Author: audioeclectica

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: IDLE HERIS- LIFE IS VIOLENCE

It’s only April and I believe I have found the album of the year. A couple weeks back I introduced you to the band Idle Heirs. I’ve been enthralled by this album from the moment I heard it in full. The singles definitely got me right off the bat as well. The 8 tracks on the album are some of the most gut wrenching, soul bearing and intense performances I’ve heard on record. Written by Coalesce’s Sean Ingram and Multi Instrumentalist/Producer Josh Barber, Life Is Violence, just set a new standard of what the “post-metal” genre should be.

I’ve mentioned in other reviews of mine that I don’t want to dissect each song as I feel that it truly takes away from the listeners experience of the album. The rawness, intensity and emotional charge that this album brings out of oneself is quite an accomplishment. It’s one of those albums that is like a mirror that responds back to you. The personal elements found throughout this album are eye opening and cut pretty deep. The way those emotions that are poured into these songs are enough to make you uncomfortable but, in a good way that is quite introspective. The vulnerability that Sean Ingram delivers on these songs is uncanny. The deeper you listen, the more you hear all the pain, anguish, remorse, sorrow and more in his vocal performance. I can only imagine how much more his live performance of this would be. I’ve seen Coalesce and this has got to be even more intense than that. There’s that word again “intense.” That’s truly what this album is. Musically Sean and Josh Barber crafted songs that not only are heavy in the traditional senses but, allowed for all the lyrical concepts to come to life through different instruments be it a simple shuffle on the drums, atmospheric soundscapes, sludgy tones, bright tones and a plethora of more. Life Is Violence is a great title for this album as that is a great summation of what this all sounds like.

When I first heard this band/album it immediately struck a chord with me. I don’t know what I was looking for at the time but, this was the one. For the past few weeks I’ve truly soaked this album up. It’s become one of those I can’t go a day without listening to it at least once. The eruption of brilliance that is poured out over 51 minutes is pretty astounding. I’d love to know more about the recording of this album because there are so many great nuances to it, that I’m just beyond curious to know. This is seriously one of those special albums that feels magical and for lack of a better phrase “Lightning In A Bottle.” What an incredible album and foundation to start with because, I sure hope this project keeps going. This is the power of music at its finest. The connection to a record and all that it brings. Thank you Sean and Josh for what you put into this to make what I truly consider to the the album of 2025!

OVERALL RATING= A

IDLE HEIRS- LIFE IS VIOLENCE:

THE VIDEOS:

Rare Bird:

Dead Ringer:

Pillow Talk:

LIVE REVIEW: MESHUGGAH AT THE FORUM-04.09.25

For well over 30 years now, Meshuggah have long been one of the heaviest and most visceral auditory bands to see live and hear on a record. The gents in Meshuggah have long cemented themselves in the lore of heavy music and then some. Their influence on countless bands alone is astronomical. I can remember back to about 1998/1999 when I first heard Meshuggah. At first I was completely perplexed by them and how the hell they were pulling this off. Then fast forward to about 2001/2002 and Tool put out Lateralus and took Meshuggah out as their opener. That show was what really made me a believer. Also, I still to this day, don’t know how Tool was able to go on night after night as Meshuggah would rip those audiences apart!

This nice spring night in April at the Forum was a night for a grand celebration of not just heavy music but to show that Meshuggah is at the top of the musical food chain for good reason. I must say having soft jams play before the onslaught began was a nice touch especially walking out to “Careless Whisper.” From that point as the stage was dark and shadowy figures appeared and then… “Broken Cog” from Immutable kicks things off with one hell of a bang. Then a barrage of absolute beatdown songs “Violent Sleep Of Reason,” “Rational Gaze (one of my all time favorites),” and “Combustion.” Throughout the set the lights really brought the songs to life in a whole other way kind of like how a kaleidoscope looks on the inside. Other choice cuts for the evening included “Lethargica,” “Swarm,” and of course the classic “Future Breed Machine.” For the encore, “Bleed” was right out of the gate after a moment of pause. From the get go, the audience was completely sucked into the world of Meshuggah. The sheer volume that was permeating through The Forum was another thing all on it’s own. I kept looking up and around and saw the roof shaking a bit and then even outside, the rumble was making the security guards shake their head in disbelief. Put it this way, this was a LOUD show and it should be! The way that Jens Kidman, Tomas Haake, Fredrik Thordendal, Marten Hagstrom, and Dirk Lovgren are so precise is another show to watch all on their own .

