In 1994, 16volt skipped the industry-standard “sophomore jinx” and released the slightly more raw-sounding “Skin.” This release brought more praise and won features in Alternative Press, Kerrang!, CMJ, Industrial Nation, B-Side, and more. “Skin” reached the #2 slot on Rolling Stone’s alternative charts and charted everywhere from the United States (CMJ) to France, Germany, Ireland, and Japan. 16volt hit the road again for club shows and radio junkets and destroyed it everywhere they showed up.
16volt’s third release came in 1996 by the name of “LetDownCrush.” Co-produced by Jeff “Critter” Newell (Ministry, Filter) and featuring special guests Stella (Stella Soleil, Sister Soleil), William Tucker (Ministry), Marc LaCorte, and Bryan Black (Haloblack, Motor, Xlover), the release once again proved that 16volt was a major force to be reckoned with. Interviews and features followed in huH, B-Side, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, CMJ, Industrial Nation, Guitar Player, and many more respected national rags. LDC charted again, this time at #1 on the Rolling Stone alternative charts and globally on college and commercial radio. This release also marked the debut of 16volt’s national touring career. Vowing to stay on the road for as long as possible, Powell put together a lineup that would tour for over nine months straight in a custom van, making their way around the United States several times with the likes of Chemlab, Bile, Acumen Nation, and Korn.
The touring paid off and interest in 16volt grew. The band returned home to be wined and dined by much larger labels. In 1998, along with full-time members Mike Peoples (Skrew) on bass and Kraig Tyler (Chemlab, Crazytown) on guitar, 16volt signed with Slipdisc/Mercury/PolyGram and got to work on the band’s fourth release, “SuperCoolNothing.” Produced by Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, Sepultura) and Joseph Bishara (Drown, Danzig), SCN was the band’s most aggressive album to date. This time, Powell and Co. got a hand from special guest Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails, Tweaker) on drums. Upon completion of the album and the most intense promotion schedule to date, they hit the road adding John "Servo" DeSalvo (KMFDM, Chemlab) on drums, playing shows with the likes of Orgy, The Flys, and Candlebox. During the first two weeks of touring, however, Mercury/PolyGram was purchased by Seagram’s, creating a ripple that would send 16volt back home and cause the firing of the entire Mercury team slated to work on the SCN record promotion.
Two weeks after the chaos, SCN was released with no promotion, no touring, and no support. 16volt quickly began to search for another label to pick up the pieces, but it was too late and the mess too large. After close to a year of fighting, lawsuits, and the inability to make something good come from the bad, Powell shut down operations and pulled the plug. Kraig moved on to join Crazytown and Mike and Servo carried on with their own side projects.
After a long and well-deserved hiatus, the band convinced an investor to buy back SCN from the dead labels; they then re-released it on their own as “SuperCoolNothing V2.0”, a.k.a. "SCN2.0." The double-disc set included remixes by Filter, Orgy, Deadsy, and Crazy Town, in addition to some demo tracks that the band had started working on. Powell gathered the troops sans Tyler and began to mount a comeback.
Shortly after the re-release, 16volt was tapped by Sony to provide the soundtrack to a new PlayStation 2 game called “Primal.” At the end of production, 16volt had furnished 12 tracks (The Official Primal Combat Soundtrack) and was actually digitized into the game as the opening-cinematics band.
To celebrate the release of “Primal,” 16volt hit the road in 2002 with KMFDM for a North American whirlwind, completing 34 shows in 36 days. Most of the dates were sold out, and by KMFDM’s own admission the tour was one of the best packages they had ever put out. 16volt returned home on the tour bus and inked a deal with Capitol Records. The band then spent 11 months working on demos and being bombarded with pressure to compromise, which ultimately forced Powell to walk away and head back underground.
In 2005, Powell inked a one-off deal with Cleopatra Records to release 16volt’s first-ever “best of” collection. The double-disc set titled “The Best of Sixteen Volt™” features fan-picked tracks on one disc and the first-ever live release of 16volt on disc two. Powell cleaned house, went into isolation, and began working on the next phase of 16volt.
In August of 2006, Powell had a new record under his belt called “FullBlackHabit” that he began shopping to indie labels. He found a new home at Metropolis Records and inked a worldwide multi-album deal. The new record, slated for release in early 2007, features guests appearances by Paul Raven (Ministry, Killing Joke, Prong); Steve White (KMFDM); Bildeaux (Necrofix, OHN); Kraig Tyler (Chemlab, Virus23, Crazytown); Scott Robison (Drøne); and Jason Bazinet (SMP).
In the Spring of 2008 16volt, with live members Steve White (KMFDM), Jason Bazinet (Chemlab, SMP), and the return of 16volt veteran Mike Peoples hit the road for a highly successful U.S./Canada tour. Playing 28 shows in 30 days the band once again set it's mark to a high level by playing to larger than expected crowds on all stops of the tour.
On September 8, 2009, 16volt released "American Porn Songs" on Metropolis Records. It has met with nothing less than very positive reviews by fans and pros alike, and is generally being heralded as their most kick butt work to date. It is yet another solid record, featuring the band's trademark layering of heavy, aggressive guitars over pummeling electronics and beats.
16volt hit the road again in the Spring of 2010 along with Chemlab and Left Spine Down on the highly energized and successful MIDI Ghetto Tour. Included was a stop at the Kinetik Festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, playing alongside Leather Strip, Imperitive Reaction, and more.
