The Downward Spiral

Ok

The sound of depression... Can't pretend I really enjoyed it, but I get it.

aber anstrengend

Love these albums that transport me back to high school. This is peak NIN for me.

Did not enjoy.

It's another album I was looking forward to. Reznor never misses on any of his albums. "Mr Self-Destruct" and "March of the Pigs" are my favourites from "The Downward Spiral". I can now see why "The Downward Spiral" is considered a milestone in industrial music. Even with all my praise for it, I don't consider it one of my favourite albums. 4 stars for "The Downward Spiral".

Actual hell to listen through. Except for A Warm Place. But everything else had my ears bleeding.

Unbearable, sorry.

I’ve probably listened to this about ten times before. I think I even wore ripped jeans for one of the listens, which is pretty hardcore. A very cool aspect of this project came to light tonight while I listened to this. I have now listened to a bunch of albums that represent the roots of industrial music. Many sometimes strange bands doing some pretty weird stuff.. Some actually pretty great albums. That new knowledge casts Downward Spiral in a very new light. Some parts I liked better than ever. But in some parts it felt like the tension was released in ways that were disappointing to me. I expected to give this a four or five, but I’m feeling the siren song of a very solid three.

'I Do Not Want This' is such a relatable track. I don't know if I'm incompatible to this album on a person level or if I woke up in a mental state that required something far less abraisive than this. Sure, the lyrics are at least engaging in their aggression, and the composition has some intricacies that are impressive, but as an album made for *listening* why is it just so, so unenjoyable? All of the intrigue in this album is buried beneath 10 layers of distortion and blown out drums. It's punishing. Then you get a brief glimmer of substance, like 'A Warm Place' and you're reminded that there's obviously artistry in this, which actually makes it *more annoying* that the rest of the record is just a wash of scrud and grime. 'Downward Spiral' is another of these tracks. Well constructed, original, engaging and making good use of the distortion or degredation of the sound. Would you put it in a playlist? God no. But when you listen to it, you feel what's being put out. Obviously, 'Hurt' is undeniably a good song, if not for the lyrics, but also that well placed discordance. It's like the beginning of the album was a trial run to see how all that minging, messy grot could be put to good use in the end of the album. These last few tracks, with their actual listenability claw this record from the pits of One-Stardom.

NIN are the masters of this industrial rock sound. This one is good but I like their first album better.

Terrible

Pode soar meio maluco, mas eu senti um pouco de "Black Celebration", do Depeche Mode, nesse álbum. Claro que o Reznor não faz a menor questão de buscar o mesmo nível de refinamento técnico e perfeccionismo do Depeche, mas isso não é uma crítica. Pelo contrário: o álbum é realmente muito bom, mas não consegui escuta-lo até o fim. Eu me senti angustiado do começo até metade do álbum, e isso só mostra que Reznor conseguiu atingir exatamente o efeito que queria.

I've listened to this countless times over close to 30 years, and I'm still hearing stuff I never noticed before. 4/5.

Not my vibe. Don't like whispering. Don't like screaming.

I've loved Nine Inch Nails and Trent ever since I saw them at the first Lollapalooza tour in Minneapolis. This album is probably their best. There's only one song that I find the lyrics a bit cringey, that being "I Do Not Want This". But I'm still giving it a five star, because there's nothing else like it.

분위기가 괜찮은 곡도 있고 평범한 느낌의 곡도 있어서 전체적으로 나쁘지는 않았던 것 같다. There were some tracks with a great atmosphere and others that felt rather ordinary, so overall, it wasn't bad.

1. Surprisingly...I like it 2. MKAYY 3. OKAY I'M LIKING THIS BETTER THAN I THOUGHT 4. no words 5. WTF DID HE SAYYYYYYY??? (🫦) ayo I got like glimpses of the MV and....okay? 6. wtf this is...too good 7. okay this one was kinda meh 8. I do not want this either (do hw) 9. okay but don't scream at me 10. okay thank you this one silenced the voices in my head 11. this one made me question if the voices in my head were truly silenced 12. reptile 13. not the screaming in the back LMAO 14. omg he is not screaming for once um why is it missing one song? ANYWAY SOLID 4

I’d always been aware of NIN but had never listened to an album and so I was Not prepared for how industrial this was. Pretty cool. Really enjoyed it. Hurt is such a good song.

I’m really not angry enough or hate myself enough to really engage with this album. People keep throwing around the words self-destructive, sexy, etc. - can’t find a single sexy thing about anything happening here. From a purely audio perspective I am not sure what’s going on - it’s cacophony and chaos and I couldn’t pull half of the instruments out of a lineup. It honestly just is an album and concept that I don’t care about anymore. I grew up in the 90s; this was big then. I never really got I to it because this type of music felt too extreme back then. Nowadays I listen to a larger variety of music to the point where I don’t think this album has anything new to say - while it was big in the 90s I don’t think it had anything new to say back then either. Closer is still a really weird song y’all. Sexy it is not.

This Industrial Rock album feels like being locked inside a factory where the machinery is malfunctioning and someone keeps deliberately making it louder. Distorted guitars, pounding drums, electronic loops, samples and layers of noise grind against each other, while Trent Reznor shifts between whispers, strained singing and screams. The sound keeps piling pressure onto me until there is hardly any space left to escape into. Sometimes the sheer density becomes compelling, but just as often I feel overwhelmed by the barrage, as if the machinery is dragging me further into the building whether I want to go or not. The increasingly oppressive sound fits the album's downward movement almost literally.

Solid industrial rock sound, couple of classics, overall a good listen.

Just not for me today

Well this was a fun album at the time, and it really helped progress the music scene in a whole new direction, but to be honest NIN really didn’t age well.

I really liked, a case where the loud abrasiveness works for me

I like the sound well enough and it has a couple bangers, but I think it's just a tad too long for me

Day 390 Highlights Closer Ruiner Reptile

Not really my bag but I can see why others might find it appealing. Also, sorry but I prefer Johnny Cash’s version of Hurt. 3

The definition of rocks and diamonds

A lot of MEH with a few solid ones

genuinely awful sound

Trash

I definitely didn’t think I was going to give this a 5 going in, but damn if it’s not a masterpiece! Stunning sound and song structure all the way through. 👍

Mid pero buena banda

Quiero tener una charla (a dos metros) con un fan de esta banda. No entiendo, realmente. No le doy una estrella porq piggy y hurt son buenos temas y hay alguno más que ni tan mal, pero las demás son inescuchables.

loved it when i was 16. still love it at 43

1994 Industrial rock, industrial metal Me flipa la instrumentación, me sobra la parte metal. - A warm place

A good album fits in many exciting movies 😂

This one has never worked for me as a record even though I love Pretty Hate Machine. Too much screeching groove and not quite enough moody piano stuff. The second half just mostly loses me until Hurt. Still I'm not negative on it.

It only takes a minute or two to realise that The Downward Spiral is 1001 essential. Anyone can make piano chords sound melodic. NIN found a way to make the most horrific industrial sounds musically appealing. Closer is so good. This is such a unique album. There are so many sounds on this album that just tickle me the right way. A Warm Place is an unexpected actual warm point of respite. I have always felt that Hurt is unfairly overshadowed by the Johnny Cash cover. A beautiful creepy song. Fave Tracks: Mr Self Destruct, Heresy, Closer, A Warm Place, Hurt 4.8/5

Jos on hyvä fiilis niin levy antaa energiaa. Jos on rage fiilis nii rage kasvaa noin 500%. Hyvää musaa, muutamaa astetta rajumpi muse. Albumin loppupuooli ei säväyttänyt yhtä paljon. A man with a gun on hyvä, muut ei niinkän lemppareita. Pitkähkö albumi, 1h 5min.

The angsty early 90s vibe is gonna sound dated to a lot of people, I get that, but this is brilliant, challenging abrasive music. Closer and Hurt are classics

I am an animal.

Шума много, музыки мало.

I didn’t get through it all but I got through enough to give it 5*. This came on a day where I was already listening to a lot of hardcore anyway so fit perfectly. I don’t know why I’ve never given NIN a proper go before, but can hear the influence on almost any other band I listened to growing up

This is an album that is heavily loaded with the darkest aspects of human life. Recorded in a scene of horrific murder and weighed down by reznors own mental health. The music reflects this, dense, aggressive, barely coherent at times with occasional glimpses of light that make the darkness even more evident. Punishing and brutal. An album that leaves you feeling bruised.

This was the album that changed the landscape of music, huh? I can't believe I used to like this, it was like listening to a completely different album this time around. Reznor's voice is uninteresting, the dynamic contrast is neat the first couple tracks but gets stale over the course of an hour.

Never before has industrial rocks sounded so beautiful. With haunting tracks like Hurt, and Closer where they try to out sexy-funk Prince the album is full of masterpieces.

Didn’t care for the vocals, but dug the texture overall.

If you’re struggling to get through this, imagine Trent Reznor marching bow-legged on the spot in his leather vest, cupping up his pecs as if they’re fake breasts. Don’t thank me, thank Trent. Some Reznor fragments have worked for me, like when David Lynch deployed him in “Lost Highway”, and this record has plenty of moments that catch and drive, “A Warm Place” a tease of what delicacies might be - his ear for streamlining noise into hooks is undeniable, as is his taste for juicy electronic squelch and fuzz - but here they house junior pervert drivel, and the result is jogging music for faux-transgressives. Iron those jeans, apply protective cream to that leather vest, don’t forget to file your taxes a month in advance.

