Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Somehow have never heard of this guy, but I certainly knew the first song as most of us of a certain age and proclivity do from Dirty Dancing. What a powerful voice, loved it.
Pretty wild stuff here. Steve Albini's punk band -- like a proto-KMFDM. If you're in a moshy mood, it's pretty choice. Unfortunately, I wasn't, so...
was this recorded on a microwave
wasn't expecting to see this band on here, but it's another cool punk/industrial album that's much more fun to think about than actually listen to. it starts off pretty solid but loses its oomph after kerosene. if you like ministry and such, you'll enjoy this... but i could take it or leave it. favorites: jordan minnesota, passing complexion, kerosene
Eerlijk? Het eerste wat me opviel was de cover. Super vet gedaan, en ik verwachtte op basis van de cover een soort van pop album? Misschien lo-fi? Wat ik in elk geval niet verwachtte? Punkherrie. Dusja.. Soms is iets wat je niet verwacht positief, dat is hier helaas niet het geval. Al moet ik zeggen; op een vreemde manier vibe ik dit album wel? Het is herrie, ja, maar de beat op de achtergrond is fantastisch. De drummer gaat helemaal gestoord, en alles is distorted as. FUCK. maar toch zit er altijd die fucking vette drummer bij. Mooi man, ik ging een beetje opzoeken wie die drummer dan was en waarom ik m zo vet vind. Het is een drumcomputer... Het beste deel van dit album is een computer. W A U W. Ok nee, ik dacht oprecht dat ik het wel aan kon. Maar uiteindelijk is dit toch weer echt herrie. Punk noise rock in optima forma. Ik hou er gewoon echt niet van... FAVO: Kerosene, Bazooka Joe
Oh, what's this? I'm interested! Where had this been hiding??? For a 90s fan of ministry and post punky, gothy and industrial music this would have been right up my alley. Oh well, no time to lose. Will spin this again. Four stars.
I dig Big Black. Abrasive and not always the easiest listen. Very unique and true to it's vision.
++: Passing Complexion, Big Money, Kerosene, Bazooka Joe, Cables +: Jordan, Minnesota, Bad Houses, Stinking Drunk, Strange Things +-: Fists of Love 7,6/10
This might get 1 star, tough listen
Sounds like it was beamed in from the REPO MAN planet. Fucking rules.
Suck daddy
Not into punk
I'm not a fan of industrial so this album has at least one strike against it from the get go. I AM a fan of Steve Albini and his production work so that's a positive which allows me to go intuit with a more open mind than I might have. The opening 2 songs are noisy and uncompromising but not as challenging as I might have expected. And things get better..melodies start to present themselves through the noise and sludge in a manner that pleases but does not cancel out the uncompromising nature of the album in general. I was able to listen 2 full times and a third is not out of the question. 3 stars
Pretty annoying!
really not my style but this was actually OK
Generally awful and sometimes okay
Noisy! But not bad? Neighbor bump I guess.
Not for me.
Tedious.
Yeah turn this shit off
Not bad, but it’s a little too industrial for my proper enjoyment. I prefer my punk a little grittier.
Very cool view of earlier Steve Albini and some solid ear blistering music. Not big for replay for me.
Not good
Like an even more shit version of the Pixies
Very metal/punk. Was decent
Has some real intensity to it. Very angry. Wanted something a little bit more darkness to it though.
Genius - Albini forever
Fed!
Rigtig larmeguitar, man kan nemt høre hvordan det her kan have påvirket Nirvana. Steve Albinis produktion bliver dog en bedre senere i karrieren. RIP!
The song Kerosene is when I got into this and from then on it was cool! Noisy guitars !
I hate it when the first track of an album is as off-putting as the one here, with the moaning and repeated "suck daddy." Eww. Whatever good there is here, which isn't a lot, has to overcome that. There's a lot of screaming about I don't know what, some shrill guitar sounds, loud bass, and 80s sounding drums. Is this what punk was in the mid-80s? It wasn't good. Favorite track: Fists of Love, it had a decent guitar riff.
Feeling a little more rebellious
sublime shit. this album is ugly, its nasty, but its also quite elegant and even sophisticated. this people know what theyre doing is what im trying to say. if you dont like it, come back when you are properly fucked up and disillusioned
Meh
I feel like this is ok for me but the idea behind this is list is something you should have to listen to. This isnt something everyone must listen to.
Kinda harsh, punky, industrial leaning. Bit of a slog
Another horrible American Noise Rock / Post-Hardcore / Industrial Rock album from the mid-1980s.
This was unexpectedly excellent. I tend to dislike 80s music, and I've never heard of this band, so my expectations were very low. Not only was this awesome in a "surprise, it's actually good!" sort of way, this is excellent in a "I'd probably listen to this on purpose" sort of way. Apple Music has this listed as Alternative, and Wikipedia says this is a punk band. For me, it sounds more like early industrial with a bit of punk and even electronic mixed in. I'll tell you this - it's unlike anything else I've heard from that era. I don't know for sure, but this is certainly an album I would imagine a young Trent Reznor would have enjoyed A LOT. 4 stars, maybe even 4.5. There are several 5 star-worthy songs on this album, but as I try to keep 5 stars reserved for the best of the best, I'm not quite sure I can rank it that high, but make no mistake, despite my dumb, arbitrary star rankings, you *should* listen to this album, because it's awesome.
My enjoyment rating for this would probably be 4 stars, but I have to give it an extra star just for how experimental it is while still being great, unlike albums like Suicide or Junkyard.
