Californian Sludge Veterans -(16)- release noisy Scorpions cover off upcoming "Forgeries Vol 1, (1972-1984)" album on Heavy Psych Sounds; European & UK tour announced!

Santa Ana, California sludge metal veterans -(16)- drag the anthemic metal of Scorpions through the mud with their raucous cover of "Can't Get Enough", premiering now on Metalsucks. Their upcoming 11th album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984" will be released on May 1st via Heavy Psych Sounds, followed by an extensive European and UK tour.

 Hear their sludgy Scorpions cover with Can't Get Enough

There comes a point in every band’s life when originality stops being a virtue and honesty takes the wheel. On their 11th long-playing record: Forgeries 1972-1984, -(16)- return to the impulse that first dragged them into loud rooms and bad ideas: the urge to steal what we love and make it semi-unrecognizable through devotion. "We have partnered with Heavy Psych Sounds Records to release a collection of covers that function less as homage and more as a possession to be given away," says the band. The artwork, rendered by the ever-amazing Marald van Haasteren, completes the ritual, iconic, unsettling, and unafraid.

"We’ve always believed that a great cover is not mimicry but revelation. It’s finding a song that's already lived inside you since youth and letting it crawl out, bruised and changed." From the early ’90s onward, -(16)- have treated covers as translations rather than as replicas, acts of tribute and emulation, filtered through distortion, fatigue, and lived experience. "These are songs that taught us how to stand, how to fall, and how to keep going," they add. "In our collective head, this album exists because these songs demanded it. Because they screamed copy me, and we listened. In the end, Forgeries 1972-1984 stands as both a thank you note and a theft, a reminder that all music worth a damn is borrowed, broken, and passed on between friends."

The selections on Forgeries 1972-1984 span eras and attitudes, unified not by genre but by necessity. Each track is a document of obsession, of influence absorbed and re-expressed without permission. The first volume will be issued on LP, CD and digital on May 1st, with preorders available via Heavy Psych Sounds.

*** -(16)- - European Tour 2026 ***

01.05 PT Barroselas - SWR Metalfest
02.05 IT Torino - HPS Fest
03.05 IT Bologna - HPS Fest
04.05 IT Genova - Trinità Live Club
05.05 IT Milano - Legend Club
06.05 IT Pescara - Scumm
07.05 IT Roma - Traffic Live Club
08.05 NO Oslo - Deserfest
09.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
10.05 FR Marseille - Le Molotov
12.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
13.05 DE Göppingen - Gaststätte Zille
14.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
15.05 CH Winterthur - HPS FEST
16.05 UK London - Desertfest
17.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
18.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
19.05 NL Amsterdam - Toekomst muziek
20.05 DE Bielefeld - Forum
21.05 ***OPEN SLOT***
22.05 DE Dürrröhrsdorf - GockelScream
23.05 CZ Brno - Kabinet Muz
24.05 ***OPEN SLOT***

New album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972 - 1984" - Out May 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds - Pre-order

TRACKLIST:

1. Can't Get Enough – Scorpions
2. Nausea – X
3. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll – Blue Öyster Cult
4. Rotten to the Core – Rudimentary Peni
5. Mother Mary – UFO
6. Tragedy – Bee Gees
7. Bloodstains – Agent Orange
8. Beat My Head Against the Wall – Black Flag
9. 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, which was named one of Decibel Magazine’s Top 40 Albums of the Year. 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

-(16)- links

Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Californian Sludge Veterans -(16)- to release "Forgeries Vol 1, (1972-1984)" cover album on Heavy Psych Sounds this May. Stream crushing Bee Gees cover now!

Santa Ana, California sludge metal veterans -(16)- take over the finest classics from Sabbath, Bee Gees, Black Flag to Scorpions on their upcoming 11th album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984", to be released on May 1st via Heavy Psych Sounds.

