Where Are The New Albums? November 2020 Update

With news still running at a crawl during the pandemic, I have opted to push this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post up one day to ensure that my "at least one post every three days" rule remains intact. That said, this installment is another holding pattern one, and you can blame the pandemic for that, but we do have one new album to add, as noted with it's title in italics. So, where are the new albums? Read on below to hopefully find out!

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Awokest & Chase James Wigmore's new albums

Rumoured Songs: Unknown

Background: Ever the prolific musician and songwriter, local folk punk/extreme metal musician Chase Wigmore announced the upcoming release of two new albums for his metal/techno project Awokest on their Facebook page on July 8th, including the guitar-focused "The Majestic Seagulls of Satan's Army" (which was released for free on YouTube last month under his own name) and the electronic-based "Beyonder". While "Beyonder" was allegedly awaiting a final mix & master at last report, Chase posted on his eponymous Facebook page on August 31st to indicate that it's progress was dialed back, while also announcing two more distinct acoustic albums and the long-gestating completion of his 33 part rock opera "A Story About A Kid Named Todd". He did not give specifics as to those albums' progress.

Current Release Status: Your guess is as good as mine, but remember that Chase is very prolific and varied in his musical interests, and not every album of his has seen a formal paid release, either by finishing it's lifespan as a demo, or by being released online for free. Chase himself admitted on Facebook that he was "not sure how many of these I can finish fully this year", but stay tuned for updates from his camps when they roll in!
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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 in December 2018, 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 in February 2019.

Current Release Status: The Bear Hunters haven't given any firm timetables for when to expect "The Dead Testament" in stores, and they have not publically referenced the album on social media in over a year, but recording sessions are reportedly complete, and they have played live since then. 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", "All Broke Down"

Background: After a lengthy hiatus dating back to the summer of 2016, local Celtic punk veterans Dustin Jones & The Rising Tide resumed public activity in early 2018, later beginning recording sessions by that 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 2019, 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 first single "Lost & Found" was posted on Facebook, and it's official music video was released in March 2019, while "All Broke Down" was initially cited as the first single in December 2018 (source here.)

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 it's intended song now out via the music video, 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 it rolls in!
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The Elements' debut EP 

Rumoured Songs: "Liar", "G20", "Triple H", "The Rut", "I Need A Friend", "Riptide"

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. A studio recording of "I Need A Friend" was quietly posted onto their Facebook page in February, following personal Facebook postings that revealed that EP sessions were further along than public statements indicated, though they have not elaborated since.

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 it's anyone's guess when The Elements will provide a public statement corroborating the private teasers. I won't go into detail on that front unless the band does or gives permission, so we'll have to see if updates come out on it soon!
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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, prolific local/Windsor hard/alternative rock musician Mike Haggith relaunched his dormant solo project, and soon commenced work on a new CD named "Bridges", which finished recording sessions in early 2019. His Facebook page has documented songwriting sessions, acoustic videos of new original songs, plus solo concerts in Thompson largely featuring new tracks. Despite the unveiling of the cover artwork, three singles, and even a music video for "The Nature of The Times", Mike indefinitely postponed the release of "Bridges" late last year due to mixing delays, personal life concerns, and the quick development of a new album named "If Ever Comes The Day", which was released in June.

Current Release Status: Mike has confirmed in his #LockdownLive concerts that "Bridges" will be released by the end of the year, and for an album with completed recording sessions, artwork, and single releases, that could be a conservative guess. With Mike's candor & honesty, you know he won't hide anything regarding "Bridges", so keep tabs for updates, but watch #LockdownLive IV to hear the whole album unplugged and hear his side of the album's progress and delays as of April!
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The Uncanny Valley's debut album

Rumoured Songs: "The Uncanny Valley", "Glowin'", "Middle Man", “This Love is Psychedelic”, "Stuck In Rotation", “Sweet Like Sugar”

Background: The new classic hard rock band from 2019 Soo's Got Talent winner Adrian Sullivan, fans will have seen original material of theirs right from the start, as The Uncanny Valley debuted their own songs in their first live concert at The Canadian on New Year's Eve. Live concert & jam session videos have followed on their Facebook page featuring their own material as well. After posting a teaser audio clip of "Sweet Like Sugar" in September, they posted the full studio version of "Middle Man" last month, finally confirming there that they are working on their first album, though no other details have followed suit.