Boring, juvenile and quite irritating. [EDIT: from the days when my reviews were written for an audience of one. Can't improve on it today! This album really insists upon itself, to nobody's benefit.]

3.5 - but mainly for closer and hurt.

I was expecting to like this one, but I really didn't. We get it, you're angry and angsty.

Very creative surprised I got into it. For originality I give 5

So angry and chaotic.

It's okay. Didn't really like it / not my style

Johnny Cash stolen the right music from this album.

Me listening to music about doing drugs and killing people on the way to my 9-5.

Absolutely astonishing and touching music. It still sounds experimental and fresh even Today, it also explains some streams in music that changes after the release of this album, I will be coming back to it and dig deeper into NIN

Most of this album hurts my ears, the other part of this album is really good. Odd. Best Song: Closer Rating: 4/10 Stars: 2

pedo

I enjoyed the more industrial, but disliked the more mainstream aspects. Horny. Just Incredibly horny.

++*: Heresy, Eraser ++: Mr. Self Destruct, Piggy, March of the Pigs, Closer, Ruiner, The Becoming, I Do Not Want This, Big Man with a Gun, A Warm Place, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, Hurt 9,9/10

This is not how I wanted my return to this project after a two month break to sound like.

My friends will hate me for such a low score. This album challenged me when I wasn’t in the mood to be challenged. I can see myself returning to it a few weeks from now and giving it a 5. Maybe I’m just saying this because I know where Trent’s career went, but this sounds like a perfect soundtrack to a movie I didn’t want to watch.

Can you make a negative star review?

another 90s banger and classic from Reznor 5/5

An album I admired more than enjoyed.

Industrial rock, alternative rock, industrial metal.

It took me a while to get to this one, I think I was intimidated by it. Having listened to it, I was kind of blown away by it. Yes, it's ugly, aggressive, and not something I'll probably ever care to listen to again. But it's powerful and I love the loud/soft/loud dynamic throughout. Reznor is an expert at creating sonic textures that reflect the agony and pain of the lyrics. And there's some real beauty here as well with songs like "A Warm Place" and, especially the closer "Hurt." I'd heard the Johnny Cash cover of the song more than I'd heard this one so it was a revelation. I consider it one of the best album closers ever. There are certain works of art that show how the artist cut him or herself and bled out on the page/recording/film. With this album, Reznor needed a tourniquet.

I'd never tackled this great ugly behemoth of an album before, only songs I knew were Closer and Hurt. In a lesser artist's hands this would be way too melodramatic for me. It still sometimes is a little bit, but the production absolutely saves it. The layers of abrasive sound, unpredictable twists all mirror the protagonists (antagonist's?) declining mental state perfectly. And while it's mostly just in your face aggressive, it has moments of eerie beauty too, like the thumping Big Man With a Gun into the almost meditative A Warm Place

Loved this album when it came out, and I had the angst to match. I've aged fairly well, I'd like to believe; this record has not. Still sounds really good, but I don't plan on re-revisiting it again any time soon.

schon gut, aber nichts für den morgen nochmal hören! Trent ist wichtig. c

Pretty Hate Machine is one of those albums that changed my life. Actually seeing NIN at the first Lollapalooza and the subsequent 1000x listens to PHM on tape. He wasn't the first industrial artist, but he made it accessible, and let's be honest, he had a lot more talent, breadth and depth than the Ministry's and KMFDM's of the world. Broken, in between PHM and The Downward Spiral, really didn't portend to what was coming here. It was fine but didn't go much beyond where Pretty Hate Machine took Reznor (let's remember Reznor arranged and played every instrument on these albums). The Downward Spiral was a monumental jump in maturity and while the one line may have made Reznor a superstar, the music kept him relevant. As I have aged, this music isn't the go to anymore but revisiting after what must have been 5+ years, I am struck by just how complex and rich it is. Top to bottom, one of the most influential and best albums of the last 30 years.

Easily one of the greatest and most revolutionary rock albums of the 1990s. It's probably the most accessible industrial album yet it'll still terrify your conservative parents. Trent Reznor deserves the world. Favorite track: Piggy 4.5/5

I know it's their landmark album, but I'm sort of neutral towards most of it. It's not my teenage nostalgia album (With Teeth) or my now-age taste album (Pretty Hate Machine). Musically it still sounds timeless to my ears, though the obnoxious edginess is of its time. A Warm Place through to Hurt is a fantastic run of tracks that outweighs the first half, which I'm mostly indifferent towards. I can't think of many albums that don't really get cooking until the second half! Closer's great, of course, but I can never hear it with the same ears after Neil Cicierega's Rollercloser.

Well I didn't know what to expect from this but it certainly wasn't this. Unlike anything that I'd ever heard before...or will again I hope! A couple of tracks were just about OK - the final track "Hurt" and the one without any screechy vocals at all - "A Warm Place". Other than those this was mainly just disturbing and horrible - which is perhaps the point of it. I can only assume the Nine Inch Nails were totally hammered when they came up with this concept.

I was aware of a lot more of the tracks than I thought I was - I think NIN were on a few mix tapes of mine. I did enjoy it but its not really my style of music anymore. You can see the early glimpses of Trent Reznor's soundtrack work - like the kind of lovely ending of Piggy and A Warm Place for example. However, it's all a bit 'look how tough and edgy I am', a bit embarrassing and dated but was a big deal at the time and quite groundbreaking. The fact he recorded it in the house where Sharon Tate was murdered means it lost half a star for me - what a twat.

I appreciate a lot about Trent Reznor's aesthetic approach to music i.e. make a horrible noise over and over again, but there's something so halloween costume/'why so serious' about all the misery and drama that means I just can't help but cringe throughout a lot of it. As ever with music, it's the voice that is my essential problem, that affected drawl that becomes an equally affected scream/shout thing. Still, lots going on musically to enjoy, all the snowfields of white noise, BANG BANG BANG industrial drums, and lovely synths bubbling away. I like that you can see the seeds of the sound evolving into Reznor's often fabulous soundtrack work with Atticus Ross throughout. I also have a real soft spot for this sort of early Pro Tools production (see also Eel's 'Electro Shock Blues') because this was essentially the sort of sound that had been just about democratised by the time I started making music, so with enough time and equipment you could kind of do a wonky version of most of the stuff they were doing, and how cool is that! It was very cool, trust me.

I know this is a masterpiece. I’ve never been able to get into NIN

This album is such a classic for me. I thought it was edgy AF when I was a teen. We both know what song I'm talking about. This album hits so much different now that I'm older. It's a bop

In retrospect, The Downward Spiral seems really weird for 1994 while at the same time the logical progression from Pretty Hate Machine. Got some all time bangers but to my ears, a few fillers that drag it down a bit.

I don't engage with the lyrics of a lot of this like I used to, but the music is fucken gnarly. I tend to relisten to albums after this one.

A wonderful album about farm animals. Ruined and I Do Not Want This were my favorites. 7.3/10.

Sexy creepy little thing

Este álbum se siente como un envase dónde tirar furia y dolor mientras se va escuchando a través del mismo Mucha potencia, pero a la vez momentos de calma Letras explícitas, crudas, mostrando justamente un viaje en espiral hacia el fondo Un intermedio con A Warm Place que te reubica dentro del viaje de sentimientos "negativos" que se va ejecutando Industrial y electrónica muy bien utilizados, se siente mucha ira en varias de las canciones También se percibe calma dentro del caos en otras, siento que evoca mucho hacia el oyente muy bien trabajo haciendo pasar por este tipo de sentimientos por el transcurso del disco Recomendado y reescuchable

Jeg har alltid foretrukket den mer syntha debuten, men denne har også vært i jevn rotasjon siden jeg satt meg ned med NIN for første gang. Synes kanskje det som fungerer best her er de øyeblikkene som er mer ambient/electro, men egentlig er det hvor elegant den skifter mellom industrial wall of sound riff fulle av teen angst, beinharde electro-industrial sawtooth synth leads, tranquile synth pads, og uhyggelige soundscapes som gjør at skiva fungerer så bra som den gjør. Den stiller på en måte spørsmålet: hva om nu metal var bra? Synes også Reznor gjorde Hurt bedre enn Cash, men det er nok fordi Reznor bruker vesentlig mer synths og samples enn det Cash gjør.

Jeg måtte prøve denne to ganger. Det ble noe bedre ved andre gjennomhøring, men jeg merker at industrial er bedre som element enn frittstående sjanger. Er som om jeg bare venter på tunge metallriff.

