Merry Christmas From The Sault Metal Scene!!

Merry Christmas, everyone! (or, Happy Holidays if you prefer!) As has been a recent tradition, I've got some Christmas surprises for the occasion, but unlike last years, I've pared them down a bit and put them all on Christmas morning to both accentuate the day and note that there's less SMS-fitting albums at access to post online that aren't already there. For today, we have two archive metal albums to unwrap, along with a look at a fittingly seasonal local metal band, but first, we have a long overdue addition to our band links, just in time for Christmas!

First off today, we're finally welcoming Sault Ontario power trio Stiffler's Mom into our full coverage on the SMS! This was probably very overdue, but I think holding their current material and cover selection as being "lighter" than their old Sin Stereo work was an overstatement to say the least, as they still rock hard in concert! Last seen on stage at Docks Riverfront Grill last weekend, Stiffler's Mom is comprised of singer/drummer Greg Simpson (also of That's Chester, Bone Yard, and Maxx Entertainment), along with guitarist Michael Davies and bassist Jon Ferguson, who have played together (aside from a brief 2011-2012 breakup) since way back in 1998. Stiffler's Mom have played a number of big events during their run (including opening for INXS at The Essar Center), recorded at least one CD, and have been instrumental in the recent Toystock fundraiser concerts for Christmas Cheer, and their blend of old school covers (many with a heavier edge) are always a good time!

Though they're only just now getting full attention on the site, I've enjoyed Stiffler's Mom since even before the SMS was a thought in my mind, having seen them at a dance at Bawating Collegiate & Vocational School circa 2004. They're talented, have a lot of fun, and always engage the crowd, so hopefully we hear much more from Stiffler's Mom into 2014, and here they are pumping out heavier renditions of Johnny Cash and Golden Earring songs at last year's Toystock!

Next for our Christmas surprises, I uploaded two more local metal albums from the archives onto our YouTube channel, including defunct Sault Ontario classic metal quartet Late & Loud's only EP "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal"! Originally independently released in November 2012 upon their return from their first breakup, the version I uploaded is actually the April 2013 "Still Hard" reissue, which featured two added songs and two re-recordings of the original pressing's bonus tracks, with much higher quality. Released prior to their last set at the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, songs 1 & 6-9 were recorded at The Smoke & Oak Room with producer Dave Pihlaja, while the other 4 were produced by singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi's Daybreak Johnnies bandmate Steve Hopkin. Also featuring singer/guitarist Brendan Christie, bassist Benn Garside, and drummer Josh Hatherley, the songs (in order) include "Heavy or Bust", "Trouble", "Live For Excess", "Never Again", "Love Letter Lockdown", "Fast As A Bitch", "Machine Gun Maiden", "Whisper of the Damned", and "Rock N' Roll", so click each link to hear each song!

Note that I didn't include the self-recorded 2012 versions of "Never Again" & "Love Letter Lockdown" from the original pressing, and though I may post them in the future, they are of much lower quality. Late & Loud put in a fun album in both instances, though the lack of a full time singer still was felt, and it's a shame we only got recorded physical material of Late & Loud's at the end of their run. As they're currently inactive (and this EP's out of print), I thought "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" would be nice to have on YouTube in full, so check out the full album before, and here's the first song!



Lastly for "new" album uploads on YouTube is "How Empty I Am", the 1997 album from defunct local metal trio Sulfur! Purchased at Value Village earlier this year (lucky find), this 8 song EP was recorded locally at Satellite Sound Studios, with the featured lineup including singer/guitarist Andy Chillman, bassist Mike Bird, and drummer Derek Turner, who would all find greater success in the London metal band Papa Fogals Chair. In order, the album includes the songs "Flower Girl", "Side Walk", "Empty", "Monkey Spank", "Don't Be So Tamed", "Real Me", "Evaluate", and "Our Glass Universe", with a bonus track of scattered irreverent dialogue following the last song after an extended stretch of silence, so click each link to hear each song! 16 years after it was released, it's nice to hear Sulfur's recorded output, and they do remind me of a more alternative-based shift from the later PFC sound, which expanded in membership and aggression, but Sulfur should entertain fans for sure!

We have yet to review "How Empty I Am" on the site (due to the recent constant flow of new heavier album releases), but I hope to give it a formal look in 2014! Check out the full album above, and here's the first track!



Finally for today, I think it's more than fitting to take another look at arguably the most seasonal metal band in the Twin Saults, that being Sault Michigan classical metal outfit Theatre of Night! As you may remember, their first album was "Christmas Night", a 2010 collection of metal versions of carols and Christmas standards, though it has seen a 2011 re-release and plans for both a brand new version and a new all-original album, both with German soprano singer Gaby Koss providing lead vocals. Though recent fundraising campaigns and optimistic plans haven't found a public resolution yet, their older Christmas songs and select newer recordings with Gaby are online for streaming and purchase, so there's no better way to enjoy the season and local talent in equal measure! Coming off a partial live performance in Sault Michigan in July as well, Theatre of Night (featuring I.S.O.M. and End of Existence alumni) have a lot of talent and ambition, and hopefully their next big plans will be realized soon!

Buy and stream their material at their Reverbnation page, and also check out their YouTube channel for videos, songs, and slideshows for their Christmas, American patriotic, and general renditions and originals! Check out their most recent slideshow (featuring their version of "What Child Is This?" with Gaby on vocals) below, and have a wonderful Christmas night no matter what!



