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 Producer. 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) Josh Barber- Idle Heirs 02) Jade Puget- AFI 03) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross- Nine Inch Nails 04) Sanford Parker and James Hammontree- Black Magnet 05) John Rojas- Machinekit 06) Steve Evetts- Deadguy 07) Jordan Olds- Blood Vulture 08) McKeever and GOSTEFFECTS- Heavy Halo 09) Sonny DiPerri- Blackwater Holylight 10) Pete/Sam Loeffler and Kemble Walters- Chevelle
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
I’ve spent the past week trying to put into words about how truly amazing and stunning the two nights of Nine Inch Nails were at The Forum. Those two nights were beyond magical and therapeutic for me as well as being the 20th and 21st times I’ve seen my all time favorite band. It’s astounding to me that songs written over 30 years ago can sound so fresh and invigorating. Almost to the point of taking on a whole new meaning. What Trent Reznor has been able to do with constantly being able to captivate an audience and make a show an entire experience is otherworldly.
The stage set up for this whole tour was something else too. Staring out on a small stage in the middle of the floor, Trent appears alone, at a piano, and begins playing the most absolutely beautiful stripped down version of “Right Where It Belongs.” This is one of those songs in the Nine Inch Nails catalog that will make tears start flowing and choke you up. Just when you thought it was over though, Trent pulls out my another stripped down song in “Somewhat Damaged.” Now this is my all time favorite Nine Inch Nails song and when I say this was emotional, I truly mean it. So much so that in the first 5 minutes of the show both nights, the tears were definitely filling up my eyes. From there another stripped down song in “Ruiner,” followed by the “Nothing Can Stop Me Now” remix of “Piggy” which can be found don the Further Down The Spiral remix album. I always love when Trent pulls out these versions live. It adds so much more of an extra dimension to the songs and live show.
At this point, the crowd was in the palm of Trent’s hands and then a full on onslaught of heaviness in the form of “Wish,” “March Of The Pigs,” “Reptile,” Heresy,” “Copy Of A” and “Gave Up.” It doesn’t matter how many times in my life I’ve heard those songs be it on album or live, I always seem to go apeshit. And at these 2 shows, oh did I. The way this part started with “Wish” and ended with “Gave Up” put it this way, if you still had a voice after these songs, you weren’t loud enough. By the end of “Reptile” on night one and by the end of “Wish” on night two, my voice was gone!
Then after that part of the set, Trent and Atticus moved back to the middle stage where they were joined by Boyz Noize for a set of songs that were remixed in a very awesome way. The highlight of this part was when they played “Vessel” from the very underrated and unsung masterpiece that is Year Zero. This had the crowd in a dancing frenzy. The crowd of course went nuts for “Closer” but the audience pop during the new song “As Alive As I Need You To Be” was something else. Closing out that portion was a really great remix version of “Came Back Haunted.” If you haven’t ever really given Hesitation Marks a listen, you should.
As the band headed back to the main stage after that awesome remix set, Trent and company unleashed more awesomeness with even more intensity as the band blasted “Mr. Self Destruct,” “Less Than, and “The Perfect Drug” into the stratosphere. Having Josh Freese back on the drums in Nine Inch Nails is like having him back home. Josh’s ferocious performance of “The Perfect Drug” is one of those that should be studied and watched a zillion times. It’s that good. Rounding out the set was the always fun “I’m Afraid Of American’s” which is quite the relevant song in the days we live in. As well as the staples of “The Hand That Feeds,” “Head Like A Hole,” and “Hurt.”
I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the production of the tour. The lights, visuals, performances, and energy of the whole thing was unlike anything I’ve been to all year. You could tell that this tour was meaningful in a myriad of different ways. Trent even said, he wasn’t going to do a tour unless it was something that was substantial. And oh boy was it. As I mentioned these were my 20th and 21st times seeing Nine Inch Nails and I can honestly say this tour is in my top five NIN shows of all time! Thank you Trent, Atticus, Robin, Josh and Alessandro for two nights of absolute gold! I can’t wait till the next time!
Overall Rating: A
Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy
Set List (Same For Both Nights): 01) Right Where It Belongs (with Somewhat Damaged) 02) Ruiner 03) Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now Remix) 04) Wish 05) March Of The Pigs 06) Reptile 07) Heresy 08) Copy Of A 09) Gave Up 10) Vessel (Remix) 11) Closer (Remix) 12) As Alive As You Need Me To Be 13) Came Back Haunted (Remix) 14) Mr. Self Destruct 15) Less Than 16) The Perfect Drug 17) I’m Afraid Of Americans (David Bowie Cover) 18) The Hand That Feeds 19) Head Like A Hole 20) Hurt
THE WAIT IS OVER!!! NINE INCH NAILS IS BACK!! As you can tell I’m very excited. I’ve been waiting impatiently for new NIN for a long time and it’s finally here. What a way to wake up too! “As Alive As You Need Me To Be” is the first single released from their upcoming album/soundtrack for the new film Tron: Ares. The soundtrack is out on September 19th while the film will be out on October 10th. This new song is a very welcome back to my all time favorite band. The song itself definitely fits with the soundtrack/score element for Tron but, this is a NIN song all the way through from the vocals, lyrics, melody and and beats. I’m really looking forward to more!
