AlgomA/Chronobot Split Release Information, Stereo North Updates, And Much More!!

Before this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post makes it's way to the site, let's keep the news rolling on this Saturday morning, so what's on tap? Some assorted recent updates, new covers from a recent album release, a local punk band's recent songwriting sessions, and to start, full details concerning a brand new and long awaited vinyl release, so here's what you should know for today!

Local doom metal trio AlgomA's split vinyl EP with Saskatchewan doom metal band Chronobot was officially released as planned yesterday, so what should you know on it? Put out through Dead Beat Media and with cover art by Adam Geyer (similarly to AlgomA's debut "Reclaimed By The Forest"), this is AlgomA's second release and Chronobot's third, following their own solo debut and a separate split. As previously announced, the split features two tracks from AlgomA and three from Chronobot, but given that one of the AlgomA songs is almost eight minutes long, their respective run-times are comparable. Digital copies of the split are available at AlgomA's Bandcamp page for $6, but full copies of the 12'' vinyl record (pressed in blue!) are $20 there, and they'll also be on sale during the Black Tremor/punk rock bingo concert at The New American Pub on Wednesday, so keep all of these purchasing options in mind! Also, AlgomA have dedicated the split to late local metal musician Sabrina "Strange" Pelchat, as per pictures of the liner notes.

Also, Sven Mihlan of the blog Doom Metal Front previewed two more songs via Soundcloud from the split in this article, namely AlgomA's "The Electric Fence" and Chronobot's "Jerry Can", leaving only Chronobot's "Sons of Sabbath" unpreviewed in this fashion (No Clean Singing previewed the other two.) As for our review of the split, you can definitely expect it this month, date to be established, so check the above links for more details on this release, and don't miss AlgomA at The New A on Wednesday!

Next up, here's the latest from local pop punk quartet Stereo North, who have been preparing their own original material since their VM Radio Battle of the Bands set last month, with a Facebook page posting earlier this week implying that the band is aiming to have enough setlist material to play 3 sets worth for solo concerts. Not a bad idea, Project 421 had made the move to play shows of that length themselves recently, so we'll have to see how a full night of Stereo North works! Also, the band shared this video from frontman Andrew Pucci's personal Facebook page of him demoing a planned original song for the band, tentatively named "Echoes", with the aim being to include this on their debut album. Sounds good so far, but it obviously isn't complete, and Andrew admits in captions that a Matthew Anich guitar solo at a key moment would be essential. Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Stereo North!

Also today, newer local experimental hard rock solo project The Coyote Speedfreaks posted a new video onto mastermind Chase Wigmore's YouTube channel on Wednesday, and it's of ...."Strange Coyotes 3"?! As you may recall, his former band The Strange Coyotes posthumously finished the live album recorded at their final concert in November 2014 in February of this year, but Chase wasn't behind it's final release, and online postings implied that he wasn't in favour of it. As he noted with a Futurama reference on the Speedfreaks page, "War were declared", so he responded by covering three songs from the Coyotes' album/set ("I'm Gonna Love You" with an adult title change, "Sneeze", and "Kaylore"), all of which started off of James Watterworth's own solo songs, though Chase re-interpreted some lyrics if he couldn't make out the originals. Performed acoustically but with Chase's trademark chaotic & unpredictable presence, it's fun to hear him perform these songs again, and to give his own interpretation of these songs, so check them out 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 or event name:

