LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Gutter Creek) & A Bunch Of New Videos!!

Keeping our regular post streak going with this busy summer season (definitely a blessing after two years of pandemic curses), we have a bunch of new videos to check out on this Monday evening, but first, here's a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT to help end the summer season with!

Multi-national southern metal band Gutter Creek will make their local concert debut on Thursday, September 1st at The Rockstar Bar! This relatively new band (only forming last year) will be touring Canada in support of their self-titled debut album, and a Soo stop is a given as their guitarist is Sault Ste. Marie native Matt Hanchuck, who many readers will know from the Thunder Bay thrash metal band Wreck-Defy. While we have yet to see Wreck-Defy perform on a local stage, that band's bassist Greg Christian (yes, formerly of Testament) will be performing on this tour, and Gutter Creek drummer Derrick Kroll (ex-Alphakill) was a prior live drummer with Wreck-Defy, so this is the next best thing! Don't expect an identical sound to Wreck-Defy though, with Danish lead vocalist Soren Adamson (ex-Denied/Dignity) being very distinct from Greg Wagner, not to mention their more groove-based, southern rock-tinged (but still heavy) sound.

No word on potential opening bands as of this writing, but it is good to see The Rockstar Bar booking outside of Saturdays again, if in a few months! Expect a 19+ age limit and 9:00 PM start time on September 1st, and ticket prices are not out yet, so stay tuned for details on that front over the summer. Should be a solid concert for fans of straightforward, old school metal with a diverse lineup playing a nice mix of styles, and Matt's homecoming alone will be worth noting, whether you knew him before he moved out of town or from Wreck-Defy, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and we'll let you know when updates roll in!

Next up, if you've been wanting to see/hear some new content from prolific local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, you're in luck, as he live-streamed an hour's worth of live performance footage onto his YouTube channel on Saturday! While he never promoted this in advance on his Facebook page, Mike provided musical entertainment at this year's Relay For Life fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society on Saturday, and Mike live-streamed both sets at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena that day in Thompson rather than including the intermission. In the first video embedded below, you'll see Mike play (in performance order) "MorningStar", "If Ever Comes The Day", a cover of Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", a brand new song named "If Only You Could Hear Me", a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird", "The Nature of the Times", and "Come On Home".

Set #2 (in the second shorter video) is almost all covers, with Mike tackling Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)", The Foo Fighters' "Times Like These", The Barenaked Ladies' "The Old Apartment", and Tears For Fears' "Shout", before closing with one more original song, namely "Take Back The Moon".  Filmed from the floor of the stage pointing up at Mike, the videos look clear but both suffer from a low framerate and very muffled audio quality, with the hockey arena venue setup likely a partial factor in that. Shame there weren't more responsive fans either, but Mike's performnances are technically sound and with fun banter in between, so give everything a look above and below!

Also, here's some new concert videos from another relocated local act, namely local/Barrie crossover thrash quartet Spades GT, who posted two more videos from their show at at The Rockpile in Toronto last month onto their YouTube channel over the weekend! One is of their existing Jack Spades-era original "Crossroads", but embedded below is their first brand new song that they never played before their move and name/lineup changes! The song is entitled "Hands", and it definitely fits in with the existing Spades oeuvre, if via a slightly more deliberate pace and relatively longer runtime. Solid stuff, washed out visual quality aside, so check it and "Crossroads" out above & below, and stay tuned for more from Spades GT!

We'll close today with a new song from Sault Michigan progressive metal solo project X's & Y's' YouTube channel last last month! Entitled "Oculus", this is the newest instrumental track planned for the Life's Eclipse successors' upcoming debut album "The Obsidian Dream" (if you believe the video description, it'll be track #7). Slower and bassier than Jason's prior song "Solid Glass", this still delivers some brutal riffs and djent action while it lasts, so give it a listen below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a surprisingly stacked batch of mid-week concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

New COVID-19 Pandemic Restrictions In Ontario, A Local Band's Return, And Much More!!

Here's our first proper news post of 2022, where we're diving into big updates on a local band's surprise reemergence, a bunch of recent shorter stories, and leading off, big details on an unwelcome return to days of pandemic's past for local music fans in Ontario. Here's what you should know!

Concerts in the province of Ontario as we know them are on hold again, as the provincial government has rolled back many of the loosened restrictions to fight the dramatically increasing number of COVID-19 cases in recent weeks due to the omicron variant, starting tomorrow. While we're not being fully locked down again (yet?), Ontario is returning to a modified version of the "Stage 2" of re-opening following the end of lockdown #3 in June 2020, which means that indoor gatherings are being restricted to five or fewer people again and indoor dining is also cancelled. Measures are in effect until at least January 26th, and for more on the new/restored restrictions, visit this SooToday article. Michigan has not followed suit with similar announcements, we'll keep you posted if they do. No previously announced local hard rock concerts were cancelled as a direct result of the restrictions, but be advised that the rescheduled Glambition fundraiser is only four days after the current end date.

This is all disappointing to hear, especially given how many Ontarians got vaccinated last year (I got the booster last month myself), but the omicron variant is getting to overwhelming numbers and is clearly very contagious even if you have had three shots. I don't want things rolled back, and I certainly don't want a fourth lockdown, but I also don't want people to get sick or worse. It is what it is, and I just hope that the new provincial measures do lead to a decline in COVID-19 case rates so that things can somewhat get back to normal sooner rather than later.

However, one immediate casualty is the apparently permanent closure of Pim Street hotel, restaurant, and concert venue The Canuck (née The Canadian Motor Hotel), as per their Facebook page yesterday. This news comes just seven months after Jim Brogno bought The Canadian from the Marrelli family and announced big plans for upgrades to the building, While this may seem like a rash decision for what we hope will be just three weeks of capacity limits and no indoor dining, I have no way of knowing how their books look, and maybe staff assumes things will be limited past the 26th. In any event, The Canuck did not resume hosting hard rock concerts last year, with the downstairs Canadian Nightclub not being used as a concert venue, and bands of other genres only played upstairs at The Upper Deck Bar & Grill. I'm not getting into any of the divisive reports about un-vaccinated gatherings there on the SMS.