Once again, Merry Christmas to all, and I hope you guys get lots of family time, good food, and of course, lots of presents! We'll be back TOMORROW MORNING with previews of an intriguing slate of post-Christmas concerts with metal/hard rock bands, so watch out for that then! Thanks everyone!

A New BeeFMouTH Video, A Guitarist's Band Search, And Much More!!

Keeping the news rolling on this Monday, we have an assortment of stories to touch on, so what's in store? Some feature profile updates, more assorted topics, and a band search from a promising local metal guitarist, but let's begin with a newly posted reunion video of a familiar band from the turn of the millennium, so here's what you need to know!

First up, here's a surprise video featuring a BeeFMouTH reunion! Yes, the late 1990s noise rock trio (featuring AlgomA's Darby Wigwaus & Marty Chase, a.k.a. Bwaad & MoDez) apparently got back together a couple of years ago around the Christmas holidays for a jam session, which was filmed and finally uploaded to 62nd Chamber Productions' YouTube channel on Saturday. The video is short (just 57 seconds), and rather than titling it by the song's name, it's called "The Falling Coffee", referencing exactly what that implies, so keep an eye out for it! The jam sounds good and heavy, but from what was posted, there are no featured vocals. The timing is curious too, as the upload comes a week out from AlgomA's set at The Big Loonie Bus Show in Echo Bay this coming Saturday, so could this be a hint that a BeeFMouTH reunion will be the concert's "special secret attraction"? I have no clue personally, but it'd be cool to see a return show at any point, as I enjoyed the old videos they posted! Check out this BeeFMouTH reunion jam video below, and GET YOUR TICKETS A.S.A.P. FOR SATURDAY NIGHT!

Next up, we have a new band search and video from a Sault Ontario metal guitarist named Matthew Parr, so what should you know? On the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Thursday, Matt posted that he was a metal rhythm guitarist that was looking for a band or like-minded musicians to work with, and that he's influenced by progressive and death metal bands like Meshuggah and Veil of Maya. He plays seven string guitars and can program drums, and has posted a series of solo recordings under the handle The Hiroshima Mutant Mindframe onto Soundcloud, that you can check out at this link. Even though I wasn't familiar with his music before the other day, I have to give him props, as he's a really talented guitarist with a lot of creative ideas, and I think local bands should give him a serious look, so message him at this location or above if you're interested! As one more sample, he posted this cover of Volumes' "Two-One" onto his YouTube channel last year (oddly, his only performance clip there), and it features Matt playing both guitar parts on the original with videos of each. Really solid, so check out Matt's Volumes cover below!



Also today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last little while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band or conpany name:

• Are changes afoot concerning local grunge quartet Haggith's lineup? Drummer Mike Haggith posted about a bassist search on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday, though in a comment reply, he said that current bassist Caleb Cachagee is still around, and they're "just looking at some other options" towards a possible shift in direction. I find Caleb's a good fit with the band, but we'll have to see what comes of this, if anything. Stay tuned!
• In our Sault Ontario links section on the left of the page, I've edited the link to Rockin' Vinyl Records to replace it's now expired website with their Facebook page, just to keep things current and working. In case you forgot, this is the locally owned vinyl record/music collectible store at 415 Northland Road, which has a solid selection of merchandise, so check them out above!
• Ex-Late & Loud singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi's solo project The Soviet Space Program (which was launched locally last year before he moved from the Soo) is still alive, as he posted on their Facebook page last night to confirm that he is "working on some new missions." Great to hear, so keep an eye out for Jon's next solo original song postings!

Finally for today, here's some assorted updates to our Battle of the Bands Rewind Profiles from late 2009 and onward! On multiple profiles relating to these battle competitors, I noted that local rock band Wishbone have been reunited this year by frontman Dennis Duguay (more information on their new lineup and such is forthcoming), while I also noted Sykotyk Rampage's 8 new digital free albums, and edited the genre for two-time battle runners-up The Fury to note that they were essentially a punk band, though I'll note that they hated genre classifications. In the section on the Kiss Battle of the Bands' profile to note competitors' later bands, I replaced Fusion, The Inner City Surfers, The London Gentlemen, Pocketful of Scoundrel, and Zero Hour with 415E, Al Wood & The Woodsmen, The Fairmounts, Havadder, and The Side FX, either to acknowledge newer and more prominent bands, or to remove bands who are either defunct, not as active, or no longer feature battle alumni in their lineups. Finally, I made a similar edit to that section on our Sault College Battle Profile, to replace Zero Hour again with Mike Haggith & The Din, who then-Blackwater bassist James Watterworth joined on saxophone earlier this year. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, along with this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles and this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews! Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal: Still Hard" Review!!

In a special early post, here's this month's CD review, and it's of the expanded re-release of Late & Loud's debut EP "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal"! Subtitled "Still Hard", it was released on April 24th during the band's set at the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Finals, and it's the second pressing of this disc (originally put out in November 2012), though it now features two re-recorded tracks & two new songs to go along with the main 5 from last year's copies. Those 5 carried-over songs were recorded early last year at The Smoke & Oak Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja, while the 4 new recordings were done earlier this year with producer/Daybreak Johnnies guitarist Steve Hopkin. All 9 songs (clocking in at around 38 minutes in length) feature the band's classic lineup, including singer/guitarists Jonathan Tiberi & Brendan Christie, bassist Benn Garside, and singer/drummer Josh Hatherley. Copies were on sale for $5 last week, though it's unclear if they'll be available at potential future concerts or be re-pressed at all, but contact the band on Facebook just in case! Also, the 5 returning songs can be streamed at Late & Loud's Reverbnation page.

