Turning Point

Saturday night, at Tubby's in Duncannon, PA, I was finally able to witness the unbridled talents of a young, up and coming band out of York, PA called Turning Point. The frontman, singer and rhythm guitarist, Brandon Rial, is surely destined for greatness. His world class stage presence is humble yet commanding. I predict rockstar icon status in this young man's future. His vocal range certainly reaches far beyond that of average. Truly a unique and professional-minded talent that will not go unnoticed for any extended period of time. It's true, the future holds many unexpected events. But, trust me, Brandon's inevitable stardom will not be one of those unexpected events.

Each band member brings his own matchless musical rapture to the stage. The drummer, Dave Heldibridle, is a powerhouse of timing and an impressive untamed "master of the skins". A natural talent. His performance was undeniable quality all the way. The bass player Bob's "icebreaking" interaction with the audience is sheer genius. And the precision lead guitar work of Kenny Fernsler can, most certainly, be compared to that of the more experienced without hesitation. Quite possibly a virtuoso in the works.

From Brandon's "Queen Be" shout out and original song "Beauty Of You" to their choice of covers, including a Dio number, I was completely sold on these guys!

After the show, I was sure to engage in conversation with the band's members. They were very sociable, down-to-earth, knowledgeable, and charming young men. Like a breath of fresh air, they had an invigorating effect both on, and off, stage. I hope to, one day soon, enjoy the Turning Point experience again. Until then, just know, their CD "Let Your Money Come Down" is in my player and will remain there indefinitely. QBR loves Turning Point and you will, too! Check out the band's page here on myspace at - Queen Bee

Saturday night, at Tubby's in Duncannon, PA, I was finally able to witness the unbridled talents of a young, up and coming band out of York, PA called Turning Point. The frontman, singer and rhythm guitarist, Brandon Rial, is surely destined for greatness. His world class stage presence is humble yet commanding. I predict rockstar icon status in this young man's future. His vocal range certainly reaches far beyond that of average. Truly a unique and professional-minded talent that will not go unnoticed for any extended period of time. It's true, the future holds many unexpected events. But, trust me, Brandon's inevitable stardom will not be one of those unexpected events.

Each band member brings his own matchless musical rapture to the stage. The drummer, Dave Heldibridle, is a powerhouse of timing and an impressive untamed "master of the skins". A natural talent. His performance was undeniable quality all the way. The bass player Bob's "icebreaking" interaction with the audience is sheer genius. And the precision lead guitar work of Kenny Fernsler can, most certainly, be compared to that of the more experienced without hesitation. Quite possibly a virtuoso in the works.

From Brandon's "Queen Be" shout out and original song "Beauty Of You" to their choice of covers, including a Dio number, I was completely sold on these guys!

After the show, I was sure to engage in conversation with the band's members. They were very sociable, down-to-earth, knowledgeable, and charming young men. Like a breath of fresh air, they had an invigorating effect both on, and off, stage. I hope to, one day soon, enjoy the Turning Point experience again. Until then, just know, their CD "Let Your Money Come Down" is in my player and will remain there indefinitely. QBR loves Turning Point and you will, too! Check out the band's page here on myspace at - Queen Bee

TURNING POINT – LET YOUR MONEY COME DOWN (no label) After logging time in other band projects in the York area, singer/guitarist Brandon Rial, lead guitarist Kenneth Fernsler, bassist Bob Heldibridle and drummer Dave Heldibridle converged into the band Turning Point. Their debut full-length CD, Let Your Money Come Down, introduces us to Turning Point's brand of melody-based, hard-nosed rock; marked by rigid rhythms, roaring riffs, and rugged but tuneful vocals. The group's sound reveals roots in 70’s/80’s hard rock, but also shares common ground with more recent names like Pearl Jam, Creed and Nickelback. The songs are direct and to the point, including industrial-strength rumblers like the disc-opening “Give It to Me,” “Waterstone” and the album-closing “Born to Lose;” brazen, faster rockers like “Two Minute Warning,” “D.U.I.” and “Bitch Slap;” and a pair of acoustic-geared ballads in “Beauty of You” and the Creed-like “Everything.” The performances are solid and tight overall; these guys take care of business without getting flashy or fancy. Ken’s lead guitar work is clean and serves the melodies, while Brandon’s vocals are strong and mid-ranged if not particularly impassioned; some occasional layered harmonies bolster the impact during a few songs. Recorded at Harrisburg’s Seventh Wave Studio and engineered by Jason Rubal, Let Your Money Come Down sounds clear and balanced, with all components of Turning Point’s sound given a clear voice in the mix; and devoid of clutter, bells and whistles. Turning Point’s debut is a solid statement of purpose; Let Your Money Come Down successfully conveys this group’s basic, no-nonsense, hard-rocking approach. (To obtain the CD, visit Turning Point’s Myspace website, www.myspace.com/turningpointrocks.)
- PA Musician

TURNING POINT – LET YOUR MONEY COME DOWN (no label) After logging time in other band projects in the York area, singer/guitarist Brandon Rial, lead guitarist Kenneth Fernsler, bassist Bob Heldibridle and drummer Dave Heldibridle converged into the band Turning Point. Their debut full-length CD, Let Your Money Come Down, introduces us to Turning Point's brand of melody-based, hard-nosed rock; marked by rigid rhythms, roaring riffs, and rugged but tuneful vocals. The group's sound reveals roots in 70’s/80’s hard rock, but also shares common ground with more recent names like Pearl Jam, Creed and Nickelback. The songs are direct and to the point, including industrial-strength rumblers like the disc-opening “Give It to Me,” “Waterstone” and the album-closing “Born to Lose;” brazen, faster rockers like “Two Minute Warning,” “D.U.I.” and “Bitch Slap;” and a pair of acoustic-geared ballads in “Beauty of You” and the Creed-like “Everything.” The performances are solid and tight overall; these guys take care of business without getting flashy or fancy. Ken’s lead guitar work is clean and serves the melodies, while Brandon’s vocals are strong and mid-ranged if not particularly impassioned; some occasional layered harmonies bolster the impact during a few songs. Recorded at Harrisburg’s Seventh Wave Studio and engineered by Jason Rubal, Let Your Money Come Down sounds clear and balanced, with all components of Turning Point’s sound given a clear voice in the mix; and devoid of clutter, bells and whistles. Turning Point’s debut is a solid statement of purpose; Let Your Money Come Down successfully conveys this group’s basic, no-nonsense, hard-rocking approach. (To obtain the CD, visit Turning Point’s Myspace website, www.myspace.com/turningpointrocks.)
- PA Musician