Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Sailor's Tongue

It's now time for this month's Defunct Local Band Profile, and after a two month spell of randomly selected bands who were on the higher end for heaviness and notoriety here and afar, this month takes us to an accomplished past group who didn't have an extended run, but still played some big events and had a lot of promising original material. Here's what you should know in this monthly feature post!

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Sailor's Tongue

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Genre: Hard/Blues Rock

Lineup:

Kyle McKey (The Ghost Town Cryers, Stillbroke, Mocombo), vocals/guitar
Blake Jackson, guitar
Liam Seymour (Lime, The Rising Tide), guitar
Jeff Brown (Turner Up), bass
Dean McKey (The McCartney Years), drums

Audio/Video: In conjunction with their set at Rotaryfest's Second Stage in July 2013, Sailor's Tongue released their only EP named "Pierced" at that event. This was intended to be a limited-run sampler for a formal full length album that never came to fruition, to the point that certain songs were labelled as demos. While "Pierced" is long out of print, you can stream all seven songs and a few select non-EP cuts that may have been planned for the full album across both the band's Reverbnation page and drummer Dean McKey's Soundcloud page. Limited videos from their 2010s reunion gigs can be found on YouTube, including this video of the guys playing "BootScattered" at their 2013 Stage 2 set!

Info/Analysis: Evolving from prior local bands named Pix N' Stix and Edge City, Sailor's Tongue were originally active locally from roughly 2005-2009, where they played headlining dates at former venues like Foggy Notions and The Nicolet Tavern, and made the finals of 2007's Bon Soo Battle of the Bands, while honing originals that would later appear on "Pierced". Gigs slowed down after Dean moved to London for university in 2007, but the band (with Liam initially replacing Blake) would reunite in 2012 for special events, including the final two LopLops-curated Second Stages at Rotaryfest on Queen Street East. Despite their public album plans, they fell inactive again by 2014 when Kyle moved out of town himself, though the band reunited to play at Rotaryfest Stage 1 in 2019, making them the first Stage 2 band to ever graduate to the main stage.

 

A well varied outfit who could deliver hard rock grooves while also featuring blues, southern rock, and funk influences on various songs like "Float" and "Doctor John", the McKey brothers and crew had good chemistry, distinct vocals, and a casual stage presence that would have lent them well had members stayed in town long enough to allow more momentum to gather as a live and studio act. Kyle & Dean have privately worked on songwriting for Sailor's Tongue since the band dissolved, and hopefully we haven't seen the last of them on a local stage, but follow members' current projects to see what they're up to in the 2020s!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! This series will return on or around May 10th, and we'll have more news and notes on the site next week! Thanks everyone! 

Double Down & Separate Wayz/Guilty Party Updates, Plus A New Video Interview!!

Before we tackle another round of weekend concert previews, here's a new news post on this Wednesday night, which includes lineup updates for some bands on the weekend rock cover circuit and a new interview discovery with a musician who had a brief but noteworthy stint in a local band, so with all of that said, here's what you should know!

We have some big lineup news from two (kinda three) local classic/hard rock bands, as Half Past drummer Johnny Amendola has joined both Separate Wayz and The Guilty Party, replacing Brent Royer. As per Separate Wayz' Facebook page on Sunday, Brent amicably left due to being unable to "commit (to) the amount we want to play in both bands" (not unlike why Steven left), and while the statement was only made on one of the two bands' pages and didn't directly say that Brent left The Guilty Party too, singer/guitarist Terry Eaton confirmed that he did in a Facebook e-mail yesterday. Brent had been a founding member of The Guilty Party last fall, and only just joined their sister band Separate Wayz three weeks ago, but he played just one weekend with each group before opting out. He's a talented musician (you have to be to drum and sing at once), and hopefully we see him in a new band soon!

The son of Headrush bassist John Amendola, Johnny has been a familiar face in local rock bands like Cherry Crush, Tripod The Dog, and Skeyes Of Seven since the mid-2010s, and he reportedly is gelling well with Terry, Jim, and Nicole so far, so we'll have to see how things go for the two bands in 2026 now that they have a drummer who is purportedly more available! Terry also confirmed that Johnny will take over for Glen Thomas behind the drumkit for Soundcheck's reunion gigs next weekend at Jay's Piston Broke Pub, which only makes sense. Stay tuned for more on the two full-time bands' next shows when they roll in, let alone Soundcheck next week!

Next up, here's the latest from local classic/hard rock cover quartet Double Down, who confirmed on their Facebook page on Monday that this past Saturday's concert at Beck's Bar was their last with Mid Life Crysis bassist Lori Reinholtz as a fill-in, as their regular bassist Dan Beaupre is finally returning after being AWOL since the summer for medical and travel reasons. Apologies for erroneously covering that Dan was on bass for their show at Jay's Piston Broke Pub on December 12th, the band never said either way who was on bass that night. It will be good to have Dan back for their Water Tower Pub gig on February 21st, if not sooner! While we're on the subject, the band posted three videos from their Beck's gig on Saturday to their Facebook page, one with each regular band member on lead vocals. Alas, all three were shot vertically and none are full, but what was filmed?

The uncredited attendee filmed Double Down & Lori covering Collective Soul's "Gel" (with guitarist Joel Syrette on vocals) and Weezer's "Island In The Sun" (with drummer Ric Datson on vocals), but embedded below is the longest of the three, of their take on the Thin Lizzy version of the Irish standard "Whiskey In The Jar" with guitarist Beej Syrette on vocals. Nice sampling of their live sound with everyone singing well when called upon, and while I wouldn't have shot these vertically, the filmer at least got some close-up angles from all over the stage, including the band's view of Beck's! Give Double Down's new videos a watch above & below, and kudos to Lori and Alex for filling in with them since last fall!