• The Gorod/Bookakee-headlined concert on Friday, April 15th has been relocated from The Algonquin Pub to The Oddfellows Hall, and is consequently now an ALL AGES show! Promoter J.D. Pearce noted on the Facebook event page that The Algonquin Pub "won't be ready in time" for April 15th, but it's not publically clear what's going on with the pub. With the new all ages venue, doors will now open at 7:00 PM, and J.D. may be adding an additional local opener, so see the above links for more details on this relocated metal show!
• After 4 years of local band involvement in the Rock 'N Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish, there were sadly no local bands registered to compete in tonight's edition of the event, as per the official Facebook page for the annual Spanish concert festival, which will be held in August. The Soo's not completely shut out though, as ex-Sykotyk Rampage bassist Brian Cattapan's Sudbury band Aggressive Acoustic will be the first performers tonight, so best of luck to them as they look to place high and earn an opening slot for Big Sugar or Haywire this summer!
• Local goregrind duo Rotopsy will end their nine month concert hiatus as the final local openers for the Reanimator-headlined concert at The New American Pub on Sunday, April 24th, as per the official Facebook event page! Given Tyler & Dylan's usual concert frequency, it's odd that they've been off stage for this long, but Rotopsy should fit in well with Reanimator and Pillory next month! Stay tuned for more!

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

Jack Spades & Destroilet's Kickstarter Campaign, The Return Of Skeyes Of Seven, And More!!

Before we get into this post, I wanted to acknowledge that the obituary for late Case's Music founder, country musician, and beloved music instructor Mike Case is now online at this link, which confirms that a celebration of life will be held at The Delta Waterfront Hotel on Friday at 7:00 PM, following a private family funeral, and the family's asking for Cancer Society contribitions in lieu of flowers. I know how important Mike was to the local music scene, and it's a shame that he was taken from us at just 55 years old, but his legacy will live on in everyone he taught, befriended, and performed with over the years. R.I.P. Mike!

Now, today's post features a band's return and new lineup, how a local band did at a recent out-of-town event, and three inactive bands to note for our listings, but first, here's big news on two local bands' next project!

The announced three-way split album between local metal/punk quintets Destroilet & Jack Spades and Montreal hardcore punk legends The Ripcordz is now beginning production, but YOU can help ensure it's released! Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce has launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the album, which will be a 15 track release with 5 songs from each band. J.D. cited that they've "decided to distill" the feeling of all three bands' playing "some of the most intense sweaty shows you could imagine" into this split, while the campaign is also intended to help Jack Spades (and Destroilet?) take a road trip to open for The Ripcordz in Montreal for a change. Like with most Kickstarter campaigns, there are incentives if you pledge to donate money to fund the album (they're looking to get $6,000 in two months), so what lies ahead if you pledge money to this cause?

At the $2 minimum, you'll get credited in the album booklet, but for more money, you could get the split on CD, mp3, vinyl, or cassette(?!) copies, as well as a VIP pass to the release concert when announced, stickers, a t-shirt or back patch, or if you're really ambitious and have $2,000+ to donate, a concert at your house or the album named after you! If you want to help fund this split, click here for full details on each incentive level and to get more details, and hopefully we can reach the optimum goal by June 13th!

Next up, we have a surprise lineup addition for the fifth annual Swampstravaganza at The Canadian Nightclub on May 9th, as local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven were added to the lineup earlier today as the tenth band on the bill! As revealed on their Facebook page and the Swampfest event page, the band featuring Sense of Truth & Half Past alumni will be making just their third concert appearance since their 2012 debut, and their first live set in over two years, so this is way too long coming! This will also be their first show on a bill without Garden of Bedlam, their first since Alain Fletcher moved from guitar to bass to replace the departed Mike Mannarino, and in a surprise, their first since their recent drummer change, as the band has added former As It Stands drummer John Mignacca to their lineup, replacing Jonny Amendola.

A reason wasn't announced for Jonny's departure, but hopefully things were amicable, and best of luck to him in the future for sure, as he's very talented! John's addition is surprising, especially given his recent focus on solo techno material, but it's been way too long since his last show with As It Stands, and hopefully he adds well to Skeyes of Seven! The new lineup is featured in this new Facebook video as well, where John suggests an amusing intro move, frontman Cory Murchison formally welcomes him to the band, and he hypes their set on May 9th and new material. It's great to have Skeyes of Seven back finally, so see more above and below!

