October, but now the spotlight is theirs in the Docks' Playroom performance area, so don't miss their ever improving originals and covers this weekend! Remember, these will be just their second and third shows since ex-singer Summer Snow-Leopard's departure, but if the reception they got last weekend is any indication, their current lineup shouldn't have much to worry about over the next two nights! Admission is FREE both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, definitely think about checking out The Danger Cats this weekend, and here are the girls at The Algonquin Pub last year!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for our SlopeFest preview and more TONIGHT! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Merves, That's Chester, And The Danger Cats) & Much More!!

News has been slow lately, but for the first time since Monday, we have a post without any concert previews, and there's some big things to take note of! Just to clarify, this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles are coming, but given the recent quiet news stretch, I'm bumping it to tomorrow to spread things out better. Today, we have some random assorted recent news, some new drum cover videos, and first, some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

Remember The Merves, the Toronto-based Ramones tribute band featuring ex-Lion Ride frontman Mikey Hawdon? Well, they'll be back at The Rockstar Bar next Friday (January 17th) for the first time in almost a year, but with a hard rock twist. They're splitting the song selection to cover Joan Jett & The Blackhearts for half their set, so now there's a hard rock edge to this popular band! Featuring respected Toronto-area punk musicians, and with talented Toronto-area singer Amy Zucchetto channeling Joan Jett, it should be nice to have The Merves back in town after such a long time away, so don't miss their return next week! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ concert, and a 10:30 PM start time is advertised. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to have Mikey back for another local concert, and hopefully punk and hard rock fans get an equal dose of great tunes from The Merves' Ramones & Joan Jett covers next Friday! If any updates roll in, we'll have them here!

Next up, local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester will return to Docks Riverfront Grill's Playroom for a full weekend on February 14th & 15th! Though yet unannounced on their Facebook page, we can confirm these dates through Docks' event calendar on their website, so there's my source. Last seen at Toystock on December 1st (and at Docks that same weekend), these currently sit as That's Chester's first shows of 2014, and it will be nice to have their diverse and often heavy covers back after a two and a half month break, so keep these shows in mind next month! These are 19+ events, 10:00 PM start times are likely, and like other recent Docks events, there is NO COVER CHARGE. For more details, visit the above links! Though live gigs for That's Chester have been more sporadic since their reunion, That's Chester's talents and skill are still ready and present, so keep their (presumably) first shows of 2014 in mind for next month, and stay tuned for updates!

Lastly for our recent batch of new Docks concert announcements, all female hard rock quintet The Danger Cats will make their official Docks debuts on Friday, February 28th and Saturday, March 1st! Apologies for the late announcements on these shows, as they were originally announced on December 20th, but they slipped through our radar until today. Barring an interim announcement, these will be the girls' first live dates of 2014, but not the first time that they've played there, as Stiffler's Mom invited them to play a few songs during their October 2013 weekend there. That should be some solid experience for these early March dates, so don't miss their entertaining covers and slowly expanding original repertoire then! Like the aforementioned That's Chester shows, there is no cover charge, a 19+ age limit, and a 10:00 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, and stay tuned for more as we hear it!

Also, As It Stands drummer John Mignacca has posted a pair of new drum cover videos onto his/the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday! His first solo postings in 9 months, these are (once again) electric drum covers to songs you may not expect, including Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and (as embedded below) Christina Grimmie's cover of David Guetta's "Titanium". John's drum skills are on full display, and he adds well to these tracks, but the volume of his drumming is too muted, and it could stand to be louder. Note that while it's great to see some new work from John, As It Stands have not made any public updates since October (or played live in almost a year & a half), but John has stayed busy as a drummer with the Hamilton djent studio project Rancor. Hopefully we hear some more from As It Stands soon, but see Jon's new solo work above & below!



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

• Local metal/punk quintet Jack Spades aren't just opening for Anvil & Caym once in the Soo on March 15th, as they're actually hitting the road to open for the Canadian metal legends during their Sudbury & North Bay gigs on the surrounding days. Awesome news, and hopefully these are just a start for Jack Spades' rise and Anvil's northern takeover! Check the above links for more details on the other Northern Ontario dates!
• Are local classic metal quartet Late & Loud reuniting? A post on their Facebook page saying "Get stoked for February more details soon." was added this morning, and if it points to a reunion of some kind, it would end (at least temporarily) their inactive period since their Rockstar Bar Battle appearances last April. When we hear more, we'll be sure to let you guys know!
• Dafter, Michigan hard rocker Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton now has an official Android/Google Play application! Created through Reverbnation (similarly to Sykotyk Rampage's application), you can download it or get more details at this link, so give it a look!

That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Thanks everyone!

This Weekend's Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

I apologize for the slow news stretch lately, as despite having some new concerts to plug, everything else has been fairly slow for the early part of 2014, but things are guaranteed to pick up soon! In that respect, today's post is 100% dedicated to weekend concert previews (all of which have advance notice), so what heavier artists are rocking the Twin Saults and area this weekend? Read on below to find out!

