New Music Spotlight

NEW MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: FUTURELUST- STRAY

I’ve been impatiently waiting for new music from Futurelust and it’s finally here! Futurelust has been hard at work on new songs for an upcoming release. This new song “Stray” continues on their cinematic rock style with soaring melodic vocals. There’s something really cool and intriguing about this band. It’s really great to hear a band that cares so much about writing great songs. Their debut album is chock full of stellar songs. As well as the couple stand alone singles. I’ve had the pleasure of booking Futurelust on a couple shows over the last few years and they fast became one of my favorite new bands. Though they recently relocated to the Nashville area, I don’t doubt, they will be leaving their mark on the music scene out there! And if you are out in their are when they are playing a show, go see them! I personally can’t wait to hear more! Way to go gents!

Futurelust- Stray:

Futurelust Online:

Instagram:   / futurelustmusic  

Facebook:   / futurelustmusic  

Website: https://futurelustmusic.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7xNZ5…

Listen to the debut album “For the Ones That Got Away”: https://ampl.ink/ZDlDB

NEW RELEASE: CORROSION OF CONFORMITY- GIMME SOME MOORE

New Corrosion Of Conformity is here!! The band has officially released “Gimme Some Moore” from their upcoming new album, Good God / Baad Man, which is a double album, that will arrive on April 03, 2026 via Nuclear Blast. Yep that’s right a double album featuring fourteen songs!! Vocalist/Guitarist Pepper Keenan said of the album “Our producer, Warren Riker, kept calling it Dark Side Of The Doom. In my head, it’s a weird love letter to all things rock ‘n’ roll. We used that for the freedom to go in different directions. Each album is its own tiny universe and has its own identity. Good God leans toward the heavier/pissed end of the spectrum. Baad Man is more on the throwdown rock scope. As we went along, it became clear which songs went on which album.” The lineup for Corrosion Of Conformity these days includes Pepper Keenan (Vocals/Guitar), Woody Weatherman (Guitar), Stanton Moore (Drums) and Bobby Landgraf (Bass). Very much looking forward to this album. Pepper has quite the year ahead of him with COC and New DOWN!!!

Corrosion Of Conformity- Gimme Some Moore:

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: PUSCIFER- NORMAL ISN’T

The evolution of a side project into a full fledged band is quite something to witness. As I’ve stated in other articles pertaining to Puscifer, what started out as a side project and tongue in cheek has truly blossomed into a band. Normal Isn’t, their latest offering and fifth studio album, is truly a remarkable record. It’s also the first album of theirs that I’ve truly been excited about. What Maynard James Keenan, Carina Round and Mat Mitchell have composed and created with Normal Isn’t feels visceral and direct.

Normal Isn’t is an album that evokes as much emotion as it does thought. Lyrically throughout, the themes of the songs illuminate different concepts be it political, sociological, or psychological. Musically, the way the post-punk elements are the foundation thus making all the other parts be it the electronics, guitars, bass and drums stand out on their own merit. It’s interesting to listen and feel the inspiration of other bands be it Nine Inch Nails and Killing Joke to something more in the electronic realm. The dark undertones contrast really well against the glistening of the vocals. Carina and Maynard have really found a stride on this album both solo and together that feels more uplifting than haunting.

The songs themselves are captivating and compelling. As much fun as it would be to go into each song, it’s better to just listen without any preconceived notions. There are though, certain songs here that need to be highlighted without giving anything away. As of this review and writing, “A Public Stoning” is my favorite song here. The epic nature of this one along with all the intensity is truly remarkable. And to have a song like this smack dab in the middle, what a treat! Then you get into “The Quiet Parts” and it’s sprawling yet melodic aspects make that one/two punch repeatable. I do find myself gravitating to the back half of this album more. There’s an eclecticism to this album that is rich in its delivery and pseudo-minimalism.

Puscifer has produced quite possibly their best album yet. This is their most meticulously put together album that stays cohesive throughout. There is still all the artistic aspects of the root of the project but, everything that is here is in service of the song. The end result of Normal Isn’t shows that this “project” is now a full fledged band that has found it’s stride. Seriously, this album is one of the best of 2026 (and it’s only February 06) and I’m here for it all!

