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.
I love when I get sent albums to check out. Sometimes I will go in blind without reading anything about the band and who is in it just so I can be surprised by what I’m listening to. Now this doesn’t always work out for the best but, when it does, oh my, it’s quite the experience. Recently I put an album on that really knocked my socks off! The band name peaked my interest as well as the cover art, so I put it on and what I heard was damn good. What I heard sounded like the perfect blend of 90’s grunge, parts of death metal, goth rock, and doom metal. now, with that in mind allow me to introduce you to Blood Vulture and their debut album, Die Close.
Blood Vulture is the brain child of Jordan OIds, who you might know as Gwarsenio Hall from the very hilarious internet show, Two Minutes To Late Night. This very cinematic debut album takes it’s lead from classic and modern vampiric influences like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Near Dark and Let The Right One In to create a very dark and vivid world that tells a great narrative story while also leading you down a dark musical alley. Throughout the albums 10 songs, you get sucked in more and more (no pun intended- though that worked out perfectly). The epic nature of this album allows you to listen multiple times and get swept away by all that this is. I keep finding more to like with each listen. Another aspect to this album that is quite fun is the guest appearance of A.F.I.’s Jade Puget on the song “Grey Mourning,” which as of this writing, is my favorite song on the album. Shadow’s Fall vocalist Brian Fair guests on the song “Burn For It” and Lingua Ignota’s Kristen Hayter is on the song “Entwined.”
Die Close is not a joke album! This is a really serious album that actually feels deeply personal, as the stories told sift through real life situations but, set in a more “mythical setting” to add a bit more dramatic pause. This is one of the best albums I’ve heard all year. Blood Vulture is definitely in my Top 10 Albums of 2025! The creativity as well as songwriting on Die Close, really shows how talented Jordan is and I look forward to more! This is soooooooo good! You can catch Blood Vulture on tour this fall with GWAR and HELMET!!!!
I’m sure this happens to a lot of you. You are looking for something to listen to and out of nowhere you hear something and it immediately hits you. That was the case this morning as I was searching for something to kick start my day. While checking my email I clicked on on particular email and clicked on the video and the absolute bludgeoning really started my day. Allow me to introduce you to Orthodox. This heavy hitting 5 piece band hails from Nashville and they are surely leaving their mark on heavy music. Their upcoming fourth album, A Door Left Open (out 06.06.25 via Century Media), is an all out assault sonically and internally. The album’s barrage of riffs, shredding solos =and countless breakdowns provide the pummeling while the crushing chugs, accentuated by intricate rhythms , ensures that the head banging whiplash-laden listen never gets comfortable. This is the type of album and band that will for sure kick your teeth in and I welcome more of it! I can tell that Orthodox are going for the jugular with this album. This is as brute force as a record that I’ve heard in a long time.
The other day I heard a song that was absolutely pummeling and punishing and it put a giant smile on my face. That song is called “Endless” and it’s by the mighty, Black Magnet. If you aren’t familiar with Black Magnet you should change that. Black Magnet have been a favorite of mine since I heard them a few years back. Their 2022 album Body Prophecy, is an unsung masterpiece and they are one hell of a band. Black Magnet are one of a handful of industrial metal bands that have really put the genre back on the map. This new song “Endless” is as relentless as it is raw. It reminds me of Broken era Nine Inch Nails and Psalm 69 era Ministry. It’s heavy and chock full of electronic goodies to discover with each listen. Black Magnet’s new album, Megamantra, is set for release on Federal Prisoner June 27th, 2025. I know I will be picking this up for damn sure!
For well over 30 years now, Meshuggah have long been one of the heaviest and most visceral auditory bands to see live and hear on a record. The gents in Meshuggah have long cemented themselves in the lore of heavy music and then some. Their influence on countless bands alone is astronomical. I can remember back to about 1998/1999 when I first heard Meshuggah. At first I was completely perplexed by them and how the hell they were pulling this off. Then fast forward to about 2001/2002 and Tool put out Lateralus and took Meshuggah out as their opener. That show was what really made me a believer. Also, I still to this day, don’t know how Tool was able to go on night after night as Meshuggah would rip those audiences apart!
