The Downward Spiral

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.

I never thought I liked industrial music and this confirms it. It’s got some classics though. I don’t hate it but I don’t think I’ll ever reach for it again.

Love the sound and intensity, but it's all just a bit too much to be listening to in one sitting.

Never dabbled with NIN before but I get it now, I'm sold. A strong start that it somewhat struggles to maintain, but excellent album overall.

Going back in the log to scream about how much I love this album. I got this in like, 1995? My brother and I were doing a bowling team and we'd qualified for some regional tournament, and while we were out of town I bought this on cassette and absolutely wore the hell out of that tape. Stone cold classic, easily one of my favorite records of all time.

When I was a child (sometime in the early 90s) my mom asked me if I liked Nine Inch Nails. I had never heard of them, but they must have been massively popular because my mom had read a newspaper article about them. You couldn't listen to alternative rock radio without hearing Closer or Head Like A Hole. Down The Spiral has always seemed like prerequisite course material for 90s rock 101, much like Nirvana's Nevermind. However, unlike Kurt Cobain's effortlessly cool persona, Trent Reznor sounds like he's straining himself to be edgy. This album lead me to listening to some of Reznors influences: Skinny Puppy and Ministry. You immediately hear them in his music, almost as if NIN is covering those bands. I'm not exactly a huge fan of industrial, but those early artists take me to a strange dark world that feels foreign. It's always exciting when music can put you into a different head space. Down the Spiral just sounds like Reznor is trying to hard. I listened to this album for the first time on higher quality audio equipment and it helped me appreciate some of the complexity in the arrangements. Tracks 1-5 were interesting, but this album fell off quickly for me. There's too much filler. I'm going to give this album a 3 out of 5, mainly for it's cultural importance. It brought harsh industrial music onto pop radio. Perhaps it inspired some people to go buy records by many of Trents influences.

I was a teen in the 90s into rock/metal/alternative/grunge and NIN were on my radar, liked quite a few of their songs but could never get into the albums as a whole. Listening to this again after a long time hit differently. It's a solid 3 from start to finish but songs like March of the Pigs, Hurt, Ruiner, Piggy and of course Closer push this to a 4 star for me. 7.5/10

Honestly, I was very disappointed when I listened to this album. I know the name Nine Inch Nails from Hurt, which I listened from Johnny Cash for the first time. For this reason, I had high expectations for this album. Honestly, it sounds like a collection of noises and melodic vocal lines that sound like moans. Not even the original version of Hurt at the end of the album pleased me. Today it is 1 star.

Immediately after this album, it auto-played to a NIN song I actually ended up really liking, so, like, it's possible, but overall these were, to me, mostly toilet noises, plus a bad Johnny Cash cover (yes, I *know*).

What activity is this music for listening to?

It's like an old movie, I know I should watch it more often I just already know how it ends and it's not that exciting of a story anymore.

Great art rock! Very intense. Excellent recording

The abrasive nature of The Downward Spiral is what makes it unique. It’s unapologetically all up in your face and personal space for most of its one hour and five minute runtime. And, unfortunately, it’s the same reason I have a hard time listening to it. It’s not that I can’t enjoy some aggressive music because I can and do, but The Downward Spiral just couldn’t do it for me. This also came out during my college years and you couldn’t go out to any club without hearing Closer. That song was everywhere all the time. It honestly started getting on my nerves. Still, to this day, I will skip Closer if it comes on. To some degree, Hurt was the same way. Not as bad but it’s right there. I respect what Reznor was trying to do with The Downward Spiral but if I’m going to listen to some Nine Inch Nails, there are other albums I would chose over this one easily. There are a few songs I can pluck off here when necessary but to get through the whole thing is not something that will happen. This is a 2 rating for me. 2/5

This album transported me back to 1995. Im riding bikes with my buddy. He is trying to explain to me there is a song that they say "I want to fuck you like an animal." We go back to his house and impatiently watch MTV post midnight when all the naughty songs and videos are on just to catch the music video that was crazier than the song. I have a soft spot for this album but listening 30 years later the lyrics aren't nearly as edgy as they are attention seeking. Still groundbreaking sound in 1994.

Didn't get it. First listen, it sounded like noise. Couldn't relate to the music, which may be a good thing. Perhaps I need to listen to it again.

blimey. I admire anyone who can openly and willingly listen to NIN because this is.... Not everyday listening in my book. I also admire Trent's ambition to fuck everyone in the world but even that couldn't make me give this more then 2 stars

My angst-ridden teenage years were well served by this album. The aggression mixed with nihilism appealed to me. 30 years later, this album holds up even if my appreciation of it is at a different level. There is a well-crafted and layered complexity that I appreciate under those aggressive anthems. It is truly a piece of art, even if it is repulsive in some ways.

Take a chill pill, Trent

Pretty solid album, but I prefer Cash's cover of Hurt.

honestly? hot

Yuh

Their 2nd album. Recorded at the house where Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson Family. A concept album, the downward spiral of a man into suicide. Techno, punk, heavy metal. Nihilistic, incel, dark, deliberately abrasive music. 90s rage, school shooter vibes. The concept is fine, the darkness and the journey etc but the delivery is average.

I had this album when it came out. Not something I want to listen to often. Pretty incredible album though.

Meh. Can recognize that they are good in their genre, just not my style.

Ugh this is actually quite shit

Echt, fuck Nine Inch Nails. We get it, je bent boos. 0.0

Hmmm … thought I’d like this one more. I think it was too long. I stuck it out because I was waiting for Hurt (and yes, the Man in Black does it better).

Liked a few of the songs but overall too hard for me

no

Holy shit I can't believe I've never listened to this front to back. Somehow both raw and polished at the same time. Amazing lyrics. I immediately restarted the album after I finished it. The vocals over the instrumentation is some of the best shit I've heard.

Unique interesting sound, but it’s a bit too gritty for me. Vocals are difficult to hear

"The Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails is a journey into the exploration of despair and self-destruction. The album features ambient industrial rock, showcasing a wide range of sounds from intense rage distortion to somber melancholy. The standout track is undoubtedly "Hurt," especially considering the later interpretation by the collaboration of Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin, which elevated it to classic status. Other notable songs include "Closer," "Piggy," "Heresy," and "March of the Pigs," though the remaining tracks are hit and miss. It has been several years since I last listened to this album. While I hold respect Trent Reznor as an artist, revisiting it evoked feelings of claustrophobia, isolation, and disconnection - emotions reminiscent of anxieties I experienced during the COVID lockdown. This album, once intriguing, has lost some of its appeal to me as I have grown older and my understanding of my place in the world has changed. Worth a listen.

Some bangers, a little slow near the end then ends with Hurt, a masterpiece

This is really cool album. But in my opinion “pretty hate machine” by NIN a little bit better

Fistfuck. Better than I remember, meandering at points. Feels like filling time on the CD. Hurt still is a masterpiece

One of my all time favorites

Nope

This was overstimulating but also interesting

Quite theatrical, but a bit too noisy for me

Spirals into something

This was good. NIN can get a bit repetitive for me, but this was a very interesting album.

Nicht meine Musik - hab auch nicht gecheckt, dass es ein Konzeptalbum ist

14/04/2025 It was creative and i have heard of a few of these songs before.

