New Local Doom Metal Videos And Much More News & Updates!!

It feels like too long since our last post without concert previews or monthly feature content, so let's tackle some recent stories and postings on this Tuesday evening! Here, we have some assorted shorter topics, the latest from a prominent solo project, and leading off, here's some new video postings from a pair of local doom metal acts!

We'll start with 40 minutes of live concert action, courtesy of the return set from local doom/sludge metal trio AlgomA at the Dopethrone concert at The New American Pub last week! Appearing to capture their entire set, the video is entitled "Seven Old Favourites", reflecting their set's inclusion of only prior originals from their catalogue. In order, the video features Kevin, Boyd, and Jamie playing "Tertiary Syphillis", "Fell Down A Well", and "Bedsores" from their "Reclaimed By The Forest" EP, before tackling "Electric Fence" from their split with Chronobot, the yet-unreleased "The Longest Swim" & "Brazen Bull", and finally, "Failed Stunt Fatality" from their split with Hooded Menace. Allegedly filmed by "I've Seen Worse Moving Pictures", the video was heavily filtered in post-production, so what we get here is monochrome, high contrast footage complete with simulated CRT scan-lines and song titles.

While not a stationary camera, the angle filmed here is often too high, and the filtering is mostly to Jamie's visual detriment, but the music is crystal clear and will definitely appeal to fans of AlgomA's slow, doomy, and deliberate onslaught! No word on when "The Longest Swim" & "Brazen Bull" will get studio releases, but these will do for now, and AlgomA haven't lost a step after their 19 month stage absence! Give their set from last week a look below, and go to individual songs via the links above!

Next up, here's a new/old video of inactive doom/death metal band Giwakwa from a jam session back in November 2012! This appears to have been uploaded to the band's YouTube channel at the time, but after 6½ years, Chris finally made it public for fans to check out. Just as a referesher, Giwakwa were the band featuring Bring The Fallen, Lead The Dead, and Fitswitch alumni that was primarily active from mid-2012 through mid-2013, and this video features guitarist Chris Page, drummer Chris Thompson, and then-bassist Nolan Rainville, with original singer Josh Stephney not present for this recording. Audio quality on this original song named "Smoker" can be fairly scratchy here, but this is a solid jam that helps capture more of their doomier side, and you get some good closer views of the guys in action! This was plugged on their Facebook page on Saturday, marking Giwakwa's first post there in over four years, so is this a sign of public activity resuming for the band in 2019?

Well,  Chris Page has dropped hints on his personal Facebook page towards Giwakwa reuniting and/or still being active for some time. That said, if the only sign of life from a band is personal remarks or postings, I don't count that as a source unless given explicit permission. It'd be nice to see Giwakwa back in some form, they had a lot of promise, but give this 2012 jam clip a look below to see what they brought to the table back then!



Also today, let's cover some long overdue updates from local goregrind solo project Crucify the Whore, and I apologize for the delay in much of this content! Back on February 19th, the Tyler Gibson-led act released a new digital EP named "Crucifiction Inquisition" to their Bandcamp page, which features 5 songs running for just over 11 minutes, which, track for track, is relatively long for a C.T.W. release. Intentionally recorded in a low-fi manner, I won't share the cover artwork here to avoid potential offense with some readers, but the lyrical content, minimalist recordings, and pig squealing vocals remain acquired tastes if you're not already a goregrind fan. Things sound a little more aggressive this time out, and with a "name your price" model, Blood Shed diehards should be right at home with this release! In his latest updates, Tyler noted earlier this month on C.T.W.'s Facebook page that CDs have been printed for his 2016 release "The Beautiful Sounds of Nature".

After some quiet months from C.T.W. and Blood Shed Productions, 2019 is looking very much like a return to form for Tyler's minimalist metal pursuits, and he's definitely ambitious and bold, if sonically provocative! Buy or stream C.T.W.'s recent solo material above, and here's hoping there's more in the works from the Blood Shed camp over the summer!

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

• In their first Facebook page posting since 2016, local death metal duo Brutally Fatal (featuring the aforementioned Tyler Gibson) revealed on Monday that they have a "new album coming this summer", though they self-deprecatingly tempered expectations right afterward. We last heard from Tyler & Austin when they posted a free "album" on YouTube in February 2017, and it's great to hear that Brutally Fatal are back after a 2+ year hiatus, so they are back in our active band links!
• Almost two years after a fire in an upstairs apartment forced the closure of Queen Street East nightclub/venue Reggie's Place, the fan favourite concert venue is expected to re-open this week! The news was broken in this SooToday article, where owner Reggie Daigle notes that the bar will look more or less the same as it did before the August 2017 fire. While not a regular venue for our coverage, the country-leaning tavern has hosted Soundcheck and predecessors Mourning Wood in the past, so might they pop up there again now? Stay tuned, but congratulations on the re-opening! 
• I have reluctantly removed defunct local indie/hard rock band Vol. from our inactive band links due to the quiet deletion of their Facebook (and only online) page in recent months. Featuring alumni of The Pixo Control and Mik & Steve, Vol. had a promising local run in 2017 with some high profile appearances, but "rad things" in 2018 were superceded by lineup departures, and they disbanded in June of last year. I wish they hadn't deleted their page, but hopefully Steve, Shane, Mikaela, and Matthew surface again soon!

That's all for today, but stay tuned (if all goes according to plan) for this month's CD review tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Sykotyk Rampage's New Album, Plus Three Inactive Band Notes!!

Today's news post revolves around four bands shifting places in our active and inactive band links (one's moving up, three are unfortunately moving down.) However, the band moving up has some big news attached to their return to activity, so here's what you should know!