Finally for today, I figured this was worth sharing, even if the musician in question was only briefly a local band member, and only became publically known as such after the band dissolved. As you may recall, after Woods Of Ypres frontman David Gold passed away in December 2011, it came out that he and guitarist Joel Violette had enlisted American musicians Brendan Hayter & Rae Amitay to serve as their new bassist and drummer the previous month. Obviously, their 2012 tour plans never came to fruition, but Joel would add both Brendan and Rae to the lineup of his studio-only black metal band Thrawsunblat, and Brendan appeared on their albums through 2019. Brendan is otherwise best known for his New England-based atmospheric black metal band Obsidian Tongue, who predated his brief Woods tenure and are still active today.

I bring all this up now because Brendan was interviewed about his career (including Woods Of Ypres) by Shayan S. of the Iranian/British interview series/podcast Iblis Manifestations last year! You can watch the whole hour+ interview below, but if you want to jump straight to the Woods section, that begins 34:40 into the 67 minute interview. Here, Brendan talks about how he and Obsidian Tongue got the chance to open for Woods of Ypres on their last tour in May 2011 and how he befriended David and Joel afterwards, how he got the bassist gig, and his perceptions of "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" before it came out. He outlined plans for him and Rae to drive to Ontario in January 2012 to rehearse with the band before flying to Great Britain for label dealings, a music video shoot, and European tour dates, which leads into how he processed learning about David's death and the lost opportunities therein.

It's interesting to hear how Brendan balanced his thoughts about grief and loss from his place in the band, especially as he didn't know David that well yet, and he approaches things at a very mature and respectful level while not asking for pity or playing the blame game. The Woods of Ypres section takes up about 15 minutes, and it's an interesting look into the tail end of the band's all-too-short run, so check our Brendan's entire Iblis Manifestations interview below, and black metal fans shouldn't bypass Obsidian Tongue!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews on the SMS next! Thanks everyone!

Sailor's Tongue - "Pierced" CD Review!!

It is now time for our 124th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, and for a second straight month, we're dipping into the archives due to no new paid albums coming out in October to my knowledge. After a three month spell of reviewing solo releases, we have a band's album this time, namely inactive local hard rock band Sailor's Tongue's demo CD "Pierced"! Released in conjunction with their Rotaryfest Second Stage set on July 20th, 2013, this independently-recorded & released album was originally intended as a sampler for their planned full length studio album that never came out, and as such, it intentionally had a limited physical release. In fact, I had planned to review this album on the site when it was new, but drummer Dean McKey asked me to hold off in lieu of the full length CD. Between them falling inactive by 2014 and the 6+ year wait, I think we're in the clear now, though note that songs 2-4 are clearly labelled as demos in the liner notes.

"Pierced" is credited to Sailor's Tongue's late-period quintet lineup, including Dean alongside his brother Kyle McKey on lead vocals and guitar, plus fellow guitarists Liam Seymour & Blake Jackson, and bassist Jeff Brown, though only the McKey brothers factor on every track. We're tying in this review with Liam's solo concert at The Whiskey Barrel last week, for the record. This CD is long since out of print, but all 7 songs can be streamed between Dean's Soundcloud page (the first four songs) and the band's Reverbnation page (the last three), and are linked as such in this review.

Featuring 7 songs running for about 34 minutes in length, let's begin this review with it's opening song, "Float"! Apparently recorded solely by the McKeys in 2010, this song has a very catchy groove that plays into their musical strengths, and I like the stop-start riffing in particular! If you're more familiar with Kyle's softer and country work, you may be surprised to hear his strong melodic vocals on heavier music like this, and he has a solid range that he puts to use well on the chorus! The bluesy touches in the song's structure are welcomed also, and it's very easy to see why this song was pegged to open "Pierced". Maybe it could stand to be a little heavier, but it shows what Sailor's Tongue were all about! In an odd mistake, songs #2 and #3 are actually flipped on the disc proper compared to the liner notes, so we'll treat the demo of "Wired For No Sound" as the second track, as that's where it is on the CD.

Opening with more of a southern twang (the "whoa-oh-ohs" don't fit), this song does indeed owe more to Kyle's country background, and it has more of a deliberate pacing while still having a rollicking & fun atmosphere. The choruses really help this song to stick in your head, and the guitar work is up to the task, while the use of a Frampton-esque talk box is a unique addition! I prefer "Float" overall, but if you like southern rock, even if Kyle's voice isn't a perfect match for the song, this one will deliver the goods! The actual track #3 is the demo of "Out of the Woodwork", which is more straight-forward than it's predecessors, and it almost reminds me of The Matthew Good Band at points, if that's fair. Dean's drumming is solid, and this song suits Kyle's voice more than the predecessor, though I don't like the tone on the backing vocals that much. The repetitive ending drags on too long, but the song is hooky and well written, and the guitar work shines as usual!

The third and final song labelled as a demo is next, namely "Shadow", which has a nice funk-inspired guitar riff , and even a little cowbell, but the song isn't as memorable as it's predecessors, almost feeling like the song was stitched together from parts of other songs. I think it's too reliant on the vocal structure, which is well sung as it goes, but I think the song isn't as cohesive and memorable as it could have been. I'd have at least taken things funkier, but it's not a bad song, I'd just have re-arranged it's parts. Fifth on "Pierced" is "Doctor John", which is another southern-influenced song that definitely succeeds across the board, with a fast pace, catchy vocals with an amusing story, and a driving rhythm that accentuates the guitar work, with very solid bass picking as well. I'd say this would be a great blues song if the music behind it wasn't so quickly paced and upbeat,  and it's definitely a highlight of mine on this CD!

The penultimate song is one of Sailor's Tongue's signature originals, "BootScattered", which is also the disc's shortest track. After a slow drum intro, the familiar swing-esque guitar riff kicks in, and this is definitely one you can stomp along with (that's a good thing!) The lyrics are as catchy and earwormy as ever, and the guitar and bass compliment each other well, but I think I prefer live versions of this song, where Kyle's singing is a little deeper than on this studio copy. Everything comes together really well on "BootScattered", which has always been one of my favourites from them! "Pierced" closes with it's longest song, "Beauty's Limousine", which is more of a melodic rocker that feature's Kyle's best vocals of the CD, and while it mostly has an upbeat hard rock sound, there is a nice instrumental section where the guys show their stuff well, though the title of the song is repeated far too much, and their catchiest work was in prior songs. Solid closer overall!