Also today, were you wondering about local participation in this past Saturday's Rock 'N Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish? Oddly, promoters never revealed the full band lineup online, but we can now confirm via personal Facebook postings that local funk/hard rock quartet The Elements were among the competitors, marking their first appearance at this event! They also were joined by guitarist Jesse Cook's Jack Spades bandmate Johnny Belanger on guest drums, as Alex Hagerman couldn't make the trip east for the battle. However, they did not place in the top 3, and unlike past years, the 4th & 5th place bands weren't announced among the winning bands to join the Rock 'N Roar Festival lineup in August. For reference, the winning bands included Sudbury rock quintets Conflicted Minds & Forget The Circus in 1st and 2nd place, and they'll open for Platinum Blonde & Sass Jordan in Spanish on Saturday, August 15th.

Blind River rock band Drive placed third, and they'll open for 54-40 and Saga on night #1 on August 14th. We have no official word yet on the identities of the other bands, but Elliott Lake photographer Paul Kazulak was on hand getting photos of the competitors, so visit his Facebook page to see if he posts pictures of any more familiar acts! It's disappointing to see The Elements not make the podium, but hopefully they made lots of fans in Spanish on Saturday, and stay tuned for more from them!

Finally for today, here's three shorter news items, all related to bands being moved to our inactive band links, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

• We have moved local hard rock quartet Ashes To Dust to our inactive band links due to a year's inactivity, having not posted any online updates since briefly being listed for the 2014 Swampstravaganza last spring. Best known from that event in 2012 and from various Superior Heights sets, A.T.D. had talent and a growing presence, but hopefully we hear more from Noah, Alex, Liam, David, and Kyle in the future!
• We've also moved local "derd rock" outfit The Issues to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since March of last year. Active from 2008-2010 before reuniting in 2013, this amusing metal project featuring Winkstinger and Pillory alumni had a lot of promise and entertainment value, and it's a shame that they never played a real concert that I've heard. Best of luck to Chris, Vinyl, Bret, Robert, and other former members going forward!
• Lastly, we've moved local/London deathcore quartet Saints & Serpents to our inactive band links, as they haven't updated their Facebook page since February. The successors to the defunct Valentine's Day Massacre, Saints & Serpents played just one announced concert in London in December 2013 before activity quietly stopped. It's disappointing to see that Saints & Serpents never reached The V.D.M.'s heights, but best of luck to Steve, Andrew, Adam, and Ian in the future!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Crimes), Rock N' Roar Battle Results, And Much More!!

After an off day, let's get things back into gear at the SMS with a lot of big stories, so what's on tap today? Some assorted recent notes, results from a recent battle of the bands with local participation, and a notable lineup change, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for next month!

AlgomA drummer Jamie Vincent and Oh! Right Arm! Promotions' second promoted concert of the year will go down on Tuesday, May 13th at The Moose Lodge (host of last fall's Biipiigwan show), and it will be headlined by Montreal hardcore/crust punk trio Crimes! Interesting but brutal trio that Shit Liver and Destroilet fans should like, their streetwise intensity should find a solid audience in time for next month's show, so give them a listen above! The local openers actually won't involve any of Jamie's bands, as Blood Shed Productions metal bands Brutaly Fatal and Rotopsy will make their first appearance at one of Jamie or O!RA!'s shows on May 13th! With their apparent drop out of Dank Fest on April 19th, this will be one of your first public chances to see Brutaly Fatal's new full lineup (more on the first this week), and they and Rotopsy should bring some appropriate doom & grind to the proceedings! Admission will be $7 for this ALL AGES show, and there is a 7:00 PM start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It'll be interesting to see how well this show does given the venue and lineup, but there's a lot of talent within, so stay tuned for updates on this latest all ages metal show!

