What a great year 2025 has been for music. So many great albums, tours, songs, you name it. And now the time has come for…
The 2025 Audioeclectica End Of The Year Lists begin with the list for Best Vocalist. As always the stipulation for this is that an Album or EP had to be released in 2025.
Vote for your favorite in the comments section. At the end of the month, I will release the results of the readers poll.
This list is also in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!
01) Will Benoit- SOM 02) Cassidy Fleeman- The Anti Groupies 03) Josh Graham- Guiltless 04) Davey Havok- AFI 05) Jordan Olds- Blood Vulture 06) Sunny Faris- Blackwater Holylight 07) Trent Reznor- Nine Inch Nails 08) Sean Ingram- Idle Heirs 09) Mike McKeever- Heavy Halo 10) Kal Michael- The Owling
There’s something about the feeling that comes over you when you hear a band that strikes at the right time. It’s not that I haven’t listened to this band before but, the way their new music sparked a sense of “Yes! This is what I’m looking for and I wasn’t even looking.” With that in mind, Blackwater Holylight is the band I’m talking about and if you haven’t heard this fantastic band, you’ve been missing out. In 2026, January 30th to be exact, Blackwater Holylight will be releasing their new album, Not Here Not Gone (via Suicide Squeeze Records). Packed with a sound that is as much intoxicating as it is hypnotic is quite the treat. The elements of shoegaze, doom and metal mixed with the atmospheric/cinematic synths, underlying pulsing rhythms that feel like waves and vocals that soar and swoon, are exactly what I hear in Blackwater Holylight. The two songs released so far, “Heavy, Why?” and “Involuntary Haze” are whimsical and the perfect way to introduce what’s to come. A full US tour will be happening next year with two bands that have been featured on Audioeclectica, Glassing and SOM. The idea of SOM and Blackwater Holylight on the same bill is actually blowing my mind as I think and write this. Truly, I can’t wait for this new album to hit right out of 2026. Now, go check out Blackwater Holylight!
Heavy, Why?:
Involuntary Haze:
Pre-Order NOT HERE NOT GONE:
TOUR DATES:
Glassing supports 2/13-2/27. SOM supports 2/27-3/14.
Fri 2/13 – San Diego, CA – Casbah Sat 2/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Last Exit Sun 2/15 – Albuquerque, NM – Sister Tue 2/17 – Austin, TX – Radio/East Wed 2/18 – Houston, TX – White Oak Thu 2/19 – New Orleans, LA – Siberia Fri 2/20 – Pensacola, FL – Handlebar Sat 2/21 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn Sun 2/22 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy Tue 2/24 – Charlottesville, VA – Southern Cafe Wed 2/25 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Thu 2/26 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s Fri 2/27 – Brooklyn, NY – Meadows Sat 2/28 – Braintree, MA – Widowmaker Brewing Mon 3/02 – Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl Tue 3/03 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle Wed 3/04 – Chicago, IL – Sleeping Village Fri 3/06 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive Sat 3/07 – Denver, CO – Hi-Dive Sun 3/08 – Salt Lake City, UT – Aces High Tue 3/10 – Seattle, WA – Neumos Wed 3/11 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater Thu 3/12 – Sacramento, CA – Starlet Fri 3/13 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel Sat 3/14 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley Sat 3/21 – Los Angeles, CA – Pacific Electric