Skeletonwitch/Caym Concert Review!!

Hey guys, it's time for my review of Monday night's Skeletonwitch/Caym concert at The Canadian Nightclub, but before we really get into it, I apologize if I screw anything up or flub a detail, as I'm in the middle of a bad cold, and I admit being half out of it on Monday. It was like the Ypres Metal Fest all over again, but I was not gonna miss a show of this magnitude! The crowd was a solid size too, and though it was smaller than the Anvil show, the crowd was devoted and ready to mosh!

Now, let's look at each band that played last night, starting with local death metal openers Crimson Crusade! On the night of their "Upon the Eve of War" EP release, they played all of the tracks from it, along with non-album songs like "For Him", "Lost Memories", and "Reality", and their fan favourite cover of Death's "Pull The Plug", and they seemed to go over very well with fans in attendance! Having just seen them at The Crusade last month, I will admit that they didn't sound much different beyond an altered setlist, but luckily, they sounded really solid at both shows, and the guys talents were on full display! Devon Lucier's unique death metal vocals soared throughout, and his and Robert Sartini's guitar work was brutal and flowed well on each track! Last night's show was huge for their local momentum, which has often stalled during long breaks between concerts, but hopefully the EP release and more local dates keep the crusade going deeper into 2013 (and stay tuned to the SMS likely later today for more on the EP!)

Next up was fellow local death metal standouts The Bear Hunters, also taking the stage for the first time since The Crusade, and they put in an entertaining and very heavy effort of their own on Monday night! After the show, members were glowingly praising their set, and while I don't know if it's the best they've sounded, they definitely were on their game for this big opportunity! Songs like "Dominiate", "Servitude", and "Collapse The Sun" were joined by surprise covers of "Guardians of Asgaard" and "Squirrel Buddy", which the growing crowd definitely ate up, and the guys put in strong performances overall, including brutal growling from Nik Deubel and always dependable bass lines from Justin Lam! If anything, my complaints are minor, like shrinking the drawn out end of "Render This Void", or maybe throwing "Succumb To Eternity" into the set, but I thoroughly enjoyed The Bear Hunters on Monday, and I hope we'll see them again before August!

With the withdrawal of Anciients, the co-headliners were Toronto hardcore metal quartet Caym, and they definitely made lots of fans on Monday with their extreme blend of styles! With originals like "The Watcher", "Firewater", and "Day of Darkness" in store, they tore things up with a sound that's a bit hard to pin down, even throwing in what seemed to be some punk influences at times. Very aggressive though, with a lot of catchy elements and breakdowns, and they definitely seemed to enjoy playing to the local crowd! My big issue with their set wasn't their fault, as I could barely hear frontman Jeremy Sarrazin's vocals over the music, but everything else was on point, with his and Gord Laferla's guitar work really shining (and yes, Tyler Reiner's a chip off the old block on drums!) Caym put in an awesome set on Monday, and hopefully we'll see them back in the area down the road!

And finally, your headliners on Monday were prominent Ohio thrash/black metal quintet Skeletonwitch, and they definitely set fire to the stage with their long and brutal set! They really remind me of a thrashier Arch Enemy, and they have the talent and stage presence to back that up, with singer Chance Garnette exuding charisma and a dark essence on each song! The fans were moshing and causing mayhem from bell to bell, with tracks like "Reduced To The Failure Of Power", "Baptized In Flames", and "Beyond The Permafrost" ensuring horns flung all set long! Musically, I can't complain (aside from maybe boosting Chance's mic a bit), but with Dustin Boltjes' blast beats and both Nate Garnette & Scott Hedrick's impressive riffing and solos on the attack, who would? I just wish I wasn't feeling so under the weather on Monday, as I'd sure like to have heard them live with a clear head, but I saw and heard brutal and very heavy things from Skeletonwitch, and I'm eager to hear a lot more from them, live and on CD!

Overall, this was a great concert for local metalheads, full of wall to wall metal brutality and moshing, and if you missed it, you missed out! I got a bunch of photos that you can check out at this location (or at our Facebook page), and yes, I got videos of each band, so give each a look below, including Crimson Crudade playing their non-EP original "Here We Lay", The Bear Hunters playing "Karma", Caym opening their set with "Willow Farm", and Skeletonwitch playing "This Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)"!