3.5

Pained, raw, and jarringly truthful. People are afraid of saying the kind of stuff talked about in these lyrics, even within music. Life sucks, and howling into the void about depression, sex, politics, and suicide is a perfect way of expressing that. Especially with the industrial rock genre, which historically hasn't exactly popped on the charts, but works so, so well with the lyrical content here. And yet Reznor and Ross churn out this excitingly gritty anger-anthology for the world to relate to so much it hurts. As another reviewer accurately wrote: "Raw, powerful, visceral, animalistic. Sexy. Twisted. Demented. I want Trent Reznor to whisper the word "piggy" to my ears over and over again." All that being said, it's still industrial rock. A genre I can't bring myself to love, no matter how hard I try. Although the vocals are near-flawless on every track, the other instruments veer in and out of being appealing – most obviously in the songs March Of The Pigs and The Becoming. (Which is certainly the point. Nine Inch Nails absolutely know what they're doing, musically.) The music is just too abrasive too often to place this album amidst the top tier, even if it does give most other music from the era a run for its money. NIN have created something really special here and I completely understand why others dub it the greatest record of all time. (Maybe a couple of relistens will do it... I'll keep you all posted.) 4/5 Key tracks: Heresy, March Of The Pigs, Closer, Hurt

Hurt was great; reminded me of Johnny Cash's excellent version.

Up until Closer... Banger of an album. Then... noise, until a decent song in Hurt, turned into a triumph by Johnny Cash.

Es como la white girl music de los 2000

When this came put it was something so diferent and innovative. Amazing and dark and hard and out there. In context back in the day they killed it with this production. After them tons more came to play like this and it got kind of sarurated but they were the mainstream pioneers so big credit. Listening to it today it was not as great as I remembered it when I heard it the first time. Its still awesome but maybe I grew out of this genere.

Angry, Caustic, iconoclastic, boundary breaking. This is an album I was afraid of as a kid. And there's a lot to be afraid of. Violence, sexuality, abuse, death of God, suicide. But also, moving past that, there's total brilliance here. Pretty Hate Machine is a great album. But this is where Trent really made his mark. Not my favourite NIN record, but an undeniable force. Perfect album. 10/10.

Sometimes Good but messy

Disturbingly experimantal. Not the type of experiments I enjoy. But this impression is solely based on my listening experience. I should get into more context

I haven't listened to this in a long time. So freaking intense. I don't think my old ears can take regular repeat listens but it deserves four stars.

I have an interesting relationship with this album. I discovered it way before getting into music because of the Johnny Cash's amazing cover of the outro to this album "Hurt". When I finally got around to listening to it I loved it at first. Then I listened to it again and didn't like it because of the lyrics which I thought sounded edgy for the sake of being edgy. Then I listened again and realised that this album is supposed to be edgy because that's Nine Inch Nails whole aesthetic and I love it. I don't think this album is perfect but I do think it deserves its high regards. It's an essential centrepiece of the post-industrial genre. The song "Closer" has this filthy baseline over a drum machine beat with Trent singing like a depraved animal craving sex. After which the song goes into an instrumental section that keeps getting more dense with synths and fuzzy guitar for 3 minutes this song is amazing. 9/10 Favourite: Closer Least Favourite: Piggy

I bought this album as a kid and didn’t like it at all. Nearly 20 years later, here’s my thoughts after revisiting. For me, three things are true at the same time: 1) Hurt is one of my all time favorite songs though I prefer Johnny Cash’s version. 2) Trent Reznor is a visionary and this album is a definite testament to this. 3) I do not enjoy this album. The sound is too industrial for my taste and the overarching concept doesn’t connect with me. Maybe I’ll try again in 20 years.

There’s a lot going on and not much at all. Whoever told Trent to stop trying to write lyrics really loved him.

I think we can safely say I don't like Nine Inch Nails...I can respect the album, and what it's trying to do, and the vibe it gives off....it's just not for me. And while I do like Hurt, Johnny Cash's version has just so overshadowed the original that its hard to come back to this one. Trent can keep doing movie sound tracks though, he good there.

Grew up with this masterpiece. One of my favorite albums of all time!

Surprisingly rough music that goes outside the lines. Nice, but you have to be in the mood

hani mer wök ned chönne geh weder. schlimmer als Metallica wöri sogar sege

i relate to this album too much

Трент Резнор - гений?

best thing ive heard from this experiment so far

ohhhhh my godddd.... ohhhhh my goddd... how did i wait so long to listen to this lmao

Interesting

Wow...this album was certainly angry, anxious, aggravated, pissed off, feral, despairing... and it was executed brilliantly. I'm not often in the mood for this kind of thing but I can't deny the craft and artistry that went into it. ML-113.

Nothing to say here. Most incredible industrial album out there

Despite knowing their name forever I’ve never interacted with NIN music. Usually that is to my detriment, however this seems to be a rare beneficial instance. Yuck

The cover of hurt was awful

I remember when I bought this when I was 15 even the jacket cover on the CD was epic--it looked more like an old vinyl album cover than a CD. This was one of those I bought back in the day before I even heard any of their music--music life before the internet--so I really didn't know what I was in for. I remember laying on the floor in my bedroom and listening to the whole thing through. Now, 30 years later it's a gloomy day and I'm in the perfect mood to listen to this masterpiece. A masterpiece in production that basically rewrote the book on industrial rock. Trent Reznor's rage perfectly synthesized. One of the great things about this, among many I haven't gotten into, is the hard to soft and back again balance that NIN achieves so fluidly in this album.

Dope

Trent sounds a little sad and angry. One star for Hurt, which Johnny Cash somehow made into a classic.

Refused to listen.

Like a lot of these (and one of the reasons I started the project) I have never listened to a full NIN album. I knew and liked a few of the songs and still enjoyed them listening to them this time. I found listening to an hour of it a bit strong. I had never actually heard the original I hurt myself today, having only heard and very much enjoyed J. Cash's cover. I still contend the cover is better but it was interesting to hear the original.

Loved it so many pretty outros nude was my favorite and when I really locked in with this album

It sounds like a movie scene when kids accidentally walk into a scary club and they play what adults saw as devil music

Toch wat te heftige muziek, niet helemaal de vibe

Hurt is a banger, everything else is boring.

Could never get into NIN, It’s too much of a challenge. I didn’t like the electronic drums. Breaks barriers and I award points for the creativity, but on the whole unenjoyable. I prefer Marilyn Manson, but only a little bit.

Not mad about it overall, was interested to listen as I like what I have heard of Reznor's soundtracks. Hurt is an incredible song. Really a 2.5

Creative, sexy, angry. What's not to like? I love the weird timing in March of the Pigs, it grabs your attention by force. You can't not get into it.

I like the style, with it's heavy-handed electronic rock, aggressive scraping and banging, whispery and screamy vocals. Though at times it does border on unbearable for me. Closer made me gag. Hurt is a classic. New ones for me that I enjoyed "piggy", "heresy" and "a warm place".

I should love this. Incredibly discordant, dark, and brooding. I just also find it fairly boring.

