Ruptured Birth/Thekillingfield Concert Review!!

For the first time since last summer's Iskra concert, I made it to The Oddfellows Hall to review a show there, as last night saw the return of Ruptured Birth and Thekillingfield to Sault Ste. Marie! Before we get into the bands, here's some other scattered notes from last night. In case you missed our late update to Saturday's news post, this show only featured four bands, as Crucify the Whore quietly dropped out of the show last week due to"technical & equipment difficulties", as per promoters Heavy North Entertainment on the Facebook event page. Disappointing, especially given the wait for a new C.T.W. set at a public venue, but hopefully we see Tyler Gibson back at it soon! A search for a replacement band was unsuccessful, so last night only had 4 bands. Regarding the attendance, the show only bounced around 2 dozen attendees for most of the night, but that number easily doubled for The Bear Hunters' return set, which was encouraging for them, but I wish more people had stuck around for the out of town headliners.

Tyler is an accomplished and reliable promoter, but this needed a lot more advance word, especially with no local poster or announced cover charge until the day of the concert. Hopefully things get ironed out for H.N.E.'s next shows! Also, the new sign outside of The Oddfellows Hall will take some getting used to, but it at least looks newer and more vibrant.

Last night's action was opened by online page-less local death metal duo Twistory in their first public concert set in about a year, and the first time that I've been able to see them live, so what are my thoughts on them? There's work to do, but they sounded promising! Fronted by former Pillory guitarist Josh Amendola (and featuring that band's frontman Robert Sartini on drums), the guys have obvious chemistry and a solidly heavy sound that fit their backgrounds, with Josh even sharing some vocal resemblances to Robert at times! That said, their set was short, didn't have a lot of clear breaks between songs, and often felt more like an extended jam session, and the lack of a bassist was at times noticeable. Josh did admit that they've only jammed a few times to prepare for this concert, but they had a brutal and raw sound that was a perfect fit for the occasion, and I am curious to hear much more from them in the coming months!

Next up was the long awaited return of The Bear Hunters after a 7 month stage hiatus, and they picked up where they left off with a crushing set of old and new death metal originals alike! Alongside newer songs like "The Dying Den" and classics like "Bloodthirst", the guys also broke out their fan favourite "Guardians of Asgaard" cover, and even got an encore to cap off their set with, which was awesome to see! Having missed last fall's Norilsk concert, this was my first time seeing The Bear Hunters live in over a year, and it's great to see that the guys haven't lost a step, and sounded on par with their past four-piece shows! Nik Deubel's vocals were inaudible on their opener, but the sound was quickly fixed so we could hear him, and he was on form from their early 2015 and early 2016 gigs, while Mitch Sirie shone on guitar, and Justin Lam held his own on bass as usual! Very solid return for The Bear Hunters, and here's hoping we're not waiting 7 months for their next show!

Third up in this show full of returns to the local stage was North Bay tech/death metal trio Thekillingfield in their first local concert set in 5½ years, and closer to their first tour in 2 years! It's a shame that this show didn't have more promotion, as Thekillingfield were definitely a favourite touring attraction here in the late 2000s, and they picked up where they left off in 2011 with a blistering set of progressive death and extreme metal! If you're familiar with Thekillingfield, you'll know that they have a lot of instrumental material in their sets, and last night was no exception, with vocal-less songs like "Mass For Shut-Ins" joining familiar tracks with lyrics like "To Be Joedy" for about a 50/50 split, but screaming or not, TKF had remaining fans right where they wanted them! A now-bald Justin Robinson still screams and shreds with the best of them, and Dean K.'s drumming was reliably complex, adding up to a welcome return for Thekillingfield, and here's hoping we see them back soon!

Finally, your headliners last night were Sudbury sci-grind/death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first local concert appearance since opening for Vesperia two years ago, and they delivered another heavy and devastating set of originals to send remaining fans home happy! This was my first time seeing Ruptured Birth live, and I definitely enjoyed their set, which was chock full of brutal and well written originals with some technical flourish, and I liked their usage of pre-recorded backing tracks on many songs to help set the mood. Last year's full length CD "Transmutant" was a frequent source for their setlist, including such songs as the title track and "Projectile Copremisis", and former Before the Black Gates singer James Bok gave brutal voice to them all, though his stage presence of mostly walking back and forth can be worked on. Musically, everyone sounded good, including guitarist Shane Scovron and former Archelon bassist Aaron Cividino, and I'd definitely be interested in seeing these guys on a local stage again soon!

Overall, this was a very solid night of death metal action, and while I wish there was a higher turnout, everyone delivered musically, and given that none of these bands have played on a local stage in 7 months or longer, it was extra unique and notable on that basis! You can check out our photos from last night at this link or at our Facebook page, and as for videos, here's Twistory playing "The Retribution", The Bear Hunters playing their newer solng "The Wrath of Angmar", Thekillingfield playing their instrumental "Apple of Eden", and Ruptured Birth playing "Blood Siren"!









That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site as the week rolls along! Thanks everyone!

Ruptured Birth Concert Preview, A Unique Drum Cover Video, Upcoming Concert Notes, And More!!

For the first time in a week, we have a post that's primarily about news and updates at the SMS! Yes, there is one concert preview for an impending metal concert, but also, we have some assorted recent updates, perhaps some bad news for an upcoming concert, and a new drum cover video, so here's what you should know! (Updated on Sunday at 12:20 PM)

Heavy North Entertainment are back for their first concert of the year, and it will see the return of two Northern Ontario extreme metal bands to the Soo TOMORROW NIGHT at The Oddfellows Hall to cap off their Grime Life mini-tour of Northern Ontario! The featured headliners are Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth in their first Soo stop since opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub in 2015, and with many brutal sci-fi inspired originals in their repertoire, prepare for a face melting good time tomorrow! North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will make their long awaited local return tomorrow as co-headliners, marking their first local appearance since 2011, with a pair of 2014 sets cancelled in the interim. It's hard to believe we've been waiting over five years for Thekillingfield to hit the local stage again, so welcome them back with open arms and horned fists as well! Local opening acts will include the return of local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters in their first concert of 2017, so how will they sound after their 7 month stage hiatus? Find out tomorrow!