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will continue his current weekly concert arrangement TOMORROW NIGHT with another solo show at The Harp Bar & Grill! Remember, though unannounced on Facebook as of this writing, the calendar on his website confirms he'll be back at the former Madison's Pub tomorrow for what will serve as both his newest solo gig and as a jam/open mic night, so if you love such events, keep that angle in mind! For the concert aspect of tomorrow's event, be sure not to miss Tym's talented acoustic covers of hard rock and metal classics, especially if you live centrally, as this should be another entertaining night of tunes! There's no announced cover charge for this 19+ concert, and a start time of 10:00 PM is likely. For more details, visit the above links! Approaching the sixth weekly installment of his current run at The Harp, Tym always puts in a good show, so definitely consider a run to The Harp tomorrow for this event, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Eric Clapton at the former Foggy Notions!



Next up, we'll take a quick detour across the river, as Charlevoix classic metal veterans Peril will return to The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen there (or in the U.P. at all) in October, these will be Peril's first regional dates of a busy 2014 that will see them play two more Kewadin dates through March, joining frontman Jeff Hudson's other band Scarkazm's own regional dates over the next while, so this should be a big year for them! Peril's classic metal covers and experienced talent should be welcomed back to St. Ignace this weekend, so if you're up for some hard rocking intensity, head down to The Northern Pines Lounge! There's no announced cover charges this weekend, you must be 21 to attend, and 19+ age limits are to be expected. For more details, visit the above links, and for a preview, here's Peril playing 4 covers at a Vanderbilt show in 2012!



Moving back to Sault Ontario to close this post, local alternative/hard rock cover quartet Lucky 13 will make their Docks Riverfront Grill debuts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! The band's first dates of the new year, it'll be interesting to see this union of Route 69, Gully Yodelers, and Bangers N' Mash alumni in Docks' Playroom for the first time, but their alt-rock covers and gritty sound should serve them well this weekend, so keep a trip to Foster Drive in mind for this weekend for some Lucky 13 action! Like other recent Docks shows, there is NO COVER CHARGE this weekend, though a 10:00 PM start time and 19+ age limit are still in their usual effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Lucky 13 have proved to be a consistent and entertaining sight since their debut, so definitely don't bypass this weekend's shows, and for a preview, here's Lucky 13 at The Canadian in 2012!



Finally for this weekend's known hard rock shows, Sault Ontario quartet Glitch will return to their favourite local venue The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY NIGHT in their own first gig of the new year! Note that this is a one night only event, possibly because The Rockstar Bar's hosting local country band Summer Thunder tomorrow night, so if you wanna see Glitch, don't come tomorrow. Featuring alumni of Foothill Road, W.F.O., and Bondar, this newer quartet has been a popular sight at The Algonquin Hotel's upstairs venue since their debut last fall, so don't miss their well mixed blend of covers, including many heavier tunes, on Saturday night! A $5 cover is likely for this 10:30 PM event, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Keep the return of Glitch in mind for your Saturday night plans, and for a preview, here's the guys rocking out at their live debut!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, along with this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!! (TheKillingField, Stiffler's Mom, Lucky 13, and Glitch)

We're finally back with a new news post after a quiet weekend, as we're devoting this freezing Monday to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS! A few respected hard rock cover bands have some new concerts advertised, along with a very cool all ages metal show at The Oddfellows Hall later this month, so read on below for what you need to know on the current concert schedule!

Local alternative/hard rock quartet Lucky 13 will take the stage for the first time of the new year THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY at Docks Riverfront Grill! Note that the band has yet to officially confirm these dates, but they are listed on Docks' website's schedule, among other dates that we'll touch on in the next while from other local talent. Last seen at The Rockstar Bar early last month, this weekend's shows will be Lucky 13's first at Docks (unless I've missed any unannounced dates), and it'll be good to see this union of Aftersight, Throwbacks, and Gully Yodelers alumni back at it with their usual high energy covers to kick off 2014! These likely 10:00 PM shows have 19+ cover charges, and according to the schedule above, Docks has scrapped cover charges in recent months, so there is NO COVER this weekend! Stay tuned for updates from the Lucky 13 camp as we hear them (and our previews closer to Friday), and hopefully this weekend's shows keep up their usual talents!

Also this weekend, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock cover quartet Glitch will play their first local concert date of 2014 when they return to The Rockstar Bar THIS SATURDAY! Their first live appearance in almost a month, the event was just announced by guitarist Marco Pedalino on their Facebook group yesterday. A favourite sight at The Rockstar Bar since their debut last fall, look for a varied but often heavy selection of classic songs from this union of Sneaky Pete, Lion Ride, and Tripod The Dog members, so keep their first show of 2014 in mind for this weekend! A $5 cover charge is likely for this 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM start time should be expected. For more details, check the above links! Though their focus on The Rockstar Bar for all of their solo gigs is still somewhat surprising, it's been a great venue for Glitch since their debut, so take in another entertaining night of music from them on Saturday night, and if there's any updates, we'll have them here!

Next up (and as previously hinted at), new local metal promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment are indeed bringing North Bay extreme metal trio TheKillingField back to the Soo for their first official concert, which goes down at The Oddfellows Hall on Friday, January 24th! Last seen locally at the 33rd Roosevelt Hotel metal night in September 2011 (and their first Oddfellows appearance since opening for Cattle Decapitation in 2009), it's been way too long for TheKillingField's brutal and technical originals to grace the Soo, and knowing how many fans they've made here, they should pick up right where they left off in just under three weeks! Joining them are fellow North Bay standouts Buried Out Back (featuring ex-Empyrean Plague guitarist Dave Strba), who you may remember as one of the openers at Hallows Die's June 2012 show at The Canadian. Their death metal sound should be right at home with the local crowd on the 24th, so be sure not to miss their second local date! Like the pre-H.N.E. Devil's Night show at The Oddfellows Hall, an extensive band roster is slotted for this ALL AGES show, so what locals can be expected?