Just on an advisory note, be wary of playing "HRHM: Still Hard" in slot-loading CD drives, as I think the psychedelic custom art actually helped it jam in my computer, but tray-loading drives played it without issue. Like with our past reviews of albums that featured re-released material (i.e. Destroilet's newest CD), we'll only be giving an in-depth review of the new recordings, and covering older tracks with just some summative thoughts, but of course, if you want to read my full review of the 5 returning songs, check out my initial review of "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" at this location! Now, let's begin this review with looks at the aforementioned carried-over tracks!

Tracks 1 and 6-9 are the returning songs from Late & Loud's original recording sessions for "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal", albeit in a new order, and they're "Heavy or Bust", "Fast As a Bitch", "Machine Gun Maiden", "Whisper of the Damned", and "Rock N' Roll". Like last year, I find these five tracks to be a solid and fun sample of Late & Loud's classic metal setlist, and all four members show their collective musical talent well on them! I'm partial to "Heavy or Bust" and "Whisper of the Damned" of these five, and the new order helps spread these songs out more then they had been. As was the case last year, their chemistry and feel was always there, and Dave Pihlaja's production was an asset, but my main issues are the continuing lack of a full time singer, and that (on my copy, at least), "Rock N' Roll" cuts off a few seconds early, a problem that didn't affect the song on the original EP. Still, these are 5 very nice and energetic songs, and they give a nice glimpse into Late & Loud at their peak, so give these songs a listen (and read my full review on them) at the above links!

As for the new recordings, songs 2 & 3 are the brand new tracks that weren't on the November release in any form, starting with (by far) the EP's longest song, "Trouble"! What struck me right away was that this song does seem to be played at a slower tempo than it is live, but it's still heavy & faithful to their talents, and the guitar work is a standout! Jon Tiberi's vocals are what I expected, though I'd like to see a bit more grit and less melody on the choruses, and some of the gang vocals are messy mid-way through. If anything, I think "Trouble" lends itself more to live shows, as it's length and nature fits a more carefree jamming style with a faster pace, but it works as a studio track, and never feels too long! It's followed by "Live For Excess", which I'm glad to see included despite not being played at their most recent gigs! It has a fun up-tempo pace and nice guitar riffing, along with solid bass & a quality guitar solo, plus it shows Brendan Christie's best vocal performance on an L&L original! However, the song is relatively short, and the chorus is a bit more minimal and more falsetto-focused than in live concerts, but it's still a ripping track and a welcome addition!

As for tracks #4 & 5, these are the Steve Hopkin-supervised re-recordings of "Never Again" & "Love Letter Lockdown", the self-recorded bonus tracks from the original "HRHM" pressing last fall. I've already looked at both last year, but the recording quality is much better, with vocals much easier to hear, and the individual instruments much clearer in the mix, so Steve deserves kudos for his production! "Never Again" still isn't a highlight of the 9 songs, as it's not overly aggressive or energetic, but it's well performed, and the late jam break helps the song end well! It just doesn't live up to the classic metal intensity of most of it's companions. The improved version of "Love Letter Lockdown" is really welcomed though, as it's another heavy and catchy number, if short, but the drumming works nicely, as does the extended guitar solo! The big issue here is the vocals, which don't have the punch I get from this song live, but at least they don't get slowly quieter like before. If you were disappointed by these songs on last year's pressing, try to upgrade & hear these songs more like they should be heard!

So, what's my final word on "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal: Still Hard"? Well, considering it's expanded and partially re-recorded nature, it's a definite improvement on the original pressing, and I'd say the new songs justify buying a new copy! Like before, we have a lot of very solid and heavy original tracks from this cohesive & talented quartet, with Jon Tiberi & Brendan Christie's guitar work driving each, while Benn Garside's bass work and Josh Hatherley's drumming also tended to stand out and compliment everything else! This is what Late & Loud should have released all along in November, and as it was sold on a $1 discount from the original pressing, it's a win-win! However, for both production & musical quality, the original 5 songs from last fall are probably the best for my own preferences and for audio clarity, but Steve's work & improvements are really appreciated, and don't take anything away from the disc! My main issues are minor, like "Rock N' Roll" being clipped at the end, the lack of some older originals, and as I've always said, the need for a permanent singer (though the guys make the most of what they have.)

I don't know if this will end up being Late & Loud's last gift to the local scene (what with Jon moving & the band's own scattered activity in the past year and all), but "Still Hard" is a great sampling of the Late & Loud experience, and even if there's no imminent shows on the horizon, this should be the next best thing, as it's a very fun and well performed disc, even with it's independent production! Pick it up if you can at the above links, and fingers crossed that this isn't the last that Loudmouths will get to see of Late & Loud! Barring any unforeseen delays, next month's CD review at the SMS will very likely be of local grunge quartet Haggith's third studio album "Deuce" (as it's heavier than their last album "Apocalypse"), so if it comes out as expected on Friday, watch out for our review of it in early June! That's all for today, but stay tuned for a likely new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Major Announcements On New Johnny Pints Concerts, Plus Late & Loud's New EP!!

Before we review last night's Garden of Bedlam show (videos should be posted on Facebook in the next couple of hours), we have a new news post covering many recent stories, so what's on tap? Mostly news concerning local concert promoter (and prolific metal/punk singer) J.D. Pearce, who has even more big news coming for 2013 concerts, so that will lead off, but also watch for news on lineup additions for a previously announced gig, another one being moved, and a recent EP re-release. Without any further adieu, here's what you need to know!