Remember how local "blue Chinese metal crash punk" quartet Sykotyk Rampage quietly posted a new album cover on their Facebook page last month with no context? Well, it turns out that the dormant crash band did indeed release a new album on their Reverbnation page on April 27th! Apologies for the delay in this making the SMS, I need to pay more attention to that site. Entitled "Live At The Paris Hilton", this contains 22 songs (some more familiar than others) in a faux-live setting, a'la their old "Live Upper Rubber Boot Saskatchewan" album, but the inclusion of covers of bands like The Beatles, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath is a change from their past pace! This is Sykotyk Rampage's first album-format release since "Sanctuarium" in late 2016, but more surprisingly, this is their first paid album that you can actually buy a full sale copy of since 2011, which means that we could very well review "Live At The Paris Hilton" on the SMS this year! You can buy it at the above links for $9.99, or stream individual songs for free.

I don't know to what extent Sykotyk Rampage are active in 2018 (their Facebook postings remain sporadic, they haven't played live since the 2016 Zombie Walk, and guitarist Shane Kokis has since moved out of town), plus it's hard to determine how "new" these recordings are. However, it's great to see the Beckers, Shane, and Tony back with new material, and hopefully there's more on the horizon in some form or another! Give their new album (and much, much, much more) a listen at the above links, and Sykotyk Rampage are back in our active band links!

Next up, we have three local bands to move to our inactive band links today, starting with local indie/hard rock band Vol., who announced that they had disbanded on their Facebook page on June 12th. Frontman Steve Edwards cited "lineup changes and other obstacles" for their demise, though he did thank fans for their support online, and he noted that he's "currently working with other projects" and is "looking forward to other musical opportunities in the future." Spiritual successors to the mid-2015 Pixo Control lineup, Vol. (pronounced "volume") debuted last summer and quickly made a name for themselves opening for bands like Zaum, Dirtfight, and Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities through the fall, as well as playing a set at the first Oh!No festival, but teased "rad things" in 2018 never occurred following the departures of half of their lineup, with Steve and keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen seen more recently in the acoustic rock duo Mik & Steve.

I unfortunately did not get a chance to see Vol. live, but their old school indie-influenced sound seemed to help them carve their own identity well, while also harbouring lots of aggression and heavy themes at the same time, and Steve acclimated well as a frontman in this role! Vol. seemed primed for big things locally last year, but best of luck to Steve, Shane, Mikaela, and Matthew in the future, and hopefully we see everyone musically again soon!

Also being moved out of our active band links today is local death metal/punk duo Them, who have not issued a public update or played live since opening for Uncle Ray at The New American Pub one year ago yesterday. Debuting in late 2014 as the de facto successors to Social Suicide, Them were primarily seen at house party concerts in the ensuing years, often ones affiliated with Blood Shed Productions, though they did play select public concert venues, notably opening for both of Bookakee's concerts at The Oddfellows Hall. Their lineup fluctuated between a duo and a quartet, but frontman Tyler St. Amour and drummer Anthony Boudreau were constants throughout their run. Despite the almost-too-common band name, Them were a fine fit in the Blood Shed house party era with their aggressive sound, and Tyler never sounded better as a metal frontman during their peak! Sadly, plans to release a debut EP never visibly reached their intended conclusion.

It would have been nice to see Them as a more frequent presence on metal concerts of the era, and their sound was definitely fuller and better realized when they had more than two members, but Them delivered some entertaining originals for extreme metal fans, Hopefully we hear more from Tyler, Anthony, and other former members down the road!

Finally for today's post, I am reluctantly moving local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic to our inactive band links as well. While we are not at our 1 year threshold for public inactivity, keytarist B.J. Swire confirmed in an e-mail conversation last week that the band is "pretty much done", and he has since joined a new band that is planning to debut later this summer, and if that band's genre fits our primary coverage, we'll let you know! In any event, Bizotic proper have not posted on their Facebook page at all in 2018, and have not played a live concert since opening for Dany Laj & The Looks at LopLops in November, which can't be a good sign regardless. This union of No Arrow, Bring the Fallen, and Sounds From The Green Room alumni became a fan favourite sight following their December 2016 debut via sets opening for the likes of K-Man & The 45s, Garbageface, and The OM Sound, while also kicking off The Din's "Suburban Sendoff", and playing in Wawa, among other events.

Any band with a trumpet and a keytar in their repertoire will immediately turn heads, and Bizotic did just that, and their varied and creative originals were always an entertaining element at local concerts, with some jam rock touches and a harder edge where needed! Hopefully this isn't it for Bizotic and their unique stage show, but best of luck to Brad, B.J., Louise, Travis, and Kevin in the future, all would be assets in any band that they're in! That's all for today, but stay tuned for this weekend's concert previews on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison), The Steves Concert Preview, And More!!

I wasn't planning to have another new news post this month, with this once pencilled in for tomorrow to start May, but with SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS starting TONIGHT that were only announced yesterday, I had to push this one up. With that said, we also have a preview for a show on Wednesday, a new cover video, and some assorted recent updates to touch on, so here's what you should know!

Local acoustic hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus for matinee concerts TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY! Apologies for the short notice, Tym only announced these shows via his Facebook event page yesterday. This marks the second straight week that Tym has played unplugged matinee shows at this early stage of the week, which could mirror the scheduling from last month where he played the first and last weeks of April (if so, he'd be there next on May 28th-30th, but that is not officially public.) Despite the short online notice, Tym's prolific set list of hard and classic rock favourites should go over well at the Market Mall restaurant TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and WEDNESDAY, so keep these shows in mind for supper-time entertainment! There are no cover charges or age limits (though mind the locale), and these have early 4:00 PM start times. See above for more details, and here's Tym live!



Next up, here's a preview of a show that had lots of advance notice, as Regina pop punk quartet The Steves will make their local concert debut THIS WEDNESDAY when they headline at LopLops Lounge! Uniquely comprised of four guys all named Steve (hence the name), this lo-fi band should be a solid match at LopLops with their indie-tinged punk sound, and with a new single just released this month, look for some solid and upbeat tracks on Wednesday! Local support will include alt-punk trio A Dire Setback in their first public concert set of 2018 and just their second with Chris Nielsen on lead vocals, so how will they sound in their return from the studio, and might there be any reveals regarding album plans? Be at LopLops in a couple of days to find out! Indie/hard rock trio Vol. were slated to kick off Wednesday night's show, but with their drummer vacancy still ongoing, frontman Steve Edwards and bassist Mikaela Murtonen will play as a duo under the name "Mik & Steve", as per a quiet update on the Facebook event page.

