US sludge metal warriors -(16)- premiere new covers album »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« ahead of its release this Friday; European tour starts now!

Santa Ana, California based sludge metal band -(16)- stream their new covers album »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« in full ahead of its release this Friday, May 1st, 2026 via Heavy Psych Sounds.

Tracklist:
01. Can’t Get Enough (Scorpions cover)
02. Nausea (X cover)
03. Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
04. Rotten To The Core (Rudimentary Peni cover)
05. Mother Mary (UFO cover)
06. Tragedy (Bee Gees cover)
07. Bloodstains (Agent Orange cover)
08. Beat My Head Against The Wall ( Black Flag cover)
09. St. Vitus Dance (Black Sabbath cover)
10. Foreign Policy (Fear cover)

Courtesy of Purple Sage PR:

Californian sludge metal stalwarts -(16)- team up with The Sleeping Shaman to premiere their upcoming 11th studio album »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« ahead of its official release on Heavy Psych Sounds and the launch of their European tour tomorrow.

🔥 Stream new album »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« at this location 🔥

“What makes the album so compelling is that -(16)- don’t approach these tracks with museum-glass reverence. Instead, they pull them apart, rough them up and force them through the same grimy, low-slung machinery that has powered their own catalogue for years.” — The Sleeping Shaman

On their 11th studio record »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984«, -(16)- 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. “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,” says the band.

Spanning genres, eras and attitudes, »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« is ten searing, tar-thick covers ranging from the Bee Gees, Scorpions, Black Flag to Blue Öyster Cult or Black Sabbath. -(16)- have treated these covers as translations rather than as replicas – acts of tribute and emulation all filtered through distortion, fatigue, and lived experience. “These are songs that taught us how to stand, how to fall, and how to keep going. »Forgeries Vol 1, 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.”

Photo by Chad Kelco

The band is set to hit Europe and the UK for a full run of shows, including appearances at Desertfest, Heavy Psych Sounds Fest and SWR Metalfest.

-(16)- European Tour 2026:
01.05 – Barroselas (PT) SWR Metalfest
02.05 – Torino (IT) Heavy Psych Sounds Fest
03.05 – Bologna (IT) Heavy Psych Sounds Fest
04.05 – Genova (IT) Trinità Live Club
05.05 – Milano (IT) Legend Club
06.05 – Pescara (IT) Scumm
07.05 – Roma (IT)Traffic Live Club
08.05 – Oslo (NO) Deserfest
10.05 – Marseille (FR) Le Molotov
13.05 – Göppingen (DE) Gaststätte Zille
15.05 – Winterthur (CH) Heavy Psych Sounds Fest
16.05 – London (UK) Desertfest
19.05 – Amsterdam (NL) Toekomst muziek
20.05 – Bielefeld (DE) Forum
22.05 – Dürrröhrsdorf (DE) GockelScream
23.05 – Brno (CZ) Kabinet Muz

New album »Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984« out May 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds – Preorder

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

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well