Favourite Track: Bazooka Joe Honourable Mentions: Kerosene, Bad Houses Too edgy to listen again but won't not listen again Throughout the album, there's a sort of raw and aggressive energy that's expressed through the scratchy electric guitar, the punchy drum machine, and the industrial tone. There's also themes of PTSD, child trafficking rings, brothels, alcoholism, wife-beating... overall just some light stuff to set the mood at your niece's birthday party. I suppose I'm just really not a fan of noise rock. Most of the subject matter in this album deals with some not-so-comfy topics that often make me uncomfortable. Might be cathartic for some but personally it's not something I seek out. Some fun facts: The band's drum machine is named Roland, and the album can be seen in the background of Hiro's room in Big Hero 6.
Classic, old school punk.
Yes. This kept me engaged and excited. Really liked it.
fanno troppo casino
4.5 stars
Back in late '88 I bought Racer X by Big Black at Tower Records. I was hoping it was an album by Racer X the heavy metal band. Imagine my disappointment. Fast forward 37 years and I'm listening to Big Black again. Just awesome. If I had a time machine, I'd go back and have someone kick me in the ass and make me listen to this more. Albini was the man.
This took a couple tries to get through, definitely not a sound I enjoyed. I was surprised guitars could sound so bad, I'm reading that they used aluminum guitars to get a shrill tone and intentionally cut out the bass in order to make it more jagged and grating. 1/10
Id call this an album I appreciate more than enjoy? I was already an Albino fan going I to this, so I was more primed to like it than if I'd gone in cold. Had I gone in cold would I still like it? Who's to say. Every song is something I would hear a snippet of on college radio, and stick around out of curiosity. I love how insane everything sounds. Everything sounds like it's made of metal and it's all coming from a big shiny machine planet. The bass tone especially hits hard for me. The more melodic songs are definitely my favorites. Kerosene is in regular rotation on my gym adjacent playlists. Fists of Love was a close second. I could do without their whole edgelord thing, but overall Big Black is tough, but fun when I'm in the right mood. Album cover: (A) I'm a big fan of big, bold colors. I liked Roy Lichtenstein as a kid, and this reminds me of him. Very cool and I would wear this shirt.
Big Black really wanted to push the boundaries with this one. It was pretty bleak. "Kerosene" was about setting yourself on fire in your small town? There isn't a lot for me in this album. I can appreciate what it is, who it is for, and where you would listen to it. I don't love it, I am not that person, and I am in the wrong place. It's too much noise and not enough rhythm. 4/10
Best een vibe. Niks bijzonders, maar wel goed
Can't deal with this! This is probably influential in the same way mental disorders are defining for today's society: Just because it is true, doesn't mean that it is good.
Not sure it is 1001 worthy.
Steve Albini was essential to one of my favorite albums of the 90s: "In Utero". Listening to this album, I get why they were interested in his ideas. But the sound of the album is just so poor, I had a hard time listening to it. It lacked warmth. The levels were boosted so high, it sounded like playing guitar with a tin roof. Just a lot of RAAAAAAHHHH!!! NEXT. Top tracks: "Jordan, Minnesota," "Stinking Drunk"
I don't know what, but there's something about this album that I really enjoyed. It takes industrial rock and does something with it that I can't quite place my finger on. It's a bit like NiN but it's rawer. But not quite as raw as industrial pioneers Einstürzende Neubauten - there's more melody here. And thundering intensity like NiN. With punk-like vocals. And some real depraved lyrics, when you can make them out. I don't think I really cared for singing/screaming or what was said, but the beats were f'n cool. Jordan, Minnesota and Passing Complexion were a great one-two punch to start the album. Fists of Love, Stinking Drunk, and Strange Things were pretty gnarly on the back half of the album. No, I'm not going to listen to this often, but I am going to tell music-interested friends about Big Black.
Damn. Powerful album, with occasionally very uncomfortable lyrics (interestingly, while Jordan, Minnesota is about a true story of a purported child sex ring, Steve Albini later regretted the lyrics when it turned out it was all based on false accusations). I'm particularly impressed by Albini's use of the Roland drum machine - sure, if you know it's a drum machine, it's obvious, but on songs like Kerosene it fits really well (but then right after that, it's clearly a drum machine on Bad Houses). This also sent me down a rabbit hole learning a lot more about Steve Albini, for good and bad. A highly principled guy, who has said some awful things over the years, but also some brilliant things. His AMA on reddit is fascinating: https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/td90c/i_am_steve_albini_ask_me_anything/?limit=500 The harsh edges of this album keep it from being a 5, but the harsh edges are also what make it an intensely cool experience. Favorite tracks: Jordan, Minnesota (like getting punched in the gut and thinking, damn, that's a cool gut punch), Kerosene (incredibly cool song - love the industrial sound, and the lyric "probably learn to die in this town" is awesome - be sure to check out St. Vincent's live cover - you can find it on YouTube), Cables (man, their live shows must have been intense).
Really intense album. I've known it for a while, mainly for the excellent "Kerosene", but hadn't really got into the full album til now. It starts off with arguably it's most challenging song, "Jordan, Minnesota" and doesn't really let up from there. Not for everyone I think, but there's some really inventive sounds and production all over this. I can see a big influence on grunge and industrial in the 90s. Not one I'd listen to a lot, but glad to have dived into it.
I'm actually pretty conflicted on this one. There were some great riffs and bass lines in here but it's like they intentionally chose all the worst amp settings to present them in the most ear-shattering way possible.
