Tomorrow night at 8:00, local hard rockers Stillbroke will take the stage as direct support for the Juno nominated pop punk band, Marianas Trench! You might remember that both these bands were to be playing a show here in April, but it was cancelled after Marianas Trench's frontman fell ill. So it was rescheduled, and Stillbroke are supporting once again! I haven't heard a lot of details for this rescheduled date compared to the planned April show, but I do know that tickets were down to less than 100 last weekend. Not sure on any other planned bands either, but this show will definitely take place tomorrow night at The Canadian!For more info, check out the Facebook event page! As for Stillbroke, as I'm sure you guys are well aware of, they should put on another great performance tomorrow night, even if the concert isn't really all that "metal" throughout. For a preview, check out this video of Stillbroke performing their original song "The Truth (Who You Are)" from their big return concert in April!
Alright, now I'll review the new CD from APE, "Survival of the Fittest", which they were kind enough to send me in the mail late last month! I apologize for putting this off, the computer problems and various other things kept putting it off, but no longer! Remember, they might still be looking for a booking here in Sault Ontario, so if you're interested in helping them out, contact them through MySpace!The first song on the CD, "It's All My Fault", starts off with a good groove to it, but heavy at the same time, but around the middle of the song, it gets heavier and more like traditional metal. It feels like they stuck two songs together, but it's pretty good so far! Frontman Everett Mason's vocals remind me of Axl Rose from songs like "Mr. Brownstone" and "It's So Easy". He's a good singer, but it's not the type you immediately think of for this type of metal.
The next song, "It's Not" is shorter, but a bit heavier. It has a bit of uniqueness to it, the vocals in particular are more upbeat than the riffing, but it's a quality song all around! Mason's guitar work stands out on this one, as does bassist Galen Weir, it all meshes well! Next song is "Messin' Around With Love", which sounds ready for play on rock radio (aside from the repeated utterance of Fuck You later in the song!) It isn't all that "heavy" compared to other tracks on the album, but it's catchy in it's own way. Good, but not the best on the album!Next is the title track, "Survival of the Fittest", which starts off with audio of rain and thunder, which sets the mood nicely for the song! It's an instrumental track, with some great work by Mason and Weir, and some really good drumming by Carlos Aguilera. The passages where Mason plays softer ballad-like guitar flow well with the heavier parts, which are both heavy and melodic at the same time! The song ends with silence and birds chirping in the distance, almost like the aftermath of a storm. My only gripes are it was a bit too short, and there was no solos, but it was a solid track!
Next is "Beyond the Depths of Reality", starting with some great drumming by Aguilera, with some catchy riffing starting up not long after! It's more bouncy than some other songs on the album, it's good, but not as heavy as I'd like. But it's damn catchy, and easy to get stuck in your head! It ends well though, with some awesome galloping riffs! This is followed by "So Lonely", which is slower and more introspective, but it still has a heavy edge to it. It's a well done track, but nothing really pops out about it.After that, we get another instrumental, entitled "Irate Primate". We get some great guitar and bass solo interludes in this track, and it's much heavier and faster-paced than "Survival of the Fittest". I personally prefer this one too! The next song is "How You Left Me" is more downbeat, not a lot of tempo changes or anything, but it's a steady effective track, with a nice solo from Everett Mason as well!
Then, we have "Friend or Foe", which is a great track with what I've been coming to expect from APE on this album, with great catchy riffs, and good singing! The final song is "Barred", which is probably the closest thing to a ballad on the album. It starts with some slow soft playing and singing, with heavier choruses, and a fast heavy close to the song, and the album. It's a really well done song, with the band pulling out their best for the slower and heavier parts equally!Overall, this is a very solid album with lots of originality and some really good songs that will stick in your head! Sometimes, the vocals don't match the song itself too well, and solos could be added to some songs, but there is very little to complain about here. All of APE are great musicians, and the album is well done and worth a listen! Check out some songs on their official MySpace page, and buy it if you like it! And if you think you could help get APE a booking here in Sault Ontario, give them a shout!
That's all for today, more metal news to come! Your next local metal concerts (that I'm aware of) will feature Graveyard Tan this weekend in Sault Michigan! As I hear more news, concert updates, and more, you'll hear it all here! Thanks everyone!
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