Also playing this evening were Carcass (who we missed- thanks LA traffic on a Wednesday) and Cannibal Corpse. Cannibal I did get to see. It’s been since 2001/2002 since I last saw Cannibal and they are still badass and awesome. I was having quite the fun time watching them deliver a brutal set. I forgot how technical they are as a band and the tone those guys have is quite unique to them. You can hear others try to cop that one but, it’s not quite right. The head banging too, that was a sight to see. My neck was sore just from watching them head bang onstage especially Corpsegrinder. That guy really is the champ. Their set although short was another one that was chock full of classics and some other choice cuts. My buddy and podcast co-host Justin, is a big Cannibal fan so the enjoyment he was having was quite fun!

This was a great show. Meshuggah absolutely brought it and delivered a set and show that I hope is released as a live album. What a great show. It’s quite the heavy tour. I will say, it does feel like it’s missing that one direct support band to really put it over. Don’t get me wrong this lineup is great, it just felt like there should have been 1 more band to really up the energy and blow the roof literally off The Forum.

Overall Rating: A

Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy

Meshuggah Set List:
01) Broken Cog
02) Violent Sleep Of Reason
03) Rational Gaze
04) Combustion
05) Kaleidoscope
06) God He Sees In Mirrors
07) Lethargica
08) Born In Dissonance
09) Dancers To A Discordant System
10) Swarm
11) Future Breed Machine
ENCORE
12) Bleed
13) Demiurge

Cannibal Corpse Set List:
01) Scourge Of Iron
02) Blood Bind
03) Inhumane Harvest
04) Evisceration Plague
05) Death Walking Terror
06) Unleashing The Bloodthirsty
07) Summoned For Sacrifice
08) I Cum Blood
09) Stripped, Raped and Strangled
10) Hammer Smashed Face


Meshuggah Photos:

Cannibal Corpse Photos:

LIVE REVIEW: POISON THE WELL/ GLASSJAW/ BETTER LOVERS at Hollywood Palladium- 04.04.25

Every so often, a band will release an album that changes everything for the band and genre. 25 years ago, Poison The Well released their debut full length, The Opposite Of December and it set forth a path that would go on to help pioneer a genre and inspire a new bunch of bands. Their distinctive “metalcore” sound has become often imitated but, there’s nothing like hearing the real thing! Joining Poison The Well on this celebratory tour are 2 of my favorites new and old in Better Lovers and Glassjaw as well as Teenage Wrist. When this show pulled into the Hollywood Palladium on a beautiful Friday night, the wake of destruction that was upon all those in attendance would not be for the faint of heart. This show was designed to go off the instant it starts and oh boy did it! NOTE- Continued on next page (look below).

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LIVE SHOW REVIEW: DANZIG & DOWN At The Forum- 3.28.25

I love when it’s been a long while since you’ve seen a certain band live, then you go to the show and it’s just what you wanted it to be and even a little bit more too, since it’s been that long in between shows. This past weekend I went to see Danzig (who I haven’t seen live since 2013) and one of my all time favorite bands, Down (who I haven’t seen live in almost 10 years) at The Forum. What a show it was too. Also playing this evening were Abbath (first time seeing them live) and Cro-Mags (didn’t catch them). The Forum over the last decade plus has really stepped up their game in terms of sound, and the shows they hold. Getting to see Down here was quite special (think the last time they played the Forum was when they were on tour with Heaven And Hell (Dio era Black Sabbath).

