There is nothing better than starting off a new year with an album you are highly anticipating. And when said album comes out the first month of said new year, you can look at it as a precursor to great things to come. With that in mind take a few minutes to dig into these first three singles released from Blackwater Holylight’s upcoming new album, Not Here Not Gone, which arrives Friday January 30th via Suicide Squeeze Records. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by Blackwater Holylight for some time now. Their, If You Only Knew EP, was one of my favorite releases of 2025. As the table is set for Not Here Not Gone, and based off of “Heavy, Why?,” “Involuntary Haze,” and now “Bodies,” this new album is going to rock the socks off you. The delicate and etherial nature of the band mixed with the crushing riffs and pulsating rhythms, is sure to make this new offering from Blackwater Holylight one of the best releases of 2026. I’m very much looking forward to this album and the tour that will soon follow. Be sure to check this band out and let them know Brian from Audioeclectica sent you!
There’s something about the feeling that comes over you when you hear a band that strikes at the right time. It’s not that I haven’t listened to this band before but, the way their new music sparked a sense of “Yes! This is what I’m looking for and I wasn’t even looking.” With that in mind, Blackwater Holylight is the band I’m talking about and if you haven’t heard this fantastic band, you’ve been missing out. In 2026, January 30th to be exact, Blackwater Holylight will be releasing their new album, Not Here Not Gone (via Suicide Squeeze Records). Packed with a sound that is as much intoxicating as it is hypnotic is quite the treat. The elements of shoegaze, doom and metal mixed with the atmospheric/cinematic synths, underlying pulsing rhythms that feel like waves and vocals that soar and swoon, are exactly what I hear in Blackwater Holylight. The two songs released so far, “Heavy, Why?” and “Involuntary Haze” are whimsical and the perfect way to introduce what’s to come. A full US tour will be happening next year with two bands that have been featured on Audioeclectica, Glassing and SOM. The idea of SOM and Blackwater Holylight on the same bill is actually blowing my mind as I think and write this. Truly, I can’t wait for this new album to hit right out of 2026. Now, go check out Blackwater Holylight!
Heavy, Why?:
Involuntary Haze:
Pre-Order NOT HERE NOT GONE:
TOUR DATES:
Glassing supports 2/13-2/27. SOM supports 2/27-3/14.
Fri 2/13 – San Diego, CA – Casbah Sat 2/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Sun 2/15 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister Tue 2/17 – Austin, TX – Radio/East Wed 2/18 – Houston, TX – White Oak Thu 2/19 – New Orleans, LA – Siberia Fri 2/20 – Pensacola, FL – Handlebar Sat 2/21 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn Sun 2/22 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy Tue 2/24 – Charlottesville, VA – Southern Cafe Wed 2/25 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Thu 2/26 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s Fri 2/27 – Brooklyn, NY – Meadows Sat 2/28 – Braintree, MA – Widowmaker Brewing Mon 3/02 – Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl Tue 3/03 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle Wed 3/04 – Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village Fri 3/06 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive Sat 3/07 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive Sun 3/08 – Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Tue 3/10 – Seattle, WA – Neumos Wed 3/11 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater Thu 3/12 – Sacramento, CA – Starlet Fri 3/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel Sat 3/14 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley Sat 3/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Pacific Electric
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.
There are certain bands within the heavy music community that when they release new material whether it’s a single, EP, split, or full length, you know that this is going to be something worthwhile. With that being said, it’s refreshing to hear new music from the one and only Oxbow! If you don’t know about Oxbow, you really should take a delve into their catalog. Oxbow are a band that take chances and experiment with so many different genres and ideas that in the end wind up being something that really stands out and leaves a mark. By mixing metal, jazz, blues, noise rock and even classical music, Oxbow has a knack for creating shapeshifting sounds that rattle you to the bone. Their latest opus, Love’s Holiday, is the perfect evolution of the band and what they do. Previous Oxbow albums found their impetus in a lyrical framework provided by the band’s vocalist Eugene Robinson, with Niko Wenner applying his musical compositions to the singer’s narratives. However, Love’s Holiday began with the music this go round. A unifying theme throughout the album is love, and was the organizing principle behind these songs, even if they still carry the band’s signature brand of drama and conflict. Oxbow’s new album Love’s Holiday is out on July 21, 2023 via Ipecac Recordings. Pre-Orders HERE!