A little bit of a slow start but everything from March of the Pigs through the rest of the album is a masterpiece

8/10 Nine Inch Nails are an interesting band (of sorts, as they are definitely Trent Reznor and others) to me, in that while I like a lot of their work, they’re not a group I come back to all that often. I think Pretty Hate Machine is excellent, but the type of music they moved towards after that point just doesn’t lend itself to regular listening, despite the fact that I like it. One of the most interesting aspects about Trent Reznor’s work is that he has an incredibly good ear for pop melody, but shrouds it in dirt and angst in a way that actually makes it musically appealing to a more mainstream ear, if you can get around the aggression, intensity and confrontational sound design aspects. The guy is definitely a prototypical edgelord, creating a studio in the house in which Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson family to record this album and Broken, and dubbing the studio ‘Le Pig’ in reference to the message scrawled on the front door of the house in Tate’s blood by her murderers. So far, so edgelord teen. Except he was nearly 30 when this came out. In truth, a lot of that can be swept to one side based on the fact that the music is so good. It would be easy to look back at some of what was contained in NIN work and find it quite cringy, but underneath it all, there is a simmering honesty that can be picked out of the posturing, in a similar way that you can uncover great musical quality from the mass of noise and filth that is used to present it. The sound design work across the record is excellent, with sections of pure industrial aggression, laying in stark contrast to sections in which he strips things right back to more restrained, tonally pretty passages, creating a light and shade that allows the record to breathe. Some of the groove building is slow and considered, but incredibly well balanced, often growing a song subtly while preventing things from being too static or repetitive, despite the core of a track remaining the same. It’s all good stuff. Trent manages to deliver his vocal in a way that matches that range of dynamic, sometimes by adjusting his style of delivery, and sometimes through production to pull an aggressive vocal into the distance to create space, or distorting a cleaner vocal to give it more grit. All of which goes to enhance the textural quality and dynamic range of the record. There are times when the album does get a little bit stuck, with tracks that don’t quite maintain the momentum that would push this album to the next level. In part that’s down to the 90s tendency to try and utilise more of the space on a CD, as opposed to the more strict runtime of an LP, but at an hour and five minutes, this does feel a bit bloated, and there probably could have been a heavier editing hand used on the albums first half to tighten things up a bit. But it’s still an excellent achievement and was an incredibly important record for opening up the 90s rock scene to a more abrasive world of sound. Mr. Self Destruct - This is grimy, noisy and harsh. The production techniques to create that abrasive tone are great and gel perfectly with the intensity of the track, with Reznor simmering in places and overflowing with rage in others. The dynamic range is great, and it’s interesting to have such a harsh opening and the more quiet subtle stuff in the middle. A solid start. Piggy - The whispered vocal is pretty sinister, and the building instrumentation and production build the tension really well. There’s enough range in there to keep things fresh, but it holds and holds, with a slow increase in intensity as things move along and a few false drops and some great sound design. It always feels like it’s going to burst, but despite pushing at the seams, it never does. Lovely atmospheric work. Heresy - Another driven, intense track that has a persistence to its groove and a harshness of tone that blend really well. The sound design is excellent, which keeps things relatively fresh, but this one feels a little bit stylistically flat, despite the quality of the bubbling groove. It’s still pretty decent though. March Of The Pigs - And the pace picks up now. This is a great track in 7/8 time through the verses and a more standard 4/4 in the choruses. Again, it does the trick of making the chorus the quieter, prettier part, rather than the verse, which is counter to the way that a lot of songs would work. There’s some lovely pulsing bass in this and the beat production is great too. It’s such a great song and showcases the blend of savagery and beauty that NIN are capable of at their peak. Closer - Another great groove and more range in intensity and dynamic. The bass line is particularly strong, and the ever changing groove around it keeps an organic evolution developing throughout. It manages a superb trick of being dirty and aggressive while retaining a sexy pulse that underlies it. It’s another incredibly strong track with superb sound design and beat building, and it feels like we’re fully into the flow of the record after the last couple of tracks. Ruiner - I could probably spend most of this record talking about the dirty, grubby and intriguing sound design, and this is another fine example. I’m not 100% convinced by the synth horn type sounds, despite the drama they bring, but everything else here is great. The beat composition is solid, the crumbling, collapsing guitar solo work is really interesting, and again, we get some cool use of intensity variation. It does feel like this stumbles a touch in places, but at its best, it’s fantastic. The Becoming - The synth bass is great and it’s more fun with time signatures. The groove is solid, but the gritty intensity of the layered sample work doesn’t really let it settle in a delightfully uncomfortable way. The ebb and flow of the pulsing drum grooves and the slowly developing intensity as the track progresses give it an insistent drive, and then he takes a moment to strip it back out, but still with a layer of discomfort. It’s evocative and disturbing stuff in the best way. I Do Not Want This - The dissonance here aligns the piano and more sung vocal well with the metronomic, persistent beat and prepares for the uptick in intensity and rage that kicks in for the chorus. It broods and teeters on the edge through the verses, with some more cool sound design work and evolving soundscaping. It’s not the broadest work across the whole track, but there’s still a lot to enjoy here, particularly the evolution of the beat, which develops its groove well. Big Man With A Gun - Aggressive both lyrically and musically, I get what Trent was going for here, but ultimately I don’t think he really pulls it off, with the track quite repetitive and uninteresting, despite its short length. A Warm Place - An almost ambient soundscape of a track now, perhaps in reaction to the last one. It’s well put together and adds a nice pause in the intensity of the record. It also hints more towards the soundtracking work that Trent would move on to in the future. Very nice. Eraser - This takes a while to get going, but the slow build is considered and well managed. The gradually increasing layering of the beat is cool and I think the slightly wonky feeling 4-2 split in the 6/4 time signature is interesting too. When things really kick in, it’s earned its intensity and power and, while it’s a bit repetitive, the build to that point is what makes it. Reptile - The robotic actuator sounds in the beat here are great. In terms of style, this almost feels like a jumping off point for what Korn would develop from in the coming years. The brooding menace is excellent, and again, the sound design is interesting and enhances the core song really well. The melodic work here is great too. The Downward Spiral - Another interesting piece of sound design in which we are presented some shimmering sound design and more slow build, but through a clouded, filtered lens. The angst and emotion falls behind the melody and even that feels distant and disconnected. It’s a cool device in which nothing is completely clear but the intent. Hurt - And we close with a classic. I feel like this is the most honest we get Trent in the record, as the posturing and edgelord artifice fall away and we get presented the stripped back heart of who he is as a person and a musician. It’s melodically solid, ebbs and flows brilliantly and has an abrasive edge that permeates the honesty and stark beauty of the song.

2.7

Sehr gutes Album

Man, this album is scary. Definitely a heavy listen, about the deterioration of someone's mental health and eventual suicide (if I understand it correctly). The lyrics deal with issues of self-harm, alienation and violence and as such, the album is not a happy listen, to say the least. It really made me shiver, especially on the title track and "Hurt", but the entire album is frightening. It is not a genre I would usually listen to and this is not an album I will return to easily, maybe never, but I am glad I listened to it. Favourite songs: Mr. Self Destruct, Closer, Eraser, Hurt

One of my favorite albums of all time. 5 stars, all day.

First time actually listening to this record weirdly enough lol. I really liked it! I recognized nearly every song on this, which is funny. Really enjoy the intense industrial parts, the softer stuff not so much. Still very fun though.

おもろい。説明で見た感じ、騒がしい感じで好みがめっちゃ分かれるやろうなと思ったら、まあ確かに好みは割れそうだけど緩急があって、ビートも強めだし良い。 マシンガンみたいな感じ。 終わり方が衝撃的なバラードらしいけど、それはあんまわからんかった。

I don’t like most metal but this is the big exception and the reason why is melody. To me it’s similar to Scandinavian metal, typical grinding metal mixed with short melodic breaks.

What a blast from the past. I remember so many of these songs being so transgressive for the time and since we did live in a kind of monoculture where everyone was talking about "Closer" you learned of the band and learned to love of hate them. I still love Nine Inch Nails, and this album does not disappoint.

As much I appreciated this and get why people like NiN this wasnt for me personally

This fuckin rips

A strong 3, but a 3 nonetheless

That don't work for me, brother.

Bleak

Eliminated all doubts about 3/4 by the end

Not my music taste at all so didn't get it, just seems like music for people in a dark place First album I've had to skip, and that was after 3 tunes, shite

Mr. Self Destruct

5/10 - Too hardcore for me but some songs still have rhythm

Me suena muy experimental, con estos sonidos, letras y estilo nin marco el sonido de los 90. En general un disco entretenido, mi canción favorita hurt.

The keywords for this album include: noise, angry, hate, abrasive, loud, intense, etc. Not my usual fare. And the truth is, I didn't enjoy about 75% of this album, but Closer and Hurt sort of tie it all together and justify the experience. I can respect the artistry in something I don't find aesthetically pleasing.

Very interesting, very loud, appreciated the quieter pieces, really liked Hurt ofc I really wonder how Johnny Cash figured out about this song lmao

This album angsty as hell bro. Made me anxious just sitting at my desk at work. Hurt was aight, J Cash did it better tho.

You know what, despite being basically a set of edgy tunes that could be played in a nightclub scene in Blade / Saw etc. i actually enjoyed this. Unsettling though.

