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.
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!
There are quite a few bands from the 90’s that are a huge influence and inspiration for bands today. The resurgence of that sound is coming back around and while it’s been fun to hear some of these bands, there is nothing like the ones that pioneered that sound and style. Helmet is one of those band from the 90’s that can be heard in so many bands of the last 20 plus years be it Linkin Park, Chevelle, Deftones and more. Which is why when the chance to go see Helmet play their classic album, Betty in full came up, it was an absolute no brainer to go.
From the moment Helmet took the stage and the feedback started and then launching straight into “Wilma’s Rainbow” you knew this night was going to be special. Playing Betty in order meant that I got to hear one of, if not my favorite Helmet song quite early which is “I Know.” That song is so damn good. It’s one of those too that you can tell many bands have ripped off. Throughout the play through of Betty the band kept the train rolling without breaks making the show quite an immersive experience. Betty has a plethora of great songs including “Biscuits For Smut,” “Milktoast/Milquetoast,” “Tic,” “Street Crab,” “Speechless” and the always fun “Overrated.” The whole play through of Betty was superb and the crowd was super into it. Watching people singing along, moshing, headbanging, swaying, it was all just great. Then came a whole other set featuring songs from Meantime, Aftertaste, Strap It On and their most recent albums, Dead To The World and Left. As a giant fan of Meantime and Aftertaste it was quite awesome to hear those songs especially “Driving Nowhere” from Aftertaste (which I truly believe to be one of the more underrated albums of the 90’s). They also threw in their song “Just Another Victim” from the Judgement Night soundtrack and the crowd went nuts for that one. Didn’t hurt that it was played right after “Unsung” either!
The Regent Theater was packed from the front to the back and upstairs as well. Helmet absolutely decimated the venue with the volume and aggressive performance that left me wanting to go home and riff out. I haven’t been to a show in a while where I have left feeling like that. Page Hamilton is still a force of nature on guitar and one of the most innovative guitarists. Plus those little jazz licks that he throws in just adds to the fun. This lineup of Helmet has been with Page since 2010 and you can most definitely tell how tight the band is not to mention the amount of fun they have up there. Guitarist Dan Beeman is one hell of a player and he brings it each and every night to the songs new and old. He’s got this tone that matches Page’s so well that when you hear it in unison it’s this gigantic wall of sound that will blow your hair back. Then you add in bassist Dave Case and his rumbling low end and drummer Kyle Stevenson and his thunderous groove. Add those all up and you’ve got one hell of a band. Helmet live in 2025 is one hell of a show and I will most definitely be going back again next time they are in LA.
Also playing this evening was a band I was not familiar with called Slomosa. I’ve been trying not to check out the opening bands like I used to so I could go in with fresh ears and I’m glad I did. These Norwegians kicked ass. They have this really cool style that sounds like Songs For The Deaf era Queens Of The Stone Age mixed with Master Of Reality era Black Sabbath along with a bit of Helmet in there. Slomosa is anything but slow. They are one hell of a rock band and I really hope more people get to hear them as they are now on my radar for sure!
I’ve been to a few shows already this year and I have to say this one is going to probably stay in my top ten of the year. Thank you Page, Dan, Dave and Kyle for one hell of a show and the chat! Can’t wait to see Helmet again. And if Helmet is in your neck of the woods, get out to the show! You won’t regret it!
Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
HELMET:
SLOMOSA:
HELMET SET LIST:
Betty (Set I): 01) Wilma’s Rainbow 02) I Know 03) Biscuits For Smut 04) Milquetoast 05) Tic 06) Rollo 07) Street Crab 08) Clean 09) Vaccination 10) Beautiful Love 11) Speechless 12) The Silver Hawaiian 13) Overrated 14) Sam Hell
Set II:
15) Ironhead 16) Drunk In The Afternoon 17) Birth Defect 18) Broadcast Emotion 19) Bad Mood 20) Dislocated 21) Driving Nowhere
Set III (Encore):
22) Gun Fluff 23) Unsung 24) Just Another Victim 25) In The Meantime
AUDIOECLECTICA 