YAUTJA – Songs Of Descent (Forcefield)

  You should never underestimate the bassists, because they are usually the ones with the coolest amount of killer projects. Just look at Nate Newton. He has Converge, Doomriders, and Old Man Gloom. These are all equally good in their own ways. The bassist for this band, Kayhan Viziri, also plays for Coliseum. And judging… Continue reading YAUTJA – Songs Of Descent (Forcefield)

Payday Downloads: The Best Things in Life are Free, ft. Kali Ma, Jimmy Junk Bird, and Some Comp Albums

Didn’t really need to wait for the check this time around – everything in today’s column is free! The first selection comes from the only local instrumental metal band I know of, Kali Ma.  They released the track “Boomslang” from their upcoming album The Devil Knows Your Dead. “Boomslang” is a great example of why… Continue reading Payday Downloads: The Best Things in Life are Free, ft. Kali Ma, Jimmy Junk Bird, and Some Comp Albums

The Last Bat-Shaped Helicopter Out of Saigon: An Interview with Oderus Urungus of GWAR

Johnny Pluckman and Jesse Styles of Alternative Control, along with Alex Gilbert of New Noise Magazine, had a sit-down with “Dave Brockie” at Toad’s Place on 12/28/13 a few hours before he removed his human suit and transformed into Oderus Urungus. Here’s some of what the interstellar diplomat had to say about New Haven, music, the World Maggot, and the new GWAR album Battle Maximus.

Interview: Patrick Kindlon of Self Defense Family

Self Defense Family is the type of post-hardcore band that is constantly pushing boundaries, whether it be lyrically or through their music, which seems to change from release to release. They make you reconsider what constitutes punk rock or hardcore. In addition, they have a shifting line-up of musicians that can see the band swell… Continue reading Interview: Patrick Kindlon of Self Defense Family

Payday Downloads: Dream of Scipio, Barn Burner, and David Kaye

This is the first in a new bi-weekly series about music we’re finding on the web.  Many of the reviews on Alternative Control are intended to be at least somewhat in-depth, but this is quite the opposite: download on Friday and post a short, conversational review by Sunday.  It’s all about finding new music we… Continue reading Payday Downloads: Dream of Scipio, Barn Burner, and David Kaye

2013: A Year in Review

Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse -- by Steve Walter Photo.

  This year has been full of action of Alternative Control.  Here’s a rundown! Thanks to people like you, our readership continues to grow — 44,000 visits from almost 38,000 unique visitors! Although most of our content is about music, our most viewed article was about hair: “Tips and Tricks for Dyeing Your Hair Interesting… Continue reading 2013: A Year in Review

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