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, Atkins took up drumming at an early age and soon displayed a notable proficiency. His first break came when he joined John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols band, Public Image Ltd. Like most of Lydon's musical partners, Atkins left P.I.L. under a cloud and concentrated on his new venture, the industrial collective Pigface. Throughout the '80s and early '90s, Atkins played with a large number of bands, including Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and Killing Joke. After leaving the latter in 1992, he formed Murder Inc., inviting members of Killing Joke and Ministry 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, Atkins has put most of his efforts into maintaining Pigface and Invisible Records, occasionally joining other bands on a temporary basis. His most significant recent project, the Damage Manual, involved contributions from Jah Wobble, Killing Joke's Geordie, and Chris Connelly. An EP and an eponymous album were released to critical acclaim, but the individual members returned to other things soon afterwards. ~ Jim Harper, All Music Guide