Atomizer Review

Released: Jan 01, 1986
Genre: Post-hardcore / Noise rock
Label: Touch and Go Records, Blast First
Number Of Tracks: 10
It is their debut album as all previous releases are EPs. The LP is accompanied by liner notes that explain the stories behind many of the songs. The album reached number 197 in the Billboard Hot 200 charts.

Sound:	10
Lyrics:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.3
Reviewer rating:	10
Users rating:	8.6
Votes:	18

overall: 10

Reviewed by: heroinkyle, on april 17, 2009

Sound: The sound produced by Big Black was extremely unique and has not been duplicated by any band since. With the heavy noisy chords created by Steve Albini and Santiago Durango on guitar, acompanied by Dave Riley's thick heavy bass lines, and of coursed backed by their Drum Machine Roland (yes they named their drum machine after it's Manufacturer)Big Black were a truly unique and original group. // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The intense lyrical subjects of these songs fit's the vibe while listening to the music perfectly. Jordan Minnesota for example the albums opener, discusses the town's history with Child sex rings. With lines like "This will stay with you until you die" and "Stay with me my five year old... Play hide and seek" the band doesnt't cross a line but rather go into depth about a subject so dark no one else would touch with a 10 foot pole. Other songs subjects include the boredom of living in a small town for too long with "Kerosene."

A crazed veteran named Joe coming back from war in "Bazooka Joe." And violent sex acts and violent acts in general with "Fists Of Love." All songs are of subjects not covered by many other artists and if they are there is no way they could have been covered the same way Big Black covered them. And deffinately couldnt have been sung with the ever intense cat-being-ran-over like singing of Steve Albini. // 10

Impression: Like I said before, Big Black was an original band. I have never heard anything like this before and 20 years after it's release it still sounds like nothing else out there. There is absolutely no flaw on this record. Song after song catches you with something original not liek the previous tune. The band themselves said it best on their third EP "Racer X" which was released only a short while before Atomizer. The very last sentence of that recording's liner notes reads "The next one's gonna make you shit your pants." // 10

Comments

[goo94]

Amazing Band!

[xBLITZKRIEGx]

>"This will stay with you until you die"
>"Stay with me my five year old... Play hide and seek"
>touch with a 10 foot pole.

oh i see what you did there.

[STFU_Nao]

YES. YEESSS!

[FUT55]

itd be cool if you attached a link please

[noisewall11]

i don't get why some people hate on noise rock, it is literally one of the only "genres" out there which the bands just don't have images for themselves, it's all about the music. oh yeah, and it's always original, most of the bands don't have two songs or albums for that matter that sound the same. oh yeah, and big black and sonic youth are the only noise bands even on here for reviews, couldn't believe that.

[cool_man]

Any ideas on how to get the "Kerosene" guitar tone? I know the Albini is an advocate of the Harmonic Percolator but I'm not really finding that it does the trick.