Overall Rating: A

By: Brian Lacy

Puscifer- Normal Isn’t:

BAND OF THE WEEK: HELD.

Held. are here and they are not about to loosen their grip! This new band on the scene that has caught my attention and I’m quite excited to share this with you all. Held. is made up of Douglas Robinson (vocals/guitars) who you know from The Sleeping and formerly of Night Verses, Sal Mignaro (bass) from The Sleeping and Josh Eppard (drums) of Coheed and Cambria. The band’s debut album “GREY” is headed for a May 15th release through MNRK Heavy. Their debut single/video for “New You Anthem” is as infectious as it is direct. The melodic nature balances quite well with the post-hardcore approach throughout. I have to say too its very cool to hear Douglas’s vocals like this again. I really enjoyed the Night Verses albums he was on and was disappointed when he left the band. But that was then and Held. is Now! Another fun and cool thing about “New You Anthem” it features My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero on vocals as well. Frank adds another layer to this already great song. The voices of Douglas and Frank compliment each other very well. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how damn good Sal and Josh are as a rhythm section. I already knew Josh was a great drummer but, this just proves he’s damn good! Mark your calendars for May 15th and the release of Held.’s debut album, Grey!

Held.- New You Anthem:

HELD ONLINE:

▲ VINYL/MUSIC/MERCH + PRE-ORDER: https://held.ffm.to/grey

▲ Subscribe on YouTube:    / @held.sounds  

▲ Follow Held. Instagram:   / heldsounds  

By: Brian Lacy

DEBUT ALBUMS: SPLIT CHAIN- MOTIONBLUR

It’s happened to all of us I’m sure at one point or another. You hear a song/band in passing and you really dig it but don’t know who it is. Then on a random whim you hear it and then all is right for that moment. That happened recently for myself a couple months back, I had heard a band and I completely forgot the name as well as the song and then when I found out who it was, the volume sure went up. The band I’m talking about is Split Chain. If this is your introduction to them, you are in for a treat!

Split Chain is an English rock band that formed in 2023. This explosive five piece band, while still in it’s infancy is already packing quite the punch. Their first release, the single “Get Inside” came out in 2023 and it was a siren call for what was to come. A few more singles would be released as would a really fun cover of Type O Negative’s “I Don’t Wanna Be Me.” Then in later 2024 it was announced the band had signed with Epitaph Records and would begin work on their very anticipated debut album. Motionblur, would be released in July of 2025. Split Chain’s musical style incorporates bits of shoegaze, grunge, post-hardcore, and a dash of nu-metal. The combination sounds absolutely as you’d expect it to sound. It’s lush and full of space and dreaminess and on the other side there’s the heaviness and crunch.

Motionblur is one hell of a debut album. It’s one of those records you can just put on start to finish and just get lost in it. Across the eleven songs, you’ll find a very raw and dense album that is fused with soaring yet gut wrenching vocals, layered guitars that sway into the heavy and dreamy side of things, a rhythm section that thumps and kicks while also delicately ripping limbs away. The honesty found throughout is quite stunning too. You can hear it in the delivery of performances on the songs. The sonic aspect of the album is very direct in the way the album is produced. There are in your face moments of each instrument. The vocals are very up front but it doesn’t take away what the music is doing. The push and pull of both, makes these songs more haunting and personal. Each song has its own charm but, the sum of all the parts is what makes this album standout.

I love debut albums like this. You get to see and hear what the band is about but, you know there is way more to explore. Which means the what’s to come from Split Chain is going to be intense. Motionblur is authentic as it is a visceral album. Currently, Split Chain is out in Australia with Better Lovers. Their US tour with Soul Blind (another band you should know about) will be one hell of a great tour and chock full of high decibels!