I hope The Canuck/Canadian isn't closed forever, and that at least the Brognos sell to new owners, as it's a long established and well liked central spot for a meal, a drink, a room, and/or live music, and The Canadian Nightclub was the locale of many big concerts over the years, including my first 19+ show in 2008. Hopefully this isn't the absolute end, but best of luck to the staff as they make their next moves, and we'll keep you guys posted as more comes out on the Ontario restrictions!

Next up, let's move to some more positive topics, starting with the apparent rebirth of local metal/punk band Jack Spades, albeit in a new home! After 15 months of public silence, the band posted this picture on their Facebook page of a modified version of the classic Skates logo, coinciding with a name change to Spades GT. The band confirmed in November that they've relaunched out of frontman J.D. Pearce's current Barrie homebase (he moved out of town for work reasons in 2020) so does GT mean "Greater Toronto"? Inevitably, lineup alterations have followed, with the band enlisting Adaptive Reaction bassist Steve Lorenz and former Caym drummer Tyler Reiner (the son of Anvil's Robb Reiner) to replace Rob Speers & Johnny Belanger, both of whom are still in the Soo. As best as I can tell, guitarist Daniel Horton is still/back in the band, having moved to Barrie himself already.

Whether the band is moving forward as a four piece or keeping/replacing Tiffany isn't clear, but note that while she also moved out of town, it wasn't to Southern Ontario. In the November Facebook post, Spades GT revealed that there are "new tracks incoming", and their live debut under that name would be next month at Queens Hometown Pub in Barrie, but given the omicron variant, new restrictions, and uncertainty therein, I'd say that date is hopeful at best right now. Still, it's great to see (Jack) Spades continue on down south, and hopefully we hear lots of good stuff from them to come, with perhaps a return show up here when the time is right?

Finally for today, here's three assorted shorter news items from the last while, and as usual, these are in alphabetical order by artist name:

 

• Tribute shirts for late local rock drummer Chris Thompson are in the works by his Frightlight bandmates J.D. Pearce & Kevin Powe, and pre-orders for them took place last month! Available as t-shirts for $20 or pull-over hoodies for $45, the artwork features a black & white image of Chris in his Frightlight outfit, as well as the names of his major local bands (the image shared on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on December 10th was preliminary & does not have the final band listing). Proceeds from the sales go to the Thompson family, and e-transfer the money to johnnypints@gmail.com with name and size if you want one!
• The next Mike Haggith live-streamed concert will take place on Tuesday, January 25th at 7:30 PM on his Facebook page, and for a second straight episode, he'll be interviewing a local musician he hasn't played in a band with, namely Bad Chug guitarist and folk solo musician Jacob Quarrell! Mike has produced material of Jacob's, and he was tapped to be in Mike's solo band for his cancelled "If Ever Comes The Day" release concert in 2020, so there is definitely a mutual respect there. Make sure to tune in to the live-stream on Facebook in three weeks' time, especially as Mike's covering two share contest winner picks!
• SooToday contributor and veteran local musician Chris Belsito covered the vinyl re-release of defunct local punk band Room 206's album "2 Innies & 1 Outie" for this article last week! Though it incorrectly gives 1993 as the original tape's release year, the article does give a little more background info into Room 206's active run, and includes some photos, including one of Soolebrity Records head & bonus song performer Mikey Hawdon holding two copies at The Rad Zone. Give everything a look if you want above!
  

 

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

More Updates From Recently Active Local Hard Rock Artists!!

Before we begin this news post, I just wanted to note that Frightlight/Soo Fighters/et al. drummer Chris Thompson's obituary is now up on SooToday, confirming that he suddenly passed away on Monday night at Sault Area Hospital with his family by his side. Chris is survived by his wife Stephanie Nelson, his kids Destiny & James, his parents, his sister, and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews, among other extended family & friends. At Chris' request, there will not be a public funeral service, but a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements will be handled by the Arthur Funeral Home and Barton & Kiteley Chapel, and the family would appreciate donations (by check) to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Having lost my mother last fall, I know all too well what the Thompson clan are going through, and my continued thoughts go out to them!

Given his deep musical connections, a tribute concert would be extremely apt, whether that's what the celebration of life will be or not, but I have no inside information. With Christmas just a month away, keep Stephanie, Destiny, James, and the rest of their family in mind over the holidays, and hopefully they hold their great memories as close as they can. R.I.P. Chris!

Now, today's post features some assorted updates from a couple of local hard rock/metal acts, and we'll start out in Thompson, Manitoba (literally), as prolific local alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith will play his first public concert since before the pandemic there this Saturday! Of course, Thompson is ever so slightly out of our coverage range (22 hours west of the Soo), but if you're curious, Mike is opening for a stand-up comedy show benefiting Thompson's Seniors Community Resource Council, and he will have a full backing band with four additional musicians, finally realizing a goal from his cancelled CD release party last year! It'd be very interesting to see Mike with a full band again, hopefully someone's filming! Mike will also be hosting the annual Thompson Santa Claus Parade earlier that day, but if he's performing any music there, no one has confirmed that.

Sure, none of this is taking place locally, but in the wake of the "Bridges" release (our review coming in the next few days) and with the long wait for Mike to return to some sense of normalcy as a live musician, I had to mention his busy weekend ahead. Moving things more towards "Bridges", the album did get a review on the Winnipeg-based blog Bad Gardening Advice, which didn't grade it proper or really analyze individual tracks, but the review uses a lot of symbolic and regional references for the overall concept, which helps when you're in the same province and know about the Mystery Bridge already! Finally for today's Mike updates, let's finally take things truly local, as The Sault Star's Brian Kelly interviewed him for this article last week, so what should you know there? Mike discusses isolation and mental health, his adjustment in moving to Thompson, and the album release proper, ...