That's all for now, but stay tuned for a new news post hopefully later tonight! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, The Skeletonwitch Concert Preview, And A New Video!!

In our second post of the day, we're looking at some more recent big news in the scene, but of course, check out this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post below this one! Now, we have a new music video for you Pennywise fans (the clown, not the band), an extended preview for a major local metal show taking place TOMORROW, and first, a new local metal band, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new Sault Ontario metal band to introduce on the site today, and they are a metal/punk quartet named Chronic Demonic! This band features Frightlight/ex-Fitswitch bandmates Kevin Powe on guitar & Rick White on drums alongside former Faithless Sin bassist Ryan Gratton and a singer named Ririe Lavoie who I admit knowing nothing on, but when/if I find out more, I'll let you guys know! I believe this is one & the same as the side project band that Kevin was looking for members for earlier this year, and while substantial information has yet to be revealed, their description on their Facebook page says that they play "the devil's music." I'm very curious to hear more on Chronic Demonic, and they seem to have a talented lineup that could help fill the void of Frightlight's recent inactivity if they don't immediately return to the stage! Stay tuned to the SMS for updates on Chronic Demonic as I hear them, and they're now in our active band links!

Next up, it's time to preview a major concert going down TOMORROW NIGHT at The Canadian Nightclub, as Ohio blackened thrash metal quintet Skeletonwitch are hitting the Soo for the first time! The Ozzfest veterans have toured nonstop in support of their 5 studio albums in their decade-long run, and with a growing name and many major supporting sets and appearances on their resume, their brutal hybrid sound should be more than welcomed to the area tomorrow night! There was supposed to be two out of town bands joining Skeletonwitch for this show, but Vancouver progressive metal quartet Anciients dropped out of this tour three weeks ago to take a slot opening for Lamb of God for the next month. Disappointing, but it's a huge opportunity for them, so best of luck for sure! The other out of town band is still on, as Toronto hardcore metal quartet Caym will make their own local debut tomorrow with a set of extreme and very heavy originals! Featuring Anvil drummer Robb Reiner's son Tyler on drums, they're quickly making a name for themselves in the Canadian metal scene, so don't miss their set!

Two local opening bands are also on board, as area death metal bands The Bear Hunters and Crimson Crusade will hit The Canadian tomorrow for the first time since The Crusade cancer fundraiser last month! While both have an entertaining death metal sound in store, Crimson Crusade will also release their "Upon The Eve Of War" EP for $5 tomorrow, so be sure to be there early to pick yours up! Advance tickets cost $12 for this ALL AGES show, and they can be picked up today at The Canadian Motor Hotel, The Rad Zone, Case's Music, and Music Depot until the end of the day. The door price now costs $18 (it was $20 before Anciients dropped off), and everything starts at 9:00 PM tomorrow. For more details, including sources for the lineup changes, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome show, and kudos to J.D. Pearce for bringing this massive show to the Soo!

Skeletonwitch's Arch Enemy-esque sound should be more than welcomed, and I just hope that the cold I caught last week has improved enough that I can go without being a nuisance. I hope to see you guys there, and for a preview, here's Skeletonwitch's music video for their song "Repulsive Salvation"!



Finally for today, here's another new music video of sorts from local horror punk/metal quintet Frightlight! Just days after posting a similar video for their song "She Screams", bassist Eddie Fright posted this video for their song "They All Float" on his YouTube channel, which combines live concert footage with clips and audio samples from the 1990 TV movie It, which the song is based on. I prefer "She Screams" as a song, but this video is definitely better made (especially for the specific source material and samples), and it flows nicely overall! Give it a look below, and keep an eye out in case Eddie has more videos in the works!



That's all for today, but if there's not a new news post tomorrow, I'll see you guys (health permitting) at the Skeletonwitch show tomorrow night! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (415E), Weekend Concert Previews, And Much More!!

Most of our current cached news items will be cleared in today's post, including some assorted recent news and notes, and new studio material from a recently visible local metal band, but first, we have local metal/hard rock concert previews for this weekend! Well, this is a slow weekend for heavier concerts, as I only have three known public concerts to get to (all in the Sault Michigan area), but if I hear of any late notice concerts, I'll be sure to have them online in some form! Now, let's begin with our first previews for concerts this weekend, including related LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS!