The aforementioned J.D. Pearce (a.k.a. Johnny Pints) is going to try promoting a metal/punk festival this fall that he's calling Heavy North! Planned to be held at The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center at 50 Pim Street, the aim appears for this to be a multi-day event starting on September 27th, and it will likely feature out of town headliners and local acts, though full details have yet to be announced (i.e. bands, ticket availability, age restrictions, other ground rules.) Most local music festivals that we have in town are either geared towards more mainstream genres (i.e. Rotaryfest) or one-off (like many charitable events), so if this is a success, it could be huge and encourage this to become an annual event! Of course, that was the aim of last year's Ypres Metal Fest. I think J.D. has the drive and resources to pull this off and see if it will be successful, but given the Heavy North branding, I'd like to see an emphasis on local/Northern Ontario bands and non-regional acts with former Saultites in their lineup. I'm sure things will fall into place as we get into the summer, so stay tuned for updates, and message the above links if you want in on Heavy North!

In a possibly related note, the July 8th SNFU/Death By Stereo concert originally planned for the Bushplane Museum was moved to The Canadian Nightclub (who hosted Death By Stereo's last show here in 2009) on Wednesday, as per the Facebook event page. A reason wasn't announced, but could it have been to save the museum for Heavy North? Either way, the SNFU show will be huge, and it still has a huge venue, so click the above links for more details!

Also in new event announcements is The Crusade, a multi-band cancer fundraising concert to be held at The Canadian Nightclub on Monday, May 20th. This is a cause close to J.D., as his mother has survived cancer battles multiple times, so you know this event will be done right! Cancer sucks, I lost my grandmother & step-grandfather to it, so I know full well the importance of an event like this! This ALL AGES event will take place from 12:00 PM to midnight on May 20th, and admission is by donation (or, pay what you can), with a suggested amount of $5. All proceeds will go to The Canadian Cancer Society & The Relay For Life, and while no bands have been announced yet, J.D. emphasized on the Facebook event page that unlike his usual punk/metal/hardcore shows, this is open to everyone! I'd assume some harsher bands will be a part, but expect a wider variance of acts for The Crusade.

If you're interested in playing (all genres are welcome), or would like to donate prizes for likely draws, message J.D. at this location, and get more details above! This sounds like a great event for an awesome cause, so contact the above links to get involved, ad keep an eye out for any SMS-leaning band announcements!

Lastly for updates on J.D.'s upcoming concerts, the local support for the Skeletonwitch-headlined metal show at The Canadian Nightclub on June 3rd is now official, and rather than just one band, we have two, including local melodic death metal quintet The Bear Hunters! Fresh off of their best ever local Battle of the Bands finish from Wednesday night, their concert pace continues to slowly pick up, and this major show will be their first at The Canadian since (I think) opening for Fuck The Facts last May! The other newly confirmed opening band is local death metal quartet Crimson Crusade (featuring Pillory & Inhuman Methods alumni) in their first concert since The Locals Attack at The Canadian in November! Though only sporadically seen with recent lineups, their Death-influenced sound attracted a lot of positive notices last fall, and they've been busy working on a yet-released EP so far this year, so we'll have to see how they sound and perform in their long awaited return! Check the above links for more on this huge concert in June, and I know I'll see you guys there!

Finally, here's what you should know on local classic metal quartet Late & Loud's CD release from their finals appearance at The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Finals! As in the Saigon Hookers' show in November, Late & Loud sold $5 copies of "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" on Wednesday night for fans & attendees, though this was an expanded version subtitled "Still Hard", featuring 4 new songs! The cover art is on your left, and the disc features the 5 songs from the initial EP release (as recorded at The Smoke & Oak Room with Dave Pihlaja), albeit newly ordered. The other 4 songs include re-recordings of "Never Again" & "Love Letter Lockdown" (last year's bonus tracks), plus two brand new recordings ("Trouble" & "Live For Excess".) The 4 new tracks were produced by singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi's Daybreak Johnnies bandmate Steve Hopkin, and without reviewing them yet, the quality is better than on last year's bonus songs! The re-release also includes an expanded booklet (including more band photos), a psychedelic custom design on each disc, and a slimmer jewel case.

I fully plan on reviewing the "HRHM" re-release next month on the site (hopefully sooner rather than later), so there's our May CD review at the SMS! I just hope Wednesday wasn't their last show, and I hope Late & Loud stay alive, even if just for sporadic reunion gigs when Jon comes back north. The off-podium finish for the guys is bound to be disappointing, but to their fans (myself included), it was fun and business as usual, and if it was their last, they went out with a bang! Stay tuned for updates as they come in, and keep an eye out for our review of the EP next month!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for my review of last night's Garden of Bedlam/Skeyes of Seven concert later tonight! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Skeletonwitch), Woods of Ypres/Juno Awards Fallout, And Late & Loud's "New" EP!!

58 days into our posting streak, we have one more update before TONIGHT'S Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Finals, so what's on tap? Along with news on a surprisingly sudden CD release and plenty of fallout from Woods of Ypres' Juno win this past weekend, we're leading off with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for June that should be really exciting for many readers, so here's what you need to know!