 

...though most of the interview is via Brian's solid write-up, hitting most of the relevant bullet points about Mike's recent activities. Solid read, so give it a look at this link, above, or in the November 18th edition of The Sault Star, and look for our review of "Bridges" by Tuesday!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local party metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty, who may not be a duo for long! As per the Musicians Wanted Facebook group yesterday, they're looking for "a willing musician... to balance the band", specifically looking for a second bassist or a keyboardist, and similarly to prior musician searches they held in the past, skill level and experience are not required and they'll teach interested parties. The A.A. were a trio pre-pandemic with two bassists (Alice Rose being their last publically named bassist aside from Paul), but in their masked days, they were a quartet with Amanda playing an MPC controller before moving to drums (they have never had a guitarist). Given their wide criteria, it's anyone's guess who The Apocalypse Afterparty will bring on, but we'll let you know when/if a new members signs on, and message the band above or here for more details!

Lastly from the Stanghetta camp, The Apocalypse Afterparty's newly released studio cover of Saul Williams' "List of Demands (Reparations)" has been included on "Nooooooo!!! Volume III", a Noise Rock Now compilation album to benefit German indie rock band Trigger Cut after they lost all of their gear in a fire two weeks ago. This is the third such compilation album already, and all three are available for €1 minimum. The A.A. are the only locally recognizable band on any of these compilations, but give them a listen to see what you think, and consider buying one to help Trigger Cut out! That's all for now, but stay tuned for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next, plus a review of "Bridges" before the month ends! Thanks everyone!

R.I.P. Chris Thompson (1979-2021)

The Sault Metal Scene sends its deepest condolences to the family & friends of prolific local hard rock drummer Chris Thompson, who just passed away at the age of 42, as per numerous posts on his personal Facebook page. Chris had suffered a heart attack earlier this month and had been battling complications from it in recent days, though I won't go into specifics out of respect to his family. If you've followed local hard rock, metal, and punk bands in Sault Ontario in the past two decades, then Chris' presence behind the drumkit will be very familiar, most recently as the drummer for pop rock cover band Lockdown & their sister group, Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters, who all just played live at The Rockstar Bar over Halloween weekend. Chris was also a frequent bandmate of J.D. Pearce's in the punk/metal acts Fitswitch, Frightlight (as "Chris Freaknstein"), and Jack Spades, and he also drummed for classic metal band Project 421, their hard rock sister band Eclipse, hard rock quartet Half Past, and death metal band Giwakwa, among others.

I knew that Chris had been battling some health problems that may have explained why he was not part of the Half Past reunion, but I never expected he'd be gone this suddenly, and his loss will definitely be felt by friends, family, and fans alike. My interactions with Chris were always positive, and I know he greatly loved his fiancee Stephanie and his children, who shouldn't have to lose a parent already like this. I'll let you guys know when/if services are made public, but keep the Thompson family in your thoughts, especially with the holiday season fast approaching. R.I.P. Chris!

New Videos From Three Local Acts, Plus More Recent News & Notes!!

For our last post of February 2020, we're diving into some recent video postings from a few familiar local faces, including a solo cover, a revived band's album plans, and a prolific artist's TV hosting gig, plus a handful of shorter stories at post's end. Here's what you should know!

Here's the latest from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, starting with the fact that his new single "To Be With You" premiered on February 15th on local internet radio station The Borderline! The song has not been posted elsewhere as of this writing, so until it is, you'll have to tune in to The Borderline to see if it comes up in rotation. The song is brand new, and is not from his still-unreleased "Bridges" album, but it's not yet clear whether it's a standalone single or will be part of another new album release. We'll keep you posted! As for new content of Mike's that you can check out on demand, he hosted another Shaw Spotlight virtual community concert that aired locally on TV and radio in Thompson yesterday, specifically Thompson's Winterfest, an 80 minute event that you can watch on the Shaw Community Link YouTube channel and embedded below!

As hyped with this teaser video, this is very similar to the virtual Christmas concert that Mike hosted for Shaw Spotlight in Thompson in December, with Mike introducing acts & talking to viewers, but the tone is somewhat less jokey and sarcastic this time. Admittedly, Saultite interest in Thompson-based acts may be limited, but there's a lot of talent on display, and Mike himself does perform two songs, including "MorningStar" 32 minutes in & "Come On Home" (from "Bridges", which he promised will come out this year) about 67 minutes in. Solid performances from Mike & Thompsonites alike, and this all came together nicely, so give Thompson Winterfest a watch!

Next up, local progressive metal duo Kraken Mara are back (again!) After a public hiatus since September 2019 (their only month with updates since 2017), the band quietly posted a "scheduled video" of a play-through of a song from their upcoming debut EP, which will now be named "Vibe Check" rather than be self-titled. The video is not watchable until it premieres at 10:01 AM on March 12th, which is definitely unique for a local band to post, and it's proof that this return is going to lead somewhere in the short term! Kraken Mara's Facebook page hasn't been newly updated yet, but their Instagram page has new updates, albeit with all prior videos deleted, sadly. Four short clips are there to check out, including two of guitarist Jake Valois practicing solos for the EP, and two featuring his bandmate/brother-in-law Brendan Christie in brief samples from the "Vibe Check" playthrough premiering on the 12th.

