SIXTEEN LAYERS

This writer has always had a soft spot for no frills, honest to goodness rock music with hooks aplenty and Dublin-based outfit Sixteen Layers fit my requirements like an overly snug pair of jeans. At times singer Niall Donnelly comes off as a mix of Josh Homme and Chris Cornell ('Into The Sun', 'Hurt Me') and there's also more than a hint of QOTSA's 'Little Sister' on the cow-bell-tastic title track too. What's most striking about the slab of wax though, is the high energy of every track on offer. Sixteen Layers are like an unstoppable juggernaut. They just don't let up and their debut is a sonic tour de force. File under "I" for Impressive.
Edwin McFee. - Hot Press

In 2007, Sixteen Layers won Dublin’s Bodog battle of the bands. In
2008 they got a record deal, made a splash with single ‘Torch’ and
worked with Foo Fighter’s producer Jim Lowe. In 2009 - a full two years
after announcing themselves – the four Dubliners finally rolled out an
album.
I Am No One is a beautifully produced eleven-track stomp
along the line between straight up old-school rock and modern-day
anthemic indie. There’s even the occasional detour via strained,
screeching metal-style vocals, and it’s a compelling combo. Niall’s
voice has a hint of stadium rock to it; a dragged out, tuneful sound
that makes I Am No One sound very much like it’s supposed to be played
to a large number of someones.
Fan favorite ‘Torch’ is a clear stand out: 4 minutes of controlled
tension that bursts into tuneful choruses, all held together by a
driving rhythm. The climatic, nu-indie build up of opener (and new
single) ‘No Strings’ is an epic staccato wake up call, and the
slowed-down beats of beautiful tracks like ‘Exile’ show Sixteen Layers
are far from one-trick ponies.
If there’s one gripe with I Am No One, it’s that Sixteen
Layers never really reach the heights of their energetic live
performances, but that was always going to be a lot to ask. Whilst the
albums tight, note-perfect production steals a slight cutting edge from
the on-stage performances, I Am No One is so cleverly ordered and well balanced it’s easy to forget that Sixteen Layers are even better live.
When they won battle of the bands way back in ‘07, the judges noted
that Sixteen Layers looked and played like rock stars. On this evidence
the Dubliners no longer need the comparisons: they are rock stars.
James Hendicot - State.ie

Irish bands often have to contend with arduous touring schedules that have them in Cork one night and Sligo the next. But Dublin rockers Sixteen Layers are about to make a serious carbon footprint. On Saturday, the band play the Think Tank in Dublin, then it's off to Toronto where they're part of Canadian Indie Week. Then it's back on the plane for more gigs in Ireland.
The invitation to appear on the Indie Week festival in Toronto was too good to turn down. "We thought, Fuck it, there's nothing doing here," laughs main man Niall Donnelly. "We might as well get over there and make some contacts."
Niall is deliberately downplaying the buzz on his band's debut album, I Am No One, which has been receiving rave reviews. But you can understand his modesty. These guys know their way around their instruments. Drummer (Tim McGrath) and bass player (John Colbert) have both worked with Paddy Casey, while Niall and lead guitarist Dom Muldoon were working together long before they landed a record deal that saw them in the studio with Stereophonics producer Jim Lowe.
"We were with a small label which, unfortunately, hit the wall before we'd finished the album," recalls Niall. "We'd been recording in Cornwall, so we already had six tracks at that stage. We pulled ourselves together and decided to finish the album ourselves."
The band's disappointment is neatly chronicled in the mini-documentary, Into The Hurricane, filmed by Ten Ways Media and posted on YouTube. It's a tale of ups, downs, intrigue and some good music.
"A German fan has described the band as 'the bastard son of Thin Lizzy and U2'," declares John Colbert.
Despite the setback, Donnelly is adamant that things are just beginning for Sixteen Layers. "You're always having to get up and push it every day," he says. "The phone isn't ringing. The limo isn't waiting outside. We're still writing so there's still plenty there. We've always known we have the music."
Having being kicked in the stomach, Sixteen Layers are entitled to question the industry that let them down. "I have full faith there's a place for a band like us," says Niall. "We look at the Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age and wonder can you get there without having the back catalogue."
"You don't know where the break is going to come from," says Niall. "But we're really looking forward to playing in Toronto. Who knows, we might even pick up a good agent there.
With a new double-A side single, Exile/ Into The Sun, about to be released, the wait could be over for Sixteen Layers.
- The Evening Herald

Without doubt, the party at Indie Week '09 was over at the Hideout on Friday night, where Sixteen Layers took to the stage at around 1 a.m. The crowd had been warmed up suitably by all the other Irish bands that had played earlier, and seemingly inspired most people to hit the bar several times over, especially one particular drunken clown who was staggering around in circles looking for where he put his drink.Sixteen Layers at Hideout was brilliant, really one to remember. This gig had pretty much everything you could want from a rock show - drunk people, girls dancing and a fully committed performance from the band. Oh and free Jager ! - thanks to Tom from the Hideout, who passed around a big bottle of the liquid candy among the band and audience. Sixteen Layers kicked ass and had everyone smiling, and for the first time in a long time I saw a band play an encore - and the encore was demanded, not pre-planned like what happens so often at shows. Encores should not be a token end of show tradition - this encore was fully merited and I never wanted this show to end. Awesome night. I raise a glass to Sixteen Layers and The Hideout for one of the best shows I've ever seen in Toronto, and cheers to all the fine people who organised Indie Week - a fantastic festival which deserves to be recognised as an important date in the music calendar in Canada. See you again in 2010! - Brian Banks, Music Vice