Bridges to Burn

In years to come, Bridges to Burn will be an album that I won't be able to remember how I got. I'll tell you how, since it explains as much about the album as I'll be able to with description of the music, which - you guessed it - isn't the strong point of the release. I have an official promo copy of -(16)-'s fifth full-length because I was "paid" it for copy-editing a music magazine that doesn't really make enough profit for it to be worth a paycheck. How I get "paid" in this way: the actual editor suggested he could send me old promo material that he didn't want as an exchange for the work. I've acquired a few cool bits and pieces this way, but mostly the stuff I get passed on comes from bands I've never heard of that are worth little more than a cursory few spins. So, in brief, Bridges to Burn was thrown away by a metalhead who didn't really want it and landed with me, who, it turns out, after 4 listens, doesn't really want it either.

Not to say that -(16)- suck, but suffice it to say this kind of sludge is absolutely not my cuppa, while this release attempts little to endear itself in terms of concessions to metal fans with a hankering for melody, and possibly most metal fans in general. See, this can be called sludge metal without telling a lie, though it adheres to sludge of a straightforward type, mixing the sandy chunks of Eyehategod and Crowbar riffage with the hardcore and alt rock leanings found more often in Helmet and Fudge Tunnel. I'm reminded a lot of my experience with Rabies Caste here, since again -(16)- translate as that irksomely confrontational mix of aggressive riffing, breakdowns, and shouting, with barely a whiff of a guitar lead anywhere, nor apparently any intention of throwing the listener a bone in the form of hooks. I'm not singing along, I'm not smiling, and, unless I have a few loose teeth I want dealing with, I doubt I'll gain in any other way from the experience. Which, by the way, feels very long compared to its actual 47 minutes, perhaps because the 12 songs do so little in the way of variety.

Let me drop in a few positives before I get carried away. I ought to qualify that the shouted vocals disturb me most due to their overbearing presence, but when they subside to allow a few groovier riffs to leave their mark, or even for the very brief instrumental breaks (such as in 'Throw in the Towel' and 'So Broken Down') the trio of players show some decent ideas. Riffs hit home even through the scratchier production, palm-muting separating hardcore style from the more flowing sound of real sludge, while an extra dose of vitriol pushes a couple of choruses into the spotlight much more agreeably, 'Flake' and 'Monday, Bloody Monday' doing that best in my books. To some degree, the lyrics could also provide a way into Bridges to Burn for some listeners, probably for those more attracted by the personal "bad day" mentality from the punkier side of -(16)-'s genre mix. ("It's the worst day of my life/I've been up all fucking night" is my primary takeaway.) As for me, those elements are choices I can either overlook (the lyrics seem alright), be patient with (my interest in the riffing waxes and wanes), or not tolerate (the production and vocal presence rub me up totally the wrong way).

I think the most damning part about Bridges to Burn echoes exactly what I said at the beginning: I'm definitely going to forget this album exists. Not in a few months, when I haven't listened to it for a while, but tomorrow, when it's not playing or on my laptop screen. I think I'd compare this to getting blackout drunk on some kind of low-quality alcohol: it will do the job while it's in your system, yet when you wake up later you will mysteriously feel slightly relieved and extremely exhausted, with no knowledge where those feelings came from. Treat it like a wall of noise if you like, since only the eleventh track 'What Went Wrong?' has a quiet section and the brief song lengths allow -(16)- to keep going with their riffs and shouts almost all the time. Maybe I'll rediscover this some other time; for now, though, consider this bridge burnt.

I’ve never been the biggest Sludge Metal fan. Then only Sludge I’ve gotten into is Raging Speedhorn and a few Crowbar songs. The only bands tangently related to the sludge scene I’ve enjoyed are the Death Metal inclined Soilent Green, the now Prog-Gods Mastodon, and the vocally cleaner supergroup Down (All of whom I don't count). Since 16 have received almost universally positive reviews, so I decided to give it a listen to see if I could find a new lease on Sludge Metal for me. What I got was rejected Down riffs with a dude talking loudly over it.

I know I should be nicer to a band releasing its first album on a "major" label, me being a struggling musician myself, but really that’s all this is. This sounds as if Phil, Pepper, and Windstein half-assed it when starting to write Over The Under, and when they decided it was shit they gave it to these dudes who decided to give it a whack with these riffs. Even the production sound like they just looked over at Down’s soundboard.

There really isn’t one song that has stuck with me. I was six tracks in when I tried to remember the first song and couldn’t remember a thing. None of the riffs held my interest for more than ten seconds, and even when I did I could swear I heard it before from Speedhorn or Down.

Maybe this could be forgiven if the vocals were at all interesting, but this guy sounds bored and it doesn't help me. I said it earlier but he is just talking rather loudly. The Raging Speedhorn guys sound really pissed and in Down Phil can sound really soulful (especially on the latest record), but this guy seems like he was the guitarist’s cousin who wasn’t a metal fan himself and just did vocals on this record to get out of a debt or something.