First band I saw of the evening was Abbath. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a black metal band play and they sure were good. I forgot that the main guy was also previously in Immortal. Abbath was a good choice for this show (just thought of this, why wasn’t this tour billed as the new Blackest Of The Black tour- I’ll have to inquire). It was nice to see Norwegian Black Metal still thriving and destroying. Though I didn’t see Cro-Mags, the 1, 2 punch of Hardcore Punk then Black Metal is quite the way to open a show.


Now the part that really got me, DOWN!!! I love Down. I actually get into arguments with people because I like Down more than I like Pantera. To me Down just has more substance and depth. There’s nothing like seeing Down live and firing on all cylinders. It’s truly a magical thing to see and hear. Playing songs mainly from their classic debut, NOLA, as well as a couple from their second album, Down had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the hour they were on stage. The moment they all took the stage and the first notes of “Lysergic Funeral Procession” began, you knew that you were in for one hell of a set. From there it was just classic after classic. It’s always a pleasure to hear favorites of mine like “Losing All,” “Ghosts Along The Mississippi,” one of the best Track One’s of all time “Temptation’s Wings,” and one of the best closers too in “Bury Me In Smoke.” I also love that during the “Bury Me In Smoke” Phil sang the a bit of “Nothing In Return (Walk Away)” and that absolutely was a special moment. I love that song. It’s so epic that it too should be played live! Down was on fire and everyone sounded killer. Watching Philip, Pepper, Kirk, Jimmy and Pat on stage truly having fun and ripping through a great set like that is why I love going to concerts and seeing my favorite bands, Down especially!


Danzig headlined this evening and by the time he went on and the lights went down, it was sure time for things to get a bit darker. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Danzig live. The last time was probably the best Danzig show I have ever seen. This show is right up there though. There’s such a fun theatricalness to a Danzig show that it keeps you into it. Knowing his audience well, the set consisted of songs mostly from the first 3 albums with a few scattered ones from Danzig IV, Circle Of Snakes, and Deth Red Sabaoth. Personally I love Danzig III so getting to hear any of the songs from that album is a joy for me. The performance this evening of “How The Gods Kill” was great (you can watch it on the Audioeclectica Instagram page). Glenn is still one hell of a frontman and when he’s on like he was this evening, it’s pretty spectacular. Joining Glenn on stage was longtime Danzig collaborator and Prong’s Tommy Victor on guitar, Samhain’s Steve Zing on bass and Karl Rosquist on drums. Watching the crowd get into the show song by song was interesting. You could tell who knew more than just a handful of songs. Either way, it was a great bill all around.

DOWN Set List:
01) Lysergik Funeral Procession
02) Lifer
03) Hail The Leaf
04) Ghosts Along The Mississippi
05) Pillars Of Eternity
06) Temptation’s Wings
07) Stone The Crow
08) Eyes Of The South
09) Bury Me In Smoke

DANZIG Set List:
01) Skin Carver
02) Brand New God
03) Twist Of Cain
04) Evil Thing
05) Hammer Of The Gods
06) How The Gods Kill
07) Her Black Wings
08) Killer Wolf
09) Black Hell
10) Tired Of Being Alive
11) The Hunter (Albert King Cover)
12) Am I Demon
13) Not Of This World
14) Mother
ENCORE:
15) She Rides
16) Dirty Black Summer
17) Do You Wear The Mark

DOWN PHOTOS:








DANZIG PHOTOS:

SHOPPING WITH AUDIOECLECTICA: The Record Collector- Hollywood, CA


One of my favorite things to do is go shopping for music, movies, books, memorabillia, and then some. Depending on the store and what I’m searching for, I can spend hours at a time in these stores. I thought it would be fun to bring attention to these stores. Tell you about the store, the stock they have, condition things are in, prices, how the place is in general, even get into how the people that work there are. As of late, my friend and podcast co-host Justin and I have been taking excursions to a variety of different stores. Some that we have been to a ton, some that we haven’t been to in years, and new ones that we’ve been meaning to check out. So with that in mind, go shopping with Audioeclectica.