This nice spring night in April at the Forum was a night for a grand celebration of not just heavy music but to show that Meshuggah is at the top of the musical food chain for good reason. I must say having soft jams play before the onslaught began was a nice touch especially walking out to “Careless Whisper.” From that point as the stage was dark and shadowy figures appeared and then… “Broken Cog” from Immutable kicks things off with one hell of a bang. Then a barrage of absolute beatdown songs “Violent Sleep Of Reason,” “Rational Gaze (one of my all time favorites),” and “Combustion.” Throughout the set the lights really brought the songs to life in a whole other way kind of like how a kaleidoscope looks on the inside. Other choice cuts for the evening included “Lethargica,” “Swarm,” and of course the classic “Future Breed Machine.” For the encore, “Bleed” was right out of the gate after a moment of pause. From the get go, the audience was completely sucked into the world of Meshuggah. The sheer volume that was permeating through The Forum was another thing all on it’s own. I kept looking up and around and saw the roof shaking a bit and then even outside, the rumble was making the security guards shake their head in disbelief. Put it this way, this was a LOUD show and it should be! The way that Jens Kidman, Tomas Haake, Fredrik Thordendal, Marten Hagstrom, and Dirk Lovgren are so precise is another show to watch all on their own .
Also playing this evening were Carcass (who we missed- thanks LA traffic on a Wednesday) and Cannibal Corpse. Cannibal I did get to see. It’s been since 2001/2002 since I last saw Cannibal and they are still badass and awesome. I was having quite the fun time watching them deliver a brutal set. I forgot how technical they are as a band and the tone those guys have is quite unique to them. You can hear others try to cop that one but, it’s not quite right. The head banging too, that was a sight to see. My neck was sore just from watching them head bang onstage especially Corpsegrinder. That guy really is the champ. Their set although short was another one that was chock full of classics and some other choice cuts. My buddy and podcast co-host Justin, is a big Cannibal fan so the enjoyment he was having was quite fun!
This was a great show. Meshuggah absolutely brought it and delivered a set and show that I hope is released as a live album. What a great show. It’s quite the heavy tour. I will say, it does feel like it’s missing that one direct support band to really put it over. Don’t get me wrong this lineup is great, it just felt like there should have been 1 more band to really up the energy and blow the roof literally off The Forum.
Overall Rating: A
Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
Meshuggah Set List: 01) Broken Cog 02) Violent Sleep Of Reason 03) Rational Gaze 04) Combustion 05) Kaleidoscope 06) God He Sees In Mirrors 07) Lethargica 08) Born In Dissonance 09) Dancers To A Discordant System 10) Swarm 11) Future Breed Machine ENCORE 12) Bleed 13) Demiurge
Cannibal Corpse Set List: 01) Scourge Of Iron 02) Blood Bind 03) Inhumane Harvest 04) Evisceration Plague 05) Death Walking Terror 06) Unleashing The Bloodthirsty 07) Summoned For Sacrifice 08) I Cum Blood 09) Stripped, Raped and Strangled 10) Hammer Smashed Face
Every so often, a band will release an album that changes everything for the band and genre. 25 years ago, Poison The Well released their debut full length, The Opposite Of December and it set forth a path that would go on to help pioneer a genre and inspire a new bunch of bands. Their distinctive “metalcore” sound has become often imitated but, there’s nothing like hearing the real thing! Joining Poison The Well on this celebratory tour are 2 of my favorites new and old in Better Lovers and Glassjaw as well as Teenage Wrist. When this show pulled into the Hollywood Palladium on a beautiful Friday night, the wake of destruction that was upon all those in attendance would not be for the faint of heart. This show was designed to go off the instant it starts and oh boy did it! NOTE- Continued on next page (look below).
I love when it’s been a long while since you’ve seen a certain band live, then you go to the show and it’s just what you wanted it to be and even a little bit more too, since it’s been that long in between shows. This past weekend I went to see Danzig (who I haven’t seen live since 2013) and one of my all time favorite bands, Down (who I haven’t seen live in almost 10 years) at The Forum. What a show it was too. Also playing this evening were Abbath (first time seeing them live) and Cro-Mags (didn’t catch them). The Forum over the last decade plus has really stepped up their game in terms of sound, and the shows they hold. Getting to see Down here was quite special (think the last time they played the Forum was when they were on tour with Heaven And Hell (Dio era Black Sabbath).
First band I saw of the evening was Abbath. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a black metal band play and they sure were good. I forgot that the main guy was also previously in Immortal. Abbath was a good choice for this show (just thought of this, why wasn’t this tour billed as the new Blackest Of The Black tour- I’ll have to inquire). It was nice to see Norwegian Black Metal still thriving and destroying. Though I didn’t see Cro-Mags, the 1, 2 punch of Hardcore Punk then Black Metal is quite the way to open a show.