Online page-less death metal duo Twistory will round out the lineup in their first public concert set in almost a year, while a planned opening set by Crucify the Whore has been cancelled due to equipment difficulties, as per the Facebook event page, and they have not been visibly replaced. This ALL AGES show has an 8:00 PM start time (with doors opening at 6:30 PM), and there will be a $6 cover charge at the door. Death metal fans should be very excited by this show, including a number of long awaited returns to the local stage, particularly Thekillingfield's progressive-tinged explosion, so visit the above links for more details, and here's Ruptured Birth live!



Next up, here's a pair of new videos, starting with this unique clip of As It Stands drummer John Mignacca beating the electric drumskins all over Sault Ste. Marie! Uploaded to his new "Flo McNasty" YouTube channel on Tuesday, the video (filmed by John's former A.I.S. bandmate Nathan Bouliane) features John drumming along to his old band Skeyes of Seven's original "Cognitive Dissonance" in various locations, including outside of the "Algoma's Friendliest City" sign, the International Bridge, the Roberta Bondar Pavilion, and inside the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Center. Very creative and well shot, this is well worth checking out for fans of local landmarks, John's drumming, and Skeyes of Seven, though after watching, I was also thinking of other places he could drum for a sequel! One outside of concert venues might be interesting, particularly ones John played at frequently. Give it a look below, and don't miss As It Stands return at The Canadian on THURSDAY!



Also today, here's some recent clarifications and updates regarding a teased concert event for later this month. Though there has been no formal confirmation, numerous postings on it's Facebook event page have indicated that the Rock The Border Music Fest at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion on June 18th is no longer taking place. Pessimism and unconfirmed personal reports don't paint a good picture, especially as this show was promoted by some of the same organizers behind the called-off Quiet Riot show (CSA branding or not), and while the ticket sale page is still online, there haven't been any public updates to this event from organizers since May 7th. Based on available reports, I'm reluctantly inclined to remove the show from our links, but if there's any official confirmation that it's still on in some form, we will redact this! If true, this is all very disappointing, especially given the hype and the chance to make up for the Quiet Riot concert, but if it's off, hopefully ticket buyers get full refunds promptly!

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 Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed CKY drummer Jess Margera for this article that went in the newspaper and on their website on Monday in advance of THIS THURSDAY'S headlining show at The Canadian Nightclub.Within, Jess discussed the band's move to a three-piece lineup following Deron Miller's departure, their recent collaboration with Mastodon's Brent Hinds for their new single, fan response in their recent tours, why you won't hear much from their last album "Carver City", and more, and it's a solid read in advance of this highly anticipated show, so check everything out above!
• The previously announced CureCon festival from new local company Ma Lady Menace on August 12th will reportedly not be taking place at The Royal Canadian Legion hall on Great Northern Road, as per the venue's Facebook page earlier today. The Legion apparently has had "NO dealings" with the promoters, and while I won't get into the online rumous and mixed feelings within, note that Ma Lady Menace have not updated their Facebook page in two weeks, when they acknowledged website maintenance. We'll remove CureCon from our concert calendar due to the lack of venue, but if it's still held elsewhere, we'll let you know!
• The Machine Shop confirmed via this press release last week that March's postponed Quiet Riot concert is now officially cancelled, citing a "breach of contract" between the headliners and promoters CSA International, and told people where to get refunds for tickets if they had yet to do so. This story resurfaced because the originally planned rescheduling was for May 26th, but CSA had previously redacted that on their own. The discussion about the promoters and refund process has sparked more pessimistic online debate, but all I'll add here is that I hope everyone still looking for a ticket refund gets theirs soon, if they haven't already.

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as the month of June progresses! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rock The Border Music Fest & Ruptured Birth!!)

Before we begin this post, I wanted to offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Phlashback/Kick Start singer & guitarist Terry Becker, who passed away on Friday at the age of 65, according to numerous personal Facebook postings. Details on his services have yet to be announced, but definitely stay tuned to local news media for updates on that front. Though not known for work in hard rock bands (moreso country and blues rock), Terry will be familiar to many fans as a brother of Sykotyk Rampage mainstays Paul & Dirk Becker, and was once scheduled to join them with a solo set at 2015's Soo Zombie Walk, though he later had to withdraw from that event. I own an autographed copy of Phlashback's 2006 CD "Ride the Wind", on which Terry was the primary songwriter, where you got a sense of Terry's musical & vocal gifts, and he was definitely a talented musician and instructor, so our condolences are definitely with the Becker clan at this difficult time. R.I.P. Terry!

Now, today's post is devoted to LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS regarding two concerts taking place next month, one a long awaited festival announcement, and the other seeing returning Northern Ontario extreme metal bands after 2 years away or more, so here's what you should know!

Sudbury death metal quartet Ruptured Birth and North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will each return to Sault Ste. Marie for a concert at The Oddfellows Hall on Thursday, June 4th! Featuring former members of Before the Black Gates, fans may recognize Ruptured Birth from opening for Vesperia at The Algonquin Pub back in 2015, and their crushing science fiction-inspired originals should brutalize local fans when they make their return to the local stage next month! As for Thekillingfield, this show is a long time coming for them, having not travelled west to the Soo since headlining at the former Roosevelt Hotel back in 2011, with two early 2014 Oddfellows Hall sets being cancelled in the interim. Thekillingfield played here a lot around the turn of the 2010s, and it's awesome to see them finally come back after nearly six years away, so don't miss out on their return on June 4th! Local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore will be among the openers in their first public set of the year, and fans should enjoy Tyler's solo return also!

At least one more opening act is to be announced, so stay tuned for updates on their identity. Promoted by Heavy North Entertainment in that agency's first event since September's Dumpster Mummy concert (and just their second since the fall of 2015), a 6:00 PM start time is currently advertised for this ALL AGES show, but admission prices have not been posted yet. This should be a brutal and heavy good time for local metalheads, including some acts we haven't seen enough of locally, so visit the official Facebook event page for continued updates!

