LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS (Turner Up & Banned), Plus New Videos!!

Before we get to this post, I just wanted to briefly apologize for not getting Powerslug's show at Dan's Place in Rudyard on here on Friday. We didn't have enough news that night to supplant a short notice post (especially given that the show was announced on short notice), but hopefully Facebook gave you guys some word on it, and hopefully it went awesome! Now, today's post features LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS for two New Year's Eve shows, a new guitar performance clip, and our fourth Christmas surprise uploads, so here's what you need to know!

After 3 months away from the local concert stage, local classic hard rock quintet Turner Up will be back for one last time in 2012 on New Year's Eve at a venue we've never touched on before, that being Gusto's Bar & Grill at the Wellington Square Mall on Trunk Road! We only tend to talk about The Rad Zone and The Roadhouse this far east, but Gusto's has booked scattered live music acts this year, and their restaurant is well received from what I can tell, so hopefully they'll be up to the challenge of Turner Up's classic hard rock stylings one week from tomorrow! Notably, this will be Turner Up's first concert with their full lineup since July (guitarist Jason Roy missed their September gigs at The Nic), but I'd expect them to be back to their old ways next week to end 2012 on a high! I just wish they played a bit more frequently, but maybe 2013 will be busier. Now, this is essentially a New Year's party with live entertainment, not the other way around, so I'll warn you now that tickets are $45 for adults and $20 for minors, but this also includes a midnight buffet and dancing and all the rest.

Tickets are available at Gusto's in person or through Turner Up band members, while I'd expect a 10:00 PM-ish start time. For more details, visit the official Facebook event page! It's great to see Turner Up back, even if in somewhat unfamiliar waters, so if you can swing the admission price, it'd be worth coming out to see the guys (and girl) pump out some heavier leaning covers to ring in the new year! Stay tuned for any potential updates!

The other newly announced concert for New Year's Eve will go down at Todd's Tavern in Moran, Michigan, where Kinross hard rockers Banned will return for one last concert of the year! As revealed on their Facebook page yesterday, this is (I think) Banned's second New Years Eve concert in the area since their inception, and given that Todd's Tavern has proven to be one of their favourite recent venues, I'd expect their covers and originals to be in top shape next Monday! Note that I believe guitarist Alex Schrovenwever is back home in the Eastern U.P. for the holidays, which could facilitate his first show with Banned since August, but I've heard no confirmation either way on if he'll be back with Banned next week. This show has an 8:00 PM start time, no announced cover charge, and a likely 21+ age limit, so check the above links for more details! This should be an exciting concert, perhaps the last heavier one in the Sault Michigan area this year, so if you wanna ring in 2013 in a rocking way, a drive to Moran might work next week! If any updates come in, we'll have them here!

We'll close with some new videos, starting with the newest video from Ashes to Dust guitarist Alex Hemy! Posted on his YouTube channel on Friday, this is of his cover of John Mayer's "Vultures", in what's actually his first solo video in over a month. It's well performed for the style, if somewhat minimalistic without a backing track, but hopefully Alex has some heavier songs in the works to cover too! Check out Alex's latest solo guitar cover below!



And finally for today, here's our fourth batch of surprise song uploads for the Christmas season, and it's the only CD from inactive local metal band Stillbroke! As you may remember, the future Borderline Divine released their debut EP "Never Enough" in November 2009, which was recorded with producer Miguel Gauthier at Stereo Soul Studios in early 2009 with the band's classic lineup, including singer/guitarist Jesse Frigault, future drummer Sam DeDominicis on rhythm guitar, current Sailor's Tongue frontman Kyle McKey on bass, and Jenny Hooper on drums. Featuring 5 tracks ("Never Enough", "No Reason", "Forget", "Wash It Away", and "Tear Me To Pieces"), the EP was well hyped during it's release, including a music video for "No Reason" with their 2010 lineup, but "Never Enough" went out of print that year, likely around the beginning of their 2 year concert hiatus. Over three years removed from it's release, I thought it'd be nice to finally post the full "Never Enough" EP online for fans to check out for the holidays, especially as it captures Stillbroke at what was arguably their peak in the local music scene!

