Martin Atkins

Since appearing on the scene in 1980, English-born Martin Atkins has become one of the leading lights of the world of industrial metal. His label, Invisible Records, has been home to some of the most important acts of the genre. Born on August 3, 1959, in Coventry, England, <a href="spotify:artist:4dZrt8Ong5t7YYpvbfp0RU">Atkins</a> took up drumming at an early age and soon displayed a notable proficiency. His first break came when he joined John Lydon's post-<a href="spotify:artist:1u7kkVrr14iBvrpYnZILJR">Sex Pistols</a> band, <a href="spotify:artist:70MMkLXtue3Edj3RJhJkYp">Public Image Ltd.</a> Like most of Lydon's musical partners, <a href="spotify:artist:4dZrt8Ong5t7YYpvbfp0RU">Atkins</a> left P.I.L. under a cloud and concentrated on his new venture, the industrial collective <a href="spotify:artist:64mGp5QFpsekCRHe6RqDYz">Pigface</a>. Throughout the '80s and early '90s, <a href="spotify:artist:4dZrt8Ong5t7YYpvbfp0RU">Atkins</a> played with a large number of bands, including <a href="spotify:artist:1DXylZlWbVvlckNqwvjTEt">Ministry</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0X380XXQSNBYuleKzav5UO">Nine Inch Nails</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0Zy4ncr8h1jd7Nzr9946fD">Killing Joke</a>. After leaving the latter in 1992, he formed Murder Inc., inviting members of <a href="spotify:artist:0Zy4ncr8h1jd7Nzr9946fD">Killing Joke</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1DXylZlWbVvlckNqwvjTEt">Ministry</a> to join him. As usual, Murder Inc. proved to be a short-lived affair, producing just a single album and a handful of live shows before folding. Since then, <a href="spotify:artist:4dZrt8Ong5t7YYpvbfp0RU">Atkins</a> has put most of his efforts into maintaining <a href="spotify:artist:64mGp5QFpsekCRHe6RqDYz">Pigface</a> and Invisible Records, occasionally joining other bands on a temporary basis. His most significant recent project, <a href="spotify:artist:6gX3bKHMF4z9NY4FjBmnkK">the Damage Manual</a>, involved contributions from <a href="spotify:artist:5jhqwsWfRaETrWPWI0Rc7u">Jah Wobble</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0Zy4ncr8h1jd7Nzr9946fD">Killing Joke</a>'s Geordie, and <a href="spotify:artist:4IZgjF9Cb5w0gQTUOYSCQK">Chris Connelly</a>. An EP and an eponymous album were released to critical acclaim, but the individual members returned to other things soon afterwards. ~ Jim Harper, Rovi