Now the part that really got me, DOWN!!! I love Down. I actually get into arguments with people because I like Down more than I like Pantera. To me Down just has more substance and depth. There’s nothing like seeing Down live and firing on all cylinders. It’s truly a magical thing to see and hear. Playing songs mainly from their classic debut, NOLA, as well as a couple from their second album, Down had the crowd in the palm of their hand for the hour they were on stage. The moment they all took the stage and the first notes of “Lysergic Funeral Procession” began, you knew that you were in for one hell of a set. From there it was just classic after classic. It’s always a pleasure to hear favorites of mine like “Losing All,” “Ghosts Along The Mississippi,” one of the best Track One’s of all time “Temptation’s Wings,” and one of the best closers too in “Bury Me In Smoke.” I also love that during the “Bury Me In Smoke” Phil sang the a bit of “Nothing In Return (Walk Away)” and that absolutely was a special moment. I love that song. It’s so epic that it too should be played live! Down was on fire and everyone sounded killer. Watching Philip, Pepper, Kirk, Jimmy and Pat on stage truly having fun and ripping through a great set like that is why I love going to concerts and seeing my favorite bands, Down especially!
Danzig headlined this evening and by the time he went on and the lights went down, it was sure time for things to get a bit darker. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Danzig live. The last time was probably the best Danzig show I have ever seen. This show is right up there though. There’s such a fun theatricalness to a Danzig show that it keeps you into it. Knowing his audience well, the set consisted of songs mostly from the first 3 albums with a few scattered ones from Danzig IV, Circle Of Snakes, and Deth Red Sabaoth. Personally I love Danzig III so getting to hear any of the songs from that album is a joy for me. The performance this evening of “How The Gods Kill” was great (you can watch it on the Audioeclectica Instagram page). Glenn is still one hell of a frontman and when he’s on like he was this evening, it’s pretty spectacular. Joining Glenn on stage was longtime Danzig collaborator and Prong’s Tommy Victor on guitar, Samhain’s Steve Zing on bass and Karl Rosquist on drums. Watching the crowd get into the show song by song was interesting. You could tell who knew more than just a handful of songs. Either way, it was a great bill all around.
DOWN Set List: 01) Lysergik Funeral Procession 02) Lifer 03) Hail The Leaf 04) Ghosts Along The Mississippi 05) Pillars Of Eternity 06) Temptation’s Wings 07) Stone The Crow 08) Eyes Of The South 09) Bury Me In Smoke
DANZIG Set List: 01) Skin Carver 02) Brand New God 03) Twist Of Cain 04) Evil Thing 05) Hammer Of The Gods 06) How The Gods Kill 07) Her Black Wings 08) Killer Wolf 09) Black Hell 10) Tired Of Being Alive 11) The Hunter (Albert King Cover) 12) Am I Demon 13) Not Of This World 14) Mother ENCORE: 15) She Rides 16) Dirty Black Summer 17) Do You Wear The Mark
For a while now, I’ve been searching for the a certain type of band to come along and ease my pain of not having Neurosis nor Isis (the band) being active. I know that sounds silly considering there are plenty of bands out there that I’ve heard that could possibly do it but, I’ve been looking for that one band to take that style a bit in a different direction and I found it. Guiltless, a fitting name for a band that definitely has that Neurosis vibe (their album is released through Neurot Recordings and guitarist/vocalist Josh Graham did work with Neurosis creating visual components). Joining forces with Sacha Dunable, Billy Graves and Dan Hawkins, members of Intronaut and Generation Of Vipers, this devastating four piece has taken the good old fashioned doom sound and added some really fun twists, turns and dynamics to push beyond that sound.
The debut album, Teeth To Sky is quite the eruption. Throughout the 8 songs and over 40 minutes of the album, the way it becomes immersive is quite the listening experience. There’s a ton of little nuances found throughout the songs that give Teeth To Sky the charm it has. Mixing doom with post metal, noise rock, ambient undertones and the twist… optimism. The addition of optimism in this style of music is quite interesting and part of the reason why it took me a minute to write this. I’ve been listening to this album for the past few weeks, eating up all the things I was looking for. As I kept listening especially listening with my really awesome headphones on, that’s when I started to figure out this album. There’s a reoccurring theme found on the album of how “one must take advantage of life” and in the times we are in, it’s pretty epic to find that in this style of music.
To describe each song and get into that would take away from the effect you’d have from listening on your own. The bludgeoning aggressiveness that is found throughout propels the album but, Teeth To Sky is more than that. This album is one of those that will grow on you as it did with me. I look forward to hearing more from Guiltless and seeing how they develop and evolve. These songs need to be played live and I would bet that the decibel levels will be astounding. Definitely give Guiltless and this crushing debut album a ton of listens. And if/when they arrive in your town, I’d go see them too!