A brutally aggressive despairing grind, and that's just the bass tone. Buzzsaw guitars slash out churning riffs, dissonant noise, and some surprisingly melodic leads over sledgehammer drum machine parts. It's like a hardcore band replaced their instruments with a construction site and it rules.
RIP Steve. First listen to Big Black, and boy does it take no prisoners. Now I want to go and listen to Songs About Fucking. This feels like a record perfect for the shit heap currently going on in the world today. Raw, industrial, unflinching, good times. I wonder if Shellac sounded anything like this.
I bet all of the 1 star reviews are from Old people that angrily shake their fist whenever they see young people having fun It's a bunch of kids making art in their garage. Does it sound like shit? Kinda, yeah. But that's the charm, and we wouldn't have your favourite band were it not for albums like this
Crystalline rage.
Had to give up 2 tracks in. Too much noise. Was just making me cringe, as it sounded like scraping metal mixed with nails on a chalkboard.
Pretty cool... electronica and metal. Precursor to Prodigy?
Brash, discordant and angry. Some very dark lyrical themes, but I enjoyed it overall, especially Passing Complexion.
Angry but enjoyed
I get it... filthy, nasty, noisy, amazing. Might be one of the first albums that clearly influenced some of my favorites to come after
excellent album, 4,2
4/10
Let’s talk pros and cons of “Atomizer” by Big Black. Pros: I found this album lyrically interesting. Parts of this record feel sort of post-hardcore. There’s an overarching feeling that resonates throughout the album, one of hopelessness and despair, that really hits hard. Cons: 90% of the music on this album is incredibly grating, unenjoyable, and unfun to listen to. Gonna have to pass on this one.
I don't really have a lot to say about this. It's brash and not very good. I can appreciate the ethos of it but I don't really care to listen to it again.
Not really sure what I make of this? On one day I might find it a bombastic blast of frenetic, punky, shouty, snappy rock and on another I might find it nothing more than fucking noise. Three stars for at least polarising my opinion of it instantly.
Favourite songs: Big Money, Stinking Drunk, Kerosene Least favourite songs: Fists of Love, Cables, Passing Complexion 2/5
Definitely abrasive and could not enjoy the voice nor the rhythms. Strage things was pretty good though
A bit too rockin’
This piece of shit has no business being on this list.
Incredible album from the late great Steve Albini. Always a blast listening to this.
- "Hmm...this is a bit abrasive." Proceeds to listen to album straight through four times in 24 hours. Something about the audacity of this sound got its hooks in me...I have no idea how they created some of these sounds. - "Passing Complexion" is surprisingly nuanced in its subject matter? - Wild hearing a well-developed and essentially modern Nine Inch Nails progenitor in 1985.
It’s punk.
не зашло...
This album blew me away! I had never heard of them or any of the tracks on this album. This is right in my wheelhouse! Not an everyday, high-rotation album, but when its on, its on! So aggressive, offensive, musical, noisy, bleak, fucking awesome! Exactly what this challenge is all about!
I don't know if I was just into this because it was the perfect music for fangin' up the highway in my car, or because it just tickled my brain in just the right way. It kind of reminded me a bit of NiN and RATM, I liked (most of) the discordant sounds mixed with a furious pace, sometimes this would be too much noise, but today it was just right.
Nope. Repetitive. Not an instrumental fan. 2/5
The Beats are creative, but as soon as the singing comes in it loses me. Respect what is going on here but not really for me personally
Actually great, I'm surprised I've never heard of them before. Unique sounds, Kerosene is an amazing song.
Fun, but I'm not sure if I'll remember the album. It has random fun bits of aggression, with the "nothing to do? Clearly time to self-immolate". Like the simplicity of the artwork too. It's somewhere in the 3-4/5 range.
Atomizer is up and down, hit and miss, though we've had a lot worse. It has decent energy for a punk album but doesn't go too far with it, which I appreciate. Kerosene and Fists of Love are good songs, Bazooka Joe and Strange Things are smart little Oi! songs, it's fairly tight overall though perhaps longer than some punk records from the same era, I dunno, 3/5 seems fair, I liked more of it than not.
Somewhere between punk and noise rock, I thought it was pretty decent - high energy, short runtime, would've benefitted from being a bit more tuneful but I guess that's not the point of something like this. Won't listen to it again, but definitely happy that I did. 3/5.
Grungy, repetitive, brash,lacks melodeis, but it all works. Really addictive album which grows and grows on you.
Very based band and for that alone it was good. Music was solid
I did not know about Steve Albini's prior life as a punk rock singer/guitarist. I also haven't heard punk with a drum machine. This is ace, though of course crazy and of its time.
Aika heavy. Pidän kannesta ja bändin konseptista, mutta se tuntuu liian taiteelliselta ollakseen aito. Kasarin metallinkilahdukset tekee tästä vähän meluistan kuuloista, märempi soundi voisi tuoda lihaa luiden ympärille.
Kuulostaa ihme kyllä luonnolliselta, ja riffittely sekä punk-vokaalit välittyvät tarttuvina. Uskon, että tutustun aiempaa tarkemmin.
This is SOOO good. This one definitely influenced some of my favorites that came yeeears after this. I love Steve Albini's producer work too. It still sounds modern even today. Low 5 compared to some of my 5 star albums
I thought Big Black was just that asshole rob dyrdek‘s friend. This was fucking great. Praises be to the generator on this day and may it bring me another gift tomorrow.
Never heard of this before and I really dig it. This guitars are pushed so hard. The vocal is good but it needs variation.
Pinkish white zombie
The cover made the album seem like it would be fine but it ended up being terrible. Stay as far away from this heaping pile of crap!
More noise than music
Best een vet album, maar toch niet helemaal voor mij. Wel origineel. Net 4
Before I even found out this was the band of Steve Albini, I really loved this album. Very fun noise rock with heavy elements of industrial and hardcore punk music, with production that’s raw and chaotic yet quite clear.
Raczej dwa na pięć chociaż te ostatnie całkiem fajne kawałki.
A bit noisy for my liking.
Definitely not for me.
Bulldozing mix of punk, noise, and industrial music. Brilliantly brutal double guitar attack with unique tones, heavy clanking bass, while Roland slams programmed drum beats in your face and Albini tells uncomfortable tales over it all. It was fresh in 1986 and still sounds so. Everything about the song Kerosene is brilliant. Wonderful album that reliably kicks you in the nuts and never gets stale. Raw power.
Good stuff but it's a proven fact that drum machines are the devil so ya know.....
A truly punk rock noisy mesh with incredibly distinctive guitar and drums. Just the type of music that makes you want to set everything on fire.
Terrible by choice.
Not my style
Atomizer ist ein wütendes, kompromissloses Album, das nichts beschönigt und nichts zurückhält. Es ist laut, düster und verstörend – ein Muss für Fans von ehrlichem, kraftvollem Noise Rock. Einfach: ein Schlag ins Gesicht, aber auf die beste Art jedoch nichts für mich.
Y'know, could we have the punk rock WITHOUT the heavy breathing? Kinda impressive for the 80s tho
Interesting but not a must listen. It’s a deeper dive. And for me gets dull. But others will love it. And that’s ok.
Well, this record is certainly not for everyone. I love the sound of this record. Steve Albini's ability to put a driving rock sound on tape became legendary, and this record is probably the first early work showing what he could do. I spent most of the 90s playing in a (terrible) industrial band, and we were constantly chasing that sound, especially that big driving bass sound. The sound of this record is massively influential (although admittedly, not to everyone's taste). Albini's lyrics, however, are deliberately unpleasant and provocative. He later apologized for his proto-edgelord stance, but it doesn't really make this much easier to listen to. I confess I have to tune out the words and just listen to the sound. I own this record and it is influential on my tastes, but truth be told I don't play it particularly often. It acts more like a proof of concept for a sound (drum machines and guitars, played in a noisy and straightforward way) that I have copied many times, but don't feel the need to go back to this ur-text often.
Obnoxious punk shite
Never heard this but liked it a lot.
Jarring and uncompromising. Kerosene is a real standout. Didn't know how I was going to feel about a drum machine underpinning the whole thing but actually got better as the album tore on. The guitar sound is on point
I’m not a huge punk guy but I got into this.
I haven't been a fan of really any of the punk albums in this list so I don't have high hopes. Wow the production is absolutely awful on this album, it sounds like it was recorded through a shoe. This is literally horrible. I didn't realize this was Steve Albini's band, for some reason that makes sense. I'm sure he'd say some pretentious nonsense about how this music is about _pushing boundaries_ but it's actually just shit.
Loud and tedious. If I’m in the mood for this sort of thing I’d just listen to The Birthday Party which at least had Nick Cave in it.
I can understand why some people wouldn’t like this, but I think it was in interesting blend of punk and industrial
Maybe in a crowded overheated room full of drunk maniacs.
Not a fan of this one
2.8
Eh, It was ok.
2.5
i feel like it could be more abrasive. still good tho
I liked parts of this, but I feel like the recording itself sounds bad. The drums sound tiny, the guitars sound narrow, and it just sounds distant.
Abrasive, loud and awesome
What was this nonsense?! I am not generally a fan of punk so maybe this is good and I’m not metal enough to get it? I had a hard time distinguishing among the songs as they all appeared to begin with the same painful wall of noise.
Didn't love them but it was cool to hear the link between 70s punk and 80 industrial music! I did actually list to another one of their albums and liked it better.
Bad. Horrible. No good. Awful. Terrible.
Delicious noise. RIP Steve Albini
This is a debatable 5 for me It’s loud, punk, noise but musical and interesting, a little repetitive but not in a bad way
wtf it's just noise
I couldn't finish this...
Kerosene was the best song on this album. It's fun pick-me-up background music.
Really cool
It's fine. I know how influential Steve Albini is and his death is a loss for music production but eh. It's okay. Not really my jam.
LIVE HERE MY WHOLE LIFE
I'm barely a song in and I want to stop. Why is this shite highly rated? It's AWFUL. Maybe I'm old but just no, I never needed to hear this before I die. And the screaming? Why?
Kind of metal, not good.
Super glad I listened to this; won't listen to it again. Important album, but I dislike it as much as I disliked NIN from the get go. Industrial just isn't my thing.
Įdomus experience. Industrinis punk su drum machine, yra tikrai labai įdomių melodijų, tik gan trumpokas albumas su kai kuriom filler vietom. Klausyčiau dar kartą.
Good
Rock with a punk vibe. A bit repetitive at pets but I was jamming the whole way through.
Good punk album - took me a little while to get into it but really enjoyed it by the end.
I’m all in favour of artists using their art to broach difficult and dark subjects, but the opening song about child abuse didn’t feel like they had anything interesting to say on the matter; it felt like an edge lord using the subject to be provocative merely for the sake of it. The rest of the lyrics on the album did nothing to dissuade me of that notion. I found it interesting that they used notched guitar picks though. Well, “interesting” might be too strong a word.
Mercifully brief. Although there was a few bits of instrumental that I didn’t hate. Simpsons: No
I thought it was OK but wouldn't listen again. A few of their other songs came on once the album finished which I thought were better.
I have just listened to this and can't remember a single bit of it.
I just fucking hate punk. With some exceptions. This is not one of them.
Ugh, I’ve no interest in this shouty shit.
Heavy and a bit dark but upbeat
Maybe I enjoyed it? I might have to listen to it a few more times.
I dig this. Pretty approachable punk. The sound quality is kinda poor, sort of like they ran the whole mix through a fuzz box, but some good riffs in there. 3.5/5
I've never listened to this album, although I believe I have listened to a few Big Black tracks before. Steve Albini died earlier this year and I read a few retrospectives on his influence, so I was somewhat primed. This still surprised me a lot, it was twisted and grating and excellent.
Just noise
I can’t relate to the boringness of the midwest making you want to die, but I can empathize
Ahhh that's why I stopped for a year. I remember now. Didn't hate it.
Early grunge listen loud.
this felt like a big punk album; also somewhat like a look into the future, as I can see a lot of the influences that this had well into the grunge and post-hardcore movements. Though not my favorite, it was challenging in a good way and kerosene is fucking littttttt 1. Kerosene 2. Bad houses 3. Fists of love
3.5 aggressive industrial post punk. "There's kerosene around there's something to do"
Great example of how to combine abrasive elements with catchy and accessible rock music. For the heavy amount of noise used it still sounds great.
Terrible album. Calling it noise is an insult to noise. I thought a 1 star was too harsh, but after a little more contemplation, this is a 1 star album. I really hope there isn’t another Big Black album on this list.
Tough listen
3/5
Set me on fire! Kerosene! Not much more to say.
Tons of noise, could've been the day for me but I didn't find much here. Happy not to listen to it again.
I did not care for this. I wasn't in a great mood and this was not what I needed to hear. Not sure if I ever need to. Enjoy it.
No
I didn't really like the first song much, but as I listened to the album, it continued to grow on me; by the time it ended I was really into it.
“Kerosene” was a banger, but I wasn’t feeling this on the whole.
Now we're talking! Gives me hope that Bad Brains is on here.
This was a challenging album. It just missed being an enjoyable album for my ears, but I could see many of the parts that would influence a lot of artists I do like and found the mix of industrial and punk curious and original. Just a little too rough for my tastes. I will always revere Steve Albini for his production work with the Pixies, Nirvana, etc. even if this wasn't my particular cup of tea.
Cool noise
Sekavaa meteliä. En tiedä kuinka vannoutunut pitää olla punkki-maailmaan, että tästä voi aidosti digailla? Ehdottomasti negatiivinen kokemus.
Alkuun vaikutti todella raskaalta kuunneltavalta ja joutui jotain skippaamaankin, mut loppua kohden otti kehitysaskelia parempaan suuntaan, niin säästyi totaalihaukuilta
Lots of noises. Some of it very unpleasant. Also some very strange subject matter. Hard pass.
Vreselijk, heb het afgezet.
No thank you. Just noise. Completely unnecessary inclusion. 1⭐️
Strange noizes, still fun
Enjoyed
Some good tracks, some not so good tracks
it was okay, I want to check more of their work
muito bom
Not really my thing.
Knew it before but never really checked it out, and idk why tbh. Pretty solid album.
Just noise - tough listen, I don't really get why people enjoy this sort of thing
pas mon style non plus lol
5/5. From the get go, I did not want to like this but it's hard to deny the excellent instrumentation throughout this one. It's heavy, and can be loud just to be loud, but considering the lyrical content, it's no where near as abrasive as it should be. The bass is a constant pressure to keep your attention present, just banging down on that like it's a drum. It's hard to find any really bad song on here. The vocals are loud and angry but even still, it doesn't feel weird, like I can tell they don't actually feel what they are singing. It's kind of funny how crazy some of these lyrics are that it's hard to take seriously, which is probably the point. Best Song: Fists of Love, Kerosene, Jordan - Minnesota
Nice
Interesting sound, I might have to try again
man…i would have dug this immensely as a teenager. i would have loved listening to “kerosene” and being miserable on purpose. as an adult it’s pretty good even if i can’t help but find it a little silly in its melodramatic edginess (see: violent femmes). love the blistering guitars tho. fav tracks: big money; kerosene; bad houses
no thoughts head empty on this one. i didn't mind it but it was a little harder sound than i usually go for
Not for me. 1
I would not listen again but I would not not listen again
Just alot of noise
Angsty and unfiltered but not unlistenable. Felt a bit like dollar store Rage Against The Machine at times. Had some catchy guitar riffs sprinkled in throughout. "Kerosene" is a really good track. Other standout is "Bazooka Joe".
This one is a surprising I think blind spot for me having never listened to the band previously. And that’s to my detriment because this album rules.
I think the was sitting somewhere between the impossible 3.5 and a four for me. Could never give it a three because it’s far too influential for things that came later. Great guitar tones, great drum machine programming. Best track - Passing Complexion
garbage
This reminds me of Talking Heads, if they were actually an electro/80s punk band. The production is raw and in your fucking face, I dig it. I’d give five stars but I’m wondering whether the drums could have been better served by an acoustic drummer, instead of electronic
This washed over me.
