Description
Weedeater – Sixteen Tons – Vinyl Record
Released in 2002, Sixteen Tons is the second studio album by the North Carolina stoner/sludge metal trio Weedeater. Known for their thick, fuzzed-out riffs, gritty vocals, and raw, swampy production, Weedeater fully embraced the Southern doom metal aesthetic on this album. While their debut, …and Justice for Y’All (2001), introduced their brand of punishingly slow and heavy metal, Sixteen Tons refined their sound, establishing them as one of the key players in the sludge metal underground.
Produced by Billy Anderson—a legendary producer who worked with bands like Sleep, Neurosis, High on Fire, and Eyehategod—the album captures Weedeater’s filthy, low-end-drenched heaviness with a raw and organic production style. Sixteen Tons is an album that lives in the dirt, evoking the imagery of swampy Southern landscapes, whiskey-fueled rage, and an ever-present haze of smoke.
Weedeater’s music sits somewhere between stoner metal, sludge metal, and doom metal, combining the best elements of each genre. On Sixteen Tons, their sound is characterized by downtuned, fuzz-drenched guitars and thick, punishing bass lines. Slow, crushing tempos interspersed with bursts of aggression and raspy, whiskey-soaked vocals from bassist/vocalist Dave “Dixie” Collins
The album leans heavily into themes of nihilism, drug use, Southern culture, and outright misanthropy. The suffocatingly thick riffs and sluggish tempos reflect the weight of existence itself—something that sludge metal bands like Eyehategod, Buzzov•en, and Bongzilla also explore.
There’s also a sense of humor lurking beneath the haze of despair. Collins’ gravel-throated delivery is often delivered with a sneering, knowing sarcasm, which gives the album a personality that sets Weedeater apart from some of their more self-serious sludge metal peers.
Notable Tracks & Highlights
“Bull” – The album opener immediately sets the tone with a thick wall of distortion, slow and pounding drums, and Collins’ signature growled vocals. It’s a pure sludge metal anthem, heavy and hypnotic.
“Potbelly” – A short, punchy track that incorporates elements of punk and hardcore, showing that Weedeater isn’t afraid to speed things up when necessary.
“Time Served” – This song is one of the best examples of Weedeater’s ability to balance groove with suffocating heaviness. The riffs feel like they drag through mud, pulling the listener down with them.
“Dummy” – Featuring one of the album’s catchiest, grooviest riffs, this track lumbers forward like a slow-motion brawl in a bar fight.
“#3” – A stripped-down, acoustic interlude that adds a moment of eerie calm before the crushing heaviness returns.
“Woe’s Me” – A massive, crawling doom track that exemplifies Weedeater’s ability to make minimalism sound absolutely crushing.
“Buzz” – A song that reeks of Southern-fried stoner metal, featuring a riff so thick it’s almost tangible.
“Riff” – The title says it all—this track is built around one massive, slow-motion riff that feels like it could collapse under its own weight.
“Kira May” – A chaotic, raw closing track that teeters on the edge of control, bringing the album to a fittingly destructive end.
Billy Anderson’s production on Sixteen Tons is dirty, thick, and oppressive—exactly what you’d want for a sludge metal record. The guitars and bass are soaked in fuzz, the drums are earth-shaking, and the vocals sound like they were recorded through a throat full of gravel and cheap whiskey. Anderson’s production ensures that everything sounds filthy, but never muddy, allowing the sheer weight of the riffs to remain the focal point.
Compared to their debut album, Sixteen Tons is more refined in its delivery, but no less raw. The songwriting is tighter, and the band sounds more confident in their swamp-dwelling, bong-ripping, amp-blowing heaviness.
Upon its release, Sixteen Tons cemented Weedeater as one of the premier bands in the sludge/stoner metal underground. While it didn’t break into the mainstream, the album became a cult favorite among doom and sludge metal fans, frequently cited as one of the band’s best releases. It solidified Weedeater’s signature sound, paving the way for later classics like God Luck and Good Speed (2007). It helped define the Southern sludge metal aesthetic, alongside bands like Eyehategod, Buzzov•en, and Bongzilla. Dave “Dixie” Collins’ vocals and bass playing became legendary, influencing countless bands in the genre. Billy Anderson’s production gave it a raw, organic feel, which is now considered essential to the band’s sound.
Since its release, Weedeater has continued to gain a dedicated following, with Sixteen Tons remaining a fan-favorite that showcases the band at their most primal and unfiltered.
Sixteen Tons is a cornerstone album in the sludge/stoner metal genre, showcasing Weedeater at their dirtiest, heaviest, and most unapologetically Southern. With its fuzz-drenched guitars, whiskey-soaked vocals, and crushingly slow tempos, it’s a record that feels like it was born in a swamp and raised on cheap beer and bad decisions. While Weedeater would continue to refine their sound on later albums, Sixteen Tons remains one of their most essential and beloved releases, capturing the pure, unfiltered essence of Southern sludge metal.
Third pressing on black vinyl (200 copies worldwide)
Sixteen Tons, the second album by the notorious sludge outfit Weedeater. Weedeater is a sludge metal and stoner metal band known for their heavy and aggressive sound.
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic slip sleeve
Track Listing
Bull
Potbelly
Time Served
Dummy
#3
Woe’s Me
Buzz
Lines
Riff
Kira May
