Reviews (page 3 of 8)
This was really abrasive and unsettling. In terms of enjoyable listening experienve, I'd have preferred the list to give us Life's Rich Pageant or Candy Apple Grey or some Camper Van Beethoven, but it didn't and sometimes it's good to be challenged. This was clearly an influential record in terms of industrial music, but you'd have to be in the right mood to enjoy this album though given repeated listens I can see it could be a 4. Kerosene was the highlight for me.
Good energy, too heavy at times for me tho
Definitely a unique album, not in a bad way. I enjoyed this one, it was definitely new to my ears. Instrumentals are great, wish there were more lyrics. Not really my thing, but if my friend put it on, I’m not gonna beg them to shut it down. Standout tracks for me are Kerosene and Big Money.
some truly great sounds here between the synth and the guitars, but the composition is so repetitive that it's boring anyways, and the vocals are mostly just speech at various intensities instead of singing.
One surprising thing I've learned in doing this project, I really like punk more than I thought I did.
wow. Powerful and politically, socially conscious. Not a fan though.
I get this, but I struggled to really enjoy it. 3.4/5
It's an angry, confused, despair filled scream given lasting form in the shape of a 40 minute album. That's intention that I feel like I've made out even through the delivery being pretty unpleasant to me, so I gotta give it a point for that. Most drum machines are a texture I associate with funk and soul and related forms of pop, like the Rhythm King or the Sideman or the Linndrum. This one works shockingly well in some places to provide what ends up being a tight groove that got some movement out of me (Big Money). I truly understand the need to sometimes make your art a loud, rage and fear filled shout. But it's not my preferred method of receiving overall.
Ughhhh what a slog. There was one song where I could see it being a fun live performance, but I kinda hated so much of this record. Obnoxious would the biggest descriptor.
It's not a terrible album, but it doesn't belong on this list. I can think of 50 albums that aren't on this list that are better than this.
This makes me distrust this list/project. 0-1
not good
Not my vibe at all
I have never heard of this band before, I have no idea what to expect from this listen. • Okay, the first song's started and it feels very punk. The effects on the vocals are pretty intense, and not really to my liking, but the riffs are cool. • Passing Complexion has an awesome riff. The bass tone is really thick and I love how it sounds. The vocals aren't as processed on this song either • Kerosene is another genuinely sick riff, and the drum groove is my favourite so far. Once again, the bass tone also really stands out to me. This is a song I could see myself wanting to cover. • Fists of Love is a really different song to the rest of the album, with a cool vocal chant as its main hook. Like with a lot of the other noise rock albums I've gotten so far, I really struggled to differentiate each song by the end of this album. There are some genuinely great riffs and ideas spread throughout the album, and it's probably the best noise rock I've heard so far, so I'm not going to rank it as low as some of the others, but it did get fatiguing at times. Favourite song: Kerosene
2/5
Guitars and drum beats awesome, not so much the some of the lyrics delivery. Kerosine great track.
On my currently short list of albums I have never heard before that I like more than average! There are some songs that I would have loved to hear a little more variation on, but I liked it and would listen again! Season: True Summer Favorite Song: Kerosene
Sincero
Woah.
fucking grimmig. heerlijk
Kerosene was my favorite song. Don't know it I need to listen to it again, but glad I did. If you're in the mood for abrasive industrial punk, check this out. 2.75/5.
This was fun. A nice slice of industrial punk that is surprisingly accessible. Did mostly sound all the same though.
love a good old punk album
Simply an incredible piece of work. This and ‘Songs About Fucking’ are Steve Albini’s best work I aver. A genuine five-star record; play loud!
Snooze fest 😴
I bet this really stood out in 1986. It was fun, but probably not something I'll come back to.
Yikes
Sketchy, tightly wound and demented. Uneasy listening. The beats don't quit. It's relentless. I liked it?
Reminds me a little of D-squad.
Meh...
This is a chaotic almost-punk industrial/electronic offering. At times, it's too chaotic but it does a decent job of holding it down and making it a decent listen.
Awesome, loved Kerosene.
I knew Steve Albini was in a band early on, but I honestly didn't expect them to be this good! Lovely guitar sounds and a nice variety of industrial sounds that are sometimes noisy and other times achingly beautiful. If I wanted to pigeonhole this, I would say it's a cross between The Pixies and The Cure. I hadn't heard a single track off this album before today. Proof that even in the last stretch (over 1001 albums done) there's still delights to be found in this project. Five stars.
Wow! This is fab! Yup, as the negative reviews say it is "just noise" gloriously erratic, angular, reverb drenched, make your ears bleed abrasive noise but thats the point! Its not an easy listen and nor is it meant to be! This is fight music, wind your soul up and ignite a fire you didnt know you had. Loved it.
Somehow feels contemporary. Can definitely sense its influence. RYM: (#698) Saved a song: N
Well... it was a bit unlistenable, wasn't it? It's not that horrible, but it is still an album that, even if at some points can be interesting, doesn't have much attractive things. Actually, it's more of playing with noises and some repetitive elements and, at times it works, but many others it doesn't. At least for my liking. So, it's not a good album, not a bad one either. There are some nice ideas in here, but they haven't been developed with much success.
I like industrial. I like punk and hardcore. But this is shit.
Sorry to the vintage punk fans out there...this isn't for me and it's not going to be.
Very very dope album. I love the proto-industrial sound and am particularly fond of the electronic motorik feel throughout the whole album. Steve Albini is a genius. Favorite track: Big Money
Entre l'inaudible et le presque acceptable
A cut or two above most of the dreck on this list. The echoey vocals and noisy backing remind me of Butthole Surfers. Very good stuff and a pleasant discovery. I see that while the ratings for this album skew to the 1s and 2s, the top reviews are all 4s and 5s, which makes me think that the low ratings come from people too stupid to express themselves, and maybe too stupid to appreciate something a little out of the ordinary.