Will Mik & Steve basically play a drummer-less Vol. set, or a go a different route? We'll know either way on Wednesday! This stop mid-way through The Steves' Champagne Campaign Tour is presented locally by Six, Two, Oh., with a 9:00 PM start time, $5 cover charge, and a 19+ age limit all in effect. This should be a solid concert, especially if you love punk and indie rock in equal measure, so if you can get to LopLops on Wednesday night, don't miss out on this one! Visit the above links for more details, and while I admittedly can't find a live video of The Steves in concert, here's a music video of theirs!



Also today, here's a new solo cover video from local/Manitoba solo hard rock musician Mike Haggith's Facebook page! Already keeping busy in Thompson via shows with his new band Between The Ditches and occasional coffeehouse solo sets, Mike shared this cover of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps" yesterday, which is a song he's always loved. Bookended by rainy footage from out Mike's window, this is a fine performance that has a measured moroseness to it, if that makes sense, and it'll definitely please fans of his recent acoustic videos, so give it a look below!



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

• We have deleted the YouTube channel for SooToday's acoustic concert performance webseries Bare from our "Other Local Metal Links" due to it quietly being taken down in recent months. A reason for the channel's closure hasn't visibly been announced, and while SooToday articles on the episodes remain online, the video links there no longer work. Bare hadn't been an active series since 2016, but it gave members of bands like Northwest, The Pixo Control, and many others a unique avenue to perform in a more intimate setting, and hopefully the prior Bare episodes return online down the road!
• We have also deleted inactive local music promotion/photography company For The Music Inside from our "Other Local Metal Links" again, following the quiet deletion of their Twitter (and only surviving online) page earlier this year. A reason for the page being taken down wasn't publically announced, but F.T.M.I. hadn't posted new content since 2016 either, and not from local shows since earlier still. For The Music Inside had promise and solid concert photography here and in Southern Ontario, and hopefully everyone stays active in related ventures! 
• Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver announced on their Facebook page on Thursday that they'll be featured in a new split album called "War of Brutality" alongside 5 international crust punk and/or death metal bands! Release data is to be confirmed, but if this YouTube video is any indication, Shit Liver's included songs are "Wait" & "Matt Got Beat Up By Cops" from their new album "Hitting the Fan". If this is true, there's nothing new on the local end, but hopefully this makes Shit Liver some more international fans! Full disclosure, I can't confirm if the YouTube posting is 100% accurate with label consent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (The Steves), New Album Releases, And New Videos!!

In what I project to be our final post of March 2018, we have lots of stories to touch on for this Good Friday, including some new videos, two long awaited album releases, and leading off, a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT!

Regina punk/power pop quartet The Steves will make their local concert debut when they headline at LopLops Lounge on Wednesday, May 2nd! Possessing a slightly lo-fi sound that bridges the gap between punk rock and indie/alternative styles, The Steves should be a fine fit at LopLops in just over a month's time, so don't bypass this one if you can hit a midweek concert like this! Local openers will include alt-punk trio A Dire Setback in their first announced concert of 2018, and just their second since their lineup contracted & Chris Nielsen took over on lead vocals. This show comes following A Dire Setback's commencement of debut album recording sessions, so how much will be revealed regarding that or it's sessions on May 2nd? Be at LopLops to find out, but it's great to see them back on stage! Indie/hard rock outfit Vol. will open in their own announced debut show of 2018, so if you were sad to her that they dropped out of next week's Shit Liver show, then here's your next chance to see this talented band in action!

Presented by Six, Two, Oh. in a rare LopLops booking, this show has a 9:00 PM start time, a $5 cover charge, and a 19+ age limit. This should be a fun show for punk and indie rock fans alike, so visit the official Facebook event page for details as they roll in!

Next up, we have two album releases to note on here, as former Bear Hunters guitarist Mike Vincent has finally given his recent solo music a formal album release treatment! On March 20th and this past Sunday, Mike respectively packaged his prior and new original songs as albums for sale on a "name your price" model via his Bandcamp page, so now you can hear and listen to these as all of a piece rather than loose free song uploads! The former album is called "Ultimate Chaos", compiling songs he recorded in 2016 & 2017 for what were once intended as EPs called "Six, Six, Six" & "We Are Nothing", while the latter is called "Apocalypse" (pictured), which had it's last four new tracks posted in the past month, namely "Unit 731", "MK-Ultra" (no relation to the Sault Michigan band that later became NoXcape), "Annihilation", and "Infanticide". It's great to finally see Mike actually release his two solo albums, but can we expect to see reviews of them on the SMS?

Not next month, as I have Shit Liver's new album review coming to coincide with their show next week, but after that, we could see one as early as May! Between "Ultimate Chaos" (I'd go chronologically), The Din's "Suburban Sendoff", Abhorrent Forest's "To See Eternity", and newer SweetKenny releases, we're covered for new album reviews through the summer, even if nothing else comes out. In the meantime, stream or buy Mike's albums at the above links, and stay tuned for our review of "Ultimate Chaos" in mid-2018!

We'll close today with new videos, starting with defunct local alternative hard rock trio The Din, who shared this never-before-seen video onto their Facebook page from their headlining LopLops concert on January 27th of last year! This is of Mike, Tammy, and Brandan covering The Gin Blossoms' "Hey Jealousy", which also recieved a studio cover from their "cover of the month" series in 2016. Filmed on a stationary camera, it's a high quality video of this lively rendition, and while the sound's a little muffled, it's nice to see this year+ old video at last! Give it a look below!



Finally for today, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Facebook group, as posted by keyboardist Craig Harrison on Tuesday, and it features him performing a dramatic organ-esque selection from recent songwriting sessions. There's not much to reveal beyond the performance, but it's well done and would add a dark overtone to a completed song, so give it a look below also!

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

Local Metal Video Showcase!!

