Another month means another slate of feature posts is upon us, and today, we have the first of September 2012, that being this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! As always, this series explores the background, info, and current statuses of all of the known, publically announced, and officially started metal/hard rock albums from Sault Ontario bands, and this month's installment features one brand new album and updates on two others! As always, updated/new entries are noted with the album's name in
italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As It Stands' third EPRumoured Songs: "Conception", "Big Problem, Little Lock City", "Rise Above", "One Last Chance", "One Less Than Wayne Gretzky", "Big Bucks, No Whammy", "Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Ho", "Embay the Terrible", "Oh Herm, Herm Delish", "David & Goliath", "Stay Together For The Kids" (Blink-182 cover)
Background: Continuing their high success levels since their local re-emergence in 2010, hardcore quintet As It Stands started recording sessions for their third EP with
Metalworks Studios in Mississauga last July with producer
Kevin Dietz. The sessions lasted just a few days, but from what I hear, a lot got accomplished! You can see some of the happenings from the sessions on
their official studio vlog, which features some audio samples and video of some members recording their parts. The vlog also confirmed that their cover of Blink-182's "Stay Together For The Kids" was recorded in Mississauga, and that the songs will be part of an EP, not a full length album as was previously believed. It's currently unclear whether the songs they recorded at
Stereo Soul Studios in 2010 and/or in Stoney Creek last year will be featured on the EP in some form. A new track, oddly titled "Oh Herm, Herm Delish" was posted
onto SoundCloud in early 2012, with studio copies of "Conception" & "Big Problem, Little Lock City" also being uploaded to
their Facebook page this year, both of which you can stream at
this location. Mixing was underway locally with Brendan Clace at
Dimension Studios, so stay tuned for more news on this EP this year!
Current Release Status: As It Stands seem to have everything under control and well planned for the sessions and their studio work, and though nothing concrete has been explicitly said about it's release, things seem on track, despite recent delays and absences of updates. When might we see this EP? I don't know, but keep an eye out for updates, album information, and so forth, as I'm hearing good things!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bear Hunters' full length demo
Rumoured Songs: "Bloodthirst", "Succumb To Eternity", "Dominate", "Overthrown", "Casualties Of War", "Collapse The Sun", "Render This Void", "Karma", "Deception"
Background: Local death metal quintet The Bear Hunters formally announced that they'd begun recording for their debut EP "Bloodthirst" last May, just days after adding guitarist Josh Stephney to the band. The news was broken on
their Facebook page, but details were extremely scant following that news, and the recording plans fell dormant until January, when the band announced plans to record material towards a full length demo release. Plans are for this demo (which won't be "slapped together") to feature at least 10 songs, with drum & bass recording for those 10 songs finished as of February 16th. This appears to be an independent production towards future better quality recordings, and plans are in place to release official band t-shirts along with the demos when completed. Stay tuned to the band's Facebook page for continued updates!
Current Release Status: Though things seem to have been delayed a tad, recordings for this and the band's non-album cover of Woods of Ypres' "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye; Part 2)" are ongoing as per their Facebook page last week. No timeline was given for the release of either, but they seem to have things in good order, so keep an eye out for updates on official Bear Hunters media as it comes in!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gates of Winter - PerihelionRumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics"
Background: Despite a hiatus from live concerts lasting almost 4 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, they are currently looking for a new session drummer. On November 6th, bassist Steve Furgiuele confirmed in
a YouTube video that the album, now titled "Perihelion", is planned for release in December 2012, with some older re-recordings likely for the summer. Another new song, tentatively called "Wormhole Mechanics", was previewed in
this video that Lee uploaded as well last year. Most recently, Lee announced on January 10th that vocal recordings had begun, but recent updates have been slow, and delays have been indicated. Whether Jon or ex-keyboardist Brian Holmes will be included in some capacity on the album is currently unknown.
