- Genre: Industrial/Crossover/Coldwave/Alternative
- Quality: mp3@CBR320 kbps (CD-Rip, Lame 3.93)
- Spirit Of Metal
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Wisdom (1993)
Wisdom is debut album of Eric Powell's one-man studio project 16volt. It was co-produced by David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy) and Keith "Fluffy" Auerbach (Ministry) and was released in 1993. Met with worldwide acclaim from fans and press alike, Wisdom officially put 16volt on the map and, along with Powell, was credited with helping spawn a genre of industrial known as "coldwave."
Skin (1994)
Skin, 16volt's second album, is a must have for fans of classic coldwave / industrial. guitar and electronics are fused together seamlessly, fans of twitch-era ministry will feel right at home. though some of the tracks have a bit too much grinding guitar, the tracks are all very melodic and well written. a very good album from one of the pioneers of industrial rock.
LetDownCrush (1996)
All in all, Letdowncrush clocks in at a svelte 40 minutes, which actually gets bumped down to a half an hour if you cut out "Carla's Tarantulas" and "Something Left", which you will do. It's a half-hour of adrenaline, the clichйd half-hour of power that I need to get my spirits up when I'm down, get me back to the more productive things in life. It's amazing what you can accomplish once you've tossed yourself around a room for half an hour with no abandon. So give it a try. But don't forget -- you might not like it. Don't say I didn't warn you.
SuperCoolNothing (1997)
Touring with Korn and Chemlab helped bring 16 Volt to the attention of the mainstream in the late '90s. Officially parting ways with Cargo Records in 1998, the band signed with Mercury and followed with the release of their fourth album, SuperCoolNothing. With the direction of co-producers Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper) and Joseph Bishara (Danzig, Megadeth, Billy Idol), Eric Powell and company were given room to fully realize their talents, enabling them to craft a menacing album full of whisper-to-scream verses, explosive choruses, and brooding electronic soundscapes. "I Fail Truth" sets everything in motion with its mix of brutal machine-gun beats, angst-ridden verses, and soaring choruses. This formula is also used on "Everyday Everything," a track that would have sounded right at home on Nine Inch Nails' Broken. Drawing similarities between the two acts can be an easy trap here, made even easier by the fact that former Nine Inch Nails drummer and producer Chris Vrenna provides live drums on SuperCoolNothing. After listening to the album in its entirety, however, Powell's own style becomes more apparent, and the distinction between his songwriting and that of Trent Reznor becomes clearer. The album's most immediate track, "Keep Sleeping," reveals an eerie similarity between Eric Powell's vocal stylings and that of Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros frontman Perry Farrell. With its nursery rhyme-like qualities, the track obscures its malicious intent with a gentle singalong vocal melody that floats over a bed of crushing guitar riffs. Surprisingly, not all of the album's best tracks are its fastest or hardest. "Moutheater" successfully uses its slow and haunting build to intimidate, while "Low" and "At the End" each offer twisted comfort in their lullaby-like, yet sinister approach. In a genre where imitation is often the easiest path to commercial success, Eric Powell continues to concoct his own unique blend of industrial rock, punk, and metal. SuperCoolNothing establishes 16 Volt as an important band in industrial music -- add to that the fact that Powell has single-handedly built his career around a strict D.I.Y. philosophy, and there's even more reason to be impressed. ~ Don Kline, All Music Guide
Demography: The Basement Tapes (2000)
If your one of those people who find themselves drawn to a dark smoke filled New York City Gothic clubs, then this album will bring you right back there. I myself love this experience and this album portrays every ounce of what Gothic/Industrial is all about. If your a Depeche Mode, KMFDM, or a true industrial music lover at heart, this is a must album.