Intense, bleak, not always an easy listen. More sound art than music in some places so can see why it's on the list. Has to be 4 stars just for those reasons

Trent’s first magnum opus this is a beautiful, tragic work of art that solidifies the prior NIN works and puts Trent’s name down as an all time great. Production is insane on this, could have been a 2026 release.

never listened to nin before but have enjoyed reznor's soundtrack work (justice for challengers receiving no awards love....) did not enjoy this

Peak. One of my favorite cinematic albums to put on in the dark on a nice pair of headphones and just listen to the whole thing, front to back. Incredible. FIVE STARS

This album angsty as hell bro. Made me anxious just sitting at my desk at work. Hurt was aight, J Cash did it better tho. 1.5/5

4.5

Sonically interesting but lyrically despicable, would never listen to this again Playlist add: "Reptile"

This is really good and interesting. I actually own the original album, but had never paid enough It is complex and it requires several listens to really appreciate it. But it keeps growing on me. Very good. Songs I enjoyed: "Hurt" (fantastic track and, of course, the cover by Cash is also fantastic), "Closer", "Reptile", "March of The Pigs", "Mr. Self Destruct", "A Warm Place" (I typically enjoy instrumental tracks) or "Heresy". This is between 4 and 5 stars for me. However, taking into account its originality, influence, and legacy, I'm awarding this one 5 stars. But well, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Couple good songs but again hard rock is not my thing

While I don’t think the album is necessarily good, especially 30 years later, I understand the influence and importance, and thus belongs on this list more than many other albums.

Never been a fan of NIN. Edgy music for depressed teens. All sounds the same, a dark sludgy dirge

it's like an evil lullaby

first immediate skip. not for me (how can a song make you feel queasy)

A solid album, but I was expecting more.

Very Good industrial Rock/Metal album

Rah! I'm so angry with the world! Nah jk

The first track worried me as I’d never explicitly sought out NIN to listen to and feared during that, that I was now old and thought of stuff like this as ‘just noise’ but then Piggy kicked in and I was back to being young because I loved that. Luckily for me Mr. Self Destruct was the anomaly, not Piggy, and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the record.

Given how well regarded this album is, and in particular the original version of 'Hurt', I was quite excited to listen to this. Sadly I must've been listening to something completely different to everyone else, as not only was I quite underwhelmed by the whole thing but the original version of 'Hurt' is nowhere near as good as Johnny Cash's.

Heard it before and I've never been a fan of NIN. This is not even good industrial music, it's just noise and Trent either screaming his ass off in an unpleasant way or mumbling something to a softer instrumental. And the synth in Ruiner sounds just like Hot on the Heels of Love by Throbbing Gristle? I could never get why people love NIN so much. American industrial music is never good, this type of music has to come from a place like Germany to sound authentic. And fuck Trent for recording this album at Cielo Drive and being weird about it. Getting this album a day before the anniversary of the murders is a joke 1/5

it's good but it doesn't quite click for me... i liked "closer"... i wish i'd listened to this when i was 15 i think it would've stuck with me more

I’ve wanted to get more into industrial so I revisiting the genre’s most mainstream artist is as good a place as any to start. I think I’d have a hard time believing just how mainstream NIN was if I hadn’t been around back then. Listening again in 2026 it comes off as a “you had to be there” album. Too loud to be pop rock, too soft to be metal, too produced to be grunge, too raw to be goth. It was a musical curveball for its time.

Horrible, anxiety-inducing noise. It's like sandpaper in my ears. Why so angry?

Decent album. A bit noisy and harsh at times, but cool sound and industrial vibe. They definitely would make great soundtracks as they have proven in actual films.

Very bad

I LOVED this record when it first came out. Looking back on that period of my life, I recognize that I was going through the sort of exceptionally memorable shit that would make one want to listen to "The Downward Spiral" on repeat all the time. So I went into this with a bit of trepidation 30 years on, as a person who still likes a lot of industrial music but doesn't require quite as much screaming and desecration anymore. But a lot of it is more subtle than I remembered. There's a lot of interesting stuff on here, mostly related to percussion, the insect noises that got mixed in here and there, and extended howling stretches of music like the end of "Ruiner." I probably would have rated this FIVE STARS FUCK YEAH BURN EVERYTHING in 1994, but I think I'll give it a slightly more restrained four today. The good songs are very good, but after a while it's all a bit much. I'm glad I was reminded of it again today, though. Favorite track: "The Downward Spiral"

I couldn’t finish it, it was hard to listen to i will give it a try after some time tho

Hated it

This album actually made me feel. I remember being scared by the heretical lyrics. I'm still shocked by the power of this music to scare me. Adrian Belew's solo is such a weird masterpiece. Way more melodic than I remember. Love the dynamic volume changes.

This album falls into a category come across frequently with music that is critically acclaimed. I find that I respect this more than I would say I necessarily enjoy it. It’s a very cool. I love what he’s doing, but it’s probably not something I would listen to.

Middels, til tross for Hurt

- I prefer Reznor as a composer (where he is exquisite) than as a performer, but I still always admire and typically enjoy the industrial rock he crafts for Nine Inch Nails. - Lot of interesting sounds in the first 2/3 of this album; the "wall" of sound produced is something else. But it can feel a bit repetitive. - The final 1/3 is pretty sublime, though, notably with "A Warm Place" (which is beautiful) and the backing on "Reptile." Frankly, "Hurt" kind of comes out of nowhere, but it is so good that I cannot complain. Reznor's best performance on the record.

Genius

Sexy, tortured, industrial. “Closer” is insane on many levels. “Hurt” sounds like a wounded animal. I was piqued by the album’s tending towards emo/metal vibes and vocals. All that said, is this for me? In some moods, yes. I’ll call this 3.5 down to 3.

I have a love-hate with this album. A number of great songs - easily a 5 - set amidst, at times, messy noise which makes it hard to digest this in a sit down listen session. Other NIN albums for me are more enjoyable end to end starting with Pretty Hate Machine which was given to me through a promo effort in 1989. I think Trent is a genius and I love/love so much of their work. But this one has always been and remains just beyond my reach. 4/5

Just feels like a bunch of noise ruining what could be good tracks. Hurt is a great song though

Жуть какая-то, с большим трудом можно назвать это музыкой, лишь благодаря паре-тройке песен.

Nice but didn't make me their fan.

A bit too much space here and there, but this one could grow on me. Dark, aggressive, nice.

Very industrial and rough-sounding. A loose concept album and a marvelous one at that! It's truly amazing how someone can combine rock music with harsh noises and "industrial" sounds. An album well done!

Es álbum con sonidos bastante industrializados, sensuales, bastante fuerte

still as good as i remember

Driving to work at 5.am I put this on. This is how it went: what the fuck is this racket…….not too bad really……….. I think I would have loved this back in the day……… is this still on………..fucks sake, is it not finished yet ……. What a load of self indulgent bullshit……. Thank fuck that’s over. One or two half decent tracks save it from a one star

AWESOME!!!!Bought this album when it was released

There are some NIN songs that I love, but some of these a bit above my loud and angry limit.

Aye brilliant

Pretty good

There goes the upbeat Monday morning I was planning. Dark dark album but good

This guy is going places

A classic for the genre

"The Downward Spiral" is an album I’ve always struggled to fully embrace. It features tracks I outright dislike, alongside others that deeply resonate with me. Even on songs like "I Do Not Want This" or "Big Man With a Gun," I often find myself enjoying specific sections rather than the track as a whole. That said, the album reaches some incredible highs: 'Closer' is a fantastic, fully electronic standout, 'A Warm Place' offers a welcome and charming moment of respite, and 'Hurt' is a masterpiece - eerie, dark, and genuinely menacing in this original form. Yet, as a complete experience, it is rarely an easy or relaxing listen. The production is defined by a harsh dissonance and an unnerving, abrasive quality. But of course, that might be the entire point. Tackling such heavy subject matter in this manner over a 65-minute runtime makes for an incredibly intense and exhausting journey. I admire its ambition, but it's not an album that I pull off the shelf very often. Three stars. 1 "Mr. Self Destruct" (2/5) 2 "Piggy" (3/5) 3 "Heresy" (4/5) 4 "March of the Pigs" (2/5) 5 "Closer" (5/5) 6 "Ruiner" (4/5) 7 "The Becoming" (2/5) 8 "I Do Not Want This" (2/5) 9 "Big Man with a Gun" (2/5) 10 "A Warm Place" (5/5) 11 "Eraser" (3/5) 12 "Reptile" (4/5) 13 "The Downward Spiral" (3/5) 14 "Hurt" (5/5) Total - 46 Average - 3.3 387/1001 206/387 albums reviewed were new to me.

1. FUCK Mr self district rips (favorite) 2. Piggy's fun. Love the live drums interspersed through the mix. The emergence of the drums around 3 minutes was incredible. The wattery piano note is brillianly produced. As alienating a mantra as one can find. 3. Heresy feels a bit on the nose, but the guitar tone is nice and driving. 4. March of the Pigs final piano riff made me chuckle. 5. CLOSER! YEAHHHH!!!! Raw song, dear gracious. 6. Huh. Ruiner's a weird flavor. So far at a 3.5/4. OKAY got to the sonerous sounds. I like. 7. I would not like the beginning if the synths weren't so well-engineeres of if the acoustic guitar interlude was not present. Luckily, both are here so the singing's effects are mitigated. 8. I do not want this...falling into a peculiar niche of frank ocean effect. I don't...relate to the protagonist at this time in my life.