Though there are a few noticeable absences (i.e. "Sick & Tired" and their self titled song), their talents were on full display, with Jesse's melodic and heavy vocals contrasting well with their hard rock sound, including very good bass work and nice catchy structures all around! Though their sound arguably improved with their heavier evolution to Borderline Divine, "Never Enough" strikes me as an underrated disc, and hopefully Jesse & Sam will bring the band back down the road if the time is right! Check the above links to hear this EP in full, and here's the disc opening title track!



That's all for today, but of course, try and hit Andres Duchesne's funeral at The O'Sullivan Donnelly Funeral Home at 4:00 PM today, with the visitation beginning at 2:00 PM. I wish I could go, but I'll be there in spirit, and hopefully we'll all be thinking of his talents and great qualities, over what happened last week. Thanks everyone!

Stillbroke - "Never Enough" Review!!!

It's time for another SMS CD review, and as promised, it's the only EP from Sault Ontario hard rockers Borderline Divine, back when they were known as Stillbroke! Entitled "Never Enough", it was independently released for sale in November 2009, and was available to purchase through 2010 at local merchants before going out of print. It was produced by Miguel Gauthier at Stereo Soul Studios and was mastered by Andy Krehm at Toronto's Silverbirch Productions, and it was Stillbroke's only studio release before their 2010-2011 hiatus, name change to Borderline Divine, and eventual breakup in 2012. The EP features the band's 2009-2010 lineup, including frontman/guitarist Jesse Frigault, guitarist (later drummer) Sam DeDominicis, and then-members Kyle McKey on bass and Jenny Hooper on drums. I can't confirm it's level of availability on torrent sites, but select songs are available to listen to on YouTube & the Stillbroke MySpace page, so search around to see if you can track it down! 5 songs are on this EP, let's begin with the first song! (Updated on September 29th, 2012)

The EP kicks off with the title track, "Never Enough", and it's easily my favourite song on the disc! Bass and drum intro leads into a very catchy song! Jesse Frigault's vocals are at their best on this song, using his full range effectively! I think what appeals this song the most to me is the high energy, while remaining heavy at the same time. My only real qualm is the solo, which could use more energy to fit the song, but that's minor. Might not be the best song to headbang to, but this is Stillbroke at their best, catchy hard rock that anyone can listen to! Definite highlight on the EP!

Next we have "No Reason" (the only song on this EP to survive in the Borderline Divine era), and if you've heard Stillbroke's old studio recorded song "Sick and Tired" from last year, this should be very familiar, as the songs are extremely similar. That's not a bad thing though, I liked "Sick and Tired", and "No Reason" is just as good! Slower than "Never Enough", but just as heavy, it takes a more subdued approach, particularly with the vocals. Another nice groove to this one, easy to get your toe tapping to it. I like the solo a lot more on this song, but I still prefer "Never Enough", which I find heavier and more energetic, though "No Reason" is still a quality track!

Following this, we get a ballad, entitled "Forget". Being the heavy metal fan that I am, you'd think I wouldn't as inclined to listen to slower songs, but that ain't true at all. This is a very well done song! I remember this worked extremely well acoustically at their Verdi Hall show earlier this year, but it's great plugged in too! I find that the songwriting shines on this song, you can feel real emotion in the singing as well! Definitely a good song, though I still prefer Stillbroke's heavier side, but of course, that's the metalhead in me talking. This is followed by "Wash Me Away", the only song on the EP that wasn't released before it came out, so I came into this with no preconceptions. Good song, but there's no real "punch" to it like the first couple songs had. It just kinda glides along, steadily being good, but no risks are taken. The guitar work is really good on this one, and Kyle McKey's bass is at top form here, but overall, I did like the first few tracks more. Still good though!

The final song is "Tear Me To Pieces", which is heavier than "Forget" but lighter than the other album's tracks. It's a very well performed song, though if you're expecting a heavy closer, this ain't it. I think this song has my favourite guitar solo as well! It seems very light, especially the intro. The verses are the best part to me, and it varies enough to succeed more than "Wash Me Away". I just wish it was a bit heavier, but in a sense, ending the album light like this just increases the anticipation for more, and that's good, cause I definitely wanna hear more from Stillbroke!