Current Release Status: No clue, which isn't helped by The Uncanny Valley's age and relatively unfamiliar profile for many readers, not to mention the complications of the pandemic. That said, they are a talented group who seem to be taking the right steps for the future, and hopefully more updates on their debut album follow when ready!
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I hope you guys liked this month's "Where Are The New Albums?" post! This series will return on or around December 2nd, while our next monthly feature post will likely be this month's Defunct Local Band Profile slated for early next week. That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post of some kind by Wednesday. Thanks everyone!

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Fort Creek), New Videos, And More!!

As you may have gathered by the lack of proper news posts yet this week, things remain slow for local metal, hard rock, and punk activity, which is very atypical for Halloween week (especially with Halloween on a Saturday this year.) Of course, this is not a normal year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial and state restrictions on nightclubs, and social distancing & closing time restrictions on the few places that are hosting live concerts. As such, we only have one pair of newly announced shows from the same band to cover here for SHORT NOTICE LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (and for clarification, J.D. Pearce's annual Halloween Party at the Algonquin Hotel is not taking place.) I'm hopeful that 2021 will bring some more normalcy, but hopefully everyone can make the most of a screwy year and have some spooky fun in a way that keeps everyone safe this weekend, and if you bring the kids trick-or-treating, use common sense. Now, here are those new shows and a couple of new videos!

Local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek will return to Reggie's Place on Queen Street East for concerts TOMORROW & SATURDAY NIGHT, with the latter being the venue's Halloween party! Apologies for the short notice, these shows were only announced on the band's Facebook page on Saturday.  These will be Fort Creek's first dates since rocking Reggie's West two weeks ago, but fans at the re-opened downtown Reggie's will have waited four weeks for their brand of southern-tinged hard rock covers. TOMORROW'S show is business as usual (well, given the circumstances), but SATURDAY'S will indeed have a Halloween costume contest, with attending fans picking the best male and female costumes, plus the scariest costume. Keep all of that in mind on SATURDAY, but be advised that venue rules do not allow Halloween masks that cover the whole face (obviously, COVID face masks are still required.) As such, you may want to get creative if you are entering!

8:00 PM start times, 19+ age limits, and no announced cover charges are in effect for TOMORROW & SATURDAY's concerts, and despite the holiday weekend festivities, capacity limits are still in effect at Reggie's, and don't forget your face mask. Hopefully this weekend's shows are hits for Fort Creek, so see above for more details, and here they are live! Also, note that SooToday's entertainment page lists a band named "40 Creek" as playing a Johnny Cash tribute set on Saturday afternoon at The Moose Lodge. If this is a typo, Fort Creek haven't publicized it (we'll let you know if they do), but Forty Creek is a brand of domestic whiskey.

Next up, we'll close with a couple of new videos, including a new song from local hard rock singer/guitarist Tym Morrison's YouTube channel! His first upload there since his last Motley Market live-stream on September 5th, and his first original song upload since the summer, this is for his song "Together In The End", a ballad about a couple forgiving each other for the sins of their past. Pretty song with a bit of Tym's usual guitar tricks before the bridge, but it can be a little repetitive in structure as it goes. Check this one out below!

Finally, here's a new audio cover from new local acoustic hard rock band The Isolation Sessions' Facebook page on Monday! Now featuring what appears to be their full quartet lineup (complete with Chris on a cajon or equivalent hand drum), this is a cover of Seether's "Plastic Man", and they even set the audio track to a slideshow of relevant images with lyrics. Nice and laid back rendition, but it would be nice to see a video with the full group. This works in the interim, so check it out below!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and notes when enough material for a post rolls in, and if all else fails, our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post could be bumped up to Sunday. Thanks everyone!