Pretty Hate Machine was my god-album back in the day, but I'd moved on to other things by the time this album dropped. But naturally I still gave this one plenty of listens, and of course I heard Closer every time I went to the clubs. These days it sounds like PHM b-sides mixed in with some interesting early soundscape experiments that Trent would develop more fully later. My review is biased because I'm listening to this on my couch in 2026 and not having it blow my eardrums out while I'm dancing at First Avenue in 1995 with all my sweaty drunk friends. Closer is still horny as hell though, respect.

energetic, great production, good vocals. i am not an avid metal/industrial rock listener, but i can still recognize and enjoy how good this is, when i'm in the mood for it.

The album containing Hurt - the song that ressurected Johnny Cash's career at the end of his life and introduced him to a brand new generation. I was in the mood for something rambunctious today, but this didn't quite hit the spot. Often angular and obtuse for the sake of it, without serving the song.

Haunting. I also did not expect the instrumental pieces.

An industrial masterpiece. Trent opens hard and fast, pummeling you with emotion and bass. The vocals swing between whispering and yelling, collapsing in on themselves. The music and samples form a barrage of melody and noise, not chaos, but intentional psychological overload. If you’re new to Nine Inch Nails, I’m sorry: this should not be your entry point. Go listen to Pretty Hate Machine and Broken first. This album assumes you already understand the vocabulary. While the lyrics often sound sexual, they’re really about self‑deprecation, envy, and self‑destruction. Trent uses physical language as metaphor for emotional collapse, not seduction. And yes — Johnny Cash’s cover of Hurt eclipses Trent’s original. Cash turns it into something mythic, something final. Trent wrote the wound; Cash performed the scar. Without this record, we don’t get Marilyn Manson, at least not the version that mattered. And thankfully, Trent never lowered himself to using sexuality as a weapon or a marketing gimmick. His darkness is internal, not performative. My Rating: 10/5

Great tunes but a bit oppressive

A lot more digestible than you'd imagine. But still highly memorable.

Trent at the start of his moody goth phase.

Great album with a really creative blending of genres

Этличный эталон альбома в сите Industrial. 3 несомненных хота плюс очень ровнаяатмосфера всего альбома - слушаетсяна одном дыхании.

Absolutely wild that the group was just allowed to record this album in the Tate murder house. The entire album is pretty transgressive and evokes graphic imagery in its lyrics, so I guess it was inspired in that sense. The production choices help that along too, with the distortion used on top of the electronic and industrial soundscapes featured here. A good chunk of these tracks just straight up did NOT age well, however. It's a shame because I find NIN sonically very interesting and the concept displayed here specifically works well too. It is intended to be an unsettling listen after all anyway.

It's a little overly edgy while the sound feels kinda trite compared to more purely industrial acts, but it still makes for a good listen Fav tracks: Ruiner, Closer, Reptile

A great metal-industrial album, Trent Reznor at his darkest best. A must have album for your collection!

Horrible! To hard and loud. Not my style

Another long overdue first listen, and it did not disappoint. I listened to this while lying in bed, scrolling my phone, after midnight, and ended on my back staring up at the ceiling, fully engrossed. I can’t wait to come back to this again and again—the sheer presence of these songs is incredible. From the light research I did while listening, the narrative seems fascinating, but isn't overwritten enough to interfere with the experience. True to the title, this album is just a rabbit hole of ingenious production and sheer emotional blood-letting. Favs: Mr. Self-Destruct, Piggy, March of the Pigs, Closer, A Warm Place, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, Hurt Least Fav: I Do Not Want This Score: 9

It is 1994. A massive success it's going on Trent Reznor life, after releasing his first album Pretty Hate Machine that it's considered one of the greatest debuts in music history. What he decides for the next one? Going insane. Literally, going insane. Downward Spiral it's a concept album it's a chronicle about the self destruction of a misantrophic protagonist. Through the songs we discover how he goes into a state of madness, isolation, alienation, dehumanization and eventually suicide after killing the idea of a god in his mind. It's a metaphorical Downward Spiral that explores themes like drugs, sex, power, depression and a complete lose of control. The tour for the record was completely chaotic as the album itself. Dark lights, almost no ilumination with the members of the band attacking themselves, destroying instruments after the set. Woodstock 94 saw the peak of this with Trent Reznor almost completely covered in mud (same as Green Day would do it a date later on the same festival) going wild at the crowd. If you consider the fact that he actually moved to the house were Charles Manson and his group killed Sharon Tate to record the album in a home studio he called "Le Pig" you can tell where the caos came from, and why Reznor finally decided to go instead of choosing another place. His constant need for isolation, struggling with depression and addictions, it is not only just a semi-autobiograph, it's allegorical, deep and raw. Samples, distorsions, sound collages, a massive explosion of industrial rock, techno, heavy metal and electronic. It is A record that was written to remember how cruel we are as a society sometimes, how absurd we are as humans and that everything can become nothing in just the blink of an eye.

1.8 Meh

Coldplay left me well, cold

Not even my favourite NIN album but still an instant 5*

An album I dearly love, but rarely ever go out of my way to put on, due to how heavy it is both sonically and emotionally. The soundscape is extremely intense, typically relying on heavily distorted guitars, droning synths, and pummeling drum machines. There's rarely any tangible grooves to latch onto either, the songs trudge along at a slow pace instead, forcing you to wallow in the dreary atmosphere. It could be too overwhelming, but Trent Reznor is a master of dynamics, altering between crushing loudness and discomforting quiet to keep you on your toes. This atmosphere provides the perfect backdrop for Reznor's lyrics, focusing on depression, substance abuse, hedonism, self-hatred, and all the other darkest corners of his soul. Like the music, his vocal performance ranges from gravelly screams to whispers, emphasizing the chaos and confusion of the subject matter. It can be a difficult listen, but that's what makes it so special.

I love this album - the raw emotion and overall sound defined a generation: my generation.

Este disco es que me flipa

Meh

Shit stained cringe rapist

на любителя. никогда их не слушал особо.

i don't think you could pay me to care abt nine inch nails, and i think thats really sad

Unremittingly bleak, but there’s some beauty in the darkness. Not at all my kind of music, but this was pretty interesting, and I kind of liked it. Not sure what kind of mood I would have to be in to pull it out again though.

Sad boy music that's unique and one of songs Johnny Cash covered. I like how creative it is as well.

I would consider this the equivalent of the black album for industrial music.

Not my style of music

This album really surprised me in the best way. I had it as a teenager, but only really listened to Hurt and Closer. Listening to it from start to finish was quite an amazing and notable journey. The musicianship is absolutely incredible. Listening in headphones was a joy. It’s difficult, complicated, emotional, electric, technical all at once. Very layered. I’m embarrassed it took this long to get to it.

I had heard so much praise about this album for years, so I went in with high expectations. Man, what a disappointment. To me, this is pure shit — genuinely unlistenable. While listening I felt mostly annoyed and bored. The sound is noisy, repetitive, and miserable in the most unpleasant way. The production tries to be dark and intense but just ends up being exhausting and empty. Even the famous song “Hurt” couldn’t save it for me. The only good thing about that track are the lyrics, and even then, thank God Johnny Cash came along and made the real masterpiece version. Trent Reznor’s original feels weak in comparison. His songwriting skills feel very overrated to me. This album is the kind of thing I might have liked when I was 10 years old and thought being “dark” was automatically cool. Now, in more conscious years, I regret every second I spent listening to this garbage. If you want the real emotional power of “Hurt,” just go straight to Johnny Cash’s version and skip this entirely.

I wish I were young and angry enough to enjoy this

One of the best (if not the best) industrial rock albums ever made. Not every track on this album is good enough for me to listen to on its on, but they come together to create a very special experience. As with most NIN albums, the core of this album is anger and despair. Musically they're expressed in opposite ways, but emotionally they're adjacent to each other which is why they balance each other so well. My favorite track was "Heresy". The drums, electric guitar, and chorus on that track are great. However, my favorite moment is probably the ending of "Reptile" where you can hear Reznor yelling in the background. It's impressive how he manages to sound so good while yelling in despair. Plus the way it's muffled as if you're not supposed to hear it is a nice touch. 4.5 stars.

Gritty and angry rock with grating industrial sounds throughout that really add to the feeling.

Overall: 7/10 Quite honestly, I wish I loved Nine Inch Nails more. I have a huge amount of respect for Trent Reznor, and I think his film scores are some of the best from the century, but there's something about his band that I just can't connect with as much as I'd like. I still think this is a really great album, even if I prefer Pretty Hate Machine. What I love about this album specifically is that there's a beauty in it's aggression. His screaming seems to come from the heart. The big problem for me is that I find it so easy to just zone out and forget that I'm even listening to an album at all. Again, I wish I could connect to it more than I do. Great album, but not as great as I want it to be. Fav Song: Hurt

While pop and hip hop in the early 90s were using sampling and fart-y synths for Good - NIN were using them for Evil. Really edgy and modern even today - I was shocked this was from 1994. The secret of NIN is that his voice (and lyrics) are super whiny and annoying so you really need them to be either instrumental or have his voice so distorted and low in the mix that it just sounds like background wailing - they got the balance right here. But overall just a nice good vibes morning album. Gotta visit the studio they recorded this in must be the happiest place on earth.

