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

Review: The Withers EP

The Withers EP  

The Withers  

2013  


[FULL DISCLOSURE: I personally know this band, as previously mentioned. I will do my best to maintain a high degree of neutrality and objectivity in this review. Read: I won't hand out a baffling and impossible gorillion/10 simply because I've gone drinking with the band. I'll try to be as unbiased as possible.]

I don't fully remember but I'm pretty sure The Withers EP was the first thing I heard. I remember being told to check the band out, I remember doing a Google search for the band, and coming across Pleas Please Me and EP on Bandcamp. I also remember that the EP was (and still is) $4 and this is where my review starts.

It really was (and still is) at least $4 on Bandcamp. Pleas Please Me was (and still is) free. I didn't care about having to pay for the EP, probably because I actually met the band and everything. And also because the frontman wasn't a cocky arrogant son of a bitch or anything. His intentions seemed purely driven by a love for music as opposed to aspiring to fame, expensive designer sunglasses (he wore some cheap ladies' sunglasses one sunny summer afternoon even though I offered to lend him my Ray-Ban Wayfarers for the day), or fat stacks.

A love of music over a love of the material.

The Withers EP is a different creature from Pleas Please Me.

For starters, the most obvious differences between the two are the way the songs sound. In terms of presentation, EP sounds much cleaner than Pleas. EP is not muddled, or overly distorted to the point of hindering the experience. The other difference is that EP is just that: an EP. With only 4 songs at under 20 minutes, it is obviously much shorter than Pleas (9 songs/35 minutes).

However, none of that really matters.

While EP is shorter, it is more focused in its assault on the senses. There is a marked degree of sophistication and maturity that is present on the record. There's more discipline and focus, and the songs are tighter in composition and presentation. There's more structure and more precision. Despite these seemingly rigid and stringent factors in place, there is still plenty of heart and fun. If anything, the structure helps the songs flow more cohesively (despite the absence of an ultimately meaningless overarching theme or narrative).

Just Like a Sin starts by mesmerizing and hypnotizing with its arpeggiating and droning, and then it just becomes something else which can only be described after listening to it (written words won't do it justice though that won't stop me from trying). You're drawn in by the arpeggiating, the steady beat of the drum, the haunting though not frightening vocals, and then the masterful manipulation of feedback (when played live it's a kazoo). After that, you're treated with a raw, aggressive, and wonderful display of talent and musical finesse through controlled and blissful sonic violence. If that makes any sense. The song ends with the listener processing what they just heard before they are treated to a song that can best be described as acerbic in that it has a relatively upbeat sound but surprisingly bleak lyrics.

Glowin' in the Dark is upbeat but not sugary if only because of its lyrics, though it should be pointed out that the lyrics aren't a disgustingly grim show of display, either. One line in particular is profound but will most likely end up being buried in the rough (but still listenable) vocals and the catchy sound. "All we are means nothing to the stars." A bit of a bummer if all you want is a sweet pop song, though you should be looking elsewhere until The Withers decide to play such sweet and sugary pop songs. Even the songs that follow (and round out the recording, respectively), which would probably be perfect as a sugary songs buck your expectations.

The same song found on Pleas is back! High Fructose Corn Syrup Blues! Only it's been reworked to demonstrate precision as well as the increase in sophistication in composition and presentation. It helps that the recording sounds clearer than on Pleas. This means that, this time, you can really hear the wailing and woe on these unconventional blues.

To finish off EP, you get a revamped and (in my opinion) improved version of the same song found on Pleas. A B or C. This time around, it's more aggressive, more ferocious, and brighter than before.

The only major flaw that EP has is that it's just that: an EP. This means that with 4 songs, the listener is left wanting more. There will be more, eventually and EP does a good job of getting you started.

Still waiting on Am I Hurting You? and Heavy is the Sound to get a proper recording and release.

Despite the precision, polish, and sheen on EP, this is no indicator that The Withers have sold out or have softened their sound. It just means that it sounds clearer and cleaner despite still being rough around the edges.

Maybe the last lines of the first song (or the first song as a whole) captures the record and sheds more light on the band.

