The Country Thread

Daniel
Daniel
The Fallen The Horde The North The Pit
First Post March 19, 2025 06:44 PM
Post #22768

Sixteen Horsepower - "Low Estate" (1997)

I thought I'd give this sophomore album a crack after really enjoying 1996's excellent "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" album & it's subsequently delivered, if to a slightly lesser extent. The band's sound is very similar to the debut but there are definitely less highlight tracks & the material is a little more subtle & less immediate too. The main thing that sees "Low Estate" scoring a touch lower than its elder sibling is the drop in quality that occurs over the final third of the tracklisting though as the first two thirds offer some very solid gothic country indeed. Front man David Eugene Edwards is once again the highlight with his whiny tone piercing through the mix like a sharp knife. He's fucking fantastic & is what makes Sixteen Horsepower so unique.

For fans of Wovenhand, Slim Cessna's Auto Club & Calexico.

3.5/5

Daniel
Daniel
The Fallen The Horde The North The Pit
May 21, 2025 06:04 PM
Post #23272

16 Horsepower - "Secret South" (2000)

The third album from LA's leaders of the gothic country pack sees them returning to the heights of their 1996 debut "Sackcloth 'n' Ashes" after 1997's "Low Estate" had come down a step, despite still being an entertaining listen. In fact, I'd suggest that I even slightly prefer "Secret South" over the debut with it's more stripped back format offering me plenty of appeal by maximizing the strength of front man David Eugene Edwards' story-telling prowess.

For fans of Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Me & That Man & The Builders & the Butchers.

4/5

Rexorcist
Rexorcist
The Guardians The Infinite The Pit
May 21, 2025 10:53 PM
Post #23273
Not a country guy really, but I appreciate the pure stuff, and 16 Horsepower made REAL country throughout their short lifetime.  If you don't count live albums, the debut stands as my #1 country album, and Black Soul Choir is a country song I play regularly.  I've got several of their songs on my 500+ song work playlist, and no one else at work knows them but no one complains about the additional country.  Counting live, it's the typical choice: At Folsom Prison.
ZeroSymbolic7188
ZeroSymbolic7188
The Fallen The Guardians The Horde
May 29, 2025 06:12 PM
Post #23310

I'm a country guy. I was born and raised on a farm on the Kansas-Nebraska Border. This is the music of my people and I love it almost as much as my metal. 

I find this to be an excellent piece of music:


A blend of contemporary country with a lot of bluegrass. Great song writing. 

Selected listening: "Gin, Smoke, and Lies", "Before the Devil Knows We're Dead", "Good Lord Lorie", and "Wrecked"



Daniel
Daniel
The Fallen The Horde The North The Pit
October 08, 2025 09:26 AM
Post #24445

Jay Munly - "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" (2002)

It took me a couple of listens to get into the fourth full-length from this Canadian gothic country artist, mainly due to the fact that I find the first four tracks to be pretty boring. Things pick up after that though with the B side surprisingly being fairly consistent with most of the highlights residing there. The Nick Cave influence is very clear at times & I love the contributions of Sixteen Horsepower/Wovenhand front man David Eugene Edwards who is a bit of a favourite of mine these days. "Jimmy Carter Syndrome" is worth a listen but I wouldn't say that it's essential listening like some critics seem to.

For fans of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Sixteen Horsepower & Slim Cessna's Auto Club.

3.5/5