And with that, Steve Albini, Bob Weston, and Todd Trainer proceed to play some of the most dark, fantastic noise rock ever put to record. "1000 Hurts" is the third album by Shellac, a Chicago-based group featuring, most notably, the guitarist/vocalist/producer Steve Albini (formerly of Big Black). This album is, in my opinion, Shellac's best work: they abandon their longer songs, focusing their energy into tightly contained tracks, practically bursting with tension.
This album likes to straddle noise rock and more traditional styles of rock very uncomfortably. It's primal, but intellectual. It's catchy, but noisy and harsh. It's signature style comes from this dichotomy. When the skeletal beat of "Mama Gina" kicks off, most listeners would be bored, but there's a great sense of anticipation; mostly because the band spent the last two tracks beating the shit out of you. It's a style that has been copied a lot since the release of this album, but its roots are firmly in this group.
If you like Albini's recording style (no bullshit, no frills, very little overdubbing), this album has it in prime form. From the heavy thud of the bass to the scraping guitar tone, this album is intent on showing you just how fucking angry these guys can be with the minimal amount of interference.
I should mention that this is Shellac's darkest album to date. Occasionally they'll bust out their sense of humor, but the humor here is pitch black. It focuses on disenchantment in relationships and in life, leaving brief respite from the assault.
This album also has one of the best songs of all time on it. "Prayer to God", which opens this record, is an absolutely amazing track. The crunching guitars scream out sharp, odd chords with a simple, violent drum beat. The bass only amplifies the violence. I'm not going to spoil the lyrical content, but Jesus Christ, Albini holds nothing back. By the time the last repetition comes around, the simple statement sung is not a request but an order, and from the way he sounds, you'd be insane to not follow his directions.
If you're not convinced yet, the title of this album is a pun. 1,000 hertz, "1000 Hurts".
This thing is fucking brutal. It's fantastic, weird, violent, and important. Link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6qNb3m-SOI - ("Canaveral")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0jw5qBgUuo - ("Prayer to God")
http://tinyurl.com/jmknxnx (MEGA)
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