LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), Recent Pixo Control Activity, And Much More!!

Believe it or not, this is our first news post since Friday, partly due to my own schedule and a slower general news spread in the fall, but with October now upon us, and Halloween approaching closer and closer, that will definitely change! To start our news catch-up, we have a bunch of assorted recent notes, an apology-laden write-up on a local band's September activity, and to kick things off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for next month, so here's what you need to know!

Kinross, Michigan hard/classic rock trio Banned have confirmed two new regional concert weekends for next month! The guys will return to The Runway Bar in Hessel for the first time in three months on Friday, November 14th & Saturday, November 15th, while they'll make their first appearances at the Dondee Lanes in Sault Michigan of 2014 the following weekend (November 21st-22nd), so if you've been hoping for some new non-Kewadin gigs from the Traynors and Wayne in our area, there you go! These shows were confirmed on Banned's Facebook page on Sunday, and join upcoming dates in Drummond Island, Gould City, and Engadine over the next few months, plus previously announced Kewadin Casino gigs. Banned's Hessel and Soo shows next month are both 21+ affairs with no announced cover charge, and while they'll be on at 9:00 PM at The Runway Bar, their Dondee shows have an earlier start time of 8:00 PM.

For more details, check the above links! It's great to see Banned continuing to rock some consistent dates (and add some new non-Kewadin dates to their fall schedule), so stay tuned for more, and if you're up for the trip, go see Banned in Drummond Island next weekend!

Next up, have you been wondering why we haven't covered The Pixo Control on here yet this fall? To be completely honest, I hadn't seen much from them since The Emergency Festival, but blame my Facebook news feed for not posting what they did last month on my wall, as I just realized yesterday that we missed two unique concerts of theirs over the past month. In the midst of songwriting, the local alternative hard rockers played a set at the Soo's first annual Pridefest on September 7th at The Roberta Bondar Pavilion alongside solo sets by Ryan Seabrook & The Wild Iris' Jake Rendell (source here), before joining local indie acoustic trio K.I.C.K. and other artists at the MS Norgoma (yes, the boat-turned-museum) on September 19th for the second annual 46th Parallel, Music, Art & Media Festival, even making the poster. Very unique setting that you can check out courtesy of Local2's video coverage of this cool event (though The Pixo Control aren't featured), while Pridefest is a great cause itself, and it's awesome to see the LGBT community coming together for an event of this calibre in the Soo!

Still, the fact that we missed a month's worth of updates from The Pixo Control is inexcusable, especially for such a promising young band (let alone one of the few "heavy" bands in the Soo with over 1,000 Facebook likes), so our sincere apologies for what we missed over the past month! I'll try my best to make sure we're more on top of their news and notes, and hopefully we see the guys on the local stage again soon! Stay tuned for more! 

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

• Local death metal rockers The Bear Hunters have confirmed that the booklet for their debut album "Eternal Hibernation" will have lyrics for each song. Great news for fans, especially if some find it hard to discern Nik's growling, so keep that in mind for the release next month! Our source is the band's Facebook page on Saturday.
• Local goregrind solo project Crucify The Whore will apparently join fellow local metal bands AlgomA, Bad Back, and The Apocalypse Afterparty in Toronto on October 16th for their "Northern Horde" concert there, marking C.T.W.'s Southern Ontario debut as well. This is a huge opportunity for Tyler, hopefully everyone shows Toronto what the Soo's made of! Our source is The Apocalypse Afterparty's Facebook page.
• Local post-punk quartet Gnaeus have begun a new studio recording session of some type, as per their Facebook page's newest photo on Sunday. Just an outlet to record a new original song or two, or is this something more? We'll let you know if we hear anything!
• Local promoter J.D. Pearce's promotional Facebook group is already teasing some 2015 concerts, including a new Dayglo Abortions show in May, his involvement in co-promoting the second annual Das Bunkerfest (more on that in our next news post), and in a surprising development, a full Fistmagnet reunion show in June?! If you enjoyed Garry's guest turn with Destroilet at Hardcore Homecoming, you'll definitely want to pay attention, so stay tuned for updates! No word yet though on next month's teased Whiskey Shits concert.
• A local musician named Jordan Leach is looking for a singer, guitarist, and drummer for a new downtown-centered punk band that he's starting. He'd prefer a female singer, and it's assumed that he's the bassist in the band, who would cover some indie and metal songs as well. Practices would be between Friday & Sunday, and if you're interested in trying out, message Jordan at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Monday!
• I've deleted the short lived Redundant predecessors The Quims from our inactive band links due to the recent deletion of their Facebook page for unannounced reasons. Active briefly in late 2010, The Quims had planned to play "raunch hillbilly redneck rock n' roll", but fell inactive before forming Redundant as a more typical punk band the next year. Stay tuned for more from the Redundant camp as we hear it!
• In case you saw recent live videos of That's Chester at a private wedding gig in the Elliott Lake area and were hoping to see them on the site, then I can't help, as drummer Ric Datson had to pull them from his YouTube channel due to copyright complaints. Disappointing, but maybe he can try posting them on Facebook? For reference, the videos were covers of Supertramp and AC/DC songs.
• I've replaced the link for defunct local goregrind trio Tomgrindy in our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook page, but luckily they're still on Reverbnation for all you Blood Shed Productions fans! We won't get into the details of their split and falling out though.

That's all for now, but stay tuned for another news post far sooner than this one was, and for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!

Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Tomgrindy & Beyond The Surface

As you might expect, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! Like past months, this recurring series looks at 1 or 2 defunct or inactive metal/hard rock bands from the Sault Ste. Marie area (as randomly selected) to profile them, their work, and local run for current readers, and like five of the past six months, we're looking at two bands today due to the first selected band not having enough information. We have two very different bands on each side of the border to look at today, so read on below for this month's defunct profiles!
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Tomgrindy

Genre: Goregrind

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members

Jacob Tombari, vocals
Jean-Paul Archambault, vocals
Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson (Crucify The Whore), vocals/all instruments

Info/Analysis: One of many grind-influenced acts to have graced the Blood Shed Productions roster since their launch, Tomgrindy came to public attention in the spring of 2013 with numerous free song postings & the sudden release of the "Grindshed" split demo alongside frontman Tyler Gibson's Crucify The Whore project, followed by a self-titled demo in July. Public activity was limited to media releases before the band went on hiatus due to personal issues in August, before breaking up the next month, though their Facebook page is still used to promote other Blood Shed artists. Tomgrindy shared many similarities with Tyler's other grind bands, like controversial imagery & song titles, minimal instrumentation, and pig squeal vocals, but Tyler's guitar & programming abilities are present on their tracks! That said, Tomgrindy will likely be an acquired taste for fans not accustomed to grind or this label, but I applaud their drive & ambition, so check out the first half of their solo demo below, click here for more songs, and follow Tyler's current bands for similar material!