 Hear their crushing cover of the Bee Gees with new single Tragedy 

There comes a point in every band’s life when originality stops being a virtue and honesty takes the wheel. On their 11th long-playing record: Forgeries 1972-1984, -(16)- return to the impulse that first dragged them into loud rooms and bad ideas: the urge to steal what we love and make it semi-unrecognizable through devotion. "We have partnered with Heavy Psych Sounds Records to release a collection of covers that function less as homage and more as a possession to be given away," says the band. The artwork, rendered by the ever-amazing Marald van Haasteren, completes the ritual, iconic, unsettling, and unafraid.

"We’ve always believed that a great cover is not mimicry but revelation. It’s finding a song that's already lived inside you since youth and letting it crawl out, bruised and changed." From the early ’90s onward, -(16)- have treated covers as translations rather than as replicas, acts of tribute and emulation, filtered through distortion, fatigue, and lived experience. "These are songs that taught us how to stand, how to fall, and how to keep going," they add. "In our collective head, this album exists because these songs demanded it. Because they screamed copy me, and we listened. In the end, Forgeries 1972-1984 stands as both a thank you note and a theft, a reminder that all music worth a damn is borrowed, broken, and passed on between friends."

The selections on Forgeries 1972-1984 span eras and attitudes, unified not by genre but by necessity. Each track is a document of obsession, of influence absorbed and re-expressed without permission. The first volume will be issued on LP, CD and digital on May 1st, with preorders available via Heavy Psych Sounds.

New album "Forgeries Vol 1, 1972 - 1984"
Out May 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds - Pre-order

TRACKLIST:

1. Can't Get Enough – Scorpions
2. Nausea – X
3. Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll – Blue Öyster Cult
4. Rotten to the Core – Rudimentary Peni
5. Mother Mary – UFO
6. Tragedy – Bee Gees
7. Bloodstains – Agent Orange
8. Beat My Head Against the Wall – Black Flag
9. 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, which was named one of Decibel Magazine’s Top 40 Albums of the Year. 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

-(16)- links

Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds links

Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Youtube

Thanks to Purple Sage PR for the details.

Genuine - Dag Nastier (Album Review)

Release Date: March 17th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Dag Nastier - Tracklisting

1.Values Here 02:23

2.One To Two 02:12

3.Circles 02:46

4.Thin Line 02:29

5.Justification 02:45

6.What Now? 02:13

7.I've Heard 01:43

8.Under Your Influence 02:37

9.Can I Say 01:58

10.Never Go Back 02:56

Members

Aaron D.C. Edge - Everything

Review

Dag Nastier is the new album from Punk Rock/Hardcore Punk studio project Genuine which is the work of one Aaron D.C. Edge is known better for his work with The Lumbar Endeavour, HIMSA and Hellvetika amongst others. This time round Aaron is paying homage and respects to Hardcore Punk Rock legends Dag Nasty and their seminal 1986 album Can I Say.

Aaron keeps the original spirit of the album with this version having a Sludge Rock sound with a gritty realistic violent tone which can be quite a departure for the original versions. There’s a fast-paced and garage rock sound appearing within Aaron’s vocals which still pays respect to the original vocals of Dave Smalley. There’s a determined focus to this album which can easily rank as a personal FUCK YOU to the USA Presidential Administration on tracks such as Values Here, One To Two and Circles.

With Aaron using recording techniques from his many underground Rock/Metal projects, there is a sense of modern day urgency which doesn’t distill the original album's socially aware message in any way and in some cases amplifies what Dag Nasty originally stood for. The production values are raw, honest and quite lo-fi with Genuine being very much in your face with the up-tempo changes and aggressive vocals that Aaron delivers throughout. The subtle Psychedelic swagger is perhaps given a heavier makeover compared to the original album but this adds a sense of dangerous fun to Dag Nastier which I really appreciated that Aaron brought to the party.

This record was perhaps the soundtrack to their lives for a brief moment in time and Aaron has managed to capture the angst and despair that Dag Nasty originally achieved and delivered with the record. You forget how good Dag Nasty actually was at writing anthemic and riff-fuelled tracks which Aaron shines a great light to. 