Sault Michigan hard rock/metal quartet 415E will play their first shows outside of the Soo TONIGHT & TOMORROW when they make their debuts at The Northern Pines Lounge at the St. Ignace Kewadin Casino, and to go along with them, they're now scheduled to return there for shows on June 28th & 29th! My source for the new dates is Kewadin Casino's entertainment page, which also now confirms this weekend's shows too, which had previously been slotted for local country band Perry Hatch. No word on why they're out, but they'll be back in the area soon, so country fans need not worry! As you may remember, 415E made their non-Sebastian Bach debuts last weekend at the Sault Kewadin, and this new band featuring Nixxon Dixxon, Highest of Fives, and Splitshot alumni have a diverse lineup of music in store for this weekend (and next month), with everything from Ozzy Osbourne & Volbeat to The Foo Fighters & Johnny Cash planned (plus originals), so you won't wanna miss their St. Ignace debuts this weekend!

They'll be on at 9:00 PM tonight and tomorrow, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 21 to attend. For more details on both St. Ignace weekends (including sources for some of the above info, and lots of brand new band and concert photos), visit their official Facebook page! 415E should rock it this weekend and next, as the talent's there, so don't miss them this weekend or next month, and for a preview of tonight & tomorrow's shows, here's the guys playing their self-titled original at the Sebastian Bach show in January!



Also in this weekend's heavier-leaning concerts, Kinross hard/classic rock quintet Banned will return to one of their favourite regional stomping grounds for a one night only gig TOMORROW at Todd's Tavern in Moran, Michigan! Currently their last scheduled show until July (no word on possible June dates), this will be this recently prolific local band's second stop at Todd's Tavern of this month, and though no returns to Moran have been announced at present, there's likely more to come if you can't make tomorrow's show! Even still, Banned's ever-evolving sound and prolific mix of covers & originals has been a consistent sight on the local scene for a while now, and hopefully Tara & the guys deliver another knockout tomorrow before what could be a month's break, which is an eternity given their recent concert pace. Tomorrow's show is a 21+ event with no announced cover charge and an early 8:00 PM start time, and for more details, click here! Don't miss Banned's return to Moran tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's Banned's current lineup covering Carrie Underwood earlier this year!

Next up, are you still curious to hear new original studio material from Sault Ontario/North Shore death metal quartet Crimson Crusade? Well, the guys have posted two tracks from their to-be-released EP (which will be titled "Upon the Eve of War") onto their new Reverbnation page and frontman Devon Lucier's YouTube channel, and the tracks are Crimson Crusade's originals "Pillage" & "Vanquish The Tyrant"! Their first posted audio recordings since 2010 (back when they were still a quintet), these were recorded in February with producer Dave Pihlaja at the Smoke & Oak Room Studios, though plans to upload the rest of the songs haven't happened yet. I won't fully comment on the songs now, as I hope to review the EP when it's released, but fans of their concerts with Devon on vocals shouldn't be disappointed, and the growth from their early gigs is clear! As it's longer, I've embedded "Vanquish The Tyrant" below, but check out both tracks at the above links, don't miss them at the Skeletonwitch show on June 3rd, and stay tuned for more EP updates!



Finally for today, here's some recent shorter news updates, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Kincheloe, Michigan metal project Chained Memories revealed on their Facebook page yesterday that they're planning to have a full lineup again by the fall and play their first show by next year, while also explaining why their planned first song wasn't posted. Hopefully the guys can get the band off the ground soon, especially with how hard it's seemed to be for extreme metal bands to take off across the river!
• Sault Ontario metal standouts Garden of Bedlam will play their first concert outside of Ontario when they headline a concert at La P'tite Grenouille (French for The Little Frog) in Quebec City, Quebec on June 8th! They'll also be featured at Nissanfest there that day to promote the show and meet fans. This is an awesome opportunity, and hopefully it leads to more big chances to spread their reach and fanbase, so fingers crossed it's a hit!
• We forgot to mention this on here when first announced, but tickets for the June 3rd Skeletonwitch concert at The Canadian Nightclub are now on sale for $12 at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Music Depot, and The Canadian Motor Hotel, so pick them up A.S.A.P. or pay more at the door! This will be a huge concert, so don't miss out!

That's all for today, but in case there's not enough for a new news post this weekend, stay tuned for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Giwakwa guitarist Chris Page's former London band Lead The Dead on Sunday! 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!