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Beyond the Surface

Genre: Hard Rock

Hometown: Pickford, Michigan

Members: (Members not in their last full lineup in italics)

Eli Reilly (Unleashed), vocals/lead guitar
Blake Mastaw, rhythm guitar
Alec Firack, bass
Isaac Leach, drums
Danielle Petingalo, vocals
Rhiannan Sibald, rhythm guitar

Audio/Video: No media of Beyond The Surface is known to be publically available at present, though a Facebook-only video of the band covering Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls" at a high school event existed online during their run. I would assume that Beyond The Surface shared similarities with singer/guitarist Eli Reilly's earlier band Unleashed, but that's just speculation.

Info/Analysis: Comprised of then-Pickford High School students, Beyond the Surface were formed in late 2010, taking first place in a school talent show that December with their original lineup, which stood out by featuring 2 female members. After singer Danielle Petingalo's departure, the band won another talent show in Rudyard in January 2011, and competed in another the next month in Cheboygan. Following a divisive rhythm guitarist switch that March & scattered mid-2011 shows at school events, activity stalled that summer despite optimism for expanded live dates, and after a brief vocalist search that August, the band presumably fell inactive by year's end. Despite the lack of media, winning two talent shows in their first few months together must have been a good sign! Eli had solidly developing guitar skills, and Danielle is a very good singer, so hopefully the band's members stay active in music, and maybe we'll find some media at some point!
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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profiles! As for next month in this series, we're actually going to look at two bands again, due to the first band that we chose not having enough surviving information (especially after the MySpace layout overhaul.) As a result, we'll be looking at solo projects from both sides of the border, those being courtesy of Hydra's Teeth frontman Brendan Christie and Power Slug drummer/ex-I.S.O.M. frontman Bob Helsten, a.k.a. Orb Hearthstone! Watch out for those on or around March 10th, and stay tuned for more news and notes either tonight or tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Battle Of The Bands, Plus New Videos!!

Before we begin profiling the weekend's metal/hard rock shows in the area, we have some big news to tackle today, including new song uploads, new live clips from a recent band debut, and leading off, the return of a popular local concert format, so read on below for what you should know!

Sault Ontario is getting another battle of the bands next month, with the winner getting a guaranteed opening slot for Bam Margera's Fuckface Unstoppable at The Canadian Nightclub on December 14th! A firm date has yet to be pinned down (likely during the first two weeks of November), but the battle will also take place at The Canadian, likely making it the first hard rock concert to happen there since last month's flooding. Fittingly named "Viva La Battle", it will be held in a similar format to last June's Battle for the Blood (also promoted by J.D. Pearce), where Winkstinger defeated the now-inactive For All That Is Lost, Changing Waves, and Valentine's Day Massacre to earn the right to open for 3 Inches of Blood at The Rosie last July. Also like last year, a fan vote (with paper ballots obtained at the door) will determine the winner rather than a judges panel, and there are no announced prizes for runner-up bands. Details for admission and such will likely come when the show gets a firm date, but applications for competing bands are now open, so just comment on the Facebook event page's wall if you want to join the battle!

Three bands are now confirmed for Viva La Battle, and they include two of the finalists from April's Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, including winners The Suicide Kings and fellow competitors The Bear Hunters! For The Suicide Kings, this will be their first announced show since August, while The Bear Hunters will be playing their first battle as a quartet after rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney's move out of town. Will The Suicide Kings defend their battle crown next month? Can The Bear Hunters continue their steady battle improvement sans Josh, and can Mitch Sirie deftly handle his roles in both bands again on the same night? We'll find out next month! The other confirmed band is North West, a new band from local solo musician Greg Callaghan. I know absolutely nothing else on them as of this writing (no known online pages yet either), but Greg has battle experience as a bassist in Terminal, including a run at the Skid Row Battle in 2009, so at least this won't be uncharted waters for him. If I hear more on North West, I'll let you guys know! Note that Destroilet & Jack Spades won't be competing, as they've already been named as openers for the concert.

At least one more band is being sought (Redundant frontman Justin Langlois had shown interest), but I don't know what the cutoff is for the amount of bands, how long setlists will be, or if any out-of-competition bands will be playing next month (for reference, last year saw 4 bands play for 30 minutes each, with T-Rex Manning playing separately.) There's a lot of details to fill in (not to mention, a final date), but battles of the bands are always a fun time, so stay tuned for continued updates, and if you're in a band that wants to open for Bam Margera, APPLY AT THE ABOVE LINKS!

We'll close this post with new YouTube uploads, starting with new footage of local classic/power metal quartet The Hydra's Teeth debut show at The Algonquin Pub from last month! Uploaded to frontman Brendan Christie's YouTube channel yesterday, these are of the guys playing their original songs "Live By The Axe" and (as embedded below) "In The Dead Of Night", as filmed by a concert attendee. The angle's slanted, but it's nice and close to the action, and it catches this promising newer band on some solid quality original songs (I'm told they're working on a lot more), though Brendan's vocals do come through very quietly on both clips. Very solid videos overall, and a nice sampler for until they play their next concert, so check out "In The Dead Of Night" below, and more at the above links!



Finally, here's notes on a couple of newer uploads from local goregrind/death metal label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel! One is apparently the last song from the now-defunct Tomgrindy, but I won't embed it or directly link to it here because it's a "diss track" relating to a band member and his apparent reasons for not being involved with the project anymore. I don't want to bring more attention to any issues than what is already online, out of respect to both sides, but if you want to seek it out, that's your call (musically, it's mostly spoken word over backing music & effects, with little grind.) Embedded below though is one of Crucify The Whore's songs from their "Grindshed" split demo with Tomgrindy, though I've embedded just the audio (and won't post the title) due to potentially offensive content. Even still, it's just 17 seconds long, and it mostly comprises of guitar riffing, programmed drums, and assorted vocal effects, so while it has some variance, it's too short to amount to a lot. Check out that song below, and hear more above!



