These are never easy to write. Especially when it’s someone that has played a huge role in your musical upbringing. Ever since I was a little kid, Ozzy has been a staple in my musical life. From the first time I heard his solo work, well first I saw videos on MTV, it got me rather interested in his music. Then I heard about Black Sabbath when I was about 5 or 6 and that changed it all. Black Sabbath with Ozzy had this dark, menacing sound that was unlike anything else. From their debut through Sabotage, you really can’t go wrong with the Ozzy catalog of Sabbath. Even his solo work be it with Randy Rhodes, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, or others took heavy music to other levels. Ozzy was more than just a singer he was the epitome of what being a “frontman” is all about in a band. The way Ozzy could get the crowd really going was a sight to see all on its own. When you saw and Ozzy show or even Sabbath, you knew you were getting not only a show but a night that would be remembered forever. I had the pleasure of meeting Ozzy a couple times in my life and he was nothing but, genuine, nice and personable. It’s a huge loss for his family and fans across the world. There will never be another Ozzy and that’s how it should be. He was one of one! An inspiration and influence on so many and a legend that will never die! The fact that Ozzy got to perform one last time and go out on his own terms is quite the way to go! My condolences go out to the entire Osbourne family and all the bandmates, and fans everywhere.
It’s time for another fun episode of The Audioeclectica Podcast. We are now up to episode 6 and this one is all about the concerts we’ve been to since the start of the year. So far this year we’ve seen Snot, Kerry King, Helmet, Slomosa, Jerry Cantrell, Filter, Deftones, The Mars Volta, Danzig, Down, Abbath, Poison The Well, Glassjaw, Better Lovers, Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse, Spiritbox, Obituary, Napalm Death, The Melvins, Six Feet Under and Nile. Take a listen as we recap the best parts of these show and the not so best parts!
Be sure to also check out the 10 bands/albums we mention. There’s always something good to listen to be it an older album or newer.
After a very long wait (as per usual with Deftones), we finally have arrived at new music! “My Mind Is A Mountain” is the first single and first track from the 10th studio album from Deftones. Private Music, will be released on August 22, 2025 and it’s definitely one that I’m highly anticipating. “My Mind Is A Mountain” contains all the elements that make Deftones who they are. This song in particular has the feel of what should have been the logical next step after Koi No Yokan. The band reunited with producer Nick Raskulinecz who previously worked with the band on Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan. The bands recent US tour showed a revitalized band and then truly firing on all cylinders once again! Here’s to a great new chapter for Deftones!
I’m not sure where or how Incubus popped in my head the other day. It was definitely out of nowhere and then suddenly I wound up with their song “Sick Sad Little World” playing in my head on repeat. I’ve always enjoyed this song. In fact I’d dare say it’s one of the best songs in the Incubus catalog. So, as it always tends to happen, I went down the rabbit hole of Incubus and remembered their captivating performance at Red Rocks in Colorado that happened during the A Crow Left Of The Murder tour cycle. This version of “Sick Sad Little World” is otherworldly and epic! The song is already epic by nature but with the extended version and added live goodies, it just makes the song so much better! Here’s to hoping Incubus can at least get back to this level on their upcoming new album!
Incubus- Sick Sad Little World (Live At Red Rocks / 2004):
Here we are on episode five now of The Audioeclectica Podcast! This has been a lot of fun and Justin and I hope you are enjoying our takes on music. This episode is quite the fun one as we delve into some “Hot Takes” that we’ve been thinking about and it gets rather funny. We discuss Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and his most recent interview that has the rock/metal world talking, as well as, fake fans wearing shirts of bands they don’t know anything about, the saga of As I Lay Dying and more. Also, Justin and I discuss 5 bands/albums we’ve been listening to that we highly recommend! So, pick your favorite place to stream your podcasts and have a blast listening to episode 5!
A little while back I brought up a band called Heavy Halo and I’ve been totally enthralled by them. Their distinctive sound that mixes electronic, industrial, alternative and a bit of goth makes for one hell of an enjoyable listen. Imagine if Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, and a dash of (early) New Order, put that all together and you get Heavy Halo. Their album Damaged Dream comes out on July 25 and it’s definitely one of the most anticipated albums for the rest of 2025 for me. There are so many different things to unpack when listening to this band and their album. One of the things that I love most is the use of melody throughout which brings a different light to the genre. The hooks found in the songs as well, drive home that there is more in these songs than just beats. Lyrically too, its a deeply reflective album that resonates in many different ways. July 25 can’t come soon enough so the rest of you can hear this album! Really stoked on what’s to come from this band and I still have hope that there will be a Los Angeles show in the near future because I need to see this live!
It’s always fun when people you know put out new music. The other day I heard a song by a friends band that has a really cool bluesy and alternative rock sound. It’s actually quite refreshing to hear a song, especially these days, that has these elements in it and be done so well. Allow me to introduce you to Tredici. This soulful bluesy rock band is quite the trip! The lush textures found throughout the song add interesting and dynamic levels while the vocals soar in a way that is almost cinematic. There is a lot more to come from Tredici and I’m getting quite excited about it! They make their stage debut on July 10 at The Mint in Los Angeles!