Though the band lineup is subject to change, TheKillingField will headline at midnight on the 24th with Buried Out Back at 11:00 PM, and while the 10:00 PM slot is currently vacant, bands like AlgomA and Brutaly Fatal have expressed interest in filling it (we'll keep you guys posted!) The 9:15 PM slot currently belongs to local thrash quartet Pillory in what would be their first show since last summer, their Oddfellows Hall debut, and (I assume) their first show with a full lineup since their debut in November 2012. Great to see Pillory back at it, hopefully they have copies of their EP for sale too! Local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters (who have opened for both of the headliners) are slotted at 8:10 PM, while Blood Shed Productions goregrind duo Rotopsy are slotted at 7:30 PM for their second live appearance. Newer local funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes will return to the site of their inception at 6:45 PM, with the lineup rounded out by new classic metal quartet Project 421's second show and Oddfellows debut at 6:00 PM, and Strange Coyotes singer/guitarist Chase Wigmore opening with a solo set at 5:15 PM.

This ALL AGES concert will have a door opening time of 5:00 PM, and while admission will be $12 at the door, advance ticket information is forthcoming. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Tyler delivering with a big concert out of the gate, and hopefully there's a good turnout to begin Heavy North Entertainment's local run! Stay tuned for updates on the last band slot, advance tickets, and more as we hear them!

Finally for today's hard rock concert announcements, local party/hard rock trio Stiffler's Mom will return to Docks Riverfront Grill themselves on February 7th & 8th for their second & third announced dates of the new year! Like with the aforementioned Lucky 13 dates this weekend, Stiffler's Mom have yet to officially confirm these dates, though they are confirmed through Docks' official website, so visit the above links for that source. To be their first Docks shows in 2 months, it'll be great to see this favourite veteran outfit back at this popular Foster Drive venue next month, so don't miss their often heavy and well mixed cover tunes at Docks next month! As with the Lucky 13 shows, expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time, NO COVER, and a 19+ age limit. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from both Stiffler's Mom, and some more February Docks hard rock shows with their own Stiffler's Mom connections!

That's all for today, but stay tuned soon for more new Docks concert announcements, and more updates! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Throwbacks & Banned) And The First Of This Weekend's Concert Previews!!

Today's post tackles most of the local metal/hard rock concert previews for this weekend that I currently know about, but we'll touch on the X-Mess acoustic show featuring The Danger Cats TOMORROW, along with any potential late notice gigs I may be alerted to. Two of the shows are SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, and along with said previews, we have extra news on each, including a new show for New Year's Eve, our first video of one of them, and first, a new local band, so here's what you need to know!

A new local rock trio named The Throwbacks will make their live concert debut TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT at The Roosevelt Hotel! Apologies for the short notice, I only just heard about these the other day. No online pages for them yet, but they apparently play a variety of classic/modern rock, and their lineup includes Lucky 13's Jeremey Salatuk & Jeff Gray alongside 2 Buck Beers' Brent Royer on drums (and probably lead vocals.) Brent previously played with Jeremey in Wishbone & with Jeff in the original Turner Up, so there's history all around for these three! I don't know exactly what The Throwbacks will play in concert, but given all three members work in a hard rock-leaning band in the early 2010s, I'm inclined to believe they'll be similar to a Turner Up-ish band. Both tomorrow & Saturday night's concerts have 10:30 PM start times, no announced cover charges, and 19+ age limits. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! I'm curious to hear more about The Throwbacks, and hopefully their debut this weekend goes off without a hitch, so check them out at The Rosie, and when I hear more on this band, I'll let you guys know!

(Note as well that I have no idea if Jeremey & Jeff's presence in this new band means anything negative for Lucky 13's status, but keep in mind that they last played live two weeks ago, and they're not an overly frequent live band as it is. Just in case though, I'll keep you guys posted when we hear new stuff on Lucky 13!)

Also in new concerts (and linking to a show TONIGHT), Kinross, Michigan classic hard rockers Banned will rock The Cozy Corners Tavern & Grill in nearby Barbeau on Tuesday, December 31st as part of their New Year's Eve festivities! This will be their first show at this venue in almost 5 months, and it keeps with their usual trend of playing a concert on New Year's Eve (you may remember them in at The Bird in 2011 and at Todd's Tavern last year), so hopefully they send off 2013 with a bang in just under two weeks! There's no announced cover charge for this 21+ show, and a 9:00 PM start time is likely. This show joins a private wedding that they're playing next weekend, and of course, a rare Thursday night set TONIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino, where they're the musical entertainment for The Autism Alliance of Michigan's Relentless Tour stop in the Soo! This event is headlined by a speech by Michigan State Spartans basketball star Anthony Ianni about his battle with autism and how he overcame it to find success and purpose in life, so if you go, definitely consider checking that out!

Tonight's event (which also has a resource fair, prizes, face painting, bouncy castles, and other family entertainment) starts at 6:00 PM, it's definitely ALL AGES, and there's no admission fee! For more details, visit the above links & the event poster! This is a very unique but important event that should hopefully raise a lot of awareness for this important cause, so don't bypass it if you're across the river TONIGHT, and Banned should rock  themselves! For a preview, here are the guys playing their song "Plaid Girl"!