For the first one it’s only fitting that I write about the oldest record store in Los Angeles, The Record Collector. Located in Hollywood off of Melrose Ave, The Record Collector has been there for over 50 years. This store is an amazing place for its rich history, detailed and archived collection, and very knowledgeable guys that work there. Upon walking in you are surrounded by giant shelves full of vinyl records and classic film posters. One of the other things I noticed was how clean it was. For a store that’s been around this long, it’s quite a sight to see on its own. This is one of those kinds of stores that you should absolutely bring a list at. It’s much easier to have what you are looking for and they can search it out for you. I have a list that I always have with me (a google doc/google sheet is a good idea!!!) and after looking over what I had on it, they only had one artist I had on my list (it was The Allman Brothers). Most of the stock The Record Collector has is from 1980 and before specializing in jazz, classical and scores/soundtracks. The quality of the LP’s that they showed me were in great shape and condition and the price was quite right. The owner, his name is Sandy couldn’t have been nicer. He was quite the story teller too. Another thing that I really liked about this store was all the vintage stereos and speakers found throughout. The jazz album they had playing sounded great through the stereo that was 80 years old.

One of the other reasons why Justin and I went here besides him not ever going was, all the negative reviews on Yelp. We didn’t experience a single thing that these reviews mentioned. It was one of the most personable record store experience I’ve had in a a while. Being in the age that we are in now, of course there would be people that go out of their way to put negativity out there, and especially the elitist record collectors. This store is a gem and should be treated as such. I’d give this experience and store a 10 out of 10. I look forward to going back with a list of jazz albums to get.

By: Brian Lacy

Address:
7809 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Instagram: @recordcollector.melrose

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: GUILTLESS- TEETH TO SKY

For a while now, I’ve been searching for the a certain type of band to come along and ease my pain of not having Neurosis nor Isis (the band) being active. I know that sounds silly considering there are plenty of bands out there that I’ve heard that could possibly do it but, I’ve been looking for that one band to take that style a bit in a different direction and I found it. Guiltless, a fitting name for a band that definitely has that Neurosis vibe (their album is released through Neurot Recordings and guitarist/vocalist Josh Graham did work with Neurosis creating visual components). Joining forces with Sacha Dunable, Billy Graves and Dan Hawkins, members of Intronaut and Generation Of Vipers, this devastating four piece has taken the good old fashioned doom sound and added some really fun twists, turns and dynamics to push beyond that sound.

The debut album, Teeth To Sky is quite the eruption. Throughout the 8 songs and over 40 minutes of the album, the way it becomes immersive is quite the listening experience. There’s a ton of little nuances found throughout the songs that give Teeth To Sky the charm it has. Mixing doom with post metal, noise rock, ambient undertones and the twist… optimism. The addition of optimism in this style of music is quite interesting and part of the reason why it took me a minute to write this. I’ve been listening to this album for the past few weeks, eating up all the things I was looking for. As I kept listening especially listening with my really awesome headphones on, that’s when I started to figure out this album. There’s a reoccurring theme found on the album of how “one must take advantage of life” and in the times we are in, it’s pretty epic to find that in this style of music.

To describe each song and get into that would take away from the effect you’d have from listening on your own. The bludgeoning aggressiveness that is found throughout propels the album but, Teeth To Sky is more than that. This album is one of those that will grow on you as it did with me. I look forward to hearing more from Guiltless and seeing how they develop and evolve. These songs need to be played live and I would bet that the decibel levels will be astounding. Definitely give Guiltless and this crushing debut album a ton of listens. And if/when they arrive in your town, I’d go see them too!

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

By: Brian Lacy

Guiltless- Teeth To Sky:

BAND OF THE WEEK: IDLE HEIRS


You know that feeling you get when you hear a band and it immediately strikes a chord within? That’s how I felt when I first heard Idle Heirs. I’m not sure what I was looking for at that moment but, when I heard the first song released, I knew that this was the thing I was looking for. From that point on, I’ve highly been anticipating each single release as well as the album release (which is April 11 via Relapse Records). Idle Heirs is a new band that was formed by Coalesce vocalist Sean Ingram along with producer/multi instrumentalist, Josh Barber. The sheer intensity that is poured into each song really does play with your emotions in a fantastic way. The way the songs build and erupt is different than most bands that are in the “post-metal” genre. There is a push and pull vibe with the music and that mixes so well with the vocals. I love the rawness of the performance vocally. Sean Ingram has long been an influence and inspiration to many heavy bands over the years and to hear him be even more vulnerable and expressing himself in this way is beyond a treat. Their debut album, Life Is Violence, is 8 songs of some of the most intense moments I’ve heard in an album in quite some time. Even with the three songs released you can tell that this is not for the faint of heart. Idle Heirs and their debut album is one to look out for in 2025.

Pre-Order Life Is Violence HERE

Rare Bird:

Pillow Talk:

Dead Ringer:

MEMORABLE TV PERFORMANCES: ADAM SANDLER (NEIL YOUNG)- LIKE A HURRICANE ON LETTERMAN

Let’s travel back to 2009. Warner Brothers Records was putting together a compilation album to celebrate their 50th anniversary. A bunch of different artists and bands were chosen to cover a myriad of bands and artists that have been on the label. There are some really interesting choices on this album as to what song was picked and who is doing what. For example Mastodon does a rad version of ZZ Top’s “Just Got Paid.” The one that I really want to highlight is Adam Sandler taking on “Like A Hurricane” by Neil Young & Crazy Horse. As a big Neil fan since I was a little kid as well as an Adam Sandler fan, this was quite the great one to hear. Adam is quite underrated as a singer and guitarist and he really does a great job on this. To promote the album, Adam was a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2009 and performed this on the show. What a tremendous performance it is. Enjoy this one!!

Adam Sandler (Neil Young)- Like A Hurricane (Live on Late Show w/ David Letterman, 2009):

B-SIDES: LINKIN PARK- NO ROADS LEFT


This might come as a shock to some of you but, over the past few years, I’ve taken a liking to Linkin Park. A lot has gone on over those years and for a myriads of reasons I got drawn into it. One day I’ll elaborate on that. The 20th anniversary of their album Meteora really put it in my head that, I was hating on them for no real good reason. As I dug through their catalog and found the songs and albums I enjoyed, I made a note to come back to a few songs and highlight them. This one song in particular was a b-side from their sessions recording their third album, Minutes To Midnight. The song is “No Roads Left” and was a composition that was written mainly by Mike Shinoda and features Mike on lead vocals. There was a version recorded with Chester singing the song but, the band especially Chester thought that Mike’s version was the best one and they went with it. Sadly though, this song didn’t make the album. Had it made the album, I’m more than sure this song would have made that album better than it is. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, the sequencing of the song order is a bit iffy (but that’s for a whole other topic another day). This song is another example of good songwriting and shows that Mike Shinoda really is the glue that makes Linkin Park what it is. I’d love for this song to get it’s full due from fans as well as being added to their set lists. It’s too good to just be a b-side!

Linkin Park- No Roads Left:

ALTERNATE VERSIONS: THE SMASHING PUMPKINS- BIRCH GROVE

It’s not a surprise to anyone that’s been reading Audioeclectica for a while that I’m a giant fan of The Smashing Pumpkins. Their catalog is one of my all time favorites and there’s always something new to discover among all the albums, b-sides, live versions and then some. During the pandemic, The Smashing Pumpkins released an album called CYR that is quite the under appreciated album in their repetoire. After countless listens and hearing a handful of these songs live, it became very apparent to me that I need to talk more about this underrated gem. One song that I really want to showcase is the song “Birch Grove.” This songs is quite a beautiful song. The version that I’m featuring was performed by Billy Corgan solo while a guest on the Howard Stern show. I love this song even more after hearing this version, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And Happy Birthday WPC!

Birch Grove (Live On Howard Stern):