Next up, local hard rockers The Suicide Kings finished in second place at Saturday night's Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish, and have won $500 and the right to open for Randy Bachman and Honeymoon Suite at the Rock N' Roar festival there on Saturday, August 16th! Though this is their first battle loss in any city, they're the highest finishing local band to date (surpassing Havadder & The Thrill Junkies' 5th place runs in the last two years), and it's awesome to see the guys make a huge impression with a new audience 3 hours east of the Soo! For reference, the winners of the battle were Spanish rock band The Broke Hustlers, while Sudbury hard rockers Of Tall Tales and Anxiety finished in third and fourth respectively, and Espanola metal band Fifth Column (who performed at a Rosie metal night in the fall of 2011) came in fifth. As only the top 5 bands will join the Rock N' Roar lineup, fellow local bands Havadder and the reunited Wishbone fell short of the top, which is disappointing for both (especially after how well Havadder's old lineup did in 2012), but hopefully they made some more fans!

It's great to see the local streak of success continue at the battle in Spanish, so hopefully The Suicide Kings rock the Rock N' Roar festival hard in August, and stay tuned for updates on their next local concert appearances!

Also today, we have a surprising lineup exit to announce, as local classic hard rock cover quintet The Thrill Junkies have apparently parted ways with drummer Scott McLurg. My source is Scott in a recent Facebook e-mail, though note that the band hasn't updated their Facebook page since playing at the former Roosevelt Hotel in January. Scott didn't go into details on why he left the band, but he guaranteed that the split was amicable. He also told me the band's planned replacement on drums, but I'll wait for official word from The Thrill Junkies before going into that on here. This is disappointing news for sure, but never fear, as Scott is looking to join a new local band! According to his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday, he's looking for a singer and bass player to start a new similar local band, and note that he already has a guitarist lined up. If you're interested in trying out, message Scott at this link, and stay tuned for updates on him and The Thrill Junkies!

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

• For their latest EP release tease, local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades revealed on their Facebook page last night that their first studio single will be up to download online soon (after some financial matters are taken care of), while they also confirmed that the EP release show (to be held by the end of next month) will feature them alongside Destroilet and the first full live appearance by Chronic Demonic. Very intriguing, stay tuned for updates!
• In a recent refresh of our venue links, I added the aforementioned Moose Lodge to our active concert venue links, moved The Essar Center back there (due to June's Heart show), moved The Roosevelt Hotel down to our inactive venue links given it's new country-centric ownership, and also added the now-closed Smack Daddy's Bar & Grill (a.k.a. Bossy's Pub N' Grub during it's 2011 hard rock show run) there as well. Hopefully things are a bit more up-to-date now!
• In another link change, I replaced the link for the Tenaris Second Stage at Rotaryfest on the SMS from their website to it's page on Rotaryfest's website, as the Second Stage site's domain name expired earlier this year. With that said, I have heard nothing to suggest that the Second Stage won't be happening again this summer, and both The Suicide Kings and The Danger Cats have posted on Facebook that they had applied to play at Rotaryfest this year, though it's unclear what stage, and I have not seen a public announcement concerning band applications yet. Stay tuned in case we hear anything!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles later this week! Thanks everyone!

Chronic Demonic Updates, New Videos, And Much More!!

For our second post of the month, we're dipping into our recent cache of news stories for the most part, but we also have new videos from two local bands, and first, big lineup updates from a somewhat newer local metal band, so here's what you need to know!

We'll start with some big news out of the Chronic Demonic camp, courtesy of their Facebook page yesterday, as the local punk/metal band has announced the addition of ex-Gates of Winter drummer Jonathan Harvey to their current lineup, replacing Mike Vincent. All the band said regarding Mike's departure is "just that sometimes things weren't meant to be", though they guaranteed there was no bad blood. Disappointing to see Mike out, as he is a talented musician that hasn't been on stage in far too long, but hopefully he turns up in a new band soon! Jon's addition is very surprising, though not bad news at all, as Gates of Winter fans will surely remember his excellent drum skill from the "Lux Aeterna" album and preceding shows! The move also reunites Jon with his former Faithless Sin bandmate Ryan Gratton, as the two played together during that band's brief 2010 comeback. In case some readers see this as an April Fools joke, this should fan those flames, as Chronic Demonic also posted this jam session video on their Facebook page!

Our first video glimpse at Chronic Demonic since their one song preview at The Rosie last summer (back when Sabrina Strange & Rick White were still members), it's just 35 seconds long, and at least on a first listen, this reminds me of a Frightlight-esque band with death growling. Of course, it's too early to know whether Chronic Demonic will vary their sound or stray close to this preview video, but fans should be excited, so check it out below, and get more updates at the above links!



Next up, we have new live video footage of local/St. Catharines death metal trio Shit Liver in concert! (Recent page updates indicate that they're now based out of St. Catharines rather than Toronto.) Filmed at a  hardcore show there on March 20th (likely by attendee Hayley Smash again), this is of the guys playing their originals "Pennotration" and "Shift Liver", and it was just uploaded to their YouTube channel on Sunday, marking their first concert video upload there in 3 years. Their brutality and usual mayhem are on display here from a solid close camera angle, but the audio is somewhat scratchy. Definitely worth checking out though, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for updates as we approach their album release on the 20th!



Finally for this post, here's six assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist or station name:

• Former Bring The Fallen guitarist Dan Souliere is looking to play in a local death metal band again, as per his post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Monday. No other details were specified, though there is already demand on the post, including a post from B.T.F. bandmate Travis St. Amour saying "May 20". Speculate away if you want on that date, but if you're interested in joining or jamming with Dan in a new project, message him at this link!
• If you've noticed a new Danger Cats video on their YouTube channel recently, that's not entirely new, as it's a re-post from footage I shot at the Late & Loud reunion show in February. Frontwoman Kate Kougar had asked if I could send her videos I took of their sets for their channel, and I was happy to oblige, so keep that in mind before wondering why we didn't plug the "new" videos. Look for more I shot of them there soon!
• Local cover rock veterans Havadder will join The Suicide Kings and the reunited Wishbone among the local contingent at this year's Rock N' Roar Battle of the Bands in Spanish on Saturday, as per their Facebook page last weekend! Havadder's 2012 lineup finished fifth in that year's battle, so can frontman Jason Roy and the new lineup find the same success, or greater? Click here for the full schedule & prize details, and best of luck to the local bands, as all 3 could open for Randy Bachman in August!
• Recent posts on their Facebook page indicate that local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades will indeed be hosting an EP release party for their debut disc in the coming weeks, possibly this month. One would assume it'd be tied to a concert, but further details (including the venue) are not out yet, while they've also hinted that they may be playing the upcoming Spiderfest concert event in Meyersburg, Ontario in July. Big news abounds as they continue to jack the planet, so stay tuned for more!
• Sault Michigan rock radio station Rock 101 is finally revamping their official website, according to the current page's title, and that it only links to online streams at present. Rock 101's website had the same look and layout since at least 2004, and it was honestly really showing it's age (especially in terms of updating it), but stay tuned for when the new Rock 101 website debuts, and listen in at 101.3 FM!
• I have again deleted Sabrina Strange Productions from our Other Sault Ontario Metal Links section due to it's removal from Facebook, though this time, it's not tied to her personal channel's deactiviation. Disappointing, but she has talent and ambition, and hopefully she keeps at her music goals!

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

Shit Liver's Album Release, More Recent Updates, And The End Of RamWagon?

Returning to all news today after this weekend's concert previews, we have new videos from a young local metal band, big updates concerning an out of town trip that could pay big dividends, what looks like a band falling inactive, and first, a long awaited CD release, so here's what you need to know!

Local/Toronto grindcore trio Shit Liver have finally announced a release date for their debut album, complete with a commercial for it! Nearing two years after recording sessions began, the band announced on their Facebook page on Wednesday that the album (which will be self-titled) is scheduled to come out on Sunday, April 20th! The commercial (which is the first upload to their YouTube channel since 2011) is mostly text overtop of audio samples, but it does include this image (likely the album cover, I await a higher-res copy), a movie trailer rating card at the beginning, and references to the long delay in a release as it awaited mastering. The video confirms that upon release, Shit Liver's album will be available for a free stream on YouTube (it's already on their Reverberation page), while the album will be available online via this BandCamp link in three weeks on a "pay what you want" digital model (a'la the Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe's album), though there will be hard copies and merchandise for sale there as well.

