It's time for our first monthly feature post of March 2019, namely this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This ongoing series looks at the current release whereabouts of albums from local metal, hard rock, and punk bands, in order to spotlight their public progress, expected release dates, and other pertinent details. This month, we have 12 albums to look at, with five having updated information, as noted with the album name in
italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!
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A Dire Setback's debut album
Rumoured Songs: "Wasting Away", "Kicking & Screaming", "Faded", "Catastrophe", "Forget This Memory", "Everlasting Despair", "A Dire Setback"
Background: Though discussion of a
debut album had been ongoing throughout 2017, local alt-punk trio A Dire
Setback only announced that their first CD was in the works in March of
last year. To help fund the recording sessions, A
Dire Setback launched
a Patreon page
to allow fans to help financially back them and the album, with
exclusive content and perks promised for backers on there, though public
content on
their Facebook page
has also been released. Around that same time, the guys began setting
tempos and recording click tracks for the album, with Pointless
bandmates Bill Priddle & Dustin Goodall handling production and
mastering, at least partially at Dustin's own Unsalted Audio. Full
recording sessions began with drum tracking in May, as noted on
Facebook, with vocal tracking winding down as of February 17th. The band posted
this photo on Facebook in that could be the possible cover art, while
this Rotaryfest teaser features a drum-heavy track that may be included.
Current Release Status: I couldn't
begin to guess, but A Dire Setback are doing all the right things to get
buzz online for the recording sessions, and it'll be interesting to see
how influential the Patreon campaign is towards it's completion,
especially considering the limited success of past crowdfunding
campaigns from local musicians. Keep posted for updates!
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The Bear Hunters - The Dead Testament
Rumoured Songs: "The
Void", "The Omen", "Neckbreaker", "I Fear No God", "Servitude",
"Transcend Judgement", "For Glory", "The Wrath Of Angmar", "The Dying
Den", "The Dead Testament", "Deception" (bonus re-recording),
"The Forest of Forests" (bonus track)
Background: In tentative planning
since 2014 under this title, local death metal quintet The Bear
Hunters have been playing songs intended for their second full length CD
for a few years now, but only fully began recording sessions for "The
Dead Testament" on October 2nd, 2015. Following a brief fundraising campaign
and the gradual unveiling of song titles, the band has been working
with producer Dustin Jones at
Mission Control Studios, and have shared
sporadic updates on
their Instagram page. Like on 2014's "Eternal
Hibernation", rhythm guitarist Josh Stephney has recorded parts
for the album despite living in Southern Ontario. The music video for
"I Fear No God" was posted on YouTube on December 1st, marking the first public release of a song from the CD, while
the final cover artwork and full track listing order were posted on
their Facebook page on February 17th.
Current Release Status: The Bear
Hunters haven't given any firm timetables for when to expect "The Dead
Testament"
in stores, but recording sessions are reportedly complete, and the
video description above teased that the release date will be announced
"in the next few weeks."
The band is
aiming for a more professional sound and release for
their sophomore effort, and to go along with that, artwork and physical
distribution plans are ongoing, as are "a ton of cool ideas for stepping
our media game up." Keep an eye out for updates on "The Dead Testament"
when
and if they come in!
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Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide's fourth album
Rumoured Songs: "Lost & Found"
Background: After a lengthy hiatus
dating back to the summer of 2016, local Celtic punk veterans Dustin
Jones & The Rising Tide resumed public activity last spring, later
beginning recording sessions by October at Dustin's own Mission Control
Studios, as per
their Facebook page.
The band confirmed that they were indeed recording a fourth studio
album (and first in 7 years) in January, which will presumably be
released through
Tidal Records, and will also be their first album with second guitarist Liam Seymour and drummer Chris Johns.
A 22 second teaser of the planned first single "Lost & Found" was posted on Facebook, and a music video was shot for it last month, though further details on it and the album are forthcoming.
