Despite the fact that 16's been around for quite sometime, I haven't heard that much of their stuff. A few scattered tracks here and there... maybe an EP or what have you, but nothing much. This is great stuff, though. Sludgy, aggressive rock with hardcore/punk influences as well as a few tinges of what the kids might like to call "stoner rock", but this is way better than that for my money. And the excellent vocals that are a combination of singing and yelling have a really unique sound in my opinion. "Hearing Voices" is more in your face and consistently aggressive, whereas many of the tracks mix up the dynamics and let the rhythm section take hold - such as the title track, mainly driven by bass and drums with some noisier guitar textures. "Born to Lose" is longer than the majority of the songs, and also slower, cranking out some sick discordant chords and plodding rhythms that have a doom metal sort of vibe, with more involved picking patterns and some sustained melodies in the distance. Fucking amazing. The same goes for "Poverty", which is a bit more openly melodic, using cleaner vocals with some reverb, and creating one of the most sinister atmospheres of the entire disc. The production is practically perfect for what they're doing. The drums are resonant and warm with natural density, the bass tone is absolutely pristine in definition and low-end presence, and the guitars are loud as fuck and perfectly textured. The vocals are under a slight filter of distortion, blending them nicely with the guitars, but not preventing them from holding their ground. The layout keeps it pretty minimal with some nice photography, consistent text, and a packed little booklet. All of the lyrics are crammed onto two panels with other pertinent recording information, and that's all she wrote. Now, the lyrics are goofy and nonsensical if you asked me, mainly due to the choppy, short lines and forced rhyming, but what can you do? "I'm pissed off and no one wants to fight me, I'm paddling down the river of insanity, Influence Waco, I drink alone with moments of clarity, Only my cat understands me, Influence Waco." In a strange way the lyrics sort of work, though. I don't know. It's interesting how they fit in with the musical arrangements. I didn't know what I'd think of this disc, but it's damn good. I definitely need to check out more of the band's past work based on the strengths of these songs.
[At a Loss/Bastardized]
Running time - 33:03, Tracks: 10
[Notable tracks: Hearing Voices, Zoloft Smile, Born to Lose, Poverty]
Bastardized Recordings - http://www.bastardizedrecordings.de