Note however that the video doesn't confirm concert availability, or if there will be a release party here or in Southern Ontario, but they will be back home to open for Fuck The Facts on May 4th, so they could have hard copies then. It's great to finally see Shit Liver release their album (even if after they moved), so stay tuned for updates as we near April 20th, and check out the full trailer below!

Next up, remember how we reported earlier this month that a new country rock band named Highway 63 had replaced local hard rockers RamWagon for this weekend's gigs at The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino? Well, it looks like a replacement for more than just those gigs, as their lineup is almost exactly the same as RamWagon's most recent full incarnation. Only bassist George Belleau is not a part of Highway 63, with Ryan Kitzmiller, Nathan Switzer (now on bass), and Ron Suchey all joining frontman Henry Switzer (Nathan's dad and Ron's former Monkey's Uncle bandmate) in this new project, while this past weekend's shows were considered a "test run". Highway 63's lineup has a solid level of talent and experience, so country and classic rock fans should enjoy them, but what does this mean for RamWagon? Given that Highway 63 features most of their last lineup, and has taken over this past weekend's dates (and presumably more), I'll reluctantly consider RamWagon to be inactive for our purposes.

Active for just a year, RamWagon became a popular sight from numerous Kewadin Casino gigs and other assorted events (like their LemmaFest debut) throughout 2013, but an ambitious 2014 concert lineup was slashed to only a few scattered dates last month, and both George and Ron were removed from their Facebook page's lineup around then, with no updates following. If RamWagon are done as an independent band, it's definitely disappointing, as they had been growing fast in prominence, but I wish the guys well with Highway 63, and the same goes for George, Cody, and Marcel in the future!

Also in the news, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings and some other notable local bands have applied a big upcoming concert event a few hours east of the Soo! As announced on their Facebook page on Thursday, they'll be among the competitiors at the fourth annual battle of the bands in Spanish next Saturday to determine openers for this year's Rock 'N Roar festival, where the top 5 bands (out of 14 this year) will win cash ($1,000 for first, $500 for second-fifth) and opening slots for Randy Bachman & Honeymoon Suite on Saturday, August 16th! I can also confirm that reunited local rock band Wishbone are joining them this year, and that their new lineup is almost a reunion of their late 2009 incarnation (longtime frontman Dennis Duguay, returning guitarist & drummer Jeremey Salatuk & Brent Royer, and Jeremey's Lucky 13 bandmate Jeff Gray in place of Chris Smith.) The official performer lineup has not been announced yet, but Saultites are no stranger to the Rock N' Roar battle, as Havadder & The Thrill Junkies both made the top 5 in the last two years, and Griphook also competed last year.

Both The Suicide Kings and Wishbone have made the podium of recent local battles (The Suicide Kings' Steven Flint even played with Wishbone at the Humane Society Battle), but will their local good luck translate to Spanish next weekend? We'll keep you guys posted if and when we hear more, but good luck to the local competitors, do us proud!

Finally for today, here's some new video footage from local goregrind duo Rotopsy! One is a new upload to the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel, and it's their new studio track "Your Blood on my JR Shooz", though viewer discretion is advised due to the adult content on the pictured artwork. To be included on Rotopsy's upcoming solo demo, it has the needed heaviness and will entertain fans, but those not acclimated to the grind on display will find it to be rough sledding. The other new video is from the Commencing Human Desperation concert at The Oddfellows Hall last weekend, though it was oddly shared on bassist Tyler Gibson's main band Crucify The Whore's Facebook page rather than Rotopsy's. Originally shot by promoter Tyler St. Amour and uploaded to his personal Facebook page last Saturday, this is of Rotopsy playing their original "T.F.T.", and though the video has dark lighting and is often blurry, it captures the extra spontaneity of the live setting well, so check it out below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and this month's CD review shortly! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Garage Inc. & Savage Roar

