Reviews (page 7 of 14)
Trop violent pour mes oreilles
It’s not for me. I hadn’t heard the original version of Hurt before, so that was fun and I did enjoy it. However, I felt like that song, as well as some others, had issues with the volume. Parts would be really quiet and others would get super loud, I had to keep making adjustments.
That one od the top reviews on this site is a 1 star reviews that claims this album is directly responsible for later mass murders and is an affront to god and nature is really funny to me. So I must give it 4 stars.
Gonna be honest, heard this before, and heard this now. Never was a big fan of Nine Inch Nails minus some songs. This still solidified it. Not sure why I can't like them? They scream, get intense, and such. Maybe just the day today that's causing it? 2/5.
7 Enjoyed this way more than I thought I would some crazy rhythms and cool songs in here
very interesting 7.5/10
awful, cant get through this one
Sound quality on Spotify is horrible.
not my cup of tea
You know you're looking at a cultural landmark when most of the 1-star reviews for something are about its influence on the cultural decline. One reviewer, misguidedly quoting (failed hyper-conservative US Supreme Court nominee) Robert Bork, holds this album up as an example of the postmodern attitudes that led us to no longer build cathedrals. They also go on to suggest that, to choose the one religion of many that must be true, one should look to the one they hate. The weird turnabout is that there are only two kinds of people who frequently talk about postmodernism: academic cultural critics and Christian conservatives. I guess evangelicals think postmodernism is true. Know that this album is getting review-bombed by a bunch of cranky, fundamentalist church-goers who give it 1-star reviews because their pastor said so and they're incapable of empathy. The album is about a person in a self-destructive downward spiral. NIN's Trent Reznor has always said that this is not someone to be emulated. That's never stopped troubled people from identifying with TDS's protagonist, just as people emulate Patrick Bateman (of American Psycho) -- neither are intended as role models. Our ability to choose role models, however, is something entirely up to us and, just as someone might misguidedly see Robert Bork as possessing useful insights into culture, some might see The Downward Spiral's protagonist as a symbol of their own turmoil -- actually, I think it's more relatable for a depressed person to identify with an album about depression. Industrial music isn't always an easy listen. Its textures and rhythms can be by turns aggressive, abrasive and difficult to parse. The intent is to push away pearl-clutchers and draw some listeners closer -- those that smell a funky cheese and want to sample it to understand the appeal might understand the reflex involved. Close listening reveals a multi-layered production, dense with highly technical playing and production. The widely-cited dark atmosphere of the record is present but, for anyone who's stuck with 1001 Albums long enough to hit Napalm Death, is actually tempered quite a lot compared to hardcore industrial. This is kind of like making a challenging but enjoyable cocktail from Malort (try a Hard Sell or a Bitter End). Reznor's depiction of the angst and internal conflict that a lot of young people experienced in the mid-90's (and always have and always will) is thoughtful and empathetic, if appropriately angry. The album's combination of mainstream rock sounds with industrial's grimey, electronic side makes for an infection listen and a timbre highly evocative of its time. The world was ending in the mid-90's, to paraphrase Francis Fukuyama. Though this album isn't exactly about foretelling the permanent ascension of neoliberal capitalist democracy, it is very much about the feeling that we all had that the meaninglessness produced by megacorporate, consumerist capitalism was here to stay. Since the 90's, you are only what you buy, insofar as government policy is concerned. You may wonder why I'm talking about politics more than the album. They're kind of inseparable at this point, since TDS was turned into a scapegoat for conservative angst at their loss of control over culture. My point is that when the mainstream political and cultural conversation is about how great the economy is because corporations are doing great in the stock market, you might be led to feel pretty crappy about yourself and your feeling of emptiness. That feeling has been written about since we've been writing (the Greeks coined 'anhedonia', an absence of feeling). Writing music about it is natural and, I would argue, necessary -- but the cultural backlash to this record (and I should acknowledge that it was also lauded in other circles) was essentially that this conversation, itself, is obscene, those feelings are blasphemous and anyone feeling empty should just do more church. A lot went into making this album -- special equipment to make the vocals distort nicely, a real drummer and a machine, sadness, rage, talent, King Crimson's Adrian Belew, ProTools, synths, a bunch of guitars, the house Sharon Tate was murdered in and even Reznor's late regret of having fetishized that place. It takes a long time to unpack -- probably as long as its cultural legacy. You can draw a lot from this album. If you don't feel profound sorrow when 'A Warm Place' comes on to follow the rage of 'Big Man With A Gun', you need to seek therapy. You can also learn a hell of a lot about America's Culture Wars by listening to this, reflecting on depression and self-destruction and then reading the skin-deep vitriol that was written about it by conservatives. Listen to The Downward Spiral with an open mind. If you haven't been depressed, imagine feeling hopeless in a time when your TV tells you everything is awesome. Imagine a summer cold and watching your friends play in the sun, except you're an adult and the cold is in your heart and it's gone on for months. That sadness and anger is what this album is about, with pinpoint precision, a profound empathy and a delicate touch, if you're willing to listen. The end of this album is harrowing: from 'Big Man With A Gun' through 'Hurt', you're on a rollercoaster headed someplace scary and there is a deft craft involved in making that happen. If you listened to this and thought, 'that's just some shock-rock noise,' I would implore you to put on an Anal Cunt record and please punch yourself in the nose. 5/5 and eat shit, Robert Bork.
Nope
Very angry album with a lot of heavy emotions. Not my personal go-to style of music, but I can appreciate it. Some iconic songs on here. After reading some more history about the album, it’s clearly a controversial album (not atypical of Trent Reznor). It raises the question “if art inspires individuals to commit acts of violence, should the art be made?”
Is this something I will put on in my free time? Probably not. But god damn it is a cool album and the production is pretty mind blowing. All of the industrial drum shit that has seeped its way into modern music, I’m thinking about mkgee and Dijon, totally stands on the shoulders of this. Also OG hurt is very interesting to hear it’s def the best track imo.
Kind of mind blowing music. I seriously enjoyed this more than I expected to and more. “I wanna fuck you like an animal” is the craziest lyric of all time
Really rough to listen to this. I only gave this a 2 because of Hurt which I only care for thanks to Johnny Cash
Well now that was horrible.
I was 15 in 1994 so this should have been right up my alley. However I just found it too chaotic, aggressive and self-disgusted. Over the years I've tried a few times to get into this as I appreciate Reznor subsequent work demonstrates how talented he is, but still I'd find myself hearing the 10 second "doesn't it make you feel better" piano part in March of the Pigs wishing that more of it could be like that. A Warm Place is a beautiful piece where again there's some restraint. Clearly Trent was in a dark place when he wrote this as evidenced by the lyrics of Closer and Hurt, but I think there's a better album here if he gets some therapy.
An okay album, I liked Heresy and Hurt the most.
To be honest, my jury is still out on this guy. I wasn’t a follower in the day, and shunned the pressures to like his music. Thus I never gave it a chance. Now, much older and a little grayer, I feel like I need to hear more of what he’s trying to say. This is a good album clearly, and perhaps an important album in the day. I’ll go 4 stars, and make an effort to broaden my mind a bit further.
It's angry, but in a way that makes you want to tell someone to get over it.
I really hate the whispery, quiet vocals. Drives me nuts. But some of the songs were okay.
5/5. Introduced me to NIN. Its both a personal account of a man’s downfall and a heavily influential industrial metal album.
crazy that closer is the most popular single. loved the synth vibes, was meh on the yelliness but I guess it would be a vibe if I was angry
Some hits, some misses. Probably won't return, but a bit of a mad listen. 3*69 stars, rounded down
Reznor good. Noise bad.
I'm not gonna lie, I've never really understood the hype behind Nine Inch Nails. I don't mind them, but they're one of those bands where I hear their music and think "That was certainly one of the songs of all time." The Downward Spiral just sort of came and went for me, like I listened to it and it honestly just went in one and ear and out the other. I think Trent Reznor's music just simply isn't for me.
Better than expected
I can tell it took some talent to make this but I can’t tell why someone actually would
Var bombsäker på lågt betyg men det här är faktiskt ganska bra. Såg dem live i Arvika 2009 och det var inte särskilt bra.
O álbum tem alguns momentos que se destacam. Mas no geral é um álbum ok. TRN Medusa.
Second half banged but wasn't feeling the first half
I can see it's merits - problem is I listen to my 1 album per day while working and this isn't great background music
Great listen overall—an experimental mix of electronic sounds, guitar, and edgy vocals. I was ready to give it 4 stars, but the track Closer really put me off. I don’t mind edgy vocals or provocative lyrics, but this one pushed it a bit too far. It started to feel reminiscent of those 2009 bowl-cut kids, and not in a good way. Still, a solid 7.5/10.
Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Later half of the album was slower and I think better aside from the singles.
Moods on mood on moods! Best listening in surround sound. Also, make sure you have a good batch of trees, because if not, you're liable to lose your sh*t!
