Rapeman was an American rock music group founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1990. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Personnel were:

• Steve Albini (formerly of Big Black) on guitar and vocals
• David Wm. Sims (formerly of Scratch Acid) on bass
• Rey Washam (formerly of Scratch Acid and BIg Boys) on drums

In an interview, Albini reported that "Rapeman is the title character in a Japanese comic book that I had come across through a friend of mine. The comic book is just a total mind-bender. There's a whole genre of comics in Japan, rape stories where women are raped in really graphic detail for whatever reason, and it's an amazing thing that this is just an accepted part of their sort of normal popular culture."[1] Albini and Washam became "sort of obsessed" with the comic, and named their new group after the titular antihero. Steve Albini (born July 22, 1962, Missoula, Montana) is an influential guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist, former member of the bands Big Black and Rapeman, and current member of Shellac. ... Big Black was one of the most influential noise rock bands of the 1980s. ... The classical guitar typically has 3 nylon and 3 nickel-wound strings. ... David William Sims is a bass guitar player. ... Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas noise rock group formed in 1982. ... Image:Fender vintage precision bass. ... Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas noise rock group formed in 1982. ... The Big Boys were a pioneering band who are credited with helping introduce the new style of hardcore punk that became popular in the 1980s. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Rurouni Kenshin manga, volume 1 (English version) Manga (漫画) is the Japanese word for cartoons (not necessarily animated, this includes print cartoons); outside of Japan, it usually refers specifically to Japanese comics. ... In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ...

Rapeman's performances would often be the target of protestors, who felt that the band was mocking or even encouraging rape and violence against women. Albini has described such criticisms as idiotic, arguing that punk culture is generally very sympathetic to feminism. Punk culture as it is seen today started in the mid 1970s as a movement or rebellion against some styles of music which existed at the time such as Prog Rock and Heavy Metal whose stars were seen as out of touch with their fans. ... Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements, and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerning the experiences of women, especially in terms of their social, political, and economic situation. ...

The playing style at times was reminiscent of more traditional noise punk (as on "Up Beat"), at other times cranky art-rock (as on "Monobrow"), their sound gave centre stage to the virtuoso guitar capability of Albini.

The band broke up for personal reasons; not, as has been rumoured, over a dispute relating to their name. Albini went on to form Shellac, Sims founded The Jesus Lizard. Shellac is a minimalist post-punk noise rock band featuring Steve Albini (guitar/vocals), Bob Weston (bass/vocals) and Todd Trainer (drums). ... The Jesus Lizard was a rock music group formed in 1987 in Chicago, Illinois. ...

Discography

(all released on Touch and Go Records in the US, Blast First! in the UK and AuGoGo in Australia unless otherwise indicated) Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which began life in 1979 in East Lansing, Michigan as a magazine put out by Tesco Vee. ...

• "Hated Chinee b/w Marmoset" 7"
• "Budd" EP
• "Two Nuns And A Pack Mule" LP
• "Inki's Butt Crack b/w Song Number One" (Sub Pop Singles Club 7")