Those that know me know I’m a GIANT Nine Inch Nails fan. I could write pages about why they are my favorite band but, I’ll save that for another day or even for a future podcast episode. The Fragile is my all time favorite album. Ever since it came out in 1999 it has yet to leave my constant rotation and it’s one of those albums I find is a warm blanket record. There are so many great songs found throughout the album. There is maybe one song that I skip (Star Fuckers Inc.) but, for the most part I don’t. The other day while listening to the full album, I found myself stuck on one song in particular and that would be the song “Please.” This song is so damn good and one of those that I wish would be played live a lot more. One of the other cool things about “Please” is the layers and textures of the instrumentation found throughout. And for those of you like me that are rabid NIN fans, depending on what version you have (CD or Vinyl) part of the song “10 Miles High” can be found at the beginning or the end of the song. Since Nine Inch Nails are touring again and I will be at both Los Angeles shows in Sepetember, lets put this out in the universe and see if we can make it happen “PLEASE!!!!!”
We are back for another fun episode of The Audioeclectica Podcast. Episode 3 is a fun one as Justin and myself (Brian), went on a fun shopping excursion to a few stores. One of which was The Record Collector on Melrose Ave in Hollywood. If you haven’t read the feature article on this store, do check it out. The Record Collector is a great store with a lush history of being the oldest record store in Los Angeles. We also went to Headline Records in Hollywood, Game Dude in North Hollywood and Deadly Wax in Granada Hills. We highly recommend The Record Collector.
Stay tuned for more episodes, as we have a lot of great topics upcoming on future episodes!
We are coming up to the halfway point of 2025 and I thought now would be a good time to do a Best Of 2025… So Far. In here you’ll find what I think are the best albums released so far as well as the best concerts I’ve seen all year!
Best Albums Of 2025… So Far: ALBUMS!!!!
01) Idle Heirs- Life Is Violence This album is my absolute favorite of the year so far and I don’t think anything is going to over take it unless Nine Inch Nails puts out their new album this year. I love this album and everything it entails. The sheer rawness and atmospheric nature of it all as well as the devastating nature of it and how real it all comes to life.
02) Linkin Park- From Zero (Deluxe Edition) From Zero is already a great album. It’s not the best thing this band has ever done (Meteora and A Thousand Suns take that prize) but, this album is phenomenal. And I’m being absolutely serious. When it came out towards the end of 2024 it left a lasting impression on me and now with the 3 additional songs added, it just takes it to a whole other level. It’s criminal how good this album is!!!!
03) Guiltless- Teeth To Sky This album is another that is still in rotation and I keep finding more and more to love about this record. As I mentioned in my album of the week feature, having a band play music like this but, flipping the script and making it optimistic instead of straight doom and gloom, really puts this album up high.
04) Spiritbox- Tsunami Sea I’ve quite enjoyed this album. It’s a really well put together album with some really killer songs on it. It’s a really solid second album as well that is quite cohesive. I just recently went to see Spiritbox live and they are a really good live band and these songs definitely go harder than on album as one would expect. It’s going to be interesting to see and hear where they go next.
05) Coheed And Cambria- Vaxis III: The Father Of Make Believe Coheed is back!!! Not that they went away, I mean it more in that after the past two albums which felt kind of long and more of a collection of songs, they are back with an “album” that really kicks ass. If you are a fan of albums such as In Keeping Secrets and Good Apollo Part IV, then you’ll really dig this one. It’s a really good album that has a great flow to it. And there also feels like a renewed sense of the band on this one too as the performances really are kicked up a few notches!
06) Youth Code- Yours, With Malice I’ve been a Youth Code fan for quite some time so, when it came time for this record to arrive, I was pretty stoked and it’s a banger! Though only an EP, Yours, With Malice doesn’t lose a beat with the punishing and menacing beats pulsating along with vocals that reflect the trying times and harsh reality of it all.
07) Tonguecutter- Minnow When I first heard Tonguecutter’s Minnow, I thought I was in a time machine back to 1993 in a great way. This band and album have been a really cool surprise to hear in 2025. They make music that I’ve always loved and give it a bump in energy. Really look forward to more from Tonguecutter. They are one of those bands if the right people hear it will really resonate!
08) Black Map- Hex I’ve been a fan since the first single dropped and Black Map keeps getting better! Hex is one hell of an album. It’s short, concise and very direct in its approach. Throughout the 9 songs and 32 minutes, you are taken on a ride of great riffs and rhythms along with soaring melodic vocals. I keep finding myself listening to this album as whole more so than picking songs. Give this one a good spin!!
09) SOM- Let The Light In I remember seeing SOM open for Holy Fawn a couple years back and I was hooked from that point. Their new album, Let The Light In, is a tremendous album that really expands upon their already epic nature. I find myself listening to this a lot when I need something a bit more calming or relaxing as their post-metal sound reaches new heights.
10) Machinekit- Goddamn Vanity This LA techno-punk band is awesome! The new album, Goddamn Vanity, strikes quite hard. It’s abrasive and quite powerful. The way this album gut punches you is superb. The aggressive nature of this album is harks back to late 80’s Ministry and Broken era Nine Inch Nails. Also, their live show is one of the most fun and energetic shows you can see!
BEST CONCERTS OF 2025… SO FAR:
01) Poison The Well, Glassjaw, Better Lovers at Hollywood Palladium 02) Snot at SoHo Santa Barabara 03) Helmet and Slomosa at The Regent Theater 04) Jerry Cantrell and Filter at Ventura Theater 05) Danzig and Down at Forum 06) Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse & Carcass at Forum 07) Deftones at Forum 08) Spiritbox at Hollywood Palladium 09) Kerry King at Fonda Theater 10) All Cobalt/Audioeclectica shows!