It’s good but never did as much for me as other people
Having heard Trent Reznor do so many movie soundtracks has made me way more open to the music of NIN and though I prefer the movie work, this is still good
Thier soundtrack work (Challengers, The social network, etc) has opened me up to appreciating NIN more than I would have previously
No
2/5
First few songs to scare away the hoes before they do the good stuff
Pas mon style dutt
🏭🤘🎸
- Wait I actually love this - The way it was so loud then so quite literally gave me so much joy for no reason whatsoever - OMD HURT IS SO REAL AND ONE OF THE BEST SONGS EVER I AM PUTTING THIS INTO A PLAYLIST Ultimately, one of the best albums I have listened to, sure I wasn't that keen on some of the songs but hurt is one of the best songs ever so that completely makes up for all the random ones. I really genuinely did love this so much and I am not just saying that because I expected the album to be so much worse. I had high expectations for this album and it so definitely lived up to the expectations.
Would have preferred Pretty Hate Machine, unlike Trent who called it "immature" before this sophomore album's release. Never been a fan of NIN but Trent has composed numerous of my favorite movie soundtracks. He is the GOAT of contemporary film scoring but has yet to top his first feature OST for the Social Network. I was quite hyped to hear some similarities between that masterpiece and this album like the synth melody at the end of "Piggy". As suggested by the album’s wiki page, I don't hear the similarities to my favorite album, Low, but I get the art-rock vibes and sorta appreciate them. Similarities unlocked around "A Warm Place" and into "Eraser" which are two great tracks. Looking forward to hearing "Hurt" for the first time in over a decade and trying to divorce it from the obviously superior Johnny Cash cover. Christ almighty I hated that music video for "Closer". Kinda defines what I always expected to dislike from NIN's music right from the jump with the pumping heart to the sounds of the "music." Industrial just ain't my vibe. I think all my favorite parts of the extended album cut were my favorites in the song.
Hard rock is not my genre but some songs were okay Highlights: - Piggy - Closer - Hurt
Just really not for me.
Ngl I hated this. It’s super noisy and the lyrics are pure cringe
distorted, weird and dramatic. loved it
This surprised me, expected to say this wasn't my thing, but really enjoyed my angsty walk to work listening to this
Pretty good album
Marb gold 100s
Románticamente caótico
Inventive, raw, sonically interesting, demanding to be played at volume. There's a couple of tracks that are a little average, but much of this is superlative.
A little intense for a 7:30am listen. Will return later
A brilliant concept album that still sounds unique and fresh today, oozing with attitude, rage, and sonic wizardry.
One of my favorite albums ever.
Not really a fan of anything except "Hurt" as Industrial Rock isn't my thing. 2/5
I try to keep in mind the extensive work that was required to make synths and samples back in the 90s. It’s extremely impressive.
Finished. I don’t think I’ve listened to that from start to finish before. Amazing. It’s not shocking that he moved to movies. He creates a good soundscape.
Men va är det här för Emocore-industri? Saknar den chockverkan och den provoaktiva form av antimusik som industri lutar sig mot och så värst mycket känslor är det inte heller, mest nån form av "american angst" som bara är enerverande. För mig blir det här bara nån gapig hårdrocksvariant som jag då inte förstår mig på för fem öre, kanske är det bra i sin genre, jag vet inte...? Lyssnade lite på debuten (Pretty hate machine) också som verkade lite syntigare, den hade fler poänger i mina öron. Ledsen jag måste damma av ettan ... igen Lyssna hellre på Lädernunnan - Slow death EP, Trobbing Gristle - 20 jazz funk greats, Cabaret Voltaire - Red Mecca
Har inget att säga om detta. Det här är inte min grej bara.
Rakt igenom urtråkigt och meningslöst 🥱Att Cash gjorde en magisk cover på Hurt hjälper inte. Visar snarare NINs uselhet.
Förutom Hurt har jag knappt hört Nine Inch Nails tidigare. Jag rätt svårt för Trent Reznors sång. I flera låtar funkar det inte alls. Bäst låter han i The Becoming och i Hurt. Jag tycker att skivan växer på mig. Jag gissar att Bowie inspirerades till viss del av detta inför Eartling. Särskilt de sista åtta spår tycker jag är bra. Det är en rå desperat ångest som går rakt igenom högtalarna. Men när jag summerar allt så är det inte riktigt min typ av musik. Klart godkänt.
I'm not angry enough for this. 1
Closer is a formidable track but apart from it I'm not hooked.
I’ve never heard a full NIN album because I never liked their biggest songs. I definitely should have been trying a full album.
Mixed emotions musically, great lyrically. Not sure if this is my kind of music. I like Trent Reznor's voice, though.
Raw. Powerful. Strong. Good pulse, instrumentation. Cohesive. Not my genre (too dark, too much scream sound, distorted guitars not my thing), but I liked it a bunch.
Zitten wel wat leuke nummers tussen maar overal iets te hard voor mijn smaak
Not my thing
Absolutely incredible. I listened to this a hundred times and it is awesome every time. S-Tier!
Some of these songs are fine as background music - I like the strong beats and synths. But the overall vibe is a huge downer, there are many songs that are basically just screaming and/or noise, and the album is way, way too long.
I don't know how I've gotten to this age without ever listening to this. People make out that it's this really depressing album, but it's more characterised by its anger, bitterness and griminess The first half did seem stronger but that could be because most of the iconic tracks there and I'm only basing this on one listen. Could definitely go up on a relisten I think Highlights: Ruiner, March of the Pigs, Closer, Reptile
Bit different but ok
Certified banger. Love this one.
jako sam se nekoliko puta u životu potrudila oko nin-a, al ne ide
Meni a lakoćom jedan od najboljih albuma devedesetih
Ohhhh. I think 'Hurt' is on this album? Slay. Haven't listened to them very much so should be good. edit: Okay, I had no idea what I was getting myself in with this. I just don't think this genre is for me. I was right though -- 'Hurt' was on here. Banger.
Il est 1:55 du matin , je reviens d'une journée Goudes + ciné et je me dis tiens vasy je vais m'écouter l'album du jour en me badigeonnant de crème pour le corp Hurt : oui je commence par la dernière chanson de l'album et da fuck au début j'ai cru que mon casque été cassé... mais non c'est genre expérimental ? 105m d'écoutes quand meme... les 3 premiers tracks sont à chier closer : c'est quoi cette instru goofy ? c'est quand meme le son le plus écouté de l'album...i just can't... le paroles sont crad on dirait une chanson à mettre en arrière plan to fuck yk... bon je skip l'album ça m'a deja saoulé
An outstanding collection of songs that has not dulled in the 30 years since release. Every song oozes class in a way that I don't think NIN have quite topped since.
“Mr. Self Destruct” kicks open the cathedral doors with steel toe cap boots and introduces us to the beautifully manic priest of annihilation. Every snare hit feels like a bullet ricocheting through your mind palace. And then oh, sweet lord “Closer” arrives like a velvet whip to the ball sack, drenched in sweat, sex, and the scent of cheap perfume. It's not a song, it's a slow motion explosion in a pleasure lab. Each track is its own fever dream: “Piggy” drips like tar in a candlelit asylum; “Hurt” closes the curtain with the delicacy of a funeral held inside your own ribcage. If sorrow could take human form, it would sit silently in the corner while “Hurt” plays, gently nodding along, weeping through a grin.
Intense, sprawling, angry yet vulnerable. Admittedly, I have to be in the right mood to listen to it which deducts a star for me. But this is damn solid and a very worthy addition to this list.
Classic of classics here. And I love it. But... pretty hate machine is just better in almost all ways. This commits and pulls off the industrial sound way better but the songs just aren't there for me personally. I had to put on thier debut after this and its just my preferred listen. I think downward is bookended well but that middle portion doesnt have good enough songs. It nails the concept and if thats what your here for then it sticks the landing. I want memorable songs and this doesnt have it other than closer. I'll shit on it all day for fun but its still incredible. Its still damn near perfect but I just have my own thoughts that are outside of the normal convention. Pretty hate machine is a 5 and this is like a 4.8. Why cry over spilt milk here. Listen to it and feel the factory around you
So pesat, idustrial, amb ràbia. Està molt guay.
Oh man, this one takes me back. Music to drunkenly fuck to. Music to nihilist to. Music for dirty teenagers with no empathy. Every 90s kid's sex album. It's objectively not good musically. I guess three stars because it was truly innovative for its time and place in the Western canon and made a gigantic ripple in the zeitgeist, but I fully acknowledge that three of these stars could be coming from me associating Closer to past orgasms.
