Nearly 35 years on, -(16)- remain as one of the most enduring, hardest sounding rock and metal entities from North America. The San Diego band redefines the meaning of heaviness with each new opus, and their new one, Guides For The Misguided, is no exception. With Bobby Ferry returning at the helm as the band’s visceral vocalist and guitarist, -(16)- belts out stories of pain and unhinged anguish – standout tracks like the record’s first single, “Proudly Damned”, see the band playing at the crowd, while Ferry shares tales of personal strife and depression; Ferry is absolutely seething while the band plows through a virulent mix of rock, metal and sludge. Dion Thurman’s pounding drum set, Bobby Ferry and Alex Shuster’s heavier-than-anything-else guitars and the lowest low end from bassist Barney Firks herald tones so low they’re nearly apocalyptic.
On the record, Bobby Ferry comments, “The album came together after we wrapped the final mix of our last one “Into Dust”. It’s all about harnessing creative momentum when it strikes and we’ve been in a kind of creative autopilot for about a decade. When inspiration is there, the rest seems to fall into place effortlessly. Thankfully, we’re still driven to write and perform even after all these years. There’s no grander meaning behind it than simply following that primal urge to create—put your head down and just make something. Age has of course given us a fresh perspective. In the 8 years Since “Lifespan of a Moth” our lineup has shifted. We lost a singer, gained Alex Shuster on lead guitar/producer, and founding member Bobby Ferry slid into the lead vocalist rhythm guitarist spot. Lyrically, we’ve moved beyond the personal and inward grievances of our earlier work and embraced broader themes of conflict, like the hypocrisy of religion and its negative effects on the psyche. On the new album, there’s a song called Blood Atonement Blues that delves into the story of Ervil LeBaron, often referred to as the “Mormon Manson,” while Proudly Damned explores addiction and how it turns into a Pagan Ritual with a witch-like character posing as the opiate — both in substance abuse and the spiritual realm— in parallel. In many ways, this album might be the closest we’ve come to creating a concept record. Including the two covers on the album is meant to lessen this heavy hand and lighten the focus. Musically, we are still grasping for the perfect riffs married to the most ideal arrangements. We’re not afraid to lean into the stuff we love: noise, classic rock, hardcore, doom metal and thrash. We are well aware we are not reinventing the wheel but lovingly fashioning something from us and basically for us, first and foremost.”
Guides For The Misguided will be released on February 7th via Relapse Records. Pre-orders are now available here.
Photo credit: Chad Kelco