YouTube Channel Profile Series: black cloud, Frank Thomas, and Dave Prendergast

Here is our last monthly feature post of October 2020, namely this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This ongoing feature looks at up to 3 YouTube channels whose content is at least half devoted to local metal, hard rock, and punk acts, all of which are randomly selected from our active YouTube subscriptions. This month, we drew 3 channels, as the first only had 3 audio demos, which means I only pull one to feature in the post, so I added two more channels who only had one SMS-relevant video. Still, there's some interesting stuff to see, so here's what you should know!

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black cloud (http://youtube.com/channel/UC9DYv-NpD7poW1R839JBdcA)
 

Owner: Black Cloud project leader Peytan Andreola

Channel Timeline: Launched on November 5th, 2019; All videos uploaded on July 26th, 2020

Channel Summary: The official YouTube channel for local death/trance metal solo project Black Cloud, it used to feature more content than what is currently present (including their full debut album "Abstract Sounds"), but a swath of video deletions preceded the upload of their remaining three audio demos (a self-titled song, "Bloodbaiting", and as embedded below, "Ghost Stomp"). Black Cloud's minimalist brutality is still a work in progress, but there is promise on these demos, and hopefully Peytan keeps at it into the new year!

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Frank Thomas (http://youtube.com/channel/UCSxehYsMJF-TI0DG_aZlmOw)

Owner: YouTube user and area resident Frank Thomas

Channel Timeline: Launched on August 10th, 2012; All videos uploaded on July 26th, 2020

Channel Summary: While still actively used for personal needs, Frank's only video is from California punk legends The Offspring's headlining set at GFL Memorial Gardens on November 19th, 2019, where he filmed their three opening songs ("Americana", "All I Want", and "Come Out & Play"). Despite a vertical camera angle, this relatively central video captures lively and faithful performances from The Offspring (albeit with Dexter's deeper modern voice), and this is definitely worth a watch for fans who saw or missed this show last year! There are a lot more videos on YouTube from this show courtesy of other attendees.

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Dave Prendergast (http://youtube.com/channel/UClVaIeCdzMZVVdmvnoSYL7g) 

Owner: Former Nebraska Arms, Gilmour, and Small Town Rivals guitarist Dave Prendergast

Channel Timeline: Launched on January 4th, 2009; Videos posted that day and on September 17th, 2010

Channel Summary: Aside from a 10 second video of him jousting at camp a'la American Gladiators, Dave's only video here is of his late 2000s indie punk quartet Nebraska Arms playing their original song "Clockwork" at the original Coch's Corner location on Boxing Day in 2008. The band was represented here by Dave alongside the late Guy Thiffault (The Hangdowns) on vocals & bass, Wayne Watkins (Northwest) on guitar, and Adam Sauve (Renderware) on drums. The scratchy audio is a hindrance, as can be the tight camera angle, but this was a solid performance by this talented new group, and luckily, there are more videos of theirs floating around elsewhere!

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I hope you guys liked this month's YouTube Channel Profiles! This series will return on or around November 27th when we look at YouTube user jonasgasperas' channel, featuring 10 videos of Jonas' old metal band Winkstinger from their original heyday! That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new news post on the site tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Treble Charger - "Wide Awake Bored" CD Review!!

It's now time for our 136th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, but with nothing new on sale and little to tie in with re: live concerts, we're dipping into the archives once again for a look at inactive local/Toronto indie/punk veterans Treble Charger's fourth album "Wide Awake Bored"! Released on July 25th, 2000 by ViK Recordings & BMG Music Canada (and on April 24th, 2001 in the United States with alternate cover art by Nettwerk Records), this album was recorded at Grandmaster Recorders, Kings Sound & Pictures, and Sound City Studios in the metro Los Angeles area, and was produced by Matt Hyde. Treble Charger are represented here by singer/guitarists Greig Nori & Bill Priddle, bassist Rosie Martin, and in his studio debut, drummer Trevor McGregor (who joined after the recording sessions for 1997's "Maybe It's Me", but appeared in it's liner notes & music videos.)