It is a punk angsty record which sounds bettet than I expected at first. I enjoyed listening to it. 7/10 [KEEP]
I didn't listen
This was a good punk album! I enjoyed it a lot!
Holy shit this is awesome! It’s so much fun and it has so much energy and life to it! I have no idea where this artist has been for me cause this album and the other album that I couldn’t stop myself from looking into after this one are stellar albums. Also both albums feel so far ahead of their time, like I thought this would be around the time of like fatboy slim, but this is a whole decade BEFORE that. I don’t even know how to break this down cause I want to talk about every single song in explicit detail, but I also don’t want to make this review miserable to read through. But what I will say about the tracks themselves is that none of the songs sound similar or even close to the one that came before it, and this album is literally a no skip album. It’s so good that I immediately looked into getting both albums added to my collection cause they became that essential to my collection. Everytime I have to sit through another mediocre Madonna album or an abysmal Elvis Costello album I remind myself that there will be more artists that I’ve never heard of before that will become one of my new favorites! This is one of those!
Þetta var feitt. Ógeðslegt, hrátt og mjög edgy edgelord stælar. Þetta elska ég samt og hlustaði oft á þessa plötu um helgina.
Hart og flott. Albini var snillingur.
WTF? Nobody - NO BODY - needs to hear this before they die.
There were some interesting bits here. A bit grungy, but not spectacular.
Great production but meh end result
I referred to this band by name in the previous day's review. It is the only time I have done so, so this is kind of startling. Said previous day's review was also of Killing Joke's self-titled, so we are basically just tracking the lineage of industrial rock now. Basically, between the two, this band has always been my preference. I don't think this is the correct Big Black album for the list, but beggars can't be choosers. Basically, Big Black backed off of the 70's rock and post-punk, and then doubled down on just the pure fucking grind of the sound. This band sounds *incredible*. This is one of Steve Albini's (one of the few people ever to *begin* his career as an insufferable curmudgeon and end it as someone who was generally considered responsible and charismatic) earliest bands, and his incredible proclivity for coaxing out jaw-dropping guitar tones was already on full display. This band has two guitars. One of them sounds like a steam locomotive: the other sounds like an explosion in a sheet-metal factory. And this is over-top a rhythm section which is just a relentless low-rumble. And tying it all together is Albini's ranting. Time has made it apparent that his execution may not have been the smartest, or most empathetic path (and Albini had earnestly admitted this by the end of his life). But the lyrics of Big Black were basically an attempt to excavate America's Reagan era sins in as loud, and blatant a way as possible. And he discussed *everything*, no territory too taboo. There are songs here about child abuse, domestic violence, pedophelia, suicide, PTSD, alcoholism, and more, you name it. As I said, there are moments where the flaws in this technique become clear (at least within the context of social commentary). But this band is what it is, and when you strip things back, I think the approach is at least indicative of a band that genuinely cares about things, in their own flawed way. And, it *does* grant this album, a unique, pitch blackness. Atomizer is just about as horrifying, and unapproachable as the day it was unleashed onto the world. But honestly, if it didn't sound like *that*, the lyrics would only do so much. As I alluded to earlier, this band sounds like an exploding steel-mill. Just relentless, industrial noise. At the core are some catchy punk songs, that'll keep you coming back. But if you can't learn to love the racket, you'll probably never find them. I will admit that I do love the racket though. And that this album is pretty special to me. This is basically my cocaine; the momentum and power here are undeniable. This is just fantastic if you're willing to roll around in the filth a little.
Aluksi aika kamalaa, sitten ehkä korva alkoi tottua. Rytmikkäitä toisteisia elementtejä, myöhemmin !!! (tai monta merkkiä niitä nyt olikaan) kuulosti vähän samantapaiselta.
#298/1001. Finally something different. I would imagine there would be two possible ways to think about a 1001 collection: 1) collect the major commercially and critically acclaimed albums out there. 2) Collect the most extreme, all but unlistenable, audio, music and genre bending albums out there. This project of course follows the first, wider and easier path, the rich and the famous and safe and sound. But continuing the biblical reference, doesn't that lead to boredom, unification, sin and eventually hell? Aren't we willing to listen outside the box, expand our ears, find out that these kind of weird and unique musical planets, galaxies and universes exist? Big Black and Atomizer (along a handful of other albums on this list) hint at an interesting possibility of a golden path in the middle - although staying safe in the experimental side, a prove of which is that the album still sounds fresh and harsh - unlike e.g. Never Mind the Bollocks, which sort of surprised me as I heard Anarchy in the UK playing in the background in a family restaurant, fitting perfectly to the cosy atmosphere, no-one paying any attention. Waiting for the day to hear Big Money or Kerosene in similar situation - for me that would be signal of cultural progression and general step higher upnin human awareness. Till then, a 5.
Pre-industrial angry guy rock, for people sitting in cubicles past, present, and future.
I'm a long time fan of these guys, and of their unique blend of punk rock, industrial and noise rock. An abrasive, yet cheeky and playful listening experience, Steve Albini's larger than life persona really does come to the fore in his playing, with "Atomizer" breezing and buzzing along wonderfully for just short of 40 minutes. It has the ramshackle energy of what would become early post-hardcore, whilst the industrial elements contrast by magnetising the album back towards more defeatist sentiments. A to-and-fro that consistently provides the goods. The production captures a perfect balance between distortion and affording the instrumentation space to make itself intelligible, with the intentional lo-fi quality to it preserving the soundscapes conjured up here into today's landscape, where we are seeing more of a DIY resurgence in punk. Inexplicably, I haven't got this in my collection despite owning the similarly brilliant Songs About Fucking, but it's floating about on Discogs relatively cheaply, so I might have to indulge.