It's December 10th, which means it's time for our final Defunct Local Band Profile(s) of 2011! As always, this series outlines a local band that is either broken up or has been visibly inactive for at least one year, but this month, we're profiling two such bands, as the first one I RANDOMLY chose didn't have enough material to warrant a solo profile. That said, this month's selected bands range from a Sault Michigan solo project to a short lived Sault Ontario band with a lot of familiar faces, so let's get these profiles going, and if there's any errors or omissions, please let me know! (Updated on August 19th, 2013)
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Garage Inc.

Genre: Metal/Hard Rock

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics. This information may be inaccurate or incomplete. E-mail me at robertfigures@outlook.com if you know of any omissions or errors to their lineup!)

Craig Murphy (After-Shock), vocals/guitar
Brian Lester (No Shadows Cast, After-Shock), guitar
Kyle McKey (Sailor's Tongue, Full Circle, Stillbroke), bass
Gavin Prosser, drums
Jacob Rendell (Blues Harvest, The Pesto Shirts), vocals
Ryan Seabrook (Quite Frankly), vocals/guitar?
Josh Donofrio (Thin Ice, Blues Harvest), bass

Audio/Video: None to speak of, although their official website features a setlist from early 2005 that included two original songs & covers ranging from Metallica & AC/DC tracks to songs by Green Day & 3 Doors Down, along with some potentially amusing theme song parodies. There's no material on their website, and knowing the paths most members took musically after Garage Inc.'s breakup, it may be hard to pinpoint their sound. I'll assume that guitarist Brian Lester's solo project No Shadows Cast would be the most similar, but I may be wrong.

Info/Analysis: Presumably named after the Metallica album, Garage Inc. were a local metal band that existed under many different formations between 2004 & 2006. They became a decently frequent sight at local school concerts & events in 2005, and they also took part in the Live Air anti-smoking concert at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion in mid-2006. Updates on Garage Inc. are hard to source (especially from 2004 & late 2005), but they apparently ended at some point in 2006 due to creative differences. I'm sure Garage Inc. had a lot of talent, but what surprises me the most is the bands that former Garage Inc. members joined after leaving (notably Blues Harvest, Thin Ice, & Craig Murphy's solo work), as they mostly divert away from the metal that Garage Inc. were known for. That said, it's a sign of how diverse they are as musicians, and hopefully we'll hear some of Garage Inc.'s output down the road! Give them a look at the above links!
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Savage Roar

Genre: Industrial/Thrash Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Members: (E-mail me at robertfigures@outlook.com if you have any additions or corrections!)

Solomon "Sol Daddy" Blake, all instruments

Info/Analysis: Savage Roar (formerly known as Shishiku) was a solo metal project masterminded by former local guitarist & MMA fighter Solomon Blake, a.k.a. Sol Daddy the Red Headed Ninja. Active from roughly 2006-2009, Sol planned to record & release original metal material for use with comic artwork of his, but nothing was ever directly released to the Savage Roar MySpace page before band activity dried up in the spring of 2009. However, Sol did post three videos featuring his solo guitar work in 2008 & 2009 onto his personal MySpace page, though all were sadly deleted with the recent MySpace layout changes, including some vlogs and fights of his. Featuring some original guitar riffs & jamming, he did show some clear talent as a metal guitarist, though there are rough moments and some repetition. It's too bad Savage Roar didn't expand too much further, but check out his posted guitar videos at the above links, and I did upload his heaviest video "Sol Daddy Plays The B'Twang" to our YouTube channel as well, so give it a look below!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! After a run of three two-band profiles in the last 4 months of 2011, I'm happy to say that we're starting 2012 off with a bang in this series, as I've randomly selected a very notable band from recent years for next month's profile, that being defunct local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen! This should be a great look back at one of recent history's more notable local metal bands, so watch out for that on or around January 10th! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news over the coming week! Thanks everyone!