Californian sludge metallers, -(16)-, are to drop their 11th album, Forgeries 1972-1984. The covers collection will be issued on LP, CD, and digital on May 1st, via Heavy Psych Sounds records. Find out more below.
Pre-order Forgeries 1972-1984 here: https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/16-forgeries-vol-1-1972-1984
With this album, the band return to the impulse that first dragged them into loud rooms and bad ideas: the urge to steal what they love and make it semi-unrecognizable through devotion. With covers ranging from the Bee Gees, Scorpions, Black Flag to Blue Öyster Cult, Forgeries 1972-1984 spans eras and attitudes, unified not by genre but by necessity. At times unsettling and definitely unafraid, each track is a document of obsession, of influence absorbed and re-expressed without permission. The artwork by Marald van Haasteren completes the sonic ritual.
Forgeries 1972-1984 tracklisting:
01 Can’t Get Enough – Scorpions
02 Nausea – X
03 Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll – Blue Öyster Cult
04 Rotten to the Core – Rudimentary Peni
05 Mother Mary – UFO
06 Tragedy – Bee Gees
07 Bloodstains – Agent Orange
08 Beat My Head Against the Wall – Black Flag
09 St. Vitus Dance – Black Sabbath
10 Foreign Policy – Fear
Formed in 1991 in Santa Ana, California, 16 stylized as -(16)- emerged from the Southern California skate scene. The original lineup featured Bobby Ferry (guitar), Cris Jerue (vocals), Ben Clark (bass), and Jason Corley (drums). Initially called *15*, the band quickly rebranded after discovering another group with the same name. Drawing influence from 7 Seconds, Bad Brains, Metallica, and the Amphetamine Reptile roster, -(16)- developed a sound that helped define both their early years and the sludge subgenre itself.
Their 1993 debut, Curves That Kick, arrived on Pushead’s Bacteria Sour and was followed by a Japanese tour and shows with Slayer. Drop Out (1996) and Blaze of Incompetence (1997) followed, with Phil Vera joining on guitar. After a 1998 U.S. tour with Grief and the 2002 release Zoloft Smile, the band toured the U.S., U.K., and Japan before entering a hiatus in 2004 amid personal struggles.
Reforming in 2007, -(16)- signed to Relapse Records for Bridges to Burn (2009), followed by Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds (2012). With Bobby Ferry now on vocals, the San Diego–based lineup of Alex Shuster (lead guitar), Barney Firks (bass), Dion Thurman (drums) released Lifespan of a Moth (2016), Dream Squasher (2020) and Into Dust (2022) to critical acclaim. Heavy touring across the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, plus major festival slots, cemented their reputation for intense, connecting live performances.
In 2025, -(16)- released Guides for the Misguided on Relapse Records. That same year, the band headlined a three-week European tour and later performed select shows in California with Acid Bath, High on Fire and Fu Manchu.
In 2026, the band partnered with Heavy Psych Sounds to release Forgeries 1972–1984, a covers album spanning influences from Black Flag to the Bee Gees. That May, they return to Europe for a tour that includes Desertfest Oslo and London, as well as the Italian and Swiss Heavy Psych Sounds Festivals. With a legacy built on resilience and constant reinvention, -(16)- continue to evolve and captivate audiences, affirming their lasting relevance in heavy music.
-(16)- is:
Bobby Ferry – Guitars, vocals
Alex Shuster – Lead Guitar
Barney Firks – Bass
Dion Thurman – Drums, percussion
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https://16theband.bandcamp.com/music