16 - Bridges To Burn

February 28, 2009

Reviewer: Ilmarinen

It takes balls to name a band after a number. Whimsical sweaty domineering balls driven by gloomy testosterone. 16, veterans of the sludge metal scene are not lacking in that department. Their new album does not transcend the genre or take it to new unforeseen heights. It does not need to. For better or for worse, (depending on your point of view), it defines it. 16’s Bridges To Burn explains sludge with the same accuracy an astronomer might devote to a definition of a gas giant. Here are some highs and maybe a few lows.

“Throw in the Towel”, a term that denominates surrender, at the very least applies to this track’s intro.
Deceptively light cymbals open this grinding little piece of down tuned curving riffs and muscular lyrics. Bursts of speed, like something trying to break free of gravity come flying at you from different angles only to be pulled back into the deliciously slow chugging momentum of the song. There is a bit of a southern sounding solo outro dissolving in guitar static at the end. It seems to complement and complete this tune in a way that begets no criticism.

“Skin and Bones” begins with a staccato hammering that evokes images of concrete slabs of sonic anguish. It quickly disintegrates into short spastic pieces driven expertly by distorted rhythm and throaty shrieks. Keep listening. There. A buried drum solo, a shy thing, coupled with a chorus and underlined by abrasive guitar work. Drums intensify, thick razor riffing changes speed like a getaway driver who did not study the getaway route, mid to fast to slow tempo, and finally evolving into a brief head banging interlude before slowing down again and going out with a bleeding vocal, like the driver of this car just got shot and refused to go down without a fight.

“Man, Interrupted” does not mess around too much with lengthy introductions. It dives in head first into frantic vocals and a zig-zagging swampy riff that gives way to a drunken bluesy guitar accented by drums that are lower in the mix here. Finally it settles for a raspy sleepy almost-careless-but-not-quite riff work that leads the way to the finale.

If someone held up a mike to a beehive one may be able to capture a sound that gives birth to “Flake”. It is followed by mid tempo meaty bass with an undercurrent of scratchy guitar and a foreboding drum line that evolve into a driving rhythm and vocals interplay only to be dragged back into the muddy waters of this sexy metal swamp. Keep listening. There is a grainy solo in there, chopped up by a sandy riff that dances like a flame in the wind.  There. An unexpected distorted melody break diversifies the established pace for a short while only to lash out yet again with some sand blasting guitars. An outro, noted for pleasantly doomy drum work and trademark sludge riffs complete this piece.

Slow choppy road paving rhythm intro for “Monday Bloody Monday” turns into the all too familiar by now game plan. It is unfortunately predictable and elicits a desire to skip this song altogether as it goes on a few minutes too long to make a point. Not bad, but not particularly exciting either, and it does nothing to tickle the ear of a genre aficionado. Towards the end of this increasingly monotonous composition is a semi successful attempt to speed things up and wake the listener with some optimistic drum and guitar assault on the senses. It works. Sort of.

“What went wrong” heats it up at first with a sexy bass laden intro, and then goes right into a somewhat anticipated cacophony of dirty guitars and sore throat punishment that, surprisingly, manages to pull it off, and, about a minute into it, turn catchy as all hell.

“What went wrong” heats it up at first with a sexy bass laden intro, and then goes right into a somewhat anticipated cacophony of dirty guitars and sore throat punishment that, surprisingly, manages to pull it off, and, about a minute into it, turn catchy as all hell. There is something indefinably tasty about this rock grinding rhythm once it takes off. It is an all too familiar pattern with few deviations that somehow feels rejuvenated here even as it doggedly plows through this concerto conducted by an angry troll army commander.

“Missed the Boat” is a bit of a tease. The intro sets the mood for this song by eliciting images of a much cleaner progressive composition that somehow got dragged through the mud. It then proceeds to entertain with a damn hooky mid tempo chop fest that does not let up until the end. Respect.

This album is a brick house built in quicksand. The mortar is slimy and inconstant and the bricks slide in and out of their designated slots, but somehow the foundation will not yield, and the music stands as a solid testament to the joy of slime, wet sand, metal, and sludge. Good one, 16.

Release Date:  January 2009
Label: Relapse Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Throw In The Towel
2. Skin And Bones
3. Me And My Shadow
4. Man, Interrupted
5. Flake
6. You Let Me Down (Again)
7. Monday, Bloody Monday
8. Permanent Good One
9. So Broken Down
10. Thorn In Your Side
11. What Went Wrong?
12. Missed The Boat

TO THE TOP

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