Next up, the long-delayed lineup announcement for the Rock the Border Music Fest on Sunday, June 18th has finally been made, and organizers have confirmed that Buckcherry frontman Josh Todd and guitarist Stevie Dacanay will headline the show in a side project group! The two of them are actually in two side bands, the newer hard rock outfit Josh Todd & The Conflict, and a rap/electronic rock project named Spraygun War, but organizers just said that they will play "a little of everything". I'd be inclined to believe that The Conflict are the band coming, but we won't list them as such until/unless there's confirmation. Josh & Stevie D. are no strangers to the area, as fans who saw Buckcherry at Kewadin Casino in 2011 will know, but how will they sound in this side band next month? Stay tuned! The teased Australian band will be Sydney hard rock quintet The Lazys, who will hit the Soo as part of their Summer Ontario Fun Tour. Lively yet old school sound, they should find a solid audience when they rock the Soo next month, so give them a listen!

Three more bands are to be announced, but aside from at least one being Canadian, none have been confirmed publically as of this writing. Now that the lineup has finally been partially announced, what else should you know on the concert? Well, it's now advertised to take place at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion instead of The Machine Shop, marking a rare local hard rock concert under the tent downtown, and it will be nice to see some live concert action there after too long of a wait! This is an ALL AGES show, though it is licensed, and an early 2:30 PM start time is advertised. Tickets are on sale for $45 for early birds (no word on when the discount ends), $55 for advance admission, $60 for general tickets, and $75 for VIP passes, which allow close access to the stage, a drinking section, and line bypass upon entry. As well, there will be a $100 meet & greet VIP pass that allows you to view the soundcheck and get an autographed poster, so keep all of the packages in mind!

You can get tickets online at this link, though no word on local in-person availability as of this writing. Also, just for clarification's sake, a post on the Facebook event page from organizers indicated that this is not promoted by CSA International (they of the postponed Quiet Riot concert), despite the fact that the "About" tabs on CSA's Facebook page & the Rock the Border Facebook page both list the same phone number. Given that, there must be a common person involved in both, but if they say this isn't a CSA event, who am I to argue? As for the show proper, I know there's already some pessimism online regarding the two week+ delays and the perception of the lineup quality so far, but remember, there are three more bands to be announced, Buckcherry fans should come out in force, and if this concert is a hit, more big hard rock shows will come to the Soo, from these promoters or others! Stay tuned for continued updates on the Rock The Border Music Fest as it comes in!

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

Dank Fest 2014 Concert Preview!!

(Updated at 2:03 AM) A massive and well anticipated all ages concert will go down TOMORROW at The Oddfellows Hall, and it is Dank Fest 2014, as 12 mostly metal bands will descend for a day full of intense music, so here's our extended preview! Easily the biggest event so far to be put on by Tyler St. Amour since he launched his concert promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment, the event will be headlined by what amounts to a makeup date for North Bay extreme metal bands Thekillingfield & Buried Out Back, who were both snowed out of their planned headlining gig for H.N.E. in January at the same venue. With better weather and a far larger lineup, things are looking far more promising this time around, so be sure to welcome these guys back to the Soo, especially TheKillingField, who haven't been seen in town since the fall of 2011! Though the headline bands, they're not last on the lineup tomorrow, with Blood Shed Productions goregrind duo Rotopsy slated to go on last at 12:30 AM, fresh off of today's self-titled demo EP release, so pick it up tomorrow for $3 if you want! Local classic metal quintet Project 421 are second last at Dank Fest with a set at 11:45 PM, while TheKillingField & Buried Out Back will play at 10:30 & 9:30 PM respectively.

Local thrashers Pillory were slated to play at 8:45 PM, but were quietly removed from the lineup last night for unannounced reasons, though they've been quiet since the aforementioned Tyler St. Amour left the band last month. With the short notice, no band has been added to replace them, but the preceding two bands on the lineup have later start times. Now, local sludge/doom metal trio AlgomA will make their Oddfellows Hall debut at 8:30 PM, while local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore (who returned to the lineup to replace the new Brutaly Fatal) will take the stage at 7:30 PM, and grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back will retain the 6:30 PM slot in their first Oddfellows gig since last summer. Another out of town band (Orillia progressive metal trio Like Animals) will make their local debut at 5:30 PM, three years after dropping out of TheKillingField's 2011 show at The Roosevelt Hotel, so watch out for their brutal technicality as well!

Newer local alternative rock trio The Pixo Control (featuring Fever Tops & Social Suicide alumni) will make their Oddfellows Hall debut tomorrow as well at 4:45 PM, and they've shown some aggressive touches, so keep an eye on them, as I've heard very good things! Local funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes will make their first live concert appearance since the departure of drummer Mike Haggith tomorrow night at 4:00 PM, and while I'd assume his replacement will be unveiled then, remember that Chase & James play solo gigs often without the need for a drummer. All female hard rock quartet The Danger Cats are slated to play at 3:15 PM, though I'll admit having heard talk that they might not be able to play. Again, if anything comes out, we'll have it here! Opening the show at 2:30 PM (and replacing the yet-to-launch Viva Emptiness) is the local/Ottawa indie trio formerly known as Like Father Like Son, as they recently changed their name to The North Shore for unannounced reasons.

This will also be their first gig since replacing guitarist Nathan Bouliane with The Strange Coyotes' Chase Wigmore, and since drummer Felipe Basoalto returned to replace keyboardist Julien Desormeaux, so how will the new lineup sound tomorrow? Be there to find out! Also in terms of lineup notes, remember that local punk/grunge duo Re-Born (the original Brutaly Fatal) have long since been replaced on the lineup, and we await finite word on their active status. Tickets for Dank Fest are $10 in advance through Tyler or Blood Shed Productions-affiliated bands (the price jumps to $13 at the door), though if you show your ticket from the January show that the headliners couldn't come for, you'll save $5! Given the extended length of this show, there are plans to cook sausages for fans behind the venue, though I will note that the current weather forecast calls for a few showers tomorrow. This is absolutely an ALL AGES show, and The North Shore open things at 2:30 PM, so for more current details, visit the Facebook event page and the above links!