Today's all video post is packed with recent updates, including a new solo performance clip from Saul Michigan, a local solo artist's latest updates, and another's free upload of their old album, but let's lead off with the latest from local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver! For one, the other opening band has been named for their Algonquin Pub concert on April 6th, namely local indie/hard rock quartet Vol. in their first announced concert of the year. Our source is the show's official Facebook event page via a quiet recent update by promoters Six, Two, Oh.. While it is odd to see Shit Liver headline a show with no other extreme metal acts, both Vol. and the previously announced Stegadeth have a lot of talent and should provide an entertaining element next month! That said, Shit Liver have big news, as they released their first ever music video today on their YouTube channel! This is for their new song "Wait" from their upcoming third album "Hitting The Fan" (which comes out on March 13th!), so what should you know on it?

Filmed by "Cannibal Cam" and edited by frontman Josh Penno's film company Spacebag Productions, the video features Shit Liver performing interspersed with footage depicting what appears to be excessive police response to a peaceful protest. Without commenting on the song yet (we'll wait for our review of this album next month!), the video is well shot and edited, and I can see this in Stingray Loud's rotation for Metal at Midnight! Shit Liver fans will definitely want to see this video below, and stay tuned for more on the release of "Hitting the Fan" as it rolls in!



Next up, here's a new video from Sault Michigan classical metal project Theatre of Night's Facebook page, as shared from keyboardist Craig Harrison's personal Facebook page yesterday! A black & white, 19 second clip of guitarist Steve Giles during "Saturday recording", it's well done, but it's short length leaves you wanting more, which may be the intent! Give it a listen below, and check out some album-compiled (but not for sale) collections of their older material on their Reverbnation page!

Also, here's some more recent updates from Sault Ontario hard rock solo artist Mike McCleary! Back on February 13th, Mike posted a couple of acoustic covers of Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden songs to his Bandcamp page as a free single release. Both are well adapted to the unplugged nature of the recording, and are an intriguing listen, but I think I prefer "Mr. Crowley" to "The Trooper" in terms of Mike's vocal style and the song's new structure. Give them a listen above! Mike has also posted a selection of studio material as videos to his Facebook page over the past month, so let's start to run through a few of those today! One was an upload of "Date Night With Darkness" from his new album "Weight of the Truth" on February 12th, with the visual of a cassette tape playing the song, while another (embedded below) is of his song "Aylan" from his debut album "In Ruins", which is reportedly being reworked for a future re-release.

Also uploaded to his YouTube channel on February 23rd, this song is written about and to Aylan Kurdi, a 3 year old Syrian refugee found dead on a beach after being driven from his country (a photo of which being widely circulated last year), with only the song lyrics featuring as visuals. I'll hold comment on the song itself for now, as a review of "In Ruins" is very possible for later this year if the re-release is at all imminent, but given the serious topical nature, it's all the more notable, so give it a listen below!

Finally for today, local hard rock solo musician Tym Morrison has posted his 2006 debut album "Solo Project" onto his YouTube channel! His first uploads there in three years (is it surprising that he has no videos from Gliss shows there?), this might be the first posting of this album for free outside of Tym's website, so if you haven't heard/don't own it, here's a good chance! In track listing (but now YouTube upload) order, the songs are "Battle Love", "Cry", "Drug Dealers", "Our Evil Ways", "Grama", "Hypocrisy", "Only Linux", "Souls of Serenity", "Void Within My Heart", and "We Are Damned", so click each link to hear each track. "Solo Project" was an entertaining showcase of Tym's guitar playing and songwriting talent, and while he's mostly focused on covers in his matinee acoustic concert era, I'm sure he still breaks out these songs on occasion! Might his unreleased second album (which can be streamed here) be next for YouTube? Give "Battle Love" a listen below, and hear more from Tym's first CD above!



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

The First Of This Weekend's Hard Rock Concert Previews!!

I know things have been slow on the site lately, but there is typically a crash for news after Halloween, and this year has certainly been no exception. However, we are back with a busy weekend of concert previews, so much so that we're dividing them up into two posts. As such, if you're looking for our previews of the Dany Laj & The Looks show, K.I.C.K.'s CD release party, or the newly announced Banned concert in Hessel (all on Saturday), then watch for those previews tomorrow in all likelihood. Now, let's begin this weekend's previews in rough chronological order!

We'll start with the second half of former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's six night run of local matinee concerts at restaurants, as he returns to Gliss Steak & Seafood to continue his long-term run there TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY! Fresh off of his Monday-Wednesday run of shows at Mark's Breakfast Plus, Tym will return to more familiar downtown territory over these next three evenings, so if you're interested in some more acoustic hard rock classics at supper time, head to The Quality Inn's house restaurant! For what it's worth, no Mark's shows are listed on SooToday's events calendar at press time for next week, so if he does play there for a fifth straight Wednesday, it'll likely be a short notice announcement on here. This weekend's Gliss concerts are once again 6:00 PM affairs with no announced cover charges or age limits. Visit the Facebook event page for more, and here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll head to LopLops Lounge for the latest show from local indie/hard rock quartet Vol., who will be among the openers for the return of Saskatchewan southern rock trio Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities TOMORROW NIGHT! Making their third live appearance with their current lineup, Vol. have been making steady fans since their debut earlier this year, and this show should be no exception, so look for more entertaining and often hard-edged originals from Vol. before the headliners hit the stage! Of course, fans will recognize Johnny 2 Fingers & company from their two well received stops here last fall, so look for more fun southern rock stylings from this fan favourite band tomorrow as well! Montreal alternative quintet The Union Thugs will also rock this show with their accordion-laden sound that gives a punk essence to folk rock, so they'll be worth checking out for crossover fans as well, while local indie rock solo artist Jacob "Shit Creek Survivor" Quarrell will open up as he preps for the upcoming release of his own new album.

Promoted by Six, Two, Oh. (who put on last October's Deformities show, if not both), this show marks the convergence of the headliners' Time To Rock Tour and The Union Thugs' Scab Hunting Season Tour. A 9:00 PM start time is in effect for this 19+ concert, which likely has a $5 cover charge. While not an exceedingly heavy lineup, there's a nice variance of sounds to take in tomorrow at LopLops, and Vol. will whet any hard rock appetites, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Vol. live!