So, what are my final thoughts on Sailor's Tongue's CD? This may not have been the intended final product, but it showcases an entertaining and diverse hard rock band with lots of talent and songwriting ability, and there's no shame in this being their only(?) physical album! I assume the plan was to fully re-record these and other non-included originals with the full 2013 quintet lineup, but even the demos don't sound like demos, so don't let that scare you away! It's not overly clear how many of the guys are on most tracks, but the guitar work is great, Kyle's voice is generally a great fit throughout, and Dean's drumming is always on point. Sailor's Tongue could bounce between hard, southern, funk, and alternative rock without breaking a sweat, which isn't easy for every group, and songs like "BootScattered", "Float", and "Doctor John" showcase them at their best. Not every song worked across the board though, with repetition, backing vocals, and the structure of "Shadow" being my biggest points.

The McKey brothers have confirmed that they still songwrite for Sailor's Tongue despite now living out of town, and as we saw at Rotaryfest this year, they could always return for a show when we least expect it. I don't know if we'll ever get the full length album they were planning in 2013, but treating "Pierced" as just a teaser demo is selling it short. Give it (and more) a listen at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! Next month in this series, I am unsure what we'll be looking at, but here's what I can say. A new release would of course gain precedence, so check out our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post on Saturday for hints as to what could be on the docket. If no major albums come out from metal, hard rock, and/or punk bands, we would dip into the archives again, with precedence going to artists playing live locally in November. In any event, we will not be reviewing any albums from The Inner City Surfers or Awokest due to them still being in our 6 month anti-bias buffer period.

In any event, look out in November for our next CD review, and stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews and more news soon! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest Concert Video Showcase!!

Before we dive into this weekend's concert previews, here's an all-video post from last week's Rotaryfest music lineups, as Christopher Paci's excellent YouTube channel features video of bands from all three days on both Clergue Park stages! Thanks to him for getting this footage, he's far too kind, especially in the muggy heat this past weekend! Yes, we have some local news media fallout to get to also, but that won't make the site until at least Friday. In chronological order, Chris started his channel's new content by filming local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck covering Styx's "Too Much Time On My Hands" during their headlining set on Thursday! Featuring Travis Sharpe on lead vocals, the cover is well handled with nice melodic vocals, though the visuals are not ideal. The angle's good, but between the distant zoom, overexposed lighting, and heads of fans in closer rows, this isn't the optimal view of Soundcheck. Musically though, the video works great, so give it a look below!

Next up, Chris returned on Friday to film a song from hard rock band Sailor's Tongue's one-off reunion set, capturing them playing their fan favourite original song "BootScattered"! For clarification, their 2019 trio lineup saw veteran local musician brothers Kyle & Dean McKey back home on vocals/guitar and drums alongside ex-Turner Up bassist Jeff Brown. Early 2010s guitarists Blake Jackson and Liam Seymour were not present, despite Liam's heavy involvement in other Rotaryfest bands this year. Again, Chris' angle of the performance is sadly too distant, but the daytime lighting and lack of fans right in front of him mean that the visuals are improved on this clip. While lacking in rhythm guitar, Sailor's Tongue sound as good & catchy as ever, so fans who've miss them in the mid-late 2010s will want to take notice, and you can check their video out below! Hopefully we see them again soon!



Chris also filmed two videos of local indie rock solo musician Jesse Merineau and his band playing "She Knows" and an untitled original on Friday from a sharper angle, and hopefully these are good to stay online, as they're solid performances featuring many familiar faces! The remaining videos on Chris' channel come from Saturday, including from a pair of Stage 2 bands, such as headlining indie rock quartet K.I.C.K. playing their songs "Burning Desire" & "Dirty Shoe", which were the opening songs from their self-titled debut album. I wish the crowd was more filled up closer to the stage, but the Keep It Cool Kids are firmly in their musical element here, and have a nice smooth sound! Embedded below is footage from the set from local indie/punk quintet Northwest, whose video features them playing their songs "True North" and "Hangover Habits", which were the back half of their new EP "Songs From 2015-2017."

Filmed at a similar angle (and crowd volume, sadly) as K.I.C.K.'s videos, you still get Northwest at the top of their game, and between the folksier first song and their more punk-based second, you get the best of both worlds from what Chris shot! Give his footage from Stage 2 a look above & below!



We'll close today by heading back to Stage 1, where Chris filmed the last two bands, including this year's featured touring attraction, Toronto-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band Green River Revival, who are seen tackling the C.C.R. classics "Hey Tonight", "Up Around The Bend", and "Fortunate Son" (which Chris accidentally mistitled.) Filmed from the opposite stage angle from his Jesse Merineau videos, G.R.R. have the sound down well on these classic roots rock renditions, but the singer doesn't perfectly nail down John Fogerty's very distinctive voice (admittedly, few can.) Embedded here though is this year's closing act at Rotaryfest, namely local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide, who he filmed playing a short song I can't immediately name, another I can't title, and as embedded below, their set-opening and self-titled song "Rising Tide", as preceded by their traditional opening performance of the allegro movement from Mozart's "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525".

No word on if the other two songs are from their forthcoming album or just me not doing a great job of researching the lyrics, but I am overdue to review another Rising Tide CD on here. Chris got closer for these videos, which have a nice sound and a less exposed lighting to them compared to his Soundcheck video, but a zoomed in angle would have helped. Give Chris' Rising Tide videos a look above and below!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews on the site next! Thanks everyone!

Rotaryfest Stage 1 Concert Previews!!