Listens: very familiar It's Nine Inch Nails. What's not to like? ...oh, the fact that three of the tracks contain agonized screams looped over and over? I mean, that—oh, the disturbing lyrics? Haha, yeah, I mean—oh, the fact that each track is loaded with sounds that sound like they have no business being in anything considered "music"? Yeah, okay... fair. But so much of that is exactly what I love about this album. Although I didn't listen to it in earnest until probably sixth grade or so, there's no doubt in my mind how it (along with Pretty Hate Machine, which I've loved since literal infancy) informed and solidified crucial components of my music taste: appreciating unconventional timbres and finding the beauty in the ugly. I've spent hours exploring the sound palettes of this album and the samples that make up its rich sonic universe. Nothing truly sounds like it. I've written about this elsewhere, but in my mind, so much "industrial" music is crushingly unimaginative: to get their "noise", they simply take normal sounds and batter them with distortion until they're borderline unrecognizable. This has always felt insincere to me. A real industrial snare should not start off normal at any stage; it should originate as a terrible, already imperfect sound, like a heavy iron door falling to the ground in the movie Alien ("Reptile"), or, at the very least, use much more imaginative forms of bastardization than running it through a bunch of amps. The true noise of this album is what sets Nine Inch Nails apart from almost any other well-known band of this genre. It's not a simple, lazy trick but the result of an immense amount of work, thought, and experimentation. As for the songwriting itself, while I mercifully have never been in a place where I can identify with this concept album's protagonist, it's still an incredibly moving album. It opens a window into these emotions that I can't otherwise access, like a voyeuristic look at a tortured soul that allows me just enough access to appreciate the tormented beauty behind the ugly. How can you not feel the weight of the world when listening to the chorus of "Ruiner"? Almost weep at the reprieve of "A Warm Place"? The resignation of "Hurt"? As someone who wasn't alive at the time, it's wild to me that this album was as commercially successful as it was—it's probably the craziest album to ever go 4x Platinum. It feels like this feat would be irreplicable now, in an age where the algorithm gives us only what we want to hear and people are increasingly incentivized to avoid engaging with challenging art. But I suppose as long as the album exists, "Closer" will keep doing its job of luring unsuspecting listeners into this dark, bizarre ride.

A bit harsh, but not entirely wrong. Three stars…

Angry Industrial Rock and NIN's most popular album, but I prefer Pretty Hate Machine.

This is an absolute masterpiece of storytelling, industrial musicianship, and iconic soundscapes. The pure despair in the title track, the franticness of the frenetic Big Man With a Gun, followed by the irresistible calm of A Warm Place, to the screaming pounding grind of Heresy - this is just sheer perfection. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.

Pivotal album for industrial rock.

Not really my style. Will have to revisit a few times. Respect the artistry and expression of self. Unique sounds but cringey lyrics.

Suena super industrial y super emocionante a la vez, lo había escuchado antes y no me había gustado tanto pero hoy sí que me ha molado lo denso y duro que es, mola.

Hated the first track, liked the second bit then struggled to get though the rest. Not for me.

#383 Great album, great concept but I don’t really have the words to do it justice…it’s a must hear album that many will probably hate, maybe because it’s uncomfortable and deals with extremely dark themes but it’s a masterpiece in so many ways. I’m not sure I’ll ever bore of Closer, the largely instrumental second half to the track is sensational. Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Listen before you die? ✅ Fave track(s): Closer; Ruiner; March of the Pigs; Heresy; Hurt Rating: 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The lyrics detach me from any positive experience I might have. The concept is supposed to be a descent into madness, and it's supposed to deal with complicated, deep, and dark themes, but all the lyrics are superficial and very underdeveloped, almost childish, which makes it feel ridiculous considering the topics it wants to address. All the feelings of anguish and despair feel forced and performative; when they talk about sex, it makes me want to never fuck again. The music also doesn't help to generate the sense of descent that it's theoretically intended to create; the production choices are quite conservative for the industrial genre, the instrumentals are good but I don't feel that it works organically.

this is not for me

I can't say I dislike this album ... but I don't like it. NIN never grabbed me, and it's not just because it's "industrial." I can appreciate the artistry here, but I'll never listen to it again.

This album had an absolutely diabolical vibe but unfortunately I loved it.

Rate: 9/10.

C'est pas l'album que j'écouterais de moi même Je comprends pas pk ils veulent pas qu'ont comprenne ce qu'ils disent

Favorite Track: Closer

it nin

Sí marilyn manson hiciera música de verdad sonaría a este disco Sigo sin entender cómo hay banda que fantasea tener sexo con esto de fondo xD. Decisión aparentemente edgy y alternativa pero no tanto lol

Mr. Self Destruct Piggy Closer Hurt Skip track Reptile

one of my favourites

Man this is a formative album for me. I've been listening to Trent for 35 years now and A Downward Spiral is just so fucking good. It hits that mid 90s industrial and just kicks it in your chest. Mr Self District martial arts intro just lets you know the count early. Closer is a the obvious radio banger with the insane three minute outro, then to follow it with Ruiner. I Do Not Want This through Reptile just have that equal depression mixed with anger, only to close things out with Hurt. It feels like someone going through the stages of grief. Exquisite.

I once got a lap dance to Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt

Interesting sounds and production but it’s just not my style.

harsh, intense, sexy, visceral, pressurized, noise, despair, alluring, industrial, tortured, obsessive, vulnerable, unforgiving concept album. march of the pigs, big man with a gun, a warm place, reptile.

Wow! What a happy chap…not for me musically. Too aggressive and negative.

Not for me, too chaotic and, for me, elements of non musical noise.

Not up my alley ngl😭💔

It's a brilliantly gritty album with some dark lyrics in there. Most of the time I wouldn't be in the mood for an album like this, but the small percentage of the time that I am, this would be perfect. The drums and the buildup on some of the tracks are so good. Really liked this one. Favourites: Piggy Ruiner Eraser Hurt

The most abrasive top-40 album in history. A gloriously unparalleled aesthetic achievement.

Never heard of album, have heard of 9 inch nails. Not sure they’re the type of band I generally like. Top 100 on Apple tho so should be listenable at least. Mr self destruct is not what I was expecting at all. Cool sounds but the vocals are too low. Pretty cool song tho. Piggy is more what I was expecting. This song is junk. Quiet vocals again. Good drums and bass on it at least. Heresy is cooler. I like this song a lot, and it’s not my style. Again super cool sounds tho. Love the guitar. March of the pigs is same vibes. It’s not my style but I like it. It’s so much going on but it works. Bs vocals but it goes with the bs (in a good way) production. Guitar riff on it is just so good. Really nice piano too. Love the end. Closer is really cool too. Sick bass line. Just really cool sounds again. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song/album like this. Love the fade into ruiner. Another really cool and unique song. Sweet guitar solo, and I love the outro. Don’t like the becoming as much. Too choppy, not enough guitar. Saved by the sweet fade into I do not want this. Cool production again on this one, vocals/lyrics are kinda bs. It’s just a fine song. Drums are sick. Big man with a gun is much better writing. Very catchy. Sick guitar again. Just wish it was longer. Really cool opening to warm place. Actually song as a whole is really cool, great bridge song. Needed a break from the screamo. Another sweet fade into eraser. Good drums on this one. This is another cool song especially when it picks up. Bs vocals but again somehow they work? A lot of anger in this song. Another cool open to reptile. Production is awesome, don’t like the lyrics as much. Guitar is so good yet so simple. Downward spiral is pretty cool, didn’t need any vocals tho. Def couldn’t been another musical bridge. Sick guitar riff. Hurt is an all timer, but I think because of Johnny cash not nine inch nails. This version is obviously well written, it’s just too quiet. And not enough guitar. For the couple of parts where it really picks up it’s just as good as the cash version. Like after 4 mins it’s awesome. First four I want more. Overall, definitely beat my expectations but it’s not in my top 100. I’ve never heard an album like it. A couple really good songs and some I will never think of again. Probably the best alt rock album I’ve heard, up there with both nirvana albums I’ve got. 3.7/5 stars.

NIN are one of those bands that I wish I enjoyed more.

Not as great as i thought it would be. Hurt sticks out like crazy. Why does he wanna fuck everything and everyone

wow. not usually my thing, in the sense im not usually dark feelings for darkness' sake. with the exception of the 'hurt' cover, though, this was just an impeccable listen from start to finish. peak industrial sound?