Current Release Status: When The
Tide shared the above teaser clip, they mentioned that the album was
"coming soon", which doesn't tell us much. With recording sessions a few
months in, and that teaser sounding relatively complete for musician
input, it's likely that Dustin and company aren't early in the process,
but we'll let you know when more comes out on their highly anticipated
fourth album as the year moves forward!
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Electric Church's debut album
Rumoured Songs: "Muddy Waters", "Ain't Got None", "Carey Baby", "Take Me Away", "Cross the Line"
Background: Fast rising young
blues/hard rock trio Electric Church evolved from Jimi Hendrix covers in
2016 to primarily original material in 2017, and punctuated that on May
12th of that year when they announced on
their Facebook page
that they were "working up some new songs... for the album!!!" It was
confirmed around that time that they were recording material at Mission
Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones, who shared a
Facebook page
photo confirming Electric Church's presence. However, few direct updates have
followed publically, aside from scattered reminders in late 2017 that they were still
working in studio, and that they "are really excited about all the new
projects we have planned."
Current Release Status: No clue,
but Electric Church are a very talented band who play beyond their
years, and no matter how long this takes, the album should be of solid
quality when it finally comes out! That being said, prior teasers
regarding finishing recording lat year haven't had any visible
follow-through, and aside from last May's Sky's the Limit fundraiser
concert, we haven't heard anything public from Electric Church in over a
year. In case anything comes up, stay tuned!
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The Elements'
debut EP
Rumoured Songs: "Liar", "G20", "Triple H", "The Rut", "I Need A Friend"
Background: Arguably better known
for their funk, ska, and hard rock covers, local quartet The Elements
have been adding original material to their sets since 2015, and
have since publically confirmed earlier teases that they are working on a
debut EP. Frontman Rob Speers has confirmed in personal conversations
in early 2016 that they have been working in studio on the release,
which will have at
least 5 tracks, and I believe it's being self-recorded, but further
public updates are minimal at best. It's also not known if they'll
employ any guest performers, such as saxophonist Josh Norling, a frequent presence in recent
months.
Current Release Status: At this
stage, I have no idea, but Rob sounded like things were going well in
studio. That said, these were largely personal conversations over a year ago,
and the band hasn't acknowledged album recording sessions publically in
recent months, so we'll have to see if updates come out on it in 2019!
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Gates of Winter - Perihelion
Rumoured Songs: "The Stars Call My True Name", "Edin Na Zu", "Dimensions", "Time Warp", "Wormhole Mechanics", "Prometheus", "Eta Carinae"
Background: Despite
a hiatus from live concerts lasting over 9 years, Gates of
Winter never broke up, and are slowly working on their follow-up
to 2008's "Lux Aeterna". Updates have sporadically been made
since early 2010, via numerous uploads, teaser postings, and general
hype for the recording sessions, though prior release forecasts haven't
been realized, it was retracted from CD to EP length, and most preview
media has since been taken down as the band perfected the CD's final
content. While Sault
native Jon Morrison
was announced as the album's drummer in late 2010, it has since been
confirmed that "Perihelion" will feature programmed drums. After taking a
over a year off from public activity, Gates of Winter resurfaced
in July 2017 with new band artwork and hints that they have "been making
incredible strides, and are very excited to pull back the curtain."
Current Release Status: Personal
commitments and the like have slowed
things down incredibly, but the band has repeatedly acknowledged
continued work towards the release in scattered postings throughout the
2010s. The band's Facebook page was admittedly taken down in
mid-2018, despite a personal Facebook video of members jamming from
April, but given their already measured public updates and prior
year-long public hiatus from 2016-2017 without dissolving, I am hesitant
to make a judgement on their status. If still alive, remember that good
art takes time, and
Gates of
Winter won't want to release this until
everything's perfect and to their high standards. Keep an eye out for
potential updates!