Here's our second of three weekend concert preview posts on this annual busy stretch, and be sure to check out our previews of this weekend's Wyld Stallyns and Alex Traynor shows in the post below this one from this morning! We'll get to Stage 2, Tym Morrison, Re:Born, and Highway 63 on Friday morning, I promise! Today's post is focused around this year's Rotaryfest, as Sault Ontario's annual summer festival is back for three more days of wide ranging family entertainment, but of course, we focus on the music, and a wide array of local talent will take the main Clergue Park stage this year! In honour of the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, this year's Stage 1 is themed as such, but will bands cover Woodstock and/or 1960s acts across the board? In any event, last year's Rewind theme clearly did well, as four original-centric acts will take the big stage this year in a reversion of past norms, so if you've ever disliked the past covers-only mandate, here you go!

In fact, only five of this year's Stage 1 bands are four time veterans of this stage since 2006, so there's a lot of new blood to take in this weekend! Starting with TONIGHT'S opening slate, Stage 1 will shake things up from the past "Jazz in the Park" and 1950s-leaning lineups, including having a rare hard rock band on the Thursday bill, as local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will headline at 10:00 PM! After debuting at Rotaryfest in 2017, these veteran rockers should deliver a strong set of hard hitting fan favourites tonight, so don't miss Terry, Travis, Paul(?), and Glen then! Classic/pop rock cover band Encore are co-headlining tonight at 9:00 PM, with a one-off Beatles tribute band named Beatles '69 in the middle 8:00 PM slot, featuring many familiar faces throwing back to these music icons for the occasion. 3/4ths of defunct classic rockers The Peace Vibe will join forces with Griphook drummer Tony Fabiano in the debuting SideFX (no relation to the old local hard rock band) at 7:00 PM.

Lastly, folk/country mainstays The Algo Rhythms will open the day's musical festivities at 6:00 PM. This should be a strong lineup for classic rock fans in particular, and with Soundcheck, Encore, and The Algo Rhythms all returning to Stage 1 after a year's absence, hopefully they make new and attract old fans alike tonight! I just hope the weather holds up. As always, today's music is FREE & ALL AGES, so visit the above links (or the official Rotaryfest program) for more details, and here's Soundcheck live!

TOMORROW'S Stage 1 lineup will feature a slightly expanded 6 band lineup, including a couple of hard rock bands, but your headliners are country rock veterans Bone Yard in their sixth Stage 1 set and first since closing the festival two years ago. Indie rock solo musician Jesse Merineau and his band (including Caroline Divine & Electric Church alumni) will join the small group of acts to play both Rotaryfest stages when they debut on Stage 1 at 9:00 PM, while inactive hard rock trio Sailor's Tongue will reunite for the first time since rocking Stage 2 in 2013 at 8:00 PM. It's great to see the McKey brothers and Jeff back after far too long, and while this is ostensibly a one-off reunion, look for their entertaining originals back on home soil tomorrow night. CD review coming this month too, maybe? Jam rock veterans Odd Man Out will ride the momentum of their recent CD release when they play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 7:00 PM, while hard rock quartet Griphook will take the stage at 6:00 PM.

Playing their fifth Stage 1 set since their debut, it's great to see Griphook back on the big stage after a 2 year absence, and hopefully there's more to come from their camp! Tomorrow's bill will be opened by classic rock mainstays Mid Life Crysis in their first Stage 1 set since 2016, and (at least) 7th total. Another talented lineup, if more varied than tonight's, is in store for Clergue Park patrons, so don't miss out on all of the action tomorrow! Again, this is free and all ages, as usual. See above for more details, and here's Sailor's Tongue live on the Second Stage!



Finally, the all-day lineup THIS SATURDAY is full of talent, including Toronto-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute Green River Revival (not the C.C.R. tribute who played here in May) as the featured attraction at 8:30 PM. Of course, C.C.R. were at Woodstock, so this fits the theme nicely! However, the advertised headliners are not closing the festival for a fifth straight year, as local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will wrap things up at 10:30 PM in their second straight Stage 1 set. Hopefully The Tide deliver an entertaining (and drier) set on Saturday night! Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey will also perform twice on Saturday in bands from his current Pembroke homebase, including his blues rock cover band The Emtees at 7:30 PM (in their local debut) and with his girlfriend KT Antler in the pop/country cover band KT & Kyle at 5:00 PM, a spiritual sequel to their past Stage 1 gigs as KT, Kyle, and The Pocket.

Kyle's sets bookend a special Woodstock tribute set from the huge one-off tribute band The Woodstock Show at 6:00 PM, with many festival performers to be covered therein, so flower children will want to take notice! After covering Garth Brooks two years ago, local country musician Mark Tarantini will pay tribute to John Denver in the 4:00 PM slot alongside many familiar faces in his backing band, while past Thursday regulars The Northern Jazz Ensemble will play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 3:00 PM. Young pop/alternative rock band L!me will make their Rotaryfest debut at 2:00 PM, while Rotaryfest regulars Obsession will bring their classic rock attack back for their 10th Stage 1 set since 2008 as the surprising 1:00 PM openers. Notably, this year's Rotaryfest does not feature such recent regular bands as Crossroad, Flathead Ford, The Reptiles, and (most surprisingly of all) Mustang Heart, but if you want new faces and select original content, this year's may deliver the goods you want, so don't miss out this weekend!

Saturday's lineup is full of high profile acts, 1960s tributes, and local talent, with a dash of punk to close out the night, so don't miss out on the whole day's music then! As usual, this and every day of Stage 1 action at Clergue Park is FREE & ALL AGES. Visit the above links for more details, and here's Dustin & The Tide live and outdoors a few years back!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for more of this weekend's concert previews tomorrow morning, and I fear this weekend's previews may have to stretch into four posts, so keep tabs for all of that! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Rotaryfest Stage 1)

The lineup for this year's Stage 1 lineups at Rotaryfest was quietly posted to their website earlier this week, so what should you know about this year's musical entertainment on the main Clergue Park stage? Taking place over the third weekend of July, this year's lineup is largely a reversion in sound and personnel to the regular covers-centric format on the main stage, with a Woodstock theme clearly touted on Rotaryfest's website to go along with the 50th anniversary of that iconic festival. Might there be an implication for bands to cover a few songs from Woodstock artists this year? That said, the Rewind anniversary theme last year was clearly well received, as there will be select original-centric acts on Stage 1 this year (four by my estimation), which is long overdue to see on the big stage! Only five of this year's bands have played the festival four+ times since 2006, so if you ever complained about the same bands year after year, you may want to pay attention.

