Review: Not the Actual Events

Not the Actual Events

Nine Inch Nails

2016

The trend seems to be that whenever an artist makes a comeback, they release something of a substantial length. A full-blown comeback tour, a full-length album, or some crazy shit like that. Trent Reznor doesn't always follow trends. As such, the nth return of Nine Inch Nails wasn't one of deafening fanfare but more of an abrupt howl from out of nowhere. One could argue that the release of Not the Actual Events was brought about by public outcry and pressure for Trent to deliver on his promise that there would be new Nine Inch Nails material before the end of 2016. One could also argue that Trent released it when it was damn good and ready and this is where my review starts.

There was a great deal of speculation and (for want of a better term) controversy regarding the release of Not the Actual Events. Trent said in December of 2015 that there would be Nine Inch Nails material in 2016 which prompted fans to wait patiently as weeks and months rolled by without as much as a word or tease or hint of anything. It wasn't til the last 10 days of December of 2016 that Trent made good on his promise... sort of.

Not the Actual Events is... choppy. It really feels like it was rushed and cobbled together from bits and pieces rather than tied together with care and the fury of previous releases. I'm all for fury, choppiness but I often hold others to higher standards than myself. To get a furious release by NIN is great but to get an incohesive release by anyone really, is kind of a letdown. There are exceptions if the product is interesting as a whole but that's not really the case here.

"Branches/Bones" starts with what I still feel is a rushed drum beat, like "Oh shit, we're releasing this when?!" So as a result of that, I see it as rushed and indicative of the rest of the EP from the start, which I'll admit isn't a fair assessment but it's hard for me to see what makes this particular song NIN. Just feels like an odd song, really.

"Dear World," carries a similar vibe but feels more fleshed out and as a result, more cohesive and complete. Like an indicator of what Trent was listening to from the old days as he was working on the EP. Not to say that it's a fantastic song but it's definitely a start.

I've never been one for droning songs but "She's Gone Away" is something of an exception. It's an interesting drone but still a drone and as such, just fades into the background.

"The Idea of You" was probably the most interesting/engaging song for me on the EP which harkens back to With Teeth but not enough to convince me that it was left off that album for some undisclosed reason. It carries some of that fury that I've always liked on NIN material so that already gives it points despite feeling somewhat disconnected from the rest of the EP. Although one could argue that it's that reason that makes it so interesting and worthy of more listens.

"Burning Bright (Field on Fire)" is another drone song only made memorable by the chorus. This one stands out though from the rest of the album because it feels meta. As if Trent was recognized that this would be something of a divisive release. It throws a bit of everything at the listener: the droning, sonic fury, only some of Trent's savage poetry, and that feeling of "Get used to this" (Break through the surface and breathe (this new air).

This really is a divisive recording. After several listens, you can recognize that it tries new things to a certain extent, plays with the standards and expectations of "Nine Inch Nails" but doesn't always do them successfully but also doesn't rely on nostalgia or "Nine Inch Nails". Not the Actual Events feels more like the first signs of something different and bigger but these first steps are shaky at best.

The last major Nine Inch Nails release was Hesitation Marks in 2013 (if you don't count Remix 2014 EP, in 2014 if you hadn't already guessed). What followed was a lengthy tour and a hunger for more material. Trent Reznor remained active in different areas but when it came to Nine Inch Nails- the project that put him on the map, he was pretty silent. 

Was the wait worth it? Hard to say really. It all boils down to opinion and preference, all propped up by varying degrees of fanaticism and eagerness. For me, I think (because I was hoping for a full-length album) Trent should have focused more on Nine Inch Nails throughout 2016 to release that "something" we were all hoping for, or delayed the release til 2017 after having added to it thus providing what would have ultimately become a disjointed and erratic but still somewhat cohesive LP.

Not the Actual Events has its moments but they are pretty scarce, a fact made more obvious on an EP but these scarce moments would definitely stand out and be received glowingly on an LP. 

7/10

NIN is back (for 2014)!

I meant to have this posted on March 15, 2014 but somehow got sidetracked and forgot about it until now. Oops.

No, this is not a repost. Nine Inch Nails are on a North American tour this summer.

My wallet will once again take a serious beating but it'll be worth it! My wallet has in fact taken a serious beating, due in part to purchasing my tickets to see NINE INCH NAILS (and Soundgarden)!

---

I cannot contain my excitement as this opportunity is mine and I have been able to grasp it on my own terms, for the part. I say for the most part because the opportunity provided by the first pre-sale totally sucked and left me with a bewildered look on my face and a feeling of discontent as I was unable to get tickets because the system kept fucking with me: made me wait in the waiting room twice and by the time I managed to get free of the waiting room dance, everything was either being held or had been bought but I wasn't informed of either.

But I was afforded another opportunity, which went my way, the following day. Of course, I got my tickets with decent seats at a rate which I feel is still fair and in no way a fucking rip-off. Seriously, no hints of sarcasm.

At present, I am aware but unfamiliar with Soundgarden. I know Chris Cornell covered "Billie Jean" and performed the song for Casino Royale but beyond those two things, I'm not totally familiar with them.

Or Death Grips.

The following things will probably happen:
• I will lose my voice in about an hour
• I will bruise my palms again
• I will look on in puzzlement as Death Grips perform
• I will have a lot of fun

Review: Hesitation Marks

Hesitation Marks
Nine Inch Nails
2013

Nine Inch Nails is back.

This is a phrase that has been repeated often since Trent Reznor announced the return of Nine Inch Nails to the touring circuit earlier in the year. Generally speaking, with a tour comes a new album and this is where my review starts.

2013 presents the end of that self-imposed touring exile that Trent declared a few years ago. In retrospect, it wasn't that pretty long gap from touring we expected but it was still painful in some ways. Everyone bitched and moaned about the (temporary) end of touring but ultimately accepted it. And we were all mollified as Trent gave us the scores to The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And some people really dig How to Destroy Angels. I personally can't get into them but that's because my brain is still wired in a way that connects "Trent Reznor" to "Nine Inch Nails." Anything else just doesn't truly register unless the mix is intriguing but that's another story for another time.

2013 also represents a standard gap in the Nine Inch Nails discography because 5 years is the average wait time between albums. So the wait is really nothing new. As is the content on Hesitation Marks.

Now, when I say this I don't mean he just copied and pasted everything so it sounds exactly like the older albums. What I mean is that it's a return to form that perfectly calls back early NIN while still being fresh (though admittedly this is due to the fact that we've all been craving more NIN material for years now and the hunger for it became more savage when it was announced that a new album would be released).

Hesitation Marks covers a nice range of what we've come to expect from NIN despite covering old ground thematically. Again, this isn't really a bad thing because it's always good to be understood and Trent always does a great job putting into words what your savage snarls and cries cannot communicate clearly. And despite repetitions in themes- Trent has always done this but he's always done it in a way that continues to be fresh and keeps it from being stale. It isn't just slight tweaks here and there to get by on technicalities, it's always doing something different to the envelope and surprising you with the result.

Musically, Hesitation Marks could fit almost anywhere. It could easily sound like a follow-up or even predecessor to most albums in terms of structure and tone, among other things. Hesitation Marks harkens back to previous albums with: the seething, snarling, danceable nature of Pretty Hate Machine; the cohesive, articulate, and concentrated fury of that old friend who understands you (The Downward Spiral); the unleashing of the intrinsic animality achieved by stripping structures down to more base elements (With Teeth), the tasteful balance of catchiness and bleakness (The Slip); and haunting atmospheric presentation (Ghosts I-IV).

Hesitation Marks represents a great blend of what makes Nine Inch Nails a unique musical entity.

I realize how much I'm hyping up the album but after repeated listens, this is exactly what it is to me. Now, you could dismiss my claims as me just being excited about the concert for which I already purchased my tickets to, or the fact that I've been anticipating new Nine Inch Nails material (and tour) for a while, and you could be right but if that were the case, this review would have ended with that last bit above.

And as you can gather, this is not the case and there is more to say.

While Hesitation Marks does indeed do a good job of tastefully treading older ground, it doesn't do so without flaws. Shades of The Fragile are still found in that some songs do feel like they run longer than they should and as such falter in the creation of a haunting atmospheric experience. They feel like they're just repeating themselves at points, or that they should have ended maybe a minute ago. This creates a degree of tediousness. It also carries traces of Year Zero. Now, I liked that album but the detachment from "standard NIN" is what makes it something of an odd duck with me. As such, there is something about Hesitation Marks that carries that at times makes the album feels detached and less personal. This could probably have something to do with the tracks that often feel like they should have ended sooner and unfortunately teeter on that line that divides running time into "juuuust riiiight" and "shoulda trimmed it down."