Throw another major concert onto local promoter J.D. Pearce's summer concert schedule, but this one may be the most appealing to die-hard metalheads, as Ohio blackened thrash metal quintet Skeletonwitch will headline a huge concert at The Canadian Nightclub on Monday, June 3rd! This hard touring band (and Ozzfest veterans) are bound to be familiar to many fans of modern day thrash bands, and their Arch Enemy-esque sound should be a welcomed injection of brutality onto the summer concert schedule locally! Opening for them on their upcoming Canadian/Northern U.S. tour is Vancouver psychedelic metal quartet Ancients (not to be confused with the Nashville metal band of the same name), and their blend of detailed progressive instrumentation & thrashy mayhem (and even Mikael Akerfeldt-esque clean vocals) should find a solid audience in their local debut! The other out of town band is Toronto groove/thrash quartet Caym, who have a steady intensity and plenty of aggressive & fast songs in store, so don't miss them either come June 3rd! At least one local opening band remains to be announced, and we'll keep you guys posted when they are revealed!

This concert is ALL AGES, and will be held at The Canadian on June 3rd at 9:00 PM, with tickets costing $12 and door charges costing $15. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome night of metal, and if you've missed a full-on metal show with out of town bands like this, don't take it for granted, and go mosh with Skeletonwitch in just over a month! Stay tuned for ticket availability & local opening band details as they come in!

Next up, here's the latest fallout from Woods of Ypres' posthumous Juno Award win from this past weekend! On Sunday, an article entitled "Audience salutes Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold at Juno Awards" from The Sault Star's Michael Purvis was posted onto their website (and presumably featured in Monday's newspaper), and it outlines the defunct local doom metal band's win in the Best Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year category for "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" on Saturday evening. Featuring brief remarks from late frontman David Gold's mother Esther (in a phone interview from Regina) on her acceptance speech & it's reception from attendees, the article also features quotes from guitarist Joel Violette's on-stage remarks, information on the album and David's sudden passing in 2011, and an acknowledgement of fellow local musician Crystal Shawanda's Juno win this weekend as well. It's a nice & respectful article, so give it a look above & in Monday's paper! Now, the article quotes Joel & Esther's acceptance speeches, but the ceremony wasn't televised, so where can you see it?

An attendee of the Juno Awards filmed the speech and posted it onto Dropbox on Sunday, but it's since been deleted for unknown reasons... but not before I could see it and download a reference copy! In the speeches (which run over 2 minutes long), Joel thanked Earache Records & producer Siegfried Meier, and complimented this honour as a "fantastic note for Woods of Ypres to end on", while Esther Gold's remarks (some of which were transcribed in our post on Sunday) include invocations of lyrics from "Adora Vivos", her belief in orbs in photographs being David's energy, and her belief from teaching that if you say something three times, it is yours (which led to the devil horn-raised chant of David's name three times to close their speech.) As the original video's been deleted, I can't share it with you right now, but I may post the acceptance speech video online at some point in the future. I will say that the video is from a sharp angle near the front rows of tables, and it's hard to make Joel & the Gold family out during the speeches, but I imagine it'd be more powerful & emotional on a better angle.

Also, Woods of Ypres were referenced on air during Sunday's televised Juno Awards on CTV along with the other untelevised award winners, and they were actually the last of Saturday's winners acknowledged. Basically, the voice over announcer read the names of the award, album, and band, and the cover of "Woods V" was shown. It's not much, but it's a lot more than I think many people were expecting when it came out last spring! This is still an incredible honour, and it's quite the cap for Woods of Ypres' run in the Canadian music scene! If there's anything that could approach a Juno win, maybe David or Woods of Ypres will come up as a candidate for the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame? You never know!

Finally for today, here's the latest news from Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands finalists Late & Loud, who are apparently very close to releasing a "new" EP! According to new postings on their Facebook page (including photos), a CD release named "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal: Still Hard" is being pressed for a release TONIGHT at The Rockstar Bar during the finals, and it appears to at least be a partial re-recording/expansion of their original EP release from their November 2012 return gig, a'la Destroilet's newest disc. A likely track listing confirms 9 songs (including "Live For Excess" & "Trouble", which weren't on the November release), while a posting by singer/guitarist Jonathan Tiberi confirms that they're mastering 4 songs (which I assume include re-recordings of last year's bonus tracks "Love Letter Lockdown" & "Never Again".) This appears to be the album cover (as replicated from a Facebook photo of the hard copy), and while the picture of the liner notes is grainy, I believe it indicates that songs recorded at The Smoke & Oak Room last year with producer Dave Pihlaja will be included as is.

This reissued EP will be available for $5 TONIGHT during Late & Loud's finals appearance at The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, so keep that in mind if you're attending! This is somewhat surprising news given that Late & Loud have already indicated that Jon Tiberi is moving out of town after the battle, and who knows what that means for their status going forward (be it a hiatus, breakup, or member replacement), but if there is a level of finality to their set tonight, at least they're going out with a bang! I hope to buy the EP tomorrow and review it in early May on the site, but above all else, I'm judging them fairly and honestly on their battle set tomorrow, not the bonus of a CD release, so I won't comment on anything else related to the disc until after the battle. That said, will Late & Loud defend last year's Sault Humane Society Battle title TONIGHT, or will The Bear Hunters, Haggith, The Pesto Shirts, or The Suicide Kings claim the top prize instead? Come on down to The Rockstar Bar at 10:00 PM to find out! $10 admission, 19+, and I hope to see you guys there! Thanks everyone!

Late & Loud - "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" Review!!

