I’m very excited to bring you this new Audioeclectica Interview with Justin Hanson of the new band LVX. Their debut single “Writhe” has been in my constant rotation since it’s arrival in late 2025. If you are into darkwave/goth/electronic music then you are gonna dig LVX! The conversation Justin and I had was great as we chatted about his musical origins, his band Lesser Key, the new band LVX, and a whole bunch of other fun. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for LVX. The video for “Writhe” arrived today as well as the release of this interview! Check out both of them below!!
Held. are here and they are not about to loosen their grip! This new band on the scene that has caught my attention and I’m quite excited to share this with you all. Held. is made up of Douglas Robinson (vocals/guitars) who you know from The Sleeping and formerly of Night Verses, Sal Mignaro (bass) from The Sleeping and Josh Eppard (drums) of Coheed and Cambria. The band’s debut album “GREY” is headed for a May 15th release through MNRK Heavy. Their debut single/video for “New You Anthem” is as infectious as it is direct. The melodic nature balances quite well with the post-hardcore approach throughout. I have to say too its very cool to hear Douglas’s vocals like this again. I really enjoyed the Night Verses albums he was on and was disappointed when he left the band. But that was then and Held. is Now! Another fun and cool thing about “New You Anthem” it features My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero on vocals as well. Frank adds another layer to this already great song. The voices of Douglas and Frank compliment each other very well. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how damn good Sal and Josh are as a rhythm section. I already knew Josh was a great drummer but, this just proves he’s damn good! Mark your calendars for May 15th and the release of Held.’s debut album, Grey!
I’m very excited to bring you this interview. A few weeks back myself (Brian) along with my podcast co-host and friend Justin, had the opportunity to interview John Bush of Armored Saint/Category 7/ex Anthrax. We talk about growing up in Los Angeles at a very interesting time, Armored Saint, joining Anthrax and working with them, and of course, the John Bush plays Anthrax shows! Thank you John for taking the time! What a great show it was too! Our recap of The Whisky A Go Go show is here too! If you get the chance when it comes through, go see John Bush play his era of Anthrax songs. Seriously, it’s so damn good!!! Now, enjoy the interview below!!
It’s happened to all of us I’m sure at one point or another. You hear a song/band in passing and you really dig it but don’t know who it is. Then on a random whim you hear it and then all is right for that moment. That happened recently for myself a couple months back, I had heard a band and I completely forgot the name as well as the song and then when I found out who it was, the volume sure went up. The band I’m talking about is Split Chain. If this is your introduction to them, you are in for a treat!
Split Chain is an English rock band that formed in 2023. This explosive five piece band, while still in it’s infancy is already packing quite the punch. Their first release, the single “Get Inside” came out in 2023 and it was a siren call for what was to come. A few more singles would be released as would a really fun cover of Type O Negative’s “I Don’t Wanna Be Me.” Then in later 2024 it was announced the band had signed with Epitaph Records and would begin work on their very anticipated debut album. Motionblur, would be released in July of 2025. Split Chain’s musical style incorporates bits of shoegaze, grunge, post-hardcore, and a dash of nu-metal. The combination sounds absolutely as you’d expect it to sound. It’s lush and full of space and dreaminess and on the other side there’s the heaviness and crunch.
Motionblur is one hell of a debut album. It’s one of those records you can just put on start to finish and just get lost in it. Across the eleven songs, you’ll find a very raw and dense album that is fused with soaring yet gut wrenching vocals, layered guitars that sway into the heavy and dreamy side of things, a rhythm section that thumps and kicks while also delicately ripping limbs away. The honesty found throughout is quite stunning too. You can hear it in the delivery of performances on the songs. The sonic aspect of the album is very direct in the way the album is produced. There are in your face moments of each instrument. The vocals are very up front but it doesn’t take away what the music is doing. The push and pull of both, makes these songs more haunting and personal. Each song has its own charm but, the sum of all the parts is what makes this album standout.
I love debut albums like this. You get to see and hear what the band is about but, you know there is way more to explore. Which means the what’s to come from Split Chain is going to be intense. Motionblur is authentic as it is a visceral album. Currently, Split Chain is out in Australia with Better Lovers. Their US tour with Soul Blind (another band you should know about) will be one hell of a great tour and chock full of high decibels!