Finally for today, Sault Ontario classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies will return to Docks Riverfront Grill for two more concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Likely their last concerts of 2013, this talented veteran outfit should have another hard hitting weekend of covers and familiar hits in store for fans in Docks' Playroom (the name for the main area for bands), so don't miss this union of Carbon Black, Lois Lane, Full Circle, Havadder, and Scary Uncles alumni down at Docks this weekend! A $4-ish cover is likely for these 10:30 PM concerts, and you must be 19 to attend either tomorrow or Saturday night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's nice to see The Thrill Junkies back at Docks so soon after their November shows there, and hopefully it truly is a Thrill Junkies Christmas this time around, so keep them in mind for your weekend plans! For a preview, we finally have a video glimpse of the band in action, so what should you know on that front?

Filmed by bassist Justin Langlois' dad Michel and uploaded to his YouTube channel two weeks ago, this comes from The Thrill Junkies' set at The Canadian at Toystock on Decmember 1st. The video features the band covering The Foo Fighters' "Times Like These" and Volbeat's "Heaven Nor Hell", and the guys sound pretty good here! Travis Sharpe's vocals are strong, and the guys know the songs well, though their stage presences are somewhat stiff. The camera angle's nice too, if a bit far, but the lighting's inconsistent, with Travis lit up way more than everyone else. Nice to finally see a video of The Thrill Junkies, so check it out below, and don't miss them at Docks this weekend!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our X-Mess preview and more tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & Most Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American and Yooper readers, and happy Hanukkah to our Jewish readers! In our second post today, we're back to usual matters, mostly related to weekend concert previews in Sault Ontario (are all the American hard rock bands taking the holiday weekend off?), but we also have a new solo guitar video at the end of this post. We'll lead off with LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS from a prolific local solo artist, one of which is SHORT NOTICE, so read on below to get caught up, and note that our preview of Sunday's Toystock event will be up by Saturday to spread it out and give it emphasis (and check out our whack of updates to our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profiles in the post below this one!)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison has two more solo acoustic concerts lined up for the next two weekends, including another Roadhouse Bar & Grill show TOMORROW NIGHT, followed by his second appearance at The Harp Pub & Grill (formerly Madison's Pub) next Friday! Apologies for the short notice for this week's show, Tym only just announced these last night. Tym's been a prolific sight at The Roadhouse for months now, so hopefully tomorrow's show keeps that successful run alive in the East End, while next weekend's Harp show (centrally located at the Food Basics plaza on Pine Street) is his first stop there in 5 weeks, though no word yet on if this will lead to a regular monthly arrangement or not. If you go see him TOMORROW or next week, be prepared for solid and entertaining nights of unplugged metal & hard rock covers from this talented local veteran! There's no announced cover charges, 10:00 PM start times, and 19+ age limits for both shows, and for more details, visit the official Facebook event pages here & here! For a preview of tomorrow's Roadhouse show, here's Tym covering Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters"!



Now to previously announced shows this weekend, including the return of local classic/hard rock quintet That's Chester to Docks Riverfront Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Last seen on a public stage at Rotaryfest (though they've played private gigs in the interim), these will be this veteran cover band's first appearances at Docks since March of last year, and they could be seen as warm-ups for their Toystock headlining set on Sunday night at The Canadian, so keep that angle in mind! According to the Facebook event page, the band has some new songs to play, and they're also hyping the addition of a keyboard to their live repertoire, but I don't know yet whether an existing band member will handle songs with keyboards, or if they've added a sixth member. A $4 cover charge is likely for TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, with the shows starting at 10:30 PM, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the above links!

It's great to have That's Chester playing more frequently following their breakup, so don't miss them this weekend, and for a preview, here they are covering Deep Purple at Docks a few years back!



And lastly for today's previews, Toronto-based Motley Crue tribute band Crued will make their long awaited return to Sault Ontario on SATURDAY NIGHT for their first ever stop (I think) at The Rockstar Bar! Last seen at The Canadian Nightclub, this will be their first trip to Sault Ontario since April 2011, so it's good to have this talented tribute act back in town! Subtitled "The Notorious Motley Crue Tribute", Crued bring an authentic looking and sounding Motley Crue experience to every show (even playing songs live with singers Vince Neil and John Corabi), and if you've seen them live in town before, you'll know that for a fact! However, unlike their most recent local stop, there are no announced local opening bands. Tickets are $8 in advance at The Algonquin Hotel (the price jumps to $10 at the door on Saturday night), there is a 19+ age limit in effect, and a 10:30 PM-ish start time is likely. For more details, check the above links! If you love The Hair Scare and the hair metal attack of Motley Crue, you won't want to miss this show, so be at The Rockstar Bar on Saturday night, and for a preview, here's Crued playing "Too Fast For Love" last year!



To close today's post, here's another new solo performance video from local experimental/hard rock guitarist Mike Cliffe! Almost a week after his first upload to his YouTube channel since the spring, he's back with this new clip named "dn2s", which is another solo instrumental track that he's performing. Again featuring a spoken introduction (45 seconds long this time), this video is a bit heavier than his last, albeit with a bluesy progressive feel and a raw unpolished edge to the recording quality of thr track. Very nice work as usual, so check out Mike's newest solo video below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and our Toystock preview by week's end! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (That's Chester), SweetKenny's New Album, And New Videos!!