I applaud the ambition of this massive concert (which had 14 bands at one point, let alone 12), and I sincerely hope everything goes off without a hitch, so fingers crossed this becomes a huge highlight of the 2014 local concert calendar! That's all for today, but I'll definitely be there tomorrow night, and I hope you guys are too, so stay tuned in case there's any late updates (and for our post-show coverage), and for a preview, here's TheKillingField playing a few songs live in Alberta! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Dank Fest 2014) & More Assorted Updates!!

For today's post, we have a MASSIVE LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (quality and quantity-wise) for in a couple of months, and that forms the bulk of this post, but we also have some extra notes at the end to touch on! Now, here's what you need to know!

In terms of the amount of bands, the biggest primarily-metal concert of recent memory is going down on the Easter weekend, as Heavy North Entertainment & Blood Shed Productions are hosting "Dank Fest 2014" on Saturday, April 19th at The Oddfellows Hall, with no less than 14 bands currently slated for this show! Sounds ambitious right off the bat, but let's run through the bands in reverse chronological order (though keep in mind that the performance order is expected to change shortly.) North Bay metal bands Thekillingfield & Buried Out Back, who are slated to headline at 1:00 AM & midnight respectively, in what appears to be their previously hinted makeup date following their weather-related dropout from January's Oddfellows Hall show from the same promoters. Nice to see these brutal Northern Ontario bands back just three months after the fact, and hopefully there's nothing to throw a wrench into their extreme sounds in April! Four local bands are currently slotted before them that night, including local thrash quartet Pillory at 11:00 PM, and they are alive & well despite dropping out of this past Thursday's Rosie show!

Also playing on the night of Dank Fest are local solo goregrind project Crucify the Whore at 10:15 PM, grunge/hardcore duo Bad Back (in their first Oddfellows appearance since last summer) at 9:30 PM, and funk metal trio The Strange Coyotes at 8:45 PM, and all should deliver brutal sets in their own style! The 8:00 PM slot actually belongs to an out of town band at present, Orillia progressive metal trio Like Animals, who you may remember from once being scheduled to open for Thekillingfield at The Rosie three years ago. It's a make up date for them in a sense too, and their unique technical sound should fit in that evening, so don't bypass them! Newer local classic metal quintet Project 421 currently hold the 7:15 PM timeslot, while the 6:30 PM slot is currently filled by a debuting band temporarily known as Viva Emptiness, but you'll know them better as 3/4ths of the former Borderline Divine, better known as Stillbroke! Almost two years after their last show, the band's last members (minus their relocated frontman Jesse Frigault) are picking up where they left off with this new band, but as of yet, fuller details are not public. Click here for what we do know though!

Local sludge/doom trio AlgomA will make their Oddfellows Hall debut that day, and currently hold the 5:45 PM slot, while local rock duo Re-Born (formerly Brutaly Fatal) will make their first live appearance since their name change that day at 5:00 PM, and we'll have to see how their sound has developed! Another debuting band is slated for 4:15 PM right now, that being a new local alternative/punk band named The Pixo Control, whose lineup currently features ex-Fever Tops frontman Michael Mikus and ex-Social Suicide drummer Keeghan Rosso, though a bassist addition has been teased. Their demos show promise for the included genres, so check their early demos out at this link! The lineup is rounded out by the Oddfellows Hall debut of local all-female hard rockers The Danger Cats at 3:30 PM, with local goregrind duo Rotopsy currently slated to open at 2:30 PM, but remember, the lineup order is subject to impending changes.

This ALL AGES concert will have $13 admission at the door, but advance tickets will go on sale through members of Pillory & Rotopsy on March 1st. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! For just the second show for Heavy North Entertainment since their launch, I greatly admire Tyler's ambition putting together a 14 band marathon of a show like this, and I sincerely hope there's no hiccups along the way to this being a success! The Easter weekend is great timing too given that many people won't be at work/school, and we'll be sure to follow any changes and announcements towards Dank Fest as they roll in! Definitely stay tuned for updates, this will be a massive show if everything holds together!

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news stories from the last while (including lineup adjustments for another upcoming H.N.E. show), and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by concert or artist name:

• There's been lineup adjustments for the Fuck The Facts-headlined all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall on May 4th, as local funk metal trio The Strange Coyotes have been added as an additional opening band at 5:00 PM (I guess the fan campaign worked out well!), while North Bay's Empyrean Plague have moved up to the 10:00 PM co-headlining slot for unannounced reasons, bumping Shit Liver to the 9:00 PM slot, though this switch does make sense given that Empyrean Plague are from out of town. Click above for more info!
• Just to clarify something we mentioned above, local thrashers Pillory were replaced on late notice for the most recent Heavy Thursday at The Rosie the other day by local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings, reportedly due to personal reasons in the Pillory camp. There had been a related announcement concerning the lineup at next month's Anvil show too, but until something 100% public is stated, I won't get into more detail here yet. Hopefully Thursday's show went well!
• Dafter, Michigan solo hard rocker Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton has uploaded three new original songs ("Bridge To No-Where", "It's All Up To You", and "Up & Down") to his Reverbnation page, and all will be included on his forthcoming new album "Ink!" I won't get into too much detail (as I hope to review the album upon release), but only "It's All Up To You" features vocals. Check out his new (and old) songs at the above links, and keep an eye out for updates on his next CD!

That's all for today, but I'll see you guys at Bon Soo around supper time for The Marquee at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion, with a bunch of local hard rock & punk bands on the bill! Thanks everyone!

Oddfellows Hall Concert Fallout, An Inactive Band, And Much More!!

On this cold Saturday afternoon, we have an assortment of updates, including a new cover video, an inactive band to take note of, and more assorted updates (including a prominent CD reissue), but first, what went down at last night's all ages concert? Here's what you need to know!

As you may know, yesterday's heavy and persistent snowfall and weather warnings put a damper on the all ages metal show at The Oddfellows Hall, most notably preventing North Bay headlining acts TheKillingField and Buried Out Back from making the trip for the show. That's definitely disappointing, especially given how long it's been since either band played here, but hopefully they'll get a local raincheck! On extremely late notice, Blood Shed Productions metal duo Brutaly Fatal were added to the bill as the night's opening band to help fill the gap, in just their second show, their first (I think) with new drummer Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson, and their first since announcing plans to deemphasize death metal. As well, a later post on the event page said that the thought-defunct Mike Haggith & The Din were added late as well, which would mark the acid rock trio's first live set since the summer (complete with a new lineup, apparently), but details beyond there have yet to be publicized.

