Shellac – At Action Park

One of the major influences on the bands featured here (if not every other college band in the US) was Big Black from Chicago, Illinois. Steve Albini formed the band in 1982 and disbanded it in 1987. He then put his guitar on the sidelines for some time to instead became one of the most sought-after sound engineers (he rejected the word producer) on the planet. In 1992, he formed a new band with Bob Weston (bass) and Todd Trainer (drums): Shellac. Small outfit, minimal rock, odd rhythms, fat grooves. If you didn’t understand math rock until then, you will with their 1994 debut »At Action Park«. The album begins with what seems like a slipped slide of the plectrum over the strings (see Polvo). Then bass and drums. Then guitar. Everything perfectly arranged. Not a note too many. A masterpiece.