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.
It’s been 10 years since I’ve seen Deftones live. I’ve seen them at least 12 times in my life before last night. I had taken a bit of a break from seeing them for a myriad of reasons but, I’m really glad that a couple friends said “Brian, I got an extra ticket and you are going to Deftones with us.” And what a show it was. Before I get into all the fun of the night, I will say this was one of the best Deftones shows I’ve been to. There is something special about this new run for them and I’m quite excited to hear what’s to come.
Just before 9pm the hype music started and all sorts of 80’s dance songs started pumping through the Forum. The looks on peoples faces was quite a sight to see as you could tell people were most definitely getting hyped up and ready for the onslaught. Then the lights went down, and Stephen Carpenter appeared on stage and then you heard the start of it all and BAM… “Be Quiet And Drive” kicks it all off and with a trademark Chino scream to really kick it off. The groove of that song had the entire crowd on their feet and immediately drawn into the show. From there it was just classics and fan favorites throughout the night. Songs from every album were played making it a well rounded set. Some of my favorite highlights were “Diamond Eyes,” “You’ve Seen The Butcher,” “Rocket Skates” the tour debuts of both “Around The Fur” and “Headup” (both of which are on the Audioeclectica Instagram page for you to view) as well as “Rosemary,” ” Hole In The Earth” and “Bored.” The production behind the band was quite awesome too. I think this is the biggest production they’ve had in a long time. The visuals playing behind the band and the different camera angles of each member made for a pretty visually stunning background. Abe Cunningham is still a beast on the drums. I find myself watching him a lot at Deftones shows cause he’s so damn good. Frank Delgado’s textures and keys really do add to these songs and live it’s even more fun to hear those nuances. Stephen Carpenter looked like he was genuinely having fun on stage more so than I’ve seen in years. Chino sounded great and his energy is absolutely infectious as it’s always been. The cardio workout he does must be something else! Then you have new comers Fred Sablan on bass who did a great job of holding that low end down. It is still a little weird not to have Chi or Sergio up there but Fred is doing a great job. And I want to give big props to Lance Jackman who has been joining the band on the road for a bit now on guitar and backing vocals. He really adds another layer to these songs that was sort of missing for a bit. All these pieces together really made for a great Deftones show and experience.
Now, this is the part of the review where I’m going to get serious. Having The Mars Volta as direct support on paper was a great idea. Whoever in their camp that came up with the idea to play only their upcoming album really needs to be slapped upside the head. That was one of the most insufferable sets I’ve sat/stood through. I’ve walked out on The Mars Volta in years past for just basically jamming on stage for however long they were on. This was a total self indulgent set. And while I get they wanted to try something new and different, it didn’t work. In fact it damn near sucked the energy out of the entire arena. It’s a shame too cause as musicians they are fantastic but, good lord are they boring. I’d rather be watching paint drip off a wall than see The Mars Volta ever again. Seriously guys, get over yourselves and play at least a good chunk of songs people would know. Selfishness as direct support is ridiculous.
The opening band Fleshwater was cool and had a fun sound that is reminiscent of more mellow Deftones and Siamese Dream era Smashing Pumpkins. They had a good energy on stage and tried their damnedest to get the crowd going but, when you have too much of a shoegaze sound it does tend to all bleed into one and it gets lost. Again, that’s not to say they aren’t a good band, they are a good one, they just need a bit more of an edge to push those songs into your chest. Also, considering that a few of the members are from the band Vein.fm, I did expect a little more but, I did enjoy what I heard.
Basically, I was there to see Deftones and they delivered a great set and one that was chock full of some of my all time favorite songs of theirs. Selling out two nights at the Forum at this stage in their career is a great accomplishment and one they should be quite proud of. This was seriously one of the best Deftones shows I’ve seen since I started to see them live back in 1998 (yeah I know I’m getting old hahaha). I look forward to the new Deftones album when it comes out and seeing them again. Hopefully next time with openers that bring it!
Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
DEFTONES PHOTOS (not many as I was too busy watching the show):
DEFTONES SET LIST: 01) Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away) 02) My Own Summer (Shove It) 03) Diamond Eyes 04) Tempest 05) Swerve City 06) Feiticeria 07) Digital Bath 08) Prayers/Triangles 09) You’ve Seen The Butcher 10) Rocket Skates 11) Sextape 12) Around The Fur (Tour Debut) 13) Headup (Tour Debut) 14) Rosemary 15) Hole In The Earth 16) Change (In The House Of Flies 17) Genesis
