Bair Grills… Under A Serpent Sun; Also, Armageddon is Upon Us

Under A Serpent Sun performing at Cherry Street Station.

  It was my last day working at Senor Pancho’s. I was meeting a girl for a drink in between shifts, at a watering hole down the road, when I got a text from a member of the self-professed Gayest Band in Connecticut, Lightsbane: I could NOT MISS THE SHOW TONIGHT. Well, why? I CAN’T… Continue reading Bair Grills… Under A Serpent Sun; Also, Armageddon is Upon Us

Throwback Thursday: Bair Witness — Khasm

A lot of bands from Connecticut have had national and even international success. Fates Warning, Hatebreed, and Sacred Oath are three names that leap to mind as globally-distributed artists who broke their teeth here in the third-smallest state. Some bands have discovered marginal success, performing on interstate tours and amassing thousands of facebook likes from… Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Bair Witness — Khasm

Bair Grills… 2013

"Jim, hold us back!"

  There’s no doubt that some of my greater achievements and most dismal disappointments occurred during the last 365 days. One of my fondest moments in over a decade of performing took place at Cherry Street with Last In Line, paying tribute to Dio with some of my very best friends, and in the doing… Continue reading Bair Grills… 2013

The Bair Truth: ORCumentary on Killing Goblins, Defying Record Labels, and Re-Reading Everything

Some time ago, I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing ORCumentary’s most recent release, Orcs 1 Goblins 0. I love metal. I love medieval fantasy. And I love when an artist can take their craft seriously but have fun at the same time. This stuff is pure gold, a dragon’s hoard of songs about vanquishing… Continue reading The Bair Truth: ORCumentary on Killing Goblins, Defying Record Labels, and Re-Reading Everything

Bair Grills… Serotonin Syndrome; Also, A Glimpse Into Bill Klopfer’s Coffers

Over a year ago, I was asked to review a new release called Heretic’s Fork by Murder Castle. Now if you hadn’t heard, we at Alternative Control adhere to a strict code of conduct that avoids conflicts of interest. I was tasked with that journalistic endeavor by our esteemed editor because I had no prior… Continue reading Bair Grills… Serotonin Syndrome; Also, A Glimpse Into Bill Klopfer’s Coffers

Bair Grills… Orcs 1, Goblins 0 by ORCumentary

‘Incomparable’ is a difficult adjective to use appropriately. Everything in music is relatable in some way to something else, influences will often tell in the composer’s tendencies. And after thousands of years of purported civilization, all of the stories have been told. It’s a unique perspective that keeps these same, re-treaded tales fresh, and an… Continue reading Bair Grills… Orcs 1, Goblins 0 by ORCumentary