Insanely noisy and abrasive, but I still found it highly enjoyable by the second play through. Great energy, creative sounds, thoughtful lyrics, though I don't really care much for the drum machine.
Another band I'd been meaning to listen to. I'm realising from this list how many 80s post punk bands I like. Very very good, will definitely come back to this. Kerosene stand out track but it's really all good.
Definitely does some interesting things (complimentary) musically, and some interesting things (derogatory) lyrically 2.5/5
Was fine a lil shouty for mw
I'm always down to check out some classic punk....and I know that these things are a matter of personal preference.....this one was brutal.
clangy and abrasive, but i think i appreciate it
very interesting listen, I honestly really enjoyed it. dunno how often I'll just sit and listen to this album cos it is kinda aggressive but it was really cool
Enjoyed musically, but the lyrics in the first few grated a bit for repeat listening. Low 3.
Today’s album has the talented Steve Albini and serves as an industrial pre cursor to industrial music. That said, the needless need for controversy on each track gives the album a real school shooter vibe. High 2
Blimey there is a lot of invention on this record. It is a textually dense and aggressive, but much more melodic and hooky than that would suggest. They seem invested in getting unusual sounds out of their guitars. The heavily manipulated guitar sounds on Passing Complexion deserve some kind of award. Kerosene's pitchy, chime-like guitar sounds are similarly impressive. The flaw in the Minnesotan rug is the adolescent lyrics which are desperate to shock. Its a pity because without them I think Big Black would be far better recognised. I can hear their influence in tonnes of band's from my youth (from Crystal Castles to Battles). My suggestion for enjoying this album is: tune out the lyrics, they are not particular worth focusing on, you can just let the abrasive qualities of the vocals wash over you and assume that the content of the words are very dark indeed.
I’m giving Big Black a low 5, it’s a truly brutal record
Transgressive, angry, rough. I don't listen to a lot of punk music, but even for me it's pretty clear the level of hatred that inspired this album. Not hatred for a group of people, but rather for things like abuse of children, abuse of power, and abuse of one's self through substances or depression. It's pretty bleak, and the industrial sound helps carry that tone forward and sear it into your brain. Didn't care much for the drum machine though. I just like a real drummer. Probably won't listen to this one again anytime soon, except for maybe Kerosene.
I have never heard of this band nor heard any songs by them. I have seen the name Steve Albini - I suppose from some of his production work. This was interesting. Can definitely hear their influence on future "industrial" bands such as Nine Inch Nails. Had no awareness of this album at the time. I was in college at that time in Indiana and used to go up to Chicago a few times a year but never heard of these guys. After listening 3 times I ended up "liking" 3 of the 9 songs. The first 2 songs I liked are "Big Money" and "Bad Houses". I am counting "Strange Things" as part of the 9 songs - even though after reading more about this I found out that this song was not on the original album. But it's one of the ones I liked, so I'll count it. I liked the music on even more of these songs but the vocals and lyrics made me not want to listen to those again. New idea after doing this 1001 Albums thing for a few months --> Artists should start releasing instrumental versions of all songs on their albums (or on extended release versions on streaming sites). This way we can enjoy the music without the vocals. I personally would love that - there must be more people out there that would too. I ended up NOT liking the song "Kerosene" - but it was interesting how they made the guitars sound like bagpipes. I think that's what they did, because they don't mention bagpipes on the Wikipedia credits Liked songs on Spotify: 3/9 Rating: 2/5
That's some goooood squishy! Love the driving bass/beat. Good pick-me-up music.
Kerosene was pretty cool but overall this is not for me
Oh yes, this is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for by partaking in this endeavour. I don't care about listening to every single damn REM album, I can just do that in my own time, but this is something way more unique and actually likely to introduce people to something new. I get that for a lot of people this isn't their thing, but I would argue that's all the more reason to listen to it and give it a go, I mean how else are you going to discover music that pushes you outisde your comfort zone? But for me, this absolutely is my thing. The kind of music that's so heavy and aggressive that you can't even tell which instrument is making which sound, or if some of the sounds are even actual instruments at all but rather just random objects being smashed together. There's something weirdly cathartic about this, like they are screaming about being angry about something and I'm angry about it with them, but I leave it to them to express it.
I enjoyed it
Didn't think I had heard of this band until I saw other albums. Alright punk. Kind of guy me in rebellious spirit. Could've been fun to see live. Nothing makes me think lll remember it in a few days
No denying their ability, independence, and raw edge, but I didn't enjoy listening to this.
This continues to prove to me that I'm not really into punk in many of its forms. This is one of those forms.
Entertaining industrial punk rock.
It was a little bit of fun, but also pretty incoherent. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either, and I probably don’t really have a reason to want to listen to it again.
I think this was worth a listen, and I get it, but admittedly I find this type of music hard to listen to unless I'm in a particular mood. It will go on my playlist for when I am in that mood, but I'm rating these on a personal scale of likability. Depending on the day, I'll either love this, or wonder why I ever did. 3/5 - True Neutral Playlist Pick - Bazooka Joe. Weirdly, I've heard this one before.
Im not a fan. All the weird sounds... just no.
Lamentablemente no me ha gustado. Entiendo que es música que hay que entender que no busca gustar, pero para mí ha sido difícil de escuchar y conectar con ella.
I hate everything about this.
This is a must listen album?
7.3 nice album, wouldn't listen again in its entirety but some songs are insane bops. interesting to learn that this may have started industrial rock
I see why this album is on this list; it definitely deserves it's place. The issue is that it is objectively bad. The godfather of industrial rock is Trent Reznor, and this album very, very clearly influenced him. The difference is that NIN has diversity in their music, real feeling in their lyrics, and undeniable smash hits.