After years with a jazz or 1950s-1960s centric lineup, the Thursday, July 18th schedule this year will be more varied than usual, and for the first time I can ever recall, it will feature a hard rock band, namely local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck as the 10:00 PM headliners! This will be their second Rotaryfest set after playing Stage 1 in 2017, and they should end night #1 with a bang next month, so don't miss their return then! Classic/pop rock cover band Encore will co-headline at 9:00 PM, while a one-off Beatles tribute band named Beatles '69 will play at 8:00 PM. Not a Woodstock band, but they are definitely an extremely important part of 1960s rock music, and there's a lot of talented artists involved here! A new local classic rock band named SideFX will make their apparent live debut at 7:00 PM, but many of you've seen them before, as their lineup comprises of 3/4ths of defunct 1960s classic rockers The Peace Vibe alongside Griphook/ex-Gsis Murphy drummer Tony Fabiano.

Note that SideFX have no relation to defunct local hard rock band The Side FX beyond the name. The Thursday lineup will be opened by folk/country veterans The Algo Rhythms at 6:00 PM, who like Encore, are returning to Stage 1 after playing in 2017 and missing last year. Strong lineup of familiar faces, and with a rare bit of Thursday heaviness, so keep this bill in mind! As usual, this is FREE and ALL AGES. See above for more details!

Friday, July 19th's lineup will be headlined at 10:00 PM by country cover quartet Bone Yard in their sixth Stage 1 set of the 2010s, and first since closing the Saturday lineup in 2017. Indie rock solo artist Jesse Merineau and his band will join the small group of acts to perform on both Rotaryfest stages when they play at 9:00 PM, following headlining appearances on Stage 2 in the past two years. Another Stage 2 import will hit the stage at 8:00 PM, namely the surprise reunion of local hard rock veterans Sailor's Tongue, who we last saw on the former Queen Street stage in 2012 & 2013. We're treating this as a one-off reunion (Kyle does still live in the Ottawa area, after all), but it's great to see Sailor's Tongue back with their entertaining and catchy originals next month! Jam rock fan favourites Odd Man Out will return from last year's Rewind lineup with a set at 7:00 PM, just one week removed from their own CD release party.

Reunited hard rock cover quartet Griphook will return to Rotaryfest after a two year absence as the 6:00 PM openers, marking their fifth Stage 1 appearance since 2013, and just their second live set of the year. It's great to see Griphook back at last! Finally, classic rock veterans Mid Life Crysis will return to Stage 1 for the first time since 2016 as the 5:00 PM openers, marking their seventh Stage 1 set on record. Like on Thursday, this is a FREE & ALL AGES lineup, and with a selection of talented original acts to boot, this should be even more attractive to many fans! See above for more details!

And of course, Saturday, July 20th has bands all day, including the return of an out of town tribute band as the featured act at 8:30 PM, namely Toronto-based Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute Green River Revival, a fitting choice for the Woodstock theme & for southern rock fans! Note that this is not the C.C.R. tribute that played at The Canadian a couple of weeks back (that was The Cajun Country Rock Band.) For a fifth straight year, the nominal headliners are not the closing band on Saturday, as local Celtic punk quintet Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide will play Stage 1 for a second straight year at 10:30 PM. Great to see The Tide back in a prime slot, and hopefully the weather is more cooperative! Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey will play again at 7:30 PM on Saturday with his Pembroke-based blues rock cover band The Emtees in their local concert debut, while a massive one-off local supergroup called The Woodstock Show will play an extended tribute set to Woodstock artists at 6:00 PM.

I'm not an aficionado of this era of music, but if you love Woodstock, you're in great hands with this ten person collective next month! Kyle McKey will play once more at 5:00 PM in the pop/country rock cover band KT & Kyle with his girlfriend and long-time bandmate KT Antler, who you may recall from their old band KT, Kyle, and The Pocket on Stage 1 from 2012-2014.  Veteran local country musician Mark Tarantini will return with a solo tribute set at 4:00 PM, and after tackling Garth Brooks in 2017, Mark will pay tribute to John Denver alongside a talented backing band including That's Chester alumni. After years as Thursday mainstays, The Northern Jazz Ensemble will surprisingly play at 3:00 PM on Saturday, marking their second straight Stage 1 set after an eight year absence. Young alt-pop rock cover quartet (and Sky's The Limit IV headliners) Lime will make their festival debut at 2:00 PM, while classic rock veterans Obsession will kick off the day at 1:00 PM after missing last year with their 10th Stage 1 set since 2008.

Shockingly, Mustang Heart are not playing Stage 1 this year, ending their lengthy iron man streak dating back at least 15 years, and no bands this year have played three years straight, so is this a new era of sorts? Again, Saturday's lineup is FREE & ALL AGES, and for more details, visit the above links. This should be another exciting music slate at Rotaryfest this year, and with heavy bands each night, more original bands than typical, and some level of Woodstock tributes to take in, there should be lots of entertainment to go around for most tastes! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes on the site in the coming days! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Peril & 415E), Sault Michigan Weekend Concert Previews, And More!!

As promised, we'll close our weekend concert previews with the last of the currently known and advertised hard rock shows taking place in the Soo area, but to round things out, we're dipping into the Sault Michigan scene for some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS and new videos, plus some assorted recent notes from the Ontario side of the border! Here's what you need to know!

Traverse City, Michigan classic metal trio Peril will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino for a pair of shows on Friday, September 23rd & Saturday, September 24th! Though the band hasn't addressed them online yet, Kewadin Casino's entertainment page has been newly updated to reflect Rapids Lounge dates through year's end, which confirmed these and one new concert weekend from another band (coming up next.) Believe it or not, these are Jeff, Adam, and Brooks' first announced shows in Sault Ste. Marie this year, last playing in the E.U.P. last fall, though we have seen their sister band Scarkazm often in the interim. Peril have been missed in recent months, and hopefully their familiar classic metal and hard rock renditions will pull in another big crowd this fall! As usual for their regional dates, there are 9:00 PM start times in effect, no announced cover charges, and 21+ age limits. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for more from Peril and related bands!

