Big Black, Shellac frontman, Steve Albini dead at 61

Steve Albini, a force to be reckoned within the musical sphere, passed away at 61.

Variety reported on Wednesday, May 8, that the founder, owner and principal engineer at Electrical Audio has died due to a heart attack, Taylor Hales, who worked at the recording studio complex in Chicago, confirmed.

The legendary record producer has been a frontman for rock bands Big Black and Shellac.

Albini first rose to prominence in the early 1980s when he leads the Chicago-based trio known for strong guitar-based rock, working with a drum machine rather than a live drummer, which was not common during that time.

In addition, in the early 1990s, Albini formed a new band named Shellac. With five studio albums under their belts, Shellac was gearing up for a tour later this year to promote their sixth full-length album, To All Trains, which was set to release on May 17.

Their first-ever LP in over a decade will be released on May 17.

Additionally, Albini also worked with acts such as the Breeders, Slint, Helmet, the Jesus Lizard, Jon Spencer, the Dirty Three and even former Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant on their 1998 album Walking Into Clarksdale.