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.
The Defect People
16volt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ghost face
The blank pause
A permanent waste
The last distortion you'll ever do
A salt invasion to silence you
Your imitations make me hate you
You can't stop it 'cause it's a nature
The defect people of laceration
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
Into rust x8
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x8
Still-life
Deafening cold
Nothing to say
Forced to fold
Silence your outpour
Your ---- spew
Kill --- ation
Expose the truth
Your imitations make me hate you
It forces my fist in your direction
You can't stop it 'cause it's a nature
The defect people of laceration
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
Into rust x8
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x8
Into rust x15
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x15
The song "The Defect People" by 16volt is an intense and powerful commentary on the harsh reality of being trapped in a society that values conforming to norms and expectations over individuality and personal expression. The lyrics describe a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the way things are, with references to steel eyes and a ghost face suggesting a sense of emotional numbness and detachment from one's true self. The idea of a permanent waste and a last distortion alludes to the finality and irreversibility of conformity, and the salt invasion represents the pain and agony that comes with being silenced and forced to conform.
The chorus of the song describes the feeling of being trapped and helpless, with nothing left to trust and everything turning to rust. The idea that everyone is out to get you is a powerful reminder of the isolation and alienation that comes with standing out in a world that demands conformity. The idea of the defect people of laceration suggests that those who deviate from the norm are seen as flawed and broken, rather than celebrated for their unique qualities.
Throughout the song, there is an underlying message of resistance and rebellion, with references to killing ation and exposing the truth. The imitations that make the singer hate are likely representative of the pressure to conform and be like everyone else. The line "you can't stop it 'cause it's a nature" suggests that the desire to rebel against conformity is a natural human instinct, and that those who try to suppress it are fighting against their own nature.
Overall, "The Defect People" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that challenges listeners to question the value that society places on conformity and normalcy, and to celebrate and embrace their own unique qualities and traits.
Line by Line Meaning
Steel eyes
A description of the subject's eyes as being hard and unemotional.
Ghost face
A description of the subject's appearance as being eerie and insubstantial.
The blank pause
A moment of silence or indecision that represents the subject's inability to act.
A permanent waste
The subject is permanently damaged or ruined beyond repair.
The last distortion you'll ever do
The subject will never have another chance to manipulate or deceive others.
A salt invasion to silence you
A figurative attack that will bring the subject to their knees and render them powerless to speak or act.
Your imitations make me hate you
The subject's attempts to copy or emulate others are infuriating and repugnant to the singer.
It forces my fist in your direction
The artist is overcome with anger and feels compelled to lash out physically at the subject.
You can't stop it 'cause it's a nature
The negative emotions and behaviors expressed by the artist are natural and cannot be controlled or avoided by the subject.
The defect people of laceration
The artist is part of a group of people who are defective or broken, and who cause harm or damage to others.
There's nothing left you can trust
The subject cannot rely on anything or anyone, and is completely alone and vulnerable.
Everything turns into rust
The subject's world is decaying and breaking down, and everything they once valued is crumbling away.
Into rust x8
Repetition of the previous line for emphasis.
There's nothing left you can do
The subject is powerless and unable to change their fate.
Everyone's out to get you
The subject is under constant attack and persecution from others.
To get you x8
Repetition of the previous line for emphasis.
Still-life
The subject is stagnant and lifeless, like a painting or photograph.
Deafening cold
The subject is trapped in a frozen and lifeless environment that is devoid of warmth or emotion.
Nothing to say
The subject has nothing of value to contribute, and their thoughts and opinions are worthless.
Forced to fold
The subject is being pressured or coerced into giving up or surrendering.
Silence your outpour
The artist wants the subject to stop expressing themselves and be quiet.
Your ---- spew
The artist's words are censored, but they likely refer to the subject's negative and harmful speech or behavior.
Kill --- ation
The singer is calling for the destruction or elimination of the negative qualities or behaviors exhibited by the subject.
Expose the truth
The artist wants to reveal the reality of the situation and bring hidden or secret information to light.
Into rust x15
Repetition of the previous line for emphasis.
Contributed by Addison N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cory Miller
I thank the rock gods every day for good jams like this.
Marta Doran
422 views? this band deserves more! theyre amazing O:
soulminer 1970
I bought this album in 2007 and listened to it daily for 6 months after.
Tooff Stone
Lyrics
Steel eyes
Ghost face
The blank pause
A permanent waste
The last distortion you'll ever do
A salt invasion to silence you
Your imitations make me hate you
It forces my fist in your direction
You can't stop it 'cause it's a nature
The defect people of laceration
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
Into rust x8
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x8
Still-life
Deafening cold
Nothing to say
Forced to fold
Silence your outpour
Your ---- spew
Kill cause ation
Expose the truth
Your imitations make me hate you
It forces my fist in your direction
You can't stop it 'cause it's a nature
The defect people of laceration
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
Into rust x8
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x8
Into rust x16
There's nothing left you can trust
Everything turns into rust
There's nothing left you can do
Everyone's out to get you
To get you x16
Latexmusik
Fucking GreaT industrial band!!!
Sean Madiro
Robbie webbie woo yahh. school, z n messinhsanina