16volt released the studio album, Beating Dead Horses on May 10th, 2011. Beating Dead Horses was 16volt’s third album on industrial powerhouse label Metropolis Records. It was produced by Eric Powell and mixed by Shaun Thingvold (Strapping Young Lad, Front Line Assembly, Lamb of God).
In support of the albumm Beating Dead Horses, 16volt hit the road in the late spring 2011 for a 4-week tour of the United States with industrial legends My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, as part of the Sinister Whisperz Tour. They immediately followed up with a west coast tour with KMFDM.
The newest album, The Negative Space will be released on September 7, 2016. Joining Powell is Erik Gustafson on Guitar and Steve Hickey on Bass and Backup Vocals.
For more information, visit http://16volt.com and to get the latest news as it is announced, follow @16volt on Twitter.
Come For You
16volt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Infected by the instrument of
DROPPED BOMBS
All the evil devils are
GONE NOW
Falling from the heavens like
SOLDIERS
Soldiers
No one not accounted for
IT'S ALL CALM
Taken out reflection of a
DARK DAWN
Chemical emissions call a
FALL SONG
Fall song
Now they come
Come for you
Come to complete you
That's what they do
Now they come
Come for you
Come to delete you
Cause that's what they do
SHATTERED
Everything that's living under
ASPHALT
Assimlilate it perfect to a
WHITE GLOW
Removal of ascension so we're
ALL DOWN
All down
ASSAULTED
Termination this offensive
CAN'T STOP
Unrelenting movement - it's an
ONSLAUGHT
Guardian of immanence is
SHELL-SHOCKED
Shell-shocked
Now they come
Come for you
Come to complete you
That's what they do
Now they come
Come for you
Come to delete you
Cause that's what they do
(x4)
Now they come
The first verse of the lyrics describes a scenario where everything seems to have gone wrong, as evidenced by the orange haze, which could be a symbol of destruction and the aftermath of war. The "dropped bombs" and "evil devils" could represent an event that has brought about devastation and destruction. However, amidst the chaos, there is a sense of calm, as all is accounted for, and there is nothing left to do. This calmness is quite unsettling, as it signifies that the battle is over, and there is nothing left to fight for. The "dark dawn" is symbolic of the aftermath of war, the destruction of innocent lives, and the feeling of hopelessness that comes with it. The "fall song" is a call for mourning, that life as we know it will never be the same again.
The chorus describes a situation where something is coming for someone, to either complete them or delete them. The described situation is not entirely clear, but it could be a metaphor for a person being overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction that the first verse brings. The repetition of the lyrics shows that the situation is both incomprehensible and inevitable, and there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. The second verse continues with the theme of destruction, describing how everything is being shattered, and how everything is being assimilated into a white glow, which represents the act of erasing all traces of life. The word "ascension" could mean that everything that has been alive is being removed, or taken up to a higher plane of existence. However, the words "all down" show that everything is falling apart, and all that remains is the aftermath of the destruction.
The song seems to be describing a post-apocalyptic scenario where everything has gone wrong, and there is no hope. The chorus describes an inevitable and incomprehensible force that is coming for someone, and there is no escape. The verses further show how everything has fallen apart, and there is nothing left to hope for. It is also possible that the song is symbolizing a mental state of despair and hopelessness, where a person is being overwhelmed by negative thoughts, and there is no escape from them.
Line by Line Meaning
ORANGE HAZE
The environment is contaminated
Infected by the instrument of
Affected by the cause of contamination
DROPPED BOMBS
Refers to a violent act of war
All the evil devils are
All the bad things are
GONE NOW
The act of destruction is complete
Falling from the heavens like
Indicates the destructive force is coming from the sky
SOLDIERS
Represents the forces of destruction
Soldiers
Represents the forces of destruction
ALL TOLLED
Means everyone is accounted for
No one not accounted for
Everyone has been considered for destruction
IT'S ALL CALM
After destruction, the environment is serene
Taken out reflection of a
Refers to the destruction of a reflection
DARK DAWN
Indicates the start of destruction
Chemical emissions call a
The sound of the destructive chemicals
FALL SONG
A sad song about destruction
Now they come
Refers to the forces of destruction arriving
Come for you
They are coming for you specifically
Come to complete you
They are coming to complete your destruction
That's what they do
The forces of destruction operate in this way
SHATTERED
Everything is destroyed
Everything that's living under
All living things are destroyed
ASPHALT
Refers to the destruction of the ground
Assimlilate it perfect to a
Refers to the complete destruction of the environment
WHITE GLOW
Refers to the aftermath of destruction
Removal of ascension so we're
Refers to the removal of a higher power
ALL DOWN
Everything is destroyed and flattened
Termination this offensive
Termination of an offensive attack
CAN'T STOP
Indicates the unrelenting nature of destruction
Unrelenting movement - it's an
A description of the forces of destruction
ONSLAUGHT
Refers to the violent attack
Guardian of immanence is
Indicates the guardians of destruction arriving
SHELL-SHOCKED
A description of the aftermath of destruction
Now they come
Refers to the forces of destruction arriving
Come for you
They are coming for you specifically
Come to complete you
They are coming to complete your destruction
That's what they do
The forces of destruction operate in this way
Now they come
Refers to the forces of destruction arriving
Come for you
They are coming for you specifically
Come to delete you
They are coming to completely erase you from existence
Cause that's what they do
The forces of destruction operate by completely destroying their target
(x4)
The chorus repeats four times
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Beck
That must be among the most droolworthy songs I've heard. Oh the inspiration.
iConcur
God Bless this band
Imp Press
Awesome awesome song. <3
l.b.roolz
Thank You!
Tal Brott
catchy