As well, veteran session drummer Don Heffington provides additional percussion on three songs (including the opener), while Wallflowers/future Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jaffee guests on the other two songs featuring Don. "Wide Awake Bored" remains Treble Charger's most successful album, going platinum in Canada and sourcing four songs on EA Sports' soundtracks for the games NHL 2002 & Triple Play 2002. The band also received two nominations at the 2001 Juno Awards (one for Best Rock Album), and performed live at the ceremony. You may find copies of "Wide Awake Bored" in record stores, but it can easily be streamed on services like Apple Music & Spotify. Song names below are linked to YouTube copies, but consider buying the album to support the guys' work!

Featuring 11 songs running for about 40 minutes in length, let's begin this month's CD review with it's opening song, "Brand New Low"! The second single from the CD (despite it's MMVA-nominated music video taking place after the events of the next song), this one seems to be about questioning your past actions in the context of a failed relationship. The isolated intro and slightly distorted vocals from Greig build into a strong full band verse and an exceedingly catchy chorus with nicely layered vocals. The heavier punk-leaning portions of the song are where this one shines, and I like the guitar melodies, though the chorus repetition is a little much late, and Don's added percussion flew under the radar somewhat. A solid opener to the album, and it's easy to see why this is one of Treble Charger's signature punk-era songs! Next up is the album's first and the band's best known single, "American Psycho", whose music video preceded the album opener chronologically.

A #4 hit on the Canadian rock radio charts, a 2001 Juno nominee for Best Single, and an inclusion on Big Shiny Tunes 5, this song is basically about becoming famous at any cost, and is not visibly about the book & movie of the same name. Immediately significant as their most pop-punk song yet in this late stage of their original run, the upbeat guitar riffs, Greig's melodic and somewhat rapid vocals, and solid drumming from Trevor pair well here, and the somewhat bitter lyrics are a good contrast! Nothing too shockingly ambitious, and the bass could have been louder, but this is a strong pop punk song that is fully realized, and it deserved it's original success! Third on the CD is "Business", also the album's final single, and whose music video completed that story arc with their jailbreak. Lyrically about wanting clarity about a relationship on the rocks, this is the most up-tempo and upbeat song yet, and I like the skate-punk vibe with the structure, but the isolated guitar noodling spots don't add anything to the track.

By now, Treble Charger had a good ear for melodic sing-along verses, and Greig puts that to great use here, but the soft bridge was a buzz kill, and this was another song that didn't really let Rosie's bass work come out in full. Still, this is a fun song while it lasts, though it's deep cuts from here on out, given that the 3 singles are front-loaded on the album. Next is "Cheat Away", which seems to be about a final send-off for a love interest who doesn't want to let go. The first song on the album with Bill on lead vocals, this song has a very Foo Fightersy vibe that would have fit well on "Maybe It's Me". More of a reserved power pop song with little of the preceding punk energy, this is still a nice composition that serves as a good showcase for Rosie, and it runs for just the right amount of time. Fifth on the CD is "Funny", featuring guest appearances from both Don Heffington and Rami Jaffee.

The longest song on "Wide Awake Bored", the title is actually ironic, again referring to a strained relationship and how a key admission is "not funny anymore". Here, the lyrics do match the musical ambiance, which is slower, darker, and more mature. Not a bad composition, and I was surprised to hear a bit of a guitar solo! Greig's vocal tone isn't a perfect match for the intended mood, but the song has the right atmosphere and puts everyone to good use on their instruments. Definitely a sleeper pick, and a nice change of pace! That's followed by "Favourite Worst Enemy", yet another song about a broken relationship, this time about missing someone despite their clear disagreements. We're back in upbeat pop punk territory here, albeit in a much lighter and breezier form factor, though the bridge is a little more aggressive. The song is good, and it has solid drumming from Trevor throughout, but it runs for about a minute too long, and it doesn't have the passion or the slight punk edge of earlier standout tracks.