The weather did regrettably keep me from attending, but hopefully the people that came out had a great time! This definitely isn't the best way for Heavy North Entertainment to kick off their run as local concert promoters, but they apparently plan to reschedule the headliners in the near future, so fingers crossed that the second time's a charm, as I didn't wanna miss last night's show! Also, kudos to Ringsnaps for pulling triple duty last night (and to Pillory for headlining), and hopefully we see all the performers back soon!

Next up, I'm regrettably moving a local hard rock band to our inactive local band links, that being the second version of With Blood Build Character (originally known as Unbound.) While not past our one year threshhold for inactivity, they have issued no public updates since March, and a recent Facebook status reply from drummer Nick Kainula started with "If I had a band going", so it doesn't look like they're functioning at present. Originally fronted by the late Justin Fratpietro, his passing last year actually predated the band's public launch, with their surviving members (all formerly of State of Misery) staying together with bassist Kevin D'Orazio on lead vocals, and playing their only concerts in Justin's hometown of Thunder Bay in March 2013. Due to a naming conflict, the band recycled the With Blood Build Character name (after Ray Cowan & later addition Christopher Neveau's short lived late 2012 band) for their last show on March 29th, though activity stalled afterwards.

Unbound/W.B.B.C. had promise, especially as they deviated from State of Misery by playing a more straightforward hard rock sound, but despite optimism from Nick in personal conversations, things didn't go the way they were intended both before & after Justin's death. It would have been great to see the band power through and play some local dates last year, but at least Justin's family got to see them live! Best of luck to Kevin, Chris, Ray, and Nick in the future, and they're now in our inactive band links (albeit listed as Unbound, their longer used & less cumbersome name.)

Also today, Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy has posted yet another solo cover onto his YouTube channel, this time of Lifehouse's "You & Me"! Though it's his first proper cover video of 2014, he preceded it with a new original song named "Paradise Sunrise" that is an lively acoustic rock number, but it definitely shares more similarities with his recent covers than his band work. The new Lifehouse cover is par for the course of his recent work, featuring vocal, guitar, and drum performances, and it's well done (especially if you like this style of music), so give Alex's new video a look below!



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

• Are you curious to see local classic/hard rock quintet The Thrill Junkies' setlist? Former bassist Jamie Cameron apparently made one of sorts during his early 2013 tenure with the band via a 30 song playlist on his personal YouTube channel, which features links to songs by everyone from Alice In Chains & The Beatles to Velvet Revolver and Volbeat. Interesting mix, with a lot of metal tunes, so give it a look above (though be cautious, as things may have changed since he left.)
• I've removed local banquet hall & sporadic concert venue The Verdi Hall from our concert venue links due to their website being taken offline, possibly due to the expiration of the domain name. The Queen Street West hall is still open (it just hosted the Ray Brown benefit last fall), but we typically only see it used for heavier concerts if there's a benefit/fundraiser component. If the website returns though, we'll re-add it!
• Earache Records are finally reissuing one of Woods of Ypres' first three albums under their banner, as their 2008 CD "Woods III: The Deepest Roots & Darkest Blues" will be reissued on CD and in limited coloured vinyl pressings on March 24th, with some bundles including new t-shirts. Click here for complete pre-order information and details on the packages, and hopefully this new release is a success so their earlier albums (and more?) are officially seen again!

That's all for today, but stay tuned tomorrow for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Curse The Witch! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (RPM) & Most Of The Weekend's Metal/Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

For this post, we're going to focus on most of this weekend's metal/hard rock concert previews, but due to the amount and some SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, I'm going to postpone The Suicide Kings' dates at The Rosie to tomorrow's post, but trust me, they're coming! Note that I know of no Sault Michigan hard rock dates this weekend, but we'll touch on any late notice ones tomorrow if I hear of them. Now, let's begin our first of the weekend previews! (Updated at 8:37 PM)

A new-ish local classic/hard rock band named RPM will make their Rockstar Bar debuts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, a Facebook event page for these shows was only just launched yesterday. While they may seem unfamiliar, you may recognize RPM as the band that played with local punk trio Redundant at the Rock For Dimes fundraiser at The Grand Gardens last March, but they appear to have been publically dormant since. I was able to find out a bit more about RPM (thanks to Rick from Redundant!), so I can confirm that their lineup still includes guitarists Dino Mazzuca & Marcel Rizzo, bassist Lindsay Pugh, and drummer Ben Pascuzzi, with all but Lindsay credited for vocals. Aside from Lindsay (who's been a prolific sight in bands like Al Wood & The Woodsmen), I'm not overly familiar with the lineup, but cover selection samples that I heard sound promising, with everyone from AC/DC and Bon Jovi to Trooper and ZZ Top mentioned, so keep their 2014 debut in mind!

A $5 cover charge is likely for tomorrow & Saturday night, you must be 19 to attend, and 10:30 PM start times are advertised. For more details, check the above links! No online pages for RPM yet, but I'm curious to see if they can gain more of a local foothold in 2014, and hopefully their first solo dates this weekend are a good start! Don't miss RPM at The Rockstar Bar this weekend!

Moving to previously announced shows, a big ALL AGES metal concert goes down TOMORROW at The Oddfellows Hall, as North Bay extreme/tech metal trio TheKillingField will make their long awaited return to the Soo! Last seen at The Rosie in September 2011 (and at The Oddfellows in 2009), their entertaining and very brutal sound has been missed around these parts, so hopefully they devastate the stage in their local return! They're headlining at 11:30 PM tomorrow night, with fellow North Bay metal notables Buried Out Back also returning to the Soo for the first time since June 2012 at 10:30 PM! Featuring former Empyrean Plague guitarist Dave Strba, their death metal & hardcore originals should fit right in for their second local appearance, so don't miss them tomorrow either! The rest of the lineup includes 7 local acts, with thrash quartet Pillory finally returning to the stage at 9:45 PM for their first show since the summer and just their second with a full lineup, following their November 2012 debut!