That's likely all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Creepshow/Frightlight Concert Preview, A Band Breakup, And Much More!!

Sorry for the delay, but here's our latest news post! Today, we're previewing a big and unique concert TONIGHT, showcasing a new video from a recent anti-bullying concert, reporting on a band breakup and related notes, and refreshing memories of a three year old metal band interview, so read on below to get caught up on everything!

Local metal/punk bands Frightlight & Sykotyk Rampage will rock The Roosevelt Hotel TONIGHT as support for a crowd-pleasing blend of punk and rockabilly! Postponed from it's original August 29th date, tonight's show will be headlined by Toronto quartet The Creepshow and Montreal trio The Hellbound Hepcats, who are both returning to the Soo for tonight's concert. The Creepshow's female-fronted country/punk/hellbilly blend & The Hellbound Hepcats' more traditional rockabilly sound should attract another sizeable crowd to The Rosie tonight, so if they're your thing, don't miss out! As for the heavier local bands, James White (a.k.a. Mr. Slim Cadaver) will return to the guest bassist position in lieu of the absent Eddie Fright for Frightlight's horror punk/metal set tonight, while Sykotyk Rampage will open the festivities with their improvised crash music, perhaps including songs from their newest albums, so don't come late! Admission is $10 in advance (through either promoter/Frightlight frontman Johnny Pints or The Rad Zone in the Wellington Square Mall), but the price jumps to $15 at the door. This is definitely a 19+ show, and Sykotyk Rampage are on first at 9:45 PM. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

If you love punk, psychobilly, and a dash of metal, you'll wanna be at The Rosie TONIGHT! The Creepshow are definitely local favourites, and the rest of the bands have their own local followings, so if you can swing a concert on a Monday night, don't miss this one! Get your advance tickets A.S.A.P. before they're gone, and for a preview, here's Frightlight (with Slim on bass) playing "Dead Town Anywhere" earlier this year!



Next up, here's a video from Saturday night's Walk & Rock Against Bullying in Sault Michigan, courtesy of Munising metal quartet Infathom! Uploaded to YouTube by attendee Brendan Fitzgerald yesterday, this is one of three videos he shot at the event outside of City Hall, including one video of Chump Change's Terry Talentino and his sons covering an Imagine Dragons song, and another video of their guitarist Kory Garland and his daughter playing an acoustic song together, and it's nice seeing the family connections on them for sure! The Infathom video is of them covering Avenged Sevenfold's "Afterlife" (albeit cut off at the end), and the audio quality is pretty good, but it was filmed on that vertical cell phone camera angle for some reason, and part of the video focuses on a little girl dancing in the audience, so keep that in mind. Infathom sound really good, and Dillion Semasky's vocals hold up well, so definitely check out their performance below, and I'll let you know if I hear of any more videos from the Walk To Rock in the next while!

Also, here's some of the latest from Sault Ontario label/studio Blood Shed Productions! For one, it's been officially confirmed that "Tomgrindy is dead", as per a post on their Facebook page on Thursday. A reason for the local goregrind trio's breakup wasn't announced, but it likely stems from the past month's posts about not hearing from co-singer/band namesake Jacob Tombari, so I take it they either still haven't heard from him, or he left the project. Though similar in many ways to member Ringsnaps Gibson's other goregrind projects, their added vocals and fuller sound did help them in their demo releases, so best of luck to both Ringsnaps, Jacob, and Jean-Paul in the future! Don't worry though, Ringsnaps is still hard at work on new music for his fellow Blood Shed artists, with their next demo release planned to be a split demo between his medical grindcore project Malignant Neoplasm, collaborator Austin McCrae's solo act Brutaly Fatal, and the band formerly known as Spitneck, and we'll have more on them in an upcoming post, so stay tuned!

Finally, here's an old local interview that I recently rediscovered when cleaning around my place, that being defunct local death metal quintet Bring The Fallen's interview with the Sault Youth Association's former newspaper The Fresh Magazine from the fall of 2010! This was among the prizes that they won at the Downtown Showdown battle of the bands at The Oddfellows Hall that May, and the included photo was part of what was likely their last formal photo shoot before breaking up the following spring. The interview features questions from a Fresh Magazine contributor and answers from a B.T.F. member (both uncredited), and it features discussion of their battle of the bands success, future label and touring plans, how they see the future of the local metal scene, dynamics in the band, their (least) favourite local venue, their influences, and more, so check out the full interview on your left or at this link! Very solid interview with good (if brief) discussion of their music and work together, and it's interesting to note that at the time of this interview, Bring The Fallen still had aspirations of forming their own label and touring Western Canada in mid-2011, but they broke up before any of that could happen.

I miss The Fresh Magazine and it's interesting freelance articles and open nature, but this article is a good late glimpse at Bring The Fallen on top of their game before their mixed quality last gigs (July's reunion at Oddzfest aside, that was great closure!) Check it out above, and stay tuned when we hear more about the members' past and future local music work!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news soon, including last month's poll results & this month's newest poll on Wednesday! Thanks everyone!

Chronic Demonic & Blood Shed Productions Updates, Plus New Videos!!

For this Saturday morning post, we're clearing out some of our recent assorted news items, so what's on tap? We have a pair of new solo performance uploads, the latest news from a local label, and to kick things off, here's some recent status notes concerning a band you may have seen on stage briefly earlier this month, so here's what you need to know! (Updated at 1:17 AM)

To start, here's the latest updates from newer local punk/metal quartet Chronic Demonic, but they are somewhat negative. As revealed on their Facebook page by guitarist Kevin "St. Mayhem" Powe on Thursday, the band has parted ways with singer Ririe Lavoie (a.k.a. Sabrina Strange), and though a reason wasn't publicized, she is apparently working on a new project with local bassist James Watterworth and Asylum Country/Jack Spades drummer T.J. Case, which Kevin seemed to eagerly hype in the posting, so we'll have to see what comes of that for sure! Chronic Demonic is interested in signing on a new lead singer (message the band at the above links if you're interested), but Kevin did note that the band is in a "state of limbo" due to work schedules and personal issues. Namely, he cited bassist Ryan Gratton's work commitments as one of the roadblocks, and he may put the band on hold for a few months until Ryan's schedule is clear (or perhaps end the project entirely), but nothing's confirmed at present.

