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Big Black

Musical Group
Forfans of noise rock, post-hardcore, and the chicago underground; curious listeners into drum‑machine‑driven punk.
10 Reviews 11 Definitions 11 Charts
Noise-Rock Noise Old School Hardcore

The Profile

Big Black was an American noise-rock band formed in 1981 in the Chicago area by Steve Albini. Known for abrasive guitars, stark lyrics, and a rigid drum machine, they released two seminal albums—Atomizer (1986) and Songs About Fucking (1987)—before disbanding in 1987.

Core members included Steve Albini (guitar/vocals), Santiago Durango (guitar), Jeff Pezzati (early bass), and Dave Riley (later bass). Their work appeared on Touch and Go Records and is frequently cited for its influence on noise rock, post-hardcore, and industrial-influenced punk.

Reviews portray Big Black as a ferocious, innovative noise/post-hardcore outfit anchored by Steve Albini’s guitar, stark lyrics, and an unforgiving drum machine. Atomizer and Songs About Fucking dominate praise, with highlights like Kerosene and the Kraftwerk cover The Model. Early EPs (Lungs, Racer X) showcase the band’s formative brutality. The overall verdict: abrasive, influential, and essential.

Notable Quotes

❝ One of the masterpieces of the 80s.
❝ The Big Black were an old Steve Albini band.
❝ The relentless drum machine seems to match the beats of my heart,
❝ Even Kraftwerk must have had a good laugh hearing the cover of their "THE MODEL" redone in an underground-noise-hardcore style.
❝ Steve Albini is a genius, one of the best composers of the post-war period,
❝ First official single by Big Black, year 1985.
❝ Steve Albini's Big Black is not a band for "hits" or "greatest hits".
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