November is almost over, so let`s end the month with our latest local metal/hard rock CD review at the SMS! For our 41st monthly CD review on the site, I've chosen a new CD for the second straight month, and this time around, it's for Sault Ontario classic metal quartet Late & Loud's debut (and perhaps only?) EP, entitled "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal"! Independently released on November 10th during the band's return concert at The Rockstar Bar, the disc was primarily recorded with producer Dave Pihlaja earlier this year at what I believe is now the Smoke & Oak Room Studio, though the last two tracks were self-recorded. Late & Loud's current lineup is present here, with singer/guitarists Jonathan Tiberi & Brendan Christie joined by bassist Benn Garside and drummer Josh Hatherley. Copies of this demo EP are available for $6 at concerts featuring band members, though it's unclear on whether further pressings will be produced. As well, the first 5 songs can all be streamed at L&L's Reverbnation page, so give them a preview listen there!

With 7 songs clocking in at around 28 minutes of music, let's begin with the EP's first song, "Fast as a Bitch"! Kicking into a familiar heavy metal groove from the start, you can immediately tell that there's very good production for this album, and even early, their talent is there! Guitarist Jonathan Tiberi sings on this track, and while he doesn't have a wide range, he uses it to the best of his ability here, and there's enough aggression to suit the material! It's a catchy number that calls in mind a 1980s metal swagger, and the members are (for the most part) firing on all cylinders! If anything's wrong with this track, it's that the chorus isn't melodic enough, as the gang vocals don't have the right "oomph" or melody to compliment the verses. The guitar solo, however, is well done (if not blisteringly fast), and their attitude is ever present! This is a quality first track on "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal", and hopefully a harbinger of what's to come!

Second is "Rock 'En Roll",  which after a bit of feedback, launches into more of a classic rock rhythm with a catchy swing riff, and it also captures it's sound well as an ever older school song than their sound leans towards! The vocals even have more of a casual flow, and Josh Hatherley actually pulls off this song better as a pure singer than on "Fast as a Bitch"! That said, this isn't quite as heavy as the previous track, and it's way too short, but Late & Loud's talent shows well here, including drummer Josh Hatherley's nicely paced work! It's an even better track to me, and if you like 1970s-era hard rock, this will work out for you! Third of the main 5 tracks is "Machine Gun Maiden", which has a great opening with a nice machine gun-esque drum section and more quality guitar and bass work, and it's definitely the coolest and newest sounding for the song's overall themes! The verses have that omninous dark feel vocally, but the choruses do lack, as they seem to have more melody and intensity live. They almost sound mailed in, but the guitar solo doesn't (and it thankfully longer), and Benn Garside's bass work here is the best that I've heard so far! If the vocals were more energetic, this song would be even better, but it still works well as a more modern metal track!

Track #4 is "Heavy or Bust", which launches into a great heavy metal riff and opening with an awesome guitar solo section and nice energetic singing from Jon, fitting better than ever for his more aggressive singing, and the instrumental section immediately before the chorus is great to headbang with! The choruses could stand to be a bit more melodic, but he's using his voice well, and the members are tearing it up musically, with Jon and Brendan laying down some awesome guitar work, and the late drum solo from Josh Hatherley is a nice little bonus that is often extended live! Easily my favourite song on the EP so far, this packs a great punch with lots of aggression, catchiness, and classic metal attitude! The last properly recorded song on the EP is "Whisper of the Damned", this has the best opening of them all, with an instantly recognizable guitar-driven opening! Brendan Christie handles vocals here, with a higher tone and I'd say a slightly more powerful voice than Jon's, though not as aggressive overall. Here, I find the mix isn't as good as on earlier songs, with the vocals somewhat bleeding with the music, but it's another very entertaining track with great guitar work and solid drumming, and it's a nice standout track to go with the others of the main 5!

"Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" also includes two bonus tracks (the jewel case labels them as "unreleased Late & Loud recordings", but both are noticeably lacking in production given that they were self-recorded, including more distorted vocals and a somewhat messier overall mix. The first of the two bonus tracks is "Love Letter Lockdown", which goes well with earlier tracks for it's classic metal stylings, including a nice overall melody and effectively used vocals which flow well with the music as a whole, while the drumming fits well, and the guitar solo is proficiently played! That said, the singing does seem to get quieter late in the track, and the song is shorter than I'd have liked. The other bonus track is "Never Again", an older original of theirs that's nice to hear again, but it is noticeably more reserved than it's preceding tracks. More mid-paced with a general rock rhythm and more casual vocals, it doesn't have the blistering aggression or classic feel that better songs on this EP have, and the worse production doesn't help. That said, it's still a nice rock song with some harsher moments, and the last half of this song has a nice extended jam feel that has a spark that could have ignited the first half!

So, how do I grade Late & Loud's debut demo/EP? Well, it's a great selection of entertaining hard rock and classic metal originals from one of the area's most promising metal bands! On the whole, the members shown great talent as musicians, with Jon Tiberi & Brendan Christie's guitar riffs and solos driving this material long and hard, while Benn Garside's bass work tended to be very proficient, and Josh Hatherley shone on drums throughout as well! Vocally, Jon and Brendan did as good a job as they can with their vocal ranges, with Brendan exhibiting a bit better range, while Jon's was grittier and more aggressive. The guys also had good chemistry, and a nice classic metal sensibility that carried them through standout tracks like "Heavy or Bust" and "Whisper of the Damned", that seemed to slowly improve as the EP wore on! That said, it's not a perfect disc, partly due to some shorter than expected tracks, and the recording quality of the bonus tracks, which are a jarring change from the original 5 songs, but I understand that they're bonus tracks and not of the main 5 songs.

