(Original publication date unknown)

I had a slight anger management problem when I was much younger. It was probably rooted in a mix of teenage hormones and issues I’ve since taken care of. Even then, it took a ton to set me off, since I’m naturally an easygoing person. But when it happened, I would sometimes lose control and do stupid things. Nothing major; maybe I’d break a barely functional TV remote by smacking it on my palm. It was only that sort of thing; I’ve never in my life hit another person. To this day, if I do get angry, there’s only a few bands I can stomach listening to. Two that come to mind are Killing Joke (metal phase only) and Big Black.

Big Black was the first major band by now-legendary musician/producer/character Steve Albini. Big Black were formed in Evanston, Illinois, and were together from 1981 to 1987. Steve Albini wrote songs about sociopaths committing abhorrent acts, stuff most people couldn’t even write about without feeling physically sick.

The band wanted to capture the attitude of nihilistic Midwest American youths, and as someone who grew up adjacent to that culture, I knew people who could’ve been characters in any Big Black song. I don’t think many people realize just how psychotic certain regional demographics in America are. You can drive just a few miles out from civilized society and find yourself in a recreation of Mad Max. It’s really fucking bad in some places. Hell, did you know about a third of America is literally arid or semi-arid? With climate change, estimates could rise to about half of its landmass. It’s savage, man.

As representatives of those people, Big Black went out of their way to be abrasive and extreme, freely writing songs about taboo subjects such as racism, rape, and murder. These were sometimes from the side of the perpetrator and without any remorse. It’s undeniably deranged, and people always give me funny looks whenever I mention enjoying Big Black’s lyrics. Or so I assume, because I’ve only ever brought Big Black up on the internet…

I find Big Black’s music cathartic, but certainly not because I identify with or derive vicarious pleasure from their songs’ maniacal characters. Rather, I’m amused by what they represent: uninhibited expression. No human being alive hasn’t had days where they want to scream their lungs out over something, but are unable to acceptably do so in their environment. Bottling up anger causes it to fester and release in more directly harmful ways, so some way of managing that stress is necessary to remain functional in society. While there are healthier long-term coping mechanisms, the need to release physical anger is so universally understood that a market has emerged for “rage rooms” where people can isolate themselves in a safe environment to smash objects and shout their heads off.

To an extent, people who don’t acknowledge their anger are more frightening than those who embrace it, because at least the latter aren’t lying. Big Black weren’t afraid of what people thought of what they said or how they acted, and if you dared tell them what they could or couldn’t say, you’d just get an even bigger “fuck you” echoed right back at you. They were a wall. A wall lined with spikes, mind.

Every day we have to interact with other people. But society has rules and a general code of conduct, and violating them is generally not at all worth it and usually will come back to bite you. There are so many things you want to say to people who piss you off, but you have to bite your tongue because the repercussions aren’t worth it. When listening to Big Black, it’s like you really did tell them to fuck off, because you’re the shit and everything rolls right off of you, so the repercussions don’t exist.

Even without their controversial themes, Big Black are still a universally energizing and kickass band. Steve Albini and Santiago Durango’s clanging, grinding guitars sound more like heavy rusty machinery, and the rhythmic pulse of the percussion sounds like the main assembly line in a factory. Big Black are the most “industrial” rock band there ever was in the literal sense of the word, but are not actually associated with the industrial rock genre because they lack the electronic instrumentation and processed sound of bands like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. Sill, Big Black are high voltage, and you better step the fuck back.

Through their career, Big Black released two albums and five EPs. The debut EP, Lungs, is mostly Steve Albini by himself. It’s nothing amazing, but the dark lyrics and threatening vocals are still there along with the noisy guitars and mechanical beats. It’s actually pretty phenomenal how close Steve Albini came to Big Black’s distinctive sound on their first release, and how he reached it with their second, Bulldozer.

Bulldozer is a significant step up from Lungs, featuring more traditionally structured rock songs dependent on catchy beats and guitar riffs. Cables is one of the band’s best songs. Texas is perhaps the funniest, and it should make it clear to anyone that the band does have a strong sense of humor. After Bulldozer came Racer-X, yet another EP. Strangely, this EP sounds like a devolution in the band’s sound. Racer-X sounds like it should have come between the more industrial Lungs and more catchy noise rock of Bulldozer.

Amidst a slew of EPs and singles, the band released their only two studio albums. Atomizer is echoing and oppressive, truly sounding like one giant machine. Songs About Fucking sees the band master the combination of their mechanical sound and pop rock songwriting and features their catchiest hooks to date, although Atomizer has some more interesting guitar tones and sounds at some points. I prefer Songs About Fucking‘s aggressive chainsaw riff fest, but Atomizer isn’t too far behind.

Also, you know what? I probably should’ve punched more gigantic assholes when I was a teenager.

Release Ranking: Songs About Fucking > Atomizer > Bulldozer > Racer-X > Headache > Lungs > Heartbeat

Top Five Songs: “Colombian Necktie,” “L Dopa,” “Bad Penny,” “Bazooka Joe,” “Bad Houses”

Collector’s Notes:

• There are four Big Black songs not available on any albums or EPs. These songs and their locations are:
  
  “Il Duce” (Il Duce single, 1985 [Also available on the It’s Toasted compilation in a superior CD source, 1992])
  “Rema Rema” (Rema Rema single, 1985)
  “Hunter’s Safety” (Rema Rema single, 1985)
  “In My House” (In My House single, 1992)
• Big Black have a few compilations that make collecting their material easier. The Hammer Party compiles the Lungs and Bulldozer EPs, with the CD versions also including the Racer-X EP.
  
  The Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape compiles Atomizer (with the exception of “Strange Things”), and the Heartbeat and Headache EPs. I highly recommend getting these compilations, as all of the songs sound much better coming from a CD source rather than vinyl.
  
  “Strange Things” has no CD source, so you’ll just have to rip that track from the original Atomizer vinyl and ideally combine it with the rip from The Rich Man’s Eight Track Tape for the best-sounding, complete version of Atomizer.