SIXTEEN, 16 - Dream Squasher (LP)

Black vinyl.
-(16)- return with their new album, Dream Squasher. A testament to the power of loss, every moment of Dream Squasher casts the Southern California band into new, deeper depths. "A conscious effort was made to inject some positivity into the lyrical themes," guitarist and lead vocalist Bobby Ferry explains. "The best we could come up with is loving your dog so much, you'd end up killing yourself if your dog dies."

The tragic, violent intent in this expression won't be lost on listeners either; at any given moment of Dream Squasher, -(16)-'s bouldering guitars crash into one another, set atop equally pulverizing bass and drums. Thunderous riffs express equal parts melancholy and fury. For the first time in the band's 29-year career, Dream Squasher sees Bobby Ferry stepping forward and taking the helm on lead vocals, rounding out the band with both monumental moments of singing and pained screams of pure vitriol. From standout tracks like "Candy in Spanish", to bruisers like "Agora (Killed by a Mountain Lion)" and the mountainous melodies of "Sadlands", Dream Squasher proves to be -(16)-'s return to form - where riffs dominate and anger reigns supreme.

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