FullBlackHabit (2007)
FullBlackHabit is a sure rarity in the 16volt discography as the album seems to run a fine line between the caustic rage we've come to know and love from them and the softer, more introspective side to Eric Powell that up to now has only barely scratched the surface. The songs are aggressive, yet concise enough to leave the listener aching for more. The trademark melodies and choruses are present, as are Powell's signature sense of lyrical venom that puts him on par with Nine Inch Nails. It's certainly one of 16volt's more diverse albums, aided by an equally diverse set of support musicians such as Paul Raven of Snow Black and Ministry, Steve White of PIG and KMFDM, Jason Bazinet of SMP, Scott Robison of Drøne, and Kraig Tyler of Virus23 and Chemlab. Longtime fans of 16volt should certainly be pleased, for FullBlackHabit has all of the elements essential to the 16volt sound, signaling the return of one of industrial rock's finest acts for a new generation.
American Porn Songs (2009)
One would think that 16 years in the underground music scene would take its toll on a band like 16Volt; if not because of the changing trends or the shifts in music-making techniques that occur over so long a period of time, then certainly due to the demands, expectations, and general tastes of the audience. 2007's FullBlackHabit proved not only that 16Volt had lost none of its edge during the nine year hiatus between that and the previous release, SuperCoolNothing, but the ensuing tour demonstrated that when it comes to good old-fashioned machine rock, the audience knows that 16Volt can and will deliver. Hot off the heels of the tour, Eric Powell and Mike Peoples returned to the studio with KMFDM's Steve White and SMP's Jason Bazinet to create what is undoubtedly the most sonically and emotionally diverse 16Volt release ever. Featuring an all-star lineup of guest collaborators, including Tim Skold, Cyanotic's Sean Payne, Drøne's Scott Robison, Bildeaux Sarver of Graphic, and Jeremy Inkel of Left Spine Down and Front Line Assembly, AmericanPornSongs is 15 tracks of unbridled industrial aggression and rock & roll fury that sounds just as relevant as it did in 1993 when 16Volt first appeared. As with FullBlackHabit, AmericanPornSongs is a mixed bag of old and new songs; tracks like the alternative metal drenched in battery acid intro of "Alkali" and the blistering barrage of grating guitar riffs and pounding percussion of "American Porn Song" are finally updated from their previous demo status to become fully-fledged songs in the band's repertoire. And then to hear songs like "With Fire and Burning" or "The Lord Doesn't Want Her," both with their deceptively simple bass lines leading to intensely melodic and guitar-driven choruses, while also experimenting with off-kilter time signatures as in the latter track, there is no doubt that Powell and company have not abandoned those elements that are at the very heart of 16Volt's songwriting. The main thing that keeps those songs, or even the guttural industrial chug of "Blackbird" and "Useless People," from sounding like they could've appeared on past albums is the production, filled to the brim with rusty and corrosive textures and cleverly designed glitches that only serve to augment 16Volt's signature sound. The last two songs on the album are somewhat anomalous; "Somebody to Hate" is a full throttle thrasher that presumably takes a lyrical stab at the religious and conservative right, but with a screaming chorus somewhat reminiscent of Filter, and "American Bomb Song" is a darkly ambient instrumental of clanging metallic beats and squelching synths that - in a first for 16Volt - was written by neither Powell or Peoples, but by Scott Robison, ending the album on a classically industrial and grimly foreboding note. If there were any doubts as to whether 16Volt would be capable of producing a worthy follow-up to FullBlackHabit, they can happily be put to rest as AmericanPornSongs has nary a soft moment; when there are any, they are few and always followed by some of the hardest hitting industrial rock yet produced. Above all, Powell's songwriting prowess shows no signs of diminishing, nor do his vocal abilities as he harmonizes with himself flawlessly and exhibits a melodic range that few in this scene even care to attempt, and while the guest list is long and distinguished on this album, the presence of past collaborators like Marc LaCorte, Joseph Bishara, and onetime band member John "Servo" DeSalvo helps to make AmericanPornSongs as classic an album as anything in the band's discography. Even those who dislike 16Volt will find much to behold with this album, making it not only the band's finest work to date, but perhaps one of the best in the underground industrial scene.
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