"The band cannot sign to another label or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens"

This quote by Steve Albini is referring to the legal responsibilities of a band to a document label. It indicates that a band is bound to a record tag and can not sign to another label or launch their own material unless they are released from their contract. This is a hard process as record labels are not most likely to launch a band from their arrangement, as it would indicate they would certainly no longer have control over the band's songs. This quote highlights the power inequality in between record tags as well as bands, and how challenging it can be for a band to escape from a label and also pursue their own music. It likewise serves as a warning to bands to be familiar with the legal obligations they are signing up for when they sign with a document label.