Marking the debuts of new members Josh Amendola & Tyler St. Amour tomorrow, I'd expect Pillory to also have copies of their new EP "Cringe At The Cross" on sale too, so pick yours up if you like their thrash assault! Local goregrind duo Rotopsy returns to the stage tomorrow at 9:00 PM, while local melodic death metal favourites The Bear Hunters will make their 2014 debut at 8:00 PM, and Rotopsy's Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson's solo project Crucify The Whore will be on at 7:15 PM. Funk/metal trio The Strange Coyotes will technically make their Oddfellows debut at 6:30 PM (though they were born there in October), while new local metal quartet Project 421 will play just their second live set at 5:45 PM, with Strange Coyotes frontman Chase Wigmore opening with an acoustic solo set at 5:00 PM. Note that while this is the first concert promoted by Pillory's Tyler St. Amour since launching his new concert promotion agency Heavy North Entertainment, it shares many similarities with the Devil's Night show at The Oddfellows that he promoted, with all performers except Brutaly Fatal & 3/4ths of Crimson Crusade returning, so if you loved that show, don't miss this one!

Tickets are $10 in advance (through members of Pillory & Crucify The Whore) or $13 at the door, Chase opens the day's events at 5:00 PM, and again, it is ALL AGES! For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a huge and diverse event for metalheads, and a nice early night of brutality to help kick off 2014, so don't miss it, and for a preview, here's TheKillingField's entire set from a Sudbury show last month!



Finally for today (and remember, The Suicide Kings' previews are coming tomorrow), Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to The Harp Bar & Grill TOMORROW NIGHT for an eighth straight solo acoustic gig in his current weekly concert arrangement! Currently the last confirmed dates in his run at the former Madison's Pub (though I assume February dates are to be announced), this will again be both a solo concert and a jam/open mic night for interested attendees, so whether you're a fan of Tym's and/or open mic, keep The Harp in your Friday contemplating! Like his other Harp events, a 10:00 PM start time is in effect for tomorrow, you must be 19 to attend, and there's no announced cover charge. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page, which is early enough for us to acknowledge this week! Tym's always a good time, and he's full of quality covers and hard rock classics, so if you go to The Harp tomorrow, enjoy the music, and for a preview, here's Tym live at Bossy's!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Suicide Kings previews and more TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Thekillingfield) & Sault Ontario Weekend Concert Previews!!

It's time to preview the first batch of our weekend concert previews! As I've done here and there lately, I'm breaking up the previews into two posts: This one for just Sault Ontario concert previews, and I'll have previews of the Sault Michigan hard rock shows this weekend probably tomorrow with some additional news to fill things out with. So today, let's preview the three (possibly four or five) metal/hard rock shows in Sault Ontario between tomorrow and Saturday, along with speculation on two shows that may or may not be on as scheduled. Here's what you need to know, statrting with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for TOMORROW NIGHT!

The 33rd Roosevelt Hotel metal night is official for tomorrow night, and there's a big lineup in store for this week, including some local favourites from out of town! North Bay extreme metal trio Thekillingfield will return to Sault Ontario for the first time in 3½ months when they headline this late-announced metal night! Great to see them back so soon, and hopefully their extreme and assaulting sounds will attract some huge moshpits tomorrow night! The local opening bands will be local death metal outfits The Bear Hunters and Shit Liver, who'll both set the tone well with devastating sounds and brutal aggression! Plus, if you missed Shit Liver last night, here's another opportunity to see them! Note that The Bear Hunters' Facebook page says that they're playing with Changing Waves and Redundant tomorrow, but this was not confirmed by Dismembertainment, who posted the actual lineup on their Facebook page earlier today, so don't get confused tomorrow night. Still, it's great to see yet another high quality package of metal at The Rosie on another Thursday, so head down for the show tomorrow night if you can! There will be a nominal cover of $2 (which is easily worth it for the bands you'll get), you must be 19 to attend, and it all starts at around 10:00 PM. Check the above links for more details!

Sounds like a great show, and if you make it out, wish promoter Rich Moreland a happy belated birthday! His birthday's actually today, but what better way to celebrate it than at a metal show, so send the good wishes his way tomorrow night! So go see Thekillingfield, The Bear Hunters, and Shit Liver tomorrow night, it'll be a good one! For a preview, here's Thekillingfield playing their song "To Be Joedy" at The Canadian last year!



Next up, local classic metal quartet Late & Loud are back for another concert tomorrow night! One week after ending their four month hiatus, the talented band will play their first solo headlining show since the spring tomorrow night at The Speak Easy at Algoma University! The show will take place concurrently with a "Heroes vs. Villains" themed pub night at The Speak Easy, so feel free to dress up and join in the fun! I'm sure the band will be dressed up too, so why not break out a costume or disguise for the occasion? This show will have a 10:30 PM start time, there will probably be a 19+ age limit (I don't know if underage Algoma students can get in, but I know they can sometimes), and though there's no announced cover charge, bring cash just in case. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an entertaining concert, and with a different vibe than you usually see at Late & Loud concerts, so don't miss them tomorrow night (especially if you missed their return last week!) For a preview, here's Late & Loud playing their original song "Never Again" at Foggy Notions earlier this year!



Thirdly, I wanted to mention local classic hard rock quartet Full Circle, who announced a weekend set of shows at The Canadian Nightclub for this Friday and Saturday months ago on the now deleted Turner Up Facebook group. Coincidentally, these were the last shows on that old schedule, but I'm positive they have much more to come! This weekend though, are they still playing at The Canadian? Not on Friday night, at the very least. Since their re-opening last week, The Canadian have been trying country nights on Fridays, and local quartet Asylum Country (featuring Full Circle guitarist Kyle McKey on bass) are scheduled to play there this Friday, as cited here. So with that obvious conflict, it looks like one of two things will happen: Either Full Circle will play at The Canadian (or elsewhere?) on Saturday only, or aren't gigging this weekend at all. If they are still on for Friday, the show would likely start at 10:30 PM with a 19+ age limit and likely cover charge of $5 or less, and it would be the first hard rock show at The Canadian since the flood in July. As of right now though, I'm not confident enough to officially say that Full Circle are playing a show this weekend, but if I hear anything definitive, I'll let you guys know!