Current Release Status: According to Lee's posting on
the Musicians Wanted Facebook group relating to their session drummer search, he's hoping for the work to be done "within the next 4-12 months", which alone hints that "Perihelion" has been pushed back to at least 2013. That, and the lack of hoped summer re-recordings suggest delays from the November 2010 projections, but 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, so keep an eye out for updates!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haggith - Apocalypse
Rumoured Songs: "Wanko", "Fin", "I Am", "The Married Massacre", "Living It On The Run", "Rage Train", "Yesterday's Frustrations", "No Cure For Insanity"
Background: A new local grunge band formed in May, this trio featuring
Havadder &
20 Pack of Marshmallows alumni alongside local solo artist
Mike Haggith have quickly announced plans to record a debut album entitled "Apocalypse". Following early plans for "basement" demo EPs, they've since confirmed recording is underway for their first album, which has seen names like "Stop the Ear Bleeding" and "Dragon Joy Ride" in recent months. It's title and planned concept theme were announced on August 26th on
their Facebook page, which features numerous videos and audio clips from both live performances and studio sessions, new and old. Band biography writers and album cover artists are also being sought, so check the above links to help make Haggith's debut album a reality!
Current Release Status: I'm not entirely sure, but if Haggith operate on a similar prolific schedule as Mike Haggith does solo, this might just come out by the end of the year! If you look at Mike's discography, that's not far fetched, and I've heard talk of them playing their first Sault Ste. Marie show soon as well, so keep an eye out for updates on their debut album!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Late & Loud's debut album
Rumoured Songs: "Whisper Of The Damned", "Fast As A Bitch", "Rock N' Roll", "Heavy Or Bust", "Machine Gun Maiden"
Background: Late & Loud surprisingly announced plans to being recording a demo in January 2011, despite their relative newness to the scene at the time, not having launched internet pages until November 2010. Alternately described as a demo and an EP, it does appear to be packaged more like a standard album, with a photo shoot for it having taken place in February 2011 (
click here to see the photos.) I believe this is being self-recorded, and updates towards recording sessions have been sporadically posted on
Late & Loud's official Facebook page in recent months. The band released
a video last year indicating a now-passed release date, with instrumental samples of three songs, and a confirmed tracklist of at least nine songs, which has since been pared down to five, omitting frequently played songs from recent shows like "Live For Excess" & "Love Letter Lockdown". Though the full EP has been posted on
the band's Reverbnation page, information about a concrete release was not made before the band went on hiatus on September 1st.
Current Release Status: The chances of it's release are looking slimmer now thanks to Late & Loud's recently-begun hiatus, but we've seen enough bands release posthumous material to know not to count out this being released yet. That said, the free online posting may have been a way to let fans hear the material due to the knowledge of a proper release not happening, but who knows. We'll hear more soon, hopefully!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Haggith - Neighbourhood WatchRumoured Songs: "To Whom This May Concern", "Room 822", "Door To My Mind", "The Man In Green" (Black Hole Suns cover), "The Ballad of K2/K3", "Wicked Midnight Ride", "Limb Coast", "It Takes Time" (Black Hole Suns cover), "Fading", "Leon The Janitor"
Background: Scheduled to be local solo musician Mike Haggith's
45th full length studio album, "Neighbourhood Watch" (previously titled "Space 82" and "410 To Scotland) is scheduled to be a concept album based on differing human experiences. Originally planned for release on January 25th through Galactic Records (formerly Rotten Records), "Neighbourhood Watch" should be available on both mp3 and CD formats, and ten tracks have been announced for it, including the already unveiled
"Limb Coast", two covers of Kincheloe project The Black Hole Suns' songs (an instrumental mix of one of them can be
heard here), and a mixture of previously heard & new material, though previously announced songs "Orion", "On A Cloud", "Who Owns Space 82?", "Standing On The Edge", "Stalking Booze & The Raptor", "Nightmare On Reed Street", "The Day The Lights Went Out", "My Angel", and the album's title track
were removed from the track listing in previous months. Some full and demo tracks from the album are now online for streaming, so stay tuned for more details on "Neighbourhood Watch" at
this location, as Mike's generally good for keeping fans up to date on his upcoming solo projects!
