16Volt Released New Single “White Noise” Via Metropolis Records

With roots dating back to the early days of the industrial rock scene, the US band 16Voltalso crossed over into related genres as soon as group founder Eric Powell signed his first record deal in 1991 while still in his teens.

Brand new single ‘White Noise’ is taken from a long-awaited album by the band entitled ‘More Of Less’. Scheduled for release on 25th July, it is their first full-length record since 2017, when Powell put 16Volt on a hiatus that lasted seven years.

“‘White Noise’ is a song about feeling unheard, when your voice gets drowned out and it seems like you can’t get a word in or no-one is listening to you,” he explains. “To others, you become just white noise, that static sound of nothingness.”

The single follows just two weeks after a first ever (and already sold out) vinyl pressing of ‘Wisdom’, the group’s 1993 debut album. Powell’s reactivation of 16Volt in 2024 had been marked with the release of ‘Negative On Arrivals’, which combined songs from the group’s previous two records in 2016 and 2017.

A relentless early ‘90s schedule for 16Volt saw Powell work alongside co-producers David Ogilvie (Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy), Keith ‘Fluffy’ Auerbach (Ministry) and Jeff ‘Critter’ Newell (Ministry, Angels & Airwaves, blink-182) for the recording of ‘Wisdom’ (1993), ‘Skin’ (1994) and ‘LetDownCrush’ (1996). With these albums all earning critical praise and pole positions on the US Alternative Chart, the band built a live following as they toured extensively around North America, subsequently signing to Mercury Records.

Producer Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails, Megadeth, Sepultura, Mötley Crüe) was hired to help make ‘SuperCoolNothing’ (1998), which featured film composer Joseph Bishara (Insidious, The Conjuring, Marylin Manson, Danzig), Chris Vrenna (Nine Inch Nails), Mike Peoples (Skrew) and Kraig Tyler (Crazytown), but Powell found himself in the middle of a legal battle prior to album release when Seagram took over the label and cut all its funding. In a genius move, Powell bought back the rights and made a deal with Sony to feature the album in the Playstation game ‘Primal’.

The mid-’00s saw 16Volt sign to Metropolis Records and release the albums ‘FullBlackHabit’ (2007), ‘American Porn Songs’ (2009) and ‘Beating Dead Horses’ (2012) featuring guests Paul Raven (Ministry, Killing Joke, Prong), Steve White (KMFDM) and mix engineer Shaun Thingvold (Strapping Young Lad, Lamb of God).

Meanwhile, the group’s headline tours were supplemented by stints with the likes of Korn, Filter, Fear Factory, Prong, Orgy, Stabbing Westward, Revolting Cocks, Front Line Assembly, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Front 242.

2016 saw the release of ‘The Negative Space’, produced by Marc Jordan (Velvet Revolver, The Cult, Hyro Da Hero, Die Antwoord), with the EP ‘Dead On Arrivals’ following a year later.