Undue Noise
01/17/09, 11:16 AM
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Record Label: Nothing Records
Release Date: March 8, 1994
Fourteen years after its release, The Downward Spiral remains every bit as wonderful to listen to. With the surprise radio hit of “Closer” contributing to the album’s multi-million selling numbers, The Downward Spiral is a visceral, haunting concept album, telling the story of a man’s descent into despair and depravity, modeled on Trent Reznor, the sole member of Nine Inch Nails.
This despair is evident from the beginning, with the album opening with “Mr. Self Destruct,” a song that displays Reznor’s trademark whisper/scream vocal dynamic throughout, before segueing into the bass-heavy “Piggy,” with an almost chant like refrain of “nothing can stop me now / ‘cause I don't care anymore.” The bleakness of life that The Downward Spiral presents is shown through tales of self-loathing and sexual deviancy, subjects that have fueled many of Nine Inch Nails’ greatest songs, including the infamous “Closer.” An MTV hit that has become greatly misconstrued as a song simply about sex, it is the embodiment of the escapism and nihilistic tendencies that are present in every second of this album.
The textured soundscapes that Reznor creates help to form an experience that every listener longs for with an album; the music sounds insurmountably huge, with the vocals emerging from layers of distorted sounds and blank noise ambience, shown most prominently on “Eraser.” While the album may be almost entirely desolate, the way Reznor crafts the songs with unflinching honesty and sonic precision make it such a pleasure to hear. On multiple listens, a new sound is picked up each time, or a lyric might have a different meaning than what you first thought.
The spectacle ends with album closer “Hurt.” While Johnny Cash’s version of this classic has breathed new life into the song, “Hurt” remains every bit a Nine Inch Nails song. Poignantly beautiful, this low key song pervades an excruciating loneliness through every note, lyric and chord. The simplicity of the chord structure and vocal melody, with Reznor’s softly spoken words invading your consciousness, combines to produce the most heartfelt songs on the album, full of isolation and desolation. As Reznor softly sings: “everyone I know goes away in the end,” The Downward Spiral cements it’s reputation as the one of the bleakest album to go multi-platinum.
The Downward Spiral is an album that is loved by many and liked by few. There is hardly any middle ground when dealing with nefarious encounters (“Reptile”) and Nietzsche-esque rampages (“Heresy”), channeling an anger and frustration that is matched by few. In a current mainstream music climate that marvels over marketed, auto-tuned remakes of something you’ve already heard, it’s albums like The Downward Spiral that make the ultimate, necessary connection with the listener, through being honest and uncompromising. If the descent of human nature is anything like Reznor has depicted it on The Downward Spiral, at least it will sound as good as this.
1. Mr. Self Destruct
2. Piggy
3. Heresy
4. March Of The pigs
5. Closer
6. Ruiner
7. The Becoming
8. I Do Not Want This
9. Big Man With A Gun
10. A Warm Place
11. Eraser
12. Reptile
13. The Downward Spiral
14. Hurt
www.nin.com (http://www.nin.com)
www.myspace.com/nin (http://www.myspace.com/nin)
Record Label: Nothing Records
Release Date: March 8, 1994
Fourteen years after its release, The Downward Spiral remains every bit as wonderful to listen to. With the surprise radio hit of “Closer” contributing to the album’s multi-million selling numbers, The Downward Spiral is a visceral, haunting concept album, telling the story of a man’s descent into despair and depravity, modeled on Trent Reznor, the sole member of Nine Inch Nails.
This despair is evident from the beginning, with the album opening with “Mr. Self Destruct,” a song that displays Reznor’s trademark whisper/scream vocal dynamic throughout, before segueing into the bass-heavy “Piggy,” with an almost chant like refrain of “nothing can stop me now / ‘cause I don't care anymore.” The bleakness of life that The Downward Spiral presents is shown through tales of self-loathing and sexual deviancy, subjects that have fueled many of Nine Inch Nails’ greatest songs, including the infamous “Closer.” An MTV hit that has become greatly misconstrued as a song simply about sex, it is the embodiment of the escapism and nihilistic tendencies that are present in every second of this album.
The textured soundscapes that Reznor creates help to form an experience that every listener longs for with an album; the music sounds insurmountably huge, with the vocals emerging from layers of distorted sounds and blank noise ambience, shown most prominently on “Eraser.” While the album may be almost entirely desolate, the way Reznor crafts the songs with unflinching honesty and sonic precision make it such a pleasure to hear. On multiple listens, a new sound is picked up each time, or a lyric might have a different meaning than what you first thought.
The spectacle ends with album closer “Hurt.” While Johnny Cash’s version of this classic has breathed new life into the song, “Hurt” remains every bit a Nine Inch Nails song. Poignantly beautiful, this low key song pervades an excruciating loneliness through every note, lyric and chord. The simplicity of the chord structure and vocal melody, with Reznor’s softly spoken words invading your consciousness, combines to produce the most heartfelt songs on the album, full of isolation and desolation. As Reznor softly sings: “everyone I know goes away in the end,” The Downward Spiral cements it’s reputation as the one of the bleakest album to go multi-platinum.
The Downward Spiral is an album that is loved by many and liked by few. There is hardly any middle ground when dealing with nefarious encounters (“Reptile”) and Nietzsche-esque rampages (“Heresy”), channeling an anger and frustration that is matched by few. In a current mainstream music climate that marvels over marketed, auto-tuned remakes of something you’ve already heard, it’s albums like The Downward Spiral that make the ultimate, necessary connection with the listener, through being honest and uncompromising. If the descent of human nature is anything like Reznor has depicted it on The Downward Spiral, at least it will sound as good as this.
1. Mr. Self Destruct
2. Piggy
3. Heresy
4. March Of The pigs
5. Closer
6. Ruiner
7. The Becoming
8. I Do Not Want This
9. Big Man With A Gun
10. A Warm Place
11. Eraser
12. Reptile
13. The Downward Spiral
14. Hurt
www.nin.com (http://www.nin.com)
www.myspace.com/nin (http://www.myspace.com/nin)