The scheduled YouTube video's description notes that drums on the EP are being provided by Cliff Aubut, who drums for the Kelowna, B.C. metalcore band Stasis. I presume he's a session drummer given the distance, but we'll let you know if his involvement is greater. Assuming that "Vibe Check" does see it's intended release, I'll hold comment on the music proper until then (especially with the full song video not watchable yet), but it's great to see Brendan & Jake back at it once again, and fans of djent-laden progressive metal will want to take notice! Give the second of Brendan's teaser videos a look below, see more above, and stay tuned for updates!

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Also today, here's a new cover video from ex-Sense Of Truth/Skeyes Of Seven frontman Cory Murchison's YouTube channel on Friday, where he covered Seether's ballad "Broken" (not the version with Amy Lee.) The video quality is a little hazy, but the music comes through well enough, and Cory's voice is a good match for this song (the descripion notes that he plans to do more Seether covers), so give this well done rendition a watch below!

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

• I have moved Sault Michigan hard rock trio Mackinaw Trail to our inactive band links due to the sudden passing of frontman Henry Switzer earlier this month. It's certainly possible that George and Ron could continue forward in a band, bur they hadn't posted anything on their Facebook page about Mackinaw Trail in particular since late 2019, rather sharing info on Highway 63 and Henry's solo pursuits (and don't forget about the pandemic either). Hopefully we hear more from George & Ron musically down the road!
  
• On a similar note to the Mackinaw Trail link update, I have removed Henry's old classic/hard rock band Sir Charge from our inactive band links, this time due to the page's deletion at some point last year. Sir Charge were the short-lived successors to Henry and his son Nathan's old band Monkey's Uncle, and were active on the E.U.P. bar circuit from 2012-2013, though I don't believe they ever had videos to show for their brief run. Hopefully Nathan and the Mayers stay active in music!
• Sault Ontario-based Foo Fighters tribute band The Soo Fighters have quietly added Isolation Sessions/ex-Half Past bassist Arthur Lacasse to their lineup, replacing Max Ambeault, as per an update on their Facebook page this month. A reason for Max's departure was not announced, but he only played live with The Soo Fighters once in 2019 before the pandemic scuttled their 2020 plans. Hopefully we hear from Max musically again, but Art should fit in fine when The Soo Fighters play live next, whenever that is!
  

 That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site next month! Thanks everyone!

Local Metal/Punk Video Showcase!!

News remains glacially slow around the SMS, but I've cobbled together a video-centric post for you guys to check out on this Monday evening, including a solo cover, a new studio track, a podcast with some familiar faces, and leading off, a prominent solo artist's recent hosting gig on local TV!

Have you been wondering what local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith has been up to as of late? This won't entirely answer that, but Mike recently hosted Thompson's virtual community Christmas concert, which aired on their Shaw Spotlight affiliate yesterday! As teased via this TV commercial and this teaser video on his Facebook page, the full concert was indeed streamed online via the Shaw Community Link YouTube channel, and Mike's hosting segments are often full of bad one liners, to the point that he jokingly walks out between acts to complain about their quality! In other words, if you liked his #LockdownLive concerts, you'll be right at home in this regard! I do like that the Shaw Spotlight staff there let Mike joke around and inject some personality as host, you don't always get that!

Much like virtual concerts we've seen in the Soo this year, there is a wide array of performers from Thompson and area in this video, so local interest here may be limited unless you want to discover unknown talent. However, Mike does perform near the end of the concert (66 minutes or so in), specifically a cover of Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas", while the concert proper closes with Mike playing a version of "Have A Holly Jolly Christmas" that goes off into a tangent about the weather in Thompson and social distancing. Looks like everything was well handled under the circumstances, so give Thompson's virtual community concert a watch below!

Next up, here's the first full song from St. Ignace, Michigan progressive metal quintet Heavy Lies The Crown's upcoming full length album! Entitled "Every Step Of The Way", this was uploaded to their YouTube channel yesterday, and it is also available on Spotify, while H.L.T.C. have teased more singles to come in advance of the release, schedule to be determined. I'll hold full comments on the song for now, pending our presumed review of the album in 2021, but give "Every Step Of The Way" a listen below!

Also, here's a bit of a surprise from Sault Ontario: a podcast from Redundant drummer Rick White's YouTube channel two weeks ago, where he interviewed his bandmates (with input by friends of the band) using funny job interview questions that he found online. This is over an hour long, so it'll be a time commitment to check out, but it's a funny and clearly unscripted listen that Redundant fans should get a kick out of, especially during this screwy time we're in right now! I wish Rick would have edited out the background hiss with Audacity or something, but give it a listen below!

Finally, veteran local hard rock/jam guitarist Mike Cliffe has posted another Christmas carol cover on his YouTube channel, this time featuring him playing "What Child Is This?" in two different acoustic tracks combined in post production. A lot of wasted space in the video proper as a result, but Mike handles this carol well in a soft & intricate way, so give it a watch below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new post of some kind by Christmas Eve! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Soundcheck & Tym Morrison) And More Updates!!

Rock The Border in Sault Michigan aside, we haven't had any true public concerts to preview and cover on the SMS in over four months, but today, not only do we have LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for Sault Ontario, they're largely on SHORT NOTICE too! If you're up for some live hard rock this weekend, you do have options, including a show TONIGHT, so read on below for those and some more assorted updates! To space things out given it's size, our Squatfest preview will hit the site tomorrow.

Local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to the live concert stage TONIGHT and every Thursday this month when he plays special matinee sets at Motley Market at 132 Gore Street! Apologies for the short notice (it feels good to say that again) on TONIGHT's show, Tym only announced it and the rest of these dates via his Facebook event page this morning. If you're not familiar with the Motley Market, you're certainly not alone, as this business is a new addition downtown, located in the former Soo North Fly Shop/Eagle Golf building (just down the road from the old Princess Theater). As best as I can gather, Motley Market will be operating as a canteen selling various refreshments and offering casual activities, while also hosting live events, and they are looking for people interested in hosting or putting on live entertainment there, or renting space for their own businesses. Click here for more details on the Motley Market.