The ever radtastic The Ocean are roaring back with a new album, Holocene. This new album finds the band putting together a finishing chapter on their paleontology album series while adding new elements but, still keeping with their brand of epic heaviness. Already two songs have been released from this grand album, “Parabiosis” and the more Radiohead tinged “Sea Of Reeds.” Throughout the years, The Ocean has developed a sound that while heavy, it’s more than just a band being “Heavy.” There is a deeper thought provoking aspect to the music as well as the lyrics. One of the things that makes The Ocean who they are is their ability to evolve within the songs and the subtle moments they add that make things more captivating and intriguing to the listener. In a day and age when the single song is ruling, The Ocean is making a statement with this album!
On September 13, Korn will be releasing their new album, The Nothing. The band again worked with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Mastodon, Deftones, Foo Fighters, etc). The first single “You’ll Never Find Me” is out now. This song has a similar vibe of the last album (The Serenity Of Suffering) and somewhat of a Life Is Peachy element. One has to think that will all the turmoil of Jonathan Davis’s wife passing, he’s got a lot of “feelings” to get through on this new album.
Korn- You’ll Never Find Me:
On August 9th, Slipknot will be releasing their new album “We Are Not Your Kind.” The first single “Unsainted” was released today along with a video directed by the bands M. Shawn Crahan (aka Clow,n, aka #6). Guitarist Jim Root has stated about the upcoming album “This is most time we’ve had to write a record, and work stuff out together. One of my inspirations this time around was those artists that recorded full length albums – not just songs. While the industry is moving toward singles, Slipknot wanted to make an album experience, front to back.” Interestingly, the previously released song “All Out Life” is not on the album.
Track List:
01 – “Insert Coin”
02 – “Unsainted”
03 – “Birth Of The Cruel”
04 – “Death Because Of Death”
05 – “Nero Forte”
06 – “Critical Darling”
07 – “Liar’s Funeral”
08 – “Red Flag”
09 – “What’s Next”
10 – “Spiders”
11 – “Orphan”
12 – “My Pain”
13 – “Not Long For This World”
14 – “Solway Firth”
A couple years back while at a Dillinger Escape Plan show, I got to witness the beautifully devastating band Cult Leader. I was totally blown away by them. Their set that night was intense and hypnotic, leading me to coin a new sub-genre, hypnotic hardcore. Their 2015 album Lightless Walk, is one of the best metallic hardcore albums in the past decade. So naturally, when Cult Leader released their new song “I Am Healed” from their up coming album, A Patient Man (out November 9th via Deathwish Inc), I got all giddy. Picking up where they left off with Lightless Walk, this new album is shaping up to be something brutal and devastating yet full of surprises. Speaking of surprises check out the next single “To: Achlys,” what an amazing song!
Now on their 12th album (yes 12, crazy I know) Sevendust is back doing what Sevendust does, and that’s bring the ROCK. Their upcoming album, All I See Is War (out May 11 via Rise Records), is shaping up to a bit of a continuation of all the things fans of the band enjoy based on the two songs released so far, Dirty and Not Original. One thing that needs to be mentioned time and time again about Sevendust is how great of a singer Lajon Witherspoon is. That guy, man, he’s got so much soul in that voice and it’s bleeding all over this album. Check out what they have in store for us all.
In a couple weeks the band 10 Years will release their new album (How To Live) As Ghosts. This new album is shaping up to be quite a tremendous album for the band. Rather than self producing as they did on their previous two releases, they chose to work with Tennessee native and the very in demand Nick Raskulinecz. From the two songs released so far, “Novacaine” and “Burnout” you can tell there is a fire burning inside these guys again. The new album comes out October 27th!