We're back with a new news post on this Remembrance & Veterans Day, so make sure to never forget the sacrifices of our veterans on either side of the border on this day, and don't forget your poppies! Today, we have new videos from a recent metal concert, and info on both a forthcoming album release and the identity of our next CD review, but first, here's LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for the end of the month!

Sault Ontario classic hard rock quintet That's Chester will play their first public concerts since Rotaryfest on Friday, November 29th & Saturday, November 30th at Docks Riverfront Grill! Though they've played live in the interim in Batchewana and at the Comfort Suites Conference Centre, those were private events (the latter being a firefighter retirement party on Saturday), so it's nice to see them playing to a general audience again after 4 months! Notably, these shows (in advance of their December 1st set at Toystock) will be their first normal bar weekend gigs since reuniting this summer, and their first at Docks since March 2012, which is a long time coming itself! The post plugging these shows on their Facebook page teases that they have some "new surprises", but does that mean new setlist additions and/or something else? Be there at the end of the month to find out! A $4 cover charge is likely for both nights, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:00 PM start times are likely. For more details, check the above links!

It's great to have a more traditional slate of shows from That's Chester to end the month, and hopefully they're a good warmup for Toystock, so don't miss their busy weekend of hard rocking covers in three weeks time, and stay tuned for updates!

Next up, Dafter, Michigan hard rock artist Ken Sutton (a.k.a. SweetKenny) has uploaded his seventh solo album "Cracks In The Wall" to listen to for free on his website at this link! The follow up to "Doo Hickey" & "Perception" from earlier this year, it's still scheduled for it's paid release on Friday, but fans can now stream the songs beforehand to see what they think. Recorded at Waterfall Records, Ken describes "Cracks in the Wall" as a "heavy rock blues style feel album", and unlike his last two releases, it's all-instrumental with no vocals or guest musicians, though he emphasizes the freestyle nature of it. Length-wise, it's basically an EP with only 6 songs (similarly to "Doo Hickey" in that regard), and the songs on it are "Can't Drive", "Some Kinda Song", "Big D", "Goose", "Booze & Broads", and "The Scorpion King", so click each link to hear them! Now, given that it's paid release is impending, will "Cracks In The Wall" be this month's CD review at the SMS? Actually, we're actually going to review his last album "Perception" first, as it's slightly heavier, and in cases where we have two unreviewed new albums from a band in the queue, the heavier one gets priority.

A review of "Cracks In The Wall" is still possible for next year, but "Perception" deserves a look in itself, so watch out for that review this month, and check out SweetKenny's new album at the above links before it goes on sale, which we'll have info on hopefully on Friday!

We'll close today's post with new videos, yet again from the Devil's Night all ages concert at The Oddfellows Hall! One comes from local death metal quartet The Bear Hunters' headlining set (again as filmed by Stillbroke alum Sam DeDominicis on the high quality camera), and this time, it's of their song "Bloodthirst"! Posted onto the band's YouTube channel on Saturday, the quality is as good as the earlier official videos from this show, though for this one, Sam sticks to a side stage angle beside Mitch Sirie. Brutal and well filmed like before, so check out their recent performance of "Bloodthirst" below, and don't miss them at Viva La Battle on Wednesday!



Finally, we have a new video from what I believe was the half of James Watterworth's solo set where he was joined by now-Strange Coyotes bandmates Chase Wigmore & Mike Haggith! Uploaded to promoters Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Saturday, the title credits the performance to The Strange Coyotes, but that band formed as a result of this gig's success, and as I can't detect Chase singing, I don't think it was from Project Legion's abbreviated last set. The video is low quality (taken at a very red side-stage angle), but the audio works well for this funk rock track, so give this proto-Strange Coyotes performance a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for our special extended preview of Viva La Battle, where The Bear Hunters and new local bands Keep It Lit, North West, and Punch will compete for the last opening slot at next month's Bam Margera/Fuckface Unstoppable concert! Thanks everyone!

Thrill Junkies Concert Previews, Upcoming Concert Updates, And More!!

Our next post (today's) was supposed to be dedicated to previews of this weekend's regional metal/hard rock concerts, but for ones I can 100% source and verify for heavier content, I only know of a pair in Sault Ontario from the same band this weekend, so that will lead off today's post! Of course, if any late notice shows make it online, we'll get them up here A.S.A.P., but for now, we have some notable updates for some upcoming concerts and a new lineup note for a local metal band, and first, the aforementioned concert previews!

Local classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies will play their eighth and ninth local concert dates TONIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT when they return to Docks Riverfront Grill for their second weekend of shows there! Two weeks removed from a successful Halloween weekend gig at The Rosie, this band (essentially the successors to Turner Up's last lineup) should have some entertaining harder-edged covers (and from what I'm hearing, some originals) to light up the stage with, so don't miss the action on Foster Drive this weekend when The Thrill Junkies rock Docks once again! A cover charge in the $4 range wouldn't surprise me, you must be 19 years old to attend, and there's a 10:00 PM start time both nights. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Travis, Robert, Jason, Justin, and Scott won't be back at Docks until late next month, so if you like this venue and the guys, don't miss out this weekend, as their well-tested and always fun sound should give a thrill to fans! No videos yet surprisingly, but when one turns up, we'll share it here to preview The Thrill Junkies with!