Current Release Status: Originally planned to come out at varying points over the last few months, Mike confirmed this spring that illnesses have caused it to be delayed to an unknown future date, and activity with his new local grunge band Haggith has been prominent recently as well. That said, postings and cover artwork have been posted on his solo Facebook page over the past month hinting towards a closer and closer release date, so might we see "Neighbourhood Watch" this fall? Mike has always been forthcoming & honest about album release details and hangups, so stay tuned in case anything changes!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Riverin's self-titled debut EPRumoured Songs: "Attitude", "They Lost You", "A Cold Wind", "Deflower", "Valentine", "Raining In December", "Trenches", "Something Else"
Background: An industrial hard rock project from former
Dirty Virgin & Silver Dream bandmates Matt Hicks and Matt Clement, Riverin slowly worked on their debut EP for much of 2010 at Matt Hicks' Quartertone Studios. The original recording sessions for this self-produced EP have finished, and it was said to be released "soon" as of July 2010. All six songs to initially be included on the EP are now featured on
their MySpace page to stream for free! E-mail correspondence with Matt Clement that fall detailed how the band were looking into the CD development process to release the album in time for a planned CD release show in the future featuring guest musicians. Two new songs, "Trenches" & "Something Else", have been announced, with "Trenches" later posted online in May 2011, but it's unclear if they'll be on the EP or not.
Current Release Status: Not sure, but things did seem to be on the right track, given that the EP's tracks are all recorded. The way it's sounding to me, the release of the EP would likely tie in to their debut concert as a CD release show, but we haven't heard anything official from the band since last fall, and could be approaching us labelling them as inactive in a few months, so I'm starting to doubt if it'll ever be released. Just in case though, stay tuned for updates!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shit Liver's debut EP
Rumoured Songs: "Contribute or Perish", "Fabricated Nonsense", "Hateroleum", "Helen Kellers", "It's Not My Problem", "Pennotration", "Sewer Livin'", "Shift Liver", "Shit Liver", "Shit Will Prevail", "Survival of the Shittest", "Unabomber", "(Friendly Old) Uncle Joe", "You're Scared"
Background: Curiously not plugged at all on their online pages, I have heard from those close to the band that local grimecore trio Shit Liver are independently working on a debut EP which is supposed to have 14 songs (knowing how short most of their songs are, that's not a typo.) I can confirm that there are unmastered recordings of at least some of the album tracks floating around, but as they have not publically acknowledged EP plans online, it's not clear how far along they are, but I'll keep you guys updated if they say anything!
Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine. Most bands that stay mum on recording plans are behind schedule or not proceeding further, but from what I have heard, Shit Liver are well into the recording process and have finished up at least much of the material. Hopefully we hear some big news on this front soon, so stay tuned for updates!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sykotyk Rampage - "Jonathon, Your Music Sucks!", "Sykotyk Ramp-age", "Anal Disruptions", "Smells Real Good On A Bad Night", "The Cross", and "Will Do Anything, Seriously?"Rumoured Songs: "Roll A Doobie"
Background: On May 6th, "the original crash band" Sykotyk Rampage unveiled plans to release no less than
six new albums this year, mirroring the announced output of material from last year. Though little is known yet on the material for these albums beyond
the album covers on their Facebook page, these six will push Sykotyk Rampage's discography to 35 releases in total, and all will feature 11-12 tracks. Similarly to their recent albums, it's expected that these new albums are or will be recorded with their current lineup at River Front Recreation Studios, and they'll likely be put on sale and/or uploaded for free streaming on
their Reverbnation page when they're actually released. Aside from a potential album track named "Roll A Doobie" on Reverbnation, no song identities or media have been released yet, but stay tuned for updates on all of Sykotyk Rampage's new albums as information comes in!
Current Release Status: These albums are listed on Facebook as coming out this summer, which officially passes us by this month. This isn't anything new though, as many of Sykotyk Rampage's recent albums have been delayed by as much as 8 months. I'd love to see some or all of these come out soon, but a wait & see attitude might be the best route to take. No matter what though, keep an eye out for plenty of Sykotyk Rampage material (hopefully) this year!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tym Morrison's second solo albumRumoured Songs: "Moon Patrol", "Dungeons & Dragons", "Nag Hamedi", "The Reason Why", "The Dark Shred", "Song For Jen", "No Name", "Amy", "Lay It On The Line", "Someday", "How I'm Wanting You More", "The After Life", "9/11", "His Sacrifice", "Termination of Exystence"
Background: I honestly don't know a lot about the background for Tym Morrison's second album, but he has posted samples of nine songs for his "next album" onto
the music player on his official website. The songs are all of good quality, and feature Tym in familiarly good form! Original information about recording sessions for his solo album are either very sparse or were made quite a while ago, so I don't know a lot about it, but the songs were likely self-recorded at Morrison Studio Productions with Tym on all instruments save for the programmed drums. He's worked on the album sporadically since, including scattered song postings (including some of a comedic or acoustic nature) and Facebook hints at a double album release, but it's unknown how close we are to seeing a second Tym Morrison album release, or if all of the originally announced songs will make the cut, but keep an eye out!
