16

Active since the early 1990s on San Diego’s heavy scene in California, the band -(16)- is part of a sludge metal sound tinged with hardcore and noise rock. Formed in 1991 around guitarist Bobby Ferry and vocalist Cris Jerue, 16 grew within the American underground network—playing small clubs, touring alongside extreme acts, and releasing records on independent labels. Their debut album Curves That Kick (1993) already showcased a mix of weighty tempos, dissonant guitars and a raspy voice, a sound the band intensified on Drop Out (1996) and Blaze of Incompetence (1997). After a period of uneven activity around the turn of the millennium, marked notably by Zoloft Smile (2003), 16 reasserted itself more clearly by joining Relapse Records and issuing Bridges to Burn (2009) and Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds (2012), while undergoing several lineup changes. Lifespan of a Moth (2016), Dream Squasher (2020) and Into Dust (2022) continued this abrasive aesthetic—characterized by repetitive structures, a dense sound and lyrics focused on failure, addiction and everyday tensions—confirming 16 as a band deeply rooted in American sludge.