Big'nEnd Comes Too Soon
Description
Bigʼn was, is and always shall be a legacy noise rock band from Chicago (est. 1990) comprised of — vocalist William Akins, guitarist Todd Johnson, bassist Fred Popolo, and drummer Brian Wnukowski — your favorite drunk uncles that refuse to leave the party.
End Comes Too Soon is their newest album and first in 28 years. It was recorded by Shane Hochstetler at Chicago’s Electrical Audio in two separate sessions, which took place in March 2023 and April 2024.
Unintentionally — yet cleverly — Side A ended up being recorded in Studio A, and Side B in Studio B.
Also completely unintentional is the album title. Tragically, on May 7, 2024, Steve Albini suddenly passed away of a heart attack. Naturally, Bigʼn were shocked and devastated. End Comes Too Soonʼs title comes from a lyric, and is unrelated to Albini; still, the album became a roundabout love letter to the man, his studio, and his legacy.
It’s all still here as present and disciplined as ever — Brianʼs powerful, reliably precise drumming with melodic phrasing that shapes the songs, Fredʼs metallic superstructure of a bass that builds the defined framework of the music, Toddʼs clangorous guitar that has more harmonic content than a lot of his noisier peers, and William Akinsʼ yarling vocals, the most recognizably human thing about the band, that convey layers of tension and intent, all the emotional content of a hellbound therapy session.
Electrical Audio is famous for slugging out music with maximum heft, clarity, and dynamism — and End Comes Too Soon is a beacon of this aesthetic and makes it abundantly clear that Bigʼnʼs ferocity has not been dimmed one iota.
End Comes Too Soon is the third record in our Standard Releases series and can be purchased in both Standard and Deluxe editions.
Seventy copies of the album were briefly available on a Limited Edition basis, housed in a Type-1 aluminum packaging with [Red] print in lieu of black. This edition is currently Sold Out.
— The album was mastered by Carl Saff in June 2024 at Saff Mastering, Chicago, Illinois.
— Lacquers were cut by Ruy Mariné at Dubplates Berlin in June 2024.
— The entire album design was created by Brian Wnukowski.
Preorder
Notes —— Please read carefully before placing your preorder.
— Deluxe + Digital
— Standard + Digital
— Lossless M4A
— MP3 (320kbps)
Attributes
End Comes Too Soon is offered in three forms:
— Standard Edition: LP 180g HQ — Audiophile quality pressing, running at 33rpm, inside a 6mm spine gatefold cover with matte finish.
— Deluxe Edition: LP 180g HQ — Audiophile quality pressing, running at 33rpm, inside a 6mm spine gatefold cover with matte finish housed in tactile Type-2 aluminum packaging alongside a massive double-sided poster.
— MP3 (320kbps) and Lossless M4A digital files for download.
Data
Release Type
Standard
Formats
Vinyl — M4A — MP3
Catalog Number
CS010 — CS010-B
Barcodes
Standard — 3700604759201
Deluxe — 3700604759218
Limited — [Sold Out]
Packaging
Standard — Gatefold
Deluxe — Type-2
Limited — Type-1 [Sold Out]
Release Date
November 15, 2024
Tracklisting
Side A — 15:58:08
XMSN-17
South of Loathsome
Them Wolves
XMSN-24
Dead Ahead
XMSN-32
Bison
Side B — 18:56:38
XMSN-40
Arkansas Death Cult
Piss Poor
XMSN-44
End Transmission
To Hell With the Sun
XMSN-48
Capsized
Total Time
34:54:46
Timegraph
Vinyl Image
Structural Notes
— Side A tracks recorded and mixed by Shane Hochstetler in March 2023 at Electrical Audio [studio A], Chicago, Illinois, USA.
— Side B tracks recorded and mixed by Shane Hochstetler in April 2024 at Electrical Audio [studio B], Chicago, Illinois, USA.
— Like its predecessors, the album is structured by snippets of musical interludes or Transmissions — and there are six here, under the common code “XMSN.”