#DÍA 13: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Tras la paliza emocional que fue ayer el nuevo álbum de Quadeca, hoy me toca escuchar otro en el que el artista muere conceptualmente al final… Qué alegría oye. The Downward Spiral es otro de esos discos que llevaba mucho queriendo escuchar, aunque siempre ha sido difícil para mí introducirme en la música Industrial. No es un LP que pueda escuchar personalmente a la ligera, no es mi estilo de confort, pese a que mucha música ruidosa sí lo sea. Aún así, desde luego que admiro la calidad de este proyecto, sobre todo la producción, que es mano de santo. Literalmente podría escucharlo sólo por las instrumentales, sin la voz, que es lo que menos me gusta sinceramente, posiblemente porque me parece muy Grunge en ocasiones y no me termina de cuadrar. Sin embargo las texturas tan corruptas e industriales, los tonos de guitarra que parecen oxidados, la percusión tan seca y violenta (sobre todo al final de Piggy) y ese manejo del sample tan sugerente e ingenioso para crear una atmósfera tan peculiar, son impresionantes como poco y han envejecido como el vino, podrían haberse creado ayer vamos. El concepto del disco, la espiral de decadencia, es proyectado de un modo muy interesante a lo largo de las canciones. Arranca con ese dibujo del personaje Mr. Self Destruct, una especie de reflejo de esa voz que todos tenemos dentro que nos inclina a sacar lo peor de nosotros mismos. Luego una serie de temas que nos muestran el desarrollo del estado mental del protagonista, quién finalmente acaba tocando fondo, completamente consumido por su oscuridad, haciendo daño a todo ser querido y disparándose a sí mismo en la pista homónima. Toda esta historia es realmente impactante, con letras de lo más pesimistas, oscuras y sin filtros, aunque tristemente empatizables. Favoritas: Mr. Self Destruct, Piggy, Heresy, Closer, Ruiner, The Becoming, A Warm Place, Eraser, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, Hurt Menos favorita: Big Man With a Gun #DAY 13: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die After the emotional meltdown that was Quadeca’s new album yesterday, today I have to listen to another one where the artist conceptually dies at the end… What a joy, huh. The Downward Spiral is another one of those albums I’ve been wanting to listen to for a long time, although it’s always been difficult for me to get into Industrial music. It’s not an LP I can personally listen to lightly—it’s not my comfort style, even though a lot of noisy music is. Still, I definitely admire the quality of this project, especially the production, which is absolutely brilliant. I could literally listen to it just for the instrumentals, without the vocals, which are honestly what I like the least—possibly because they sometimes feel very Grunge-like and don’t quite click for me in this album. However, the textures are so corrupted and industrial, the guitar tones feel rusted, the percussion is so dry and violent (especially at the end of Piggy), and the sampling is so clever and suggestive in creating such a unique atmosphere—it’s all downright impressive and has aged like fine wine. It could have been made yesterday, really. The concept of the album—the downward spiral—is portrayed in a really interesting way throughout the tracks. It starts with the depiction of the character Mr. Self Destruct, a sort of reflection of that inner voice we all have that pushes us to bring out the worst in ourselves. Then there’s a series of songs that show the protagonist’s mental decline, who eventually hits rock bottom, completely consumed by his darkness, hurting everyone he loves and finally shooting himself in the self-titled track. The whole story is truly impactful, with lyrics that are extremely pessimistic, dark, and unfiltered—though sadly relatable. Favorites: Mr. Self Destruct, Piggy, Heresy, Closer, Ruiner, The Becoming, A Warm Place, Eraser, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, Hurt Least favorite: Big Man With a Gun
One of the best live acts I’ve ever seen. Absolutely brilliant album
My favourite albums of all time. Wish I could give it more stars.
Very interesting sonic choices made here, really demonstrates the descent into madness. I was familiar with ‘Closer’ for sure, but may have heard some of the other tracks back in the day as well. Couple weird song transitions hurt the flow, but overall I enjoyed it. The industrial/techno fits really well with the heavy rock. 4.25/5
If any album best exemplifies the early to mid 90s, it is this one. Everything about it is perfect, and perfect albums are rare. From the opening declaration of “Mr. Self Destruct”, Trent Reznor sets the listener up for one dark journey. We truly are led down a fucked up downward spiral, like some kind of drug and alcohol-fueled waterslide into oblivion. From the furious opener we go to the surprisingly low-key “Piggy”, an arrogant declaration that “nothing can stop me now”. “March of the Pigs” is pure hardcore circle pit fury, followed by the greasy, sexy “Closer”. The brazen declaration of wanting to “fuck you like an animal” was a revelation to kids in the mid-90s—I remember hearing it for the first time during the summer leading up to my freshman year of high school. “Ruiner” and “I Do Not Want This” are full of desperation. We slide from the bravado of “Big Man with a Gun” into “A Warm Place” for just a moment of some kind of comfort before “Eraser” and “Reptile” cast us into pure darkness. The title track borrows themes and melodies from throughout the record to summarize this downward spiral, and “Hurt” is the storyteller’s uncomfortably intimate confession of self-harm. As dark as this record is, it is a kind of therapy. It saved lives by showing young people in the same dark places that nobody is alone in suffering. Being able to relate to the anger or desperation or sorrow or hopelessness is a strong kind of medicine. Trent Reznor apparently apologized when he delivered the record to Jimmy Iovine, but this was the record that the world needed in 1994.
I don't think I was in the right frame of mind (or weather) for this angry, aggro, moody and dissonant album. Some flashes of brilliance and obviously a few straight bangers, but this didn't blow me away like I expected. I will have to revisit someday.
Dance beats heavy abrasive, own it Closer Ruiner Big Man with a Gun Hurt 8.5
I’m sorry.. like yes NIN woo n such, but nah I don’t want to listen anymore please I just feel dark for no reason
Doesn’t sound like anything but NIN. So good.
So good.
industrial sound with some good bangers. 4/5
This sounded like nine inch nails on a chalk board.
Wasn't a big fan of the parts that were angry and loud, was a fan of the parts that were angry and not as loud
Whereas I can appreciate where this took music and kind of like the sonic aspect, I was not when it came out or ever since been nihilistic enough in anyway to gain any real enjoyment from listening to it. It sonically expresses all the emotion it set out to successfully in my book, and has more musical scope to do so, that say the teen fanboy cartoon anger that I get from thrash metal. So a difficult 1 to score, it is a good album but personally as said appreciate what it does musically, it has strong songwriting, great production and sound and is where hard rock developed into the 21st century but as I don’t relate to the sentiment in any way to really connect its not for me, so 3 Star, but can accept some find will see it as a 5 and some a 1.
This album has its moments and creates some interesting soundscapes rather than songs. It it is definitely a grower but I suspect as I prefer the Cash version of Hurt this is never going to be a classic for me.
pre-listen: Familiar with this album, I recall listening to this in high-school, but can't remember anything specific aside from hurt that stuck with me so I'm looking forward to diving back in to this. Listened: There were not as many memorable tracks for me on this one, closer and hurt of course. Reptile was cool, but nothing really stuck with me. This was a good album to have on at the gym, and definitely benefited from having headphones on. It does feel like a decent entry point into NIN for a new comer, as their later stuff refines on this sound but maybe not the strongest of their albums that I recall. Overall I enjoy NIN songs but maybe not an entire album in one sitting NOTE: Changing my internal ratings to include all stars now. 3 is now what I was considering a 4.
'Hurt' is good (The Johnny Cash cover)
Enjoyed running to this
This album was already an unreal experience before "Hurt" closes it out. But damn, it makes the whole album much more powerful. Great use of noise and distortion on this album and the atmosphere is heavy. I like the small break we get in "A Warm Place". This album's a masterpiece
not really my jam, but discovered that Hurt was not from Johnny Cash
A decent album for when you're in an angsty mood.
If 10-grit sandpaper were music. not easy to listen to but a very unique style. Tracks 345 are quite strong, and this is the record that gave us Hurt which became Johnny Cash’s unforgettable ode 3.8
I saw NiN in 1991 at the first Lollapalooza. I really liked Pretty Hate Machine and Broken, but I stopped listening to them shortly afterwards. This album is fine but it’s not my style anymore.
I like closer, and that's about it.
I’ll give it credit for ambition. But I found this to be a pretty unemployable listen. Maybe in 1994 this would have been considered edgy, but I found most of it to be pretty juvenile. By “Heresy” I was actively rolling my eyes. Maybe if Trent Reznor had been, like, 16 when this came out I could understand the praise. But the lyrics were pretty lame for the most part. Seems like he is trying a bit too hard to piss off the social conservatives. I am far from socially conservative, and I found a lot of this album to be pretty cringy. And the Sharon Tate connection is honestly pretty gross and in really bad taste. Knowing the backstory of the album’s recording made the listening experience even more uncomfortable. If that is what Mr. Reznor was attempting with this album, I would say he has succeeded.
Surprised me. Not bad.
This is one of my favorite albums <3
Classic NIN album
I've heard of Nine Inch Nails, and I've heard of this album. But I've never listened to a single song by them. Honestly, I did not expect electronic-esque music. I always thought Nine Inch Nails was some sort of edgy pop punk band or something of that nature. Colour me surprised when I heard Closer and was pleasantly surprised. One note about a song is that Piggy sounds like Halo 2 intermission music, like right before a massive battle. In fact, a lot of the songs on this sounded like video game music. Which is pretty impressive for a 1994 record, considering what video game music sounded like back then. 1 hour of industrial rock really did take a toll. I was a bit over it by about the half way mark. Anyways, this was definitely a listenable album, but I don't really 'get' it. It just sounds like industrial music that edgy teenagers in the late 90's and early 00's would listen to on their iPods (or whatever was around back then) to sound like they're in a game of Quake rather than walking around the Logan Hyperdome shopping centre with their mum. Hurt was a very good song though. I still prefer my boy JC's version - but props to NIN for writing it.