Cant see myself sitting thru this entire album
It’s like JV Nine Inch Nails
Not my favourite punk.
Oh interesting this is steve albinis band, notoriously difficult person from what I’ve heard but produced some great stuff, I remember when he passed actually because I was mates with someone with very similar tastes to me at the time. You can tell it’s from The guy that’d go to produce in utero but there’s also drum machines that remind me a tad of carter usm.
Love this album. I heard Songs About Fucking a long time before Atomizer, and I don’t think there is much between the two - both 5. Steve Albini was a true free thinker and a true original. Big Black songs seem to get stuck in my head for days after listening to them. Here, Kerosene and Passing Complexion in particular. This is a classic for me.
Raw, unpolished punk rock. Unfortunately I am not angry enough.
Meh
Decent
Enjoyable but nothing by special.
Mi primera impresión del álbum no entendí nada de lo que estaba escuchando JAJAJAJ. Kerosene es la canción mas escuchada del disco y realmente se me hizo pegadiza, ademas la cancion que le sigue Bad houses tambien se me hizo buena, las podria agregar a mis playlists.
Closest I can place is Nirvana, was Nirvana influenced by them?
Interesting
I loved this hateful little bitch of an album. It sounded like nothing I’ve heard before: the primordial industrial music sound is there but I didn’t think too much about Nine Inch Nails, etc. when I listened to this. It’s not as abrasive as I expected, while rough around the edges it has more melody than expected from its description. Pretty close to five stars for me.
Big Black - Atomizer: 2/5 I did a pre read on this before diving in as I was not familiar with the band or its music. I was excited when it was dubbed a “forerunner of industrial rock” and when I saw a lot of love for this album. Some pretty intense content in terms of the lyrics (although with the tinny and loud music you couldn’t hear or understand the singing at times) and was mostly just ok- Kerosene was great though.
This is too cold and calculated to be engaging enough for any sustained listening. A bad version of Gang Of Four with a drum machine.
Atomizer is a very rhythmic album, and not the clusterfuck of noise that I was expecting. It even sounds a little like Nu Rave, some twenty years too early. I swear I heard some bagpipes. Big Black had some soul. They just didn't want you to know it.
Good noise, dumb lyrics. Steve Albini's an asshole.
the thing about Steve Albini and the rest of Big Black is they are cowards. They want to write transgressive material without the conviction to stand behind their lyrics or their context. At that point it’s not even offensive - offense requires substance. it’s annoying because the other noise is good. this could be an easy 4 if it was just noise or if it had anything to say (this will also lead to some real shitty bands like Ministry or Jesus and Mary Chain but we can suffer through that another day)
Like the energy, just my interest is not there
A challenging listen for me. Chaotic is my lasting impression. Kerosene was the highlight track. Bonus point for the artwork.
I liked how hell for leather this was. Vocals were suitably crap in a way that fits. A nice surprise.
I knew the name Steve Albini as a producer, but looking through the stuff he produced this sound makes complete sense.
Like sticking a fork in a power socket, amazing
Unlike most of the 80s post punk on this list, this album didn’t really work for me. I just couldn’t get past the iPhone in a tin can production, though I suppose that’s supposed to be part of what makes it cool. I probably bailed on it too early to have given it a fair shake but I kept hearing undertones of “end of the line” by the Travelling Willburys in the melody of “bad houses” so I put that on instead.
4.5 I have heard of the band but have honestly never listened to a single thing before. I always thought they were a rap group from like 1998. Maybe I got it confused with that Big Black guy from Rob and Big (Big Black was his nickname, I wasn't categorizing the person). I read an article in Rolling Stone about provocative album covers and Big Black had their songs about fucking album was on there, Anyway, this is totally up my alley and has a ton going for it. Loved the Kraut-rock like drum timing (-drum machine). Steve Albini. Should get some credit for being ahead of its time in the post-punk, industrial side for things. There are a few bands who kinda sound like this abiet 10-30 years later. With all of the algorithms out there on streaming services and whatnot, im just shocked I haven't heard the songs before. Will be diving deeper into the catalogue and one of the few albums from the 1001 list where I have been totally pleasantly surprised.
I'm a bit torn on this album. On the one hand the lyrics seem like they were written by a middle school boy who is just trying to get attention by saying shocking or obscene things. On the other hand, I like the punk / early industrial sound a fair bit. Just based on the sound of the album I would give it a 4, but I have to lower it at least a little bit for the immature lyrics so it is a 3 for me.
I had no idea this music existed until this morning. When I read the description I thought "oh, a whole album of shouty punk noise and scary lyrics". But I persevered bravely and played it on the Big Hifi while my partner and I enjoyed a chilled Sunday brunch. Oh yeah, it grabbed me from the start and didn't let up until the end. It seemed to fly by in a few minutes. Not only is there a highly agreeable quotient of shouty punk noise and scary lyrics, but it's well put together and really listen-able. Thank you 1001albumsgen for enhancing my Sunday! Will definitely listen again.
2/8 Chaotic, loud, and messy. Punk and the beginnings of industrial rock with this album. Reminds me of Tetsuo the Iron Man soundtrack. good one to listen to while playing an FPS game
It's 3.5
There were elements of this that clearly influenced a lot of the post-hardcore bands I love so I’m glad I listened. The lack of continuity and melodies didn’t really do it for me with this one!
God I fuckin love this record
Wow. Not in a good way.
Was okay, I’ve listened to worse.
