Big Black “The Hammer Party” 1986. Homestead Records. A re-release of Big Black’s first two EP’s: Side 1 is from “Lungs” (1982) and Side 2 is from “Bulldozer” (1983).

Steve Albini’s (along with members of Naked Raygun) industrial/post-punk project is hard, heavy, dark and confrontational. Stark and relentless drum-machine beats, steel-y metal (the substance, not the musical style) guitar*, harsh vocals as if through a tin can with obvious influences of bands like Killing Joke, PiL and the Cure.

The run-off groove on Side A has a little, and rather adorable, Batman logo scribble.

*So after I wrote that, I started reading a bit about the sound of Big Black on-line and sure enough Albini created his “signature “clanky” sound by using metal guitar picks notched with sheet metal clips; the notch causing the pick to hit each string twice, creating the effect of two simultaneous guitar picks.”