Song #7 is "More's The Pity", which seems to be about admitting personal fault and acknowledging having multiple personalities in conflict. Bill returns to lead vocals here, and once again, this song feels very reminiscent of The Foo Fighters. I like how the track builds into the choruses with a nice extension of his vocal range, and the mini-guitar solo was welcomed! While not a super-aggressive song, it's catchy enough and has a nice melody to it, and the drum track compliments everything well! Next is "I Don't Know", with lyrics alluding to confusion & uncertainty about one's place in life. Another Bill-sung track, this is more of a throwback musically to Treble Charger's first two CDs, thanks to it's reserved indie rock nature. This song is pleasant and well constructed by all involved, Bill's singing is very fitting, and it's nice to see that they hadn't totally abandoned their mid '90s roots. At the same time, it's a huge outlier in tone, and alas, it may have been buried late in the album for that reason

After that, we get "Wear Me Down", which has themes about anger and revenge, albeit in a one-sided conversation. If you prefer Treble Charger's Greig-sung pop punk side, you'll be right at home with this tight and direct number, which benefits from another fun sing-along chorus, plus solid guitar riffs and a fitting contrast between the music and lyrics. Fun song and a late album higlight for genre fans that stands up with the opening three singles, if not in length! The penultimate song is "Another Dollar", also the CD's shortest song, and this one has more lyrics about a strained relationship, albeit with more metaphors. More of a mid-tempo punk song with a tone more fitting the lyrics (though not to the extent of "Funny"), I like the structure and themes, and it's a nice bass showcase with good vocal melodies, aside from the high pitched "Why do we even bother?" at the end. Compared to the more upbeat and longer punk songs, this isn't as strong overall, but it's certainly not a bad track on the CD.

"Wide Awake Bored" closes with "Just What They Told Me", which features the album's last contributions from Rami & Don, and last of four lead vocal performances by Bill. Lyrically about questioning your place in life and what is expected in public, this is the fourth & final song with Bill on lead vocals, and it actually reminds me a bit of Oasis, which I wasn't expecting! More of a sorrowful song with a nice keyboard line at the midpoint, it is a bit of a downbeat note to end the CD with, but it's well composed with a real maturity, and would be right at home on their first two albums. So, what are my final thoughts on Treble Charger's fourth CD? Overall, this is my favourite of their studio albums to date, and while going down the pop punk path likely wasn't Bill's vision, it rightfully gave them their biggest successes. While "Maybe It's Me" bridged the two sounds, punk fans of the turn of the era had a lot to like here!

More often than not, the seven Greig-sung tracks delivered a fun, upbeat brand of pop punk that utilized strong guitar melodies, with the singles and "Wear Me Down" fully realizing that, but the dark ambiance and themes of "Funny" were also very well done. Of the four songs with Bill on vocals, I gravitated to "Cheat Away" & "More's The Pity", but I concede that early fans will likely disagree. Rosie's bass playing was solid when audible, and Trevor left a good first impression on drums, but aside from Rami's keyboard work on the closer, I don't find the guest spots added a whole lot. There's still enough genre variance to please multiple tastes, but here, outliers are even more apparent, and I believe the disparity is even greater (if not absent) on their follow-up "Detox". However, with strong production, fun pop punk originals, and a very talented core, "Wide Awake Bored" was their peak effort yet, at least to this reviewer, and it still holds up! Buy or stream it above, and I hope you liked this review!

As for next month's CD review.... I have no idea what's next. Next week's "Where Are The New Albums?" post may offer ideas, but with album releases and live concerts severely impacted by the pandemic, I couldn't begin to make a prediction. In any event, our next review will not be of a Treble Charger, Inner City Surfers, or Chase Wigmore album due to our 6 month anti-bias buffer period. Stay tuned in any event, and for this month's YouTube Channel Profile next! Thanks everyone!

Another Inactive Band, New Videos, And More Assorted Updates!!

We're back with a new post on this rainy Friday, and it includes some shorter stories from the last little while, new videos from this month, and leading off, details on an apparently inactive band. Here's what you should know!

I have moved local gore/punkgrind duo Rotopsy to our inactive band links. The band has not made a public update since sharing a song for an unrelated project on their Facebook page one year ago today, before their page was besieged by irrelevant hacked posts throughout the first quarter of 2020. An enduring staple of guitarist Tyler "Ringsnaps" Gibson's independent record label Blood Shed Productions and their run of mid-2010s concert bookings, Rotopsy debuted under the Spitneck name in 2012, and quickly settled into a prolific groove with many demo CD recordings, often with a decidedly un-PC bent. Arguably the best known of the mid-2010s grouping of local two-man bands, readers may recall Tyler, vocalist Dylan Taylor, and their drum machine opening for bands like Bookakee, IDNS, and Reanimator, as well as playing at events like Swampstravaganza IV, Das Bunkerfest, and numerous house parties, and even touring a bit in the summer of 2015.