Knew this album would be on this list. Have avoided it in the past for unknown reasons, by all accounts it should be something I'd enjoy, though I just haven't bothered. I know this band on a surface level, and am aware of their influence. Aniticipating a challenging sound, though of high quality. Mr. Self Destruct I'm not sure what that sample is, but it's scary. There's a lot going on here, feels really ominous and angsty. The juxtaposition between the loud and quiet parts creates an interesting emphasis on the final chorus. Haunting atmosphere. Good. 4/5 Piggy Enjoy how the tempo and energy has completely changed from the previous track. Love the background effects. Beautifully produced. The drumming and percussion is pretty fascinating to follow along with. Great. 4.5/5 Heresy Unexpected electronics. The lyrics have a lot of edge, though is delivered in such a way that they don't veer into cringe territory. Really like how the vocals twist throughout the track. A varied range of styles. Amazing instrumental towards the end. Fantastic. 5/5 March of the Pigs Another banger drum beat. Fantastic energy. This song fucks. Everything seems to fall into place for a fatastic song. Especially amazed at the depth within the layered production. Fantastic. 5/5 Closer Absolute classic, the rawness and dark primality is just fun to listen to, combined with the surprisingly funky, infectious instrumental creates one of the iconic songs of the era. Fantastic. 5/5 Ruiner Flawless transition Really like the synth at the start of the track. When the track really kicks of it becomes a challenging listen, really strange composition though I enjoy how complicated it is. Again the production on this is nearly flawless, love how haunting and off-putting they make the guitar sound. The whole track just sounds dirty and cold. Love the vocals as well, especially the mixing on them. The sudden ending is very unexpected, though I see the vision. Fantastic. 5/5 The Becoming The bouncy instrumental over the sampled screams makes me uncomfortable, definitely feels like something is wrong. Listening to this in the dark is genuinely scary. Like how the track sort of strips down with the acoustic guitar then completely swaps its tone with the crazy electronics and the off-kilter vocals. Great. 4.5 I Do Not Want This Great transition. Like the loudness of the chorus and how the verse builds up to it, comes really sudden enhancing its effect. A simpler track, but instrumentally, just as intricate, loud and impactful as the more out there tracks. Love how it ends. Fantastic. 5/5 Big Man With A Gun Fun energy. Kinda gross, but I still enjoy it. Provocative and extremely sexual. Feels like it's made for shock value. Doesn't need to be any longer than it is. Good. 4/5 A Warm Place This is a beautiful piece of instrumental rock. Feels more like post-rock than industrial. Fantastic ambience, harrowing yet hopeful. Has a great calmness to it, though I sense some sorrow as well. Beautiful, a great moment of clarity after the raw harshness that's followed since the start of the album. Fantastic 5/5 Eraser Great transition. Really uncomfortable sounding introduction. The percussion sounds deep and grand, has a great echo to it. Lovely companion piece to the previous track. This feels more claustrophobic and mechanical. The sense of clarity is gone and we have reentered the dirty world present earlier in the album. Has an almost hypnotic rhythm. Great vocal performance, love the distortion. Carthartic and powerful. Great. 4.5/5 Reptile Feels a bit slow. There are some cool passages in the instrumental, and the vocals show a decent amount of range. I like the guitars on the chorus a lot. Grew a bit for me as it went along. Good. 4/5 The Downward Spiral Genuinely sounds like a downward spiral instrumentally, great sound design. The muted background instrumental behind the spoken word is a great touch. Hauntingly dark lyrics. Great. 4.5/5 Hurt Did not know this closed the album. Love the atmosphere. Love the more stripped back vocal focused track with less of the industrial noise as an ending to the album. No matter if it's this version or the Cash cover, the song is written so well that it really doesn't matter. The impact remains the same, especially in the context of the album its featured on. The haunting, regretful introspection present in this track makes this a legendary closer to an album which really needs it. 5/5 This album completely blew me away. Instumentally and production wise it's on a whole other level. Vocally Trent Reznor delivers a perfect performance for the style of music presented. Each track feels thought out and feels justified in their conclusion. Over all couldn't be happier. 5/5 Fave track. A Warm Place Least fave track. N/A

My unpopular opinion is that the original version of 'Hurt' found here is actually better than the Johnny Cash cover. I'm not saying his cover is bad, I think the opposite, it's excellent, but there's something much sadder I believe in a young man, as Trent was at the time of writing it, truly thinking that he had already irreparably ruined his life and his only paths were to be someone else, or die, compared with the theme of the Johnny Cash cover, where this guy has had his whole life to do better and kept failing. I mean come on mate you had 3/4 of a century, you obviously weren't doing something right upon reflection. This album is spectacular, fully deserving of 5 stars, and that album cover is the perfect depiction of the music inside.

Correcto

Good, will need to listed to it again

This album was one of those moments in music history where everything went from interesting to REALLY interesting.

Went to 2 shows on The Downward Spiral tour. One of my favorite albums and experiences ever.

Trent

One of the absolute best ever. 5/5

Absolutely not what I needed on a Monday morning! Obviously Hurt is a classic, whether this version or the Johnny Cash one honestly, the rest did not do much for me.

Perfect the whole way through, from the weird industrial jazz of Piggy to my favorite track Heresy. Closer is overplayed and a meme at this point but it's still the best track on the record being an emotional low point on a record that somehow manages to dig down further after that. A song that on any other album would be the most brutal song on the record lyrically, and here it's downright cheerful in comparison to some of the other tracks. The Becoming somehow managing to keep finding ways to one up the anxiety when you thought it was taped out. Reptile with its scratching that bores into your brain. And the finale, Hurt, which has kinda been overshadowed by the Cash version at this point, but is still a fitting and poignant end to this brutal, despairing album.

I'm noisy but not too much. I scream, but I also whisper. I'm angry with the system but I work for multinationals. I'm a moron.

an extremely chill and relaxing vibe for my drive home 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️🧘‍♀️

This gets me closer to god. 5/5

Rating: 10/10 One of the greatest albums of all time. An incredible culmination of sound that's angry, violent, and at times beautiful, there is something new to find with every listen. A timeless classic.

nicht so meins, eher lärmorientiert.

Halt sehr industrial, auch wenn ich die Ansätze spannend finde bleibt es schwierig als Gesamtes zu hören.

I remember being blown away by this when it first came out. It made suicidal depression seem like the most exhilarating experience known to mankind. Intricate, complex, deceptively simple, magnificent songs and sounds, turbosynthed guitars, terrific lyrics. Just absolute perfection.

very noisy, I couldn't enjoy practically anything from this album.

Just not my thing.

I like 4 of the songs: "Piggy", "March of the Pigs", "Closer", "Hurt". Especially March of the Pigs - what a great song. The rest of the album is OK, but still I give NIN credit for kind of owning/defining industrial music for this era.

Most things that feel edgy, transgressive and hardcore when you are 19 just feel sort of silly and quaint when you are 49. Downward Spiral holds up.

If only Pacific Science Center had taken out the seats in the laser dome so that when 'March of the Pigs' played during Laserpalooza, all of us teenagers could have thrashed and danced around instead of being stuck in chairs. I don't think it's just nostalgia that had me thrashing around my kitchen instead. The first 5 songs are absolute monsters. Perfect mix of industrial dance punk. & maybe a year ago the nihlism would have felt a bit much, but feels a lot more appropriate living through the twilight of an empire.

The best way I can describe this is a mix between emo metal and noice rock. Music, vocals, lyrics - all is shit. And the recording sounds like shit, so that’s suitable.

Classic, forgot how good this was.

Stellar album! Dark and moody, but also extremely intense and visceral. It really does make the listener feel the anguish and desperation the album's character is going through, with the very stark and oppressive production filled with all kinds of distorted instrumentation. Still, at its very core, it manages to keep a foot firmly placed in standard rock song structures. And all the better for it, otherwise it could probably end up too alienating to maintain the emotional resonance it obviously strives for. Key tracks: Mr. Self Destruct March of the Pigs Closer Hurt

like lowkey 3.5 stars but 4 will have to do

Insane screaming, weird music equals trash.

Punk/Rock, 1994 -> 1

Edgerlord masterpiece

Others have explained the brilliance of this album more eloquently than I probably ever could so I'll keep this short and just say I absolutely love this album, 10/10, no notes at all. Amazing.