It’s crazy to think about sometimes that you’ve been listening to a band for over thirty years. Then when you look at how old you are, it’s pretty much a lifetime of listening to a band. I still remember the first time I heard the band Bush. I distinctly remember being in the car with the radio on (106.7 KROQ) and heard “Everything Zen” and I was hooked. Now over thirty years later and ten albums deep, Bush, are still going and as good if not better than before. The second act of Bush has given new life to the old and brought a bevy of great new songs and a live show that is so energetic and quite the rocking night. That all being said, lets go through the ten Bush albums and put them in a proper rank!
I’m sure by now most people have seen the Tom Cruise movie, Top Gun. Or if you haven’t seen the movie, I’m sure you are familiar with a good chunk of the soundtrack. I mean we got Kenny Loggins “Danger Zone” out of it! But that’s not what this article is about. Of course there is “the scene” in Top Gun where the Berlin song “Take My Breath Away” plays and it’s so perfectly good. It’s one of those songs in film that is cemented forever. Now, the main reason for this article today wasn’t to share the Top Gun scene. Instead let’s go back to 2010 and the Drew Barrymore movie, Going The Distance. I’m a sucker for Drew Barrymore. Who isn’t? This movie is quite fun and charming. It stars Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as well as Christina Applegate, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis. There’s a part in the movie when Drew and Justin are about to make out and she notices a Top Gun poster in the room, and just as they start to make out… well you have to watch below. It’s utterly perfect and hilarious! Great use of the song and homage! Go watch the movie too!
Going The Distance- “Take My Breath Away” Top Gun Scene:
Heavy Metal/Thrash Titans, Exodus have announced their twelfth studio album, Goliath, which will be out on March 20, 2026!! This is quite exciting as the band has welcomed back vocalist Rob Dukes and are really back to firing on all cylinders. The new album was produced by the band and mixed by Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, Cannibal Corpse, etc). “3111” the first single from this offering, is a ripper for sure. It’s classic Exodus but, with even more attitude and gusto. Interestingly, the song was inspired by the narco killings in Juarez, Mexico. The number 3,111 is the estimated number of murders that occurred in 2010 alone. The band band a video for the song but, it was banned by YouTube for it’s rather violent content. Exodus are going to be out on the road this year with a slew of great tours like Sepultura’s Final US Tour, Megadeth, and more! Be sure you get out to a show, they are legends for a reason!!
For a little bit now, I’ve been really getting into The Barbarians Of California. There is a fun and urgency to what they are doing and I’m all for it. Made up of longtime friends, Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION and Eric Stenman of Tinfed, The Barbarians Of California is a return to form of sorts for both. Aaron and Eric both got started in the hardcore world and though they both went in different directions for a point, this is where the roots are. Their new song “Bomb To A Knife Fight” has a very 90’s hardcore vibe with a a sort of hip-hop undercurrent throughout. And that breakdown! Oh yeah!! Looking forward to what’s to come from The Barbarians. And you can catch them on the West Coast leg of the Poison The Well/Converge tour!!
For well over thirty years now, Deftones have cemented themselves as one of rock and alternative music’s most influential and inspiring bands. Throughout their career, they’ve always pushed the boundaries of genres and constantly found new elements to add into their ten studio albums. When you listen to a band like Deftones, it can be a bit polarizing in that you expect one thing and get something else. Not every album in a band’s catalog is going to be amazing. Some right away will be “That One,” while others might take a bit to grow on the listener. And sometimes, you just have a dud. It all happens. Even a dud, albeit as a whole might not be good, there are still some moments or songs that give it a glimmer of a bright spot. RAnking albums is never easy especially when you tackle a catalog such as Deftones. And with that here’s the Audioeclectica Updated Album Rank.
Dino Cazares is a riff machine and master. There is no denying the impact he’s had on heavy music since 1990 when Fear Factory released their first album Soul Of A New Machine till now. From that time he’s written countless memorable songs and riffs that I’m sure are still replaying in your head as you read this. Over the years besides Fear Factory, Divine Heresy, Asesino and Brujeria, Dino has lent his skills and riffs to other groups and projects that are pretty stellar as well. The songs he wrote with the other gents on the Roadrunner United album are some of my favorites! Take a few moments and check these Dino guest appearances.
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