It was a dream that the band members shared. Neither they nor anyone else suspected that it had come true just in time.

Scrunchies, one of the Twin Cities’ noisiest and most infectious rock acts in recent years – featuring members of previous sensational groups such as Kitten Forever and Bruise Violet – is now one of the last bands in the world to record an album under the direction of legendary studio wizard Steve Albini.

Drummer Danielle Cusack recalls: “Probably from the first time we met, Laura and I always said, ‘Oh, I love that Nirvana album, I love that PJ Harvey album, I love his values ​​and what he stands for.'”

“We had been talking about him for so long that it felt like we had to earn the collaboration with him,” added Cusack’s bandmate, singer/guitarist Laura Larson.

“I’m glad we finally made it.”

Albini, known for directing Nirvana’s Minnesota-produced swan song LP, In Utero, as well as other groundbreaking records by Harvey, the Pixies, the Breeders, the Jesus Lizard, Duluth’s Low and other underground favorites, brought Scrunchies to his Chicago studio, Electrical Audio, for five days to record with him last October.

The resulting album, aptly titled “Colossal,” is out this week via Learning Curve Records with a release party on Saturday at the Turf Club, 10 months after it was recorded and four months after Albini died of a heart attack at the age of 61.

“Colossal” is undeniably an Albini-style record: beautifully buzzing and stabbing guitar parts, vocals that come from the gut and grab the listener by the throat, and drums so loud and heavy you can almost feel the drummer’s blisters on your own hands.