This is way more fun than my memory of it, feels like it's quite witty somehow. Enjoyed finding new stuff like the dub influence on Piggy which I had no idea about before. I'm split on whether Hurt is still powerful or if it's quite cringey now - saying that, the 'if I could start again' line did hit me hard. Heresy is certainly laughable Marilyn Manson-esque, anti-Christian rubbish which I thought was cutting-edge social commentary when I was 14/15. Special shout-out to March of the Pigs which I happened to see (and tape!) on MTV2 before I knew who NIN were - it was fast to the point where it felt like it was going to fall apart, had guitars but also loads of electronics, a gentle piano bit in the middle of all the chaos, I loved it. Felt more 'extreme' than the thrash metal I was mainlining at the time, set me up for more interesting stuff and it was probably why I bought this album in the first place. Not idea why their other stuff doesn't do it for me, might give them another go sometime

Just not my bag really.

Great album but I just don't find myself going back to it particularly often anymore

Can't wait to see them live

I made the decision to not listen to this album today. I am very familiar with this album. I love it and I consider it to be an all time great album, but I know that this album always makes a devastating impact on my overall mood. Incredible work of art, but one that must be approached with caution

i've listened to this before but not in full, only the hit tracks Mr. Self Destruct - 5/5 Piggy - 5/5 Heresy - 5/5 March Of The Pigs - 4/5 Closer - 5/5 (obviously) Ruiner - 4/5 The Becoming - 5/5 I Do Not Want This - 2/5 (not good, skipped halfway) Big Man With A Gun - 3/5 (short) A Warm Place - 4/5 Eraser - 4/5 Reptile - 5/5 The Downward Spiral - 2/5 (zzzzzz) Hurt - 5/5 (obviously) Total score: 4.1/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nonsense screeching rock that I used to love in the 90s. I was a big Marilyn Manson fan by the late 90s and I got this CD on sale. I was always curious to find out where the antichrist superstar sound came from. I loved it at that time. I remember all the times I cried while listening to "Hurt". I didn't hear the Johnny Cash version until several years later. Today I didn't like it so much, it's over compressed, a lot of noise, screaming and distortion. But I give it 4 stars because it was an important album while I was a teenager.

Jag respekterar det här, men det är ingen större njutning för mig. Vissa bra stunder

A little too teenage angsty for my tastes but I respect the hell out of it. I’ve figured out that “Closer” is a more fucked up version of George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex”. This is definitely the most receptive I’ve ever been listening to NIN though so I could see me coming around fully in a couple years or so.

Yuck

Long repetitive sections get old - Boring and slow does nothing to really move the song (Piggy). Sonically can get brutal, unable to understand some lyrics without reading. Obviously very angsty, but intriguing with the general tone of the album. Spaces where they have drawn out instrumentals to build tension is a good element. Great concept for an album, feels very personal. Reznor is an interesting character that definitely bleeds through on this album, great imagery and vulnerability in the lyrics, although not much my speed in terms of tone/feel for a suicidal narrative until the end.

A spectacular reflection of psychosis, depression and insanity. The sounds are so precisely chosen that each song’s story shines through the cacophony. Bonus point for being a concept album

The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails is truly one of the greatest albums of all time. The way Trent Reznor delivers the concept to the listener is just perfect; he masterfully crafts the descent of the character, making you feel every moment of the spiral. It’s like VR in music, fully immersing you in the experience. The album moves from chaotic, wild moments to sudden silence, making the structure feel so dynamic. The execution of the concept is flawless, and the ending ties everything together perfectly. It’s a timeless masterpiece and an industrial rock classic; one of those albums that will never lose its impact.

good rock album but a bit too angry for my liking. i did still enjoy the hearsy song because it's so cliche grunge

Gonna have to listen to this again but I think I thought it was ok?

To the commenter who said they see lots of NIN bumper stickers, I think that’s the Kia emblem.

Not their best, takes a little while to get going.

I have a new appreciation for NIN after seeing them last month on their Peel It Back tour. They were not on my radar until this past year, and it took a few listens to get used to their music, but I'm a fan. The lyrics are as intense as the music. Some of these songs were so incredible live that I like this album so much more than when I first heard it before the show. (+1 on the post-show edit)

Awesome

lowkey did.not fuck w </3 first song was p good and then all went downhill from there

lydia (3) - not a big fan but that's cuz it's just not my genre </3 and lowkey did not like reptile Monica (4) - the good songs were rly good but the bad songs were just boring

A little intense to revisit this on a Monday morning at work, but also very cathartic! I immediately followed this up with the Johnny Cash version of Hurt, and was not disappointed.

I love this album!

4/5

Hard work. Driving industrial noise like a train which was impressive but tedious after a while. What kind of world dies this person inhabit? Awful for them and unlikeable for me

Closer was good. Didn’t enjoy anything else.

Noch nie gehört, als Hintergrundmusik ganz gut, aktiv zuzuhören ist schwierig, sehr trashig teilweise

It's so weird that this guy does scores for prestige dra.a films now, but it kind of makes sense when you listen to this. This is basically just a soundtrack to Trent Reznors self destruction. I'm glad Trent was able to get out of it alive unlike a lot of musicians of that era.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1001 ALBUMS- # 3 How was this created by the same brain child as the kid that provided backing keyboards to Slam Bamboo? Trent must have stumbled across some Skinny Puppy…and thank God he did for us to be gifted this astounding musical achievement! 🎧 Classic Track- Closer 🎧 Hidden Gem- A Warm Place 🎧 Personal Favorite- Hurt For a non metal head, this album was much more accessible than anticipated to keep my full attention throughout the layers complex arrangements of emotional depth in Trent’s lyrical overarching conceptual theme. However dark and unsettling the subject matter is, the messages resonate strongly. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Top marks! 💿 Definitely add to your vinyl collection! Click the thumbs up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

Brilliant album So many cool sounds and textures Just reeks of sin, filth, greed, shame and all of the other human vices/emotions Pretty Hate Machine is awesome and this album takes that aesthetic and makes it even darker

i really liked this one. it was hard to understand the lyrics at times, but i liked the songs still. yeah not much to say here, would have to relisten to figure out which tracks stood out to me as favorites but i enjoyed the experience. i liked the ambient noises

I’m just not a huge fan of the industrial pop genre that dominates the release. “Closer” may be played out at this point, but it’s still a banger.

This album makes me toe uneasy to genuinely like it.

Prinzipiell nice und stimmungsvoll, für mich noch etwas schwer in diese Musikrichtung reinzukommen

6 stars if I could. A masterpiece. The sound and lyrics are really well done. You know it's a great album when someone did a thesis on it: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5322&context=thesesdissertations 1 - Mr. Self Destruct My favourite song on the album after Hurt. I love the intense bursts of sound soooo much. That is, the sound that plays when saying the lyrics during the 4 lines leading up to and including the "Mr. Self Destruct" line. 2 - Piggy Sets up the album well: "Nothing can stop me now, 'cause I don't care anymore" 3 - Heresy My favourite chorus on the album. Also, the raw drum sound is amazing. The synth that is there from the start is great too 4 - March Of The Pigs I love the increase in energy here. The "Now doesn't it make you feel better?" is a nice surprising change of tone for a second 5 - Closer Has the most streams cause of frat parties I bet, but Hurt is still the most well known song from this album (Johnny Cash made sure of that). Still very good song. I like the electronic sounding beat in the background. Also the fast synth after "You get me closer to God" is greatttt 6 - Ruiner The synth at 0:49 is so satisfying. It feels very grand 7 - The Becoming Pretty dark 8 - I Do Not Want This Nice change up with the piano 9 - Big Man With A Gun Nice intensity 10 - A Warm Place A bit of a break after the previous track 11 - Eraser I dig the hum-sounding sound 12 - Reptile Good set up for the title track 13 - The Downward Spiral Well-deserving of being the title track 14 - Hurt SUCH A GOOD SONG. My favourite off the album and by NIN even. Honestly, a favourite song of mine in general

this shit is ass

God is dead 😤😤😤 and no one cares 💥💥💥 If there is a hell 👹👹👹 I’ll see you there🔥🔥🔥

Favourite Song: Piggy

Dark, disturbing, 90s gold.