THIS CACOPHONY IS THE EPITOME -IT SOUNDS NOTHING LIKE A SYMPHONY- IT GOES ON & ON THE SONG REMAINS A MYSTERY

8.5/10

Review: Pleas Please Me

Pleas Please Me

The Withers

2011

[FULL DISCLOSURE: I personally know this band. I will do my best to maintain a high degree of neutrality and objectivity in this review. Read: I won't hand out a strangely glowing and impossible 14.9/10 simply because the frontman gave me a ride home. I'll try to be as unbiased as possible.]

"I'm gonna see Agent Orange next week." I said, smiling inside but trying to stay awake at about 6am.
"Oh yeah? I didn't know you liked punk." he responded, with his leather jacket and unkempt appearance.
"Yeah, I like a bit of everything." I yawned, rubbing my eyes.
"Y'know, I'm in a band." he added, with a marked sense of a humble type of self-importance. Or a gentle form of warranted arrogance.
"Oh yeah?" I asked, intrigued and not as sleepy as I was a few minutes prior.
"Yeah, we're THE WITHERS." he said, trying to hide a smirk, and this is where my review starts.

Pleas Please Me is an album by The Withers that I got from Bandcamp after having done some Google searching for their material. As of this writing, it's still free and available. I hesitate in calling it an album because even though it meets the running time for an LP (interchangeably referred to as an album), there's a level of cohesion absent from it that makes me comfortable in calling it such.

One could argue that the absence of cohesion actually serves as a form of cohesion and unity among the songs. And that in itself isn't a very strong argument for much, other than reaching for straws.

That being said, the lack of cohesion actually helps the lo-fi garage rock band sound on this recording. (More on the lo-fi bit later).

Fuck it, let's just call it an album. If not for the sake of truth, then for convenience.

There really isn't a specific theme or set of themes binding the songs together nor does it really matter. Put it this way, the album starts strong with "Someday Dreams." This is a song that has a chorus that chirps: "someday dreams will come true." It's upbeat, catchy, deceptively sweet (without being saccharine), and uplifting without being ham-fisted or annoying. A song like this as an opener would suggest that despite the album cover and title, the rest of the songs would be as uplifting and as cheery. Instead, it only serves to buck expectations.

The next song pulls the listener into a nice, groovy, lull. Still upbeat, still catchy, and fun. "Bloody Red Flowers."

There is, however, a divide after "A B or C" with their cover of "Runaway." It's a solid cover, and one I genuinely prefer to a number of a modern covers of "Runaway." With "Runaway" you get a darker sound, if that makes sense, that comes off as a noticeable if not sharp contrast from the first three songs.

The first three are transparently energetic, upbeat, and alert. After, "Runaway" the songs don't follow any trend and generally do whatever they want without asking for your permission, you square.

"High Fructose Corn Syrup Blues" is more mellowed-out and laidback. "Don't Dig it Up" starts off with a clip of Huell Howser before diving right into raucous gnarly noise. "Shoofly Pie" and "Thin as the Wind" keep things steady and pacing forward with some degree of discipline providing yet another sharp contrast to the almost animalistic ferocity of "Don't Dig it Up", while still keeping in suit with the rest of the album's trend of "Make good noise and have fun" all the way to the aptly-named entitled closer: "The End."

Speaking of noise and contrasts of sound...

The album sounds very scratchy and distorted. By choice. And while it could turn off listeners who are so accustomed to clean sounds, you don't really notice it in subsequent listens. The very lo-fi approach serves as double-edged sword.

The pro to the lo-fi approach on Pleas Please Me is that it makes the band stand out from others who would take a modern approach to recording. It harkens back to an era when you had to be good the first time around, or you would be stuck for multiple takes and sessions until you finally got it right. Plus something about effort and how much of a bitch it can be to record on tape vs digital. It also captures a tenacious spirit of punk rock, garage rock, fun, full-of-heart, "we're in this for the music" authenticity.

The con is that the songs' sound quality suffers and hinders the listening experience. Sounds are muddled, distorted, and could force the listener to decipher the lyrics (half-sung, half-yelled, fully delivered).