Let's take a quick detour to Sault Michigan next, as Traverse City classic metal trio Peril will return to The Rapids Lounge at the Soo's Kewadin Casino branch TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! Promoted as their "last call" for 2017 (though sister band Scarkazm will be in St. Ignace next month), this will be Peril's first concert weekend at The Rapids Lounge or in the E.U.P. in 2 months, though they did play an increasingly rare Lower Peninsula show last week in Harbor Springs. Hopefully Brooks' "unforeseen circumstances" that scuttled their St. Ignace shows last month are in the past, so that Peril can deliver another quality weekend of hard rocking covers for fans in Sault Ste. Marie over these two nights, especially as these are planned to be their final shows of the year! As usual for Peril's northern trips, expect 9:00 PM start times, 21+ age limits, and no cover charge tomorrow and Saturday night. See above for more details, and here's Peril live!



Finally for today's first preview post, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for the return of local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck, as they rock The Esquire Club TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT themselves! After taking an unusual three month concert hiatus, the Mourning Wood successors are back in action this month, with these shows marking their first stops at the west end venue since Rotaryfest weekend, while these should also serve as a fine tune-up before they debut at Toystock later this month. It's great to see Soundcheck back in action, so don't miss this talented veteran quartet at The Esquire Club tomorrow and/or Saturday! These shows have 9:30 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charges, as usual. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and hopefully some public videos turn up of Soundcheck soon!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Tym Morrison) & This Weekend's Hard Rock & Punk Concert Previews!!

November is here, so let's kick off this new month with our first weekend concert previews for it! There's a fair amount of live hard rock and punk action this weekend, including a couple of touring bands from out east, but first, here's some LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, some on SHORT NOTICE!

With another month upon us, let's add former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison's latest solo concerts at Gliss Steak & Seafood to our concert listings, including stops at the Quality Inn's house restaurant TONIGHT, TOMORROW, and SATURDAY, followed by expected gigs on November 9th-11th, 16th-18th, 23rd-25th, and 30th-December 2nd! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's shows, we again waited for Facebook confirmation before calling them, which came earlier this week on their Facebook event page. With increased Mark's gigs also on his schedule, Tym's keeping very busy with acoustic matinee gigs at local restaurants, and with his extensive setlist and long-standing talent, fans will have lots of chances to see Tym live this month, so keep his November Gliss gigs in mind! We will touch on the rest of Tym's December gigs next month, as is the case when his Gliss schedule straddles two months on one weekend.

As usual for Tym's long term run at Gliss, expect 6:00 PM start times TONIGHT, TOMORROW, SATURDAY, and through December 2nd, and while these shows do not have stated cover charges or age limits, remember that this is a restaurant. Check the above links for details, and here's Tym live!

Next up, we'll move to previously announced concerts, starting with the local debut of Montreal alternative metal quartet Special Ops TOMORROW NIGHT when they rock The Rockstar Bar! Featuring a catchy, radio friendly, but metal-injected sound that should appeal to many fans, Special Ops are touring in support of their new EP "Baby Take It All", so give them a listen and consider coming out as their tour run winds down! Local indie/hard rock quartet Vol. will open in their first non-acoustic show with new keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen, so if you're curious to hear how she sounds with the guys, head down to The Rockstar Bar tomorrow to find out! Original plans called for alt-punk quartet A Dire Setback and then death metal standouts The Bear Hunters to fill the third band slot, but both have dropped out of this show, with Vol. frontman Steve Edwards citing "unforeseen circumstances" for The Bear Hunters' exit on the Facebook event page. Hopefully nothing bad happened!

As for A Dire Setback, there have been rumblings of a recent lineup change that may have contributed to their withdrawal, but the band themselves have not formally announced anything at press time. In any event, Steve is looking for a replacement band on short notice for tomorrow night, so message him at this link or via his Musicians Wanted Facebook group post on Tuesday if you're interested in playing! A $10 cover charge is in effect for this 19+ concert, which goes down tomorrow at 9:30 PM. Check the above links for more details, and here's Special Ops live!



In a brief detour to the Upper Peninsula, fans can check out Kinross, Michigan classic/hard rock trio Banned live at The Northern Pines Lounge at the Kewadin Shores Casino in St. Ignace TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT! These shows come just one week following their short notice St. Ignace gigs last week, so if you couldn't make it to those, at least these had lots of advance word! As of this writing, these are also Banned's last advertised Northern Pines Lounge shows of 2017, with only a Soo Kewadin stop in December also scheduled, so keep tabs on their Facebook page for word on potential shows elsewhere. Alex, Wayne, and Don should have another fine weekend of classic and hard rock covers in store for fans, so don't miss out this weekend at 9:00 PM both nights! These are both 21+ shows with no announced cover charge. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Banned live!



Finally for this weekend's currently announced metal, hard rock, and/or punk concerts, we'll head back to Sault Ontario for the local debut of St. John's, Newfoundland post-punk quartet Incredible Woman THIS SATURDAY NIGHT at LopLops Lounge! An early stop on their Canadian tour this month, this indie-tinged noise rock outfit will bring an intriguing blend of punk to LopLops on Saturday night, in what should be a fun concert to help kick off the month, so don't miss this one if you can help it! As of this writing, a potential local opening band has not been announced. A 9:00 PM start time is likely for this 19+ concert, which likely has a $5 cover charge, as is usually the case for this venue. Visit the Facebook event page for more details, and here's Incredible Woman live!



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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Doors & Fours, Vol., And Tym Morrison), And More!!

Here's another new post for you guys on this rainy Tuesday, so what's new to report before Halloween weekend? Mostly some new LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (one on SHORT NOTICE), but there's also a new video and a lineup addition to take note of, which you can do below!