As you may remember, Chronic Demonic (also featuring Kevin's Frightlight bandmate Rick "Styles" White on drums) launched earlier this year, but only played live once at The Rosie on August 1st, covering The Misfits' "London Dungeon" during the "Kid Who Made The Face" fundraiser. This is disappointing news, especially with the promise they had from early postings, but hopefully Ririe's new project takes off, and I hope Chronic Demonic stays together & toughs it out, as it'd seem anticlimactic to throw in the towel after playing just one song live. The talent's there, and I hope we'll have hear happier news soon!

Next up, here's the latest news from local grindcore/rap label Blood Shed Productions! While no YouTube postings have popped up lately, the Ringsnaps Gibson-led label is slowly getting busier and more prominent, and they've now added some new artists to their roster, including local alternative/acoustic solo artist Chase James Wigmore and local rapper Gnostic (a.k.a. Chris Downey.) More demo CD releases are planned from them and other projects, including the yet-revealed Spitneck, though I'll note that their current listing of artists doesn't include Tyler St. Amour's Social Suicide project for some reason or another. Recent postings have also indicated that Ringsnaps' grind trio Tomgrindy are currently on hiatus, and while a definite reason hasn't been stated, the band hadn't heard from co-vocalist Jacob Tombari (who the band was likely named after) as of August 16th, and they weren't sure where to go from there at the time.

Hopefully nothing bad has happened with Jacob, but Tomgrindy gave a fuller sound to some of Ringsnaps' earlier solo output, so hopefully this isn't the last we've seen of them! For now though, we won't list them as inactive, as the label's still selling copies of their demo, and I'd need to see 2/3rds of their lineup in new primary projects. Sounds like things are staying busy for the other acts (I'm curious to hear more of Chase's originals too), so stay tuned for updates on Blood Shed's grind & heavier work as it comes in!

Also today, here's the latest solo performance clips from Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy! With the school year approaching again, band news may return in the fall, but in the interim, he's uploaded two videos to his YouTube channel this week, and (keeping with recent trends for his uploads) they are vocal & guitar covers of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and, as embedded below, The Refreshments' "Banditos"!. The Tom Petty cover is minimalistic in tone, but his vocals fit the original song, while he also does good on the Refreshments cover (but as a past Ashes to Dust cover, I figure he'd know it well!) I will say that "Banditos" sounds empty without other musicians, and it'd be nice to see him tackle heavier material again, but overall, he's doing solid work, so give Alex's Refreshments cover video a look below, and see more at the above links!



Finally, here's the latest original song upload from Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison! Entitled "Into the Light of Darkness", this was just posted on his YouTube channel yesterday, and it's an instrumental that he wrote back in guitar class in high school. Despite the name, it's fairly upbeat and pleasant in tone, though I did notice Tym lament on his personal Facebook page that the bass doesn't come through on this upload. I think he's right, I don't hear it that much, but it's well written all the same! Note that the song isn't 6 minutes long, there's about 90 seconds of dead air at the end for some reason. Check out "Into the Light of Darkness" below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news as we barrel into September! Thanks everyone!

Swampstravaganza Lineup Additions, New Song Postings, And More!!

Keeping the news coming on this Wednesday afternoon, we have some assorted recent updates to touch on, mostly from Sault Ontario, so what have we got? New song uploads (both in an album format) from two very different bands, lineup additions for a large upcoming metal show, and much more, so read on below for what you need to know!

Replacement bands for THIS SATURDAY'S Sewer Swampstravaganza III have been announced to fill the spots vacated by Giwakwa and Winkstinger, so before we preview the full show in the next few days, let's give those some proper attention! Giwakwa's old 6:00 PM slot will surprisingly go to another out of town band (joining headliners Warsenal), as their replacements will be Toronto grindcore trio Goatface Killa, who will bring a noisy extreme sound to the table that grindcore and hardcore punk fans should take to, and this seems ripe for moshpits as well! Note that the band's Facebook page implies that locals Shit Liver are playing, but unless there's another lineup change that hasn't been announced, this is likely false (they didn't even play in the last two Swampstravaganzas.) Winkstinger's replacement at 4:00 PM is local solo musician James Watterworth in his second Oddfellows Hall appearance in under three weeks, and his considerable bass skills and easy going nature should be a solid addition to the afternoon lineup, so don't miss him!

Note also that the Facebook event page lists James under his alias Delusionair Lionhair, which he's namedropped when playing songs from that project live, though I didn't know he and Delusionair were one & the same in previous reviews of his shows. The rest of the lineup is unchanged for bands & performance order, so stay tuned for our extended preview of the third Swampstravaganza very soon!

Next up, we have some new YouTube song uploads, starting with the second "album" from local hard rock/jam trio Mike Haggith & The Din! Entitled "Chaotic Symphony", this was uploaded as a YouTube playlist of 13 songs on Thursday, and it was apparently recorded at Paperclip Productions one week ago as part of a private concert for a small audience. The included songs are called "Luigi", "Journey" (#1 & #2), "Trip To Spain", "Luigi (Another One)", "The Dog", "Flow", "Journey #3", "I Am", "The Ballad of K2/K3", "Climbing The Vine", "Journey #4", and "Analog Palace", so click each link to check them out! If there's a paid release planned for "Chaotic Symphony", I haven't heard of it, but if you like Mike & The Din's previous solo work and live appearances, this should be appealing for it's looser take on Mike's solo sound, with some solid adaptations present! I'll have to hear more before I really judge, but the recording quality's good, check out the first song "Luigi" below, and stay tuned for more from Mike's next local music work!



Also in new song postings, local goregrind band Tomgrindy (featuring Crucify The Whore's Ringsnaps Gibson) has their "full album" uploaded to label Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel on Sunday via two videos (links here & here), so if you're up for some goregrind originals, this is a prolific source! If you've heard Tomgrindy's past material uploads, it's more of the same, but there is a fuller sound compared to Ringsnaps' other projects that isn't as reliant on pig squeal vocals, and there is some promising lead guitar work to be found as well! Acquired taste still, but there is growth present, so check out the first half of Tomgrindy's "album" below!



