Photo by Chad Kelco
California sludge veterans -(16)- return with their heaviest and most devastating record to date, Into Dust! Out TODAY on Relapse Records, the new album — a collection of cautionary tales of survival and redemption — is set to an amalgamation of sludge, punk, metal, hardcore, and stoner riffs that could only be built through thirty years of commitment to their dark sonic craft, which -(16)- continues to improve upon.
Stream Into Dust at THIS LOCATION.
Into Dust is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find physical orders via Relapse.com HERE and digital downloads/streaming services HERE.
Watch the band’s previously released videos for Into Dust’s album opener “Misfortune Teller” at THIS LOCATION, “Scrape The Rocks” at THIS LOCATION, and “Lane Splitter” at THIS LOCATION. </strong
-(16)- is in the midst of a US headlining tour through November 26th with support provided by Doc Hammer. See remaining dates below.
-(16)- w/ Doc Hammer [remaining dates]:
11/18/2022 The High Water Mark – Portland, OR
11/19/2022 The Bar House – Seattle, WA
11/20/2022 Mootsy’s – Spokane, WA
11/22/2022 Shredder – Boise, ID
11/23/2022 Aces High Saloon – Salt Lake City, UT
11/25/2022 The Hive – Flagstaff, AZ
11/26/2022 The Den – Prescott, NV
From the frantic opening of “Misfortune Teller” to the undeniable pounding and swagger of “Scrape The Rocks,” Into Dust lives up to its name, as -(16)- beats the listener into submission through the lowest of ends and the sour, palpable malaise prevalent throughout the album’s dozen tracks.
“There’s a story arc in the lyrics that start with an eviction notice served amid the ruins of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys, to running aground metaphorically and drowning in midlife, bearing witness to the modern suffering of hunger and poverty on the Mexico California border,” Ferry says. The negativity persists on tracks aptly titled “Null And Eternal Void,” and the dizzying, pill-induced, “The Floor Wins.” Elsewhere, “Born On A Bar Stool” sends the listener off with a sobering album closer; ending on a foggy and rainy jazz-tinged San Francisco night, with an anti-drinking drinking song, proclaiming, “Raise your glass all things pass.”
“The juxtaposition of the band’s usual harsh and aggressive approach with hummable, catchy passages offers a balance that steers Into Dust away from being a nihilistic soundtrack to depressionville. It ain’t exactly uplifting but it somehow feels, well, less miserable.” — Decibel Magazine
“-(16)-, thirty years down the line, still know how to direct rage from deep within the quagmire they drop down into, taking root in the muck and spinning around their arsenal of sludge and misanthropy like few can.” — Metal Injection
“…the bone-crushing riff feast finds them doing what they do best.” — BrooklynVegan (on “Misfortune Teller”)
“-(16)- can channel their anger and despair into something that resonates, finding the cracks in your bones and making its way into the marrow.” — Nine Circles
“-(16)- have crafted a vile concoction with Into Dust, a stoner sludge tour de force with enough variety to keep things interesting throughout. If you need your sludge fix for 2022 look no further than this greasy gem.” – Heavy Music HQ
-(16)-:
Bobby Ferry – guitar, vocals
Alex Shuster – lead guitar
Barney Firks – bass
Dion Thurman – drums
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