Those that know me know I’m a GIANT Nine Inch Nails fan. I could write pages about why they are my favorite band but, I’ll save that for another day or even for a future podcast episode. The Fragile is my all time favorite album. Ever since it came out in 1999 it has yet to leave my constant rotation and it’s one of those albums I find is a warm blanket record. There are so many great songs found throughout the album. There is maybe one song that I skip (Star Fuckers Inc.) but, for the most part I don’t. The other day while listening to the full album, I found myself stuck on one song in particular and that would be the song “Please.” This song is so damn good and one of those that I wish would be played live a lot more. One of the other cool things about “Please” is the layers and textures of the instrumentation found throughout. And for those of you like me that are rabid NIN fans, depending on what version you have (CD or Vinyl) part of the song “10 Miles High” can be found at the beginning or the end of the song. Since Nine Inch Nails are touring again and I will be at both Los Angeles shows in Sepetember, lets put this out in the universe and see if we can make it happen “PLEASE!!!!!”
My all time favorite album is The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails. It’s an absolute masterpiece and then some. Truly, it’s one of those albums that the more you listen, it always sounds impeccable. There are a batch of song I could focus on for this topic but, I thought I’d pin point one song that I’ve always had a deep admiration for and that song would be “La Mer” which can be found as Track 11 on Disc 1. “La Mer” is a really poignant song within the whole of The Fragile. The song itself was conceived during a very dark period in Trent’s life. While on stage in 2009 he disclosed that he had rented a house at the time of the making of The Fragile, on an ocean with the external intent to write some music, but in reality had contemplated suicide there. This song was the only song to come out of that time and place. He still feels strange playing it live because it serves as a reminder of this period. And each time it’s played live there is a feeling that sails from the stage to the audience that gives you chills when you least expect it. There are a few different versions of the song with each one giving you a bit of a different listening experience and vibe. I highly recommend checking the other ones out.
The year was 2013, Nine Inch Nails have returned from a 5 year hiatus and a new album, Hesitation Marks. When news of this came out, needless to say I was pretty damn excited. Around the time of the release of the album, it was announced that Nine Inch Nails would be the musical guest on an upcoming episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. This would mark the bands network TV debut. They have obviously previously performed on MTV but, never a late night network show. They would perform 5 songs this evening with “Various Methods Of Escape” leading it off on TV followed by “All Time Low,” “Sanctified (altered version),” “Came Back Haunted,” and “The Hand That Feeds.” It was quite a fun set as those of us in attendance got to hear 3 new songs live for the first time plus a couple classics. It’s crazy to think that this was almost 10 years ago now. And since today is May 17… Happy Birthday Trent!
Nine Inch Nails- Various Methods Of Escape (Live On Jimmy Kimmel 2013):
When put in the context of certain albums, an instrumental song can shift the mood, vibe and all the in between. For years, I’ve always loved (shocker I know) the Nine Inch Nails song “A Warm Place.” I’ll never forget hearing it for the first time when I was younger and how the shift of The Downward Spiral turned when this song came on right after “Big Man With A Gun” and before “Eraser.” The way this song captivated me then and still to this day is pretty interesting. On one side you have this really delicate piece of music that has a calming sense to it. Then on the flip side of it, knowing that it’s part of something more and how it leads into “Eraser” makes it one of those songs to bridge a certain section of an album together. A song like “A Warm Place” is more reflective and introspective and in the context of The Downward Spiral, it gives you a moment in time to soak in all of what has happened, knowing what is inevitable in the end. Getting to hear this song live over the years too has given me all sorts of different vibes from it. The 1, 2 punch though of “A Warm Place” into “Eraser” on the album is truly one of those that to this day gives me chills. If you ever need a little break from everything, I recommend taking 3 and a half minutes out of your day and putting this song on and letting it just take you away.
Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place:
Nine Inch Nails- A Warm Place, Eraser, Dead Souls (Live 2018):
Back in 2007, Queens Of The Stone Age released their album, Era Vulgaris. An album in their catalog that I find to be very underrated and often over looked. This album featured some of the band’s best material since Songs For The Deaf. Another thing I’ve always dug about this particular album is the production. There’s a really dirty, distorted vibe that is crisp and clear but feels hard and heavy. Through and through this is a rock record. Live when these songs are played they are grittier than the album and makes it even better. There is a song that was recorded for the album but, would eventually become a b-side called “Era Vulgaris” sometimes more known as “You Know What You Did.” This track was released originally part of a fan site contest for fans to win a “special package” from the band. Selected winners received a CD entitled You Know What You Did with the sole track “Era Vulgaris”, which singer/guitarist Josh Homme confirmed would not be appearing on the record despite being the title track, though it was included as a bonus track on the UK edition. This song features guest vocals from the one and only Trent Reznor. It’s one of those songs that when you hear you wonder why it was left off the original track listing. It’s that good. If you’ve never heard this track you are in for a treat!
Queens Of The Stone Age- “Era Vulgaris (aka You Know What You Did):”
This one is too easy and since I’m still on a roll from my 19th NIN show, it’s only fitting. There is no denying the power of this song. There is a reason why it’s been a live staple since the beginning and why it pretty much closes the show. “Head Like A Hole” is an absolute triumph of a track one. Interestingly, “Down In It” was the first single from Pretty Hate Machine but, once “Head Like A Hole” was released and the video too, there was nothing that was going to stop Nine Inch Nails. This song is pure awesome. It’s song with 2 choruses and both are equally as punishing as the other! Live, this song goes to a whole other level especially with thousands of people singing along. Head Like A Hole is a perfect example of what a track one should be!
AUDIOECLECTICA 