Next up, here's some notable upcoming metal concert updates, starting with the Biipiigwan concert at The Moose Lodge on Sunday November 24th, as both local openers have been replaced. We already reported on here that local sludge trio AlgomA had to pull out due to Darby Wigwaus' back injury, but their replacements will also feature drummer Jamie Vincent (a.k.a. Geezer), as his grunge duo Bad Back will take their place, now as the show's opening band! After a few interim sets were called off, this will be Jamie & Nathan's first live Bad Back concert in over 3 months, so it'll be good to have their chaotic and grungy sound back in just over 2 weeks! The other band replacement sees local stoner/death metal band Giwakwa being replaced by ex-singer Josh Stephney's other former band The Bear Hunters, who are now the co-headliners of this concert. No word on why Giwakwa are out (perhaps this is related to their singer vacancy?), but I will note that guitarist Chris Page had teased "a special surprise" related to this show on his personal Facebook page when they were still slated to play it.

It's disappointing to see Giwakwa drop out, but I'm curious to hear how their new lineup sounds when they actually do debut, so hopefully some good news comes out sooner or later! The Bear Hunters will be fitting openers though (especially having opened for Biipiigwan in Thessalon in 2011), so don't miss their melodic death metal fury at The Moose Lodge on the 24th, and stay tuned for more if/when it comes in!

Also in concert updates, here's the latest on Haggith's final show at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday, December 7th! An event poster (made by Sykotyk Rampage singer/guitarist Dirk Becker) is now up on the Facebook event page which details everything well, but it also teases that there will be "other surprise bands" at the show. No idea who's meant, but might we see one or more of the many recent live bands featuring Haggith band members? Time will tell, but they have a lot to pick from! As well, former Chronic Demonic/Project Legion singer Sabrina "Strange" Lavoie has said on her production company's Facebook page that she hopes to conduct a tell-all video interview with the members of Haggith before the show (joining other teased interviews with bands like Crimson Crusade & Destroilet), but she admitted that technical difficulties have slowed things down on that front. Hopefully that happens as planned, I'm curious to see her next interviews! Finally, a member of Haggith finally addressed a reason for their impending breakup on the event page linked above via a comment reply, saying on Wednesday that the members have all been moving in different creative directions, and they feel it's time to "take a break from Haggith & explore other musical ventures."

Note that the post said "take a break"? That seems to contradict the absolute finality of other online posts from the band, but was that a tease to give fans some hope, a misstatement, or exactly what it suggests? I don't know, but at least we're hearing something public beyond "all good things must come to an end"! I do remember seeing reference to a member having personal commitments to focus on too, but I'll yield further word at this time. Don't miss Haggith's second-last show at The New A on in two weeks, and stay tuned for updates on their final show as they roll in!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local thrash metal band Pillory, as they've finally filled out their current lineup by enlisting Social Suicide frontman Tyler St. Amour as their new bassist, replacing the departed Cole Royal. Drummer Bret Shuttleworth revealed the news on the band's Facebook page on last month, but Tyler has only been confirmed by name in person & via personal Facebook posts. Known more recently for work with Blood Shed Productions, Tyler may be best recognized from playing bass in metal bands like Fountain of Betrayal & March Into Regression (both with his brother Travis on drums), though I'll note that a former member of his Social Suicide project was late Pillory guitarist Andres Duchesne, so keep that connection in mind too. Tyler's a solid bassist, and hopefully this finally sparks the full return to activity that I know the guys have been aiming for over the past months! Their recent Facebook posts also indicate that rehearsals toward a return to the stage are in the works, and there had been some debate on Pillory entering next week's Viva La Battle, but when final word on everything Pillory comes in, we'll have it here!

That's all for today, and unless a big amount of news comes in beforehand to cover a new news post, stay tuned on Sunday for this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles on The Diego Experience & Deprecor! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison & The Thrill Junkies), Plus New Song Uploads!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Friday night, we have some new song postings from a pair of local projects, and starting things off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this month to cover, so read on below to get up to speed! (Note that if you saw a story on here that's been removed relating to a band's membership search, I've removed it for now as I'm waiting for further confirmation in light of some new info. Stay tuned!)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Road House Bar & Grill for two more solo acoustic concerts on October 11th & 18th, a.k.a. the next two Fridays! These were confirmed in a recent Facebook conversation with Tym, but given how frequently he plays at this venue, one could assume he'd be back at The Road House this month at least once (of course, he's playing with Caveman Morrison tonight at The Rosie.) Tym's unplugged cover sets have proven to be a steady favourite at The Road House in the past year, and it never hurts to get a softer take on his usual hard rock & metal renditions, so keep his next solo gigs in mind! The show next week doesn't mean anything negative for his Ray Brown benefit set, as that event starts earlier in the day, so he can pull double duty without issue if he plays earlier. For the Road House gigs, admission should be free, you must be 19 to attend, and both have 10:00 PM-ish start times. For more details, check the above links, and stay tuned for updates from Tym's music projects!