The perceived lack of obvious cohesion and thematic content actually helps the sound in terms of defining The Withers (fun, loud, noisy, pretty good), though this album isn't indicative of the band's full potential.

The chorus to the first song perfectly encapsulates the album, and perhaps the band as a whole.

Someday dreams will come true.

7.5/10

Review: Murdered: Soul Suspect

Murdered: Soul Suspect

Square Enix

2014

Many months ago, I pre-ordered this game because I thought the premise was fantastic: A detective gets killed and has to solve his own murder... from BEYOND THE GRAVE as a ghost with ghost powers and possessing people and detective work and ghost powers! So I pre-ordered it and paid it off in full and waited, eager to play as a motherfucking ghost cop with ghost powers.

The wait was not worth it.

There was so much lacking from the game that the wait only produced a middling experience at best, and that's if you're really reaching. Everything from the controls to the voice acting and everything in between seems very bare-bones and rail thin. The main story campaign can be beaten very quickly and with one eye open because it's honestly not THAT engaging.

There is a common complaint regarding modern video games that they are becoming more and more like "interactive movies" than actual games. What many mean is that the player is treated to a more cinematic experience by way of more cutscenes and increasingly minimal and less engaging gameplay (even then, you end up pressing a button every now and then).

Murdered is no exception.

All you really do is walk around collecting stuff, making guesses in a piss-poor attempt to create something that vaguely resembles detective work, without a sense of urgency, or even penalty if you fuck up.

LA Noire took the detective concept and made it work, especially with the penalty concept. It's rewarding to mess up because you're treated to a shred of more content each time but if you don't fuck up, your score improves at the end of each case.

With Murdered, if you mess up with your "investigations", nothing happens. No failure music, no angry "GODDAMN IT!" from the main character, no score penalty, etc. You can fuck up all you want and you won't notice a difference.

Even the collectibles don't really do anything cool. While it isn't fair to compare LA Noire to Murdered, it has to be said again. Collecting stuff in LA Noire actually gets you stuff like suits and content. Murdered treats you with audio ghost stories which even then are very few and in the end not that worth it considering all the searching you had to go through with narrow spaces and such. And god forbid you should get so far into the story you can't go back to other places which brings me to my next point.

The game is so linear it hurts. You can't truly explore every nook and cranny because you haven't unlocked a specific ghost power which in turn leads to a lot of dull backtracking through areas you already visited and must visit again if you want to get all the collectibles. I'm not judging because I did the same thing so I could get all the trophies and get every penny's worth of my foolish purchase. And even with the game being linear, you'd think the game would get better but it just stands around with its hands in its pockets like some lame-wad.

The story is probably the only thing with a shred of redemption. It's all right and has a pretty good twist but even then it feels so contrived that the people behind the game just tossed it in to make it seem more interesting.

There was a lot of potential. The ghost powers could have been better, the stuff with the demons and combat could have ACTUALLY EXISTED instead of "move really slowly and then press these buttons." It would have been a much more engaging and interesting experience if one could have played with a better combat feature. Ghost punching, ghost weapons, full possession, etc. Instead it just feels like some decent movie with a few point and click elements tossed in to meet someone's minimum standards.

If you're one of the people who haven't played the game, count yourself lucky and just watch a playthrough on YouTube.

The cat possession stuff was okay. Funny for a few minutes but then quickly descends into tedium.

4/10

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

Review: The Boys

The Boys

The Boys

1977

"Have you heard of The Boys?" she asked.
"Nope." I said.
"Well," she replied, "They are an old punk band and they [have] a song [called] 'Soda Pressing'."

At this point, I looked for and listened to the song. I was instantly fascinated by the song because it had been a while since I had heard exuberant ferocity. I was taken aback by what I saw as a neat pun. Neat, once you put the lyrics in context, by which I mean "listening to the song."

The song gave me a glimpse of this band and I knew I needed to hear more, so I looked up what album "Soda Pressing" was on and this is where my review starts.