Abrasive and gritty in a way that actually manages to work. I have had a number of albums so far which try to handle heavy industrial elements in a song to varying degrees of success. But none to the same degree of mastery of Trent Reznor, from start to finish this albums sound is tonally congruent with the aggression and self-destructive themes while remaining perfectly melodic, it makes perfect sense why Reznor would have worked in sound design given how he has an ear for making so many of these sounds work. Perhaps I am just looking for more things to glaze this album over but as always, bonus points for an album structure that enhances the experience of a full listen rather than just singles. While the whole thing is certainly contains a fairly dreary mood throughout I would say the faster thrills of the beginning of the album really do give way to a downward spiral in self-destruction, capping off beautifully with Hurt.
This sounds awesome, very impressive mixing and instrument work. Real top-shelf sicko stuff. Not a single track was wasted on this album I reckon. Closer in my mind is the soundtrack to a scary orgy scene in a film. Ruiner is musically spectacular. Thank you Adam Curtis, for introducing me to NIN (albeit, predominantly ‘With Teeth’ tracks), a fitting soundtrack to our interesting times. Highlights: Closer, Ruiner, A Warm Place, Reptile, Hurt
Instrumentally interesting but falling off in variety as the album drags on. I do not care for Trent Reznor as a vocalist whatsoever. Evocative of autoerotic asphyxiation while crying.
I've listened to this album so many times that I've worn out my favourite tracks to the point they sound bad and that the tracks I originally thought were mid I now think are phenomenal. Despite this i still uncover something new to enjoy and appreciate on each listen. This time.e was no different. The unfortunate reality of this album though is being so influential that every local industrial artist sounds like a cringe school shooter version of Reznor (trench coat included) The vocals walk such a fine line between being bad that anyone trying to emulate this style is inevitably doomed to fail. 9/10
"How are you tonight? Having a good time? Ready to party, have fun? Well, that was the last guys, wrong fucking band. We are here to have a bad time." This is the second CD I ever bought when I got my car (first being ABBA Gold). I don't have the words to exactly articulate how much I love this album but put simply, I wouldn't have HEALTH or Deftones without NIN. As much as I adore Johnny Cash, I really do think this is the better version of Hurt. Can't think of many other albums that foster such a hateful atmosphere it is truly wonderful to listen to something so sincerely grim and angsty. Parts of this album feel cathartic in the same way that a lobotomy would be and I am very happy to own good headphones to listen to this on. One of the easiest fives that I have given during this project. Also on a repeat listen of this album, I found that it really elevated the experience of browsing /r/kitchencels. Highlights: Mr. Self Destruct, Piggy, Closer, A Warm Place, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, Hurt
Ciekawe ale trochę bezjajeczne
Honestly enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, Although I wish it had a bit less lyrical repetition. 3.6/5
Reznor atomizes the dark electronic music of it's predecessors (I am no expert but I would say Joy Division/Depeche Mode/and other emerging synth-goth stuff) into a landmark 90's album. Spawning a slew of similar artists into the mainstream. The textures and carefully destroyed and deconstructed sounds throughout the record hint at his future as a great film composer, while the themes of harm, sex, hate and technology feel visceral still today.
Good album to get while my speakers are busted cause I can’t even tell. I thought with all the hype around them this band would be better. I didn’t like the Hurt cover so that was disappointing.
Really good and defining album. Cuts deep, unironically.
Some of these tracks sound like the shit I made on my laoptop when I was 13 lol. But I actually enjoyed this album in a strange sort of way. It certainly was an interesting listen! Of course a lot of it I found to be corny in that way when Americans try to be edgy and go all anti-christ and sing about explicit stuff like all things sexual and whatnot. Also the "noise" parts I found a bit too much sometimes. But otherwise there were a lot of parts on the album I found myself enjoying more than I expected.
I really enjoyed their use of synth and soundclips from real life
Started this on a Monday, needed to get to a Tuesday to finish it. Rough listen. Can see why it's so influential, and wild how tracks can pump your blood despite this album coming out in 1994. I won't return to it, but not because of quality. Listening to this album feels a bit masochistic.
Wanted to like it more
Somewhat enjoyed but nothing memorable for me
My brother was big into NIN. I haven’t heard this thing in decades…and now I remember why. The hits are good. March of Pigs is great, but the rest of the album is some noisy ass dork shit.
"God is dead and no one cares....if there is a hell, I'll see ya there".....ok, take it easy, bub. Seriously though, folks...This is an awesome listen. Pretty sure of the 150 or so albums I've done so far, this is the one I have listened to the loudest. Not a genre I'm well-versed in, but this is the paragon of industrial, right? Love how some tracks are so fucking heavy and harsh but others are so soft and melodic. Nothing fucks with "Hurt", not even Johnny Cash's cover. I'll die on that hill. "March of the Pigs" will be forever a banger. Standout tracks on this listen: "Ruiner", "I Do Not Want This", "A Warm Place"
DNF. I don’t know much, but I do know this is not for me. It really just felt like noise.
First my full listen to NIN album. Pretty aggressive, eclectic and industrial sound. I like it
What a banging record. It’s a perfect mix of punk spirit and electronic experimentation. If you don’t like it it’s probably your fault.
I can respect what Trent Reznor has done with this, but Nine Inch Nails has never been a favorite of mine. I kept an open mind going in, and the album does have a few highlights, but for the most part it just sat there. Faves: "March of the Pigs", "Hurt" Worst: Nine Inch Nails fans. My god, they are insufferable.
Yet Another Nineties Album Chapter 22 Are NIN overrated? Absolutey! Current 90s Album Spawn Ratio: 27%
4.1 2x listening on way to London (Berlin trip)
It's a five, life changing album for me.
Lots of thumping and mean angry sounds
Ah, there’s something about 90s rage and cynicism that’s way more appealing than today’s rage and cynicism.
I can’t believe this came out in 1994! I strongly associate this with my high school years although I’m not sure why. Tbh this is kind of a gross-feeling album, both lyrics and production, but he commits to it and has a clear artistic vision. To put it another way, he really Nine Inch Nailed the assignment.
Do I need to explore why I liked this so much? Can I just say I liked it and move on?
Had low expectations going in and sad to say they were met. I generally like dirty/ industrial/noise - but it needs to be paired with a good tune/ some joy / great vocals. Unfortunately Trent's lyrics are pretty dumb (but not in fun way) and too low in the mix. Don't care for the drum machine and more more noise noise sonic overload. JC's version of Hurt far superior - although that song does show that Trent can write decent lyrics.
The Downward Spiral In the plus column: - The keyboards, synths, electro beats and hints of glam are more interesting than other bands in this genre, there’s slight textural difference, which is nice. - Closer, despite the cringe lyrics, is a very catchy bit of electro-alt rock - A Warm Place has a nice, elegeic sense to it - And of course Hurt is a great song (although the JC version is preferable) In the minus column - It’s quite boring - It’s too long - The edge-lord-ness of it all, even if it is done with genuine sincerity, makes it all feel quite hollow - when the rage and harshness becomes the point if it kind of loses its power - I’ve no real interest in the narrative and the protagonist’s descent into hell, he sounds like a bit of a pain actually. So while there are aspects of it I appreciate, and I found it nowhere near as execrable as much of the music in this genre, I really struggled to connect with it, and ultimately it's a bit of a slog, in huge contrast to Nevermind yesterday. Despite there being positives and certain aspects I can appreciate, I shan’t be listening again, making it a high 2. 💅💅 Playlist submission: Hurt
The 'woe is me' manifestation of baseless victimhood renders much of this album feeble. Indeed Reznor himself sounds like an anaemic bedridden teenager. In that way it's very much an antecedent to Linkin Park. Instead of turntable wankery though, here Trent has just turned on a load of hoovers in the background to give an industrial feel. In amongst all that are vague melodies. You just have to concentrate. Or it takes Johnny Cash to show you. Even 'Hurt' takes ultra-concentration given he's turned all the vacuums up. 'Heresy' has a Depeche Mode electro-beat, into a grungey chorus - a good track. Depeche seem a recurring influence (prominently 'Ruiner'). 'Closer' is a decent beat but the lyrics are highly incel. 'Hurt' does make me wonder if I'm missing something. The lyrics are quite profound when Johnny sang them, although slightly altered. But I can't really imagine Johnny singing 'fuck me like and animal' or 'shove it up inside', so it must be an outlier. An album with some draining lyrics; some annoying white noise; some narcissistic, whining attitude; and a touch of melody.
I was there for Trent Reznor's initial fame. I saw NIN at the first Lollapalooza (when it was a 1-stage tour). I know this music, but it's never really clicked with me. I give it all sorts of credit for exemplifying the industrial electronic sound that had been developing from the late 80s (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, etc.) to the 90's (like Rob Zombie et al). Reznor made it a household sound and thus inspired lots of people to develop that genre further. But as much as I loved RevCo, Skinny Puppy, and Foetus, NIN never really did it for me. I was kinda over it all by the time NIN came along.