Nope. Can't. Didn't.

I loved this when it first came out and listened the heck out of it! But…now it feels kind of juvenile? I was a teenager at the time. I guess I’ve just kind of outgrown it. I’m still giving it three stars though.

Die Hits hitten, die Misses missen hart. Im Schnitt drei Sterne

This Album is 31 years old this year? What? It could have been released yesterday. I've always NIN in my periphery, but never actually listened to them till now, I've been missing out. Its dissonant, yet melodic, growly yet smooth. I really like this. I didn't like the entire thing, some songs did grate on me, but in general, I enjoyed the album very much. 4/5

This is the 39th album I’m rating. I’ve heard of the band and some great things about them. However, I don’t really know much about the music they do. Adding to my Playlist - Mr. Self Destruct, Piggy, Heresy, March of the Pigs, Closer, Ruiner, The Becoming, I Do Not Want This, Big Man with a Gun, A Warm Place, Eraser, Reptile, The Downward Spiral, and Hurt. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 14/14 songs. This was a fantastic album and was not what I expected. It was pretty loud and pretty cool.

That song in particular was straight from my soul, and it felt very strange hearing the highly identifiable voice of Johnny Cash singing it. It was a good version, and I certainly wasn't cringing or anything, but it felt like I was watching my girlfriend fuck somebody else. Or something like that. Anyway, a few weeks later, a videotape shows up with Mark Romanek's video on it. It's morning; I'm in the studio in New Orleans working on Zack De La Rocha's record with him; I pop the video in, and... wow. Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps... Wow. I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine any more.

cool instrumentation and some amazing ideas they present across the album. sadly not really for me :((

As someone who isn't on a downward spiral, this album didn't personally relate. However, it is pretty neat.

really good

I have listened to this before! Twice actually! I always disliked it. Maybe not disliked....but it didn't really speak to me. The vocalist sounded whiny, and the industrial elements weren't..."raw" enough, it felt dumbed down to me. But alas, as we say in Poland - do trzech razy sztuka...or, I believe in english it would be "thrid times the charm" - because this time around, I really did like it! Granted I wouldn't say it's one of my favourite industrial albums now or something (as of writing, "20 Jazz Funk Greats), but I can appreciate the vision and sound more. The non-vocal tracks at the end were a highlight for me. I still don't really vibe with the lyricism, but I feel like all in all, this album works well for what it's trying to be. Fun stuff.

This album is like being out late and graffiti tags. There is a lot of anger and angst, but the voice is cool. There are some scream-y songs, but mostly just singing the lyrics through gritted teeth. The instrumental aspect is amazing, it is so interesting and funky. The guitar is peak.

Klesssssss

My feelings toward this are complicated. Could I be in the mood for this? Sure, but not often. And not when I listened to it. It's a lot.

Very experimental

Not really my vibe, not sure why so many people bum them it’s nowt special

I liked this, but I still identify with the 17-year-old who turned his nose up at this album because Pretty Hate Machine was obviously the superior album.

I was excited to revisit this album, but it’s not as good as I remember. I mean it is good, interesting sonically, fairly unique for the time it was released. I definitely think it would be cathartic to write/play this style of music. I don’t know, maybe I’m just not as sad and/or angry as I once was, but I fully expected to give this 4 or 5 stars. I think I’ll finally settle for a 3, maybe 3.5 rounded up to 4. Hurt is of course a classic and an amazing song, but crazy how after Johnny Cash covered it the original just doesn’t quite feel the same… it’s still great, but Johnny definitely made it his own.

Nah. I think after Pretty Hate Machine and the Broken EP, there wasn’t really anywhere else to go with the NIN brand of industrial music. Too same-y and there’s nothing that truly stands out the way PHM and Broken did. Truly the beginning of the downward spiral of NIN.

Maybe not my favorite NIN album, but any album that has Hurt on it is going to get some stars from me.

A birth of a classic

Listened to this while playing Middara. I won my encounter! I actually never listened to this album even though it was a big hit when I was in high school. I actually enjoyed this album a whole lot more than I thought I might! The production was fantastic, and the lyrics, though dreary, were evocative. Great music for killing water loas.

So angry. Unlistenable. I hated it in the 90s when I was a teenager and I still hate it today. "A Warm Place" is the only thing approaching a "good song". That includes Closer and Hurt. Dated worse than disco.

Load of nothing album. There's sound and its playing from the speakers but its never really music that captures my attention. There aren't really any hooks or songs, there's noise but not noise that keeps my interest. Quite dissapointed with this album. I like everything it inspired and what it was inspired by but this is a load of meh. March of the Piggies and Hurt are pretty nice songs but I struggle to really remember anything else.

Didn't like at all!

So much angst. So much distortion. So much awesome. I'm glad I'm not as angry as I was so many decades ago when I thought this album totally ruled. It's still good. I hope the twentysomethings can find their voice similarly.

An assault on the earbuds and beautiful contrast of hard and soft Heresy Lyric: “god is dead and no one cares” Instrumental on A Warm Place made me feel very emotional Favourite songs: Closer and Hurt

Fav: Ruiner Least Fav: Piggy So many good songs, but I hope Trent Reznor is doing alright atm

Totally solid. This is a well written and well produced album. Very intentional and deliberate, not a wasted note and nothing frivolous.

Downward Spiral describes this album perfectly 3 tracks in and I had to turn it off, what a load of anger fuelled crap I'm sure I couldve coped not listening to it before I died lol have instructed Spotify never to assault me earholes with this again

While I admire the production to some degree, Trent Reznor's abrasive whisper has a one-dimensional flow, and his flimsy allusions to Nietzsche ('God is dead / and no one cares') don't even excite this hardened atheist. 'Closer' is a miserable ode to rough animal sex: 'I drink the honey / inside your hive / You are the reason / I stay alive.' His junky and unimaginative philosophizing is incredibly tedious, and tho the instrumental moments can sustain an authentic energy, too much of it sours from Reznor's annoying poetry: 'And nothing comes bleeding out of me / Just like the waterfall I'm drowning in.' In Romanticism, the child is revered. Reznor, however, is only childish. There is a huge difference.

I became aware of Reznor (& Ross) through his soundtrack work, which I admiteddly like and love much more than the personal/NIN releases that I’ve heard. But while I’ve listened to this once or twice before, albeit not so carefully, I’m suprised that I didn’t previously realize just how much of a precursor this is to his scores in terms of the techno-y sound. That’s unfortunately not enough of a strength to love this, as much of the edgy lyrics and emo singing is just the type of music that’s bound to fall flat for me. Between the opening and closing tracks only two songs stoos out to me, and one of them is the completely instrumental A Warm Place.

Это очень странный альбом в моей жизни. Во-первых, я очень уважаю этого чела по многим причинам. Мне в целом очень нравится индастриал-звук. И тем не менее этот альбом, который по всем параметрам звучит как что-то, на что я мог бы молиться, я никогда не смог по-настоящему полюбить. И не в этот раз. Это мега альбом, видимо с нереальным концептом. Здесь даже есть хиты, несмотря на невозможный звук. Хотя лучшая Песня на альбоме, объективно, это Hurt, я не могу не выбрать A Warm Place как лучший Момент на альбоме по моему субъективному мнению. Бонфайа в бесконечном мраке. Лучшая песня - A Warm Place.