The Boys' self-titled debut was released in 1977. You know, the year that is arguably "the" year for punk. Or at the very least, the year in which punk burst onto the global stage. As a result, the world was exposed to lot of bands (who were either starting or had already been around and just got a lot of attention as a result of the explosion) like The Sex Pistols (formed 1975, first album released in 1977), The Clash (formed 1976, first album released in 1977), X (formed 1977, first album released in 1980), The Germs (formed in 1977), and a long list of other bands that I won't write out because it'll seem like I'm just dropping names rather than actually proving a point about how 1977 was a great year for punk and how even though 1977 gave us a lot of bands, some would argue that the large number of bands (many of which are now iconic or legendary in some circles) also meant that other bands would go unnoticed unless you were a connoisseur of some sort. Some bands include The Vibrators, The Saints (though they were around since 1974 like The Ramones) and, of course, The Boys.

Ahem.

The Boys' self-titled debut is a ferociously merry 14 track assault on the senses that you'll enjoy. The reason I say merry is because the lyrics aren't as snarling (or arguably cynical) as other bands at the time were, nor are they riddled with a chaotic sense of gloom and doom that one would come to think of punk. Though I'd like to make it clear that this does not mean I would write off The Boys as pop-punk or proto-pop-punk or anything of the sort because of the ferocity which I will get into after you stop reading this sentence. I say ferocious (or ferocity, if you want to split hairs) because the sound is where it's at, for me.

Chainsaw buzzing distorted guitars, fast and steady pace, energy, and traces of humor. The album starts strong and never slows down.

I admit that the flow of the album can get a little awkward at times but never to the point of derailing the album. I also admit that I lied when I said the album never slows down. It does but not the degree one would think when that phrase comes to mind. It doesn't awkwardly halt to put down the chainsaw buzzing guitars and pick up a mandolin, is what I'm saying. It merely shifts gears to a comparatively less-fast speed for a moment and then goes back to being that raucous grinning machine ("First Time" following "Soda Pressing" and "No Money" or "Keep Running" following "Cop Cars"). Not an extreme shift but a noticeable and enjoyable one.

What I also enjoy about the album is the instruments primarily how the piano is used throughout as a foil to the guitar and drums. There you have the guitars and drums being furious, and then there's the piano just standing there smiling and bobbing its head while the guitar and drums continue to rage on and on.

The only problem I can think of, if any, is that the album isn't long enough. But this issue is remedied with enough searching and perseverance because you'll eventually come across the 1999 re-release that includes as bonus tracks some of their even more lighthearted work as The Yobs and their Christmas themed music, including a damn fine rendition of "Run Rudolph Run".

Overall, a very enjoyable album that you can listen to over and over.

"Teeeeeeeeeee hee" she later said.

9/10

Review: Lucha Libre (by Jerry Frissen)

Lucha Libre

Jerry Frissen, various artists

2006

In this review, I use "issue" in the same way one would use "trade paperback" or "volume" though it'd be easier to just say "collected edition", wouldn't it?

I've been reading and buying a number of comic books lately. 

Mostly Judge Dredd (by way of the Complete Case Files), Batman (including but not limited to: Court of Owls, City of Owls, Black Glove), some of Jeph Loeb's work (Spider-Man Blue, Daredevil Yellow, Hush), The Walking Dead, Preacher, Supreme Power, and I'm waiting for Bone to come in the mail.

I've enjoyed most of what I've been reading though I must have admit that reading Jeph Loeb has made me recognize plot twists right away even if it's not a Jeph Loeb story. Or maybe my cynicism, or the fact that a number of his stories however gripping and well-told are ultimately formulaic. Read and enjoy some of them and you'll recognize what I call "The Loeb Blow."

Anyway, recently, a friend turned me on to some issues of Lucha Libre, a series by Jerry Frissen that has some of the things I enjoy and am interested in: supernatural creatures, lucha libre, and weird premises.

Unfortunately, that's where any praise ends because as I told my friend after reading the first of the three issues he lent me ("Introducing: The Luchadores Five"):

"Lucha Libre (1) suffers from poor execution and not enough delivery even for setting the foundation. It doesn't set the stage very well. It's okay at best. It breaks under its own weight in the sense that the premise is interesting but the delivery isn't."