It'd have been nice to have heard more songs on the release too ("Live For Excess" is a disappointing exclusion, for example), and of course, a full time singer might have improved these songs, but the core Late & Loud members filled that role at the maximum level that they could! I hope this doesn't mark the end of Late & Loud's run (especially given their recent breakup and related concerns), but if it does, it marks some very entertaining metal originals from one of the area's most prominent recent bands, and don't let this material slip you by, so check it out at the above links, and buy it if you can! That's all for this month, but keep an eye out for a special all-video post tomorrow concerning a recent concert event, this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post on Sunday, and as for our last CD review of 2012? It's still going to be Mike Haggith's new album "Neighbourhood Watch", and it's coming way sooner than you think! Stay tuned!

Saigon Hookers Concert Review, Plus Info On Late & Loud's EP!!

It's time for our review of yesterday's Saigon Hookers concert at The Rockstar Bar, which had a solid attendance (if somewhat of a late start), and I did pick up a certain band's debut disc which we'll talk about at the end of this post, but first, let's discuss the concert! The opening band was local punk/metal quartet T-Rex Manning in their Rockstar Bar debut, and for the most part, their set was entertaining! The guys tore through a bunch of Misfits covers along with everything from Blink-182 to Judas Priest, and they seemed to have a lot of fun as you'd expect! J.D. Pearce's singing was on form, and in his last concert with T-Rex Manning before moving out west, Daniel MacDonald had one of his better drumming performances that I've seen of him live! However, their set wasn't under ideal sound conditions, ad something happened with guitarist Tiffany Stocco's amplifier (I think a tube broke, I may be wrong though.) As a result, the sound had some technical difficulties, but overall, T-Rex Manning delivered a solid set of metal and punk covers (and their original "She Banged The Mayor"), and hopefully they'll be back soon!

Next up was local classic metal quartet Late & Loud, making their own Rockstar Bar debut in their first concert after their September breakup! Just to get it out of the way now, no on-stage indications were made on if this show was a one-off return or not, but we should find out either in the next few weeks. Despite some self-deprecating stabs at how they sounded, the Sault Humane Society Battle winners tore through most of the originals from their EP and some extra tracks, and aside from guitar sound issues similar to T-Rex Manning's set, they delivered well in their return! Like most of their past concerts, my only steady quibble was in Late & Loud's lack of a formal singer, but the guys know how to control their voices to suit their material best, and no matter what instrument, they were rocking it and driving the energy high! Jon Tiberi and Brendan Christie of course stood out well on lead guitar, and it was nice seeing Josh Hatherley switch to vocals and guitar for "Rock N' Roll" again! Judging by the fans up front last night, I know I'm not alone in hoping they're back for good, but if this was Late & Loud's last show, they went out on a high note!

And finally last night were your headliners, Kitchener hard rockers The Saigon Hookers! Over a year after their last local appearance, the guys were back for another set full of their entertaining original material, including songs from their brand new EP "Feel Like Murder" and numerous other cuts from across their discography, and on the whole, they seemed tighter than they did last summer! On a few songs though, their audio sounded somewhat muffled, and Tommy Smokes was occasionally hard to hear vocally, but you could tell they were on their game! The guys' energy seemed high, especially bassist Lee Brook and guitarist Ron Cybulskie, but I wish they'd played a bit longer or identified some more of their songs live. Very entertaining return set though, as The Saigon Hookers' blend of metal, punk, and classic rock fits very well here in the Soo, and hopefully it won't be more than a year for their next local stop!

Overall, this was a fun concert, if somewhat plagued by audio twinges, but the bands were all on form, and hopefully we'll see them all again soon! I did get photos & videos, so click here to see my photos from last night, or visit our Facebook page! Apologies for the quality, that was the best spot I could get where I wasn't blocking the view of the bands. Before we discuss Late & Loud's EP, here's my videos from the concert, including T-Rex Manning's original "She Banged The Mayor", Late & Loud playing "Heavy or Bust" (including a Josh Hatherley drum solo), and The Saigon Hookers playing 2008's "Grab On/Fall Down"!

And finally for today, here's what you should know about Late & Loud's demo EP that they released last night! We already showed you guys the artwork, but I can now confirm that the title is indeed "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal", as credited on the spine and back of the case. The first 5 tracks ("Fast As A Bitch", "Rock N' Roll", "Machine Gun Maiden", "Heavy Or Bust", and "Whisper of the Damned") were recorded with producer Dave Pihlaja (presumably at what's now the Smoke & Oak Room Studio), while the two bonus tracks ("Love Letter Lockdown" & "Never Again") were self recorded. It'd be nice to have songs like "Live For Excess" included too, but beggars can't be choosers! Though packaged properly (including liner notes, credits, and band photography), song lyrics aren't included, and the CDs themselves feature handwritten art that varies by disc, similarly to Changing Waves' free demo from last year. For example, mine has the band's name and members' individual autographs on the disc.

Copies of this pressing weren't completely sold off last night, so if you still want one, contact the band at this location (or Jon & Josh directly), and while they still cost $6, throw in an extra $4 for a Late & Loud t-shirt, which was also sold yesterday! With that all said, I'll announce right now that "Heavy Rockin' Hard Metal" will indeed be our CD review at the SMS for November 2012, with Mike Haggith's "Neighbourhood Watch" now likely for December to avoid any biases (following our review of his band Haggith's first CD last month.) Stay tuned in the coming weeks for our Late & Loud CD review, and for more news tomorrow, including some new concerts and a preview of TOMORROW'S Adelitas Way/Theory of a Deadman show at Kewadin Casino! Thanks everyone!

A "New" Local Band, Woods V News, And Much More!!