When all is said and done, Hesitation Marks is a damn fine album and without a doubt declares

Nine Inch Nails is back.

9/10

Review: The Slip

The Slip

Nine Inch Nails

2008

I am biased when I say that 2008 was a good year for Nine Inch Nails, from my perspective at least. Touring, 2 albums within the span of 2 y- hold the phone! 3 albums within the span of 2 years and this is where my review starts.

2008 was indeed a good year for Nine Inch Nails. But an even better year for fans. Instead of being treated to a routine wait period of at least 5 years, the waits were considerably shorter: With Teeth was released in 2005 and people were shocked by Year Zero in 2007 and even more surprised by Ghosts I-IV in 2008. Imagine their faces when a few months later they got The Slip, for free!

Get it? Trent gave people The Slip! Ha!

Joking aside, I was just as shocked by such a release schedule. Granted, it's been done before but for someone like Trent Reznor to deliver material so frequently was almost unheard of. What makes things more interesting is that The Slip was written and recorded in three weeks and still stands head and shoulders with the rest of the Nine Inch Nails discography because it blends in quite well with the rest of the Nine Inch Nails discography. The themes frequently covered are present (though one can argue that there is a change of sorts, or at the very least the approach has shifted through the lyrics) and the fact that the production was basically rushed only enhances that which Trent Reznor articulates so goddamn well every time (angst, anger, tension, among other things). Letting You, Discipline, and 1,000,000 to name a few. (The latter two I remember very clearly as being played live in 2008 during a concert for the Lights in the Sky tour because I had to stop myself from shrieking like an excited schoolgirl, as they opened the show.)

The music on The Slip tends to vary from "standard NIN" to "Year Zero level NIN" to more "'casual listener'* friendly NIN". That's to say: while Trent maintains his violent poetic delivery of eloquent snarling, he still manages to create something that can serve as an introduction for anyone who wants to check out Nine Inch Nails but is turned off by a few seconds of anything preceding a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Hurt Myself Today to See If I Still Feel" and "I Want to Fuck You Like an Animal", and of course "Will You Bite the Hand that Feeds You". The Slip is catchy as fuck, while still maintaining a bleak and haunting atmosphere for the listener when it counts: Lights in the Sky.

Regarding that bit of facetiousness above: face it. Some people are like that and are unwilling to dive into something if it appears more bleak than beautiful because they'll focus too much on the bleak and "he keeps saying fuck over and over", rather than simply accepting that this form of expression speaks volumes and resonates with a ton of people, and for that reason IS beautiful. Bleak is beautiful sometimes, friend.

By that same vein, The Slip is an album that only proves some people are fucking geniuses. The album straddles a fine line on which the music shifts stylistically to appear to belong to a different album and band altogether but make you think they're ripping off Trent Reznor. Along that same line, you recognize elements in style and delivery from previous albums (though not right away on the first listen). By that, I mean, The Slip slips in (Jesus, did I really write that?) over time to deliver a satisfying listening experience that snarls "This is Nine Inch Nails."

*I couldn't think of a term that wasn't "full of foot in mouth."

8/10

Review: Ghosts I-IV

Ghosts I-IV

Nine Inch Nails

2008

It was a few weeks before September of 2008 when I listened to Ghosts I-IV for the first time. It was probably late at night, as is often the case with the things I do. I'm just more of a night person, especially these days but that's not the point. The point is that I first listened to Ghosts I-IV sometime in late 2008 at night and this is where my review starts.

When one thinks "Nine Inch Nails", a lot of things come to mind. One of the few things that don't come to mind is "an instrumental album." That being said, it's interesting to listen to Ghosts I-IV for that reason alone. It's not exactly what you'd expect from Trent Reznor but that's by no means a bad thing. In fact, it's in many ways a good thing as it expands his range and audience. More people listening to Nine Inch Nails is always a good thing. More people listening to any band is often a good thing, despite what hipster and music snobs may tell you.

I tend to think of Ghosts I-IV as more of a venture into quieter Nine Inch Nails territory rather than a radical departure. If anything, the listener can make the listening experience more or less of what Reznor may have intended. The energy is still there only in a different exploration of what one has come to expect from the name Nine Inch Nails. By energy, of course, I mean the sonic elements that we've come to expect that have always spoken for us what we can't articulate. You can still hear the ferocity and ire simmering, the only difference is you don't have Trent Reznor snarling something bizarrely poetic this time around. He lets the instruments do all the talking.

