Shellac's fifth album could be with us shortly, according to the band's frontman, production maestro Steve Albini.

Albini confirmed that the band had finished an album, which features eight to ten tracks that Shellac had been working on and playing live over the last seven years, earlier this year. In an in-depth interview, to appear on the Quietus soon, Albini added a bit more, saying: "Test pressings are in and we're working on the cover artwork. I can't give you a firm, hard and fast date for when it will be in the stores, but it's underway."

Responding to a question about listening to his own music, Albini also says: "Shellac has finished a new album this year and so in the last six months I've been listening to that stuff kind of a lot. Partly analytically, to see if we've made all the right steps in the mix, to see if there's anything we need to do in mastering. Now that the mastering's done, just listening to it, to see if there's anything in the mastering that needs to be improved. Once the test pressings are in you listen to the test pressings to listen for manufacturing problems - then I'd be surprised if I put the record on much after that for the rest of my life."

Stay tuned to the site for the interview, which covers the 25th anniversary of Rapeman's Two Nuns And A Pack Mule album, as well as, among other things, Big Black, the possibility of a Texas Hold 'Em challenge with Steve Davis and why Nutter Butters remain his number one choice of biscuit.