Overall, it's a solid debut from one of the more promising young bands in the Sault area! Stillbroke won't appeal to everyone, but speaking as a fan, I have to say that if you're into bands like Seether and radio rock bands like that, you'll really enjoy Stillbroke. Jesse Frigault's a great singer with a good range, and is very skilled at the guitar. The rest of the band are also very talented, Sam DeDominicis and Kyle McKey hold their own throughout, never playing badly, while Jen Hooper is dependable and very good behind the drumkit! If I have to criticize, I'd recommend taking some more risks and play more songs like the title track, which I've listened to repeatedly (but again, that's personal preference.) Great first release, and I can't wait to hear more from Stillbroke, and to see them live again! Buy this EP, there's a lot to like!

So there's this month's review! As I've previously mentioned on the SMS, next month's review will indeed be "Woods IV: The Green Album", and that will come on December 1st (saying that it arrives by then.) How about reviews in 2010 though? I have a tentative schedule worked up, but you'll just have to wait and see what's next. Possibly a new or upcoming album? Maybe a band from Sault Michigan? Or maybe an old album? Details to come on January's review in a few weeks! Stay tuned tonight or tomorrow on the SMS for a new news post, which will include news on "The Green Album", last night's Ace Frehley concert, information on an upcoming Battle of the Bands, and more! Thanks everyone!

Woods of Ypres/Stillbroke Album Updates, And The End Of Absolute?

Good afternoon everyone! Another short post today, but an important one! We have some important updates on a pair of recent new albums from local metal bands, and an update from a Sault Michigan-area band to cap things off. Here we go!

Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold has officially announced that "Woods IV: The Green Album" will be released FRIDAY! (Source at this location.) Nothing specific about when on Friday, like whether Friday is the first shipping day, the first day albums will show up in our mailboxes, or if they'll be in stores that day, but there it is, "The Green Album" comes out on Friday, November 13th! I'd reference the fact that it comes out on Friday the 13th, but that was likely unintentional. I personally can't wait, I love what I've heard so far and can't wait to drink in the full album! Same goes for the bonus disc, saying my pre-order came in soon enough, I'm highly anticipating that as well! When I get my copy, I'll be sure to let everyone know, and expect a review of the album around December 1st!

....Speaking of a review, the first official review of "Woods IV" has been posted online! Adam Wills from Hellbound.ca has reviewed the album, and it's overall a very positive critique! Much is made of the band's evolution from black metal to doom metal, and it only adds to the buildup for the CD! Wills gives it a 9.5 out of 10, and says it's one of his top albums of the year! Read the review for yourself at this location, it's well worth it! The only other "new" bit of news I can give for today is the rest of the song titles to appear on the album! Wills, through his review, has revealed the remaining songs, including "Dirty Window of Opportunity", "Don't Open The Wounds", "Natural Technologies", "Mirror Reflection", "The Long Life in the Limbo Union”, and “Move On! (The Woman Will Always Leave the Man)”! I'm not sure which one "Track 17" from Stereo Soul Studios' website is, cause the final album only has 16 songs, and that one hasn't been unveiled, but we'll soon find out!

Remember, I'm reviewing "The Green Album" and it's bonus disc hopefully around December 1st! And I'll replace the current Ace Frehley-themed SMS banner and logo with "Green Album" inspired images on Saturday, after Ace's concert! And get your pre-orders in while you still can, get all the pre-order details at this location!

While we're on the subject of local metal albums, here's an update on Stillbroke's recently released debut, "Never Enough"! The album can now be purchased in stores! Where, you ask? You can now pick one up at CD Plus in The Cambrian Mall, the Mac's at 12 Second Line West (on the corner of Peoples Road), and at TnT Pawnbrokers on Gore Street! Interesting locations for the CD to be sold at, but great to see it in stores! Remember, each copy costs $10! I'm still waiting for my review copy, sorry for the delay in posting a review, but it will definitely be this month! I highly recommend you guys pick up the album though, it will be well worth your money!

And finally for today, if their MySpace status update is an indication, a Sault Michigan-area band may be breaking up. Pickford hard rockers Absolute, in that status update, have revealed that they will be playing a show at "Dan's Place" in Rudyard on Friday. I believe this is someone's house and not a public concert like normal, so I won't call it as a real "concert", but here's what caught my eye specifically: The update begins with "Last chance to see Absolute live!!!", which basically suggests what it says. I'm hopeful they're not breaking up for good, but even if they do, we still have Riot! By Night to follow (remember, they share 3 members with Absolute.) Cross your fingers, hopefully this won't be the end of Absolute!

That's all for today, but I guarantee I'll have a post tomorrow! Specifically, for my preview of Saturday's Ace Frehley concert, as well as any other news I may have! Stay tuned for that, and more!

This Weekend's Local Concert Previews, And Stillbroke's New Album Is Out!!!

First off, are you wondering why the banner image is referencing Stillbroke? Their new album is out, that's why! Plus, there's three metal concerts in the Sault area this weekend to cover for you guys, all in Sault Ontario, curiously! So here are your local concert previews for this weekend, stay tuned for more on the new Stillbroke EP!

First, at 9:00 PM tomorrow night, Hamilton hard rockers 40 Sons will make their way to Coch's Corner! Admission is free, as is typical at Coch's, just make sure to buy something! 40 Sons will take the stage at around 9:00 PM! No other bands are on the lineup, to my knowledge. 40 Sons aren't bad, they have a radio hard rock kind of sound, the singing stands out to me though! They actually won the Bodog Battle Championship this past year, and have won a bunch of awards for their music! Not a bad band at all, and if you're downtown, why not hit this show? Check out some of 40 Sons' solid original material at their official MySpace page! For a video preview, check out this clip of 40 Sons playing their song "The Weight Of The World" from a show in June!



Meanwhile, there's more metal goodness tomorrow night! Caveman Morrison guitarist Tym Morrison is back for another solo acoustic show, as he returns to The Big Cheese in Heyden, which is just outside of town! Doesn't look like there's a cover here either. Tym will take the stage at 10:00 PM, and promises to play "all your favorite metal, pop, country, hard rock and even classical if ya want it." Two options for you metal lovers tomorrow night if you're looking for live entertainment, and if you wanna support local talent, Tym's your guy! Great guitarist, he plays tons of great songs, and he has good originals too! Check out samples from his debut solo album at this location, and the official event page on Facebook here! I have no videos that I'm capable of embedding on here, but check out some live clips of Tym and Caveman Morrison shows at this link!

And finally, a big hard rock/metal show hits The Canadian Nightclub on Sunday night! Your headliners are Austin Texas "country metal" band Grady! Making their first Sault-area stop since April 2008, this band features former Big Sugar frontman Gordie Johnson, and effectively mix heavy metal with country to create some solid music! Playing support are Winnipeg female-fronted metallers Domenica, who finally play the Sault after two previously scheduled shows were called off. Solid stuff, accessible for normal hard rock fans, but heavy enough for metalheads to headbang to! Local rock band Wishbone were to round out the lineup, but as mentioned in the post above, they have been dropped from the show.

Advance tickets are still available at the front desk of The Knights Inn (a.k.a. the hotel above The Canadian) for $10. If you wait to get them at the door, the price jumps to $15. The show takes place at 9:00 PM Sunday night, and should be a hard rocking good time! Click on each band's name in the above paragraph to check out some of their original material! I plan on being at this show, which will sadly be my last local concert til November (I can't believe I'm missing all the fun over Halloween!) Yes, I'll have some free CDs, and yes, I'll have a review and photo album posted at some point Monday afternoon! Check out more details for this show at one of the three Facebook event pages: Grady's, Wishbone drummer Glen Thomas', and The Canadian's! For a video preview, check out the official music video for Grady's song "Woman Got My Devil"!



And finally, we have a brand new album release from a local metal band! Stillbroke have officially announced via their Facebook page that their debut EP, "Never Enough", is officially available for purchase! Each disc costs just $10, and you can pick up a copy by calling 759-8696, or by messaging the band on Facebook! Excellent news, I can't wait to pick up this album! It also fills in a possible gap in my local review schedule, as I'll review "Never Enough" after I get it either this month or next! All depends on when Sykotyk Rampage releases "22"! Now let's cross our fingers for new Stillbroke shows! Stay tuned for a review of Never Enough in the next couple weeks!

Also, notice the new banner image? Well, I did say I'd have custom banners and logo designs for new local metal albums and major concerts, and unexpectedly, we can begin that tonight, now that Stillbroke have released the album! I'M NOT PLAYING FAVOURITES! I have more custom logos already made up, and stay tuned Wednesday afternoon for the Papa Roach banner and logo!

That's all for tonight, stay tuned for more news, my Grady concert review, and more! Thanks everyone!