Category Archives: Music

Surfing Hellfire Waves: A Review of Ghost’s Infestissumam

Posted by on May 10, 2013 No comments

What the hell makes Ghost so appealing? The band has gathered quite an eclectic fan base in a very short span of time, so what’s the deal? The songwriting isn’t complex, the music is easy to digest and covers a lot of familiar territory, and the Satanist theme is anything but a new concept in rock music. They’re not the first band to wear costumes, have an elaborate stage show and pledge their anonymity either. So I ask again, what’s the hype all about?

I have a theory on why Ghost has gathered so much attention. It’s because Ghost is just a really fucking fun band to experience and listen to. Read more »

Going to Death

Posted by on April 26, 2013 No comments

I have to describe myself as a casual Death listener.

My first introduction to the band was through a high school boyfriend who loved them.  He would play Death songs for me on his guitar and I would say, “That’s so beautiful!”  Then he would play the CD for me… And unaccustomed to the vocal style, I would be like, “Uh….” Read more »

My God, They’re Full of Hair! A Review of Replacire’s The Human Burden

Posted by on April 21, 2013 No comments

I had the pleasant opportunity to witness Replacire at Acoustic Café last March with local favorites No  Remission and Xenosis. I didn’t know what to expect, but Xenosis lead guitarist Mark Lyon seemed very enthusiastic about them, so I decided to give them a chance. It’s a good thing I stuck around to watch them, because they were certainly remarkable.

My first impression might have had something to do with the tight stage space the five of them were crammed into, because from the very beginning of their set, all I could see was hair. Read more »

Interview: Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory

Posted by on April 19, 2013 No comments

Bell, left, and bandmate Dino Cazares. Photo by Kevin Estrada.

 

Fear Factory has been making complex, challenging, industrial-tinged metal for over two decades now. With the release of 2012’s The Industrialist, the band went high concept with an album born from vocalist Burton C. Bell’s short story of a world in which machines battle not only man, but their own rapid obsolescence. In this special split release between 9479.net and Alternative Control, JW talks to Burton about the story behind The Industrialist, his love of science fiction and short story writing, and Fear Factory’s status in metal. On the audio side, listen to the full 9479 (radio) interview where we talk about literary heroes, the similarities between science fiction and reality, Burton’s cameo in Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video, and much more.

JW: Fear Factory has been around for over 20 years, not only as a touring band, but as a successful touring band. Do you ever look at things now that you 20 years out, do you look in terms of a legacy that you have contributed, or does that not interest you? Read more »

The Legend of the Lord

Posted by on April 16, 2013 No comments

By Anthony Quinn Carpanzano

Edited by Heather Elizabeth Clegg and Matthew Foran

In 1983, metal made its way into our Stamford neighborhoods. That is my recollection of it at least. Cousins Tony Truglio and Frank Cortese, two original members of Liege Lord, lived on my street at the time. The guys were knee deep into this New Wave of British Heavy Metal, comprised of bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motorhead.  The cousins met bassist Matthew Vinci, who was also swept away by this aggressive movement that was casting a spell on us all. They went on to form a band called Deceiver with Andy Michaud on vocals. The four of them played in local Battle of The Bands, performing covers of groups they loved.  Read more »

AltCtrl to Death to All!

Posted by on April 15, 2013 No comments

REALLY IMPORTANT LIFE-CHANGING NEWS: Baldwin, Carrie, and I will be taking an awesome field trip next week to the Death To All show in New York City.  In case you’re unfamiliar, Death To All is a tribute to Chuck Schuldiner with proceeds benefiting Sweet Relief, a charity that provides financial support to professional musicians with health issues.  This year’s lineup includes vocalist Max Phelps, guitarist Paul Masvidal, bassist Steve DiGiorgio, and drummer Sean Reinert.

Last year was the first DTA tour, and apparently there was some question as to whether the concert’s promoters were actually giving the money to Sweet Relief.  That company is no longer involved in the show, so hopefully this year’s good intentions will be carried through without a hitch. Read more »

The Spaceland Ballroom Completes Rodgers’ Hamden Music Trifecta

Posted by on April 6, 2013 No comments

Steve Rodgers outside his newest venue in Hamden, Connecticut. Photo by Marilyn Catasus.

 

By Laurie Lawless

Originally published in The Mercurial.

Moving away from making music to providing an outlet for it was a crucial turning point in Steve Rodgers’s life. It was 2003 when he decided to open The Space, an all ages concert venue, in an old, beat down 1960s industrial park in Hamden, Connecticut. Now, almost a decade later, The Spaceland Ballroom is set to open this Friday – Rodger’s third music venue in the same industrial park. Read more »