Current Release Status: I don't have any real idea, but the song postings from this summer hint towards good things! Hopefully Tym does release these songs in the near future, as his older samples and newer material deserve an audience, but for now, check out the above links to hear what he has to share that could make the cut!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Winkstinger's debut EPRumoured Songs: "Sadist", "Fuck The Rest", "Cheese Grater Face", "Chudnugget", "From Bullshit To Buzz (Lies = Weed)", "Where'd We Go Wrong", "Poop", "In Other Words", "Stop! You Can't Interrogate Someone With Brain Damage!", "The Devil's Hand", "Feel All My Hate", "Move It, Peenie-Weenies, My Hands Are On Fire!", "Jimmy Got His New Legs (Derp.)", "Bidniz", "Nunya", "Of Steed & Steel"
Background: Little is publically known about this EP, but Winkstinger initially confirmed on March 15th on
their Facebook page that recording had begun. Anything else from official band pages is open-ended or minimal, but guitarist Jesse Cook has also kept fans posted on the recording sessions for the band's first EP on his personal Facebook page, noting that recording took place from the 15th through the 27th, with mixing done and some lyric finalization left. I assume this EP is being self-produced and recorded, but again, the band hasn't said much publically about it or it's possible track listing, length, release formats, or anything else. In May, the band posted 5 demos from the sessions onto
their new SoundCloud page, so stream them there in advance of the full release! Whether ex-rhythm guitarist Jason Ladouceur's recordings will remain on the final product or be redone by his replacement Anthony Orazietti is not publically known yet.
Current Release Status: I'm not sure, especially with the limited public information as of yet, but at this point, a fall release would make sense. No matter what though, I'm curious to hear more of Winkstinger's creative and often amusing material in studio form, so hopefully this does come out relatively soon! Stay tuned for updates!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Woods of Ypres - "Woods 4.5: You Were The Light"Rumoured Songs: "You Were The Light", "Falling Apart"
Background: Recording for what was intended to be Woods of Ypres' fifth album took place in August 2010 at Stereo Soul Studios. Intended to be a 5 track EP, producer
Miguel Gauthier's Facebook page kept fans updated on the sessions, along with Woods of Ypres' pages. Originally titled "Woods V: You Were The Light", release plans noticeably changed when the band signed with
Earache Records in the fall of 2010. With the label desiring a full length follow-up to "Woods IV", frontman David Gold & guitarist Joel Violette hit the studio in August to record a new full length album, now known as "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light", which left the August 2010 material (now called "Woods 4.5") temporarily shelved. Though definitive release details for that EP aren't known, two of the songs were issued in a limited edition vinyl single release named "Home" through Practical Art Records last April (
get ordering details here), and you can stream them at various online pages as well. However, no updates on the remaining material have come since then, and it's future status is in limbo following David Gold's passing in December 2011.
Current Release Status: I have no clue. I originally thought it would either come out after "Woods V" or with it as a bonus disc, but knowing it's length and status due to the "Woods V" sessions, it may have depended on a release through David Gold's own Practical Art Records label, which is likely considered defunct following his death. I know David preferred this material to stand on it's own as one complete unit and not with other material tacked on, but it may only realistically see a release now as either a free posting or as part of a rarities collection, given that future band activity is likely restricted to putting out old material. Joel Violette has indicated in interviews that the only future Woods release he can see being produced would be an album of piano-based re-recordings, further muddying the waters of a "W4.5" release. Whether we ever see the remaining "W4.5" songs is up in the air at best, but if I hear anything on a release or posting of this EP, I'll be sure to let you guys know!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you guys liked this month's installment of this ongoing series! It'll of course be back in October, but barring a flash new album release in the next week, our next feature post will be our dual Defunct Local Band Profiles on Weed and PYSS next Monday, so stay tuned for that then, and more news on the site hopefully soon! Thanks everyone!