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

• Local bar/concert venue The New American Pub (who have recently begun booking heavier bands following renovations) are now fully linked in our active Sault Ontario venues on your left, as they launched their official Facebook page earlier this year! Not a whole lot to say on them for concert news that would fit here, but follow along just in case!
• According to Rock 101's radio ad for the show, the Pop Evil/Team Jessica benefit concert at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino next week will feature local indie band The London Gentlemen and local pop duo Missy & Chelsea as openers. However, that this isn't cited online that I've seen, and The London Gentlemen haven't played live since May, with members Steve Sivret & Jake LaLonde (ex-Nixxon Dixxon) both moving out of state. If I hear anything local opener clarification, I'll let you guys know (and buy tickets A.S.A.P. for just $20!)
• In a bit of clarification from our Rotaryfest coverage, local hard rock quintet Sailor's Tongue's demo "Pierced" (that was sold near the Second Stage the day they played) was actually intended to just be a preview sampler for Rotaryfest attendees, and is NOT the final product of their recent recording sessions. As a result, I'll hold off on a Sailor's Tongue CD review until their formal album comes out (assuming all goes according to plan), and thanks to drummer Dean McKey for the information!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews and more in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Banned), The Return Of These Sins Of Time, And New Videos!!

In our first of two posts today (our review of last night's all ages show at The Oddfellows Hall is coming later today), we have some assorted recent news to touch on, including a band return, new videos, and a bunch of LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this year! For reference, weekend concert previews (including at least one new show confirmation) are coming TOMORROW MORNING, so keep an eye out for that, but let's begin this run of new posts with the information below!

Kinross hard/classic rock quintet Banned have announced seven new concerts (over 4 weekends) for later this year, as per their Facebook page yesterday! The guys will first head out to Dan's Place in Rudyard on Saturday, July 13th for a one night only gig (no word on why), and though you may remember Banned from some early shows at the town's Music In The Park series, I think this is their first ever show at Dan's Place (a recent favourite of Powerslug's), so keep that in mind in July! The other new confirmations are for the fall, including returns to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Michigan Kewadin Casino on September 20th & 21st and November 22nd & 23rd (their first announced dates there since March), and a weekend engagement at The Runway Bar in Hessel on November 22nd & 23rd (following two one-off gigs there this summer), so mark those on your calendars for some diverse hard and classic rock originals & covers! All but one of these gigs start at 9:00 PM (the Rudyard show's at 8:00 PM), all have 21+ age limits, and there's no announced cover charges. Check the above links for more details!

Nice to see the shows piling on for Banned through the fall, and hopefully there's lots more to come as their name continues to grow in the Eastern U.P.! Note that the new gigs somewhat reinforce what looks like a break for all of next month, as no official public dates for June 2013 have been announced at present, but we'll keep you posted if anything turns up. Stay tuned for more from Banned when it comes in!

Next up, local hard rock band These Sins of Time are back! You may remember T.S.O.T. from our posthumous discovery of them early last year (they'd broken up in December 2011), but as of a week ago via their new Facebook page, singer Alexa LeClair had resurrected the band for new work locally, so what should you know? Influenced by bands like Papa Roach and Hinder, the These Sins of Time name had been used by in projects dating back to 2009, amidst scattered solo work that Alexa undertook, including at least one solo EP release & numerous postings on her YouTube channel. Their most recent 2011 run saw them play some sort of acoustic gig at the former Steamy Bean, along with making plans to complete a full lineup and record a demo, but only now does it look like major plans will be restarted. Details on members haven't been revealed yet, but it looks like guitarist Dalton James Boissoneau (also of Acention) may be back in the fold, though no word on if drummer Mitch Harris is back too, or if their other openings have been filled.

Facebook postings so far include requests for covers, lyric postings, and a solo vocal sample of an original song named "How You Behave", but click the above links for more details! I'm very curious to hear what T.S.O.T. bring to the table in their latest return, and Alexa's quite a good young singer (we don't have enough female hard rock vocalists on the Ontario side of the border), so check out her solo and band work above, and These Sins of Time are back in our local band links!

We'll close this post with new videos, starting with a new music video of sorta from Dafter, Michigan solo artist Ken "SweetKenny" Sutton, and it sets his recent original instrumental "Burn Notice" with edited footage of Ukranian pole dancer Anastasia Sokolova performing on "Ukraine's Got Talent". It seems sort of random (especially with the last part not of her dancing), but if you like the song or this style of dancing, it'll work for you, so give SweetKenny's new video a look below! (This was uploaded on his YouTube channel on May 13th.)

Finally, here's the latest song postings from local grindcore label Blood Shed Productions! After a couple weeks off from new uploads, the Ringsnaps Gibson-led studio posted two new tracks onto the label's YouTube channel in recent days of his grind solo project Crucify The Whore's new song "Bunk, Shake, and Headache" and a new song from his band Tomgrindy that's embedded below (though I won't give the title or embed the full video due to a sexual title reference and possibly disturbing imagery in both clips.) The Tomgrindy track is fuller and longer, and the backing music is more substantial, but both tracks will still mainly appeal to people who like pig squeal vocals and can handle the themes. Check out the new Tomgrindy song below, and stay tuned for updates on what's being hyped as their first solo demo, along with a C.T.W./Brutaly Fatal split demo too!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for my review of last night's Sleep When You're Dead concert later today! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Suicide Kings & The Bunchofuckingoofs), Plus New Videos!!

On this 56th straight day of SMS updates, we're staying busy with more recent news and notes, and while we're taking a break from Woods of Ypres/Juno talk to cover some other recent items, we'll touch on the latest fallout from that huge story from this weekend in our next full news post! Today though, we have new videos from a handful of local artists, and leading off, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for this weekend and this summer, so here's what you need to know (and check out this month's YouTube Channel Profiles in the post below this one!)

Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands finalists The Suicide Kings will play at The Roosevelt Hotel for the first time this weekend! A full weekend with shows on Friday & Saturday, these will be the band's first non-battle appearances in over a month, and their first double weekend engagement since their first Docks gigs in February, so I'm sure fans of theirs will be itching to hear their full live concert sets again! Of course, if they perform well or win at the Rockstar Bar Battle finals THIS WEDNESDAY, they should be amped up and bringing their A-game to The Rosie this weekend, but we'll have to see what happens at the finals first! If you're up for some Suicide Kings action on Friday & Saturday, then both shows have 19+ age limits, 10:00 PM start times, and no cover charges. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! As the battle finals haven't happened yet, I won't give any in-depth thoughts on their next shows until we preview these gigs on Thursday, but hopefully The Suicide Kings have a successful weekend of hard rocking originals and covers at The Rosie, and don't miss them in the Rockstar Bar Battle Finals on Wednesday!