It's fun to listen to an album that had an explicit purpose that nails it. This isn't something I'd listen to regularly (I'm not in that phase of my life anymore, thankfully) but there was a time that it would've been on loop. Hurt hits a lot harder within the context of a full listen.
I fuck with it. Intense and fun
insoutenable
Very different sound from what I expected, NIN is like the metal version of Linkin Park.
Experimental and telling of the genre. A tad repetitive, but Hurt really throws the whole album into relief in a fascinating way.
Not their best, felt a bit of a slog at times
Noisy
proud in its depravity but a bit sad to look at directly
Varmaan ihan kuunneltavaa meteliä jonkun mielestä mutta ei sopinut yhtään tunnelmaan.
I do appreciate the edginess of this album and its willingness to branch out and combine new sounds. However, I didn't really love it, so I will give it 4/5 stars, but I recognize its addition to the game.
Surprised in a good way. Not a huge metal fan but the instrumentals are insane. Coworker said he did work in Classical music and that comes through in a dark, industrial way
my first ever concert was NIN at fujirock 2013. This album's special to me. 1994 has so many great albums.
Sorti en 1994, "The Downward Spiral" est une oeuvre viscérale, un monument de rock industriel, une expérience totale, une plongée suffocante dans les abysses de la psyché humaine. "The Downward Spiral" est un opéra conceptuel brutal qui nous narre la descente aux enfers d'un protagoniste qui, étape par étape, démantèle sa propre identité, sa foi, ses relations et finalement son humanité. Chaque morceau est une station de ce chemin de croix nihiliste. La production, réalisée en grande partie dans la tristement célèbre maison où Sharon Tate fut assassinée, est une entité à part entière. Trent Reznor, en architecte du chaos, superpose les couches de sons abrasifs, les rythmiques martiales, les dissonances métalliques et les mélodies synthétiques maladives pour créer un environnement sonore d'une richesse et d'une violence inouïes. Dès les premières secondes de "Mr. Self Destruct", le ton est donné : une agression sonore et textuelle qui ne laissera aucun répit. S'ensuit une procession de titres devenus iconiques. "March of the Pigs" et son alternance schizophrénique entre couplets frénétiques et refrains au piano presque ironiques ; "Heresy", brûlot anti-religieux sur un beat martial et implacable ; et bien sûr, "Closer". Réduire ce titre à son refrain provocateur serait une erreur. C'est avant tout un cri de désespoir, une quête de connexion si intense qu'elle passe par l'avilissement, l'animalité comme seul moyen de sentir encore quelque chose. La force de l'album réside dans cette cohérence absolue entre le fond et la forme. La musique n'illustre pas seulement le propos, elle est le propos. La distorsion crasseuse est la pourriture de l'âme, les rythmes syncopés sont les battements d'un cœur paniqué, les murmures spectraux sont les fantômes de la culpabilité. Le voyage se poursuit, de la fureur paranoïaque de "Reptile" à la cacophonie industrielle de la pièce-titre, pour s'achever sur l'un des plus grands miracles de l'album : "Hurt". Après un tel déferlement de violence et de bruit, "Hurt" arrive comme une reddition. Une ballade crépusculaire, acoustique et fragile, où le protagoniste, au bout de sa spirale, contemple les ruines de son existence. La douleur n'est plus une arme tournée vers l'extérieur, mais une simple et terrible constatation. Que Johnny Cash, en fin de vie, ait choisi de reprendre cette chanson en dit long sur sa puissance universelle et sa pureté émotionnelle. C'est la conclusion parfaite à un voyage terrifiant. "The Downward Spiral" est un excellent album mais il n'est pas le chef d'oeuvre que beaucoup attendent car la perfection de "The Downward Spiral" est aussi sa propre cage. Son excellence tient à sa nature hermétique, à son refus total de la lumière. C'est un voyage à sens unique, une exploration si complète et si dévouée à son sujet – la négation, la douleur, l'isolement – qu'elle en devient presque un exercice de style ultime. Un chef-d'œuvre, suggère au contraire une transcendance, une porte de sortie, même infime, ou une complexité émotionnelle qui dépasse son cadre initial. "The Downward Spiral" est un tunnel. Un tunnel magistralement construit, terrifiant et fascinant, mais dont on ne sort pas indemne, et dont on ne sort peut-être pas du tout. L'album est une capsule temporelle parfaite du nihilisme des années 90, un monolithe noir, impénétrable et sans concession. Il est l'expression parfaite d'une seule et même trajectoire : la chute. Pour son influence, pour sa production, pour sa cohérence implacable et pour l'honnêteté brutale de son propos, "The Downward Spiral" est un album absolument indispensable et mérite sans l'ombre d'un doute sa note de 5/5. C'est un classique, un point de référence, un rapport d'autopsie sublime et le documentaire parfait de l'effondrement.
I really liked Mr. Self Destruct and Heresy. I already knew Closer. A Warm Place is a good ambiant song. Overall really like the beats but sometimes the vocals are too much for my taste.
as gritty and down as my life right now
Some songs weren’t too bad but there was a little too much of that thrash’s, discordant sound in others.
not my thing but i did like the challengers soundtrack
Never listened to much NIN before but i am now a big fan. The album has a very cohesive theme and many songs that stand up alone as well. 4.5 stars.
Challenging. Noteworthy.
It's a perfect album to me. It does exactly what it wants to achieve, with no choices that don't fit it's goal. You might not like it, or feel it's too challenging, but you can't deny how it manages to make you feel, or the way it portraits mental illness. Past that, this is a seriously groundbreaking album, the intensity and mix between rock/industrial sounds/ambient music/techno is really interesting. An album people should experience, though many will say it's not for them
one of my favourite albums from my formative years. classic
Changed my life. Felt like a dangerous, unique and challenging album in my late teens. Holds up very well 31 years later. Feels different now than it did when I was 17/18, but that’s a good thing. Nearly perfect, certainly a top 3 favorite record of my life (so far).
This is the first album where I remember liking it as a teenager but didn't care for it now.
Nah. It’s ok but I think NIN did better. I guess it shows that not every major band release is worth hearing a lot.
Andy moved into the share house where I was living in early 1992, because we were desperate for someone to pay the rent on the empty room. We didn’t really know anything about him except that he had a job, and that meant he was probably going to be reliable with the rent. I was working in a small alternative record store, so I was bringing home most of my meagre wages in vinyl, although I didn’t have a record player to play any of it. Andy moved in his stuff over the space of a week or so, including his big ass stereo. The night he moved it in, we bought a case of beer and sat up really late spinning records, comparing our musical taste. Turns out that both us were into industrial music. By 3am, we were both pretty drunk, but we formed a close friendship and set plans to form our own industrial band (which was played in wilful obscurity for over a decade, but that is a whole other story). Suffice it to say, ‘Pretty Hate Machine’ was one of the records that we both really loved. Later that year when 'Broken' came out, we were super psyched – that was the shit! It was heavy and noisy and angsty and fucked up. Everything we really liked! We played it a _lot_. Nine Inch Nails were the perfect band for us angsty, slightly disaffected suburban white middle-class males. Trent Reznor captured it perfectly. I suck, you suck, everything sucks, and I don’t give a shit about anything! Fuck you all! With time, I have come to realize what a privileged position we were in, but at the time we felt entitled to our angry self-loathing and our right to take that out on people around us. Not really acceptable behaviour, and I am sorry to everyone for what an arsehole I was then. The genius of Trent Reznor was that he took the sound design of Skinny Puppy and wedded it to pop songs. Andy used to joke: what’s the best Skinny Puppy song? The one you are listening to right fucking now! The Skinny Puppy sound is awesome -- noisy and distorted and dense and dance-y and scary – but they couldn’t write a memorable chorus to save themselves. It is energizing and exciting in the moment, but you can't remember what you were listening to as soon as the next song starts. Truth be told, that is the weakness of most industrial music. It’s heavy and it has a great beat that sounds great in a club, but you can’t hum the tunes. Trent Reznor realized that you could have hooks and tunes along with the beats and noise and guitars and yelling. It’s a formula that sold millions of records. And that sound is extraordinary. Apparently, prince loved ‘Broken’ and asked his people to mix his records harder afterwards (which you can hear in some of his mid 90s records). ‘Broken’ is still my favourite NIN record, but I can see why people call ‘The Downward Spiral’ his masterwork. It’s a concept album (critical success) and sold a bajillion copies (commercial success) and influenced the way pop sounds. There are elements of industrial music in most pop music today; fucked up samples, distortion and weird sound design are all commonplace now. I am a bit uncomfortable with Downward Spiral; it takes the self-loathing and extrapolates it to its nihilistic endpoint, which is pretty extreme. I just don’t really want to wallow in that these days. And “Closer” is a terrific song, but massively over-played. I can live without ever hearing it again. I am also uncomfortable with the way it trades off the legend of being recorded in the Tate/LaBianca house. Years later, Reznor recalls being confronted by Sharon Tate’s sister, who accused him of exploiting Sharon’s story. Reznor confessed he had considered it a part of “American folklore” and hadn’t really given much thought to the tragedy of Sharon Tate’s death and the real effect that had on people around it. I suspect that Trent himself has a more mature and empathetic view of the victims of the Manson clan, but every article I have read about this album mentions that this was recorded in the Tate/LaBianca house. I can’t help but feel that we, as music fans, are complicit in a vicarious thrill of this link to the Manson story. It’s not just “American folklore”; it was horrible and needless suffering. Real people suffered; do we really find that entertaining? I really like this record, and I do feel that it is a brilliant (but uncomfortable) piece of work. It was successful and influential, and you really should listen to it. 4.5 stars, rounding down because the subject matter and legend are problematic. And it’s not quite as good as ‘Broken’.
