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!
The list of bands that were ahead of their time is quite criminal. When you go back and just look at the time period between 1995 and 1999, the bands that formed then or began releasing albums, helped to change the musical landscape be it the alternative genres or heavy genres. Back in 1995 after guitarist Peter Mengede and Helmet parted ways he laid the foundation for what was to become the band, Handsome. The way Handsome incorporated heavy music with these type of melodic vocals would unknowingly be part of a new sub-genre, post-hardcore.
We all know 1994 was a tragic yet amazing year for music. The albums that came out this year are still some of the best of all time even thirty plus years later. One of the albums that came out at this time that still gets a lot of flack is Hole’s, Live Through This. I remember buying it when I was a kid and thinking it was pretty damn good. And to this day I still think that. Seriously, if you haven’t listened to Live Through This in a long time, put it on and enjoy it! Now, back in 1994, while Hole was riding high off the release of their breakthrough album, they were asked to play on Saturday Night Live. On December 17, 1994 with legendary boxer George Foreman hosting, Hole would take the SNL stage and perform “Doll Parts” and “Violet.”
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!!!
Nine Inch Nails are one of those bands that truly have masterful deep cuts. You can go through each album and find premium choice cuts all throughout. Hesitation Marks is a great example of a Nine Inch Nails album with amazing deep cuts. I’ve recently been diving deeper into this record and it’s been quite the trip. The latter half of the album contains my favorite song off the record in “Various Methods Of Escape” but, that’s not the song that has been compelled to write this. The song that peaked my thought process on this was “In Two.” What a song! The way the quiet synth layers open the song, then sway into the drum loops and pulsating bass mixed with the delicate piano is slightly hypnotic. Then you add in the vocals which compliment all the dynamic parts so perfectly. The lyrics match the music in the best way possible. It’s also noteworthy to mention that Adrien Belew of King Crimson and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac play guitar on this song. One other stupendous aspect of “In Two” is how the ending flows so well into “While I’m Still Here.” Seriously, you can’t go wrong with Hesitation Marks!
More often than not, track one’s set the tone for the album and give a pretty interesting insight into what is to come. When you go back to Linkin Park’s debut album, Hybrid Theory, “Papercut” really does set the stage for the rest of the record. To this day, “Papercut” is still a live staple in Linkin Park set lists for a reason. The song itself combines elements hip-hop, metal, and drum and bass and melodic vocals. Both Mike Shinoda and the late Chester Bennington have said this song is one of their favorites in the bands catalog. The video for the song is a bit fun and a bit “huh.” Just remember that it was made in the early 2000’s and yeah hahaha. I personally to this day have always had a soft spot for this track. And now with Emily Armstrong on vocals, the song has a whole new life and sounds like a brand new song. Seriously, you can’t go wrong with “Papercut.”
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!
2026 has already been a strange year. The world may be falling apart but, the music keeps playing! So much so that the first great album of 2026 was released at the end of January. Blackwater Holylight’s new album, Not Here Not Gone, expands upon their already dark yet light contrasts and pushes the doomgaze genre into new worlds.
Throughout the ten tracks on the album, there is no shortage of great moments and new things to discover with each listen. Not Here Not Gone is as haunting as it is seductive and sonically bombastic. The way the band can weave an intricate web of shoegaze, doom metal and indie/folk is breathtaking. There is a calm to the heaviness on this album that keeps you coming back. The way the album glistens as it begins with “How Will You Feel” opens the window to what’s to come. From there “Involuntary Haze” ups the volume and shows off the heavy nature of the band. “Bodies” riffs out with a stellar explosion that captivates from the moment it starts. “Heavy, Why?” is quite the contemplative song that is filled with crisp sonics and soaring vocals. “Giraffe” is a bit of a departure but, it’s one of those interesting ones that acts as a bridge between parts of the album. TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek guests on this track. “Spades” returns to the heavy/gaze with more of a pulsating undertone. “Void To Be” feels like a sort of shoegazy prog rock track but with a dark pop sense. “Fade” is a delicate song that goes more cinematic as it builds. “Mourning After” is another soulful song that has a ton of ear candy to explore. Closing out the album is the epic “Poppyfields.” This is one of those songs that will stay with you long after you are done listening. In fact, it’s one of those that will make you want to put the album on again.
What Blackwater Holylight have made with Not Here Not Gone is triumphant. Sunny Faris, Eliese Dorsey and Mikayla Mayhew have cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Albums like this take quite a bit of time to make and when the end result is this powerful, it’s a statement record. Personally, I’m enthralled with what I heard on this album. I can only imagine the magnitude of volume that is their live show and these songs will definitely push the decibel levels of wherever they play. Seriously, put Not Here Not Gone on and just let it take you on it’s journey.
When it comes to the band Sevendust, you can always count on them to be writing and making new music. It’s crazy to think that their upcoming album, One (out May 01, 2026) , will be their fifteenth studio album. Yes that’s right 15 albums in their over 30 year career. The first single off of their new album, “Is This The Real You?” is classic Sevendust. The heavy chugging riffs, syncopated rhythms and of course those soulful vocals. I’ve long been a fan of the band, let’s hope this new album really delivers and we can finally get a proper Los Angeles Headlining Tour Date in 2026!
The very awesome Thoughtcrimes have released a brand new song and it’s the perfect way to start your week! “The Violent Garden” is a blisteringly heavy song, that will rattle your brain and cause you to want to start a mosh pit. Personally, I’m very excited about new Thoughtcrimes. Their previous album, 2022’s Altered Pasts, is still an album that is in my rotation. I highly recommend that album! Thoughtcrimes will be in Europe this February supporting Igorr. Let’s hope that a US tour is in the cards for later this year! Enjoy this new Thoughtcrimes track!
