The Road to Slothfest, Part II: An Interview with Deathcrown

Editor’s Note: Deathcrown is another out-of-town band that will be playing Slothfest 2017 at Bleachers in Bristol on Saturday, July 29th.  Let’s give them some stories to take home, Connecticut! Introduce the band to AltCtrl: who are you, where is home, and what were you drinking when the band was formed? I’m Mikael Parks, but many call… Continue reading The Road to Slothfest, Part II: An Interview with Deathcrown

The Road to Slothfest: An Interview with West Virginia’s Disillusion Effect

Editor’s Note: Disillusion Effect will be playing Slothfest 2017 at Bleachers in Bristol on Saturday, July 29th.  Let’s give them a warm welcome, Connecticut! Introduce the band to AltCtrl: who are you, where is home, and what events led up to the formation of the band? We are Disillusion Effect from the rolling Appalachian Mountains… Continue reading The Road to Slothfest: An Interview with West Virginia’s Disillusion Effect

EP Review: Gruesome’s Fragments of Psyche

12/13/2001, the day the metal died.  “Evil Chuck” Schuldiner passed away after a battle with brain cancer at the age of 34, depriving the world of his uniquely talented musical mind.  Enter Gruesome, circa 2015.  Formed by metal luminaries Matt Harvey [Exhumed, Dekapitator], Robin Mazen [Derketa], Gus Rios [Malevolent Creation, Evil Amidst], and Daniel Gonzalez… Continue reading EP Review: Gruesome’s Fragments of Psyche

Review of Sinaro’s Darkest Hours (The Rebirth)

Gus Sinaro is one busy dude.  Along with his six-string and vocal duties with melodic metal hessians Symphony Of Malice,  Gus gives guitar lessons, pimps Hughes & Kettner, Ernie Ball, and BBE products, and records YouTube play-though sessions of various SoM jams.  If anyone would have an excuse to put their feet up, dive into… Continue reading Review of Sinaro’s Darkest Hours (The Rebirth)

Album Review: Exhumed/Iron Reagan Split 12”

Peanut butter and chocolate.  Sir Mix-a-Lot and pro-grade posteriors.  Some things are made to go together.  On the upcoming split EP from Exhumed and Iron Reagan we discover gore-tinged death metal and thrash-infused hardcore are a pretty tasty match.  At first glance it is a bit of a puzzling situation with Exhumed’s splatter-and-pony show swapping… Continue reading Album Review: Exhumed/Iron Reagan Split 12”

Review of Drifting Toward The Edge Of The Earth by When The Deadbolt Breaks

Some bands instantly make sense.  The album spins, notes pour out of speakers, and the listener’s brain captures the signal, converting it to something it can process.  As a voracious consumer of music I have a tendency to compare everything I hear to something I’ve already been exposed to as a point of reference.  There… Continue reading Review of Drifting Toward The Edge Of The Earth by When The Deadbolt Breaks

Album Review: Shallow Ground’s The End of Everything

If you wait long enough everything comes back in style.  For those metalheads who worship the bastard child of punk and Motörhead called thrash, this theory is a welcome revelation.  Over the past decade bands like Bonded By Blood, Warbringer, Fueled By Fire, Havok, and Merciless Death have reanimated the mosh-friendly aesthetic laid down by… Continue reading Album Review: Shallow Ground’s The End of Everything