In advance of his usual Gliss Steak & Seafood gigs (to be covered with this weekend's concert previews), former Caveman Morrison frontman Tym Morrison will return to Mark's Breakfast Plus for a special mid-week matinee concert TOMORROW NIGHT! Apologies for the short notice, this show was announced one week ago via it's official Facebook event page, but we didn't have time to slide it into a post before it got too soon to cover it twice. Yes, this is a Wednesday nighter, which may sound odd for his constant stream of solo gigs, but remember that his prior shows at the Market Mall restaurant were on Monday and Tuesday evenings, so non-weekend gigs there appear to be the norm. In any event, if you want some hard rocking music at dinner-time, you have a west end option at the former Kackleberry's TOMORROW, with Gliss shows to follow! This one has a 6:00 PM start time with no announced cover charge or age limit. See above for more details, and here's Tym live a few years back!

Next up, here's a few more newly announced shows with lots of advance notice, starting with the local debut of Hamilton punk/grunge trio Doors & Fours, who will headline at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday, November 11th! If this band rings a bell, it may be from local punk/metal quintet Jack Spades playing with them and past local headliners Big Brother in Hamilton back on July 11th, so prepare for a local encore four months later as Doors & Fours hit the midpoint of the ongoing Canadian tour! These guys have a solid and distorted sound that definitely has that early 90s grunge vibe while still containing heavier stretches, and they should be well received here next month! The aforementioned Jack Spades will return the favour as openers in 2½ weeks for their own exlposive original attack, while at least one more opening band is to be announced. Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, a cover charge has yet to be announced for this 19+ show, which takes place at 9:00 PM. Visit the official Facebook event page for details, and stay tuned for updates!

Finally for today's new show announcements, local indie/hard rock quartet Vol. will return to the stage on Friday, November 17th when they are among the openers for the return of Saskatchewan southern rockers Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities at LopLops Lounge! This will be Vol.'s first show since next week's Special Ops concert (more on that in the coming days), while it will also be their third with their teased fourth band member, that being keyboardist Mikaela Murtonen, who debuted at this weekend's Dirtfight concert, and was a prior bandmate of bassist Shane Storozuk's in the band Aldous. No media is online of the expanded lineup yet, but it will be interesting to hear how Mikaela fits in with Vol.! As for the rest of the performers, headliners Johnny 2 Fingers & The Deformities will be making their third local concert appearance, after previously playing here twice last fall (once at LopLops), so look for more southern fried boogie rock from them on the 17th! Montreal alt-folk rock quintet The Union Thugs will also hit the Soo for this concert, so prepare for some accordion-infused rock from them!

Local folk solo project Shit Creek Survivor will also open this one next month, and it's nice to see Jacob staying busy in the lead-up to his own album release! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this 19+ concert has a 9:00 PM start time, and while there is no advertised cover charge, last year's Deformities show at LopLops had a $5 cover. This should be a fun concert with a nice variance of sounds from the four scheduled acts, so visit the official Facebook event page for current and continuing updates!

To end this post, here's a surprise: A new solo peformance video from former ApocalyptiCDistroyeR frontman Jesse Middaugh! 3½ years removed from his last video upload on his/the band's YouTube channel (and just the second performance video there since 2012), Jesse posted this video of him performing a new original instrumental on Thursday, and while the video is incredibly grainy, it has a good rhythm to it that would be interesting to hear filled out! ApocalyptiCDistroyeR were not cited in the title or description, so I won't consider them active again on the SMS (yet?), but give Jesse's new video a look below, and watch closely for a cameo from a cat!



That's all for today, but stay tuned for Halloween weekend concert previews and more soon! Thanks everyone!

The Rest Of This Weekend's Concert Previews, Plus Din & Mike Haggith Updates!!

As promised, here's the rest of this weekend's hard rock concert previews (barring any late notice announcements), and this one will be very much centric around one band in particular and their frontman, but it's certainly a big weekend for them, and there is one more unrelated show to take note of! Here's what you should know!

After a successful two year run (beyond if you count their acid jam days), local alternative hard rock trio The Din will amicably disband TOMORROW NIGHT after their "Suburban Sendoff" at LopLops Lounge! Acting as both their farewell show and the CD release party for their second and final CD "Suburban Dream", The Din will make one final stop at the Queen Street East venue to end their local run with a bang, with many songs from their two albums sure to make their set, and perhaps a Hip cover for good measure? The band has teased that just 50 copies of "Suburban Dream" have been pressed for the show, and with a digital release not yet guaranteed, get down to LopLops tomorrow to get your copy before it's too late! Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will open tomorrow night's proceedings with their own creative original sound, so keep them in mind before The Din say goodbye! Doors open at 9:00 PM tomorrow for this 19+ concert, with Bizotic kicking things at around 10:15 PM.

As for admission and album fees, nothing has been firmly stated on the Facebook event page, but for reference, LopLops shows often have $5 cover charges, while The Din's debut CD sold for $10 upon it's release last year. While we're on the subject, this show and The Din's future were both addressed in this new Sault Star article from Jeffrey Ougler, so what should you know on it? The article features interview quotes from frontman Mike Haggith, where he reflects on why they're breaking up, members' future plans, and what to expect from "Suburban Dream", and it's a good in-depth read for fans! In terms of new revelations, Mike elaborated on where he's moving for work, the guys did debate becoming a full touring band before work commitments got in the way, and Mike plans to keep The Din visible with old media postings via their online pages that should sustain things for another two years (after all, the article name is "Inactive, not hushed".)

Also, Mike didn't completely close the door on future Din activity if "Suburban Dream" caught on critically, but it's clear that this weekend's show is the end of this chapter. I'm glad to see that things are ending on a good note and that they'll continue to have an online presence, just as long as there isn't a mass deletion of old pages and media at some point! I hate when bands do that. Don't miss Mike, Tammy, and Brandan's Suburban Sendoff at LopLops tomorrow night, and for a preview, here's The Din live!



