Sludge metal lifers, -16-, casually dropped their tenth full-length, Guides For The Misguided (Relapse Records) and it is crushing. Sludge Metal is at its best with bluesy guitar riffs that still feel massive, raspy vocals, and lyrics covering depression, drug addiction, and overall hatred. The L.A. four-piece violently checks off all of those checkboxes. They do so for over forty minutes with minimal to no filler.

“After All” jumpstarts Guides For The Misguided as a riff with its own gravitational pull that immediately draws you in. There is a melodic interlude that avoids sacrificing the song’s tempo, which works as the main riff returns to close the track.

“Blood Atonement Blues” has an ominous piano opening that spills out into a bluesy guitar lead with a thunderous rhythm holding up the lead. The lead returns briefly later as well, but the story here is the elephant-marching, heavier-than-Hell backing guitar riff that is the backbone of the track.

“Resurrection Day” is another standout on Guides For The Misguided that doubles down on the heavy guitar riffs without leaving out the blues soul at the heart of what 16 is. Easily the most catchy chorus on the record with hooks that will dig into your skin a la Pinhead from Hellraiser. There’s an uncomfortable bass break acting as an interlude that makes you think the song is wrapping up, but the verse riff hits once more to finish hammering in the nails of your grave.

-16- is one of those bands with a sound and goes for it every track. What makes them such a big name in the sludge metal world is how they execute it so well every release.

Guides For The Misguided may get lost in the shuffle of what promises to be a great year in heavy music as a whole, but sludge/16 fans will be replaying this one for a hot minute.

Buy the album here:
https://www.relapse.com/pages/16-guides-for-the-misguided

7 / 10
TIM LEDIN
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