Just as an aside, the aforementioned Kewadin Casino entertainment page also lists future Rapids Lounge dates for Banned & Highway 63 through the end of the year, but both of those local classic/hard rock bands have already confirmed all of them via their own Facebook pages, so there's nothing new there to report. However, there is one more weekend that was confirmed for a hard rock band, as you'll find below!

Next up, here's our likely final concert previews of the weekend, as Sault Michigan hard rock quartet 415E will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch for headlining concerts TONIGHT & TOMORROW NIGHT, and they too have some new shows to announce for The Rapids Lounge on Friday, September 30th & Saturday, October 1st! This union of Nixxon Dixxon, Splitshot, and Highest of Fives alumni are fresh off of last week's St. Ignace Kewadin stops, and they should be in fine form for another high impact weekend of Van Halen-inspired rock n' roll both this weekend and this fall! Again, we await a schedule release for the St. Ignace Kewadin, so if they have more dates coming there, we haven't heard about them yet. Tonight's, tomorrow's, and the September & October 415E shows are also 9:00 PM events with no announced cover charges and 21+ age limits. Check the above links for more details, and here's 415E live!

Also today, here's the latest from local hard rock/blues quartet Project 906, who have shared a bunch of new videos to their Facebook page in the last few days! We'll cover the new jam session videos separately in an upcoming post to give them proper emphasis given that they're not from concerts, but we do have two concert videos to address on here! Both apparently coming from their Pickles Bar & Grill stop in Brimley last week, one video is a slideshow of photos from the concert, running for just 15 seconds and sans audio of any kind. It is what it is, but the photos aren't bad! The other video (embedded below) was shared from guitarist Joe Jenkins' personal Facebook page, and it features Project 906 covering ZZ Top's "Tush". The guys do a solid job on this bluesy classic, with Billy Bernier's vocals fitting nicely, so give it a look below, and stay tuned for more from Project 906! For reference, they're playing a Highland Clan Motorcycle Rally event of some kind tomorrow, but we can't confirm it's location or if it's a public event, hence why we didn't cover it here. Hopefully it goes well!



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

• Due to URL changes following layout and design overhauls on CBC Music, we have updated the links for the four Sault Ontario bands (Burn The Past, Glunk!, Sue Inside, and The 12 Gauge Ready) whose linked page in our band links is via CBC. Coincidentally, all are defunct, as we generally link bands to their most substantial (or only) online page, and CBC Music happens to be these four's primary online presence nowadays. I wanted our links to be accurate and work, so just a heads up!
• We don't generally discuss personal matters of local musicians on here, but I thought I'd mention this to help a musician in need. Destroilet guitarist Christian Foisy and his family recently suffered major fire damages at their home, destroying their garage in the process. Thankfully, he and his family (including his five week old daughter) are safe and sound, and to help raise money for repairs, bandmate Matt Waples has launched this GoFundMe campaign for the cause, with $1,785 raised as of this writing. Best of luck to the Foisys at this difficult time, and see above for info on how to help!
• SooToday's Jeff Klassen interviewed relocated local musicians, brothers, and Rotaryfest Stage 1 headliners Kyle & Dean McKey for this SooToday article on Sunday about their music work locally & in Southern Ontario, and it does reference their old hard rock band Sailor's Tongue! That band's beginnings as Pix n' Stix & Edge City were referenced, as well as their original dissolution after Dean moved out of town in 2007, and while their early 2010s reunion wasn't covered, the McKey brothers did note that they still send music files back & forth towards planned new Sailor's Tongue originals. Very solid read, so give it a look above!

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

Where Are The New Albums? December 2014 Update

It's now time for our delayed last "Where Are The New Albums?" post of the year, and I apologize for the wait, as we're badly behind on a lot around here after the concert review crush from the last few days. As usual, this monthly feature looks at the current release statuses of announced and partially recorded metal, punk, and hard rock albums from Sault Ontario-area bands, in order to keep tabs on how far along they are and when you might see them! This month, we've removed The Bear Hunters' new CDs and Sykotyk Rampage's "Bring The Heavy" (which we'll have more on in the coming days) due to their releases in the past month, but we also removed one due to a band's likely inactive status, and added three new albums in the works! As usual, updated entries have their titles in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
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The Apocalypse Afterparty's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "The Crowd" (The Fury cover), "Glory & Gore" (Lorde cover), "Rebel Scum" (The Fury cover)

Background: Before ever playing a public concert , new local rap/metal duo The Apocalypse Afterparty (featuring 2/3rds of Smeltzer as "songwriters") announced on their Facebook page on August 21st that they had begun working on their 3 song debut EP with producer Jamie Vincent (AlgomA), though they also alluded to recording the remaining songs with different producers. The song that they recorded with Jamie is "The Crowd", which you can hear in full at this link, though other details have yet to follow.

Current Release Status: No idea, especially given "songwriter" Steve Mozarowski's return to the Toronto area this fall and the band's announced plans to expand their lineup with female members, but things seemed to be progressing well despite the band's short existence, and hopefully more comes out soon on this EP!
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Beaumont Avenue - King of the World

Rumoured Songs: "Into the Fray", "Red Rover", "King of the World", "Way Out Of Hell", "Take Me Away", "Beaten Down", "Two More Jag", "Jesus Concubines"

Background: Already off to a quick launch with numerous concerts since their fall 2012 debut, local hard rock quartet The Suicide Kings (who changed their name to Beaumont Avenue this summer) surprisingly announced that they were officially working on their first EP on their Facebook page last February. Three weeks later, the band revealed in another Facebook posting that they were busy working on their own material, and they had plans to complete an EP by the end of the spring featuring 5-7 songs, which was recorded over the past month at The Smoke & Oak Room Studio with producer Dave Pihlaja. As of last spring, the tracks were in the final stages of mixing, and though info on the sessions and release was sporadic for much of last year, the band unveiled studio versions of their originals "Into the Fray" & "Jesus Concubines" in January on Facebook, presumably as a preview for the full release., though nothing has followed since, and the band is currently taking a break due to drummer Ben Boudreau's out of town college commitments.