Sort of sounds like a smaller, more whimsical take on Mill Market, especially with the carnival imagery they're using, and I am curious to see how things go at the Motley Market in the months ahead! Tym has clearly taken them up on their offer to host live entertainment, as you can see him there TONIGHT and then on August 13th, 20th, and 27th! All are 6:00 PM shows with no age limits or announced cover charges, though I don't know how active the Motley Market proper will be at this early juncture, especially given their teaser photos. Nothing is stated re: social distancing measures, but if you go TONIGHT and beyond, please use common sense. This all said, what will happen to Tym's live-streamed concerts, which typically happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays? Well, Tym indicated on the event page that "the show will be online as well", implying that episode #35 will be live-streamed from the Motley Market TONIGHT to watch at home, so how's that for a change?

Fingers crossed the apparent live-stream goes well without any technical issues, but does this mean this live-stream will go beyond two hours? In any event, tune into Tym's YouTube's channel at 6:00 PM if you can't make it in person! Get more details on all four of these new concerts at the above links, and for a preview, here's Tym live last year!

Next up, we have more new concerts to take note of, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will end their pandemic hiatus by returning to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Again, apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced via their Facebook event page on Tuesday. After a month of kitchen/patio operations only, the former Roosevelt Hotel re-opened indoor services on July 17th, and they didn't wait too long to try having live bands again, with country rockers Bone Yard ending the dry spell there last week. Soundcheck are second up at the Reggievelt, and their hard rocking covers should be welcomed by assembled fans TOMORROW & SATURDAY! That all said, social distancing measures are very much in effect, so there will be a limit of 50 people inside the Korah Road nightclub. Face masks are mandatory unless you are seated or outside, and the pool tables and bar seating are unavailable.

Of course, please use common sense if you come out and are able to get in this weekend. Bone Yard's shows last weekend clearly went well if Reggie's West is pushing forward with a live music schedule, and hopefully things don't regress this weekend, as I know how much Cameron, Terry, Paul, and Glen have missed being on stage! Visit the above links for full details on TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows, and here's Soundcheck live!



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 website name:

• New local hard rock band The Isolation Sessions have officially added Frightlight/Bridge Heads drummer Chris Thompson to their lineup, making them a trio (for now), as per their Facebook page on Monday. Chris was already a bandmate of Jordan and Arthur's in Half Past, most notably in early-mid 2011, so he is a perfect fit once again! The band is still looking for a bassist and/or guitarist to help round out their lineup, so if you are interested in trying out, message them above for more details.
• I have restored local hard rock solo artist Shane "The Shaner" Solomon back to our active band links, as he has been working on and uploading new music to his Reverbnation page in recent weeks! One of my pet peeves about Reverbnation is how uploaded music isn't visibly dated, but Shane confirmed on his personal Facebook page that two new songs ("Silks and Dangling" & "Exit Cryosleep") are up, and they showcase distinct styles with strong production, and the former will satiate heavier appetites! Give both songs a listen above, and it's good to see Shane back after 8 years away!
• SooToday contributor Chris Belsito posted this article on July 25th where he asked local musicians about their most memorable gigs, and among others, it includes remarks from Soundcheck bassist Paul Belair, ex-Gates of Winter keyboardist Brian Holmes (though the show he referenced was in 2008, not 2009), Inner City Surfers bassist Brad "Example" LaSalle Lacell, and Frightlight/Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, who gives a rare elaboration on the famed "secret show" at Coch's Corner. Really good article with nice insights from a wide array of local musicians, so do check it out above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for our Squatfest preview and more on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Local Concert Video Showcase!!

Today's post is devoted to recent live concert videos (yes, Muddfest is coming soon), and we'll start with one from Sault Michigan classical metal band Theatre of Night's Christmas tour kickoff concert at the Sandstone Congregational Church in Jackson (40 minutes south of Lansing) on Sunday! Attendee Lonnie Overmyer filmed this video of Theatre of Night playing their set-opening carol "What Child Is This?" for his YouTube channel, and he even acknowledged that it was uploaded with permission, which is rarer than you think for local acts. The video quality is very fuzzy, almost looking like a concert video you'd see posted from a show in 2005, but the audio quality holds up, and you get a neat vantage point from where Lonnie's standing. He starts off beside singer Rachel Mender before her walk to the stage as her verses begin, and if you're not familiar with Theatre of Night's live shows, this song and Rachel's entrance traditionally kick things off. Give this video a look below, and don't miss their second Christmas tour stop in Blanchard on Friday night!

Next up, here's another live video from a church out of town, this time from Sault Ontario/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock musician Mike Haggith, who uploaded this video of him playing another brand new original song to his Facebook page on Halloween! Entitled "2145", Mike intends this to be a "CD-exclusive bonus track", presumably for his upcoming album "If Ever Comes The Day", though hopefully local fans have a way to hear the studio copy beyond snail mail orders. Recorded at one of his unplugged coffee house shows at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Thompson, Mike admits that this is a "rather somber renditon", and he also broke his own rule not to use lyric sheets in order to play the song as intended without mistakes. I'll hold comment pending our review of the full CD, but if you like Mike's darker and softer material, you should take to "2145", so give it a watch below! Yes, we will cover his new studio track on the site soon!



We'll close today with new videos from SaultOnline journalist Mike Caruso's YouTube channel, which continues getting stockpiled with live videos of local cover bands and musicians in recent concerts, and a handful of hard rock performances are sprinkled within! Two of Mike's videos come from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's double header at The Water Tower Pub this past weekend, though curiously, the band does not feature singer/guitarist Travis Sharpe in either video, similarly to their Cheap Trick cover filmed there in September. No word on where Travis was, but Terry, Paul, and Glen sound good despite being shorthanded! The filmed covers are of Loverboy's "Working on the Weekend", and as embedded below, Tom Petty's "Runnin' Down A Dream", and both work well with their sound and Mike's dual camerawork, so give both a watch above and below!