Ooh nihilistic. Still ok but the abrasiveness is less interesting as I get older.
The album has a great reptation, as have Nine Inch Nals....but. When I actually got down to listening to it....it's just Mid. Compared to Depeche Mod, Throbbing Gristle, and suchlike...its all posture and show, No real substance or threat. 3.5 stars from me.
Just not my genre unfortunately. Not as bad as the last album of this style I listened to
Got 5 songs in - not my cup of tea 2/10
Not really
2.5/5 - rounded up for a re-listen
Wat een beroerde intro zeg. Lijkt wel hardcore, maar dan slecht. Nee dat eerste nummer is hm niet voor mij. Probeer ook nog te werken gvd. Wat een herrie zeg. Irritatie niveau is hoog. En dat op de vrijdagmiddag. Je hoopt te kunnen zeggen, oh het wordt beter. Maar nee, het blijft grafherrie. Nog 7 nummers te gaan. Verdomme zeg, komt ook geen eind aan. Wel een toepasselijke titel, I DO NOT WANT THIS. Downward Spiral is wel oke nog. Nee nvm, komt weer gebler doorheen. Alsof ze wisten dat ik iets positiefs ging zeggen. Nog 1 nummer te gaan. GODZIJDANK. Dit worden 2 1 sterren op 1 dag. Een unicum! Nou oke, Hurt was prima. Maar helpt niet mee dat de Cash versie 300* beter is. 1 ster. Nooit weer. Daaaaag.
I listened to this album MANY times as a teen so my rating might be a little biased.
Man. This is just. Not for me. I can appreciate that this is incredibly influential while also saying pass. There are a couple of songs that I end up liking. Although, one of them is mostly instrumental lol. It's fine. Not my cup of tea. The concept is a great idea, and I'm glad this exists, even if I don't really care for it all that much. Favorite Song(s): A Warm Place, Hurt
Eh
Part of the challenge of reviewing this is that it's such a grimy, discordant and angry album. Some songs are incredibly abrasive and others are actively unpleasant to listen to. However! It's a great album overall, and I really appreciate it. I think the production is incredible. Obviously very industrial, but there's some super interesting synths and soundscapes in there that really work. It feels like a complete thing, like one big mood. You can almost imagine this whole album being the backdrop to a disgusting, grimy, post-apocalyptic world. I had this album on CD when I was younger, and my opinion on it (and the band) has changed somewhat over time. I've come to appreciate the weirder, slower tracks a lot more, whereas I was all about the upbeat, rockier, in-your-face tracks before. There's some great tracks on here, but it really works as an overall.
The US gave up its last free breath to a pedophile dictatorship today. This record is a distillation of the fury in me.
FYI: I'm reviewing the Deluxe Edition which includes all of the singles and other stuff that Trent and gang were putting out around the release of this album. I'm a huge fan of NIN's early stuff meaning this album, Pretty Hate Machine, The Fragile (some of it), and Broken. This album ranks pretty high for me because it's such a huge departure from Pretty Hate Machine. Where PHM was designed and packaged for radio and MTV airplay, Downward Spiral goes all over the place. Closer being the lead single was pretty awesome though. It's the best song on this album, no contest. While I like the album enough to give it a 5 just for fanboying, I don't think it's as good as PHM which is a definite 5 out of 5. This is a solid 4 out of 5 for me.
Very good.
I feel like this could be four and a half stars. It’s such a loud album and so abrasive- the mixing makes it feel fuzzy even though I know it’s an intentional style choice. The way the album slows down at the end contrasts sharply with its aggressive opening. The elements of electronic music and metal blending with the rock is very cool. I really enjoyed this album.
This is an interesting combination of heavy metal and electronic music. The components come together into something that is more interesting to listen to than it is enjoyable, but it does a good job of conveying emotion. I'm looking forward to the Tron soundtrack, hopefully it's good!
A masterpiece.
Not really my thing, but it wasn't terrible.
It's personal, driven, and beautifully dark. It's loud and sometimes soft and sometimes makes you want to run through a wall and maybe join a leather/spandex clad orgy. Perfect album from start to finish.
Brilliant
Simply one of the greatest albums of all time. This is a disturbing and intriguing listen. I love its production.
Not for me at all 💩
Pff. No me gusta nada. Sobrevaloradisimo. Puede que fuera innovador o original pero esq no le pillo el funny. Es musica horny y ya. Todas las canciones tienen algo que la joden, como la guitarra glitcheada de hurt o los gritos random y soniditos del resto del album. Se salva "A warm place", cancion atmosferica, muy diferente al concepto del disco y justo la siguiente "The eraser", la cual pierde puntos por la intro. En conjunto solo destaca que es musica bastante aurática en mi opinion. La vida se siente sigma mientras escuchas con los casquets por la calle. Enfin, 3/10
No entiendo pq la gente escucha este álbum, quizás es porque no estoy acostumbrada a este tipo de música, pero no me atrae ningún aspecto de este álbum, ni las letras, ni los ritmos ni la parte instrumental. Quizás no es mi vibra y ya pero no me gustó nada. Lo único q la canción esa d Closer es buena para edits supongo.
Complicado de escuchar en algunas canciones, rescato hurt y a warm place
Fear I might not be in a bad/weird enough mood for this but I'm up for it. Actually I'm always in a weird mood and I'm enjoying myself. Fear some of the punchier sound is being lost in my cheap headphones but my brother will work from home >_> Closer actually stands out as almost poppy compared to what's around it .. to its detriment? Not sure. Probably bc i don't really listen on headphones much but the production on this is Standout. I am surrounded by Yelling and Noises. See like A Warm Place is the sort.of track that I would never normally pay any attention to but it's placed perfectly as a Breather. Oooh I'm enjoying this horrible racket quite a lot you know. If anything it hangs around a bit too long and gets slightly too instrumental and less noisy toward the end. And i don't love Hurt, wish it was a bit muddier. Good closer tho. But yeah I'll definitely come back to this I really like it.
It’s literally just noise, but not the good kind. I’m way overwhelmed, i wanna tear my ears off my head it’s just way too much. But I didn’t cheat and I listened to most of it I couldn’t take it anymore , I rate a 1/10 and that’s generous.
One of the most original and innovate rock albums of all time. Nobody combines aggression, melody, and sonic experimentation as well as Trent Reznor does.
I had heard “Hurt” before but never listened to this album in full. It was definitely a bit too angry and discordant for where I was at when listening which felt jarring. However, after reading that this is a concept album and looking into the background to the album (ie its recording location and the story its trying to tell) I viewed it from a slightly different perspective. Highlights for me were “A Warm Place” and “Hurt”. I think “Closer” has not aged well and the lyrics felt questionable, however, I acknowledge that this may be the ‘point’. I can hear the influences from David Bowie, especially in “Heresy”. Ultimately, I am not the target audience for this album and I am listening to it more than 30 years after its release and its societal context has shifted since then. I will always return to “Hurt”, although my preference is the Johnny Cash version. I’d say the highlight from this album is the production and the concept rather than the lyricism and the musicality. It’s also clearly very influential in its genre. I can understand why it has made this list, but I cannot give it a high rating as I frankly didn’t enjoy it as a whole.
inascoltable
I can see the concept and understand that it's important to the genre, just not my thing.
Really threaded the needle here Trent. A truly ambitious project of industrial pop and rock that's too good sonically to get caught up in the fact that some of the lyrics are a tad cringy at times. 8.85/10 Favorite Songs: Hersey and Eraser
Ok, ikkje så inspirerande
I have the CD but hadn't listened to it for ages. Glad I did again now... what a perfect album. Very coherent and emotional, a real work of art. Because of the dark thematic it's not exactly everyday "feel good" music, but when in the right mood it is just perfect. Industrial rock but very varied too, and underlying even the most aggressive tracks, there is great song-writing. It sometimes takes a cover (Hurt by Johnny Cash, great in its own right) to appreciate that. I was listening to Amenra the other day which, although more metal, conveys some of the same emotions and is (almost) equally good. As was The Young Gods a few days ago. Glad my streak of "vanilla" albums is over now - I had too many "pleasant sounding" but musically unremarkable albums recently. This is the opposite. Give me that, any time.