And finally, Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison is back for another solo acoustic concert on Saturday! This week however, he'll return to The Zone Roadhouse in Goulais River for the first time in three months on Saturday night! As far as I can tell, he will not be at Service Grill Pizza this weekend, so either he's now only there bi-weekly, or he's not on a rigid schedule like he once was. Still, if you live closer to Goulais River, you'll enjoy that he'll be playing at a closer venue on Saturday! No matter the venue, his acoustic hard rock and metal covers are always worth checking out, so head down to the Highway 17 North bar on Saturday night for the show! He'll be on at the sort of early start time of 8:00 PM, there's no announced cover charge, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Should be a great show, hopefully Tym delivers some great rocking covers for his Goulais River fans on Saturday, so make it out if you can! For a preview, here's Tym Morrison covering Eric Clapton's "Tears In Heaven" at the to-be-renamed Foggy Notions in 2009!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for Sault Michigan concert previews and much more either tomorrow or early Friday! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Full Circle) And This Weekend's Concert Previews, Including Whitesnake!!

It's time to preview this weekend's concerts on the heavier side of the local spectrum! This weekend is short in volume of shows (at least right now), but there's some big name bands playing this weekend, including a major Kewadin Casino concert (possibly a Tym Morrison solo show too, but he hasn't confirmed a possible Service Grill concert for Saturday yet.) To start though, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for this weekend!

Local classic hard rock quartet Full Circle are on the scene this weekend for a Saturday night concert at Foggy Notions! Previously unlisted on the now deleted Turner Up Facebook group's concert listings, the band are only playing on Saturday, as the previously announced show for tomorrow night has been cancelled for unannounced reasons (for what it's worth, I haven't heard of a concert or event of any type for Foggy's tomorrow, in case that was why.) So if you want to end August with Full Circle, you'll have to go Saturday! Admission should be free for this show (there could be a nominal cover charge though), you must be 19 to attend, and it all starts at 10:30 PM on Saturday night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! Even if their usual weekend is halved, Full Circle will have a great set of rocking hits for their fans on Saturday, so head down to Foggy Notions for all the excitement! For a preview, click here and move to 13:20 of the video to see Full Circle cover of Heart's "Alone" from their set at this year's Rotaryfest!

Now to the previously announced shows, and first, it's the 30th Roosevelt Hotel metal night!! Intentionally for this milestone or not, Dismembertainment have booked a stellar lineup of metal bands for TONIGHT, so here's who to look out for! Winnipeg death metal sextet Laika will headline tonight's show with a melodic and folk influenced brand of death metal that's guaranteed to melt faces and impress musically at the same time! Don't miss them, you'll absolutely enjoy them! Backing them up on this stop on their "Tour of Redundancy Tour" will be Winnipeg extreme progressive band Annex Theory, who you may recognize as being the current band from former Quo Vadis singer Trevor Birnie! Very technical and creative sound amidst the wall of brutality they'll bring tonight, so definitely check them out as well! Also playing tomorrow in the midst of their own summer tour are local favourites Thekillingfield! The North Bay tech metal trio are sure to be eagerly welcomed back to the Soo tonight for another high impact set of extreme sounds and hopefully some huge pits, so let's welcome them back in style! Finally, local grimecore trio Shit Liver will add some local flavour as the concert's openers tonight, so get ready for some crust and death metal to kick things off in a heavy fashion!

A $6 cover will be in effect for this show, but for these 18 talented musicians, 3 awesome out of town bands, and one rising local band, that cash will be well spent at The Rosie tonight! Shit Liver will open the concert at 9:30 PM, and you must be 19 to attend. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be an awesome and brutal concert, and here's hoping I can make it out! If not, you guys have a devastating night, and kill August with some death metal! For a preview, here's the video for Laika's original song "Dead March"!



Speaking of big shows, we have a huge one taking place TOMORROW NIGHT at The Dreammaker's Theater at Kewadin Casino across the river, and if you're into some classic 1980s metal, get ready, as Whitesnake are coming to town! The British hard rock legends (as led by the one and only David Coverdale) will hit Kewadin Casino tomorrow on their Forevermore tour in support of their new album of the same name, in what I think is their first ever show here in the Sault area! Of course, Whitesnake have sold millions of records worldwide, and will be sure to play hits like "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love", "Fool For Your Loving", "Still Of The Night", and "The Deeper The Love" for their fans at this concert! This should be a great show, and their newer stuff is really good, so if you love Whitesnake, you'll wanna see them tomorrow night! I don't know if there will be an opening band, and even though I've seen nothing to suggest one, I have been wrong before (as in the Ace Frehley concert), so if I hear about an opening band, I'll let you guys know! Luckily though, if you don't have your ticket yet, I have good news, as they are still on sale!

Tickets are still available for $54 American at this location, at the Kewadin box office, or by calling 1-800-KEWADIN. When I checked, there was still reserved seating, but all general admission tickets are taken save for standing room only, so make note of that if you try and get a ticket. The show starts at 7:00 PM tomorrow night, and as this is a Dreammaker's Theater show, it should be all ages. Check the above links for more details! Whitesnake should deliver a great set tomorrow, and hopefully lots of fans are there to see this legendary band in action! Stay tuned for more on this show and it's aftermath, and for a preview, here's Whitesnake's video for their classic single "Still Of The Night"!



And finally for this weekend, we have a couple more shows at Kewadin Casino this weekend, as local hard rockers Monkey's Uncle will hit the stage at The Rapids Lounge tomorrow night & Saturday night for some solid sets of covers and possibly originals! If you're in for some more music after Whitesnake, or just want some free entertainment at the lounge, Monkey's Uncle will surely have you covered this weekend! The talented quartet should be on at roughly 9:00 PM both nights, there's no cover charge, and you must be 21 to enter The Rapids Lounge for either night. Check the above links for more details! Monkey's Uncle will surely deliver a solid weekend of hard rock to their fans over the next couple of nights, so if you're across the river, don't miss them! I just wish they updated their pages more, I'm sure there's new developments and media we could check out! Oh well, hopefully one day! For a preview, here's Monkey's Uncle covering Nazareth's "Hair Of The Dog" in 2008 in St. Ignace!



