Headache

Includes the "Heartbeat" single.
A noisier affair than Atomizer, the four-song Headache EP was accompanied by a band-written sticker warning that it's not as good as the preceding LP. This is an accurate assessment -- the subject matter isn't as gripping, and Steve Albini resorts mainly to grumbling and accosting. However, Headache isn't a forgettable part of Big Black's catalog. "Ready Men" and "Grinder" are satisfyingly ornery, and the noise-fest of "My Disco" isn't far behind. The initial pressing in a small quantity came in a polyvinyl sleeve, which covered the up-close depiction of a self-inflicted shotgun blast to the head. Now that would qualify as a headache. ~ Andy Kellman