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.
Don't Pray
16volt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I deceive you too
I reinvent you
And i believe in you
And i defend you
Cause you know what to do
I torment you
Belief is so untrue
It wont make it easier it wont make it strong
You want it forever you want it so wrong
Your breathing in circles
Your leaving inside
Breaking in pieces it wont ever die
I walk around you
I am the other side
Keep things from you
Wait until its time
I move so slowly
I am the lowly one
I found in waiting
The deception won
Don't pray
On broken wings like broken things need broken strings
On dirty knees like dirty needs breed dirty seeds
The lyrics to "Don't Pray" by 16volt are dark, introspective, and full of self-pity. The singer is bitter and resentful towards someone, while also admitting to deceiving and reinventing them. The tone of the song is one of discomfort, disillusionment, and paradox. The singer is divided, and even though they defend and believe in this person, they torment them and view belief as untrue. However, the singer also admits that these things won't make it easier, stronger, or better.
The chorus of the song is a plea not to pray on broken wings or dirty knees. It seems to be a desperate cry for help, as if the singer is pleading with someone not to pray for them because they are already so broken and messed up. The song is a bleak portrayal of inner turmoil, and the emotions that come from feeling disconnected, disoriented, and conflicted.
Line by Line Meaning
And i resent you
I feel anger and bitterness towards you
I deceive you too
I also mislead and trick you
I reinvent you
I change and mold you into something new
And i believe in you
I have faith and confidence in you
And i defend you
I protect and support you
Cause you know what to do
You have the ability to make the right decisions
I torment you
I cause you emotional distress and suffering
Belief is so untrue
Having faith and conviction can be deceiving and false
It wont make it easier it wont make it strong
Holding on and believing won't make the situation easier or better
You want it forever you want it so wrong
You desire something forever, but it's not the right thing
Your breathing in circles
You're trapped in a repetitive cycle
Your leaving inside
You're emotionally withdrawing and shutting down
Breaking in pieces it wont ever die
You're falling apart and hurting, but it won't end or go away
I walk around you
I stay near you, but also keep my distance
I am the other side
I represent a different perspective or opposing force
Keep things from you
I hide information and keep secrets from you
Wait until its time
I'll reveal my intentions and actions when the moment is right
I move so slowly
I operate at a leisurely pace, taking my time in my actions
I am the lowly one
I am the inferior or lesser one in the relationship
I found in waiting
I found satisfaction and success in being patient
The deception won
The act of deceiving and manipulating was successful
Don't pray
Don't rely on faith and prayer to solve problems
On broken wings like broken things need broken strings
Don't depend on things that are already damaged or broken
On dirty knees like dirty needs breed dirty seeds
Don't fulfill or satisfy unhealthy desires or needs
Contributed by Landon M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ryan Smith
best album ... probably my favorite song of theirs ever ... dark, menacing, melodic and it rocks
KILLBACKFIRST
i agree
perdedoraonline
Awesome song!
soulminer 1970
Eric is an excellant musician as are all the members of his band.
Action PsstHead
16VOLTfan is the bomb man🤘
Serpents Truth
Fucking love this song!
The Usual Spot
This song is the reason my neighbors think I worship Satan.
KILLBACKFIRST
that is funny as shit! LOLZ
Userpereuser
16 Volt ❤️
JOEL BEST
I know how to be pure, i am filthy.