A man singing into a microphone while playing a guitar
A man playing a guitar next to another man playing a double bass
A man is playing a red gibson guitar
A man singing into a microphone while another man plays a guitar
A man wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket is singing into a microphone.
A group of people are standing on a stage playing instruments.
A shirtless man is playing drums in front of a sign that says el camilly
A group of people posing for a picture with one woman holding a red cup
A man in a black shirt is playing a double bass
A man is playing a guitar in a dark room

16 Guides For The Misguided CD Review

February 23, 2025
The cover of a game called the renfields

The first slab of Sludge Metal to hit my box in 2025 is from the band, 16. The band’s new album is entitled “Guides for the Misguided”, it’s the band’s tenth release and it comes to us courtesy of Relapse Records.


16 has been around since the early 90’s so there’s been a good bit of change throughout the band’s history. But the one thing that remains constant is the band’s ability to write great riffs and lyrics that seep into your brain. And while this new album is a bit different than any of their previous efforts, the hardcore fanbase won’t be disappointed – I don’t see how anyone could be disappointed. What separates this album from the rest of the band’s discography is the amount of clean vocals sprinkled throughout, that’s not a normal thing. However, it’s not a turn off, quite the opposite, it’s a welcome addition and it shows the growth of the band. “Blood Atonement Blues” is a perfect example, it also showcases the band’s song writing/arrangement talents. There’s a mess of Heavy Blues riffs and some great melodic hooks. It does remind me of the more off the beaten path Groove Metal from the 90’s, but I’m sure that’s just me. The track “Fortress of Hate” also comes across in the same manner, the vocal and melody lines drive the song, keeping it moving freely. “Proudly Damned” is a slow, sprawling dirge packed with melodic riffs that if listened to at the right volume will crush and dismantle your psyche. That’s the secret sauce to this song and a lot of the other tracks on this album; the calmer moments will pull you under and drown you in their wake. If all this isn’t enough, there’s 2 covers on this album, one from Bad Brains and one from Superchunk. The Bad Brains cover “Give Thanks and Praise” is better than the original to me, but I’ve never been the biggest Bad Brains fan, and the clarity of 16’s recording is fantastic, plus SLUDGE – you can’t go wrong there. I’ve never liked Superchunk at all, so the band’s cover of “The Tower” is a definite winner to me – I found the Pop nuances of the tune to be a bit wild considering it’s 16, but that also made it a lot more fun for me.
 
16’s “Guides for The Misguided” is a favorite to be on several album of the year lists at the end of 2025. It’s a well recorded/produced album that puts a lot of stock into song writing and musicianship as opposed to just going with the normal Neanderthal, knuckle-dragging Sludge Metal thought process that’s plagued this genre in the past. 

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