Kinross hard rockers Banned will return to the stage THIS SATURDAY at Todd's Tavern in nearby Moran, Michigan! One weekend after a packed weekend in Gould City and at the Sault Riverview Music Festival (more on that in a bit), the Traynors & company will rock the former Bullwinkle's on Saturday night (yes, the date is 100% confirmed this time) for what should be an entertaining night of hard rock covers & originals! Admission should be free with a 21+ age limit, and an oddly early start time of 8:00 PM is advertised on their Facebook page. Todd's Tavern is quickly becoming a favourite stop for Banned's widely varying Eastern U.P. gigs, so take a drive down to Moran (20 minutes from St. Ignace, an hour from the Soo) on Saturday to rock out! Also in Banned news, I can confirm why guitarist Alex Schrovenwever was absent from their Rock Till You Drop battle set last month, as it looks like he moved to Marquette for college last month, as per postings on his personal Facebook page. I don't know what this means for his Banned status, but he is still listed in their lineup, and enough local bands have stayed active with a member out of town for an extended period for us to not assume the worst. Best of luck to Alex in Marquette though, and hopefully we'll see him back on stage with Banned sooner or later!
With that said, Alex Schrovenwever was definitely absent for Banned's Sault Riverview Music Festival sets this past weekend, but they kept at it to rock City Hall as part of this new local music festival, and we have video footage of Banned in action during their set on Friday night! This is of most of their still-local members (singer Mike Straw is absent) playing a brand new original song named "Cocaine Riot", as filmed by Ashley Traynor and uploaded to her YouTube channel on Sunday, but how does it look & sound? It has a nice classic hard rock sound, and it's melody & groove are better to me than on their other available originals, but it's not a shredding metal track. Lead guitarist Alex Traynor provides vocals here and uses them to maximum effectiveness with some extra grit & nicely ranged falsetto parts late, and everything comes out well here! You can tell it's later in the day though by the brightness of the video, and some extra lighting would have been nice, as well as the crowd reaction after the song ended. Check out Banned's newest original below, and go check them out in Moran on Saturday night!
Next up, I wanted to note on here (if you guys hadn't already heard) that Sault Ontario concert promoting agency Dismembertainment is more or less defunct now. The company ran by local promoter/guitarist Rich Moreland hasn't put on a show since May, and while I won't go into major details on what's happened since, Rich left town this past weekend for work opportunities in Alberta. He's of course well known for booking all kinds of metal & punk concerts in Sault Ontario since bringing Behemoth here in 2005, featuring notable bands like Kittie, The Dayglo Abortions, Napalm Death, Cattle Decapitation, Novembers Doom, Fuck The Facts, Wolven Ancestry, and Beyond Within, just to name a few. In the last couple years, he ramped up on bookings, including starting the Roosevelt Hotel metal nights in November 2010 & promoting 37 installments of that series, formally launching Dismembertainment in March 2011, briefly owning what's now Coch's Corner under the Feedback name late last year, and helping organize the massive Ypres Metal Fest in memory of the late David Gold this past April. Also, you're bound to remember him as a musician too, including a notable stint as a guitarist in Time of Ruin in the late 2000s, and many guest vocal appearances with assorted local bands.
Finally for today, here's the latest updates from the new Sault Michigan hardcore band Angelic Genocide... or, what used to be them. Last week, they changed their name to The Eleventh Hour (Lamb of God reference?), and though a reason wasn't announced for the change, they did refer to the Angelic Genocide name as their "last idea at a band name", for what that's worth. I actually like the new name better, so hopefully it sticks for them, and hopefully they'll update their logos & Facebook page URL soon to match it! Also in recent news, The Eleventh Hour appear to have quietly parted ways with bassist Alex Boyer, as per his removal from their lineup on Facebook. Again, a reason for this hasn't been announced, but Alex does still list himself as a band member (on vocals, no less) on his personal Facebook page, though that might be an old posting to begin with. Still, if he is indeed gone, best of luck to Alex in the future! The Eleventh Hour do list the bass spot as vacant now, so if you live in the Sault Michigan area, it's worth giving the guys a shout if you wanna try out, so visit the above links! Finally for Eleventh Hour updates, the band indicated on Wednesday that they're working on a new original song named "The Weeping Angels", so stay tuned for updates on that and more from The Eleventh Hour as it all comes in!