It defies expectations that have been set by preceding albums though to be fair, there have been shades and hints from the very beginning. Some are more obvious than others ("A Warm Place") and others have been not as blatant ("That's What I Get"). And it had always been a wish of mine to listen to Trent Reznor do something entirely instrumental. I'm sure others might have been keen on seeing an instrumental release by Reznor, and they got it with Ghosts I-IV (and would get it again with the scores for The Social Network and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).

I find Ghosts I-IV to be excellent reading music. Especially when re-reading Neil Gaiman's Sandman from time to time. The fact that I can listen to this album and read is what makes it one of my favorite instrumental albums of all time. It can set the tone for a number of different books and stories without distracting you from what you're reading (thereby allowing you to gain control over your focus.)

If I really had to think of one flaw is that sometimes the pieces bleed into each other in an undecipherable blur. The distinction isn't there sometimes unless you actually look at the track name (the fact that it's all in numbers makes no impact or difference to me). Though I'd imagine one would have a hell of a time trying to think of titles for every piece. As such, it becomes very easy for Ghosts I-IV to disappear into the background though it ultimately does a good job at haunting you because you don't always have to rely on spoken words to carry a message.

8/10

Review: Year Zero

Year Zero

Nine Inch Nails

2007

I remember Year Zero came out when I was in my last year of high school. I remember hearing someone remark about how amazed he was that "[he] heard [Survivalism] on the radio so soon after [With Teeth had been released]" In this context, it doesn't make sense at first glance but what he meant was that it's shocking to hear new Nine Inch Nails material less than 5 years after the last album had been released. The good kind of shocking, mind you. When I got my hands on it, I was fascinated not only by the album cover but by the fact that the CD changed colors in temperature and this is where my review starts.

What has always fascinated me about Year Zero, apart from the fact that the CD changes color in temperature was what I barely remember reading about its production and the image I have of Trent Reznor playing keyboards in a cramped van to record the album, as he probably did while on tour. Remember, he recorded Year Zero while still on tour for support for With Teeth. What also fascinated me was how different it sounded from stuff I had heard, especially with the extensive marketing campaign behind it. Not necessarily bad but just different.

I understand that it's Nine Inch Nails but is it Nine Inch Nails in name only? There is no denying that Year Zero definitely has a political slant to it, as the term Year Zero refers to- what can in a nutshell be described as, a purge of ideas and history. Everything prior to the year zero is destroyed (physically or metaphorically) and considered irrelevant, and everything after replaces the old way of life. It's not the most difficult thing to understand.

That being said, the same traits that make Nine Inch Nails are still present but something different looms above all things. It's not necessarily the presumably rushed nature of the project because that's never hindered anyone before (Led Zeppelin's Presence was recorded in 18 days, pretty rushed when you think about it), or the sound which for all intents and purposes is NIN- screwing with the definition of industrial, or even the tone because there is still aggression in the lyrics, violence in the delivery, and that same connection between NIN and the listener is still there. I really think the "different" is the political slant.

Up to this point, I had never really thought of NIN as a medium for any sort of political discourse but that's the way it was back in 2007. Frustrations over a government led by what many people believe to be a jackass (I try my best to stay out of politics so I never offer an opinion unless I know the facts), and the ceaseless war that cost a seemingly endless amount of lives and money. Everybody was pissed in some way, shape, or form.

With all that being said, Trent continues his tradition of articulating the (political or otherwise) listener's frustrations and mess that dwells inside their heads. The album opens strong with Hyperpower!- one of my favorite tracks on this album and goes right into The Beginning of the End which makes the paranoia and mistrust of any gubernatorial entity very vivid. Subsequent tracks like Survivalism, The Good Soldier, Capital G, only serve to make the political slant far more obvious than before. Speaking of which, in 2008 I attended my first Nine Inch Nails concert. During one of the songs, I believe it was Capital G, they displayed an image of John McCain (Republican presidential candidate) and as they performed the image morphed into that of George W. Bush. The crowd went fucking nuts.

While, Year Zero is a Nine Inch Nails album, it doesn't particularly feel like one because it's less personal, more detached and more political. That doesn't mean it's bad only different than what we're used to.

8/10

Review: With Teeth

[WITH_TEETH]

Nine Inch Nails

2005

I recall listening to With Teeth for the first time, somewhere near the end of high school and definitely during my first year of college. Well, definitely a couple of songs over and over. You know the ones. I remember being left in awe at the album both as a whole and in pieces and this is where my review starts.