Rotopsy updates slowed to a crawl after 2016, but they did sporadically work on new studio material, and they hosted a New A concert in February of last year. Like their sister band Crucify The Whore, their minimalist nature, often indecipherable vocals, and controversial imagery made Rotopsy an acquired taste for many, but their live concerts had a bouncy yet heavy appeal, and Tyler & Dylan were clearly having fun doing what they wanted, even without shoes! Hopefully we see Rotopsy back at it down the road!

Next up, here's some new videos, starting with local classic hard rock quartet The Uncanny Valley's first full-length studio-recorded song "Middle Man", as per their new YouTube channel two weeks ago! Apologies for the delay, I've had a lot going on personally this month. The video description publically confirms that the guys are in fact working on a studio album, which is somewhat surprising given their age and minimal live appearances to date, but the talent's there, and fans of their retro-influenced sound will take to "Middle Man"! Give it a listen below, and stay tuned for updates on The Uncanny Valley's debut CD when they roll in!

Also, here's a new vocal cover of Guns N' Roses' "Patience" (more specifically, Chris Cornell's posthumous cover) by ex-Sense of Truth frontman Cory Murchison! Uploaded to his YouTube channel yesterday, this is a well done rendition that has a little extra grit to it, but keep in mind that this is a cover of a cover, and I'd be curious to see how Cory would tackle the original song. Give it a watch below!

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

• Local alternative/hard rock solo artist Mike Haggith's song "The Best You Never Had" was spotlighted in The Permanent Train Press' "Under The Radar" feature last month on new independent song releases that the site recommends readers check out. Contributor Natalie Dee complimented the song's lyrics, themes, and 1980s-inspired power pop sound, and it's a nice plug for new listeners! Give a it a look at this link!
  
• Local hard rock musician Mike McCleary quietly resurfaced in February with re-releases of his old original songs "Date Night With Darkness" & "What You've Done To Me" on his Bandcamp page! Both are for sale on a "name your price" model, and include additional information about their mental health-inspired composition. The latter definitely sounds pumped up a bit compared to it's copy from it's eponymous album, and it's great to see that Mike was back in action earlier in the year!
  
• In a presumed follow-up to his Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting from January, Mustang Sally guitarist Mikhal Muto is looking for a bassist between 14 & 20 years old to join his new punk band, now named Vanity. Songs the group plays include covers of bands from Green Day & NOFX to Rage Against The Machine and The Foo Fighters, among others. Vanity already have a bass cab and head provided, and candidates must be available to jam once a week. Message Mikhal at this link or above for more information!
  

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

New Videos From The Last Week Or So!!

After taking a few personal days off from the SMS (read our post from Sunday for more information), let's try to get back into a normal-ish schedule for posts on the site, or as normal as the ongoing pandemic will allow. Today's post is devoted to recent video uploads, including new solo performance videos, a live concert clip, and leading off, a lengthy look at a prominent metal band's Canadian tour from four years back!

Local/St. Catharine's grindcore trio Shit Liver have resurfaced with their long-belated second concert tour documentary! Entitled "Totally Fucked: The Lost Shit Liver Tour Tapes", this 38 minute video was uploaded to their YouTube channel on Friday, and it documents the happenings of their (and sister bluegrass band Dirtfight's) Number Two Tour that took place from April-June 2016 across all of the non-Atlantic provinces. Given the success of their 2015 tour documentary "A Long & Grinding Road", I'm surprised that the guys never compiled this footage in a similarly timely fashion, but perhaps the pandemic and lockdowns finally afforded them the chance (though the intro and this Facebook trailer imply that "the tapes were lost"). While this was a longer tour, the resulting documentary shorter than 2015's was, but there is still a lot to see! At the beginning, you will see Shit Liver setting up their trailer for the road, drying their new shirts, and clips from their tour kick-off party (with quite an irreverent pinata), and their Sudbury concert.