Current Release Status: As of their Facebook page in September, Beaumont Avenue are planning to record 2 EPs of 4 original songs each (grouped by how they feel) before writing a debut album from scratch when Ben returns home, which may or may not mean that they're scrapping their Smoke & Oak Room session tracks for their pending debut CD. Given that they're on break while Ben's away, we may not get fuller details for a while, but be on guard just in case!
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion

Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics", "Prometheus"

Background: Despite a hiatus from live concerts lasting over 5 years, Gates of Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". The first glimpse of the new album was unveiled in February 2010, when frontman/producer Lee Maines uploaded a snippet of their new song "The Stars Call My True Name" onto his YouTube channel, and he followed that up with more demo & rehearsal clips sporadically over the last couple of years, though all were later taken down. The band launched a new Facebook page in August 2010 to keep fans updated on the sessions, including the unveiling of a new song title, "Time Warp", and while Sault native Jon Morrison was announced as the album's drummer that fall, the album will feature programmed drums. In November 2011, bassist Steve Furgiuele confirmed in a YouTube video that the album, now titled "Perihelion", was planned for release in December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the summer, but Lee confirmed last month that the album would be delayed further, be retracted to EP length, and possibly be renamed. Other new songs, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics" & "Prometheus", was previewed in this video & this video that were uploaded last year & this April respectively. Whether ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included on the EP is currently unknown.

Current Release Status: Personal commitments and the like have slowed things down incredibly, but in the band's most recent preview video (featuring audio samples), Gates of Winter hinted that work was winding down on "Perihelion", including noting that "the silence ends soon", with this year now targeted for a release. Good art takes time, and knowing Gates of Winter's talent and attention to detail, they won't wanna release this until everything's perfect. I'll admit that I know a bit more on "Perihelion" than what I've posted here, but I'll wait until more public word comes out before elaborating, so keep an eye out for updates!
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Haggith - "XIV", "Apocalypse II", and "Time Machine: Live"

Rumoured Songs (X): "Public Enemy", "These Four Walls", "Wasted", "Red", "By The Hand", "Runnin' From Love", "Metal Cage", "Road Rash", "Punch", "Anthem"

Rumoured Songs (A): "Apocalypse", "Spreading The Disease", "Hands of Death", "Tribute to Mike Haggith"

Rumoured Songs (T): Unknown

Background: After being broken up throughout early 2014, local grunge/alternative rock quartet Haggith came back at the fourth annual Sewer Swampstravaganza at The Oddfellows Hall on May 10th, where the band announced that they would be recording a new studio album, but their Facebook page later indicated that Haggith are now releasing two new CDs! These include a new original album named "XIV" (featuring unreleased songs, new tracks, and previous Punch originals) and a resumption of their "Apocalypse II" concept sequel CD, which has been sampled via song postings on their YouTube channel. Recording sessions are ongoing at Paperclip Productions, though it's yet unclear who the featured bassist(s) will be on the albums, given their recent unstability in that position. On November 24th, the band also revealed plans for a live album named "Time Machine: Live", though little else is known on it or if it will get a paid release.

Current Release Status: As of November 24th, Haggith were aiming for releases of "Apocalypse II", "Time Machine: Live", and "XIV" in January, February, and March respectively, though those can change. "XIV" in particular has been delayed due to the band's split with bassist James White and his White Wreckords studio, which once had a hand in the recording sessions. Stay tuned for updates on all three as we hear them!
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Mike Haggith's third compilation album & "The Warinside"

Rumoured Songs (C): "1980", "Wicked Midnight Ride", "To Whom This May Concern", "Fourth Floor Centre/She Wanted To Be A Veterinarian", "Sun Perfume", "Grace", "Limb Coast","Miss 76", "Room 822", "Trinity", "Solitude", "Resurfaced", "The Day The Lights Went Out", "Lost Time"

Rumoured Songs (W): "We Met As Surrogates", "The Snake", "Candy Is A Hooker's Name", "Someday", "Lay My Body To Rest", "Of Cars & Criminals", "September", "Out Of My League", "A Drive Through The Peninsula", "30"

Background: In April, Haggith drummer Mike Haggith announced his third best-of compilation album (possibly "The Best of Mike Haggith: Volume 3"?), which would compile 14 top songs from his previous 4 studio releases ("Suspended Animation", "The Present Din", and both "Neighbourhood Watch" CDs), Mike didn't close the door on re-recorded some vocal tracks, possibly in conjunction with a planned re-release of the first "Neighbourhood Watch" album. You can view the compilation's artwork at this link, though further updates aren't out yet. However, Mike has updated his Facebook page this fall to detail his upcoming 49th studio album "The Warinside", which also has a tentative tracklist and will reflect his recent personal life, with the instrumental "September" now available to stream from it as well.

Current Release Status: For the compilation, Mike was hoping for it's digital release in the weeks following the reveal of the disc, but that's came and went, so it's unclear where this will fall. In any event, physical pressings are possible, pending customer demand. As for "The Warinside", we're a ways off from a release yet, but instrumental tracking is complete, and given how fast and honest he tends to be, any updates should be good as to it's progress. Stay tuned as more comes in!
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RedD Monkey - Opus 2

Rumoured Songs: "Broken Parts", "Losing Friends", "The Jock Song"

Background: The planned third CD from this popular local hardcore punk/classical trio, RedD Monkey have hyped "Opus 2" (a follow-up to 2012's "All Baroque")  in online posts through last spring, along with previewing the disc at a Toronto concert last June, though further updates on it's release status have yet to be made, nor has a release schedule been announced. I'd assume that "Opus 2" was recorded in a similar method to "All Baroque", but that's just speculation given that both CDs were labelled as opuses in a series. Keep an eye in case something's announced!