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Id Iota's full length second CD
Rumoured Songs: "Happy Sailor", "Intro To American Literature", "Seas Envy Skies", "Long D", "Cop Drama", "Deep Empty", "Blind Spots"
Background: Not long after their
successful Ontario tour with Mike Mikus in late 2016, Id Iota began
recording sessions for their second album, though public confirmation
that a full length CD was currently in progress didn't occur until
guitarist Dustin Goodall announced it on his studio
Unsalted Audio's website in early 2017. Scattered postings and hints have followed, but
nothing else has came out beyond performances of newer originals in
concert through last summer. For reference,
this photo got shared a few times on
Id Iota's Facebook page
last year, but it's unclear if it's intended to be the album's cover
artwork. It is not clear whether new bassist Robert Sartini
and/or his predecessor Dan Linklater will be on the final product, or if
any collaborations with RedD Monkey alum Pete Mozarowski will make the
cut.
Current Release Status: No idea,
especially with the alternative/hard rock quartet keeping fairly mum on
it's progress as of late. For what it's worth, the band returned from a 7 month public hiatus on Thursday with
a video cover of Pup's "Free At Last" sans singer Christian Lemay and alongside Dustin's Pointless bandmate Bill Priddle (I believe) on guitar, but I don't know if this is indicative of any lineup shifts or just who was available at that time, let alone how this may impact the album. Hopefully
things
are progressing well behind the scenes, so stay tuned for updates!
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Mike Haggith - Bridges
Rumoured Songs: "From The 55th Parallel", "Over Indecision", "The Nature of The Times","An
Act of Strength","The Catalyst", "Dangerous
Town", "Come on Home", "Blue Highway", "Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost", "Bridges"
Background: After moving to
Thompson, Manitoba in November 2017 for work reasons, prolific
local/Windsor hard/alternative rock musician Mike Haggith relaunched his
dormant solo project, and soon commenced songwriting for a new CD,
which will be his 50th canon studio album and his first since 2015's
"The Warinside" Updates slowly took place across 2018, with
his Facebook page
documenting songwriting sessions and acoustic "home demo" videos of new
original songs, plus occasional solo concerts in Thompson largely
featuring these new tracks. Mike has unveiled the official title as "Bridges", along with it's
cover artwork
and track listing in September, which includes all of his Thompson-era
originals except "If Only You
Could Hear Me". The album's first single, "The Nature of The Times", was
released to online music download and streaming services in November,
with a music video for that song also forthcoming, while the title track gets a single release on Tuesday.
Current Release Status: Though Mike
didn't highly publicize the recording sessions on social media, he
confirmed at the end of August that the album was "100% recorded", and
is soon
going to be edited and mixed. With Mike's candor and honesty, you know he
won't hide anything
regarding it's release, and with the recent single release and a lot of
positive comments on the album and it's recording, fans should eagerly
be awaiting "Bridges" upon it's release, hopefully by early 2019!
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Mike Vincent - For Dear Life
Rumoured Songs: "Nocturnal"
Background: Shortly after releasing
his first two solo albums ("Ultimate Chaos" & "Apocalypse") in
March, former Skull After Betrayl frontman & Bear Hunters guitarist
Mike Vincent indicated that he had begun preparations for a third solo
release. With no public Facebook page for his music at press time, Mike
revealed on his personal Facebook page in September that his third album would
be titled "For Dear Life", with an instrumental demo of it's first song
"Nocturnal" being posted to
his Bandcamp page.
Unlike on his prior releases, "For Dear Life" is expected to feature
vocals on all but one track, in a possible throwback to Mike's singing
work with both Skull After Betrayl and D.O.T.H..
Current Release Status: I don't
know for certain, but given that this version of "Nocturnal" has no
vocals, I imagine Mike is early in the independent recording process. If
this is anything like his prior albums, expect songs to be
incrementally released over time in advance of the final sale posting,
but nothing's finite. Keep tabs for updates in the coming months!
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Pillory's second CD
Rumoured Songs: "Angst of Existence", "Sculptor of Cadavers", "Wasting", "Abhorred Apprehension", "The Passing",
"Exhaustive Incarnation"
Background: After previously
breaking up in mid-2014, local metal band Pillory returned as a trio in
the fall of 2015, trading their thrash metal roots for a heavier death
metal sound, complete with a completely overhauled setlist with no
carried-over originals from their 2013 debut EP. In
March 2017, Id Iota guitarist Dustin Goodall's recording studio
Unsalted Audio
revealed that they were in pre-production for Pillory's second album,
with the band confirming that sessions were underway that summer. As of
last July, drum tracks were complete, though it took until November 2018
for the band to confirm that guitar tracking was underway, with vocals
& mixing to follow. It's not clear who will provide bass tracks on
the final
product, between ex-bassist Jordan Leach, his replacement Blair St.