After some more on-the-road footage (including the return of screaming across bridges), Saultites will want to check out the 5:08 mark to see brief clips from their Oddfellows Hall stop on April 30th when they opened for Calgary hardcore punk band The Motherfuckers (read our review here.) You will get to see performance footage of the reunited Winkstinger and the headliners, plus some post-show content with a dalmatian, and a cameo from Jack Spades drummer Johnny Belanger. After gassing up, the tour heads west, and without spoiling anything, you'll see footage of the guys driving, enjoying the sights on the road, camping, eating, skateboarding, making use of a green-screen of sorts, playing games, setting off fireworks, witnessing a police shutdown in Saskatoon, and experiencing nature, with lots of clips of bands performing at the tour dates along the way. Shit Liver and company head back east for the final 13 minutes, with a lot more of the same content en route, plus vehicle repair issues, ...

...a lot of sandwiches, passing through home in St. Catharine's, and their tour finale in Quebec, before ending with an acoustic song summing up the tour. This is an entertaining look at Shit Liver's second D.I.Y. national tour, and there's certainly a lot of amusing shenanigans to take in, but be warned that actual clips of them performing are minimal (who do you think shot most of the videos?) The YouTube description says that "it is yet to be decided if Shit Liver will ever tour again" (they last played live in May of last year), but hopefully we'll see the guys back in some form or another post-pandemic! Give their new documentary a watch below!

Next up, here's a new video of local southern hard rock quintet Fort Creek's concert at Reggie's West this past Saturday! Live-streamed on their Facebook page, this is another rendition of the guys covering Blackberry Smoke's "Like I Am", which was previously seen being covered by Fort Creek in this fan-shot video from the original Reggie's. Musically, this version of "Like I Am" is sound, but the video was shot from the bar, which understandably restricts the view of the stage. At least the Reggievelt was as packed as current regulations allow, and give things a look below!

 

We'll close today with new videos from former No Arrow drummer Joe Falco's YouTube channel from the past week! One is a tribute video to the late great Eddie Van Halen where Joe shredded a number of Van Halen tunes from memory, and while he admitted to making errors, it was a nice gesture to honour such an influential musician. The other two videos are lengthy, including one where Joe shows his restoration job on a 2000 Ibanez RG350DX guitar, complete with a solid jam session and his commentary and thoughts on the guitar. Embedded below is the newest of these uploads, which just features Joe jamming on the aforementioned Ibanex RG350DX, which serves as fun playthrough for his birthday while also testing some of his patches. Strong and loose performances overall, and it's clear that Joe enjoyed restoring and playing this guitar, so these videos give it a solid platform. Give everything a watch above and below!

 

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

A Personal Note

Hello everyone, just a heads up that my mother Mary passed away early this morning after a 5 year battle with ovarian cancer. If you're family or a friend on Facebook, you may already know more of the details, and I appreciate any and all condolences already made and yet to come. Though her musical tastes largely lied elsewhere, my mom was infinitely supportive of what I have been doing with The Sault Metal Scene over the past 13+ years, and her help in getting me to concerts when I didn't have a vehicle handy was a huge boon for our early concert reviews. I fondly remember her joking suggestions that I add a "Mom's Corner" feature on the SMS where she could review music she liked for a change. While not a musician herself, she had notable connections over the years, from working with and befriending members of The Danger Cats while managing Kelly's Hair Care, to her friendships with the Becker brothers of Sykotyk Rampage and Soundcheck drummer Glen Thomas.

Regarding the short-term future of The Sault Metal Scene... honestly, given the slow-down in news and updates from the metal/punk scene during the pandemic, there might not be much of a change. Lately, I feel like I've only been posting once every three days (my usual minimum guarantee) because there's been little to write about. In a sense, I am a slave to routine, but for obvious reasons, things could be delayed further for the time being as we sort out her affairs. I do have topics ready for a new post that, under normal circumstances, would have hit the site in a post tomorrow, but I don't know what tomorrow holds now. I will try to have something on the site by Wednesday, but in advance, I thank you for your patience, and keep my mom in your thoughts. R.I.P. Mom, I love and miss you.