Also in new concerts, a venue has finally been confirmed for the other newly announced show from local punk/metal promoter/singer J.D. Pearce, so now, we can properly promote The Bunchofuckingoofs' concert in Sault Ontario on Monday, August 13th! This infamous Toronto hardcore punk quartet will headline what should be a brutal concert at The Algonquin Pub (downstairs from The Rockstar Bar), and their brutal and catchy sounds should be welcomed by local metalheads and punk fans this summer! At least two local opening bands will play support, including resurgent hardcore/punk quintet Destroilet (in likely their first gig there since opening for The Ripcordz) and local grindcore trio Shit Liver, in their own Algonquin Pub debut! It's good to see both bands playing more, as neither has been that visible in the past few months, so don't miss some brutal local action before The BFGs rock The Gonq! Admission prices and start times have yet to be confirmed, but I believe this will be a 19+ event. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page!

This should be another intense concert of metal and punk action, and kudos to J.D. for yet another major concert in town this summer! Hopefully The BFGs and the local openers deliver a great night of action, so don't miss this show on August 13th, and for more on J.D.'s upcoming concerts, check out our post full of the rest from Saturday!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with footage of two eliminated bands from The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Semifinals!  One comes from local punk band The Northern Tragedy's third place set on April 10th of them playing the song "3 2 4" (courtesy of their YouTube channel), and while it's filmed well from a good angle with talent clearly present, their energy, crowd engagement, and enthusiasm needs major work for future concerts. The other videos are from local stoner/death metal quartet Giwakwa's second place set last week, and they capture their full four song set across two videos, including their opening songs "Stoned To Death" & "Winter's Hunger" and (as embedded below) "Endless Bummer" and "Iron Lung"! Uploaded by YouTube user Zaphradoo yesterday, and as filmed from a far angle to the right of the stage, these offer a unique angle of Giwakwa's set, but drummer Chris Thompson is often blocked from view by guitarist Chris Page as a result. This was a good & very heavy performance, but I'd like to see them take more of a Crowbar or funeral doom influence, as at times, it often sounds like a slightly slowed down Bring The Fallen. If you're gonna go the doom/stoner route, go all the way with it!

Still, I enjoyed their set, it's great seeing Nolan and Josh back together on stage after two years, and hopefully we'll see Giwakwa back on stage soon with a longer set! Check out the second half of their battle set below, and don't miss Josh Stephney in Wednesday's finals anyway with his other band The Bear Hunters!



Finally for today, local grind/horror rap label Blood Shed Productions have uploaded two songs from their upcoming Crucify The Whore/Tomgrindy split demo "Grindshed" onto their YouTube channel! The C.T.W. track is called "I Like Shepard's Pie", while the Tomgrindy song is called "Tongue Tearing Taco" (a likely sexual reference.) Postings on the bands' Facebook pages linked above imply that the demo will be released on Friday, though it's unclear it will be just a demo or more professionally packaged (copies do cost $5 on request when released.) "I Like Shepard's Pie" shows more development of C.T.W.'s sound despite it's length, though it still feels incomplete lyrically and musically, and the pig squeal vocals do take a back seat to actual death growls! The Tomgrindy song, however, is longer and fuller sounding insturmentally, though the vocals are a mix of assorted noises with few discernible words. On both, images of the demo's likely artwork and assorted logos are featured, but as some feature pictures that some may find disturbing or offensive, I'll only embed the audio here of "I Like Shepard's Pie". If you're up for some more surprisingly prolific material from Blood Shed's grindcore artists, check the above links, and hear C.T.W.'s new song below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned TOMORROW for our preview of Wednesday's final round of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, plus more news (including more Woods of Ypres/Juno Awards fallout) as it comes in! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Garden Of Bedlam), A New Local Metal Project, And How You Can Help A Local Musician!!

We have quite a busy week in store at the SMS, one that will push our streak of consecutive days with SMS updates to at least 54 on Saturday (barring computer meltdown), but what's in store today? A regular news post, more or less, including a new local band and recent updates from their label/studio, along with fundraising to help a local hard rock musician through recent medical & financial issues, but first, here's a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT marking two talented metal bands' long awaited returns to the concert stage, so here's what you need to know!

Garden of Bedlam will finally play their first show of 2013 next week, when they return for a headlining gig at The Rockstar Bar on April 26th! Last seen there (or anywhere) in late October for The Rad Zone's birthday bash, this prominent metal quartet have been missed in recent months, and the guys are very anxious to get playing again, so don't miss Buzz, Josh, Evan, and Derek back on stage one week from Friday! Might there be some new material or covers in store come next week? However, unlike their past Rockstar Bar gigs, this won't be a solo concert, as Garden of Bedlam have an opening band next week who've been waiting even longer to play another show, that being local hard rock quintet Skeyes of Seven! You may remember them as the opening band at last July's Anvil concert at The Canadian (also featuring Garden of Bedlam), but they've been in a nine month break from new concerts since, though that has helped lead to writing at least 6 original songs according to their Facebook page. Featuring Sense of Truth, Half Past, Tripod The Dog, and Cherry Crush alumni, how will Skeyes of Seven do in their first Rockstar Bar appearance and second live show? We'll find out next week!

This show (which was previously advertised on marquee boards inside The Rockstar Bar, but not officially confirmed) will take place on April 26th at 11:00 PM (with doors opening at 9:00 PM), you must be 19 to attend, and I'd assume a cover charge in the $5 range would be in effect. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! This should be a huge concert, even with the sorta late notice, and it'll be great to see both bands back at it after too long of a break! I'll definitely see you guys there, so don't miss the returns of Garden of Bedlam and Skeyes of Seven next week!

Next up, we have a new local metal project to add to our band links, and it's Brutaly Fatal, one of the recently launched metal/goregrind projects from upstart local label/studio Blood Shed Productions! As previously alluded to on here, Brutaly Fatal (which appears to be misspelled intentionally) is a solo project led by label co-owner Austin McRae (who handles vocals & bass), and though it appears to have been active since late last year, their Facebook page has only been up for a week. Since the project's launch, Austin has released one demo named "Acidic Sky's" (which can be bought by request through the links above), though like the other Blood Shed releases, I think it's essentially a hand written demo in a paper sleeve. Future plans include at least one more full length disc this summer, and a split release with fellow Blood Shed artist Crucify The Whore (more on them in a bit), which I'll try to keep you guys updated on! Brutaly Fatal's only posted media so far is this unembeddable Facebook video for their song "Fall", and while this song does sound very unfinished, I think Austin's work is probably my favourite of the goregrind projects through Blood Shed Productions that I've heard!