Current Release Status: I'm not really sure, especially following the band's confirmation that they're currently on a hiatus, and given that they've issued no public updates since their last show on Boxing Day last year, that can't be a good sign for fans. That said, the sessions appear to be complete, and a preview of it was held last year, so a release can't be terribly far off for when/if they return to activity. In case they do come back, keep an eye out!
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Redundant's debut CD

Rumoured Songs: "Miles Apart", "That December", "What You'll Do"

Background: Over two and a half years after their last documented studio sessions in the spring of 2012, local punk trio Redundant revealed on their Facebook page on November 16th that they're finally working on finishing their debut CD, and will look to hold a CD release party for it upon it's completion. Details are otherwise minimal, including on if the guys will just package their older studio work for the release, or include new recordings, perhaps at bassist James White's new studio White Wreckords. We'll keep you posted when we hear more!

Current Release Status: Though we don't know much on the new/revived album plans, Redundant do sound serious about completing their CD, and an early 2015 timeframe is likely being targeted. We'll be sure to let you know when updates roll in though!
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The Revolution's debut EP

Rumoured Songs: "Murder For Sport", "We Are The Gladiators", "Monsters", "Prisoner of Hate", "Mercury", "Get High With Me"

Background: New local doom/punk trio The Revolution (originally the second version of Brutaly Fatal) surprisingly announced on their Facebook page this summer that they were heading into the studio to begin recording their debut EP on July 26th. The sessions were being done at their new label PaperClip Productions, who signed the band in May. Details on the title, artwork, song list, and cover art are to be revealed, but the band revealed on November 24th that songwriting was still ongoing, and they wouldn't be back in the studio until they found a new bassist to replace the departed Rainey Vincent.

Current Release Status: Though The Revolution is hoping to have the EP out "in the new year", we don't have past albums from Austin & Brandan to compare in terms of making a specific guess (aside from Austin's early Brutaly Fatal demos.) PaperClip Productions tend to be fairly quick and honest with release dates, so we'll have to see how things flesh out in the coming months!
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The Sorrow Fields - Let Go

Rumoured Songs: "Godlessness"

Background: Previously known as Animas, April Eyes, and By The Gods, The Sorrow Fields is the long gestating black/death metal solo metal project from Bear Hunters/Suicide Kings guitarist Mitch Sirie. He resurrected the project under it's new name in 2012, complete with an atmospheric & dark sound, and he has sporadically updated fans as to his newest planned debut album via their YouTube channel and deleted Facebook page. As of June 2013, he'd titled the album "Godlessness" (though it was changed to "Let Go" this spring), and a preview of the title track and another unnamed song were uploaded there to check out before being privatized for unannounced reasons. Mitch is still working on the album though, and has aims to finish it after 6 years of off & on work, as per a personal Facebook posting earlier this year.

Current Release Status: Mitch's most recent release timeframe for The Sorrow Fields' album was this coming winter, though he added on Facebook that he didn't plan to speak about it further until completion, so our next word or previews on it might not be for a while. Knowing how delayed his past solo album "Hollow Hope" was prior to it's cancellation, this could be a long road, especially as he's a workhorse with his two bands. It should also be noted that Mitch hinted on personal Facebook posts this fall that a studio version of his fan favourite "Squirrel Buddy" is in the works, but whether it's a single or a renamed full album isn't clear. In case new "Let Go" or Sorrow Fields news rolls in, we'll have it here!
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Telephone & Address - Rust Orchid

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: Less than a month after the release of their newest solo CD "Need Not Apply", Telephone & Address mainman Chris Shoust revealed on their Facebook page on October 25th that the solo grunge/punk project has already laid down studio tracks for another CD named "Rust Orchid", but he's waiting for funds to press physical copies before release. He says that the album will be "much different than the last", referencing "Need Not Apply" and it's electric bass/vocals sound, but whether he's returning to an unplugged guitar motif or going completely different isn't clear. When released, it's likely to also turn up on Telephone & Address' Bandcamp page and on Interpunk, which Chris is also using to distribute physical copies.

Current Release Status: It's all up to when Chris can fund the physical copies, but I'd be surprised if we see it before New Year's Day, given the time involved with that and SOCAN registration, which he tends to do for his CDs. Given the lo-fi nature though, things could roll along very quickly, so stay tuned for updates!
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With all of that said, one album was removed due to it's unlikely release status, so here's what you should know on it:
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Sailor's Tongue's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "Float, "Out of the Woodwork", "Wired For No Sound", "Shadow", "Doctor John", "BootScattered", "Beauty's Limousine", "Don't Shoot The Messenger", "Horses & Trains", "Navy"

Background: Despite only playing two gigs (both at the Rotaryfest Second Stage) since returning from their three year breakup in 2012, local hard rock notables Sailor's Tongue hit the studio to record tracks for their debut full length album, which would have featured their recent quintet lineup. Drummer Dean McKey uploaded four tracks (some labelled as demos) to his Soundcloud page last year that are likely towards the album, while there are existing songs on their Reverbnation page from earlier sessions that would likely have be featured in some form. A preview demo CD named "Pierced" was sold at their Rotaryfest Second Stage set in July 2013 that featured 7 tracks, though Dean later told me on Facebook that the album was just a sampler for attendees and was not the intended final product.

Reason For Removal: This album's been removed because of Sailor's Tongue's inactive public status, as the band hasn't played live or issued a public update since said Rotaryfest set last July, which could partly be due to members Kyle & Dean McKey's out of town residence, or perhaps due to the Second Stage's 2014 hiatus. In any event, their planned CD is presumably in limbo until they come back, though if Sailor's Tongue return (perhaps along with the Second Stage in 2015), I can't see the full album being that far behind! Hopefully we hear more from the guys!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post, and of course, stay tuned one week from tomorrow for our Defunct Local Band Profile on Half Past! That's all for today, but stay tuned for weekend concert previews TOMORROW! Thanks everyone!