Finally, here's Mike's video of local country rock veterans (and Toystock VII headliners) Bone Yard covering April Wine's version of Hot Chocolate's "You Could Have Been A Lady" at Reggie's West on Halloween night! While primarily known for country covers, it's great to see Greg, Alex, Brad, and Ric break out the occasional rock song, and they handle this early hard rock classic with ease! While not dressed for the occasion, Mike did add a Halloween flourish in post production via some clips of ghosts and monsters in a creepy room, but it's up to you whether these add much after October 31st. Give Bone Yard's Reggievelt video a look below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Muddfest videos and weekend concert previews in due course! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), An Inactive Band Note, And New Videos!!

Let's dive back into news and updates on this slippery Tuesday morning, and here, we have some new videos from the Ontario side of the border, a note on a band moved out of our active band links, and leading off, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this summer!

Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned will return to their hometown for a pair of special post-race concerts at the Kinross Speedpark later in the 2019 auto racing season! Much like they did last year, this veteran cover outfit will rock the on-site stage for concerts on Saturday, July 13th and on Friday, September 6th, which will respectively follow the second annual Baby Show qualifier race and the Four Cylinder Friday events during the Memorial Invitational weekend. For full details on the race aspects of both days, click here! It's great to see Alex, Don, and Wayne back at the Speedpark for a couple of gigs this season, and hopefully they provide a great soundtrack to cap these nights with! The other four races with a scheduled musical performer will feature classic rockers The Whole Shabang and Rudyard country/classic rock quartet Steelhead (featuring Banned alum Alex Schrovenwever.)

Both of Banned's Kinross Speedpark gigs in 2019 have 9:30 PM start times, these are definitely ALL AGES events, and concert admission is FREE post-race, though click here to locate full admission fees regarding the races proper. Visit the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more!

Next up, we have a local band to move to our inactive band links, namely Sault Ontario lo-fi punk/grunge project Telephone & Address. While a firm public statement has not been made regarding their status, there hasn't been a public update from Telephone & Address' camp since the release of their album "Monster" on February 3rd of last year, now over a year ago. It's also worth noting that frontman Christopher Shoust's old website (which featured Telephone & Address information and material) has had it's domain expire, and his current website is solely devoted to his painting & visual art pursuits. A recurring presence in our coverage since 2013 (though demo albums were recorded dating back to 2010), Chris achieved a following with his varied albums, which featured acoustic, punk, ambient, drum-and-bass, and grunge influences over the years, while his unplugged solo sets were easy to slide into concerts big and small.

Plans to release an early demo compilation named "The Early Tapes" stalled indefinitely, and not a lot came of their late-period expansion to a duo, but Chris had a good thing going with Telephone & Address, and he had an eclectic range of sounds to apply to his albums, always well suited to his lo-fi production and packaging methods. Hopefully they resurface down the road, but best of luck to Chris and Jackson in the future!

Also today, here's a new video of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck's set at the Soolebrity Showcase Saturday concert at The Machine Shop from this past weekend's Bon Soo festivities! Posted to their Facebook page on Sunday, this is of the guys playing their lengthy classic rock medley that long time fans will easily recognize, such as from Toystock last year. As a refresher, the 10 minute video features the guys covering fragments of David Wilcox's "Riverboat Fantasy", Journey's "Don't Stop Believing", Metallica's "Enter Sandman", Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time", Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer", and Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'", though it cuts off before the "Riverboat Fantasy" reprise. Like previously, Terry Eaton sings for the Wilcox, Metallica, and Van Halen covers, Travis Sharpe handles the rest, and they sing backing vocals for each other.

The vertical cell phone camera angle isn't ideal, especially as Soundcheck proper are only in the video's top half, but the guys have these covers down well, and their chemistry and energy comes through strongly enough! Give Soundcheck's Soolebrity Showcase video a look below, and stay tuned for more updates from Soundcheck when announced!

We'll close today with a new-ish live concert recording from local/Thompson, Manitoba alt-hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Though uploaded on Friday, this "from the vault" clip was recorded at MacLean Park in Thompson during the city's Concert In The Park series last July that Mike played at, and this is of him playing a stripped down acoustic version of his newer original "An Act of Strength." I presume we'll be reviewing the full version when the "Bridges" CD finally comes out, but in this mid-2018 live form, it's a solidly done number with a sense of purpose, and the recording quality is nice! Based on the video's picture, I can't confirm if Mike has plans to release this concert as a live Bandcamp album or not, though stay tuned if he does. Give Mike's live & unplugged rendition of "An Act of Strength" a listen below, and stay tuned for more from his camp!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: Chris Thompson

It's now time for this month's YouTube Channel Profile, as we continue our monthly look at 1-3 YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, or punk musicians and/or concerts! After a three month run of profiling multiple channels due to the luck of our random selection, we have a single channel to look at today, and it's a nice cross-section of the work of a popular but too-short-lived hard rock band from almost a decade ago, so here's what you should know on it!
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Chris Thompson (http://www.youtube.com/drumminggiant30)  

Owner: Local metal/hard rock drummer Chris Thompson, previously known from bands like Eclipse, Fitswitch, Frightlight, Giwakwa, Half Past, Jack Spades, and Project 421, among other groups

Channel Timeline: Launched on June 8th, 2009; Videos posted from the following month through September 2011

Channel Summary: Despite his extensive resume in recent local bands, Chris' YouTube channel is solely devoted to his 2008-2012 hard rock band Half Past, who are featured in no less than 23 videos here. These were originally filmed at three of their concerts (including two songs at a June 2010 event at The Canadian Nightclub), plus early jam sessions.