Also in new concert announcements, local classic hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies have announced a series of concerts at The Roosevelt Hotel and Docks Riverfront Grill through the end of the year, as per their Facebook page earlier today! The Turner Up successors will apparently return to The Rosie on October 25th & 26th, November 22nd & 23rd, and December 13th & 14th, while the Docks shows will go down on November 8th & 9th and December 20th & 21st, so if you're up for some hard rocking and varied covers, you know where to be to get a thrill from these junkies! Note however that the October 26th show conflicts with J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party that night, which moved to The Rosie this year, but there is the possibility that the Thrill Junkies show that day is a matinee. If anything is announced to clarify that or more of the concerts, I'll let you guys know! Each show should have a 10:00 PM-ish start time and a 19+ age limit, and while the Rosie shows shouldn't have a cover, Docks likely has one in the $4 range. For more details, check the above links, and don't miss The Thrill Junkies next at Friday's Ray Brown benefit!

Next up, here's a "new" song from local grunge/alternative rockers Haggith! They finally posted a free streaming copy of the disc-ending bonus track from their most recent album "Deuce" onto their YouTube channel the other day, which wasn't alluded to publically upon release (aside from including it's lyrics on the booklet.) Also named "Deuce", it's a 1:48 acoustic track featuring drummer Mike Haggith & lead singer Curtis McKenzie on vocals along with Daniel Horton on guitar (bassist Caleb Cachagee wasn't featured.) As I remarked in my review of the full CD, it's a neat little track (and it fits with the softer ambiance compared to "Dragon Joy Ride"), but I don't find it really stands on it's own. Give it a listen below though if you haven't heard it yet (or, listen to the end of "75" on your CD copy of  "Deuce"!)



Finally for today, here's a new song upload from AlterWhite mainman Mike Matthews' solo work! Uploaded to the band's YouTube channel on Wednesday, this song is entitled "One More Try", and it's remniscent of his heaviest solo and AlterWhite work with solid instrumentation and a heavy groove, but Mike's James Hetfield-esque vocals still sound a bit overdone, and I'd like to see him rein it in a bit. Not bad though, so give Mike's newest song a listen below!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Danger Cats & The Thrill Junkies), Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

Now, let's tackle this weekend's local metal/hard rock concert previews! Due to the amount, I've broken them up between the Twin Saults, so an all Sault Michigan preview post is on it's way tomorrow morning. As for today, we have a few other assorted news items at the bottom, but first, let's preview the Sault Ontario hard rock shows this weekend, including some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, so here's what you need to know!

New local hard rock/punk quartet The Danger Cats will play their second ever live concert TOMORROW NIGHT at The Speak Easy at Algoma University! Apologies for the short notice, this was only briefly announced on their Facebook page on Tuesday, with research and some direct word filling in the gaps. The first Speak Easy gig we've had on here in quite a while, this will apparently be a part of an annual video game pub being held by the Anime & Gamers Guild of Algoma tomorrow night (disregard references to it being a "Traffic Light Pub" on Algoma University's website), so attendees are encouraged to wear video game costumes and play games on systems and TVs set up in the bar. From what I've been told, The Danger Cats will be dressed up at Super Mario Bros. characters to fit the theme, and hopefully tomorrow's show is a unique hit on their early resume! Admission will be $3 in advance or $5 at the door, a 9-10:00 PM start time for their set seems logical, and while I assume this is 19+, the university might allow underagers with student ID entry too.

Check the above links for more details, and best of luck for sure tomorrow, as this is definitely a different sort of event, but The Danger Cats' all female edge should benefit them at the pub! For a preview, here's a (now embeddable) Facebook video of their cover of Gary Glitter/Joan Jett's "Do You Wanna Touch Me" at The Algonquin Pub earlier this month! Though shot & posted by Haggith drummer Mike Haggith onto his personal Facebook page, he shared it on the band's Facebook page, so it's fair game. Solid performance of one of their later and stronger songs, though the side angle and video quality aren't optimal. Don't miss The Danger Cats at The Speak Easy tomorrow!

Also in new concerts this weekend, classic hard rock quintet (and Turner Up successors) The Thrill Junkies will make their first stops at Docks Riverfront Grill TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT for a full weekend of rocking tunes! Apologies for the short notice, the Facebook event page for this show was only just posted on Tuesday, so I held it for our concert preview posts. Fresh off their generally successful Roosevelt Hotel debuts last weekend, these latest shows mark our first concert alerts for Docks since the spring, so it's great to see this upscale downtown venue bringing back harder edged bands! The Thrill Junkies have been making waves since their local debut, so don't miss this veteran quintet's diverse but heavy cover selection at Docks this weekend! Admission should be in the $4 range for both nights, which have 19+ age limits and 10:00 PM start times. Check the above links for more details, and when videos turn up of their live shows to further preview The Thrill Junkies with, we'll have them here!

Now to the only previously announced hard rock concert of the weekend, as Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will once again bring his unplugged solo show to The Road House Bar & Grill on Trunk Road TOMORROW NIGHT! We first heard about this show a couple weeks ago in a Facebook e-mail from Tym himself, but he only just launched it's Facebook event page yesterday, keeping with his usual couple days buffer between it's posting and the actual event. Tomorrow's concert is the same as usual for Tym's non-customer appreciation gigs at this East End venue, so if you want to enjoy some metal & hard rock covers in an acoustic and more intimate setting, you know exactly where to be tomorrow! There's no announced cover charge for this 19+ event, and a 10:00 PM start time is in effect. For more details, visit the above links! With shows for October still unknown, don't miss Tym's latest unplugged solo show at The Road House tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's his cover of Extreme's "More Than Words" with ex-Half Past frontman Luke LeBlanc!



