Santa Ana, California based Doom/Sludge Metal collective -(16)- have unveiled Bee Gees cover “Tragedy.” This is the first single taken from the band’s upcoming covers album, “Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984,” set to release on May 01, 2026 via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Stream “Tragedy” via the YouTube player below:
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.
“Forgeries Vol 1, 1972-1984” out May 1st on Heavy Psych Sounds — Pre-Order
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 US, UK, 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 US, 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.
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)
Lineup:
Bobby Ferry / Guitars and Vocals
Alex Shuster / Lead Guitar
Barney Firks / Bass
Dion Thurman / Drums and Percussion