Why You Should Watch: As the de facto official YouTube channel for Half Past, this channel will be of heavy interest to fans of theirs from their very promising (but abbreviated) run at the turn of the 2010s, and with lots of covers and all three of their known original songs, fans will get their fill! However, there are no videos here from their 2008 beginnings under their original name Fingerbone.

Our Recommended Videos To Check Out

DEAD AGIAN:my band HALF PAST'S first original! people getting naked: Chris' first uploads were five jam session videos shot between July & October 2009, early in their public run as Half Past, with Chris joined by Skeyes of Seven guitarist Alain Fletcher, Arthur Lacasse on bass, and the late Luke LeBlanc as their then-new frontman. Half Past are seen here covering Drowning Pool's "Tear Away", Incubus' "Circles", Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name", and (in one video) both Tool's "Stinkfist" & Helmet's "Unsung", but featured here is their first original "Dead Again". Inconsistent lighting and somewhat muffled audio don't help on these videos, and Luke isn't in optimal view on the covers, but these are strong early renditions, and "Dead Again" was a promising number that showed Luke's vocal range nicely! Ignore the facetious end of the video title, everyone remains clothed here.



SICK PUPPIES COVER: ISSUES: 10 of Chris' videos come from Half Past's headlining concert at Foggy Notions (now Coch's Corner) on February 5th, 2010. Here, you can see play their original "War Inside My Head", reprise their "Stinkfist"/"Unsung" double-run, and cover System of a Down's "Aerials", Godsmack's "Keep Away", Shinedown's "Sound of Madness", Breaking Benjamin's "Wish I May", Staind's "Mudshovel", 10 Years' "Wasteland", and Seether's "Remedy". Featured below is the channel's most popular video, a rendition of Sick Puppies' "Issues" with over 1,100 views. The video quality is a little fuzzy (not helped by the filmer not getting close to the stage), but the audio holds up well on these clips, and it's nice to see some electric live rock at Foggy's again, even if almost 9 years ago! Hear a later June 2010 take of "War Inside My Head" from this channel at this link.



Half past Covering I Stand Alone-Hempfest 2011.flv: After Luke's sudden departure in early 2011, Half Past recruited NAClamation alum Jordan Rains as their new singer for their final two concerts, the first of which being at that August's Hempfest in nearby Ophir, in it's local return after a one year stint in Moonbeam. Notably also their final gig with Arthur on bass, Half Past can be seen here covering "Killing In The Name" again, Silverchair's instrumental "Madman", Disturbed's "Down With The Sickness", Drowning Pool's "Bodies", and as featured here, Godsmack's "I Stand Alone". Some of these videos are a little overdone with post-effects, but the guys performed well, and Jordan's higher singing voice is effective on their more melodic covers! Check out Half Past covering Alice In Chains at their last concert by clicking here.


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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profile! Next month in this series, our random selection has conveniently gave us a channel featuring some of Chris' old 421/Eclipse bandmates, as we'll be looking at defunct local hard rock quartet Haggith's old HAGGITHTunes channel, featuring over five dozen videos from their early-mid 2010s heyday! Look for that on or around Boxing Day, and stay tuned for more news and updates on the SMS soon! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Soundcheck), Mike Haggith Updates, And Much More!!

I'm out of town this weekend, but I hope everyone had a great Easter and didn't get pranked too hard for April Fools Day either! Today's first post of the month is full of recent news items, including a few new videos, some apparent lineup changes in a rising new band, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT, so here's what you should know!

Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck are advertised to return(?) to The Water Tower Pub for a concert on Friday, April 13th! Our source is this April events calendar posted to the Sault Music Newsletter Facebook page this past Tuesday. After taking March off from publically announced shows, the Mourning Wood successors are visibly slated to end that break next weekend with this Water Tower Pub show, their first there in almost two months. Soundcheck's skilled and well-tested brand of cover action should deliver next weekend, and while The Water Tower Pub has never been a haven for heavier bands, hopefully they give it a good go once again! Note that Soundcheck have not publically acknowledged this show at press time, nor did they do so for February's gig there. This one night only engagement likely has a 9:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. For more details, visit the above links!

Next up, here's the latest from former Din frontman Mike Haggith, whose solo project lives on in his current Thompson, Manitoba home base, so what's new from his camp? Well, on Friday, Mike shared this 15 second video on his Facebook page showing him in the songwriting process. I won't spoil it, especially given it's short length, but it's a cute watch! In grander news, Mike made his debut appearance as a live solo performer in Thompson on Saturday during the St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church's coffee house series, marking his first solo concert appearance since the fourth Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall back in 2014! That's surprising on one hand, but remember that his bands have been his live focus throughout the mid-late 2010s. Mike played a 20 minute set on Saturday, which includes mostly new originals for his upcoming solo album, including the debuting "Dangerous Town", "The Nature of the Times",...

...his cover of Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With", and "Bridges", with his own story on moving from Sault Ste. Marie to Thompson coming after his Stills cover. Mike recorded the set in audio format for his YouTube channel, so how does everything sound? Compared to 2014, this is a straight acoustic performance with no backing tracks, and while the audio's a little echoey, the performances seem sound, and will be familiar to fans of Mike's recent unplugged Facebook videos and old softer originals! Give this a listen below, and also follow Between The Ditches, his new pop rock band in Thompson!

Also today, here's the latest from local indie/hard rock band Vol. who appear to have quietly parted ways with both bassist Shane Storozuk and drummer Matthew Thibert. No statements have been made by the band, but Shane was removed from Vol.'s Facebook page's lineup at some point in recent months, and a Musicians Wanted Facebook group post by frontman Steve Edwards on Thursday notes that he is looking for a drummer to join an "alt-rock band" with "shows booked already." Unless Steve has another group, Vol. are likely the intended band. Reasons for Shane and Matt's departures have not been announced, but hopefully nothing too serious happened, and that we see them in new bands at some point! Maybe the lineup changes are why they're out of this weekend's Shit Liver concert? As per their Facebook page, keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen is now listed as playing bass, indicating that she's taking on Shane's bass role in the newly retracted trio, but if you're interested in the apparently vacant drum position, message Steve at this link or above!