As a concept album, this captures its subject, the downward spiral, decently well. Its rhythms, frills, vocal delivery, lyrics, and so on all deliver on the theme. The beats are nerve wracking, the ornamentations are jarring, the lyrics are blunt and ugly. Irreverence and self-loathing are sown into the songs' DNA. On that front, it is a 3/5. As *just music,* all of the above qualities are still there. And it makes it a rough listen, not a pleasant one. The lyrics are so unbearably cringey, the delivery just ... painful at times (the stupid little flourishes where Reznor sings "Now doesn't it make you feel better~" in "March of the Pigs" will probably haunt me for the next few weeks). The industrial electronic fills are teeth grinding fuel. The length of some of these songs are so goddamn self-indulgent; "Closer" does NOT have to be six minutes long. Now that I think about it, even most of the shorter songs could've benefited from a major haircut, if not outright decapitation. It all makes for a laborious listen if you're not in the mood for it (which is probably only the case if you hit a major depressive streak as a teenager and/or are a vampire at a nightclub in the Blade universe). What is quite bothersome to me is how often moments of brilliance shine through but are muddled in the muck and mire Reznor purposely made here. Some of the guitar work is ridiculously good. The piano in "I Do Not Want This" is beautiful and layered in so well. There are cinematic buildups in so many of these songs that never meet their full potential, and that really bites. An artsy person will probably counter that with, "well, that's the point, failed self-realization is sorta the theme of the album," but man, that shouldn't result in the music itself being majorly dragged down by the message. It is worth noting how many depressed and downard-spiral prone artists managed to make really beautiful, uplifting music (see Nick Drake or Elliott Smith who experienced more than their fair share of troubles and pain but managed to channel it into something wonderful) — the music here tried to make you think a depressed soul is only capable of making discordant, ugly, and antisocial art, and that couldn't be further from the truth. All in all, I really can't vouch for this album. I respect the attempt, I respect the sheer musical chops of Reznor and co., but I do not like the music or its message (meta or internal). Call it a 2/5 for the attempt and talent that underpin it all.

I’m finding that I really enjoy concept albums and the creativity and storytelling that goes with them. Familiar with NIN most notably for Closer and Hurt from this very album I have never explored much further, but appreciated this listen.

Felt unaccessible at the start, but less so on some later tracks. Sounded quite Australian to me.

No from me dawg

I say this as someone who knows nothing about how this album was made, but this seems like the "Jurassic Park" of records. It sounds great in the way that movie looked (and sounded) great. And so much of it seems like "practical effects" (again, I know nothing about anything). It seems like Trent Reznor's goal was to make an industrial album in a very DIY, actual instruments and samples sort of way (as opposed wholly using computers) The effect is something very mechanistic but human, abrasive and apocalyptic but surprisingly hooky. He was clearly a maniac going through some shit in this time. Just a masterpiece that, admittedly, already lived in my DNA before starting this albums generator. You better believe I didn't pass up the chance to listen to it again though.

Like

To loud and messy

Having never knowingly listened to NIN, I came in with fairly high expectations (Trent Reznor is a genius, didn't you know?) Well, I'm leaving disappointed. I knew the milieu this would come from, so I would have hoped to hear something sophisticated, dynamic, intellectual. Instead, we hear one-dimensional songs where, in most of the arrangements, the synth bed tracks feel overly repetitive, abrasive, and poorly mixed enough that we lose the balance of the instrumentation, and the chorus gets little more than an overdrive distortion effect to telegraph "hey, this is a different section!" At least I got to hear Trent tell me he wants to fuck me like an animal for like 5 minutes though, that redeemed this digressive dud. /s

Best thing about this album is that Johnny Cash did a cover of Hurt. There are bits I almost like but a lot that I don't like at all. 2 stars or D+.

Closer is obviously a banger. A Warm Place was a good instrumental track, and Hurt is also iconic even if draining my will to live slightly

I accidentally invoked this album by watching Lost Highway for the first time yesterday, sorry! I watched Lost Highway since it influenced Silent Hill 2, and I can now see Trent Reznor's influence in SH 2's music. The album was pretty good. I don't care for the lyrics or vocals, but the industrial ambience and instrumentals carry themselves well. My rating for this album could wildly vary by mood, but I overall like it.

Objectively cool just not my thing

nope

i think this album is a masterpiece but it is not easy listening and i cannot listen to it all the way through very often. also, i'll say it and i am not afraid, i don't think Johnny Cash's version of Hurt is better. i think they both represent two different kinds of Hurt incredibly well

This may be one of the most incomprehensible albums I've ever heard, and I mean that in the most neutral way possible. It oscillated between pretty cool and confusing and then just sort of ended (I am familiar with the OG Hurt and don't really care for it. A wise buff once said that there's no such thing as a 0 bag rating, so I will give this the most neutral rating I can (2.5)

I missed my Trent Reznor/NIN phase and never got into the group, so I was excited to hear this one. I would have liked this a bit more if it didn't continue on and on. I think it made its point pretty early on and the later songs don't add much. I'm also a bit turned off by "Big Man with a Gun," not because of the lyrics but because Reznor thought he was making a witty commentary on gangsta rap. It felt to me like his comments made it clear he doesn't (or didn't) understand the nuances of that subgenre very well. But to call it "cartoonish" and not have the self-awareness of the kind of music he makes is pretty wild.

Good for the most part, very good at times. I hadn’t listened to this since high school, which means last time I heard this I’d never seen Eraserhead

Daft Punk’s evil, older brother ain’t for me. Went back and forth between “jesus, this is too much” and “oh okay, this sounds kinda cool” but definitely spent most of the time on the former. I’ll admit that I only listened through Closer (the drive back from Lexington to Versailles only got me that far and I wasn’t about to chill with this in my AirPods) so let me know if I missed anything other than Hurt.

More less

not my sauce

not my thing

I wasn't a fan of NIN when this album came out, but they grew on me over time. Overall this is a decent album.

Honestly, probably the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been listening to a record. Exceptionally disturbing. But it is very good. Very well crafted, obviously every part was thought out and perfected before going on tape. I’m probably not gonna touch this one again. But it is definitely a piece of art.

i luv nine inch nails of course i’ve listened to this

Absolute, total masterpiece Also, the original Hurt is heads and shoulders above Cash's version, and if you think otherwise you're simply wrong

If I have to see one more of you morons talk about Johnny Cash I swear to god

Hard to listen to - by design. Ist, wie soll ich sagen, künstlerisch wertvoll? Hat den Platz auf dieser Liste hier definitiv verdient, aber ich werde das ganze Album wohl nie wieder anhören.

Undeniable. Whether this is the best NIN album is debatable, but this album certainly displays the balance of loud toughness and quiet reflection that NIN does better than anyone, all with driving riffs and rhythms.

Not for me, glad others can appreciate it.

Yes, Trent Reznor is a massive edgelord but my god does he have the tunes to back it up.

Oon yksinkertainen otus. Kun Trent Reznor ähisee, sähisee ja rähisee mun korvaan että I wanna fuck you like an animal, niin mun aivot tuumaa, ettei tästä musiikki parane. Aivoissa tapahtuu valtava :3, n_n ja ^^. Sen lisäksi, että NIN on tullut vuosien aikana tutuksi ylipäätään, oon oppinu myös arvostamaan sitä konemaisuutta, mikä varsinkin tästä levystä rämisee. Se tuntuu pään sisällä hyvältä ja jotenkin puhdistavalta. Albumilla ei ole yhtäkään huonoa biisiä. Ja onhan se alkuperäinen Hurt hyvä. Ei siitä pääse mihinkään.

aivan järkyttävä bängeri släpperi. ihan vitun hyvä. aivan superhyviä glorbaääniä ja myös vaan yleisesti mun tyylinen noisemähinä. ymmärrän tekopyhyyden boyfriend asmr-valituksesta eilen. mietin syvästi mun tekoja. mutta tää oli ihan vitun hyvä.

Jos mun pitäs käyttää jotain levyä edgypetteriyden määrittelyyn niin käyttäsin tätä. Lyriikat on osastoa I’m twelve and this is deep, mut jotenkin tässä musiikillisessa kontekstissa tuntuu luontevalta. Kokonaisuutena ei oo ehkä mun lemppari NIN:iltä, mut varmaan bändin parhaat biisit löytyy täältä.

Yhh! Olipas tää nyt tervaa yrittää pyristellä läpi. Enkä lopulta ihan läpi päässyt vaan hyppäsin muutaman biisin yli Hurttia fiilistelemään 🫣 Se on kyl kova teos, mut tykkään enemmän Cashin coverista (jonka oon kuullu eka ja pitkään luulin alkuperäiseksi 😅). Mut siitä kuitenkin yksi piste 😌

I am 😚🐣🦋🌸👼🌱🌈❤️‍🔥 This album is ⛓️💀🪦⚰️😫🔪🚬👹⚔️🥴 Jossain toisessa mielentilassa saattais lähteä mut ei nyt Pride-pöhnässä ja kesäisessä fiiliksessä sekä helteessä. Liian likainen soundi ja synkät lyriikat. Ehkä tyyppaan uudestaan marraskuussa. Muutama vika biisi jäi kuulematta. En tiiä millasessa mielentilassa tarttis olla.

Tää on kyllä melkoista kuraa vaikka rehdin mahiksen annoinkin.

Tää oli hirveetä paskaa jo nuorempana ja ei oo parantunu siitä yhtään, ehkä jopa päinvastoin. Ei pystyny ees kuuntelee biisejä kokonaan.

Siiton kyllä aikaa kun tätä on edellisen kerran yrittänyt kuunnella. Alkuun mietin, että vähän turhan poikkitaiteellista erikoisrumpusovituksineen ja industrial-sähinöineen. Tää kuiteskii taittuu sitten pikkuhiljaa ihan hyvän tunnelatingin kolinaks. Hurtti on viel toimiva päätösraita ja varmasti parempi kun vanhan äijän versio.

No olihan ihan sietämätöntä paskaa. Mä en löytänyt tästä mitään tarttumapintaa.

