M-16

Canciones Escritas En El Exilo (Mother West)
by Scott Hefflon

Anyone remember Overdose? They were from Brazil and might’ve rivaled the showing-signs-of-age Sepultura (and this was pre-Roots, which was either the last “real” Sepultura record, or the first of the post-“real” Sepultura records, depending on where ya draw such lines) if their label (Mechanic/Futurist/Fierce/FLG/Mayhem, whatever their name was that week) hadn’t been the Enron of the music business. (Why criminals of that sort aren’t tracked down and lynched as a warning to labels not to fuck over everyone they come into contact with is beyond me).

M-16 are from The Dominican Republic, sing entirely in Spanish, have a distinctive percussion sound/style similar to early Sep/Overdose, and while the production’s a little more humble (garagey, human, not the nü wall-of-guitar), these guys have hints of greatness. “Raza” sounds really, really familiar, but that could simply be cuz it strikes a universal chord and isn’t a cover I just can’t place. Dirt floors and rage, looping howls against oppression and riffs swinging dangerous, like a wrecking ball operated by someone who likes smashing things juuuust a little too much.
(www.motherwest.com)