554. Big Black - Atomizer (1986 !!!)





















Track Listing

1. Jordan, Minnesota
2. Passing Complexion
3. Big Money
4. Kerosene
5. Bad Houses
6. Fists of Love
7. Stinking Drunk
8. Bazooka Joe
9. Strange Things
10. Cables

Review

In the midst of all these albums from 1985 the book makes a cock-up again and puts a 1986 album on the list. And they even write 1986 on the entry... where are the editors? That's what I'd like to know.

That said it is a great album, sounding like some mix between punk sensibility and noise rock/ industrial, Big Black gives us some of the most original music to come out of the punk scene. It sounds like nothing before it, but like plenty after it.

The lyrics are very much in the tradition of other hardcore punk bands of the milieu. Just look at Kerosene, about boredom and having nothing to do and being saved by kerosene which might provide some fun. This is, however surrounded by the most menacing industrial sounding noise which also makes the track pretty cool. That track is heads above the other ones, but it is still a pretty great album.

Track Highlights

1. Kerosene
2. Cables
3. Bazooka Joe
4. Jordan Minnesota

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

It was released on CD, with the Headache EP and "Heartbeat" single, as The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape, which omitted the instrumental "Strange Things", as well as the artwork and liner notes from the original LP. This is in line with Steve Albini's general dislike for the CD format.

Kerosene... what geeks: