For a little bit now, I’ve been really getting into The Barbarians Of California. There is a fun and urgency to what they are doing and I’m all for it. Made up of longtime friends, Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION and Eric Stenman of Tinfed, The Barbarians Of California is a return to form of sorts for both. Aaron and Eric both got started in the hardcore world and though they both went in different directions for a point, this is where the roots are. Their new song “Bomb To A Knife Fight” has a very 90’s hardcore vibe with a a sort of hip-hop undercurrent throughout. And that breakdown! Oh yeah!! Looking forward to what’s to come from The Barbarians. And you can catch them on the West Coast leg of the Poison The Well/Converge tour!!
For well over thirty years now, Deftones have cemented themselves as one of rock and alternative music’s most influential and inspiring bands. Throughout their career, they’ve always pushed the boundaries of genres and constantly found new elements to add into their ten studio albums. When you listen to a band like Deftones, it can be a bit polarizing in that you expect one thing and get something else. Not every album in a band’s catalog is going to be amazing. Some right away will be “That One,” while others might take a bit to grow on the listener. And sometimes, you just have a dud. It all happens. Even a dud, albeit as a whole might not be good, there are still some moments or songs that give it a glimmer of a bright spot. RAnking albums is never easy especially when you tackle a catalog such as Deftones. And with that here’s the Audioeclectica Updated Album Rank.
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!
Who says you can’t have fun in Hardcore? Have you heard XCOMM?! I’ve been stoked on XCOMM for a bit now. As part of The Cobalt Presents we have had the pleasure of booking them a couple times and each time they have absolutely rocked the venue! Seriously, this band is no joke! The ferociousness is real and the venom being spit via the auditory assault will cause you to turn the volume as loud as you can. Their new single “Fake ID” is a righteous slab of straight forward hardcore punk. Produced by Ross Robinson, he has really been able to capture the raw intensity of Michael, Jay, Revel, Adan and Hunter. This new song is beyond fun as vocalist Michael Gatto said “‘Fake ID‘ rips! It’s about getting rejected from shows for being under 21 when all you want to do is check out a band. The video shoot was amazing — it was so funny to walk around town dressed as grandmas for a day. I thought we looked great and I love how the video concludes with us walking into the ocean…” I’m sure we can all relate to not being able to get into shows because of being under 21. This is the bands second single joining “Reasons” from their upcoming debut album, Time To Burn which is due out mid 2026 on Blowed Out Records — the label founded by legendary producer Ross Robinson, rapper Ghostemane and industry vet Bill Armstrong. So with that in mind, fire this song up loudly!
There must be something about today because, the new music is pouring in today! The mighty Converge have released “We Were Never The Same” the closing song from their upcoming album, Love Is Not Enough, which is out February 13 via Epitaph Records. The title track was already a punch to the face and now the closing song is one of those gut punches that is full of pure raw emotion. Converge are one of those bands that are not one to be complacent about their music and art. This album definitely has all the makings of it being another classic for Converge! Can’t wait to hear these songs live and for this album!
I know I’m beyond excited about New Converge! How about you?! That’s right, on February 13, 2026, via Epitaph Records, Converge will be releasing their eleventh (that’s correct 11) studio album, Love Is Not Enough. The first single is the title track, “Love Is Not Enough” and it’s a barnburner right out of the gate. With 35 years under their belts, Converge are set to release an album that according to Jacob Bannon, “Love Is Not Enough is all about momentum. “It does a thing that no other Converge record does—it keeps ramping up,” Bannon says. “And that’s definitely by design. Internally, we passed around dozens of ideas for sequencing because everyone interprets music differently and there’s no right way of doing it. When we do that, we always joke that we all have to be equally unhappy. But this is the one that works.” Personally, I really can’t wait for this record. If you’ve never seen Converge live, you should change that as well. They are one of the most intense live bands you’ll ever see.
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.)
It’s with great excitement to bring you the second episode of Audioeclectica Interviews with James Hammontree of the very awesome, Black Magnet! Their album Megamantra, is one of 2025’s best albums and is for sure in my top ten of the year. You can check out the review of this great album HERE! Black Magnet is one of the best industrial bands out today! I very much look forward to what’s to come from Black Magnet! Make sure you put them on your radar! Enjoy this very fun conversation and remember to “Listen Eclectically”
Back in 2017 when Converge released their album, The Dusk In Us. It’s quite the album for Converge. It’s one of those albums that really spans their catalog and has become a renowned record. Before the record itself was released, the first single “I Can Tell You About Pain” came out with a b-side. That b-side wound up being the very epic and captivating song “Eve.” Why this wasn’t on the album is beyond me. This actually might be my all time favorite Converge song at this point. When you listen to the seven and a half minute opus, it definitely takes you places. The way the guitars shift from doom/sludge into etherial/atmospheric sounds, to the synths creating waves, while the rhythm drives and then pummels into a colossal explosion. While “Eve” has been in the setlist for a short period of time, and performed thrity-three times, it’s one that should be in rotation a lot more. There’s really something powerful about this song in particular that more people need to experience live. I’ve never seen it performed live and it’s “the one” Converge song I’d probably go absolutely apeshit for if I saw it live. So, let’s put it out into the universe to get “Eve” added more often!!!
I’ve had a tradition for many years that when it’s Halloween, I have to listen to AFI’s All Hallows EP. It’s really a great Halloween companion. It sets the mood oh so sweetly. Released in October of 1999, All Hallows features three new songs and one cover. The three originals are damn good. “Fall Children” really captures the energy of AFI at the time. “The Boy Who Destroyed The World” is one of those songs that shows a bit where the band was heading into The Art Of Drowning. “Total Immortal” is one of my favorite AFI songs. I love the rawness of this song. It’s got such a great punk feel mixed with the right amount of goth/post-punk to make it quite memorable. And who can forget their awesome cover of The Misfits “Halloween.” I mean AFI and The Misfits is a perfect match. Some more fun history about this EP and era of the band is after the release, AFI would tour with Sick Of It All. Then concluding that tour, they went on to tour with Danzig. Talk about a tour!!! I’d love to see that now even. “The Boy Who Destroyed The World” was featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skakter 3 video game. The Offspring would go on to cover “Total Immortal” and that was featured in the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. By the way, AFI’s version is way better than The Offspring’s. I really miss when bands would do one off’s like this. AFI is on quite the roll right now as their new album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun is out and it’s fantastic! So when you’re done listening to the All Hallows EP, be sure to check out my review and listen to Sliver Bleeds The Black Sun. You can thank me later!
