REVIEW: Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
- Bob Gajarsky
Come into the world of Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. A dark, bleak world where one's existence is itself a tragedy, compounded by the events and actions of everyone else. The Downward Spiral continues to relate Trent's ventures in his own personal hell.
Nine Inch Nails has created this industrial hell not unlike the parallel existences of Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and Machines of Loving Grace. However, Reznor is also expanding his horizons - pulling in the influences of Prince. Falsetto vocals hide the story in "Heresy", as "His perfect kingdom of killing suffering and pain / Demands devotion atrocities done in his name / Your god is dead and no one cares".
The first single, "March of the Pigs", is a classic contrast of sounds and words blending as one. The industrial pounding over Reznor's piercing lyrics, such as "Step right up march push / crawl on your knees" contrasts with the peaceful "Don't it make you feel better?" "Ruiner" features a poppish keyboard, not unlike Cause & Effect or Depeche Mode, backed by the steady industrial drum beats which Nine Inch Nails is known for. The instrumental "A Warm Place" is a calmer look at Reznor's keyboard magic.
Fear not, however - Trent hasn't completely left his Pretty Hate Machine behind. "Closer" sounds similar to "Terrible Lie", with an added musical direction of keyboard-laced funk. However, this track is one of two which deals (in a crude manner) with the issue of rape - the other being "Big Man With A Gun".
Not a pretty album, lyrically. Guaranteed to draw the ire of at least one political association during this year. But, Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral is brilliant musically and signals the return to gloom for Trent Reznor.