The majority of the tracks last under three minutes which means the music is fast-paced and leaves with some questions unanswered but that was perhaps the sign of the times with albums such as this. Overall, Dag Nastier is a subtle and politically charged record that knows how to have deceptive fun with the audience and show you they don’t quite make Hardcore Punk albums such as this anymore. So KUDOS to Aaron for delivering a superb interpretation of a classic record for a modern day audience. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to GENUINE for the promo.

Links

 

BandCamp | Instagram

Evert Snyman - All-Killer-Filler (Album Review)

Release Date: July 28th 2023. Record Label: Mongrel Records. Formats: CD/DD

All-Killer-Filler: Tracklisting

1. Search and Destroy (The Stooges)

2. Temporary Secretary (Paul McCartney)

3. I Just Wanna Get Along (The Breeders)

4. Zero (Smashing Pumpkins)

5. Beetlebum (Blur)

6. I Will (The Beatles)

7. Escape – The Piña Colada Song (Rupert Holmes)

8. Freedom Rock (Frank Black)

9. The Colour and The Shape (Foo Fighters)

10. Planet Of Sound (Pixies)

11. When Your Number Isn’t Up (Mark Lanegan)

12. Jesus Gonna Be Here (Tom Waits)

Review:

South African multi-instrumentalist and good old-fashioned rock musician Evert Snyman returns with his latest album All-Killer-Filler. An album featuring Evert covering songs by his favourite artists and musical influences from a wide range of different genres. Evert covers tracks by musical artists such as The Stooges, Paul McCartney, The Breeders, Smashing Pumpkins, Blur, Foo Fighters, Pixies and Mark Lanegan to name but a few there.

Evert pays homage to all of the tracks contained on the album but also adds his own creative spin on the tracks by employing a different array of different styles, such as Punk Rock, Stoner Rock and Electronic beats, even if the original versions don’t include these elements, such as the fantastic cover of Paul McCartney’s track Temporary Secretary which is one of the most interesting choices contained on the whole album.

The album does start up with a modern-day cover of The Stooges' classic Search And Destroy. This version doesn't stray too far from the original, but there’s a more distinctive Hard Rock sound with the Garage Rock sound being more distant in places. A great track to open the album with.

I’m not a huge fan of BLUR and The Smashing Pumpkins, but Evert’s covers of Zero and Beetlebum are bloody fantastic in their own right. Zero has a Punk Rock and Sludgy vibe that makes it more essential listening compared to the original. Beetlebum has a more stripped back approach that feels like it's being delivered by Soundgarden in places and ends up becoming my favourite cover on the whole album. Quite a remarkable feat since I can’t stand BLUR or this song. 

Other great covers to check out are: I Will (The Beatles), Freedom Rock (Frank Black), The Colour And The Shape (Foo Fighters), Planet Of Sound (The Pixies), When Your Number Isn’t Up (Mark Lanegan) and Jesus Gonna Be Here (Tom Waits).

Well, that’s actually the entirety of the album and perhaps where folks will find the most enjoyment. As Evert expertly performs dramatic versions compared to the original, they are either quieter melodic pieces or more heavier interpretations of these classic and well-known tracks. 

The album is quite emotionally driven in places and I can even forgive Evert for including a cover of the god-awful The Piña Colada Song (Rupert Holmes). As he makes this track rather cool, hip and bloody good fun as well.

All-Killer-Filler is a welcome diversion from the current batch of covers albums being released and showcases why Evert Snyman is one of the most essential and finest musicians to come from the South African rock Scene. Evert is joined by multiple guests on this album who all help Evert deliver a solid collection of covers that offers sublime entertainment from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Warren at Mongrel Records for the promo.

All-Killer-Fillier is available to buy on CD/DD from Mongrel Records from Friday 28th July 2023.

Links:

Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | Bandcamp