By: Brian Lacy

Overall Rating: 9/10

Split Chain- Motionblur:

Split Chain Online:

▶ Store: https://splitchain.ffm.to/store ▶ Website: https://www.splitchain.uk ▶ Facebook:   / splitchainband   ▶ Instagram:   / splitchainband   ▶ YouTube:    / @splitchainband  


NEW MUSIC FRIDAY: 01/16/26

I keep saying this because it’s true, 2026 is off to the races in terms of new album announcements, new music, new tours and who knows what else is to come in the next eleven months! That being said, this past week has seen a barrage of new singles from some of your favorites as well as some you might not know yet! In this batch for New Music Friday, I present new music from Lamb Of God, Filth Is Eternal, Nothing, Fotocrime, Gaerea, Metal Allegiance, clubdrugs . Give these a spin and let me know what you are into! Listening eclectically is much more fun than you’ve ever thought!

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NEW MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: FINAL GASP- THE APPARITION

Remember the days of hearing a band name or seeing an album title and knowing you really want to check it out? I miss that too. Though, I’ve never stopped and a while back I heard a name that struck my fancy and somehow I just knew I’d enjoy it and what it might sound like. To my non shock it was what I thought. Think Type O Negative with Killing Joke, Christian Death, Samhain and a dash of Joy Division. All that combined and you have Final Gasp. While their 2023 debut album, Mourning Moon, cemented their “death rock” status, their upcoming new album, New Day Symptoms, takes that sound to the next step with added cinematic value and ambience that creeps in like a shadow. Final Gasp’s first single off the new album “The Apparition” really brings that ambience and cinematic vibe to life. New Day Symptoms will be out February 27 via Relapse Records.

The Apparition:

NEW RELEASE: BETTER LOVERS- THE IMPOSSIBLE END

If you’ve been reading Audioeclectica for a while now, you know that I’m quite fond of the band Better Lovers. Their debut EP, God Made Me An Animal as well as debut album, Highly Irresponsible, are in constant rotation still. The excitement from listening to them and then the exhilaration of their live show is untamable. The infectiousness of the ferocity has only gotten better now as Better Lovers have released the Deluxe Edition of Highly Irresponsible. On this edition there are 2 new songs added to the record. “Don’t Forget To Say Please” came out a couple months back and now “The Impossible End” has been delivered. I really dig on the twists and turns this song inhabits. If you get a chance to see Better Lovers on this November through Mid December tour they are doing (dates below), GO!!!! If you don’t, you must be allergic to having fun! Really looking forward to what 2026 holds for these gents!

The Impossible End:

Don’t Forget To Say Please:

Better Lovers Tour Dates:

11/13 Greensboro, NC – Hangar 1819
11/14 Athens, GA – 40 Watt (feat. Atomic Rule)
11/15 Jacksonville, FL – Albatross (feat. Atomic Rule)
11/16 Orlando, FL – Vans Warped Tour (Better Lovers only)
11/18 Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall
11/19 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
11/21 Austin, TX – Come & Take It Live
11/22 Houston, TX – Bad Astronaut
11/23 Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City
11/25 Colorado Springs, CO – The Black Sheep
11/26 Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre
11/28 Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
11/29 Madison, WI – Majestic
11/30 Joliet, IL – The Forge
12/01 Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
12/03 Columbus, OH – A&R Bar
12/04 Harrisburg, PA – Capital City Music Hall
12/05 Long Island, NY – Amityville Music Hall
12/06 Hampton Beach, NH – Wally’s

Better Lovers:

12/13 Buffalo, NY – Riverworks (‘Blissmas‘) (feat. Glassjaw, Saves The Day, Terror, etc.)

NEW MUSIC SPOTLIGHT: OCTOBER EDITION

I finally had the chance the other day to sit and check out a bunch of new music that was sent my way. Now some of these you might have already heard but, who cares, listen again! This is a pretty eclectic batch of bands and songs for you to check out! I hope you enjoy!

Lamb Of God- Sepsis:

Black Cross Hotel- Eyes From Nowhere:

Dead Heat- The Order:

Astronoid- Third Shot:

Powder Pink & Sweet- Raspberry Lime:

Forbidden- Mutally Assured Dysfunction:

Pupil Slicer- Nomad:

Deadly Apples- Sacrifice: