Big Black
Before Shellac, before the studio, before everything, Albini had Big Black. A drum machine and a guitar that sounded like a power tool and lyrics that made people physically uncomfortable. Atomizer and Songs About Fucking basically wrote the rulebook for noise rock and then Albini burned the rulebook because rules are for suckers. They broke up on purpose at their peak. On PURPOSE. That's the most punk thing anyone has ever done.
People
The man. Guitarist, engineer, professional thorn in the industry's side. Big Black, Rapeman, Shellac. Recorded Surfer Rosa, In Utero, and about a thousand underground records at Electrical Audio. Never took royalties because he thinks that's stealing. Loves poker and hates your favorite band's production. The most principled human in rock music.
Big Black's guitarist and a practicing attorney. Brought serrated, abrasive riffs to Atomizer and Headache, then left before Songs About Fucking to go be a lawyer full-time. The rare guy who could shred your eardrums and then represent you in court.
Big Black's bassist on their most essential records. Provided the low-end rumble underneath Albini's guitar attack and that merciless drum machine. Atomizer and Songs About Fucking both have his fingerprints all over them.
Played bass in Big Black's earliest days before moving on. Better known as the frontman of Naked Raygun, one of Chicago's finest punk bands. The guy was everywhere in that early-80s Chicago scene.