Next up, here's one more weekend concert preview, as while The 3 Day Millionaires rock The Rockstar Bar upstairs, The Algonquin Pub (or Spin Nightclub?) will welcome local indie/hard rock band Vol. as they open for St. Catharine's folk/bluegrass band Dirtfight and Hamilton alt-blues duo Frankie & Jimmy on Saturday night! This unique show will see another homecoming from the members of Shit Liver, albeit in their much milder sister band Dirtfight (who last played here last May), while Frankie & Jimmy made fans with their unique hybrid originals at The New A last July, so it's great to see both bands back to cap off their Northern Ontario tour! As for Vol., they'll add a dash of hard rock to the proceedings in their first ever acoustic concert set to open the night, though they teased on their Facebook page on Saturday that they'll have "a little tiny surprise" during their set. Might it be the rumoured fourth band member, or is something else afoot? Be at The Algonquin Pub on Saturday night to find out!

Note that this show is still scheduled for downstairs, despite the planned dance club nights "every Saturday" at The Algonquin Pub/Spin Nightclub, so if there's any public confirmation of a venue conflict, we'll let you know! In any event, the pub has seen recent renovations, likely tied to the Spin Nightclub launch. As it stands, this show has a $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's Vol. live & plugged in!



Finally, we'll come full circle with some news from the aformentioned Mike Haggith, as he officially re-activated his solo project last week, via his Facebook page! After a year & a half of public inactivity while focusing on The Din, Mike is bringing his solo project back "after some thought", and he noted that he wants to continue to do his part "to provide all of you with the highs & lows you've come to know and love." In terms of solo album plans, Mike left open the possibility of working on one next, though it's not clear publically if he plans to complete and release "Neighbourhood Watch Revisited", the album he was working on when his solo project initially went inactive last spring. As you may recall, Mike released no less than 47 studio albums in either Windsor or Sault Ste. Marie between 2005 and 2016, and it's great to see that he will continue his music career out in Manitoba, so visit the above links for more details, and Mike's back in our active band links!

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

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (The Faps & Vol.), Plus Din & Kraken Mara Updates!!

Here's another new news post for your Friday morning, and below, you'll find the latest updates from two local bands in very different stages of their runs, but first, here's two LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for later this month!

Local indie/hard rock trio (quartet?) Vol. will play their first ever acoustic concert set on Saturday, October 21st (one week from tomorrow) when they open for St. Catharine's bluegrass/folk quartet Dirtfight and Hamilton alt-blues duo Frankie & Jimmy at The Algonquin Pub! Apologies for the protracted delay in acknowledging this show in full on the site, we were waiting for confirmation on which floor of The Algonquin Hotel this show was taking place on, which only came yesterday on the Facebook event page. If this is accurate, don't go upstairs next weekend! If the touring lineup looks familiar, it's with good reason, as Dirtfight is the much milder side project from members of Shit Liver that fans saw here in May 2016, while Frankie & Jimmy came here two months later for a headlining date of their own, so if you're up for a folksy and jazz-inspired change of pace, don't bypass this one! Vol. will provide a hard rock edge in this rare unplugged set, so don't be late for their set either!

Note that The Algonquin Pub has been (partially?) rebranded as Spin Nightclub for dance club parties "every Saturday" since mid-September, though I don't know if the above concert will postpone next weekend's Spin night or if the show will end up being moved upstairs or off-site. If there's confirmation either way, we'll let you know! Promoted by Six, Two, Oh., this closing date of the touring bands' Northern Ontario Tour has an $8 cover charge, 19+ age limit, and 9:00 PM start time. Check the above links for more details, and stay tuned for updates if they come in!

Next up, the aforementioned Six, Two, Oh. are at it again with another newly announced concert just two days later on Monday, October 23rd, as Saskatoon noise/punk duo The Faps will play here once again with a headlining date at The New American Pub! Occurring just under two weeks after they opened for K-Man & The 45s at LopLops, this surprise concert will cap off their "Good Tour" as they return home, and will mark their first stop at The New A since headlining there back in 2014. Whether you saw them on Tuesday and/or three years ago, or are new to The Faps, look for another explosive set of punk and math rock originals in a week and a half! Local openers are being sought, and for reference sake, rappers opened for them in 2014, while Bizotic did the duty on Tuesday, so don't assume a specific genre. We'll let you know when an opener is confirmed! A $5 cover charge (or "pay what you can", oddly) is in effect for this 19+ show, which has an early 8:00 PM start time given the Monday night timing.

Despite the scheduling and relatively quick turnaround for the encore, this should be a fun show for punk fans, so keep it mind if you're able to come out on a Monday night, and visit the Facebook event page for complete details!

Also today, here's the latest from local alternative hard rock trio The Din, who have clarified some lingering details on their upcoming farewell concert and second/final studio album, so what's new on both fronts? In terms of the album, the band has confirmed that it will be titled "Suburban Dream", and also unveiled the track listing and album artwork via their Facebook page yesterday. Alongside the title track (which will close the CD), the album will also feature their originals "Give Me A Reason", "High Park", "Up In The Air", "35's The Limit', "Weekend Delivery", "Missing", "In The Moonlight", and one song that's brand new in online references, "The Price That You Pay". As a result, the album will not feature any Mike Haggith solo covers that you may have heard in concerts, but at least some of those were on their live album. As for their final concert at LopLops Lounge next Saturday, it's now dubbed the "Suburban Sendoff", fittingly enough!

The local openers have finally been confirmed as well, as indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic will kick off the night's events, and they're a fitting selection with talent and originality, so don't be late for their set on October 21st! Finally for new Din news, another new single has been posted from the "Suburban Dream" album to their YouTube channel, that being for their more recent original "Missing", and while I'll still hold comment for our eventual CD review, give the song a listen below, and stay tuned for updates!

Finally for today, here's the latest from local progressive metal project Kraken Mara, so what's new from them? Well, in the latest teaser update on their website (and first there in three months), the guys noted that "the last of our tracks are being mastered as we speak" for their self-titled debut EP, which will be "available for all" when completed. As well, a new playthrough video of one of their songs is being filmed at some point this season, so keep an eye out for that on band pages, including their Instagram page, which isn't just for Dokken concert videos! Brendan and Jake actually posted five videos there last month before that concert, so what's uploaded there so far? This short video showcasing their jam room, this zoom-in clip of bassist Jacob Valois, this clip of Jacob performing in studio (though his shirt is focused on over audible music), and this video of guitarist Brendan Christie declaring that they're recording some tracks.