A bit too heavy and noisy for my liking
evening
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Kerosene > "Regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 1980s". That's an interesting take. What I heard was washed out sound and too quiet vocals that could rarely be heard over the grinding of a guitar and smashing of drums. I didn't absolutely hate this, but it didn't leave me with a positive or lasting impression either, except for Kerosene. If life in Small Town USA (TM) is so boring that you want to light yourself on fire with Kerosene just to feel something (being on fire), you should scrape together some money and leave for literally anywhere else in the world. More seriously though, I did like that song. I can't exactly relate to the whole abolutely-economically-and-societally-dead small town USA experience, but I can imagine it to be is dreadful as it sounds, particularly where "religion-based politics" is running rampant. I don't really like punk music too much it seems. I much prefer, like, harmonies and melodies and in-tune singing. Something I relax to or use to focus.
No
Not my cup of tea.
An Albini project is always interesting
7/10
What’s the difference between punk and hard rock? Shit singers and no guitar solos I guess! This wasn’t bad to be fair.
Second consecutive album with ‘noise-rock’ categorization, but this was way better to me than yesterday. I really enjoyed this one, it was over and repeating before I knew it. Can’t quite assume that I would listen on repeat and give it full marks, but I had a good time with this one, 4/5
I didn't really get the point of this album. It's fine, but nothing more.
Noisy, driving punk rock. Not bad, just gotta be in the mood for it. Had my HR jumping
¡¡Espectacular!!
Never heard of these guys and dilikednit at first but then I hit into it. Kerosine was pretty awesome. Weird punk/hardcore/alternative industrial mix. Can’t think of anything else like them.
Very abrasive punk rock that may have helped plant the seeds that would eventually become noise rock and further influence early industrial music. It's an interesting take for the time it was released and kind of fun to listen to. I need to take it in small doses though!
I'd read about Big Black for years, mostly from "Our Band Could Be Your Life", but had never sat down and listened to a full album of theirs before. It's muddy and harsh. It gives a message, but it makes you work for it. Favorite Track: Passing Complexion
This is right in my zone. The list nailed my general mood today. Super cool sound. Love the guitar tone throughout. You can hear some of the qualities that Albini would contribute to other artists' work as an engineer, but they've still got a unique and interesting thing going on. Favorite song was probably "Kerosene", no skips though. This is probably a 3 or 4 star album that I'm giving 5 stars because I loved listening to it today and I want to be reminded to turn it on when the mood strikes in the future.
Big Black definitely a big influence on Trent Reznor on the Downward Spiral album
Highly unnecessary inclusion. Good ethos?
alright
It’s hard for me to actually like an album that’s this vicious and nasty, but they sure can force some interesting noises out of their guitars. Best song: Kerosene
Absolutely wild how the instruments sound like they are coming out of a ym2612 sound chip. That's not a complaint. It really goes to show how Steve Albini knew exactly what he wanted to do and how to do it. Seriously an important album.
too punk for me its kinda hurt my hearing too… i wish there were more vocals
Review - A great industrial noise rock album. Abrasive in all the right ways but still incredibly listenable. It's a shame drum machines didn't catch on more in mainstream rock following bands like this. Interesting to hear how little of what went on to be Steve Albini's signature production style is present on this album. He had a long career and clearly took a while to develop his technique. Rating - 8.5/10 Need to hear? YES
Unless forcibly coerced I will Never listen to this album again. It was horrendous, badly played, badly produced and, if it helped influence industrial rock I won’t be exploring that genre much….terrible.
This was my first time listening to this particular album from Big Black, and I have to say it definitely delivers. Like the rest of Big Black’s catalog, it’s loud, harsh, and aggressive as hell. The music feels like a fusion of hardcore punk and industrial. It’s unrelenting and abrasive from start to finish. One of the standout elements is the use of a Roland TR-606 drum machine instead of a live drummer, which adds a cold, mechanical feel that really cranks up the intensity. For an album released in the mid 80s, this must’ve really pushed the boundaries. Using a drum machine in the punk and metal scene at the time was practically unheard of, and Steve Albini used it to amplify the chaos.
Big fan of Steve Albini, but his vocals are not for me.
Uh fine I guess? High 2/low 3? Nothing really hits me
Very noise rock-esque, 2 of the songs were pretty good though
Wasn’t big on this
Totalmente fora do meu gosto musical, apenas barulhos e ruídos para meus ouvidos.
Ikke decideret dårligt, egentligt. Men nok heller ikke et album, jeg kommer til at høre igen. Med hjælp fra gemini har jeg fået beskrevet det som noise rock med inspiration til senere industriel musik, fordi de bruger en trommemaskine. Det forklarer genre-forvirringen.
Before: This is one of favorite albums, surely in my top 1000 but probably not top 100. It's get a few 4 and 5 star tracks, namely: Jordan Minnesota, Passing Complexion, Kerosene, and Bazooka Joe. However, I do find listening to the whole album a bit tiresome. In fact I don't think I've ever listened to the whole thing in one sitting. Let's get started! During: I didn't have a chance to make notes while listening as I was preoccupied with my cats demanding attention. After: I'm giving it 4 stars. It's got a few 4s and 5s but the rest or 3s IMO. Still, I think it is best in class for this particular genre, from my limited experience.
Some of the sickest riffs and coolest guitar tones ever committed to vinyl. “Kerosene” is an all timer. This is the music the makes all other hard driving music pale in comparison for me. This has “it”.
Most of the listen I imagined being a founding member of this band and performing shows to audiences who also had a 1-star impression.
Bazooka Joe 👌🏾
Albini always throws down so hard, loved hearing this early record in its entirety. Really torn on how to rate this…it just sounds so good. Bonus point for absolutely grimy, menacing clarity.