Austin has growling ability and bass skill, but I'd like to see him fill out the project with other musicians and see where it goes. Since I found the Blood Shed Productions artists, I've wondered why they don't just band together and make a full goregrind/death metal band, rather than a bunch of incomplete sounding solo projects, but maybe there's a method to the madness that I haven't heard yet. Give Brutaly Fatal a look above, and they're now in our Sault Ontario metal band links!

Also in updates from the Blood Shed camp, fellow label artists Crucify The Whore & Tomgrindy (both featuring Blood Shed co-owner Ringsnaps Gibson) have been among the acts hard at work on new music to be put out through the label, alongside signed horrorcore/rap artists. Among the plans are C.T.W. split albums with both Tomgrindy & the aforementioned Brutaly Fatal, and a full Tomgrindy demo, and while it remains to be seen if these will have full proper packaging, there are photos on Blood Shed Productions' Facebook page hinting towards more detailed artwork and possible hard cases on future releases. Via the C.T.W. Facebook page, the artwork for their split disc with Tomgrindy, likely titled "Grindshed", is also posted (albeit on a sideways angle.) As for new material, a few new videos have been posted onto the Blood Shed Productions YouTube channel in the past week or so, including Crucify The Whore's debut demo in full (whose title & art may offend Amanda Todd supporters), and a short teaser for "Grindshed" that actually features some video footage!

Featuring Ringsnaps introducing the material (including a barely visible track listing), the included song (which band is unclear) is an incomplete instrumental take, but despite a muffled quality to this recording, it sounds somewhat fuller musically than earlier songs from either project did. We'll have to see how the new material turns out, but for now, give this preview video of the planned C.T.W./Tomgrindy split demo a look below, and stay tuned for updates from Blood Shed Productions' death metal & goregrind artists!

Finally for today, a local musician needs your help with a major medical battle, so here's what you should know! As some of you may know, former Half Past frontman Luke LeBlanc has been battling kidney cancer in recent months, and according to a post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group by his friend Zenith Lillie-Eakett on Friday, his current treatments are considered too experimental by OHIP to be covered, and related struggles are contributing to financial issues. To help with his bills, local artists are coming together to raise money to help out through a campaign on Etsy being led by local craft/clothing company Washboard Bill's Wonder Emporium, where any purchases on Etsy (which were all donated) will see all proceeds go to helping Luke at this time of need, including straight donations through "good vibes" and "bear hugs". We don't usually talk about personal matters of local musicians on here (good or bad, we're not TMZ), but when it comes to helping someone in the local scene in times like this, it absolutely has to be mentioned, so please consider buying something to help him out!

Luke's a talented singer (as he proved with Half Past from 2009-2011) and a very funny guy, and he deserves many kudos for his positive outlook and his hard fight so far! It'd be nice to see old bandmates & friends of his organize a benefit concert too, as I imagine that would be a big help for Luke's treatments and bills right now, but if you can help out in any way, buy or donate something on Etsy to give Luke a hand, and hopefully he'll beat cancer before you know it! Get better soon, Luke!

That's likely all for today, but stay tuned for our preview of Wednesday's last night of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands Semifinals tomorrow! Who's competing, what's at stake, and what do attendees need to know? Find out tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Band, Mike Haggth's New Album, And More Recent News!!

Well guys, the site is shutting down forever... April Fools! I guarantee that in this post (on day 35 of our posting streak), none of the stories are an April Fools joke, but what do we have today? Along with new video finds from a defunct local hard rock band, and some lineup changes for a show next week, we have news on a new album from a local solo artist, and leading off, a new local metal project, so here's what you need to know!

We have a new local metal band to add to our band links, that being the new local grindcore project Tomgrindy! We've covered them on the site in the past, but this is the first word I've seen of them beyond scattered song postings. This is the newest goregrind project to be signed to Blood Shed Productions, and their lineup features label owner/Crucify The Whore mainman Ringsnaps Gibson on vocals, guitar, and programming, along with vocalists/co-writers Jacob Tombari and Jean-Paul Archambault, neither of which I'm familiar with musically. They've posted two songs on Blood Shed Productions' YouTube channel so far, one of which has a title referencing the reality show "Jon & Kate + 8" that some might find offensive, while the other (embedded below) is called "Merry Grindmas". From what I can tell, Tomgrindy (who apparently have a demo in the works) is similar to C.T.W. in musical style, albeit with some different vocal effects to go along with the grind growling/squealing (even with some rapping & spoken word sections), but this is still very much an acquired taste that feels unfinished in both length and instrument use.

Lyrics and imagery aside, I think Ringsnaps' projects would get off the ground more if he got a full lineup to flesh out the material, as many listeners (especially those who don't like grind music) will likely find that it just sounds like pig squeals over distorted guitar effects. Shit Liver are proof that grind music can work locally, so why not take it that next step? I think Tomgrindy & C.T.W. could be more impactful if they did, but for now, check out "Merry Grindmas" below, and Tomgrindy are now in our Sault Ontario metal band links!



Next up, Haggith drummer Mike Haggith's newest solo album "The Present Din" is now available for streaming! Coming just a few months after the release of the oft-delayed
 "Neighbourhood Watch", this is Mike's 46th solo album, it was recorded
at Galactic Records with vocal tracks recorded locally at PaperClip Productions (the Haggith band's label/studio) under the supervision of Mike's Haggith bandmate Daniel Horton. The album in full features 9 songs, including the previously announced "Her Song", "The Issue", "Drown", and "Careless Space", while the new songs include "Lost Time", "November Love Song", "Door To My Mind" (which was axed from early "Neighbourhood Watch track listings), "The Issue (Resurfaced)". and "It Takes Time" (a cover of a song by the Kincheloe alternative project The Black Hole Suns.) The album's streaming copy was posted as one combined YouTube video on Mike's YouTube channel on Saturday, though I'll note that as of today, a for sale copy on his Reverbnation page has not been posted.

A softer and more upbeat release than his other recent albums, definitely check out "The Present Din" above and below, but when might we see a review of it? It won't be for a while if we do, as we just reviewed "Neighbourhood Watch" in December, but if officially goes on sale (rather than being an exclusive free stream), it looks likely for a summer review! For now though, give "The Present Din" a listen, and don't miss Mike and his namesake band at The Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands THIS WEDNESDAY!!!!