I thought “Oh maybe since he sings and plays guitar he just can’t multitask well. Because these riffs are so simple, soulless and uninteresting they have to be made up by a singer-guitarist.” Yet I was disappointed. This led me to believe that the guitarist must have carpal tunnel and the singer was so bored during writing, he hammered nails up his nose.

People are also making a big stink about the lyrics, but I’ve honestly heard more depth from Five Finger Death Punch, Korn, and Slipknot (the latter two I argue should be on this site and I submit this album as an example). Especially in “Thorn in Your Side”. (YOU HATE YOUR MOTHER! I HATE MY MOTHER! Good sweet baby eating Christ.) That’s right, 16 must be the age of the band’s lyricist. But when the Nu-Metal hordes spout their immature angst they at least sound halfway into it.

Needless to say this hasn’t sold me on the genre of Sludge. If this is really the best this scene has to offer then it can fuck off an be boring somewhere else. I’ve heard people call this the album of the year already, which doesn’t renew my faith in the human race. Maybe Slusge fans will be the only people to like this, but even so if you think this is the album of the year, Mastodon, Absu, and Cannibal Corpse would like to have a word with you. Hell hearing those guys slowly recite Greco-Roman poetry would be more interesting, fun, and engaging than 16’s “Bridges to Burn.” Especially if it was poetry from the island of Lesbos.

This is a sludge album by the band 16. I was really not acquinted to the sound of this band until I picked up this album. I must say that overall, its a great fucking album! Lets move on to the review.

The guitar is amazing. The tuning and the tone of the guitar sets the atmosphere for the whole album. The low and heavy tune is really crushing and sound quite brutal as compared to other sludge albums. The riffs although not very technical are certainly fast and catchy. The riffs are memorable too. Although, most of the album progresses at a medium pace, there are some times where the guitar plays fast or completely breaks down and plays a slow, doomy riff and I must say that this break downs are well structred. All in all, the guitars on this album are very good and set the mood for the album.

The vocals are mostly mid-pitched screams that flow along with the guitar riffs. The lyrics are quite good although not very poetic but who the fuck goes out looking for poetic lyrics in a sludge album ?! The vocal work has some added effects to it in some parts which sound good and fits in well.

The bass is playing the same notes as the guitar for the majority of the album. Its not a bad thing but I would have loved some solo bass work. Still, the bass is audible and gives the album a nice feel.

The drumming is quite good. There are no stand out part but the drummer has good control over his instrument and plays along with the song and does not go off beat. Nothing special but does the work for the album.

Overall, this quite a good sludge release. Pick it up if you dig this genre.

It's surprising to see a band of this caliber overlooked by the lot of the metalheads inhabiting this site. I am only vaguely familiar with this band's material myself, but I will be sure to check more of their material out later. Now, on to reviewing the CD itself.

This sludge/hardcore crossover band plays some very interesting music, fusing the heaviness of sludge and the slamming breakdowns of hardcore nearly perfectly. Now, do not be driven away by the breakdowns, for they limit them to a small number. The band as a whole plays very tight, technical music that makes heads want to bang straight off the necks they reside on. They definitely know what they are doing; nearly twenty years in the business has paid off for these guys.

The guitar tone on this album is very crunchy, adding to the overall heaviness of the album. It really takes lead over most of the other instruments, as well as the vocals. It is nothing to complain about, however, since the guitar drives the album on. The heavy riffs put forth on this album have a certain level of intricacy that is rarely seen by the likes of sludge or hardcore. They are straightforward and hard-hitting, yet have a decent level of complexity that causes them to keep a high level of interest, never to bore you throughout the listening of this album. The bass follows the guitar riffs throughout the entire album, but it can still be heard and provides a great low-end, only adding even further to the punishing nature this album has upon ones ears.

The vocals are well-placed on this album. They are nothing more than yells and the occasional, and I emphasize OCCASIONAL, growl, but they help the album run smoother, as any other vocal style would not fit for this style of music. With the little I have heard from this band before listening to this album, it has become apparent that Cris has perfected his style of vocals over the years. They have a very angry and hateful vibe to them, completely unlike the fake tough-guy vocals hardcore bands tend to drink up, however. They are genuine in every way possible.

The drums are probably the weakest part of this album, as they do not do anything spectacular, and keep this album from getting a perfect review. They just seem to be there and just keep the time, doing nothing innovative or creative. All they did was add to the hard-hitting nature of the album.

The production on this album was great. It was very clean and professional, like a band should be after nearly twenty years. Every instrument could be heard clearly and the vocal tracks were well-heard too.

Overall, this was a great album to listen to, as I imagined it would be after hearing the opening track. It provides an absolute assault on my ears with heaviness, intricacy, and consistency. One does not hear sludge and hardcore coming together so well too often.

To conclude, I highly recommend this album to anybody who is willing to keep an open mind in listening to new music. I recommend it even moreso to sludge fans. This is a gem that more people should know about. Definitely give it a try. It may not be for everyone, but I think there will probably be more people liking this than one would think.