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To All Trains Image
Metascore
85

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The sixth full-length studio release from Chicago rock trio Shellac is the final album with Steve Albini, who passed away in May 2024.
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  • Record Label: Touch & Go
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Noise-Rock
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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. May 20, 2024
    90
    Shellac, across 28 minutes of beat-em-up mutant rock, are on fire here, the six-legged noise beast dependable as ever. ‘To All Trains’ showcases a rock band who get every single thing about being a rock band absolutely correct.
  2. May 20, 2024
    84
    While the music doesn’t go above and beyond what we’ve heard from them already, the quality remains steadfast, making To All Trains one of the sharpest entries in their discography.
  3. May 28, 2024
    83
    Albini, drummer Todd Trainer, and bassist Bob Weston lock in together one last time—a wiry whirlwind of concision, all jokes and referents (including a wink to the late Mark E. Smith of the Fall) and honed dynamics on their leanest LP, at 28 minutes.
  4. May 22, 2024
    81
    At a lean 28 minutes, it’s their shortest and most instantly rewardable—no instrumentals and none of the longform post-rock indulgences of 1998’s Terraform or 2007’s Excellent Italian Greyhound.
  5. May 20, 2024
    80
    To All Trains is almost certainly the final Shellac album, but it isn't a maudlin curtain call. It's a document of a happily uncompromising band living out their vision and loving their art, and on that level, it's as good a place as any to appreciate their (and his) singular brilliance. And it rocks.
  6. May 20, 2024
    80
    To All Trains captures the nexus of serious/not serious that Shellac made their métier. .... To All Trains might not be Shellac’s defining statement (sadly, that was every time they performed live) but with its snarling lyrics and crisp sound, the record certainly meets the Albinic ideal.
  7. May 23, 2024
    80
    This one is a masterclass in delivering musical precision with an undercarriage of scuzz and tension. The likes of Tattoos and Days Are Dogs retain the minimalist vision that has coursed through Shellac since their earliest releases.