And it's true. The premise of luchadores facing off against werewolves in Los Angeles (I'm already very interested) should be a goldmine of some really weird shit and striking artwork but maybe that's the problem. It bit off more than it could chew and instead of delivering something relatively unique, it delivers a middling, irritating, reading experience. 

Characters are introduced, scenarios are hinted at, motivations barely acknowledged, and then you turn the page and the story's over. Now you're staring at something else (Profesor Furia's brief exploits, which admittedly are more entertaining than the main attraction).

The characters are far too shallow and uninteresting to follow or even give a damn about even with hints of what I'm assuming are supposed to be interesting backstories. There are hints at something greater but subsequent issues serve nothing to the purpose: the next two issues just introduce more characters with fainter glimpses at backstories and motivations. 

Even the format in which the stories are presented are very restricting and actually hinder the work. It shouldn't be confined to small rectangles but should imitate the violent graceful poetry of lucha libre. Go on youtube and check out some lucha libre videos and you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about.

The whole time I was reading the issues I kept thinking "Get to the fucking point already." but the fucking point never arrived. Maybe because of the story-telling that failed to deliver on a wonderful premise or because I got tired of it and stopped after the third issue (Hele mei hoohiwahiwa). Maybe it actually gets better but I honestly don't care enough to pick up where I left off.

Lucha Libre promises the world on a silver platter (come on, admit it: you thought the premise was pretty fucking cool, or at the very least worthy of a read) but ultimately delivers nothing.

That's all I really want to say because this review would just get more erratic and whiny.

Honestly, do yourself a favor and find that cartoon ¡Mucha Lucha! It's far more entertaining, well-written, and interesting than Lucha Libre could ever hope to be.

3/10

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

Review: Genki Shock!

Genki Shock!
Shonen Knife
2006

In December of 2006, a friend and I strolled into a local Tower Records, which was going out of business. For those who may not remember, Tower Records was a very popular music store that went bankrupt that same year. Like many businesses that are folding/closing/ending/etc, they were having a "going out of business" sale in which all their merchandise: books, music, DVDs, posters, etc was being sold at ridiculous prices. The good kind of ridiculous, of course; by which I really mean: "the kind in which consumers win."

I sifted through bins and boxes for CDs and anything else I could get for super cheap. I couldn't find much except for a Sonic Youth single which I ended up giving to someone as a gift. I was about to grab a Streets CD but my friend had seen it first and claimed it for himself. As a consolation, he handed me Genki Shock! My first reaction was, "Dude, what the fuck?" because it was pink. He calmly responded, "Trust me, you'll like them." And this is where the review starts.

This was my first exposure to Shonen Knife, later reading that they'd been around for a while. My initial reaction was obviously of bewilderment. Surely, a pink album cover (the cover is only pink in the US; in the Japanese release, the cover is yellow) could only be indicative of girly music, right? What the hell had my friend easily convinced me to get? Not like I could really complain since I only paid about 2 bucks for it.

I was flabbergasted at how much I enjoyed the album because it defied every expectation I had. Granted, those expectations were ridiculous and had no substance but the more legitimate (though still stupid) expectations regarding the music itself were more: "this music will probably be very cutesy and more appropriate on a children's television program." Or very low.

The album itself is a collection of stuff that I would call a mix of various guitar-driven genres like pop, punk, hard rock, and faint echoes of metal (particularly that gnarly solo on "The Queen of Darkness") and jazz ("Broccoli Man") simply because of the lyrical content and delivery. Pop: Not necessarily saccharine-sweet stuff but nothing that (for example) Black Flag would sing about like giant kitties and glasses ("Giant Kitty" and "My Magic Glasses", respectively).

From the first track, the aptly-named "Introduction" which serves as a preview for a later track ("Giant Kitty"), I was intrigued and amused at how it lulls you into a false sense of security with the track being presented as if it was coming from a distant boombox as it explodes into "S*P*A*M" which is probably what grabbed me and never let me go since I first heard the album. The rest of the songs that followed maintained a similar energy though it did lull you into another false sense of security (or at the very least led you in one direction and then POW!) in which- "WHOA! This solo on 'The Queen of Darkness' is pretty sweet!"