8/10
Brilliant
Noise. Irritating.
fucked up, frightening. more range than I thought. evokes the feeling of being too young to play Doom but playing Doom with your cousin & wondering if it'll scar your brain. I'm not big on transgressive art so don't love some of the trappings. still think it's genuinely worth a listen. appreciate that some underground rock needed to smash boundaries, also appreciate that people learn & grow. music: hated. (⌐■_■)
ha ha ha holy smokes eh
Prescindible…no he entendido nada, wey.
Actually sorta dug this album, and the industrial sound certainly was pretty innovative at the time.
Listening Notes Steve Albini! Drum machines!! That first track was definitely something... Industrial, Grunge, Post-hardcore First half was interesting, second half lost me Standout Tracks "Passing Complexion", "Kerosene", "Bad Houses" First time? Yes Will it go into your rotation? No
Hell yeah
Love this album. Love this band. Steve Albini had a very unique approach to everything he did and it really shows here.
Partial review as I’m on a family vacation and this isn’t an album conducive to that situation. I think I’d really like this if I was listening alone and able to read the lyrics. I’m intrigued and will try and listen more if possible. If not, I’m feeling favorable with what I did hear. Kerosene was the song I liked the most so far.
Punk wiecznie żywy, szczególnie na tej liście. A szkoda. Męcząca, nudna, taka sama jak wszystkie. 5/10.
I have no idea what I just listened to but I didnt like it
Cool sound, good lyrics
Never heard of this album or the band but I love it. Definitely a sound of its time and I can hear references and cross overs to other bands of the ears. Now digging into the back catalogue
Not my cup of tea
the instrumentals are SICK
Be less comfortable
There is such an odd catchy level that cuts through the aggression/noise. RIP Steve Albini. His bands were never as popular as his productions/influences, but this some good stuff.
Hmm, egentlig ganske nice
Hot damn! Totally missed this band, never even heard of them until a few years ago I think. This record fucking rips. This mid-50s former punker was skankin’ all over the kitchen to these jams. Excellent, high four.
Came in expecting the worst and was positively surprised. It is - to me - nothing too special, just a slightly more abrasive, but overall relatively normal punk record.
Some of the songs were cool. Don’t know that I’ll be listening to the album again.
Blew my socks off. Can't believe they've never been on my radar, nor can I believe this was recorded in 1985...I can hear bits of other bands who came later throughout this album...so they were clearly groundbreaking. Also didn't realise Steve Albini was the founder and guitarist, though makes complete sense listening to it!! Yeah, will be listening to this again, I'm only 40 years late to the party...might even dance a bit if my knees allow...
Tinged with Joy Division and Killing Joke with hints of early Sisters of Mercy, Skinny Puppy, and Ministry. This early industrial rock album still stands the test of time.
This is a bit of me. I should have heard this before now really. Industrial. Jarring. Excellent.
Geht so
I've heard of the band before but never listened to them, so streaming today via YouTube. Seems like fairly typical late American punk, attacking the evils of society with angst-packed fervour. I've taken an immediate dislike to the drum machine, but aside from that it's OK. Reading the reviews on here it seems very much a Marmite album, scoring either 1 or 5. I've given it a 3
Another album I couldn’t finish. What a weird fucking album. Not even good sound, it’s just loud “edgy” “punk”.
Loud bullshit that's mixed awfully... I don't get it.
It’s an original guitar sound I’ll tell you that.
Favorite: kerosene
Soooo I did some digging cuz I loved how violent and in your face this music was. So awesomely punk. But it was so drone-y and too much grr not enough lalala, compared to Songs About Fucking which I think is a better album than Atomizer. Perhaps the two albums are like yin and yang and I just happen to like yang more than yin. Just go listen to that instead. All that said, punk is not my fav genre so 2.9 stars which is like a 4 adjusted to my overall music taste.
I was more familiar with songs about fucking before this but what an album. First and foremost, rip and shout out Steve Albini. So righteously pretentious and had so much to back it up. This album continues that solidification of he can back up his own talk, it’s so well done. Very proto nine inch nails and if someone was doing loud punk over drum machines this well before this I sure haven’t heard it yet. Really impressed with this, production writing and everything about it.
I was underwhelmed, and not in love with the noise.
Whoa. It's a tough listen, but i think it's unlike anything else before it, but lots after.
This was interesting. By interesting I mean its one of the first times music has inspired the word "noise" in me.
Not a fan
Damn, this album is nasty, but in a good way. It is filled with some incredibly filthy, raw and chaotic riffs. Big Black is better known for their sophomore record, 'Songs about Fucking', which is quite curious since it is rated lower in different music reviewing sites, but I do agree with the ratings. They are both very punishing and noisy records filled with some incredibly raw, chaotic and killer riffs, but I think 'Atomizer' sounds a bit more solid and melodic. What makes this band sounds so distinct is primarily the guitar. It is by far the most abrasive instrument, followed by the bass. The drums may be programmed, but they are relentless and add a lot of power; and the vocals are the same type of screaming you would expect from a hardcore band from the time. To add to the overall sensation of madness and chaos, the lyrics are unapologetic, touching several dark themes such as abuse, immolation and misanthropy. Overall, this is a great album, one that is not for everyone and that feels like a rejection of the more polished and overproduced music that was trending in the 80's.
Had no idea Steve Albini was also a musician. I totally see why the Pixies and Nirvana wanted to work with him after listening to this!
Kind of industrial sounding music. I have never heard this before but it reminds me of 90's industrial metal bands. It's not bad and I actually listened to it a couple of times. This is something that I would have loved when I was young since I was into this kind of mechanical stuff. Now it seems interesting only in that it reminds me of those times, it's probably not something I would put on these days. I don't regret listening though.
Not my jam
Not quite sure where to place this? Industrial hardcore challenging outer edges of punk.
Appreciate the art. Too noisy for me.
