Artist......: -(16)-
Album.......: Into Dust
Year........: 2022
Genre.......: Metal
Label.......: Relapse Records
Cat.No......:
Source......: WEB (24bit)
Encoder.....: libFLAC
Quality.....: 2858kbps avg. / 96.0kHz / 2 channels
Playtime....: 00:43:50 (954.75MB)
R.date......: 2023-01-28
S.date......: 2022-11-18
Website.....: http://open.qobuz.com/album/r0f6w8rfgc0ka
Disc 1 / 1
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01. Misfortune Teller 3:49
02. Dead Eyes 3:10
03. Ash in the Hourglass 3:08
04. The Deep 1:29
05. Scrape the Rocks 4:45
06. Null and Eternal Void 2:58
07. The Floor Wins 4:05
08. Lane Splitter 2:22
09. Never Paid Back 3:56
10. Dirt in Your Mouth 3:31
11. Dressed up to Get Messed up 4:22
12. Born on a Barstool 6:15
-(16)- are miserable, and they really, really want you to know about it.
Although they initially sound like they were dredged from the swamps of New
Orleans, this band of morose miscreants actually hail from Los Angeles,
California û though that still makes plenty of sense. Mired in pollution
and smog, with less a divide between rich and poor and more a yawning
chasm, itÆs a city where the haves live well and the have-nots struggle
through the quagmire of existence often without even the shirts on their
backs.
Often quoted as one of sludgeÆs seminal outfits alongside luminaries such
as CROWBAR and EYEHATEGOD, -(16)- also draw on the hardcore scene, citing
influences from BAD BRAINS as well as fellow Californians METALLICA. Those
comparisons are certainly apt on ninth album Into Dust, and thereÆs more
than a little of the latterÆs soloing flair and melodies such as on Ash In
The Hour Glass, though opener Misfortune Teller û which shares its name
with a song by fellow sludge sluggers DOWN û is all New Orleans swamp and
dirge.
There are some choices that make little sense; after the opening trifecta
of Misfortune Teller, Dead Eyes and Ash In The Hour Glass, the band opt for
an atmospheric interlude in The Deep that does nothing save stall the
momentum theyÆd built so far. Thankfully, Scrape The Rocks knows how to
kick back into gear with its crushing guitar tone and drumming that feels
perilously close to coming off the rails. Fortunately to counteract moments
like that, there are ones that do work and elevate the songs. Null And
Eternal Void features grungy cleaner vocals that add an extra layer of
uncomfortable grime, while The Floor Wins feels deliriously nihilistic and
on the verge of bursting its seams into a full-fledged death metal rampage.
None of Into Dust is pleasant, but sludge was never meant to be. A way of
vomiting forth the ills and trials of life, it offered bands like -(16)- an
escape and a way to dissect and process the negativity that surrounded and
permeated life. ItÆs a simple truth that much of the best sludge draws on
personal hells; -(16)- know this and lean into it, expanding that remit to
tell the stories of the downtrodden and the forgotten. The arc begins with
an eviction notice served amid the ruins of Hurricane Irma in Florida,
visits the poverty-stricken and starving Mexico-California border, and
culminates with a bleak portrayal of alcoholism in Born On A Bar Stool.
That closer in particular is a sobering affair; tinged with jazz and
sorrow, itÆs initially a sonic curveball but soon ends back in familiar
territory, at the bottom of the bottle and surrounded by demons. Looking at
Into Dust in 2022 is an interesting proposition; alongside fellow pioneers
CROWBAR, the bandÆs sound has barely altered, just introduced the odd layer
here or there, but theyÆve remained firmly rooted in sludge for thirty
years. It makes them both dated and anachronistic; its dirge-like
misanthropy never gets old or loses its power, but equally thereÆs much
more that could be done with the genre that newer bands are in fact doing.
On solely its own merits though? Into Dust, and by extension-(16)-
themselves, remain a stalwart reminder that while we might age and the
years might change, misery never gets old.