With Teeth has always stood out as one of the best NIN albums for me. Where The Fragile seemingly faltered, With Teeth did the opposite and lunged forward and stood tall. The funny thing is that With Teeth is actually kind of far from "standard NIN". This time around, it's not just Trent playing every instrument himself with a heavier industrial synthesizered* lean like before. This time around the instruments extend beyond the norm in a more obvious way. You know, you can actually tell with greater ease that there are guitars and basses (redundant) at work. You also have to give it up for guests who do a damn great job (Dave Grohl, for instance on drums on tracks like Only and Getting Smaller).

Trent delivers on all levels, as if he learned from the misstep that is The Fragile. The level of aggression on With Teeth is awesome, to say the least (and also to use the most commonly used phrase of adoration). It is only enhanced by the fact that it at least seems less synthesizered* and therefore comes off as more human, more primal, more visceral. The same vicious NIN we've come to love over the years brought one step closer to you, the listener. The angry, seething, appreciative listener who more often than not, seeks someone to understand them. As do songs like Only, Getting Smaller, Sunspots, Every Day is Exactly the Same, and The Hand that Feeds. 

All of articulate what you have a hard time expressing sometimes: your anger, frustration, horniness, conflicts with your own self, an intense dissatisfaction with being blinded in a cyclical routine with almost no end. A chorus of increasing anger "... there is no you / there is only me / there is no fucking you / there is only me" serves as a perfect example of how With Teeth is that album that speaks volumes about what's trapped inside you, just dying to break free, to scratch, claw, fight, and bite its way out.

* That term is only there so we could be on the same page.

10/10

A Very Long Countdown Now Begins

After 2 failed attempts, I got my tickets to see Nine Inch Nails this November! Words cannot describe how excited I am for this event. It's been five years since I last them tear it up live and in five months, I'm going to bruise my palms and lose my voice once more. I can't wait!

Please forgive the lack of activity for I am without a stable internet connection at the moment. I am, however, still working on those Nine Inch Nails album reviews. Those will be completed. For real. Please don't look at me that way; I'm serious.

Thanks

Review: The Fragile

The Fragile

Nine Inch Nails

1999

I don't remember when I first heard The Fragile. Nowadays, all I can tell you is that this album never really connected with me the way the first two did even though it follows the same themes as The Downward Spiral and Pretty Hate Machine, or the stuff Trent Reznor writes about in general. Despite that, it didn't reach me on the same level as the two or even Broken (if we're going to start grasping at straws). That being said, it's always difficult to live up to the hype and anticipation and follow up an amazing album four year later. And it must be more difficult to be expected to deliver masterpiece after masterpiece and this is where my review starts.

It must be a daunting task to live up to the expectations set by your previous work which was received so well, with such enthusiasm and acclaim. It sets the bar very high and makes the fall much higher and probably hurt more. That being said every time I listen to The Fragile, it sounds like a chaotic if not sloppy attempt to blend everything that's come before into something new.

I really don't remember what the circumstances were when I first listened to The Fragile. I was probably still in high school finally discovering Nine Inch Nails. Or I might have listened to it after I graduated, I don't know. I do know that the title of the album can work as an indicator of his condition but also the condition of the album.

While I wouldn't call The Fragile my favorite NIN album, or even put in the top 3, I have to admit that in its flaws and shortcomings there is a some art, albeit unintentionally rehashed and watered down.

Because there really isn't much for me to say about this album is probably why this review is so short. There's something missing in the Fragile. Yeah it has some great tunes like Starfuckers Inc, The Day the World Went Away, Into the Void, which carry a lot of anger and traces of that Nine Inch Nails ferocity but there's something missing that keeps it from becoming a good kind of stand-out. It doesn't make any sense either. Everything is there, Trent is still at the top of his game, the themes that he writes about so well are there, the music is good but it still doesn't click. Maybe it's treading on familiar ground in such a way that feels overly disconnected and detached.

It drones on more than it destroys and that's probably why The Fragile feels so fragile.

7/10

Review: The Downward Spiral

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

1994

I told you I was going to keep doing this!