Finally for today, here's a new video from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver, which contains the reveal of the winners of a merchandise contest that they held on their Facebook page late last month! Fans who liked and shared the contest post from March 23rd were entered to win their new vinyl LP "Hitting The Fan" and a t-shirt with the album art, and in this video, the guys draw names out of a hat to determine the winners. Congratulations to Sam & Michael for winning the contest! The video doesn't have any new reveals otherwise, but it's a fun way to announce the winners, so check it out below, and don't miss Shit Liver at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fuck The Facts & The Man And His Machine), Plus More Recent Updates!!

Here's a new news post for your Saturday morning, including some assorted recent updates, overdue drummer notes from a June concert, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for death and grind fans in the coming months, so here's what you should know, and Happy Fourth of July!

After a few months off from public local concerts, Heavy North Entertainment are back with some new public shows to announce, including a public house party concert on Friday, July 27th (two weeks from today) featuring Saskatchewan "gutter thrash" quartet The Man & His Machine in their local debut! TMHM have a gritty, distorted, but undeniably heavy and intense sound, and fans should get some solid pits going for them in two weeks, so definitely check them out! They're slotted in the 10:00 PM slot (a closing 11:00 PM act is to be announced), with a Blood Shed Productions-heavy local opener roster including goregrind duo Rotopsy at 9:00 PM, thrash/grind trio Them at 8:00 PM, death metal duo Brutally Fatal at 7:30 PM, and a three-way split rap set by local rappers Phat Boii, Miracle Man, and Killah Kai (who featured in at least one private Blood Shed event this year, but is new to our coverage) at 6:50 PM. To be held at a residence at 124 Anna Street (which also held April's Shit Liver house show), this ALL AGES event will have admission by donation, with a $2 minimum.

Note as well that the official poster lists grind solo project Crucify The Whore as also playing, which isn't out of the realm of possibility, as Tyler is in two bands playing that night, but the lineup is subject to change. Sounds like a fun time, especially if you've missed the recent H.N.E. and Blood Shed private gigs, so keep this was in mind in two weeks, and visit the official Facebook event page for more details!

Next up, Heavy North Entertainment aren't done yet, as they'll return to The Oddfellows Hall for the first time in six months when they bring Ottawa grindcore veterans Fuck The Facts back to Sault Ste. Marie on Sunday, September 20th! Touring North America in support of their new CD "Desire Will Rot", this Juno nominated quintet will be making their first local concert appearance since rocking The Oddfellows Hall last May, and they're definitely no strangers to the Soo, with plenty of explosive death metal originals in store once again in September in the 10:00 PM headlining slot! A shorter than usual lineup for a H.N.E. show will only see four local opening bands, including local death metal favourites The Bear Hunters at 9:00 PM, doom metal trio AlgomA (in their first announced local show since their recent tour) at 8:00 PM, a band to be announced at 7:00 PM (though there's currently a fan push to get Rotopsy in that slot), and Crucify The Whore opening at 6:30 PM. Admission will be $10 at the door for this ALL AGES concert, with advance ticket details to be announced.

For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! All of the above show announcements join some extra teases via Heavy North Entertainment's Facebook page, including another concert on August 20th and the return of "a new young local favourite", so we'll of course let you know when all of that is revealed. It's great to see Heavy North Entertainment back in the swing of things, and that they haven't completely ended use of The Oddfellows Hall as a concert venue after some uncertain months, so don't miss the return of Fuck The Facts early this fall, and stay tuned as more comes in!

Also today, here's some drummer notes from last month's Rockstar Bar Summer Bash, including the long awaited reveal of local classic metal quartet Project 421's new drummer, as they've enlisted Giwakwa's Chris Thompson to replace fellow Fitswitch alum Larry Mousseau in the band. Like they've done in the past, the reveal was made at the show, and online Facebook confirmation has since followed. Chris is a solid drummer with notable bands like Giwakwa, Frightlight, and Half Past, and he should fit in well with Project 421 going forward! The other drummer note is a temporary replacement, as local hard rock quartet Long Shot were joined by Gnaeus' Brendan Garlick last month in place of Jeremy Ganuelas, who was apparently on vacation in Europe last month, as per personal Facebook postings from himself and frontman Evan Dawe at the time.

Nice of Brendan to step in for the Summer Bash, and note that this gave us a union of sorts of the top 2 bands from the Speak Easy Battle! No word on if Brendan will join Long Shot for any other shows before Jeremy comes back home, but we'll keep you posted, and hopefully the concert was a hit!

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

• Sudbury death metal trio Fractal Generator are unable to make the Vesperia-headlined Algonquin Pub concert on July 23rd, as per the new official Facebook event page (created by Bear Hunters guitarist Mitch Sirie, who apparently has taken over primary promotion duties from J.D. Pearce, though it's still on the Gonqshow event page.) No word on why Fractal Generator are out, but hopefully Mark can bring one of his bands back here soon! Mitch indicated that they might be replaced on the lineup, and we'll let you know if they are!
• Following the success of their recent High Valley-headlined country show, The Machine Shop at Mill Square asked for thoughts on possibly bringing British Columbia pop punk band Hedley there for a future concert, as per their Facebook page on Wednesday. There's already a ton of positive interest, but if you want to voice up on this potential show, see the above links!
• Local hard rock quartet Skeyes of Seven have released their new single "Enough" on iTunes! You can buy it there for 99 cents, though no word yet on if this will lead to full album plans. Nice to see though, so give it a download above!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for much more in the coming week! Thanks everyone!