Nope, screaming and screeching for 40 minutes with no redeeming qualities for me. 1* I thought the album had one song that didn't suck, but my music player had actually moved on to sonic youth.
Two stinkers in a row, this one sounds like grunge alternative. The bass kind of overshadows everything else. It's not British but I think I'd be biased if I didn't also give this 1 star. It doesn't make me as mad as yesterdays album, but I'm still made at the wasted inclusion.
Not quite punk, but a noise adjancency. Not really my cup of tea but still a couple songs I enjoyed. Favorite tracks: Stinking Drunk, Passing Complexion. Album art: Really like this one, a nice cartoon/comic style drawing of big evil machine and some matches to light the fuse, to "atomize" the Earth. Seems like something out of Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry. The art style and colors are awesome. 2.5/5
Not really my thing, but didnt mind it.
Boring and repetitive
-I liked this more than I thought I would. Not a huge fan of all the instrumentals but the vocals and lyrics fuck hard. Definitely better enjoyed as a cohesive album experience since some of the songs blend together but gave me some decent appreciation for a genre I’m not crazy about -Favorites are Passing Complexion and Stinking Drunk
Take my stars, Steve
oh, hell to the fucking yes. i still remember the first time i heard them, driving around in my friend's primer-gray shitty convertible in new england winter, freezing our asses off and hoping the aftermarket stereo didn't eat the tapes. kerosene was an instant favorite then, about...uhhh...37 years ago now, i think? anyway, i used to play it on my radio show all the time - it was great, pulling that heavy-ass vinyl out of its sleeve, every time hoping some other jackass hadn't scratched it...eventually, i realized i was the only jackass playing it, so from then on i had only myself to blame. so, for a long time i only knew steve from big black - didn't realize he'd started engineering until sometime in the 90s, by which point it was awfully nice to hear his name again. and wouldn't ya know it, the way i learned about any of it was when a friend showed me a specific page on his studio site, hating on a specific mic (the Shure SM57, as i recall). he was basically saying, look, this mic is shit, but so many people love it i more or less have to keep it around. it's here, but for the love of potato chips, just please don't use it. and y'know, that's really beautiful.
sorry not sorry. this goes hard for 1986 or w/e
Very rough early sounding punk. Noise based back when noise was a statement. Intense, but not really interesting
#369. It's weird, but I can dig it. 3/5: decent. Song added to playlist: Kerosene I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Proto-noise rock. Such an influential sound they pioneered. And I love the drum machine giving it an early industrial feel.
I heard it before. Didn't like it then. I wasn't ready for it. I liked it better this time. Kind of a missing link between Husker Du and Ministry or something. Favorite song: Passing Complexion.
Terrible. There's just no circumstance where I would want or enjoy listening to something this hardcore personally. If it had more character (e.g., Ministry) maybe. But I just couldn't find anything enticing about this.
This is some dumb-fucking meathead perverted shit here. The amazing and opinionated Steve Albini (RIP) produced more than anyone's share of music. I appreciated some of the records he oversaw but I never got into any of his own bands. Except maybe Shellac. Listening to Atomizer all the way thru for the first time was difficult. The second time it was easier, and the third time it was fine. I'm no Albini sympathizer but I believe that as you grow older, you develop self-awareness, understanding and take responsibility for your past. I also believe that if everyone was an angel, there would be no forward momentum in the world. And, with nothing to provoke thought or action, we would stagnate. The world simultaneously needs a hero and an enemy. Somehow Steve Albini was both of that. I lifted the following passage from NPR: "...in The Guardian, he reflected on the ugliness of past sins: "I can't defend any of it," he said. "It was all coming from a privileged position of someone who would never have to suffer any of the hatred that's embodied in any of that language." Albini didn't want to be excused from any role he played; he wanted to own up to his faults, and to tell anyone who respected him — or used to — why he was wrong." As far as Big Black and Atomizer go, it was just the right amount of abrasive filth to keep me from wanting more.
Big Black is the musical origin story of legendary producer (sorry, “sound engineer”) and legendary edgelord Steve Albini. While Albini may deserve much credit for his role in the studio with the Pixies, Nirvana, and many others, he doesn’t deserve much forgiveness for being such a prick. He may have apologized and attempted to take responsibility later in life, but it’s not doing it for me. "A lot of things I said and did from an ignorant position of comfort and privilege are clearly awful and I regret them," Albini said. He excused his constant misogyny, homophobia, and racism in lyrics and articles with a weird justification that at the time he thought it was ok because those problems of bigotry were already solved. He was so sheltered he actually thought that!? And then thought that because sexism and racism had been fixed it was ok to “jokingly” and “satirically” be sexist and racist? What a tool. The kind of tool who would name his second band after a super offensive satirical manga called “Rapeman.” American culture has shifted so much since Albini’s youth. He would have been cancelled several times over today, while Andrew Tate rushed to his defense and asked why people can’t take a joke. Some of Big Black is obnoxiously unlistenable. Some, like “Bad Houses,” fleetingly captures something that could be interesting. You get hints of where the guy who helped unleash “Surfer Rosa” and “In Utero” came from.
The sound is mostly grating; however, some of the music is decent to rage out to. I’d typically go for something like Eminem or Marilyn Manson for a rage sesh. But the part of this that I appreciate, which isn’t much, is that. 🤘
Very good
As a girl who was raised by the Providence punk scene, which was a weird amalgamation of Boston Hardcore and RISD, I’m a sucker for noise punk. While I gave Songs About Fucking a spin as a teen, I never really did a deep dive into Albini’s other work, not even with Big Black. And that’s a real shame, because Atomizer is a fucking phenomenal record. It’s full of rage, spite, and disgust, really taking the vileness of masculinity and pointing the gun inward thanks to a healthy dose of deadpan delivery and violent noise, accomplished both sonically and vocally, somehow. This is a classic because of the guitar work, funky bass lines, and stunning vocal howls, but then I consider the unique addition of a drum machine, and my mind is blown to pieces, even today. It’s not a “fun” listen and I’m not going to be spinning this every day– mainly because that would probably wreck my mental health as a trans woman – but its value is clear as day, and I can point to a hundred bands I used to adore who wouldn’t have existed without Atomizer. But that’s showing my bias for this type of noise punk, so maybe I’m in the minority here.
Moments of something amazing drowned by shit
I liked it
sounded like noise, couldn't hear the whole thing
Kind of lost me in the middle when it gets more industrial tinged. They brought it back toward the end though
Punkrock mit viel Geschrei und Krach aber einigen musikalischen Ansätzen und Akzenten. Nicht zum Wiederhören vorgesehen aber auch kein absoluter Trash.
This is just noise and screaming. In a good way.
Too noisy punk. Stand-out: Bazooka Joe
Noise. no. Just. No.
Sept. 19, 2024 More punk lezzgo. Yep I like this a lot; less punk imo and more industrial which is also what the wiki suggests. This is exactly what I've been into lately-loud, intense, aggressive, angry. Scratches that itch for me. Apparently some of the lyrics are ehh where he's tried to over justify what he says, but I can barely understand what he's singing, so I'm rating for the vibe in the end. V enjoyable, and my first 5/5
This was a kick ass punk album! Lots of songs reminded me of another song I had heard in the past, in all sorts of genres. Listen again:yes Purchase for my collection: probably Favourite Song: Fists of Love
Жутковатый панк-рок... Но для середины 80-ых звук безумно необычный. Напоминает чем-то советские подпольные записи по качеству за счёт необычного электронного звучания. Музыка не моя, но равнодушной не оставляет.
Kerosene was funny
i feel as though i probably could’ve died without hearing this one. i appreciate it as a political and social message, but i found the music pretty dire. asides a couple of redeeming songs - kerosene for one - it was a weird jumble of sounds. if that kind of experimentative music appeals to you, then this is perfect, but this was a bit too far for me.
If y’all can rate pop 1 star bc you’re misogynistic I can rate this 1 star
Punk album from 1985
I think I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to listen to this one but I recognise its worth…
Siento que me gusta más el "Songs About Fucking", la verdá
I appreciate this more than I truly like it. I know it’s supposed to be harsh but it’s not my jam. 3/5
These guitars are beyond jangly, they are fried, and for some reason, this sound has a relaxing, ASMR-like quality. The repetitive post-punk lyrics enhance this effect, allowing you to get lost in the sound instead of trying to follow the textual progression. The vibes are both emo and party, which is great.
Love punk, but had never listened to this band. Know Albini from his work with other groups.
Anger management might have helped these guys.
Brutal, bleak and probably essential.
Shit
The music is alright. Fast paced and lively punk. Lyrics are hard to comprehend and all sound the same.
Cutting music
These are not love songs...
I had such high hopes too
To be honest, the Village Voice review quoted on the Wiki link summarises this better than I could: "...its creators deserve credit for finding each other and making their obsession real". And R.I.P. Steve Albini.
1.5
нойз - но не мц
Punk music made by Trent Reznor is what it sounds like. This was pretty terrible.
god, Albini was a great producer but Big black are awful
Ah so this is a Steve Albini band is it? That gives some context to an otherwise unfamiliar album. It’s certainly punk / noise rock in spirit but distinguishes itself from the more tedious aspects of those genres by featuring some pretty cool and interesting guitar riffs, such as on Passing Complexion. Plus, the vocals on Kerosene sound like an early template for Zach de la Rocha/RatM. I dig it.
The best song on the album is about how the guy is bored so he sets things on fire. Honestly this isn't really my thing, but I get the appeal. It's super noisy and industrial, the sound is strong. The lyrics are intense and dark, but are pretty tight and pack a punch. It's not wildly different than like Sonic Youth, but something about it just doesn't work quite as well for me. This is Steve Albini's band, and he would end up becoming much more famous for his work as a recording engineer. He passed away a few months ago and, while I don't love this particular album, I'm glad I heard it and appreciate his contribution to the music world. Favorite song: Kerosene Other: Passing Complexion, Stinking Drunk 8/21/24
On first listen I really enjoyed this, but the second listen didn't age this as well.
dark. like joy division dark.
One of the more surprising albums on this list. Far more abrasive than the music I enjoy. I don't like Noise Rock or Industrial. However the production is extremely impressive and it's mor creative than most screams albums. Not one I will listen to often, but glad I heard it
I was not expecting this to be good. I feel like this is the band that every basement show I saw in college wanted to be. loud and angry but with this drone like beat that drives every song. it's incredible. If I heard this at 15 I probably would be way more into noise/punk music. I want to give it a 5 for what could have been, but I'll be honest. I probably won;t listen to this again until I try to get my kid into noise music.
