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!
This has been a long time coming and it’s finally here! The All New and Revamped Audioeclectica Podcast. I’m very pleased and proud to be bringing this back. Joining me on this venture are a few people that I’d like to shout out. First being my co-host Justin Sinclair (of sinistermusicreviews.wordpress.com). Justin is a good friend of mine and we share a common interest in a lot of the same music and I’ve taken it upon myself to expand his musical horizons. And it’s definitely paid off! Look at you know! Also a shout to Diggy at Lucky Star Radio for hosting the show and for all your behind the scenes work. And finally my friend Dionne at JASI Entertainment for pushing me to get this thing going again and for the support!
The first episode is all about reunions, bands that have stuck it out, best reunions, cash grab bands/tours, reunions we wish would happen and more. Plus some really great tidbits of information about the bands, tours, shows, and then some. This is the first of many episodes to come. Lots of different topics will be discussed and opinions shared. So come along for this ride and join the fun!
If there is a topic on your mind you’d like us to discuss, leave us a comment and we will add it to the list.
Thank you all for your support throughout the years! Audioeclectica is on its way to bigger and better things and this is just the start! Stay Tuned and remember to always Listen Eclectically!
There are certain bands that come around every so often and leave a lasting impact in a short amount of time. That short amount of time and the legacy that carried on is what makes those bands special. One of the bands that I’ve always thought of in that category is the band Snot. Their debut album Get Some, was an absolute force of nature and came at you with an attitude that got right in your face and pulled you in. The story of Snot is tragic yet the surviving members have carried on but kept the torch lit for their old band and singer. Over the years there have been a couple time when Snot has come back. I was lucky enough to open for them years ago when they had a certain singer in the band who will remain nameless. I could tell then that these guys really loved this band and music. And the crowds too were still into it. Of course as time goes on there comes a new breed of kids that discover the band and that is a great source of reinvigoration to get it going again. And let me tell you, SNOT IS BACK!!!
The wait for the right time came just as the right person came along at the right time. All the stars had to be aligned in order for this to come back in this way. And on this particular Saturday night in none other than Santa Barbara, Snot’s hometown, in a rather intimate venue, the fans made sure to make this night special. As they took the stage to a roaring applause the moment those first notes hit, it was go time! Blazing through their debut album with delight on their faces, Snot ripped through the greats including my favorites “Joy Ride,” “Snooze Button,” “Get Some,” “I Jus’ Lie,” and of course the one that kicks it all off “Snot.” For their encore they brought out the Strait Up version of “Choose What” which tonight was “Starlit Eyes” (originally sang by Serj Tankian of System Of A Down) and closed it out with my absolute favorite “Absent.” Watching the band play for the 80ish minutes they were up there was so awesome. It’s not every day you get to see a band you love reunite and it sound as good as it does. <br><br>The dual guitars of Mikey Doling and Sonny Mayo are signature to them and them alone. That sound they have together and how they play off one another is quite special to watch, plus it was a blast to see them see if they could beat each other who could jump higher while playing. Sonny won! Then you have that thunderous low end of John “Tumor” Fahnstock. That tone alone I bet registers on the richter scale. Behind the drums is the one and only Jaime Miller. Jaime is an absolute beast on the drums (as well as pretty much every instrument). His playing and style in Snot should be studied as he makes it look a lot easier than it is. Now those 4 elements make up one hell of a sounding band. The only thing missing was the right guy and they found him in local Ventura County based singer Andy Knapp. I’ve known Andy for a long time and when it was announced it was him, I couldn’t have been happier. Plus Andy is a long time Snot fan and considers Lynn Strait to be one of his major influences. And when he took the mic and the show started, it was on!!!
What a comeback for Snot. This one was a long time coming and it finally aligned the right way. With the resurgence of music from their time, it’s only fitting that one of the originators of that style come back and show these youngsters how it’s done and should sound. The possibilities of new Snot music is on the horizon and I welcome it. Cheers to Mikey, Jaime, John, Sonny and Andy! And as always R.I.P. Lynn Strait and Dobbs!