I remember the first time I heard The Downward Spiral. I was 16 or 17 and still in high school. This was when I still just getting into Nine Inch Nails and by that same vein in the process of having my world rocked and life changed. It might sound like hyperbole but it's the truth. If I hadn't dared to venture beyond classic rock, which was the only genre of music I listened to at the time, I may have been a completely different person. I might have had a bafflingly narrow view of the world and appreciated things far less. It might seem like an odd thing to say but I really do think that The Downward Spiral was key in my mental and personal development, especially since I was at the edge of what is essentially childhood and about to fall into that vacuum known as adulthood. The first time I heard the album, I knew I was listening to something that "special" can't even begin to describe. This album upon subsequent listens as become a part of me the same way the discography has etched itself into my mind, and this is where my review starts.

The second full-length album entitled The Downward Spiral came a lengthy 5 years after the stunning debut of Pretty Hate Machine. Where Pretty Hate Machine laid the groundwork, and Broken (an EP) built upon it, The Downward Spiral marked not only a change in direction (as Broken was sheer sonic violence) but an improvement, further refinement and also an enormous leap forward, not only in sound but in the way the album is presented. There's far more cohesion and what I would call concentrated fury in this album than there was on Broken and Pretty Hate Machine. The Downward Spiral presents a more evolved NIN though the album itself is rife with chaos and passion. For that reason, The Downward Spiral continues to resonate heavily with me and other individuals.

This album communicates with the listener beyond the surface level. It says what is or was on your mind at the time or at some point. "At some point" still probably resonates with you because it's so deeply embedded in your thought process that when you revisit it, even unintentionally, the ground feels so familiar and you feel as if it hasn't been that long since you left.

It's like seeing an old friend and carrying on a conversation as if it hasn't been 10 years, or moved away, or something like that.

The Downward Spiral stays with you.

Sex, angst, isolation, a desire for peace, refined violent poetry, humor, raw imagery, and letting go, among other things.

If you want examples of these, just listen to Closer (also known as the sex anthem of everyone who wants to break free and abandon their inhibitions), March of the Pigs (the humorous fight song that stirs and swells an ocean of ferocity found inside us all), and Hurt (the song that you come to when you are feeling down and need something to reassure you, or at the very least liberate you if only for 6 minutes, my sweetest friend). I realize that these are the songs that are the most popular from this album but it's because they resonate with everyone on some level. Of course, the abuse and angst (in sex flavor- damn, did I really just say that?) and some dark humor is also present in Big Man with a Gun (just read the lyrics), and Heresy if you want something sacrilegious that you can also dance to and make you question (or at the very least voice what you're thinking when it comes to) religion (or the blind worship of an omnipotent deity). You know, stuff that you're probably all about when you're an angsty teenager who digs anarchy (and stuff you tend to revisit because things aren't going well and you need to hear someone who gets you). A Warm Place speaks volumes without having lyrics. Like a hug.

This album understands and will always understand you.

10/10

Review: Pretty Hate Machine

Pretty Hate Machine

Nine Inch Nails

1989

I think it's pretty obvious what I'm going to do. And why. But just in case it isn't obvious, I'll spell it out. That and because I want to fill up space. To commemorate the return of Nine Inch Nails to touring and the personal anticipation of potentially seeing them live again, I'm going to review their discography. Or at the very least just the main albums. If I were to cover all the Halos and Seeds, and even bootlegs, it'd take me way longer than it'll take me to thoroughly listen to the main albums and then write a review. Not to mention that it'd get very repetitive and maybe even nitpicky. But for the sake of brevity and to keep things from getting stagnant, main albums. The first one being Pretty Hate Machine though my first exposure to Nine Inch Nails was through Johnny Cash. You know how. This was probably the same way it was for most people. But after that, my exposure to NIN came from riding in a car with a friend who was playing a CD mix featuring random tracks from various Nine Inch Nails albums, mostly from The Downward Spiral (which I'll write about later). I asked him who this was because "Hurt" sounded so familiar yet unknown but still mystifying. "It's Nine Inch Nails, dude!" he said, his voice marked with glee. That night he gave me their discography and this is where my review starts.

What can be said about Pretty Hate Machine that hasn't been said already by just about everyone at this point? As the first album by Nine Inch Nails, it is definitely a very strong start and indicator of things to come. Things that I (and fans) would come to know, appreciate, and even love. Visceral, fierce, aggressive, bold are just some of the words that begin to scratch the surface of what makes this album so great. Or what I find to be great. At the time of my first listen, I was instantly captivated by the first track ("Head Like a Hole") and found myself playing that song over and over before proceeding to the rest of the album. The same process went on for the entire album. I guess you could say I got obsessed with this album at some point. Still kind of am to this day because it hit me at point during which I was still growing up and developing and slowly being on my way to the person I will eventually be. Which is probably someone who is angry, or at the very least passionate about something.

