Brave New Death Metal: Pyrrhon To Play Cherry Street On February 16th

Pyrrhon is not your dad’s death metal band. Instead of playing with standard genre tropes, the NYC-based quartet broadens its sound with shots of discordant noise, angular riffs and odd time signatures. It’s as if you combined some left-field, mathy, noise rock band with a death metal band. The results are positively exhilarating as heard… Continue reading Brave New Death Metal: Pyrrhon To Play Cherry Street On February 16th

Getting Down with The Stick: An Interview with Geph

An instrumental trio with two Chapman Sticks and two guys named Josh walks into a bar…. And mesmerizes the audience with their virtuosic space metal.  I don’t know how to make a joke out of it, but that’s pretty much what happened at Fiddler’s Green this past December when Geph played.  Brought into our local… Continue reading Getting Down with The Stick: An Interview with Geph

Couch Slut to Bring Their Transgressive Noise Rock To New Haven

New York City’s Couch Slut play a highly confrontational style of noise rock that has garnered them praise from both critics and fans. The band, which features vocalist Megan Osztrosits, drummer Theo Nobel, guitarist Kevin Wunderlich, and bassist Kevin Hall, released their sophomore album Contempt late last summer. The new album was another scabrous dose of invective,… Continue reading Couch Slut to Bring Their Transgressive Noise Rock To New Haven

METZ BRING THE THUNDER TO HAMDEN

Metz are a modern loud rock band worthy of your attention. The Toronto trio, which features Alex Edkins (guitar and vocals), Hayden Menzies (drums) ,and Chris Slorach (bass), has won accolades and fans for their powerful and visceral sound, which draws inspiration from noise rock, post hardcore and shoegaze. In addition, they are one of… Continue reading METZ BRING THE THUNDER TO HAMDEN

It’s More Like a Warning: An Interview with Usnea

Usnea, from left: Justin Cory, Zeke Rogers (back), Joel Williams, and Johnny Lovingood. Photo by Orion Landau.

On Friday August 18th, Alternative Control talked with up-and-coming doom band Usnea before their set at Psycho Las Vegas.  The Portland, Oregon outfit — which includes guitarist/vocalist Justin Cory, bassist/vocalist Joel Williams, guitarist Johnny Lovingood, and drummer Zeke Rogers — releases their third full-length album Portals Into Futility this Friday on Relapse.  They will also be… Continue reading It’s More Like a Warning: An Interview with Usnea

Corrosion of Conformity’s Reed Mullin on Music, Divorce, and Confederate Monuments

Corrosion of Conformity. From left, Pepper Keenan, Woody Weatherman, Reed Mullin, and Mike Dean. Photo by Linda Dahlberg.

Alternative Control spoke with Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin at Psycho Las Vegas on August 20th, 2017.  Reed’s words below are minimally edited for clarity.   I think we’re playing Connecticut next week at some casino…. They just offered it to us like four days ago — they had a wheelbarrow full of money… Continue reading Corrosion of Conformity’s Reed Mullin on Music, Divorce, and Confederate Monuments

Diamonds are Forever: An Interview with Diamond Head Guitarist Brian Tatler

It’s often said of Diamond Head that they didn’t get their dues when they first deserved them — but this NWOBHM band who inspired the likes of Metallica and Megadeth is certainly enjoying a renaissance in the twenty-first century.  Alternative Control had the opportunity to speak with guitarist and co-founder Brian Tatler before the band embarked… Continue reading Diamonds are Forever: An Interview with Diamond Head Guitarist Brian Tatler