Tag Archives: metal

Shows: 5/23-6/19… And Beyond!

Posted by on May 18, 2013 15 comments

Listings are at Alternative Control’s discretion and may not reflect set order.  We do not attempt to list all shows at all venues, but we do try to include the good metal shows.  (And sometimes other shows that look cool.)  See something we missed? Want your shows listed? Leave a comment or contact us.

Local Metal and More

5/23

  • Sadplant, Pickpocket, and Big Mark T and the Double Barrels at Cherry Street Station in Wallingford
  • Michelle Riganese, Malcolm Tent, and Brute Force at Two Boots in Bridgeport Read more »

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 »

Dudes in Our Metal Scene: They’re Not All Rape Machines

Posted by on May 1, 2013 1 comment

Metal dudes: They're actually pretty nice!

 

A week or two ago, Metal Cyndicate released a podcast (Episode 15: AlcoholiCAST) that caused a furor in the local metal community.  On-air guest Matt “Rape Machine” Broderick ruffled feathers by listing his least favorite Connecticut bands.  Seems like the fastest way to make yourself unpopular, but someone who calls himself Rape Machine clearly isn’t concerned about that.  What really ruffled my feathers, though, was his assertion that people don’t like his nickname because metal fans have become “a bunch of fucking pussies.”  He went on to say that the “exclusivity of metal […] weeded out some of the fucking cunts, but now every bleeding vagina likes some extreme metal band…”

That’s so ridiculous that it doesn’t even justify a response…  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 »

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 »

Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera by Rex Brown & Mark Eglinton

Posted by on March 22, 2013 No comments

I grabbed this book the second it hit the shelf because I wanted to know the story of Pantera from the perspective of its quietest member, former bass player Rex Brown.  All I knew about Pantera were assumptions formed by a series of band interviews and tour videos from over the years.  Official Truth, 101 Proof reveals Rex’s personal life, the glory of the Pantera days, his struggles with addiction and the drama surrounding Dimebag’s funeral.

The book’s prologue starts out with, “Dime, I can’t handle your fucking brother.”  Rex trash talks Vinnie Paul throughout the book and for that reason alone you need to check it out. Read more »

Bair Grills… Rise and Fall by Continuum

Posted by on March 19, 2013 No comments

In my opinion, a band is great when they can not only showcase their musicians’ skills, but do so in the confines of composing enjoyable songs. A lot of people can shred but what they write might be bland wankery. And a lot of people write great hooks but don’t blister faces with solos. With their most recent effort, Rise and Fall, Continuum proves to be a great talent, a local juggernaut that can hang with national acts when given the opportunity.

The name Rise and Fall is appropriate for many reasons. The lyrics depict protest and futility, challenge and failure, fighting and dying. The songs rage and woefully wail, the vocals barrel forward with guttural intensity and lament with eerie, wind-carried melodies. Read more »