Hemskt dåligt. Lyssnade inte mer än två låtar.
an interesting soundscape, intricately constructed. pretty much the model for industrial rock. that said. its too "noisy" for me. i can recognize that it's good, but i wouldn't listen again.
me gustaron algunas canciones. me gustaría volver a escucharlo en otro momento para ver si me gusta más
Top band and A favorite album. Have seen NIN a few times in the 90s. His influence is huge!
Great album
I don't know if it was because I was not in the mood for it or what but apart from a few songs there were good I didn't enjoy much of it. Hurt and Closer are classics though. I feel like they belong on a better project.
I did not like this. On the rare occasion, a cover is better than the original. This is one of those cases. Johnny Cash’s Hurt is better then Trent’s
One of the best got damn albums of the 90s, I tell you what!
Wemmer rechtig hässig esch fendet mers velecht no okay. För mech esches aber vel z vel rage woni ned wörk fühle. Es hed höchstens Asätz vo dem woni als Musig wörd bezeichne.
Crazy album!
Amazing album that I grew up listening to but I have a hard time putting myself in that headspace now. Trent is a brilliant musician and this album is his opus but by the end you just want to say “come on, man, just slit your wrist and get it over with.”
Brilliant album from start to finish
Classic album but too heavy for me.
One of my favorite albums of all time. Favorite track- A Warm Place.
“Closer” is about it other than a bunch of noises
simplemente NIN. los amo demasiado (q ganas de sexo)
Excellent album without a doubt. It’s weird to me that Pretty Hate Machine is not on the list, but I guess this album is a bit more adventurous and on the experimental side. I do find some of the tracks tedious, but the standout tracks are pretty extraordinary.
Horny music for depressed nerds. That being said...
sätkähdin, hermeettistä sisältöä
Closer obviously is good. The rest is not for me (or is bad). NiN is a band I just don't get the appeal of. Hurt is better by Johnny Cash. Pretty hard to listen to this album for me. NiN I think is a band I will just never like.
Nice one
Cool
Horny and angry industrial ??? Hard to pin a genre on this one. Very of era, but I vibes with it. Summer is the wrong time of year to listen to this. I need to be in a dark run down city doing class As. A concept album that doesn't get buried in its concept and excels because of it. Particularly feels alive in current year
Dark moody and intense
I'll get it out of the way early. I didn't get this as much as I thought I would. I went in thinking I'd really enjoy it. I prefer the original of 'Hurt'. It's ominous and downright creepy and Trent Reznor sounds angry and in pain. So I was hoping the rest of the album would follow suit. I like heavy music but it's too abrasive for me at times. I don't know how people criticised the lyrics when it first released because half the time the vocals are so fuzzy, static, and drowned out by the loud music that it's unintelligible anyway. (Yes, I know that's probably the point). It's not enjoyable to listen to for a full hour. Every so often there's a really cool riff that I like but unfortunately the songs aren't built around them. 'Heresy' has a really cool groove and 'March Of The Pigs' could easily have been a speed metal song from the 80's. A hit and miss album overall, although I did like it more on the second listen, so could very well rise higher with more listens in the future. For now it's a three.
Pigs? Reptiles? Animals...FUCKING?? Where am I, the darn zoo?!
This is #day295 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... not the easiest kind of listen before the weekend, right? The Downward Spiral is one of the quintessential records of the '90s (what a year in music it was, huh? In Utero, Holy Bible, just to name a few). It's a statement with a concept behind it, and not just any concept, but one that's masterfully narrated and executed: a descent of a man into self-destruction and ultimately suicide, rendered through an abrasive sound that stirs alt-rock, industrial, post-punk, techno, and more. A dark, brutal, and visceral listen. Some of the highlights are "Mr. Self Destruct," "Closer," "Ruiner," "Reptile," and "Hurt." I also like the fact that the Japanese pressing of the album includes a cover of Joy Division's "Dead Souls." Anyway, Trent Reznor is the man, one of the most compelling and uncompromising figures in modern music. This is a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #day296.
Way better than I expected. Heavier, too. Quite an interesting record, I might get back to it someday.
well yes
Interesting soundscapes, but rough lyrically.
I already own this album on CD AND vinyl so not much I can say other than it changed my life
4 stars for execution. Reznor is a mad man.
not my cup of tea
Подростковый бунт.
Trent Reznor is a God among men, and this is one of his crowning achievements. I’m a sucker for concept albums, this being no exception. The concept here is extremely apparent and simple. One man is descending into madness very rapidly. When the third song on the album already has him screaming about God being dead and going to hell, you know that bro is really going through it. Every song is unique from the last, and I could see any individual song being someone’s favorite here. The one everyone knows is “Closer”, but the last song on the album is a cover of “Hurt” and is excellent as well. “Heresy” “March of the Pigs” and “Closer” are my top 3 here, and I’m praying to God that this isn’t the only NIN album. Simple but iconic album art as well. The vibes here are dark and gritty, and man do they ROCK!!!!
Definitely too abrasive for me to consider for general listening - I can't deny it's power as an emotional statement though - and Closer and Hurt are remarkable songs.
This really isn’t my thing, far too industrial and I’m not a fan of any of the shouty, screaming American acts of this era. That said, there is a merit to the darkness and I’m sure some will really relate to its narrative so far that I’ll upgrade from a 2 to a 3 star review
I enjoyed this much more than I expected. I was never much of a fan of the industrial sound, but the production on this is super interesting, with some cool machine samples etc. Favourite tracks: Heresy, March of the Pigs (nice 7/8, 8/8 time signature going on there), Closer (the ambient noise that accompanies the sparse beat is chef's kiss), A Warm Place, The Downward Spiral, Hurt (probably prefer Johnny Cash's version, but this is the OG and it's undoubtably a fantastic track).
Solid album, ends on a classic
Never listened to NIN because I didn’t think I would like them, and I was right. Was interested in more of the slower, musical parts but there weren’t too many of those.
I love when an album takes you to another place. I’ll never grow tired of 90s music. There’s just so much experimentation along with influence that has carried to music thereafter. This album is no different when it comes to creating an influence. I hear the album and immediately can feel that I’ve heard this sound before and now realizing this is probably the root of it all. I really like the dark soundscapes and the storyline of the album which I’ll quote from Wiki: “It is a concept album detailing the self-destruction of a man from the beginning of his misanthropic "downward spiral" to his suicidal breaking point.” The album is also extremely blended and cohesive it’s hard to tell when one track ends and another begins if you’re not paying attention. Especially the transition between “The Becoming” and “I Do Not Want This”. Portishead’s Dummy came out the same year as this album and because I knew that album prior to this one I was immediately taken by the trip-hop vibes of “Piggy” and “Closer”. Again, the 90s were so great for how much explanation there was and how there was so much openness to realms of darkness which I tend to gravitate to. Genuinely keep coming back to this album because it’s so interesting and different from what I usually listen to. I will admit it was a bit abrasive for me at first but I am completely enthralled now as I keep coming back to it wanting to know more. I resonated with the wiki description as I listened through it. I felt like this album could be broken into 3 acts (i, ii, iii). Slowly the lyrics and the demeanour of the music grew darker and eventually did get to a breaking point. It was both a haunting yet beautiful journey. Right from the beginning we are introduced Act i: to the voices in his head with “Mr. Self Destruct”. “Piggy” shows him accepting his fate as he succumbs to what’s inside him. “Hersey” is my favourite track off the album because I feel to me, it’s the pinnacle before he finally spirals down. It’s his one last cry for help as he jumps into what’s coming for him. I love the call back to Piggy in the conclusion of “The Ruiner” almost as if we’re taking another level down the spiral and journey forward because “nothing can stop me now”. To me this both ends Act i and starts Act ii. “Me and My Gun” closes Act ii chapter lyrically and we’re now entering another realm of the album, where he furthers down the spiral. Act iii: I’d say this part is my favourite. The soundscapes are so interesting. It fuzzes my brain with all the different creative instrumentations. Sounds of flies, buzzing, whizzing, all types of industrial noises mixed in. We reach the title track where he reaches the point of a menacing end to one’s life, whose? We do not know for sure. I presume the voice in his head. I like that “Hurt” concludes the album as it almost feels like he’s trying to wake himself up from where his mind took him. Almost feels hopeful even though lyrically he’s hurting himself as he reflects on his actions. Such an interesting end, and perhaps, the end brings us back to the beginning as he self destructs once again. An endless downward spiral. Standout Tracks: “Heresy”, “Mr. Self Destruct”, “Closer”, “Piggy”
See at as a start to the neu metal wave about to happen but maybe not as polished as later albums in the genre.
Boring - I couldn't stand to listen to the end
Oh, it's the person who made Johnny Cash's most famous song! I don’t what it is about this album in particular, but most songs here are extremely memorable. Before relistening, I’d only heard it once a bit over a year ago. I’m terrible at remembering music, but here most songs almost immediately made me go, “Oh, I remember how it goes.” This is some really powerful noisy music that is produced so well that even on high volume, the loud parts are not painful. Despite being about 50% longer than an average album, it doesn't feel drown out; but the second half is quite a bit weaker than the first. It just slows down later on, with the songs becoming more personal and sensual. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but I preferred the more loud, angry sound of the first half. On a side note, whenever I see someone talk about this album, I always hear Danny Brown in my head. "And it's a downward spiral / Gotta figure it out, out / I gotta figure it out, out."