That's all for now, but stay tuned for more soon, including maybe a review of tonight's Rosie metal night (I hope), our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile on Infathom, our review of Sykotyk Rampage's "Zombies", and more! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Abriosis), Sugar Island Festival Fallout, And Much More!!

Alright, now with reviews and previews out of the way for the time being, we can pack this post full of news! Today, we have some fallout from The Sugar Island Music Festival (including the identity of one band & some videos), updates for another upcoming metal show, and much more, so let's get this post rolling with a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!!

The 29th Roosevelt Hotel metal night has been announced for this Thursday (luckily a bit earlier than the past few), and for a second straight week, an out of town band is headlining! Vancouver progressive death metal quartet Abriosis will headline on Thursday with an assaulting brand of technical brutality in store for local fans! You guys should really get a kick out of Abriosis, who are unrelentingly heavy, so check them out at their official MySpace page! Two local openers are scheduled, with local hardcore quartet Changing Waves confirmed as one of them, fresh off a successful set on Saturday at The Oddfellows Hall! Hopefully their momentum carries into Thursday, where they'll unleash a high energy set of original hardcore for you guys! A third opening band is still to be announced. The show was officially announced on Dismembertainment's Facebook page last night. A 19+ age limit should be expected, along with a 9:30 PM-ish start time, but expect a cover charge, given that the headliners are an out of town band. Check the above links for more! This should be a great night of metal, so mark it on your calendars! Abriosis won't be a band you'll wanna miss! Stay tuned for the SMS for more updates on this concert as they come in!

Next up, do you remember when I referenced a band named The Highest of Fives that opened The Sugar Island Music Festival on Friday? Well, I still don't know much about them, but I do have more details on them for you guys! Their name is a reference to a line from "How I Met Your Mother", and the band appears to have been formed through the Guitar Studio rock camp in Sault Michigan, which has produced a number of young rock bands locally. Their lineup includes Seeking Reverence/Intrepid bassist Mitch Goetz on vocals, Free Refill bandmates Devin Anderson & Mike Pascoe on guitar & drums, and Mike's old 7/47 bandmate Jack Slater on bass. All have played hard rock in past local acts (Guitar Studio or otherwise), so I assume The Highest of Fives are similar in sound, but I can't prove that definitively. They have played live before the Sugar Island Festival, including a set at the Relay For Life this year, but without online pages, I hadn't heard anything about the shows until recently. Hopefully we find out some more on The Highest of Fives soon, cause it looks like they have talent, though I should note that according to Seeking Reverence's Facebook group, Mitch is moving soon for college. What could this mean for The Highest of Fives? I don't know, but no matter what the news, if I hear anything else from them (including their genre), you'll hear it here!

Thirdly, here's some more updates concerning an upcoming concert at The Roosevelt Hotel! We've been listing next week's 30th Roosevelt Hotel metal night in our listings for a while now, which will be headlined by Winnipeg metal bands Laika and Annex Theory, but now the remainder of the lineup has been made official! The third scheduled out of town band will be North Bay extreme trio Thekillingfield, three months after last rocking The Rosie! Their brand of technical death metal will easily be welcomed back, as they have became local favourites over their frequent concerts here, so don't miss them! There will also be a local opening band, as our own grimecore/death metal trio Shit Liver will be back to lay down some crushing and brutal metal to kick off the show! Aside from news on the rest of the lineup, promoters also launched a Facebook event page for next week, which confirms that this concert will have a $6 cover. Higher than we usually see for Rosie shows with out of town bands, but think of the quality of the bands you'll get to see next week! A 9:30 PM start time and 19+ age limit like usual are also confirmed. Sounds good to me, this should be a great and brutal night of metal for all! Stay tuned for updates on this and other Dismembertainment shows as they become official!

Fourthly, we have even more new videos of Kinross hard rock trio Banned to share today! I give Ashley Traynor credit, she gets good video of Banned, and lots of it! Three new videos have been posted on her YouTube channel over the past couple of days, starting with a video of Banned covering Led Zeppelin's "Rock N' Roll" at The Sundown Lounge in Pickford last week! Well played, but Alex Traynor's singing sounds kinda off. Right tone for the vocal style, but it sounds harsher than it really should. Very dark too, but blame the setting, as her camera is really good for quality. The other two videos are from their set on Friday at The Sugar Island Music Festival, including one of Banned covering Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"! Faithful cover of the original, and Alex Schrovenwever's singing fits well, but I'd like to see them take a stab at the Judas Priest version, which I always preferred. The other video, which I've embedded below, is of Banned covering AC/DC's "TNT", which is a good version of a classic song! Eric Cairns joined in again as a guest bassist with Alex switching to rhythm guitar, and he adds to the song well here (as does Alex Traynor vocally, his singing style fits AC/DC better!) Good stuff, so check out Banned's cover of "TNT" below, and more at the above links!



And finally for today, here's some assorted shorter stories from the last little while. As usual, these are in alphabetical order by band name:

• Sault Ontario solo artist The Shaner (real name Shane Solomon) has returned to activity with a new upload on his Reverbnation page! Entitled "Wasteland", it's a solid instrumental hard rocker with a slow groove, though it does run a little long. Shane has talent, hopefully he has some more songs in store for us! Check out this and many more solo demos at the above links!
• New local metal trio Social Suicide have announced the addition of drummer Storm Perry to the band, replacing Keeghan Rosso. No reason for the change was announced, but this shouldn't impact the band too much, seeing as we've yet to hear them. Best of luck to Storm with the band and Keeghan in his next musical ventures!
• Take this however you want, but according to former drummer Evan Madden's Twitter page on August 5th, there were apparently plans earlier this year for Woods of Ypres to do a European tour with San Francisco metal band Deafheaven before the Madden brothers left Woods of Ypres. Is this true? I'm in no position to say, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Hopefully the band does play Europe sooner or later, as there's demand over there for them!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for much more this week, including our new poll, this week's classic video, hopefully some more festival fallout, and lots of news! Thanks everyone!