This is #day497 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… are we back on track with goodies? I came in with zero expectations, but am leaving with a nice impression. I'd never heard of this band before, but I'm really enjoying the sound here: gritty punk-on-the-verge-of-industrial kind of stuff. Super interesting. I wouldn't mind scoring myself a vintage vinyl copy. This is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day498.
I really loved this. I could hear the music I listened to in the '90s on this album.
It's a very different sound than what I thought it would be. It's raw, it's energetic and fast paced. Incredible debut for this legendary band.
I can hear elements of punk, industrial and noise rock, but here they combined to produce a wall of incessant grating noises with repetitive rhythms that gave me a headache. This was one of the most difficult albums to get through that I've encountered so far.
kicks ass!
Terribly noisy
Great industrial punk album. Albini’s seedy characters and dark stories fit the vibe of the cold hard music super well. This album makes me feel angry in an uncomfortable way and I love it. Favorite tracks- “Jordan,Minnesota” “Kerosene” “Fists of Love”
Not bad, I like the music but not the singer.
Black Flag influencer. Old punk
This was awesome. Fuck Steve Albini, but this was awesome
No.
never heard of this noise creation collective and I'm ok with that
Decent, aggressive punk. Didn't really grab me, though
This was more interesting than I expected. Kind of a cool mix of punk and 80s synth. Passing Complexion was the standout. Some stuff was a bit much and I’m not sure I’ll listen again but I’m glad I heard it. Light 4.
Monotonous pounding. Unnecessary
I did not care for this, but I think I understand why others would like it. It was not actually as harsh as it seemed at first.
ugh 1
Some truly legendary noises
I hadn't heard Big Black and now I'm a big fan. Thanks!
It's a very raw and noisy post punk record, but it's quite accessible somehow. I liked it even though it had a piercing sound.
Little too heavy and shouty for my taste.
sorry to this group, but.. not my thing.
A challenging listen with no standouts or bright spots for me. I'll never hear this album again.
I fuck with Bazooka Joe
Best Song: Kerosene I don't really get why this was included, it sounds more like noise than music to me. 3/5.
p535. 1986. 2 stars. Shouty garage rock with a drum machine, caustic lyrics and no tunes. Saved from 1 star for decent bass lines.
Horrible stuff
First time listener to big black. He could sure hear the pre-cursor to nine inch nails in here, and I appreciated that a lot.
When Big Black put out their follow up to Atomizer out (The Headach EP) they out a sticker on the record that read. "Not as good as Atomizer, so don't get your hopes up, cheese!". In 1988, when Sonic Youth put out their Master-Dik EP, the album had a sticker that read: "Not as good as Atomizer, so don't get your hopes up, cheese!".
Not my thing at all.
The sound is incredible but some of these lyrics are so fucking dark.
Noise rock y noise punk en el 86. Y todo bastante machacoso. Una cosa hermosa. 7/10
This wasn’t good at all. I can see why they only have 40k monthly listeners.
Noisy but has some decent beats. Unique.
Different strokes
nope
What’s not to love about this!
A cross between early Therapy? and Talking Heads! Clearly influential on lots of bands that followed and with good reason. A strong sound with driving guitars, insane drum machine and sneering vocals. I guess it is a little bit too intense for the average listener. A great find and will listen to more.
I’ve never really cared for Steve Albini’s own tunes before. But either my tastes have changed or I haven’t listened to this before. While still abrasive, it’s much less harsh than I thought it would be. The bass in particular really sings and gives the songs a nice melody for the guitars to play around. And generally speaking there’s some good song writing here. Impressed.
Great listen, beginning to end
Not the album I really wanted on a Sunday morning. Especially on Advent Sunday when I love to hear O Come, O Come Emmanuel which is such a beautiful song and a lovely way to begin the Christmas season. This album therefore was an assault on the ears and as I say not in keeping with how I felt today. That said it was not without some merit as I did hear some great guitar riffs which on any other day would have gone down well. This assessment made without bothering to read or listen to the lyrics which according to other reviews will have shocked and lessened the little goodwill I might have. In short, wrong album on wrong day. 2/5 30/11/25
Listened Before? N "One of the best albums of the 80's", huh Wikipedia? Imma need a source on that lol. This is not anyting special. Just a lot of noise and yelling. Added to Library? N Songs added to palylist: Kerosene
Did not expect to like this this much. Enjoyable from start to finish, great energy, great riffs, and beautiful chaos. Probably a low 5, but a 5 nonetheless.
No thanks
Pure treble has never sounded so grimy
I wish I had listened to this one in the 80s. Clearly a solid and important album. Bad houses is a favorite. I did not pay close attention to the lyrics, just let them blend in as part of the music.
Mais um álbum experimental industrial... Esse pelo menos tem uma levada musical meio punk. Interessante. Sgor Venus.
Not a punk aficionado, can't really appreciate the music or its historical importance. 6/10
Food it hard to listen to. I think it might be the style. Like actually painful to my ears.
This intense art-punk record from 1986 is a li'l too abrasive for my tastes but I'll give them credit for having actual songs and not just chains of disconnected riffs. The guitar treatments also give their sound a unique character.
Fucking disgusting paedo cunts.
Okay album. Not life changing.
Musically this sounds like it came out today. Lyrically, well, it captures the endless frustration of being alive today. Favorite songs: Passing Complexion, Strange Thing, Kerosene.
Man, I just really like angry music like this. And I like it even more because I already trust Albini musically; he's not some rando making songs about the darkest corners of America, where you're like "Are you for or against this?" The songs are brutal while also still being catchy (imo!). The energy feels good, even if the lyrics feel bad. Especially loved Passing Complexion.
American punk junk. It is hard to believe that this is considered one of the greatest albums of the '80s. Well, I thought, at least it's just 37 minutes long. As it turns out, it felt much, much longer.