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

• Former J.A.B. guitarist Gerald McKinnon is looking for a lead guitarist to complete an alternative rock band he's started. Candidates must have professional gear and past music experience. This could be for a heavier project, but if you're interested, message Gerald at this link or via his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group from last week!
• Skeyes of Seven drummer Jonny Amendola is ready to play live concerts again following his open heart surgery for a leaking heart valve last month, as his other band (pop rock cover band Cherry Crush) will return to the stage after a few months off this weekend at The Rockstar Bar, though no word yet on when Skeyes of Seven will play live next. Awesome news, and hopefully Jonny's feeling good and back to normal after that health scare!
• Shit Liver singer/guitarist Josh Penno quietly moved to Toronto earlier this month, as announced on his personal Facebook page the other day. From what I have read, this is not a death knell for the band, and there are future plans in store, but we'll have to see what that entails when they're publically announced. Either way, best of luck to Josh in Toronto, and keep on rocking!

That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for Sault Michigan weekend concert previews and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym & Caveman Morrison), Concert Lineup Additions, And More!!

After a few slow days, we're back with more news on this Thursday night, including new songs from a local death metal project, new bands on the lineups of two upcoming metal concerts, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this month relating to two related live acts, so here's what you need to know! (This also doubles as our weekend concert preview post, as I only know of one heavier show going down this weekend.)

Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will bring his solo acoustic show back for two dates this month, including a show TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, I couldn't fit it in for a post before today without redundantly previewing them a few days later. Tym will start with a return to his more usual recent venue (The Roadhouse Bar & Grill) tomorrow night, which will be followed by his first ever unplugged metal/hard rock cover gig at Docks Riverfront Grill one week from today! This show is a rescheduling of what was originally announced as a show tonight, and it replaces a scheduled gig that he was going to play next week at The Roadhouse during their monthly customer appreciation nights, so make note of any scheduling alterations. Each show should be 19+, with no cover at The Roadhouse tomorrow and a $4-ish cover likely at Docks\, while the start times are 10:00 PM tomorrow and 8:00 PM next week. For more details, click here and here!

It's great to see Tym's usual volume of acoustic solo gigs back, and it'll be interesting to see if shows at Docks take off for him, so don't miss Tym's next acoustic shows, and for a preview, here's Tym covering Little Texas' "What Could Have Been" at Mill Square earlier this month (which was split from Local2's other Faces of the Soup Kitchen videos in a recent YouTube upload)



In related concert news, Tym's full band Caveman Morrison will play three more shows in the next few weeks, starting with their second & third shows of the month on June 28th & 29th at The Roosevelt Hotel! Following their show above (that Tym played solo at too), these will be Caveman Morrison's first concerts at The Rosie in almost two months, and knowing that the band doesn't play live as much as they once did, fans won't wanna miss these shows at the end of the month! The other date will see them debut at The Water Tower Inn at 360 Great Northern Road on Saturday, July 6th, in what I think is the first metal-leaning gig at this venue that we've covered on here! Admission should be free for these 19+ concerts, and each has a start time in the 9:00-10:00 PM range. For more details, click here & here!

A Caveman Morrison concert weekend is bound to entertain, and I'm curious to see how metal does at The Water Tower Inn (it's easy to spot when driving too), so don't miss these shows in the next few weeks, and stay tuned in case they have more gigs to announce in the coming months!

Next up, here's some lineup news for a pair of upcoming metal concerts in Sault Ontario that are going down in two weeks! First, local stoner/sludge death metal quartet Giwakwa have been added as a third opening band for the Striker-headlined concert at The Rosie on June 25th, joining The Bear Hunters and the returning Frightlight. Not the closest sound match to Striker, but their brutal original sound should add a fitting metal edge to this concert as it opens, so don't miss this intense and varied show come the 25th! The other band addition will see the Oddfellows Hall debut of local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade, who will be the second local openers at the Ahna/Powercup all ages show on June 27th, making them the only band on the lineup with more than two members (too bad Sue Inside or Sounds From The Green Room aren't around anymore to keep the theme up.) Their fast rising and brutal sound should be welcomed in their first gig since releasing "Upon The Eve Of War", so don't miss them at this unique upcoming concert, and stay tuned for updates on each as I hear them!

Finally for today, here's the latest material from Blood Shed Productions' death/grind solo project Brutaly Fatal! The Austin McRae-led act is featured in two new songs (both of which have potentially offensive titles) that you can stream at the label's YouTube channel as of last week, and while one song is a solo track, the other (embedded below in full thanks to no disturbing imagery) is a collaboration with fellow label project Crucify The Whore towards an upcoming split demo named "Brutaly Crucified". The solo Brutaly Fatal promise sounds very incomplete (as is usually the case with Austin's solo work, despite his talents), but the song below has a fuller and more experimental sound, if you can get past Ringsnaps Gibson's grind grunting vocals. I still think Brutaly Fatal has some promise that should be expanded on, but check out their newest material below and above, and stay tuned for more from Blood Shed's heavier roster!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news hopefully this weekend, and as soon as I can manage, this month's CD review for Haggith's "Deuce"! Thanks everyone!