Review and Photos (sorry for the quality- I was too into watching the show) by: Brian Lacy
Back in 1998 Twisted Sister frontman, Dee Snider’s horror film Strangeland was released. I don’t remember much about the movie but, I do remember the soundtrack quite well. The soundtrack features songs from Sevendust, Megadeth, Pantera, Anthrax, Coal Chamber, Marilyn Manson, Soulfly, System Of A Down and Snot! That’s quite a banging collection of bands and songs. The song that I will always remember most from this soundtrack is “Absent” by Snot. This would be the last recorded song by the band before singer Lynn Strait’s tragic car accident. There is a different version of “Absent” found on the Strait Up tribute album. This soundtrack is one of those that came out at a time when soundtracks still meant something. If you haven’t heard this soundtrack before, it’s definitely worth your time!
Back in 2000, there was a really fun and cool tribute album released to celebrate the life of late Snot singer James Lynn Strait. The album entitled Strait Up, featured a plethora of guest singers and friends of the band like Jonathan Davis of Korn, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, Serj Tankian of System Of A Down, among others. There was one song in particular on the album that got a lot of attention and acclaim and that song was “Angel’s Son.” This song was a wonderful tribute to their fallen friend. There was a newer version of the song recorded for Sevendust’s album Animosity but, the version that appears on Strait Up is the best one! The music video that accompanied the song was quite beautiful too. It’s an emotional video and gives you chills but, it’s also one of those that along with the song, makes for one hell of a great video.
I was thinking the other day while looking for something to listen to about how many bands are out there that have only one album. Whether it’s by choice a la The Sex Pistols or because the band was dropped/broke up or even a one time project, I thought it would be quite interesting to compile a list of all those bands and albums.
When I first heard about Vanishing Life, I already knew, without hearing a song, that this band was going to be something I’m going to enjoy. Having one of my all time favorite drummers in Jaime Miller from Snot behind the kit and Walter Schreifels of Quicksand singing, this was sure to be something special. Joining them on guitar and bass, are Zach Blair of Rise Against and Autry Fulbright of And You Will Know us by the Trail of Dead. The first 7″ they put out was two songs of pure energy and unrelenting aggression. Now on their first full length album Surveillance, Vanishing Life has put together a record that harks back to the days when music had something very important to say.
From the urgency of the first song “Realist,” you can tell that you are in for quite a ride. “Outlier,” has a really cool melodic tinge to it without losing the “vibe” of what the band is. “Painter” is the type of song you’d expect from Walter, which has a sort of Rival Schools feel to it. “Pretty Ruined” has a post-hardcore vibe. “Exile” is a great punk rock track. “Image” is a pretty poignant song lyrically. “Vanishing Life” is full of the energy you’d want from a band in this style. “Thinking Weightless” is a really cool song that has great dynamics. “People Running” was featured on their first 7″ and the first song I heard from Vanishing Life, and this song is raw and full of punk ferociousness. Closing song “Big Other” has an epic vibe to it. I could almost see this as a pre-cursor to what the band might evolve into.
There is something beautiful about the simplicity of these songs. These guys are all great musicians and can play the hell out of their instruments, but they understand the need to play according to the song. Everyone in Vanishing Life lives in different areas but, I really hope that doesn’t cause this to be a one off project. This debut album really shows promise of what the four of them can do together and I’d love to hear more.
We’ve all heard bands that were so good, but it seemed they were ahead of the time. In 2000, long before bands got fully into the 80’s culture of glam and new wave again, The Start was THE band. The only problem is not many people knew who they were. All the bands that came out after them in their genre, were all bland, rehashed, and boring. The Start brought a new vibe to the 80’s new wave style, writing songs that were eye opening and full of emotion. You might know or not that the band was formed of the ashes of Human Waste Project and Snot. Aimee Echo’s voice is one of “the” most original I’ve ever heard and he lyrics were top notch. Musically, the band delivered a sound that mixed new wave, with punk and hard rock. Their debut album Shakedown is wonderful from start to finish. I’ll even put it out there that it’s one of the best debut albums I’ve ever heard. Their other albums are stellar and different, showing that the band can evolve. I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing The Start a bunch of times. Let me just tell you that, you missed out on one of the coolest, best live bands ever. So if you did miss out, now is your chance to begin!!
I’ve really been enjoying doing this feature. It makes me go back and listen to bands/albums I haven’t listened to in a long time. Not to mention that it’s quite fun to research what other collaborations certain singers have done. Since I did an album rank of Korn yesterday I thought why not do a guest vocalist feature on Jonathan Davis and share the songs that he guested on.
AUDIOECLECTICA 