If you didn't know, Instagram has a one minute limit for video uploads, hence why these don't show a whole lot and are better served as previews, but hey, it's nice to see progress from the Kraken Mara camp! Embedded below is the most substantial video there (musically speaking), which features a recording of a new intro for a planned song being played on a laptop. As such, we're hearing it through laptop speakers, which is far from ideal, but it has an industrial tinge to go with pleasant keyboard work from what I can hear. See more from Kraken Mara above & below, and stay tuned for more from them as it rolls in!

Iñtro idea mark 2 now with piano and strings!! #musicislife #progressivemetal #writing #recording #gettingmyprogon #hardonforprogmõn

A post shared by Kraken Mara (@kraken_maraband) on Sep 3, 2017 at 12:15pm PDT

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on The Sault Metal Scene this weekend! Thanks everyone!

K-Man & The 45s And Din/James Blonde Concert Previews, Plus More News & Notes!!

In our latest SMS post, we have two special concert previews for mid-week shows that you punk and alt/hard rock fans will want to take notice of, but to round things out, we have news on a reunited local band and a local solo artist's recent recording sessions. Here's what you should know!

We'll start with a preview of a big show taking place TOMORROW NIGHT, as Montreal ska-punk quintet K-Man & The 45s will return to Sault Ontario for a headlining concert at LopLops Lounge! Marking their sixth local concert appearance since 2013 (and fifth consecutive fall season date here), the change in venue from prior years shouldn't affect what should be an entertaining evening of reggae-influenced punk originals and "Ska-mones" covers, and if you've seen them live before, you'll know how entertaining their live show is! Joining them are Saskatoon noise/punk duo The Faps in their first local date since headlining here back in 2014, so expect more hard hitting minimalist action from them in their Soo encore tomorrow night! Local indie/hard rock quartet Bizotic (who opened for K-Man & company here in March) will reprise that role tomorrow with more creative originals, while local DJ The Dub Selectah will also be on hand to spin ska and reggae tunes between bands.

Intriguing yet familiar lineup all around, so don't miss out tomorrow night! A rare LopLops date from promoters Six, Two, Oh. (who put on the last four K-Man shows & 2014's Faps concert), this show unfortunately has a higher cover charge of $10 compared to their prior shows here, but you can knock the price to $8 by buying advance tickets at The Rad Zone, Case's Music, Big Guns Barbershop, The Vape Escape, and possibly the venue if you're early enough. This concert is at 9:00 PM with a 19+ age limit, so visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's K-Man & The 45s live!

Next up, here's another mid-week concert preview that's also regarding a LopLops Lounge event taking place THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, as local alternative/hard rock trio The Din will play their penultimate local concert set and final set as an opening band when they open for Niagara Falls indie/pop rock trio James Blonde! While not their final LopLops appearance (that's their finale/CD release on October 21st), time is running out to see Mike, Tammy, and Brandan's skilled alt-rock originals on the local stage, and this should be another solid night of older and newer original material & select covers, so don't miss this one on Wednesday if you can help it! As for James Blonde, they're touring in support of their new self-titled album, and their folk-influenced but modern pop rock sound is a solid fit for LopLops, so if you're a genre fan, definitely give them a listen to see what you think! Like the K-Man show tomorrow, this is a 19+ event at 9:00 PM, and I would expect a cover charge of at least $5.

In any event, LopLops' website does not have pages or online ticket sales posted for either of these mid-week events, but they are both good to go, and definitely consider a trip there on Wednesday for The Din's second-to-last show opening for James Blonde! Visit the official Facebook event page for more details, and here's The Din live!



Also today, here's the latest from former Bear Hunters guitarist & Skull After Betrayl frontman Mike Vincent's revived solo project, so what's new from his camp? Well, he posted two more songs from his debut solo album to his Bandcamp page last week, including "Chapter 2: Glow of the Dark" and a "bonus/single" named "Ultimate Chaos". As per Mike's personal Facebook page, recording sessions are compete for the album, which will also be called "Ultimate Chaos", with the previously teased EPs ("Six, Six, Six" & "We're Of Nothing") now considered it's first & second halves. With that said, the album is not (yet?) for sale in a full album format, but Mike signalled in his personal post that he already is planning work on a second solo album. I have no idea if he plans to formally package "Ultimate Chaos" into even a proper Bandcamp album with a price, cover art, track listing and all that, but pending a formal sale, I'll hold comment on the new songs.

That said, if Mike does properly release the album in a sale format, it would be eligible for a CD review on the SMS, and fans of his existing solo music should enjoy these instrumentals, so check the above links for more on Mike's recent solo work, and stay tuned for more from him!

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

• Local hardcore punk group Programmed To Fail quietly reunited last fall, as per their new Facebook page, and have enlisted former Northern Tragedy bassist Corry Rideout into their lineup! That's the extent of their new updates, with nothing else new to speak of beyond 2016 posts, but it's great to see Corry back in a local band after a few years away! Stay tuned for more from Programmed to Fail when it rolls in, and they're back in our active band links!
• As of September 26th, promoters Maxx Entertainment (or Choose Maxx) were still looking for musical performers for this year's sixth annual Toystock charity concert at The Northern Grand Gardens on November 26th. Full bands, duos, and solo acts of "pretty much any genre" can apply to perform, so message them at their Facebook page if you're interested in performing at Toystock VI next month! For what it's worth, comments there implied interest in sets from Soundcheck and a returning The Peace Vibe.
• In a post on the Musicians Wanted Facebook group on Friday, Vol. frontman Steve Edwards noted that he's looking for practice space and willing to pay rent for "a 4 piece alt-rock group" that would practice 2-4 times a week in the lead-up to a concert. He didn't directly specify if the intended band is for Vol. or not, but if it is, their apparent expansion to a quartet is news to me. If he meant Vol., stay tuned for word on their new member, and message Steve at this link or above if you can help out the band in question!

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