Before we begin today's news post, I'd like to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Warrant frontman Jani Lane, who was found dead yesterday evening in a Los Angeles hotel room at the age of 47. Jani fronted the prominent glam metal band off and on from 1986-2008, and was known for hits like "Cherry Pie", "Forever", and "I Saw Red" during Warrant's heyday. In recent years, his personal demons had overshadowed his music, though the cause of death isn't known yet. I don't believe Warrant ever played a concert in Sault Ste. Marie, but their work with Jani remains a highlight of the glam metal era of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it's tragic to lose anyone this talented so early in life. R.I.P. Jani! Now to some local metal news, and we have some good news to share today, including some more new Banned videos, a page for a local record store you may have heard of, and news concerning Woods of Ypres' next album, but first, here's a newly discovered page for a broken up local band!

Off and on, you may have seen us reference Amethyst, the late 1980s-early 1990s glam metal band from Sault Ontario that were quite prominent and successful in their local run. Well, now they have a posthumous Reverbnation page so you can officially become a fan of theirs and check them out online! I assume a former band member launched it earlier this year, but I can't accurately date the page or determine who's maintaining it (my guess is former singer Rick "Widow" Dellavedova, seeing as the "Snakeye Strut" video he edited is posted there.) Aside from the video and the band's members, the only real information to speak of on the page relates to their 1994 CD "Innocent As Hell", which is uploaded there to both stream AND buy! Yes, you can officially buy Amethyst material again, over 16 years after the album went out of print! Just click here to buy their only CD for $9.99, with mp3s available for 99¢ each and ringtones for $2.49! Why not support the band and physically buy it? Broken up or not, what would it hurt to give them some attention? I will say that I think the page should also feature the band's earlier cassette album(s?), and the sadly-private "Waste of Time" video, which would be awesome to get a hold of, but who knows what could happen. Become a fan at the above links, and Amethyst are now in our inactive Sault Ontario band links on your left!

Next up, it appears that Woods of Ypres have officially begun recording sessions for "Woods V"! Well, the new "Woods V", seeing as the last sessions became "Woods 4.5". Though the local blackened doom metal band has yet to make an official statement regarding these sessions, multiple sources have given us details. It looks like the sessions began on Wednesday, as per guitarist Joel Violette's Twitter page, with the sessions likely to last until September according to Joel's apparent "so long!" to social media until then. As well, Kittie frontwoman Morgan Lander (a good friend of David Gold's) wished David and Joel good luck with the recording sessions on her Twitter page on Wednesday as well. She also confirmed that "Woods V" will be produced by Siegfried Meier at Beach Road Studios out of Goderich, Ontario (two hours northwest of Kitchener.) He's worked with bands like Kittie, Baptized In Blood, The Salads, and Thine Eyes Bleed in the past, so this should work well for Woods of Ypres! Yesterday, Siegfried commented on his Twitter page that he had a "kick ass first day with Woods of Ypres", while also posting a photo of what I presume is David Gold's drumkit for the sessions. Check the above links for more details!

Sounds good so far, though I wonder why David's staying quiet about the recording? When they recorded "Woods IV", he had tons of updates. Oh well, hopefully soon! As for the band's lineup, obviously there's changes due to the absence of the Madden brothers, but I assume David will take over on drums again, seeing as he played drums on every release Evan Madden wasn't on. Also, I have a hunch that Joel will do the bass tracks, seeing as he played bass as well for his black metal project Thrawsunblat. Of course, things could be different or could change, so stay tuned in case I hear anything different, along with any "Woods V" updates that come in! And yes, we'll cover "Woods V" in next month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post!

Thirdly today, we have even more new videos of Kinross hard rock trio Banned from last month's "Music In The Park" show in Rudyard! These just keep coming, don't they? These two are also courtesy of Ashley Traynor, who posted two more videos of her dad & brother's band rocking Rudyard onto her YouTube channel yesterday. One is of the band covering Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues", and the other is of the band covering Drowning Pool's "Bodies"! You don't hear either covered much locally, so it's interesting to see some covers of them! Being a metalhead, I expectedly like the "Bodies" cover more, but they do a good job covering Johnny Cash! Both videos feature bassist Alex Schrovenwever on vocals, but the "Bodies" cover features guest bassist Eric Cairns so Alex can focus on just singing. Good cover, but the growling instead of screaming takes time to get used to, and they do change the song structure a bit. Check out the new videos at the above links, and here's Banned's cover of "Bodies"!



And finally for today, have you ever heard of Rockin' Vinyl Records? You may have seen signs and ads for it in the West End of Sault Ontario, and though it's 415 Northland Road location (a street over from Deresti Motors on Wellington Street West) is just a house, feel free to consider checking it out, as it has tons of classic collectible vinyl records! Ran by Steve Roberts, Rockin' Vinyl Records has a nice selection of vinyl records, many of which have a level of collectability and a price to match, and you can order online as well at their official website! Just on a quick look, you can get a excellent condition vinyl copy of Pearl Jam's "Ten" for $200, a rare red vinyl import of AC/DC's "Powerage" for $290, an unopened copy of Alice Cooper's "Trash" for $45, and much more! There's a lot more than that on the website (and at the Northland Road location), but remember that being vinyl records, the vast majority of albums will be from the 1980s and earlier. Great selection from all genres though, and if you're a vinyl lover or collector, definitely head to 415 Northland Road or the website linked above to get shopping! Also click here to check out Rockin' Vinyl Records' Facebook page, which also has a contact phone number and more!

That's all for today, but I will see you guys TONIGHT for the Smeltzer reunion show (with metal bands) at The Oddfellows Hall! Thanks everyone!