Honestly, this is such a fantastic album. Trent really poured it all out here.

Het is niet slecht, maar ik voel hem gewoon niet

Nine Inch Nails is not for me. This music just gives me school shooter vibes, unfortunately. I can't get over the creepy, unnerving feeling that a lot of these songs give. I understand it, but this isn't something I'd personally listen to for myself. There are some highlights on this album, like Hurt, but it doesn't redeem it all for me. Best Songs: Hurt Worst Songs: The Becoming

Sucks dick, not my style and hard to listen to.

Heavier than I remember- like the o.g. Hurt.

Not my fav from NIN but good one

More a concept album about being an angry. Very much captures the time but also sounds dated for it. Some of the slower jams are pretty good. "Closer" is probably the most well known song that you can’t play on the radio. "Hurt" is obviously fantastic but skip to the Johnny Cash version. 3⭐️

Never has such a horrific album been so delightful

Edgyä industriaalia. Ei tää nyt oikein lähde. Muistaakseni With Teeth on paremp NIN -levy. Emt. 2/5

Ehkä joskus teinimpänä olisin välittänyt tästä enemmän, mutta nyt kolmoseksi jää.

So awesome. When I was younger, I thought Nine Inch Nails was just clinks and clanks but this is powerful. Ending on a cover of Hurt is a flex and works so well.

🔥

We are lucky to live in the same time as Trent Reznor

awesome. The stale atmosphere of this album always gives me goosebumps.

man this was full on - lots of songs that sound like they should be on tik tok with guys in Joker make-up lip syncing about their lack of gfs or something

Industrial metal masterpiece. Taking you through the throes of addiction recorded at the Shaton Tate house

Music to throw up to

Some tracks sound great, and I can see why this was so impactful when released, but this just isn't my genre

👍🏼

decent

I was so unengaged with this that I started checking my work email, and it is a Saturday. Distortion and bellowed, puerile, lyrics are a poor substitute for musical talent. I've wasted enough time on this twaddle. 1/5.

Soft 5. Overall, I enjoyed the listen, but think it went on just a bit too long. I enjoyed the instrumentals, though it was a bit repetitive at times. Vocal work was a bit of a weak point for me. It was fitting of the work, but felt a bit too much in the backseat. I also didn't love the excessive use of distortion. 'Hurt' is hard not to fave, but I'll throw in 'Ruiner' in as a substitute fave.

2

This one got served to me after my newborn kept me up most of the night. So, bad luck.

I don’t really like the way a lot of this album makes me feel, but that’s kind of the point of it, isn’t it? It’s fucking brilliant. It’s disgusting. It’s wistful. It’s violent. It’s lonely. It’s claustrophobic. It’s the thoughts that never fully reach the front of your brain no matter how hard you focus on them and the feelings that come on too strong and/or too fleeting for you to ever make sense of. Fuck this album. I love it.

Bit noisy innit? It was decent, but not enough for me to be honest! Dude has a cool as fuck name though.

awful

I have a weird relationship with NiN. They're a band I should like but often they don't quite hit for whatever reason. I think some of the lyrics are just straight up cringeworthy. That said this album has a couple of really great tunes on it. Closer is terrific.

Abrasive, grimy, depraved, beautiful and groovy are all words I would use to describe this album. My favourite aspect about this album is the rhythmic sections, the rhythms created on this album are so infectious feeling simultaneously industrial and natural. The dynamics are intentionally jarring and add to the tension that is constantly weighing down on the listener throughout the record. The lyrics are hateful and raw and the songs themselves are masterfully crafted. I’ve been pretty lucky with the quality of the albums recently. 5/5

didnt grab my attention. a couple good songs but mostly forgettable

LOVE IT

90s Industrial rock. Destruction of a man. Recorded in Manson murder mansion. Leaves bad taste in my mouth, recording there to be edgy. Heavy, noisy, dark. Melodic despite all the noise. Can appreciate cthe art, kind of cool in the right mood.

album that makes you feel like you're at the rave in the beginning of Blade (1998) i've heard some of these songs so many times over the years that they've lost some of their staying power, but the deep cuts are some real heat too. "ruiner" is a new favorite

4/5, some good tracks favorited on spotify. Some of it was def weird/experimental but I'm sure that's normal NIN.

They should score a movie about a social media company. 4/5

I don't need this in my life. I can generate copious amounts of depression and anger without this added provocation.

Yeah, I've heard this one.

This album makes me closer to god

So insanely effective at creating that haunting grating angsty sound paired with the dynamism of Reznor’s vocals. It’s truly an experience.

Three words: Death, Destruction, Diarrhea.

Quite noisy but it was interesting and overall I liked it

What a beautiful, dark, disgusting, intense, visceral, and impactful musical and lyrical depiction of a character going down a path of depression, isolation, and hatred (self and others). Electronic beats, distorted textural guitars, vocal melodies delivered with emotional intensity (whether screamed or soft), and synths ranging from groovy to funky to noise. A simple stunning and haunting melody is used as a leitmotif throughout the story. A true album, I’m thay some passages and moments are meant to serve the album and story, rather than standalone songs (though many hold up on their own). Some songs inspire dancing, others putting your head through a wall, other sitting in the shower ugly crying. Heavy as fuck, in many ways.

Quite monotonous, a bit without an idea - it has aged poorly.

Definitely not my kind of music. I feel like an old man listening to music like this and want to say that it just sounds like “noise”

I know I'm supposed to like this but I just don't. It's very noisy, to the point where you can barely hear the vocals at times. Mix is pretty bright for an album with such a dark theme. 1/5

This slaps. Required listening.

A tough listen for sure. Not the most uplifting start to the day but you have to admire it's scope and it's all encompassing sonics. From the opening track to the end it's a ride. Menacing, threatening, frightened and confused. Not an album that I will have on heavy rotation as don't think I could cope but definitely a 4

Mystic monsterous

Never really got into NIN, but there's no denying the badass-ness and creativity of the music. Solid album if you're in a dreary, down-in-the-dumps mood. Solid 4* from me.

Brutal, explicit, stunningly produced. Prop the peak of NIN. You may dislike it but you csbt ignore it. Strong.

I'd never listened to this full album before, even though I knew I was going to love it. The Downward Spiral is a concept album that is about as raw and dark as it gets but, thanks to fantastic songwriting and incredible production, is still catchy and captivating. Its status as an iconic album of the '90s is well-earned. Anyway, my favorite story about this album is one time I was in the car with my dad, a noted music lover who listened to industrial and electronic and experimental music before I was even born, and "Closer" came on the radio (absolutely love that THAT song was the runaway single from this album that had constant airplay). The song had been out for years but it seems old dad hadn't heard this one, despite my brother definitely having this CD. He was vibing with the tunes and decided to turn the volume up. And then the chorus hit. He looked at me with an embarrassed face that made me laugh but then, rather than turning it off or changing the channel, he just turned the volume back down to keep listening. A few years later he famously walked in while my bros and I were watching "Oldboy" - similar embarrassment but respect for the art ensued.

Fantastic album

the music, including the very welcome instrumentals and interludes, is a 4. the vocals and lyrics are a 2.

i am of the age for this to have been a real eye opener and it stands the test of time really well

the only problem with this album is I always expect Wish to be on it for some reason, and then it's not, and I have to take a second to go listen to Wish it does also run a bit long in my opinion, I get we're supposed to be getting this serious story of a descent but

This album was so fucking crazy, honestly one of the concept album kings. I danced, I cried, I got scared, 5/5. Favorite track: Ruiner

Great record. A LOT of emotion. Multiple killer tracks with very little filler. They’re amazing live.