Legendary album, great songs, unique sound, maybe a little clunky at times, but it's still top notch thing.
Listened running. Didn’t know loads about NIN but enjoyed this so may check out more of them
Noisy. but nice.
I don't remember it, no offense
Never really warmed up to NIN
Not my jam
I guess the reason I had to listen to this is so as to understand just how much musical tastes can vary... An interesting lesson. I know this album has a generally high rating and many glowing reviews, but I can't find a single positive thing to say about it. OK, the singer's voice is not bad, but totally wasted on this dire excuse for a record.
I lack personal knowledge of the context of the times but this does feel like a novel album. To have the range and end with a song like Hurt end the album is pretty impressive. That being said, not totally my style. Respect though.
Sounds gritty and dark and I enjoyed it
I’ve listened to The Downward Spiral more times than I can count, and it remains one of my favorite albums, not just by Nine Inch Nails, but overall. It’s the kind of record I return to when everything feels frayed and heavy, not because it offers clarity or relief, but because it reflects those internal wreckages so accurately that I don’t feel as isolated in them. This isn’t background music or something I put on casually. It’s intense, immersive, and deliberately uncomfortable. There’s beauty buried in distortion, and a strange sense of honesty in the way it refuses to sugarcoat pain. “Closer” is aggressive and grotesque. “Hurt” is stripped down and resigned. Tracks like “March of the Pigs,” “Piggy,” and “Ruiner” all seem to push into emotional collapse without trying to pull back. One memory I’ll never shake is riding in a ninth-grade carpool with some honors kids; we were quietly singing along to the radio, “I want to f*** you like an animal," while someone’s mom drove us to our IB high school. We were probably all still virgins. It didn’t even register as shocking at the time. The 90s were like that. There’s no way that song would get the same airplay now. So I can’t say for sure where I first heard the rest of the album. What I do know is that I’ve played it over and over for years. My favorite Trent Reznor track is actually “Down In It” from Pretty Hate Machine. But that song feels like the seed that bloomed into something dark and unraveling, in The Downward Spiral. The recording process adds another layer to the album’s intensity. Reznor built a studio inside the house where the Manson murders happened, and tracked most of the album there using a mix of analog tape, digital sampling, broken instruments, and found sounds. The atmosphere feels claustrophobic and unstable, like the walls themselves are vibrating with pressure. There’s no clear storyline across the tracks, but the structure still feels intentional. It’s not about progress or resolution. It’s a slow and deliberate descent. When the album finally closes with “Hurt,” it doesn’t reach upward. It just stops. This album has echoed across genres in ways that still surprise me. You can hear it in the emotional violence of early Slipknot and Korn, and in the fractured layering of artists like Burial, and Health. In hip hop, artists like Kanye West and El-P borrowed its aggression and minimalism. It didn’t just shape industrial rock. It helped reframe what emotional intensity could sound like in music, whether filtered through distortion, silence, chaos, or pure static. The Downward Spiral isn’t about rebellion, catharsis, or healing. It’s about collapse. It’s about sitting in the wreckage without pretending there’s a way out. That’s what makes it so necessary.
There are a lot of people that love this and I appreciate why. To me it is OK and talented songwriting, but kinda like the Eminem album last week, never something I chose to listen to. Something about the industrial sound doesn’t click for me. I feel like I am the naysayer in this group the last two days with Neal Young (good music/songwriting but can’t get past the vocals) and NIN (similar but more about the music/vocal combo).
So I have to admit I never got past the first five tracks listening to this album back in the day. By the time I got done with the first five tracks I was kind of like. Yeah, I wanted to listen to something else. So this was a new experience for me listening to this album all the way through. And I have to admit it was a little darker than I realized. I generally think it's a cool concept, an album about suicide and I like Andrew's thought about the last song being the note left behind. When I was done with it I listened to the Johnny Cash version of her which I actually like better. Overall, this album was a little bit of a disappointment to me knowing that I love those first five songs. The March of pigs might be one of my favorite hard rock songs of all time.
I used to love this in High School. However, since then it seems like my musical palate has changed and quite substantially and it is not what I had remembered. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't great, which is probably why NIN has not been in my regular rotation in a long while now. All that said, I can see how this album/artist was very influential, especially for people like me who were rocking out to it in High School.
Very interesting sound, themes were more explicit than I like. Worth listening too, probably won't seek out again though
Heard it
Mwah iets te heftig
I've heard this album a bunch. Great album from start to finish.
hard to rate this one as it evokes specific feelings and basically defined the 90s. there's some things I like and some things I don't. if a partner put this album on while we were alone, I would consider it a red flag
Techno-adjacent Slipknot without the light relief of some actual musicality in more acoustic/vocals driven songs.
I've been meaning to give this a listen for like, three years now lmao I like the grittiness and distortion of it, the concept is really dark and the lyrics do it justice. Some parts I liked, but then others just seemed really underwhelming in comparison.
if you didn't know that mr reznor would go on to make one of the arguably best movie scores ever... would this be considered that good? I don't know. personally, it was very ok but you can see glimpses of the brilliant career he would go on to have in this work.
While I liked the sound, the lyrics are too much for me.
There’s a lot of noises happening at me. Oh it’s quiet… never mind. Became a piggy then March brought it together. It feels better to be closer.
Maybe I was in the right headspace for this today.
Aggressive and depressive at the same time. It goes from dissonant to straight rock. Incredible soundscapes that are at sometimes unsettling combined with the lyrics. I think this is a great album but I get why people don't like it.
This one didn’t Hurt as bad as I thought it would. It wasn’t necessarily A Warm Place but it was close.
amazing concept record, might be perfect
6.5/10 That wasn’t as industrial as I expected, but it was as dark and angry. A lot of production but that worked pretty well. A wall of blackness, could have been slightly shorter. Liked the songs with programmed beats. The original Hurt is better than the Cash version I think. Best: Closer
Aight
Odd blend. Its like grundge metal meets techno or something. First, I heard this band was at university as my house mate liked it. At that time, I didn't connect with it. I guess the same this time with the difference I critically listened to it. If I was to perform the part of a music critic I would give it a 3 as it is an interesting blend of music styles but for myself personally the music doesn't resonate with me and find it hard to connect with the rhythm of it.
Nine inch nails... On a chalk board. Very much disliked the sound of this album and it didn't stir any emotional response from me other than boredom and a mild anxiety. Music for angsty American teenagers with a preoccupation with "pigs" and their non-existent girlfriends.
Listened to this a few months ago after raiding my folks' CD collection. Not bad.
Not for listening late at night. What a trip but a really good one, just absolutely brilliant all around like wow. 5 stars
hurt is great
Grindy noisy delightful. Didn't actually miss this one back in the day, the industrial stuff just isn't my thing.
Great album if you like metal. I like NIN, but I must confess I had not listened to an entire album.
100% not my thing man, whole lotta stuff im into, and even more stuff im not
I said the last one wasnt for me, this was absolutely not for me either. I can see the appeal just doesnt appeal to me.
Dumbledore asked calmly
Fantastic album
immediately no, wish no stars was possible
Legendary. Omission from any best-of list should result in criminal charges.
Crazy nuts rage, kinda like it.
A classic for industrial rock. It'll melt your face off.
the sound of a self-pitying junkie mistaking his self-hate for profundity and encoding it into heavily compressed techno metal to serve as a bible for all the other self-pitying junkies of the world to validate their addictions as a path to faux-profundity. musically and lyrically this is mediocre at best. The fact that it was so influential is a mark against the culture. People are shitty, and this album is their soundtrack. and he did really build it to be so lyrically abstract- all adjectives, no referents... that anyone could insert the details of their garbage lives and think that he's referring to them. God I hate this fucking record.
Maybe not one to listen to just before bed!
Of course, I've heard "Closer" and whatever song Johnny Cash covered. I like NIN, mostly Pretty Hate Machine, which is a pretty good album -- I like Terrible Lie and Sin and lots of the songs off there. I think this album's supposed to be more acclaimed, so I'm excited. Mr. Self Destruct is VERY loud, VERY harsh but I really like it. It's very cool and action-packed. I can't tell how much I like his voice, and his efforts at edginess are obvious and a little cringe-worthy but it's still good music. Closer is a good one. Very cringey but also very good. Which is very much this album. I'll give it a 3.7 bc it's good but not as good as pretty hate machine i think. not THAT good but good
So ahead of its time. So sexy, so scary! Just like a '90s horror movie. 8/10
Already one of my fav albums. Seeing them for the first live this Aug ‘25. This listen helped me love mr self destruct for the first time
I love love love this album, I've listened to it through like at least 200 times since I first heard it. One of my all-time favourites by one of my all-time favourite bands.