Photo Credit: Daniel Bergeron
Famed underground rock outfit, Shellac have broken their 10-year studio silence by dropping their sixth LP To All Trains via Touch & Go Records, in what’s probably the archetypal punk fashion – no singles, no advance copies, no specific tour dates. For most artists and promoters, this is just marketing – but in the eyes of outspoken frontman and recording engineer Steve Albini, “marketing is maybe my most hated thing on earth. Like, fascism is up there, but marketing is right behind, you know?” 10 days before release, Shellac of North America was “still” comprised by yours truly on main vocals and guitars, Bob Weston on bass and trade-off vocals, and Todd Trainer on drums. Since then, a heart attack took Albini away from us at age 61. Coincidentally, the band’s catalogue became available again on music streaming services for the first time in years.
Where the trio has operated without caveats and bona-fide mystique for over 30 years now, this album is bound to be seen by many in a different light given the tragic circumstances surrounding it – surely Albini would be equally amused and annoyed by such a marketing scheme. Nevertheless, there’s no BS when it comes to Albini’s music, and if you’ve followed him and the bands he produced long enough, you almost know what to expect by now. Against any sentimental judgment, To All Trains is not to be treated any different. This thing fits 10 tracks in 28 minutes with music that is as clearly and eloquently stated as the title that represents it.
Opener WSOD (acronym for World Series of Dick-Sucking) starts with the now-signature Shellac guitar twang and throws it against a descending melodic motif before we’re introduced to the snipe half-screaming/half-spoken Albini vocal line, critiquing the fumbled “art” of supplication. Girl from Outside is a sarcastic ode to the art of karaoke with its triplet feel carrying the listener beat-by-beat, as if you’re trying to catch up on your next line on the prompter. Influences from the Minutemen have always been present in Shellac‘s music, but they are particularly evident in the groove-driven Chick New Wave, the sharp pauses of Days Are Dogs, and the pro-labour anthem Scabby the Rat, which feels like a more humorous/less anxious counterpart to West Germany from Double Nickels on the Dime.
As with all good minimalism, the changes here are subtle thus making the highlights nuanced. Shellac’s photorealist recording approach and compositions with ample silence allow for appreciation of details like cymbal decay and snare drum ring. In fact, Trainer is likely the album’s standout performer, with his artful, robust, and musical drum solos across many of the open spaces. A perfect example being the backbeat on Tattoos which feels like it’s teetering on the brink of falling on its face, making it increasingly challenging to land on the one as the song progresses. And yet, it holds up against the shrill guitars and booming bassline which complement Albini’s off-kilter preaching about the consequences of our actions. Centre-piece Wednesday carries that sentiment forward in an introspective, almost foreboding conclusion.
Scrappers, a live staple for many years, makes a bombastic studio appearance with its swing-driven attitude stomping along as if a degenerate punk band took time to learn its trade. In the eye of the beholder, Shellac’s lyrics remain cryptic, making it amusing to interpret the Weston-sung How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (Cock & Bull) as a delayed response to the Fall’s late leader Mark E. Smith, who playfully mocked Albini on 50-Year-Old Man from Imperial Wax Solvent. Album closer I Don’t Fear Hell reads as a middle-finger anthem for a man who did things his own way, where Albini sings with a sense of resigned humour, “Something something something when this is over/Leap in my grave like the arms of a lover/And if there’s a heaven, I hope they’re havin’ fun, cause if there’s a hell I’m gonna know everyone.” And yet, this album is not overshadowed by death; it merely stands as another testament to how someone chose to live their life.
To All Trains concludes the band’s journey and serves as a fitting epitaph; it’s as exemplary as any of the trio’s records that came before it. Shellac’s influence will resonate in noise-rock groups like Chat Pile, Metz, KEN Mode, Whores, and Couch Slut. Weston will likely continue mastering many of your favourite records, and some of your favourite new drummers might read with Trainer. Most importantly, Albini’s unwavering commitment to high-quality audio, fair working conditions, and DIY principles will remain an inspiration, even as the economics of “indie rock” become increasingly challenging for both new and veteran bands. This may be a sad song, but it’s far from over.
9/10
Standout Tracks: Chick New Wave, Scrappers, I Don’t Fear Hell
For fans of: The Jesus Lizard, Fugazi, Slint
Written by: Dimitris Vasileias