The music of Pretty Hate Machine (and Nine Inch Nails in general) has become what many people knew/know/now know/associate/think of when the term industrial (music-wise, obviously) is used. Even though Reznor is less blatantly repetitive than other industrial acts of the time, he does manage to grab and keep your attention through catchy though bleak music more than just raw sounds. If that makes any sort of sense. The fact that the Nine Inch Nails sound has come to define (for some people) or at the very least lend a fresh/different perspective on a particular genre should be noted. It might not have changed the whole genre single-handedly but it definitely made a mark.

It should also be noted that the music and lyrics have this undercurrent of anger, among other things. The fact that there's a lot of anger in this album is one of the reasons I found it so captivating the first time I listened to it and again upon subsequent listens. The lyrics can reach parts of us that we thought didn't exist, were buried, or are at the surface. Angry anthems like the previously-mentioned "Head Like a Hole" and "Terrible Lie", the snarling balladry of "Something I Can Never Have" and "Sanctified", something seething and danceable like "Sin" and "Down in It" dripping with a synth sound that came to be a trademark of sorts for Reznor's body of work. All these things that stand out from other industrial albums of the time only help make this review stumble over itself as it tries to communicate just how good Pretty Hate Machine is.

Reznor single-handedly paints a masterpiece of anger so well and so eloquently through ruinous melodies, savage poetry, and raw emotion. So well in fact that this album can be played at almost any time, regardless of what time you are in your life: angsty 16 year old, 27 year old with a wife and child, 50 year old math teacher, etc. And what you're doing: growing up, winding down, fighting, thinking, chillin', dancing, fucking, or just writing a fawning review of an album that you really like.

10/10

NIN is back!

In case you haven't heard, Nine Inch Nails will start touring again this year.

I am very excited for this and am preparing my wallet for the serious beating it'll undoubtedly take when it comes time to obtain tickets when the dates are announced. Well, a bigger beating than it normally takes. The beatings are frequent with bills and food. You know: the necessities. I've often joked about how if Trent Reznor decided to bring Nine Inch Nails back for touring, I'd spend the rent money on tickets instead of the bills and you know, the rent. "Sorry, chief, it's Nine Inch Nails!"

What was once a joke is probably going to become a reality. I just hope that it doesn't actually mean I can't pay the rent. That would really suck. But yes, the reason I'm excited for this is probably the same reason as to why I was so excited for the release of Skyfall last year.

Absence.

For a quick tangent and context, prior to "Skyfall" in 2012, the last James Bond movie released was "Quantum of Solace" in 2008. 4 years without a James Bond movie was a little odd but not entirely out of the realm of impossibility: the four year gap between "Die Another Day" and "Casino Royale" and of course, the five year gap between "Licence to Kill" and "GoldenEye". For a fan, these absences and gaps without new material are painful, to speak metaphorically.

The first time I saw Nine Inch Nails play live was in 2008, which was also the first time I ever went to a concert. I had been a big fan of the music up until then and was over the moon when a friend asked if I wanted to go. I immediately said yes and scrambled to gather money for my ticket.

To think back on those days when I couldn't grow a proper mustache or beard and was skinnier brings back fond memories of anticipation, faster heartbeats, and the aftermath of bruised palms and a lost voice. I cheered and shouted so loud I lost my voice that night. I also clapped so goddamn hard my palms were bruised. But it was so much much walking away wearing another NIN shirt on top of the one I was already wearing: a gray Year Zero shirt.

Now, for the absence. Trent Reznor obviously continued to work and be active and while his work in these 4 years was impressive (The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), it wasn't enough to fill the hole that was left. Yeah, he's under no obligation to make music for anyone but fans will always clamor for more and mourn the lack of work. Probably because they've come to really appreciate the music or art, or in some cases have made some sort of connection with the music and somehow deduce that that connection has been severed when there is no new material. This doesn't make sense because you can always revisit and listen to the previous albums!

But now that NIN will resume touring and maybe new albums? One can always hope.

To think that I might see them again this year makes me grin like I haven't in quite a while.

I'll definitely be wearing at least one of my NIN shirts.