‘Loud’ Tour hits the Maritimes

Anyone who has frequented the Capital Complex’s monthly Metal Monday series is aware of the sense of community that the event exudes.

Metal Monday has helped Fredericton’s struggling metal scene and has served as a place for both touring and local bands to showcase their talent and dedication to the art of metal.

The Capital has created a nationally recognized event that has placed Fredericton on the map. The Capital has offered its stage to a variety of local and touring favourites including We, the Undersigned, Halifax Headbangers, Black Moor and Vancouver’s Ninjaspy.

“It’s rad seeing the same crowd come out every Metal Monday; that was always part of the goal, to make it so it’s a monthly hangout for metal heads in general, no matter what genre of metal the bands happen to be playing,” says Jai Sadler, bassist for We, the Undersigned.

But it’s not just Metal Monday that accounts for the recent gradual increase in popularity, organization and success of the east coast metal scene.

“There have always been really good metal bands around the Maritimes but I think now it’s a combination of a couple things,” says Jai.

“The quality of the recordings, in an engineering sense, that are being released now are a lot better. They can compete with recordings coming from Ontario and the West coast.”

Owner of Diminished Fifth Records and Hogan Media Relations Josh Hogan has also played a vital role according to Jai.

“He’s worked his ass off for the past few years and the metal community honestly owes him a lot,” Jai says. “He gives the bands an outlet for press releases, reviews and online presence. It provides that crucial step where the band goes from simply promoting themselves to having third party organizations promoting the band [and] telling other people in the music industry that these bands, and this genre of music, is worth checking out.”

In early March, We, the Undersigned will travel to Sydney, Cape Breton to take part in this year’s East Coast Music Awards where they have been nominated for Loud Recording of the Year for their album Bleed the Constants.

The category offers up some stiff competition from Moncton’s The Motorleague as well as Big Game Hunt, Black Moor, Shelter With Thieves and Uncooperative Death, all from Halifax.

The week prior to the ECMA events, all five of the nominated acts will participate in the East Coast Loud Tour, which will have shows in Moncton, Saint John, Halifax and Fredericton.

“The East Coast Loud Tour is the brainchild of Don Levandier, from the Motorleague, and Josh Hogan,” Jai said.

“Basically they had the idea to put together a mini tour leading up to the awards, messaged the bands to see who’d be able to participate, and every band came back saying they’d be stoked to do it. To the best of my knowledge this is the first time there has ever been a tour that’s involved all the nominees, playing together, from one category. I personally love touring so it will be fun getting to know all the other bands.”

Some might argue that the amalgamation of all genres considered heavy into the one “Loud” category at the ECMAs minimizes the importance of the heavy genre. But, as Jai puts it, it’s really just a matter of having enough bands with records.

“What the metal and punk bands in the Maritimes need to do is to show them there are enough bands of those genres to keep the category aggressively focused,” Jai continues. “The only way to do that is of course to have bands submitting albums. I’m already excited for next year’s nominations. There have been a couple solid releases already and more coming in the next few months.”

Before they embark on the East Coast Loud Tour and make their way to Sydney, We, the Undersigned will appear at the next installment of Metal Monday alongside Moncton’s Iron Giant and Manlord on Feb. 8 at the Capital. The East Coast Loud Tour makes it stop at Nicky Zee’s on Feb. 24.