I had been saying how I had lost my passion for music. Now it's coming back and this is the first band I want to blog about/review/listen to and spread the word about.
How it started for me: I made a mixed CD awhile back with the song Damone from the band 16 off the album Zoloft Smile. This is sort of funny because this particular album was released in 2003. Anyhow, this tune seriously kicks ass. It has an amazing groove to it, a hard bass beat and sounds just like sex on the rocks would sound - a little angry, rhythmic, and full of groove. (Cripes, now I have Shakira in my head - Hips Don't Lie - damn you Danzig!).
http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=18573 (click me to buy me)
I thought for certain this would be another band that ended up split up and long gone but nope, they have a MySpace page (see link above) and have been signed to Relapse Records, which is seriously a big deal. I realize Relapse is usually the home of the extremely heavy (for some) but hey, give the label a break, they signed Alabama Thunder Pussy didn't they? (R.I.P ATP - we loved you!), and they have a roster of good bands so don't be afraid you stoner rock fuzz lovers, check the MySpace page out and you just might like them.
So, back in 2003 when Zoloft Smile came out they had already been playing for a decade. They are still playing. Yep, it apparently takes years between releases but that's either a sign of people collaborating from a distance, lazy band dudes, or perfection (could be all three). One reviewer describes them as "extreme music, angry and raging". I'm not so sure that's how I would describe them because they are not grindcore - thank the freaking goddesses! but more like hard rock with a metal edge. And to be perfectly honest, I bloody well hate grindcore. It sucks. It's way to loud, you can't hear the vocals and the crowd? Hello fat guys in black T-shirts, where did you all come from? They're on tour right now with eyehategod, whom I consider to be much heavier. You can check out Jeb's review here:
Okay so, are these guys sludge? I'm not so sure about that either. I mean sludge is slower, doomier, a little like molasses on pancakes, if you know what I mean. 16 are pretty freaking heavy, but not in a death metal way. The vocals are fairly clear, which personally I love, because who doesn't like to know what they're singing to? I'm listening to their new stuff now on MySpace and they still have it, and yeah, I think Jeb was right - these dudes are angry and this is mosh pit anger music. The thing I like is they haven't strayed at all from their earlier albums. I could get into this show easily. Eyehategod? Not so much, although I know they are talented. I tell you, I would only last a few minutes in front row with a bunch of moshing shirtless idiots making the show non-female friendly (which I think is the moshing idiots purpose). We all know hard music attracts mainly dudes so dudes who mosh, listen up, we females want to go to these shows without having your sweaty stupidness all over us and I think the band guys might appreciate more smiling, long hair flowing front row girls eh, you dunces.
Anyways, solid band, good riffs, cool vocals, great lyrics and yeah, some groove and some anger. Here is the video for Damone, which IMO is their best tune ever (granted I still have a lot to listen to from 16).
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