AltCtrlToob Video Premiere: “Part I: Alone” by OMINOUS CONCLUSIONS

Are you ready to brave the darkness and traverse the beyond? Debauched solo creation of French guitarist and composer Louis Nas, Ominous Conclusions is a Lovecraft-inspired instrumental progressive metal project with fusion and orchestral influences. Ominous Conclusions is please to announce another step out of the mundane and into the ether with their new EP… Continue reading AltCtrlToob Video Premiere: “Part I: Alone” by OMINOUS CONCLUSIONS

EP Review: Oliver Cheung’s Remembrance

Hong Kong composer and multi-instrumentalist Oliver Cheung has released his first offering, an three-track instrumental EP titled Remembrance.  It’s a pleasant, ambient listening experience, but it lacks passion.  Cheung has a solid songwriting foundation; moments in “Fragments” and the title track gain momentum quite well.  However, I feel this project would benefit from the input… Continue reading EP Review: Oliver Cheung’s Remembrance

Rainbows of Sound: A Review of Three Trapped Tigers’ Silent Earthling

I’m entirely new to the English noise-rock band Three Trapped Tigers. I was just browsing for some new music and liked the cover art. A little research revealed that they were an instrumental trio. The make or break for me with many bands is the vocals, so I dove right in to this knowing that… Continue reading Rainbows of Sound: A Review of Three Trapped Tigers’ Silent Earthling

Album Review: Whale Fall’s The Madrean

With their second album The Madrean, Los Angeles band Whale Fall presents an intelligent and multilayered instrumental work of art.  To say it’s cinematic is almost obvious, and unsurprisingly several members have past soundtrack credits on projects ranging from The X-Files to The Help. The Madrean is named after a vast desert region in the southwestern U.S.… Continue reading Album Review: Whale Fall’s The Madrean

Emails from Near and Far: Reviews of Unscarred and Valence

You never know what you’ll find in ol’ inbox.  Recently we received review inquiries from French thrashers Unscarred and New York instrumental prog band Valence.  It took me awhile to get the downloaded tracks into Alternative Control’s Music Review Machine, er, my car’s CD player — but at long last I’ve listened to both bands’… Continue reading Emails from Near and Far: Reviews of Unscarred and Valence

Review of Kali Ma’s The Devil Knows You’re Dead

Instrumental metal powerhouse Kali Ma released their long-awaited second studio album The Devil Knows You’re Dead on March 29th, 2014 to an enthusiastic crowd at Cook’s Cafe.  Their CD went right into my car stereo on the ride back and it hasn’t come out since. “Taking the Crown” is one example of the awesome build-ups… Continue reading Review of Kali Ma’s The Devil Knows You’re Dead