I’ve been a fan of Trent and co. since the “Head Like A Hole” video premiered on MTV back in 1989. At first I was drawn to the dark classically influenced industrial sound. As he evolved with the technology and furthered sonic exploration, I have been right there ready to consume whatever musical and often times visual output was unleashed. From the first listen to The Downward Spiral a monumental shift in my perception of what music could be was formed. This album and the albums that followed it heavily influenced my own musical pursuits as a producer, musician and engineer. Trent would use all of these “hats” in the studio as different instruments as opposed to them being merely a mode of capturing sounds. I hear his influence everywhere from pop and hip hop artists to metal bands and score composers. The textures that are so meticulously layered and then striped from these songs make for such dynamic song structures that it can be jarring in the best way at times. It’s something that has always been a staple of Trent’s music, anything is possible and the limits are always pushed to near meltdown then reduced to the ambient elements buried beneath. It’s just always exciting to take in on the first listen and then as you get familiar with the sharp turns you start to find all the layers buried below. Another element that unravels itself to you as you become more familiar with Nine Inch Nails is how well versed in music theory Trent is. If you reduce his a lot of compositions down to just a piano you’ll find a beautifully written modern classical piece. He knows how to find those notes that make you turn your head a bit to find how exactly it fits into the chord structure presented. Lyrically, Trent always seemed pretty cryptic or abstract on the surface but the themes he writes about are almost always easy to decipher right away, it just takes some time to find what angle he’s coming from. To me this is a plus since it pushes you to look from multiple perspectives. Overall this is an album that still to this day blows my mind. Going back and listening to it today still yields new discoveries even after countless listens at this point. This is an easy 5 and I’m eagerly awaiting the 2025 tour schedule to be announced so I can go see them perform for a third time.

Masterpiece, right here. Trent really took industrial to the masses. There are slow grooves, like Piggy and A Warm Place. Obvious hits like Closer, Hurt, and March of the Pigs (My Favorite). A Hendrix/God Flesh/Faith No More sounding song, like Ruiner, right into a Front 242-ish The Becoming. It really runs the gamut. This album is a 5.

I know I'm supposed to love this, but I don't. Innovative? Yes. Great sound design? Yes. Too noisy to enjoy? Yes. For an album so dark, it is sure mixed very bright. "Piggy" is the best track on the first half of the disc, while there is a great run of tunes from "Eraser" until the end. "Hurt" is a masterpiece of cohesion in songwriting, sound design, and lyrical content. Ultimately, the noise is a bit much and while there are some great songs on here, the ones that aren't detract from this being a great album. At this point in my life, the themes are too heavy and depressing to enjoy, more encouraging of suicide than just wallowing in the sadness of consideration.

I got this after seeing the captivating video for Closer. I had to have it, and I run-don't-walk’d to get it. I was 12 when this album came out, which is so weird to think about. I remember playing it through for the first time on my bedroom stereo, being jarred on the first track's into by the asynchronous thumps sounding like someone punching a wall or using a nail gun. But I was fascinated, and even though the material was sort of difficult for me to engage with, I remember feeling sort of determined to figure out a way to like it. This wasn't one I wore out, although I developed an appreciation for it, which remains.

Nin was never a top band for me, but I do respect what Trent Reznor was able to create with this album. I did not listen to it much when it came out, but did give it a spin or three years after it's release. There are iconic songs on it and I feel like it says something when you are not in the immediate orbit of this album/music, yet you are familiar with snippets of lyrics and music from it. The guitar sound on some of these songs has a hissy almost corrosive feel that just isn't really my thing, but I get it in the context and darker feel of the album and the context of the industrial genre. Ultimately this album is innovative for it's time.

All time top five

Sound of my teenage years. I listened to it over and over again back then, but The Fragile will probably always be my favourite NIN album.

I skipped extra quick through this album just in case I happen to die in the middle. I didn’t want this to be the last thing I heard.

For some reason I never listened to this album when it came out, just the hits that came off of it. Doesn't really seem like I was missing anything. I'll give him credit for his musical inventiveness but I don't see any reason to listen to this again.

Sometimes abrasive, sometimes beautiful, probably one of my favorite albums of all time. Also it might be sacrilegious but I prefer this version of hurt

1. deztruct - 1.5 2. piggy - 1 3. herezy - 1.5 4. march - 1.5 5. clozer - 2 6. ruiner - 1 7. becoming - 1 8. uuant - 1.5 9. gun - 0 10. place - 1.5 11. erazer - 1.5 12. reptile -1 13. zpiral - 1 14. hurt - 1.5

Rock with metal, onset of madness and rage - Can feel the anger and dark emotions - Difficult to listen to at times as it can be loud and abrasive to the ears (more of a personal preference thing) - "Hurt" is an outstanding track that gives the sense of deep pain culminating in death

not a fan tbh

3/10

I've known NIN, but not much of their entire music. This album is too distorted for my taste. Interesting to hear, but won't listen too often.

I didn't identify with this when I was a teenager and it was new. I don't identify with it now either, but I recognize it's quality. The second half lagged a bit, but there were some great moments throughout.

One of my all time favourite albums.

Initial thoughts: abrasive and uninteresting. Closer has a bit more to it - a heady mix of noise and shouted lyrics over squidgy synths and distorted guitars. Still not doing much for me, but I'm slightly less bored compared to the preceding tracks. Maybe it's part of the appeal, but the production feels really rough with hard-panned vocals and noise everywhere leaving a real lack of clarity. Surprised to say that by The Becoming, I'm actually kind of settling into it. Having reached Reptile, and there's more to enjoy here than I expected. I could see myself coming back to it on another occasion. The melancholy relief coming into The Downward Spiral is quite poignant given the onslaught it follows, and finishing with Hurt... Damn. Play me any one of these tracks on its own and I'd have given it a disinterested 1 or 2, but this is the first album I've had on this list which is so much more than the sum of its parts.

klassiker, kenne ich schon, höre ich mir trotzdem wieder an.

It is a bit bloated and there aren't a lot of "classic" individual songs, but as a whole it is excellent and it is incredibly ahead of its time and has held up pretty well.

Nice album. A bit doll/relaxed, but an interresting musical experience keeping my curriosity all the way through.

Nine Inch Nails is one of those bands that's impossible to avoid at least hearing about if you are at all into metal and such. And yet I've never really heard anything of theirs other than 'Closer' and 'Hurt'. I don't think I've ever really realized that they had such an industrial sound before now and I'm not sure it's entirely my cup of tea. I flip back and forth a lot on whether I think it's pretty cool or just noise. At the moment I think I'm leaning towards "pretty cool". Maybe it will clear up if I listen to it more, but I don't know if I'll find the time anytime soon... Standouts Closer Reptile Hurt 4/5

I assumed that I would have liked industrial sound more. Not. I assumed this album would have been greater joy for me. Nope. Is this album good? Yes but after two full album listening I know there won't be third.

NIN has always been in the edge of my musical interest zone. I don't know why. Maybe because other artists took my whole interest back then. My first contact to the band was when I played Quake and fired all the Nine Inch Nails towards my enemies :) So now I listened the whole album from start to beginning first time for a very long time. And I liked it. There was a duller phase in the albums mid-section, but then it kept getting better and better until it reached Hurt. What an ending to an album. But that dull phase lowered my rating one star.