This album makes me want to fight someone
Big Black > Sonic Youth
Big Black got a unique take on post-hardcore and noise rock and that's why they're so cool. Now I just to throw a brick in the window of a corporate building.
never heard of this group - punky sound, decent effort
Decent but couldn’t latch onto anything
⬅️ LET’S GO.
Kind of lame edgelord metal
Interesting more than good per se. Heard some touches that remind of in utero an albini adjacent work I'm much more familiar with. Drum machine really works with what they are doing.
Too abrasive for me but some decent songs. Low 2.
Couldn't really get into it.
After Albini's recent passing, I made sure to throw his classic Big Black albums onto my 'to-listen-to' list - so I'm glad to see this album here. More than anything, I love all the sounds and noises on this album. They all sound so cool - a coolness only amplified by their sheer abrasiveness and character. You're not just getting walls of noise and distortion here, you're also getting these shimmering harmonics that cut through the mixes which is what makes this album stand out - that subtle layer of melody and even beauty at times. The electrifying gnawing of the industrial groove on 'Passing Complexion' is so mind-blowingly ahead of its time - how does a guitar sound like that? 'Kerosene' sounds like a deconstructed club banger that would be released decades later, the way the defined melodies manage to squeeze through the layers of crashing and clanging is incredible. The use of drum machines all over this album hammers home that industrial sound - it's something beyond punk. The bass is also so garbled, muddy, and incoherent, yet it works wonders in carving out its space in these cluttered mixes, especially on a track like 'Cables'. While vocally not too special, Albini's lyrics (and corresponding liner notes) are tortured - digging into the depths of human suffering to formulate these repetitive, yet impactful hooks. One need look no further than the troubled opener 'Jordan, Minnesota' to know exactly what they're getting into. While not every track resonated with me, I was in awe no matter what direction this album went in. It defies the ideas of punk and even noise-rock. What a blast and unlike anything I've ever heard - it really does feel like an atomic bomb going off in your ears the entire time.
no no thank you no inoffensive but no 35/100
This is so good. I’ve only listened to sporadic songs before, but am a huge fan of Albini’s production work.
It went down a lot smoother the second time. Really cool that you can hear it’s influence on a lot of great albums that come right after this. Rating: 4.3
New to me, and I was wondering why this never really made it over to the UK until I gave it a listen. There were just so many more interesting things going on in the mid 80s than this. Couple moments I liked - Kerosene gets somewhere good about half way through - but there's nothing I want to come back.
Not My style
Sounds like Fugazi. RAW. Like it. Clearly Mr Albini. Is it an album I'd like to listen to end-to-end often? Probably not. But I'd put it on as background music. Glad I heard this one.
What a very interesting record. It’s crude, thought provoking, and wonderfully produced. It’s no wonder they had the same producer behind Nirvana and Pixies. In fact, this whole record seems like a lead up to the grunge revival and Nirvanas debut. I listen to Nirvanas records ritually, so that only shines positively on the album. Still, I like how Nirvana and other grunge bands polished up the sound more, as points in this album could do with a bit more time mixing, but that’s probably the point so what do I know. This album also seems like it’s taking ideas from early Led Zepplin albums and dialing them up ten fold. It’s very abrasive, yet it catches your attention. Pretty good collection of songs.
Bra melodier o riffs annors lite motbjudande för mig.
This surprised the fuck out of me. Stellar.
Is was ok
Albums like this are why I started this process. I would have never found this myself.
It's pretty good. I probably would like it more if I had gotten into it way back when I was first discovering punk. I don't know why I didn't get into them but I didn't.
Not bad
I can't think of any situation where I'd ever want to listen to this loud, abrasive noise.
An okay album, I liked Bad Houses and Strange Things.
Fast, provocative, Flurry of fuzzy punk riffs And alluring noise
that was intriguing.... so much genre mixed together. Sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't. Poorly recorded but was it the point ? Anyway 2 stars
Ahead of its time in its full-on industrial attitude, and way better than NIN (more tuneful) but one struggles to take this seriously (the pedophiliac lyrics a little buried in the noise), but "Kerosene" is also pretty intense. Rounding up because Steve Albini's recent passing.
Holy shit this fucking rips. Highlights: being atomized
One of the many Steve Albini contributions to this list. I will surely miss the guy. The album is one big explosion of sound and energy.
потеряла способность запоминать альбомы)) жесть. этот слишком панк и тяжёлый, две моих любимых вещи (но работала под него спокойно, не отвлекалась)
Luke a big fan of this! And some of them really slapped i thought. Passing Complexion was great. The more shoe gazey I ones hit better for me. Wasn't blown away as a whole thing though. Wish I could do 3.5
This was cool, really enjoyed it. You can heard so many influences of later west coast punk in this. Must have had a big influence on Tim Armstrong because it sounds a lot like Rancid and Transplants in places.
Abrasive and bleak. Loved it.
I thought this was going to be about Bugs Bunny. I was wrong.
Very interesting. Full punk energy with cool sounds. Wait a minute, I recognise those drums at the start of Stinking Drunk...
The general fuzz noise from this album is great from start to finish. I can definitely hear how this might have influenced early NIN, Nirvana, and a few other bands (that I know of). Shame I never heard this band until now.
I liked this, but then generally I like a lot of different styles of music and have a soft spot for industrial and harder rock. This fits the bill. I didn't give it five stars because there wasn't enough variety but I did like it quite a bit.
Loud and abrasive and I quite liked it.
If you want proper psychodelic punk, then this is definitely it.
Good noise. Angry and loud. Almost too much so, but good for the right mood.