Yes, it's like that. Not to say that the songs in between are filler but they don't grab you with the same cutesy shiny gleeful ferocity as the first few tracks and the closing track. So, don't dismiss "Broccoli Man" as run of the mill pseudo-jazz or anything of the sort. The guitar work is what stands out for me especially when the distorted guitars aren't strumming away but when you get to stuff like "Rock Society" and "Under my Pillow" which serve as perfect showcases for how varied their guitar playing abilities are. Very talented dames these dames.

My only beef would have to be with the obvious fact that Naoko Yamano singing in English is something you just have to get used to. It's not atrocious but it's not that easy getting used to it either but fuck it, the music's good. My only other beef is the fact that their guitar work left a deep chip in my shoulder that I haven't been able to heal. Well, that's not such a bad thing because it just motivated me to at the very least learn my scales.

8/10

Review: El Arte de la Elegancia de LFC

El Arte de la Elegancia de LFC
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs
2009

A while back I was up late talking to a friend about the state of modern music, in particular Latin rock (or rock en español as it is also known). We came to the conclusion that the quality of music has dropped significantly over the years (read: we stated the obvious). Somehow, I started thinking of one of my favorite bands of all time: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and started looking through their discography. Upon seeing that they had released El Arte de la Elegancia de LFC in 2009, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I was in shock that I was totally oblivious to their most recent release. And it was an even better discovery that it was not a compilation! So I hopped on Spotify and gave it a listen and this is where my review starts.

The album itself is not necessarily a strictly all original recording but a collection of predominantly old songs reworked (including "CJ", "El Sonido Joven de America", "Tanto como un dios", "Surfer Calavera", "Soledad") and some new stuff ("Siete Jinetes", "Lanzallamas") which includes "Vamos Ya!" which is a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up".

"Vamos Ya!" was the first song I heard off the album because "Move on Up" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I had the great pleasure of being in the audience for a taping of Conan in early December of 2010. My friends and I sat close to the front (2nd row, if I recall correctly) and I was overjoyed when the Basic Cable Band covered "Move on Up". So yes, to find out that one of my favorite bands of all time covered one of my favorite songs of all time, I was ready to have my mind blown.

It was not the case. The song felt underwhelming on the first listen but later I realized that the way the song was performed/recorded/arranged/(whatever you want to call it) made sense and was in keeping with the direction the band had taken. This direction started with La Marcha del Golazo Solitario: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs have toned their sound down. Not to say they lack energy but that they possess a different type of energy. One that is slower and more laid back but just as effective and powerful as their earlier days. Truth be told, I wasn't a fan of Marcha when I first heard it but it grew on me with each listen.

So after some repeat listening, "Vamos Ya!" grew on me. As for the rest of the album, once I put 2 and 2 together, it made more sense. This still doesn't change the fact that this album is like a man in a business suit wearing a mohawk. I make this odd analogy because the album tries to reach back to the earlier days while still being rooted in a more toned down ferocity. Listening to Vicentico's vocals alone is proof enough: compare this version of "Surfer Calavera" with the original.

The sound of the album is still great (and I'm saying this as neutrally as possible), and the songs that were selected to be reworked were ultimately good choices though the effect is varied and not always overwhelmingly impressive: the rework of "Tanto Como un Dios". "Surfer Calavera" feels like a different song that matches can stand on its own as a great song even without comparison to the wildly energetic original.

The analogy extends to the new songs which feel like they belong somewhere between 1986 and 1989. They feel a little awkward at first but eventually grow on you. Though not as much as the reworks of their songs which make you appreciate the originals and the effort that went into the new versions. The album will grow on you with repeat listens unlike say... El Leon and Fabulosos Calavera which grab you right from the start with boundless intensity and never let you go. Arte is like Marcha which reveals little by little until you've found yourself listening to it at least 15 times and still enjoying it.

Where would I put this album? Definitely above La Luz del Ritmo. But I wouldn't say it has enough merit to dethrone or replicate La Marcha del Golazo Solitario's charm.

8/10