Also in the news, here's the latest lineup news for the Rabid Whole-headlined concert at The Roosevelt Hotel on April 11th (one week from Thursday.) Yesterday, the second and final local opening band was announced, and it will be local blue Chinese metal crash punk quartet Sykotyk Rampage, in what will be their first show since February (also a Thursday night Rosie concert!) It'll be good to see the Beckers and company bringing their alternative/blues/improv hybrid back to the stage, so don't miss them come next week, or on the 17th at the third night of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands! That said, the other previously announced opening band, local progressive rock quartet Machines Dream, has been forced to drop out due to bassist Craig West being scheduled for wrist surgery the night before the show. That's a definite bummer, and it'd have been cool to see them back on stage again after a long break, but hopefully they play a make-up show sooner or later! A replacement band has not been announced, but of course, stay tuned to the SMS in case we hear anything, and click here for full details on this concert!

Finally for today, we've finally found live videos of a defunct local hard rock band, that being the 2011-2012 Sault Michigan quintet Swayze Train! During their brief, yet high profile run, the band (featuring current Toast bandmates Melissa Strand, Mike Libertoski, and Tony Rogers alongside Insipid Brutality guitarist Scott Savoie & ex-Clownsack drummer Tyler Tidwell) never posted videos on their now-deleted Facebook page, but I've came across a few on a personal Facebook page that I thought I'd acknowledge on here! Remember, I don't usually promote personal Facebook video uploads, but when it's all you have, you've gotta mention it. Sault Michigan resident Paul Steinkohl posted 6 videos (some incomplete, all unembeddable) from June & July 2011 gigs, including ones featuring Swayze Train covering Avenged Sevenfold' "Nightmare", Flyleaf's "Cassie", Saliva's "Ladies & Gentlemen", Chevelle's "The Red", and two different clips of them covering Tool's "Sober (here & here), so click each link to check them out! Note as well that Paul also filmed three videos of their partial successors Toast from shows last month, including them covering Rev Theory's "Hell Yeah", Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born On The Bayou", and Deee-Lite's "Groove Is In The Heart", all of which were posted on Toast's Facebook page.

Kudos to Paul for filming these, and it's good to finally see both bands in a video! Swayze Train were really good and had a ton of chemistry, with Melissa Strand's vocals and the guitar work really shining, but I wish the lighting was better. As for Toast, their videos, occasional acoustic shows, and indications I'd heard from drummer Bob Helsten do point to a bit more varied sound, but I'll give them credit, not every band can cover both Rev Theory & Deee-Lite and make it work! Check out both bands' only known videos above, and if I'm wrong on Toast not skewing heavier, I'll let you guys know!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, a preview of the first night of the Rockstar Bar Battle of the Bands, and more! Thanks everyone!

A New Local Hard Rock Band, The End Of Turner Up, And New Videos!!

For our 22nd straight day of new SMS updates, we have even more recent news to share, so what's in store for this post? We have new original songs from a (presumably) new local grind project, plus new solo guitar covers from a recently active musician, but first, we have a brand new local band to plug, and the band breakup leading from their inception, so read on below for what you need to know!

A new Sault Ontario hard rock band has been formed, and they are named The Thrill Junkies! Their lineup features Turner Up/Havadder bandmates Travis Sharpe on vocals (switching from bass), Robert Brown on guitar, and Scott McLurg on drums, along with Havadder-only guitarist Jason Nisbet, and new bassist Jamie Cameron, who may be more familiar for his work in country acts like Double Barrel. As you may have surmised by the formation of a new band with so many members of both bands (and the absences of Krista Marshall & Jason Roy), both Turner Up & Havadder have apparently parted ways after their own prominent local runs. According to Scott in a recent Facebook e-mails, both bands "have gone their separate ways to work on other projects", and though he didn't go into specifics on what happened with either band, neither have played live or issued public updates in 2013. Scott also told me that The Thrill Junkies will be heavier (indicating a sound closer to that of Turner Up and the older bands that Travis fronted), and they'll cover everything from Alice In Chains to Judas Priest to Volbeat in this new project.

The Thrill Junkies don't have online pages or media yet, but Scott did say that their live debut will take place on April 6th in Spanish, Ontario (3 hours east of the Soo), where they will play in a battle of the bands for cash & an opening spot at this year's Rock 'N Roar Festival there in August, where they could open for bands like Loverboy, Streetheart, and Sweeney Todd! An out of town debut may seem odd, but this is familiar ground for all but Jamie, as Havadder took fifth place in this same battle last year, earning them a slot opening for Lou Gramm of Foreigner at the festival. I'm very curious to hear how The Thrill Junkies sound, especially with Travis' return to full-time local singing, but when more details come in on their local debuts, online pages, and posted media, we'll be sure to have them here, and wish them the best in three weeks when they rock Spanish! Of course though, it is sad to see the end of Turner Up's second incarnation after a successful year back, and Havadder had occasional hard rock covers of their own in their five year run, so best of luck to Jason Roy & Krista in the future, and hopefully both turn up in new local music projects soon!

We'll close with some new videos, including two new solo performance clips from Ashes To Dust guitarist Alex Hemy's YouTube channel! Uploaded over the past couple of days, these are covers of 10 Years' "Wasteland" and (as embedded below) Breaking Benjamin's "So Cold", and both are similar to his other recent videos, albeit with a new channel logo bug & a 30 second clip of his "Toxicity" cover at the end of each, likely to encourage new subscribers. These are dependably good covers, with the multiple camera angles and lighting working to each song's advantage, so give Alex's version of "So Cold" a look below, and see more at the above links!

Finally for today, here's some new local grindcore songs from newer local label Blood Shed Productions! In recent days, the label led by Crucify The Whore's Ringsnaps Gibson has uploaded a few new songs to their YouTube channel, mostly from affiliated local rappers, but two songs were posted from a grind act named Tomgrindy, of whom I know nothing beyond the songs. The songs are a self-titled track & "Grind In Your Mouth", and both are very short, of mixed quality, and feature pig squeal & guttural vocals. The self-titled one has more substance & a solid melody compared to the other track, which has just a tinny drum beat, and I can't really judge without hearing more/longer material, but if you wanna hear some new local goregrind, check out the song "Tomgrindy" below, and check out more B.S.P. material above!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news this week, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profile on Friday! Thanks everyone!