Today's post is an all-video one to help catch up on recent news desk items, and we'll start the proceedings by looking at local extreme metal/folk punk musician Chase Wigmore's new album "Living Divisions", which was released for free on his YouTube channel on Saturday! Despite teasing on his Facebook page on June 2nd that this album would be released for sale on proper digital services, I have not found it on Spotify, Amazon, or Apple Music at press time, so time will tell if he changed course or if the paid edition is forthcoming. One thing that has changed since June 2nd is that this album is no longer an 8 song, 80 minute release. No, the YouTube copy also includes a "Disc Two" (there's no word on a physical release either, for the record) with three extra songs, with the new closing song "The Bastard Mass" running for over 34 minutes! The total runtime is almost 2 hours & 40 minutes, so strap in!
Also, it looks like an unspecified "Disc One" song after "Soul In Eclipse" was split in two, meaning that there's now nine songs rather than eight. I'll hold comments for now, pending the previously suggested paid release of "Living Divisions" (for all of this work and technicality, it'd be fitting to see it on sale), but this will be absolutely worth your time if you love extreme progressive noise metal, and/or Chase's prior metal output under any project name, so give "Living Divisions" a listen below!
Next up, here's a new original song from local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's YouTube channel! In a departure from some of his more political recent songs, this is an uplifting ballad called "Energy Surrounds Me", as set to peaceful (if sometimes trippy) light visualizations. If you like Tym's softer original music (and his reminiscent-in-tone acoustic shows), this will be right up your alley, and the lyrical messages about surrounding yourself with love energy do feel natural and from the heart! Musically, I prefer heavier, but this has it's place, so give "Energy Surrounds Me" a listen below!
Also today, here's a very short teaser clip for Wyld Stallyns frontman Rob Speers' acoustic set on Low & Slow's patio on Canada Day, as shared by the restaurant's Facebook page the day of the show, not long after Rob posted it on his personal Facebook page. The 44 second clip features Rob covering a portion of The Eagles' "Hotel California" with lyrics changed to promote going to the restaurant. Fun promotion, if short and very late notice for when his set actually began, so give it a belated look below!
Finally, here's another new video from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel, this time a 70 second instrumental named "Visual Justice". Featuring Ted (TedShred, if you prefer) playing indoors on his headless Strandberg guitar, this is another quick but nicely technical and well put together performance by the St. Ignace, Michigan product, so progressive metal fans will want to check out this well shot multi-camera footage below, and stay tuned for more from Ted and/or H.L.T.C.!
That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site soon! Thanks everyone!
After publishing six posts in six days last week, things have crashed back to Earth more or less in terms of news and notes, but if you're interested in new content from the Sault Michigan-area, then today's post will be up your alley! It includes a surprise lineup departure, new videos, and a preview of a concert this weekend, so here's what you should know!
With news slowing down again in the wake of the Kewadin Casino schedule announcement and the beginning of Stage 2 in Ontario, I'm opting to post this weekend concert preview slightly early to ensure that steady content on the SMS is maintained. That said, if you're in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, look for Sault Ste. Marie hard rock trio Tarnished back at their recent favourite local venue (Hulbert House Bed & Breakfast in Hulbert Township) THIS SATURDAY NIGHT! This is a special concert tied into an American Veterans motorcycle gathering that you can get full details on via the Facebook event page, and there are events relating to that all weekend, including a bonfire and unspecified separate musicians on Friday. Hulbert House did not announce if Tarnished's show on Saturday would be outdoors or indoors, but again, if the weather's good, why not take advantage of their proper stage?
Admission is $50 for the weekend and includes camping priviliges at the Hulbert House site, and while Tarnished's concert is included with admission, inquire within if you want to ask about attending just the concert itself. I assume they'd prefer attendees be related to AMVETS or motorcycling, but you never know! Tarnished will be on at 7:00 PM on Saturday, and if you are up for a trip over the Mackinac Bridge, they will also be playing in Mackinaw City on Friday night, so click here for more details on that. See above for more information on their Hulbert gig on Saturday, and for a preview, here's some new videos of Alex, Nathan, and Josh from their set in Grand Marais this past Saturday! While not promoted much on Facebook, this outdoor show two hours west of the Soo was filmed for two 45 seconds-long videos posted on Tarnished's Facebook page, so what can you see here?
These videos show covers of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock & Roll", and as embedded below, Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love", which I chose to embed as it's both a heavier cover and it's filmed in a normal landscape orientation. Both are well done covers that put Alex's strong melodic singing to good use, and it's just a shame that the filmer wasn't closer to the stage (let alone filming vertically for the Seger cover). Give both videos a look above and below, and don't miss Tarnished in Hulbert on Saturday if you're attending the AMVETS gathering!
Next up, here's a new video from Heavy Lies The Crown guitarist Ted Olson's YouTube channel, this time of a short new instrumental original track named "Kitten Cat Shark Attack"! Well, Shark Week is coming up, perhaps this is getting an early jump on things? Despite the thumbnail, there's no kittens or sharks to be seen, it's just Ted playing a very heavy progressive metal song with his headless guitar. I'll admit, this is one of my favourite of Ted's solo tracks so far, the brutal technicality is great, and the new lighting/camera setup works to it's advantage! Give Ted's new video a watch below!
Finally, we have some surprising news out of Sault Michigan, as new local hard rock quartet Rhythm & Brews have surprisingly parted ways with bassist Chris Leask before they could even debut at The Rapids Lounge this past weekend. The band did not elaborate on their Facebook page,
but Chris revealed on his personal Facebook page that he left for
medical reasons that will impair his ability to play bass, though it is nothing life-threatening. Given the
non-public source, I won't elaborate here, but Chris has been a frequent presence in our Sault Michigan coverage with bands like Power Slug and Highway 63, and hopefully his condition
improves so he can return to the stage down the road! A new Facebook photo posted by the band from their debut weekend shows the bassist they brought in at least for those gigs, and I may be wrong on this, but he looks like Brett Blackwood, who played in guitarist Chris Hubbard's prior hard rock band 415E from 2019-2020.
In any event, Rhythm & Brews have not publically confirmed a permanent replacement for Chris, let alone acknowledged his departure in writing, but they don't have any other Kewadin Casino gigs advertised in 2021, so there may not necessarily be a rush either. We'll keep you posted when more rolls in from Rhythm & Brews' camp, but that's all for today, and stay tuned for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile next, barring any late notice concert announcements! Thanks everyone!