John, frontman Robert Sartini (who played bass on their first EP), or a
combination therein.
Current Release Status: I have no
idea, and it doesn't help that Pillory have only posted once on Facebook
in the past year, though their new lineup returned from that hiatus at
July's Rivers of Nihil concert. That said, with their increasingly
brutal and
technical sound, hopefully they can get this album complete down the
line!
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Skeyes of Seven - Stare at the Sky
Rumoured Songs: "Enough", "See The Truth", "Fallen Faith", "Pretend", "Cognitive Dissonance", "Crawling Back From Reality"
Background: Already no strangers to
the studio after recording two songs as
singles in the mid-2010s, local modern hard rock quartet
Skeyes of Seven hit the studio to record their debut EP in 2015,
though they only publically confirmed that an EP was in the works in January 2016. Sessions took place at
Deluca Sound Productions,
who have shared videos of band members tracking material for the EP,
the title of which being unveiled later that year. In January 2017, all six songs
were posted to
their YouTube channel,
including the new instrumental "Crawling Back From Reality", while also
excluding their older originals "Destination Unknown" & "No One
Cares". New guitarist Kyle Sweet is not visibly on the EP, having joined
Skeyes of Seven after sessions concluded.
Current Release Status: Given that
the whole EP is online for free streaming, then conventional wisdom
would say that "Stare at the Sky" would be released imminently, but the
band has yet to confirm a paid release date, and haven't posted a
Facebook update since April of last year. Hopefully it doesn't stall
at being a free posting, as Skeyes of
Seven are a talented and experienced band, and having been active in
studio more than on stage since launching in 2012, it'd be great to see
them culminate this process with a release concert. Follow along
to see where things go!
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The Sorrow Fields' debut album
Rumoured Songs: Unknown
Background: After a two year hiatus
for his solo project (previously known as Animas, April Eyes, and By
The Gods), local guitarist Mitch Sirie's solo project The Sorrow Fields
resumed public activity last February via recording sessions at Mission
Control Studios with producer Dustin Jones, where his band The Bear
Hunters also recorded their new CD. An actively maintained social media
page for The Sorrow Fields has not followed suit, but Dustin did say
that he was "stoked" by the guide tracks, and tracking was reportedly
underway in January. Posts on Mitch's personal Facebook page have
implied that the project's current form will be much softer than his
death metal band work.
Current Release Status: With
tracking reportedly underway, this year has to be at least targeted, but
given that Mitch has kept all of his own promotion for this album on
personal accounts, it's anyone's guess how fast this will come out
(also, remember how Mitch's prior attempts at solo albums never saw
their intended completion.) It'd be great to see both The Sorrow Fields'
debut and "The Dead Testament" on sale this year, and hopefully things
progress the right way for both in the coming months!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series is scheduled to return on or around April 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile one week from tomorrow! That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new post of some kind tonight! Thanks everyone!
Local classic/hard rock cover quartet Soundcheck will return to Reggie's West for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, but that's not all for their 2019 concert slate! Apologies for the short notice on this weekend's concerts, we only heard about them via this concert calendar posting on the band's Facebook page this past weekend, too soon to redundantly cover TOMORROW & SATURDAY'S shows twice. In a change of approach from their past concert announcements (which tended to come the week of the show, if at all), Soundcheck have confirmed their currently booked shows through the end of the year, and you can see all of those dates on your right. I definitely appreciate the advance word, but to avoid stuffing our concert calendar with just listings from one band for a months-long stretch, I'm only adding shows through the end of May to our calendar at present, but I'll slot more in down the road and/or when new gigs are confirmed.