It's noisy, but simeltaneously very compelling. This one has some of the big hits. It starts out pretty rought with Mr self destruct, but gets more listenable after. Definitely deserves its slot on the list. I'm feeling a 4.

I still cannot believe this album was popular, not because it’s bad but because it’s so aggressively unwelcoming! Closer and Eraser were the first time I’ve loved a song on here and been scared to add it to my playlist because it’s so inappropriate to any situation but headphones. So then maybe I’m starting to understand the appeal — this is like, forbidden music.

nin's best, an amazing industrial album with one skip, I'd say. still a pretty decent 9/10. first listen tracklist ranking: 1. Eraser 2. Heresy 3. Hurt 4. Reptile 5. The Downward Spiral 6. I Do Not Want This 7. March of the Pigs 8. Ruiner 9. A Warm Place 10. Closer 11. Piggy 12. Big Man With A Gun 13. Mr. Self Destruct 14. The Becoming

What's with the weird distortion on "Hurt" that makes it sound like my headphones are messed up? Kinda ruins the otherwise iconic song. "Closer to God" is a familiar one I haven't heard in a while. Everything else was meh. Not a huge Nine Inch Nails fan

Pretty cruel that Hurt is the last track and I was too good to skip down to it. Mostly too much for my soft ears.

I didn’t think I was going to like this at first but I haven’t heard a better crack at experimentation on a rock/metal album in my life. Trent Reznor is a musical genius

I listened to this so many times when it came out. Lots of memories. And puts me into a mood I can't describe well. The industrial mixed with acoustic and electric guitars gets me.

As easy a 5 as there is on the list. An intense, brutal, and beautiful industrial masterpiece.

This sounds just as fresh now as it did 32 years ago. An astonishing work of menace and despair. I love Trent Reznor's attention to detail. And he knows that to make electronic/digital music sound good and appealing to human ears, it has to have flaws. Given the cinematic tension in this album, it's no surprise that Reznor is a multi-Oscar winning film composer with Atticus Ross. If THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL was done by 99% of musicians, it would probably not work for me. But Reznor nails it.

An absolutely perfect album and one of my all time favourites. Giving it only five stars feels like a disservice. Plus, it contains the only version of 'Hurt' worth listening to. A masterpiece

100/10. While I still use this generator, I've actually finished listening to all of the albums from "1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" in January last year. Among all 1,089 albums that have been featured on there so far, this one reigns as my favourite one among them. There is so much to love about this album.

I already kinda knew this album but man it really exceeded my expectations. It's dark, purposefully abrasive, and thematically very focused. I love it when an artist just swings for the fences on a crazy idea like this. The lyrics are certainly off-putting at times, but that's kinda the point. It's also incredibly well-produced and Trent Reznor is a damn talented songwriter. Hearing Hurt does make me want to go listen to the Johnny Cash version. Still blows my mind that he agreed to cover a song from this album.

this guy's clearly upset about something. i have listened before, it's not close to my favorite nine inch nails album, and has none of my favorite songs on it. it is however, very sick. favorite song here is March Of The Pigs, and Hurt is great ofc. solid 4

Rating: 10/10 The psychosexual and depressed mind of Trent Reznor. It's perfection. Even after all the years since its release it's still sonically mind-blowing. Perfectly produced it's basically just cinema. It's also one of those albums that you can say is the single best ever made in it's genre and probably nothing will ever top it. So many amazing tracks, and there isn't a single one that's less than great. March-Closer-Ruiner is such a good run and might reperesent the absolute best of the album. Hurt feels like dying, and is pure poetry

This is a solid album that's also not really my style of music. I like that it's pretty meaty and focused and very intentional with where it gets all noisy and unrelenting and where it lets off, it's pretty uhhh dynamic? in that sense, but for me personally it feels unenjoyable much like I wouldn't listen to a military cadence for fun. It's a good album if I look at it like a confident composition of songs from the artist, but it's not a style of music I'm gonna pop on for fun 7.5/10

A little bit long. But very good.

Some great song but very dated angry young man syndrome. Piggy is ok and a few others Reptile etc Hurt but prefer Johnny Cashs version more point. Over all a lot of shouty shit with a few good songs. I like the way he whispers at times to offer dynamic but I had headache afterwards I guess you needed like them In the 90s to like them now.

Finally, after enough cursory mentions on my album journey, I get to talk about Nine Inch Nails properly. I've been a long-time fan of the brainchild of singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor, so I was looking forward to checking out his band's magnum opus, The Downward Spiral. After a listen, I feel I got perhaps a bit more than what I expected going in. In contrast to the synth-pop styling of the band's debut, Pretty Hate Machine, or even the more direct gut-punch of the Broken EP, The Downward Spiral showcased Trent's desire to command atmosphere. Each song builds with dense electronic textures before seamlessly transitioning to the next, across this cinematic depiction of a man working his way down a path of self-destruction. It is uncanny how Trent and the rest of the session personnel worked these catchy melodies with grotesque, industrial sounds. The brooding drop-D tuned guitar line and pummeling drums on "Heresy", the breakneck alternating meters mixed with the piano breakdowns on "March of the Pigs", that pulsating beat sampled from Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" with the whirring synths and bass squelches on "Closer", the sharply chopped synthwork on "Ruiner", the cavalcade of sampled screams behind the rhythmic clanks of "The Becoming", the quiet-loud dynamics centered around that haunting piano line on "I Do Not Want This", the full-blown stomping rager of "Big Man with a Gun", the menacing buildup of drum loops and synth patches on "Eraser", the slow, agonizing mechanical sounds that form the foundation of "Reptile"; it's amazing how punishing yet alluring these compositions are, even with the hindsight of how industrial metal has evolved over the years. Even the fewest of instrumental reprieves, such as on "Piggy", "A Warm Place", and "Hurt," feature some sinister elements that linger. Plus, it is kind of rewarding to connect multiple songs on this record through the same musical phrase, giving a bizarrely cohesive feel. But getting back to that narrative of the protagonist's self-destruction, no punches are pulled with the lyrics. I understand that this record can get uncomfortable for people, given that Trent drew from his own struggles at the time with isolation, depression, and drug addiction, while touching upon other dark corners of the world. The loss of faith in "Heresy", the pushback against superficiality in "March of the Pigs", the obsession and self-hatred in "Closer", the loss of feeling on "The Becoming", the inner turmoil and anguish on "I Do Not Want This". Probably the most contentious song on the record is "Big Man with a Gun", where the main character has finally caved in to full-on madness. Except this isn't where it ends, as for a moment on "A Warm Place", his fleeting humanity starts to snap back into focus before battling for control on "Ruiner", followed by comprehension of the emotional damage taken on "Reptile". It all culminates in the contemplation of suicide on the title track, with "Hurt" offered as an end-credits song, laying bare that this man went through such excruciating pain but came out on the other side. I get it - this album gets vulgar, and really dark in places, but I feel that's kind of the point. This record is a thorough examination of one's psyche, should they choose to go down a harrowing path. It was never meant to be pretty, and I think that Trent realized that and channeled that darker energy while maintaining strong storytelling and melodic sensibilities. The Downward Spiral is a truly menacing record, and I don't blame someone if they get scared or put off by it. But I do feel it's important, in not only cementing such a generational talent in Trent Reznor, but also in examining what it takes to process one's demons and still pull through at the end.

I don't like it very much :(( I've heard closer before but i guess it's just not my cup of tea

10/10 - one of the best albums of the 1990s - although The Fragile (1999) would be my top pick for best NIN album and one of the top 5 from that decade. Still, TDS remains a classic for its consistency and execution. Brilliant start to finish (ok BFG isn't great). Pulverising, beautiful, abrasive, vulnerable... its all there

Won’t return to it but can appreciate the technical complexity. Just not my thing. The layers and technical aspects could earn it a 3 even if my level of return to it would be a 1.5.

Incredibly important album for me getting into industrial music even if I didn’t realize it at the time. I love Trent’s emphasis on atmosphere on Downward Spiral. The production and composition on this record are captivating and serves the album’s concept well. Truly the only thing that hadn’t aged well for me is some of the lyrics, but then again the whole genre of industrial is built on angsty and over the top lyrics so in that context I don’t think it really hinders the experience. Not everything we listen to needs to try and win a Pulitzer.

*Gritty, industrial Trent Reznor noises*

Industrial rock doesn't do it for me. Quite difficult to listen to/enjoy and the best song on the album (Hurt) isn't anywhere near as good as the Johnny Cash version.

its kind of shocking to hear music this industrial and aggressive be so mainstream. cool shit tho, i highschool me would've loved this shit TRENT REZNOR WROTE HURT? i knew the johnny cash song was a cover i just didn't know who wrote it holy fuck thats so dope

Bien.

A rich tapestry of angst and self-loathing. Genuinely powerful and innovative stuff.

3/5 This was my first time ever listening to nine inch nails, and I liked listening to the album (but did not love it). I appreciate that this album has a lot of dynamic range, and it makes the loud moments of extreme anger and angst really hit hard. Closer was the most memorable song for me especially for the lyrics. I also liked Hersey and Reptile and saved them as liked songs. This album had too much distortion and whispery vocals for my taste and I wasn't always a fan about how the songs were mixed.