I remember liking Pretty Hate Machine, but was also very much into G.G.F.H's Eclipse album, Ministry's Psalm 69, Skinny Puppy stuff and such, before this one came out. By the time Downward Spiral came out, I was more or less moved on from industrial and felt like this didn't touch enough nerves. I was ready to give this album 4/5 before listening, but I would lean more to 3 stars as far as it grips me today. Now taking a re-listen years later, it has even more pop sensibilities than I remembered. It suprised me how much Marilyn Manson's sound was affected by Trent Reznor, seems to me it was especially this album. Upon looking into the matter, Sean Beavan (who also worked on NIN records), Skinny Puppy producer Dave Ogilvie and Trent Reznor produced Manson, so no wonder they share the same DNA. This is however very important album for a whole genre of music going mainstream, I'll stick with 4 stars for the historical values.

What a primal sound. I know a lot of this from when I listened to rock radio in high school, primarily Closer and Hurt, which are both still great. Closer is a little vulgar for what I tend to like now, but you can't deny how driving the song is and how much momentum it carries. My favorite that was new to me is probably Piggy. And while I've hated distortion in some other groups so far, that was mostly directed at shoegaze. This is anything but that. Industrial, feral, mechanical, brutal, it works a lot more here, like in Mr. Self Destruct. And the music is just good despite those harsh tones. Still, not my genre nowadays, but worth the listen for sure.

Industrial rock but not nearly as sucky as The Prodigy. Not sure why this is better. I still don’t like it very much. Hurt is great. Why are they looping screaming crowds? Not cool. Not for me. Hopefully I get out of the 90s soon.

Crushing, sad, depressing, angry, relentless, metallic, pounding... this album hasn't left me since I was 16-17 and still doesn't!

I’ve always thought of NIN as a group that I respect more than enjoy, but on this listen, over the second half of the album, I had a kind of a ha moment and really got it. It’s bleak and abrasive at times, then beautiful and contemplative.

Impression . Liked it more than I thought it would. Definitely good for the right mood.

few albums i've listened as much as Downward Spiral. it'll always have a place in my heart.

I never got this album. Everyone praises it so much, but i just never got the appeal. Its not bad, its just not for me, which is strange, beacause i love all of the components its supposed to have

I had a good time cleaning my house to this album

Creative Industrial

I can appreciate the music but this album is just to loud for me

Great album, great writing, very creative and innovative. Dark and emotional curb the subtlety. I have always loved this album so its hard to rate it without bias. The best part of it was reading the wikipedia, Reznor describes meeting Sharon Tate's sister who confronted him about exploiting Sharon's murder by recording the albums there. He says this made him realize that there is usually more to it. What if it were his sister? I guess it takes what it takes to discover empathy for others, but man, you've got to be next level self-centered to have that much of a lack in self-awareness. Great album, great writing, beautiful and creepy, but just because someone creates something genius, does not mean they are geniuses in all aspects. e.g. Reznor can be a genius when it comes to piecing samples together into beautiful arrangements and a total dipshit when it comes to common decency.

Do not like nin

This is a dark, innovative journey through self-destruction and despair, but it’s the standout tracks “Closer” and “Hurt” that truly elevate it. “Closer” captivates with its provocative groove, while “Hurt” delivers raw emotional depth that lingers long after the album ends. While the rest of the record is cohesive and bold, some tracks feel more like connective tissue than essential listening. Still, those two songs alone make this a landmark album worth revisiting.

My rating is absolutely biased by nostalgia, I've loved this album since I was in high school... the album being 30 doesn't make it any less amazing, though! 🤘

so much of the 90s sucked in this exact way

I think what makes this project a little difficult is context. This was a pretty amazing album at the time it came out but going back to it 30 years later it doesn't have the same affect as it did when I originally heard it. Still great though

Intense stuff, but also really good.

Wasn’t expecting much and it was worse than expected. Some kind of weird blend of hard rock and techno/electronica. Best songs are instrumentals and Hurt.

"Closer" and "Hurt" are great. The rest is too harsh and murky for my taste.

-NIN on 1001 album challenge… here we go… I listened to Pretty Hate Machine a few months ago and it was alright. I think I like this more. even if it’s not all really my kind of music it had some awesome songs that hit really hard -the vocal affects and lyrics are really really fun, shits tough -Favorites are Heresy, Closer, and Reptile

The worst yet?

If this is industrial rock, call me Rosie the Riveter

Quite possibly the most deranged album I’ve ever listened to. This album was made by a man for men for sure. This is peak male manipulator music. Gave me the ick. Had me laughing and horrified. I will say it had a lasting impression. I’m scared.

Listening to this record in 2024, I’m struck by the thought that I may have been dealing with some kind of undiagnosed depression as a 13 year old in 1994. I was obsessed with this back then. Or maybe it was just that I had never heard anything else like it and I was just the right age to tune into its bleak and nihilistic aggression. Either way, the first half of The Downward Spiral is decidedly stronger than the back half and I recall listening to those first 6 or 7 songs a lot back then and skipping around songs at the end of this album. 4 stars because of nostalgia, but this record is probably a little longer than it really needs to be - It kind of starts grating on you after a while.

Best: Ruiner Worst: I do not want this Liked songs: 86% Front half is somewhat decent but not amazing imo, back half is really good + the concept is really good + the album cover rocks. Elite study music

The main thing I have learnt about metal music is that it's a lot quieter than I think it is. Which probably makes it better music

i really wish i liked this album more. i’ve tried listening to it a few times before this, but it just doesn’t really speak to me. i still hold Trent Reznor in high regard though, so i give it a 3. also because Closer fucking rules.

Not as good as I remember when it came out. A little too heavy in places for my current tastes

Review seven of the Easter blitz, Nine Inch Nails. Shoot me, I’ve never liked “Hurt”. And now that you’ve shot me, let my last words be “and the only song I liked-liked on this record reminded me of New Order’s “Elegia”, but after doing a bit more research it turns out it’s an almost note perfect reproduction of an obscure early 80s Bowie song that I now like way more.” And when I reach the pearly gates, let God be the one to tell me that “there’s plenty of room for both the Bowie track and the Nine Inch Nail’s … hold on, like the nails that held my son to the cross? I’m not fucking having that.” And let my first words in heaven then be, “that’s what you get, Trent. You and your sappy bloody masochistic song that got so massively overused by hack productions when they needed to emphasise a hero’s pain but hadn’t invested adequate time or storytelling resources to generating an appropriate level of pathos and yeah, you know what, I am including Johnny Cash’s actual life in that category because he might have made some astonishing music but he wasn’t a nice dude either – enjoy the stray, Johnny.” And then Johnny and Trent will appear in these portal window things – having been summoned by God, who is now just so angry – and before they get banished to purgatory while God calms down they’ll look me in the eye and mouth “see you in hell, kid.” I’ll then wake up with a jolt and it will feel like the whole messy, punch drunk episode must have been a vivid, non sequitur dream. Except, as it goes, it wasn’t. Hell is having the bad luck and poor taste it takes to hear “Hurt” every third week in a crappy drama. And I’ll just live that reality in perpetuity; forever making the same mistakes and never once having the basic intelligence to break the programming. The rest of the album’s fine. I prefer the bits that make me want to listen to Ministry over the bits that make me want to listen to Depeche Mode. No serious complaints though.

Ruined and closer were highlights

March of the Pigs Closer Hurt

Fav song: Hurt Gritty, industrial and forward thinking, as expected from Trent Reznor. Great production and songwriting all round and disturbing lyrical content throughout. Great listen, an iconic 90's album.

Is this just noise? It feels like just noise. How are there NIN tee shirts everywhere. Is this a bad NIN album? Is this the start of industrial? It gets a second star for the occasional break from fuzz to become melodies.

It was decent, feel like if I super paid attention to it or listened to it a few more times it would really click. Industrial isn't really my thing all the way. 6/10