16 Volt- American Porn Songs

ARTIST: 16 Volt

ALBUM: American Porn Songs

LABEL: Metropolis Records

REVIEWER: Robert Eaton

Date: 12-21-09

Veteran industrial/metal main-stays, 16 Volt, returns with the fourteen -track “American Porn Songs,” you could say it’s a return to form. The work of Eric Powell and Mike Peoples, the album is typically guitar heavy, featuring a who’s who list of guest appearances from members of Pig, Frontline Assembly, Ministry and others. “American Porn Songs” is the follow up to 2006’s “Full Black Habit,” and 16 Volt’s second album released on the Metropolis label. After spending a good deal of time just fighting with labels, “American Porn Songs” reflects the newfound stability, and is as good as anything 16-Volt has produced in its career.

From the opener, “Alkali,” 16 Volt’s guitar heavy industrial is exactly what you would expect a 16 Volt album to be. 16 Volt’s wall of guitar dominates the album, with precise programming and lyrics oozing with angst. The title track, American Porn Songs, rockets through its 4 minutes at a frenzied pace, then breaks into a heavy-as-hell half-time feel at its end. It’s a solid album, through and through. The song “Blessed” is a claustrophobic romp. The song sneers at its listener. It’s as heavy as anything that 16 Volt has produced in its career, a great song. “It Turns All Bad” has a haunting melodic drone. The song is slow and ethereal in the verse, and capped with a crushing chorus.

For those that have been following 16 Volt’s career, this is an album that does their whole discography justice. For the more-than casual fan, this is not an album you want to skip. For fans of guitar-heavy industrial, there is nothing lack-luster about this album.

Check out the band: 16volt.com