Gets better if you play it loud.
Very interesting, but extremely hit or miss for me.
Liked it better than I thought towards the end, but wasn't a big fan at the get go.
This is shit !
American punk is mostly abrasive noise. This is no exception. Dislike.
Really good if you ignore the lyrics
Didn’t expect this from the cover. Really harsh noise but some good stuff under it; especially the lyrics
I can't get into Big Black. It seems like I should like 'em, but when I listen to 'em and I'm being honest with myself and the world, I have to admit that I'm not really into it. I'm sorry.
i don’t wanna be a hater to i’ll give it a 3
When I saw 1986 I figured it was some synth pop or new wave album. Boy was I wrong. Hard core, in your face rock n roll!
Unenjoyable at the time, and unmemorable three hours later.
Somehow borders between insufferable noise and cool industrial rhythms. Extra star for Steve Albini’s overall influence on the music industry.
neat
Not bad. Pretty average hardcore.
Not great. A lot of this is noisy noise, like a group of 14 year olds playing in their first punk band. It’s better than The Germs though, so I can’t award 1 star. It’s nowhere near good enough for 3 stars, which leaves only one option.
Even if it's abrasive as shit, it's still very accessible and likable. Love Durango's and Steve's driving guitar, Roland plays the drums like a damn machine. The bass sounds beautiful. Also, Steve's delivery is spot on and the lyrics, even if they're simple in nature, when paired with the music, want me to punch a hole in the wall in sheer rebellion, anger, and hatred towards the world and the state we're headed. Oh, and it was recorded in 1985, some 35-40 years ago, and it still feels like it was recorded yesterday. Holy shit. A landmark in music. Fucking recommended the whole way. Also, Steve, if you're ever reading this, I love you and everything you do.
As a Dinosaur Jr. fan I should like this but I don’t.
Not my bag, although had some fun with it. First few songs were choppy, enjoyed the back half more, picked up some nonagon infinity vibes. Added a song or two to my workout playlist.
alright
Good
aight
4 out of 5. Once you get past the initial abrasiveness this album kicks ass.
It's rough. I get why it's on this list, but it's rough. I can't understand the lyrics (and going by Spotify's description I wouldn't want to either), so I'm left to just listen to the repetitive melodies they hid behind far too much post-processing. Special shout-out to the latter half of Strange Things, where they skipped punk and went full experimental banging pipes on radiators.
The author of the 1001 album book really liked experimental music... but I don't
non mi fa impazzire come musica. un pò monotona. aggressivo. deciso.
My journey of 1001+ albums started 3.5 years ago with Lou Reed's Transformer. Some albums along the way were revisits of old favorites. Some were etched in memory when coinciding with significant life events. I still remember where I was and what I was doing while listening to a few of them. Many faded into a cloud of indifference and obscurity. Some were brilliant discoveries that became parts of my regular rotation. Today, the beautiful cacophony of Big Black's Atomizer completes my journey. Maybe it's a bit of sentimentality, or maybe it really is a brilliant piece of musicianship, after all, I've only given out 61 5's until now, but fuck it, for all the hate I've given this list, I don't think I could have asked for a better finale. Here's to music, friends..
Surprised I never heard of this band before. They are basically pioneers in industrial rock.
Interesting but not really my thing
Interesting lyrics if nothing else!
It's not music if you don't sing. Instrumentals are fine, I get why somebody would like this. - Brutal 2 album run, this right after Penance Soiree. Honestly not sure which is worse. I've never understood 'noise' music. - Wait, 2nd song almost has a melody. And it's kinda catchy... Oh wait they started shouting over the instruments. I prefer singing - Just getting repeatedly smashed by uptempo drums. I'm exhausted
Not for me
3.6 Ferocious, in a good way. Can really hear Albini's later influence of the heavier elements of Sonic Youth, Pixies, Nirvana etc. Main detraction is that a lot of these songs sound the same, but it's not a bad sound. Album hits a peak with Kerosene, seems to be when all of the elements briefly come together just perfectly
Not my cup of tea - I'm sure a proper punk would love it though
I would be absolutely shocked if Big Black was not an influence on Trent Reznor, because this sounds like the type of industrial metal that Reznor explores with Nine Inch Nails. This band even had Steve Albini in it and I didn't even know that Albini was ever in a band. This is a tough album to listen to, because it's fairly abrasive, and it's very much a NIMBY album for me. I like this album existing due to the fact it is so far ahead of what is to come when it comes to industrial rock and the sound that will be explored by bands in that genre over the next two decades. Not in my backyard though, as I probably won't listen to this album again.
В ебало. Лучшая песня - Passing Complexion.
Like someone took a shit in your ear canal.
Can we just be honest when there's a bad album. This is objectively bad music. It might've been making a statement 40 years, but who cares when the music is so bad. No thanks
I always preferred Shellac. Passing Complexion and Kerosene are great. Fists of Love too I guess.
Nope
dogshit
What a mess of contrived electronica. Just noises.
A bit noisy and industrial feeling for my liking.
I have known of Big Black for a very long time, mostly due to Steve Albini, but I never listened to them. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much noise rock and driving the sound was in a non-traditional punk way. Even though I think it has weak moments, for the time it was made, especially, the braveness of the sound and approach is to be commended. I definitely will revisit this album.
My first exposure to Big Black which is shameful as a life long punk/alt music fan. Driving, noisy and chaotic. Really liked this.
Day659 - i love me some thirty minute punk albums but some of those lyrics…yikes
This is the first album where I've truly questioned that it's in the top 1001. The guitar riffs were original so that saved it a bit...but not much.
good!
This record was chaotic fun, but not really for me. I might listen to it again someday, but it didn't grab me after today's listen. Three stars.