Monday, March 12, 2012

LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Caveman Morrison), A New Local Band, And Lots More!!

I apologize for the lack of news yesterday and the delay on the "W5" review, but I've been battling a cold again and the site hasn't been my first thought this weekend. We're back with a packed news post today though featuring LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, all the latest news & videos from a returning & renamed local band, some more "W5" reviews from other sites, and kicking things off, a new local band, so here's what you need to know!

Let's start with news on a brand new local hard rock/alternative metal quintet named Skeyes of Seven! I don't know a ton on them yet, having only just heard about them last night via an invite to like their new Facebook page, but their lineup has a ton of promise! Ex-Sense of Truth alumni Cory Murchison & Ron Baxter are handling vocals and rhythm guitar respectively, alongside Half Past's Alain Fletcher on guitar & Chris Thompson (also of Frightlight) on drums, and former Tripod The Dog bassist Mike Mannarino appears to round out their lineup. There isn't much else to say on this new band as of right now, but hopefully things fall into place quickly, as they definitely have a high quality lineup! It'll be good to see Cory & Ron back on stage after almost two years, and they've got some very talented musicians to rock along with them! For the record, I have no clue what the existence of Skeyes of Seven could mean for Half Past's status, but if I hear anything positive or negative, I'll let you guys know. Stay tuned for more on Skeyes of Seven as it comes in, and they're now in our Sault Ontario active band links on your left!

Next up, here's those LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, as two new concerts are now on the schedule for local metal trio Caveman Morrison! Over a month after their new lineup is scheduled to debut, this talented outfit will return to The Roosevelt Hotel for the first time since last fall for a full weekend set on May 11th & 12th! Barring an additional show announcement in the interim, these will be Caveman Morrison's first Rosie appearances since Bear Hunters drummer Johnny Belanger rejoined Tym Morrison & James White in the current Caveman Morrison lineup, and though bookings for the band remain somewhat scattered, it's still great to see them bringing their metal cover onslaught to local stages once again! These shows will likely both start at around 10:00 PM, you must be 19 to attend, and there shouldn't be a cover charge for either night. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! If you've missed Caveman Morrison, then absolutely keep their Rosie return in mind for May, and you know they'll deliver some hard rocking good times then and at any of their next shows! Stay tuned for more Caveman Morrison news, and go see them in a little under three weeks at The Nicolet Tavern!

Thirdly, here's some more news from local hard rock quartet Borderline Divine! Frontman Jesse Frigault posted a statement onto the band's Facebook page yesterday on what's been going on with the band since what was then Stillbroke's descent into inactivity in mid-2010. He alluded to their drummer switch from Jenny Hooper to then-guitarist Sam DeDominicis after their "last show" (presumably their January 2010 concert at The Speak Easy), and then mentioned how over the past 2 years, they've went nowhere despite playing with many talented musicians. He also mentioned that he & Sam were close to giving up before enlisting The Bear Hunters' Mitch Sirie & Skull After Betrayl's Justin Polutanovich (who are actually cousins) as their new guitarist & bassist. Jesse highly praised the current lineup's chemistry, even saying that he's "never truly enjoyed playing this much", which is awesome to hear! Jesse also mentioned that he's no longer playing guitar for the band, and will focus solely on vocals with Mitch as Borderline Divine's only guitarist. Read Jesse's full post at the above links!

It's nice to get some more formal news and announcements from Borderline Divine, as much of their more recent updates have been quieter and less detailed. I do find it odd that he didn't acknowledge the actual last Stillbroke concert from March 2010 when they opened for Vancouver alt-rock outfit Columbia at The Rockstar Bar, but maybe it didn't go over well. So, with that all said, has their sound changed along with their name? We now know, thanks to two new videos posted onto their Facebook page, and they're of two new original songs named "Lie To Me" and "Ride Of Our Life". Though the video quality is pretty bad and too dark, the audio's clear, and from what I'm hearing, Borderline Divine are taking on a more aggressive and heavier sound than they had as Stillbroke! Jesse's singing is more diverse with some growling & screaming flourishes here and there (especially on "Ride Of Our Life"), and though it's early to say for sure, the current lineup does seem to have good chemistry! The new videos are on Facebook only, so I can't embed them here, but check them out at the above links, and keep an eye out for (hopefully) a lot more news from Borderline Divine as the year rolls along!

And finally, I wanted to cover some more of the reviews of Woods of Ypres' final recorded album "Woods V: Grey Skies & Electric Light" today! On February 27th, Calum Robson from the blog Molten Metal Reviews gave "W5" an 8.5/10, saying that it grew (and saddened) with more plays, and referred to it as "dark winter listening" that can be tough for fans of David Gold's lyrics to take. Solid, but brief review, so click here to give it a look! Also, "Rex_84" from the website Metal Underground gave "Woods V" 4.5 skulls out of 5 in a January review, praising it for it's similarity to "Woods IV" without losing momentum near the end, and calling it "their best piece of musical art", while admitting that it takes a certain mood to enjoy. Nice longer review, so give it a read at this location! Finally, a recent review at the website Metal As Fuck was basically positive, noting the new romantic elements the album has following David's passing, even calling the "Kiss My Ashes (Goodbye)" songs the band's own "2112". Nice review with lots of well termed connections to other bands, so click here to give it a look, and stay tuned for more "Woods V" reviews shortly!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news soon, along with (I hope) my "Woods V" review this week! Thanks everyone!

No comments: