The Downward Spiral

3 alright not big fan of industrial music

I only really like a couple of NIN songs from their entire discography...

Not my thing. I’ll give it a 3 since I recognize Trent Reznor is a whiz bang musically. But this album was a lot of noise for me and not much music.

S'alright.

Not what I was expecting. A very interesting listen 3/5

Crazy for 1994, yeezus-esque not really for me

I can definitely understand the cultural impact of this album, and think I may have enjoyed it more as an angsty teenager. Some of the songs found me waiting for the album to be over, but others like Piggy and The Becoming were really interesting and I enjoyed them quite a bit. Of course, Closer, being the single from the album, was one that I already knew and enjoyed.

I like "Piggy", "March of the Pigs", "Closer", and "Hurt", but most of the rest of it just doesn't do it for me. It's too long and there's too many songs that are more soundscape that song. 3.5 stars.

Big fan of the synthpoppier Pretty Hate Machine and Closer on here is my kind of jam but even though it is considered something of NIN’s absolute masterpiece it is way too rackety and abrasive with very few tunes that I actually like. The remix album featuring Spyro The Dragon called The Downward Spyro is way better.

It was alright. Of course for it's time, it was new, shiny, and edgy. But it definitely did not hold up.

I expected to like this more. The singles are great, but the rest of it didn't really hit me. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind.

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

Bit too industrial for me, though closer is one of my favourites.

Pretty Good

It's fine. Not for me. Hurt rips though

Recorded at 10050 Cielo Drive—the Manson murder house—which seems fitting for how brutal and strangely accessible this is. There’s some undeniably cool stuff here, but I just don’t go to this level of psychological collapse, nor do I really want to.

Not really my thing but I appreciated trying it. Love the raw energy.

As one half of iconic industrial rock duo Houmous & Chutney I know a thing or two about production and I just can’t quite get on board with the production here. I can really appreciate what they are trying to do but it’s largely just missing enough depth and power for me. Hurt is a banger though! Didn’t see our song writing credits though? I’ll have to take that up with the legal team. 3.1

Has some good songs, but mostly just an angry soul yelling at me. Not what ya want to hear first thing in the morning! 'A warm Place' was a pleasant surprise!

Not great for the anxiety

Feels like music they’d listen to in the matrix. This kind of hurt my ears but that’s the point?

goeie nummers, maar iets te repititief voor mij..3.5 sterren

I’ve never really listened to NIN before and my first impression is that this is a pretty impressive album. It’s not exactly an easy listen and I’m not sure what is happening 80% of the time but I think if I listened to it a few times over I might appreciate it more. 3 for me, but I could see it higher for a lot of people

A hit or two is all ya need.

I think this was my first experience with nine inch nails and, pretty solid

Pretty long album! And pretty catchy!

# Album Name: The Downward Spiral # Artist: NIN # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: When i listened to this the first time, i thought, what the actual fuck is this mess. Theres a ton of .....just noise. It did not make any sense if im honest. Some of it completely random or unsettling samples being used throughout. The vocals also drove me crazy. My hearing isnt the best so its annoying when i cant hear lyrics. I did come back to this album though and it is a grower. There's a lot of hurt, anger and energy in this album. Its definitely not for everyone. The first 6 tracks were the better part of the album. Hurt is a fantastic song, although i do prefer the johnny cash version. # Top Tunes: Mr Self Destruct / piggy / Closer / Ruiner / Hurt # Would I listen to it again? Mainly the first half of the album.

Musically decent, I personally don’t like the vocal style and I despise the lyrics

I might hate NIN…

This is a classic album. I could only listen to half of up. And I listened to Hurt. Johnny Cash really did it justice

Angry, filthy and noisy. I might have liked this at 15 but it’s too negative and lame to entertain me at this stage of the game. 3 stars for writing Hurt

It wasn't for me. I had to stop after a few minutes, just not to my tastes.

I have never been a big NiN fan. There are a few of these that I like a bit, but it’s just darker than I prefer. I understand the draw, it’s just not for me.

trent reznor and his similarly angry friends (parental advisory explicit content)

Do their fans call themselves the knights who say NIN?

3.3. Closer + Hurt

Overall mess screamy than I expected. I love Closer. Probably won’t ever listen to the rest of the album again .

intense and brutal. And yet, some of these are bops?

Sometimes sounds really hard. Others sounds like a Grunge band.

An interesting listen. A difficult one. I liked it but I don’t feel like I could ever listen to it again…

pretty good probably

Downward Spiral was a punch to the ears when it came out. Several (no reason to mention how many…) years later and it still holds up. Listening as a teen it was volatile, aggressive and a perfect combination of metal, techno and songwriting. As an adult I now question how in Closer he states, “you bring me closer to God” but a few songs later in Heresy he states “God is dead / And no one cares / If there is a hell / I'll see you there” which implies that sex with the unknown participant is “dead” and therefore rather insulting to whomever. Don’t plan on a second date for that one Mr. Rezner! In my opinion, Pretty Hate Machine was a superior album but this one, like or hate it, left a mark on history.

On one level, this isn’t at all my thing. But there’s an underlying level of care for the music and something creative guiding it all. Maybe this guy should write scores?

There is a lot I like about NIN. There are more than a few songs like on this album. But so much of it just sounds like noise to me. And Closer feels more and more cringey the older i get.

Definitely demonic BUT the album featured a lot of uncanny sounds that were used in interesting ways. A textured sonic experience.

3.5

Eeh. Production quality stood the test of time. Feels a lot like angry teenager music though, it's hard to listen to now.

3/5

2/10 it was cool not a big rock fan tho my mom would luv this album

Oof, in the way I listened to this album, that is, catching up after a vacation, this came in RAW. I do not dislike it but I will probably not return to it.

I have never been a big NIN fan, but I listened to this with an open mind because I know how much Jess loves Trent Reznor. It was about as expected. Liked a few of the songs but not my normal jams

I respect NIN. I loved "Head Like a Hole" when it came out. Great early 90s to mid 00s rock. That being said, I don't really need to hear another NIN album. Trent is good, but not great. Just my opinion.

Never really listened to industrial rock before this. The album is cohesive, some songs like closer and hurt are phenomenal. Overall album is about 3.5/5 for me.

A chilling, hateful album with the Sharon Tate-linked backstory to match. Experimental, sometimes to a fault, as distortions overstay their welcome and make lyrics (pretty important for a concept album) indiscernible. The timbre of Trent’s voice simply gets overpowered too often. There is a lot of thought-provoking artistic value here, but its rarely enjoyable to consume. My favorite aspect was the percussive synth lines that he’d heavily utilize in his film scores two decades later, with the heavily-instrumental final third of the album also hinting at that future direction. Listened to: on a bus to NYC. Favorite tracks: Heresy, Reptile, Hurt

Not my cup of tea

3+

A lot rawkier than my usual playlist but some great songs. Doesn't sound 20 years old.

Didn’t fancy it but surprisingly enjoyed it

This album absolutely deserves a place in this book. As part of helping to bring the industrial rock sound more to the mainstream, the Downward Spiral has a claim based simply on that. I have always been more of a casual Greatest Hits type of NIN fan, though I have heard this album (along with Pretty Hate Machine) quite a few times. I also like this version of "Hurt" almost as much as I like Johnny Cash's version. There is more I like on this album than I do not like. Piggy, Heresay, Big Man with a Gun, Hurt and Reptile are all great songs. Of course, there is also March of the Pigs with the pretty piano part followed by more industrial rock which felt so original in 1994. Closer had a music video that scared me as a kid, as well as a pretty funny polka re-write by Weird Al, and enough curse words to satiate me as a 13 year old.

Never really been into NIN. This isn't my really thing but it's fine.

A little screechy but I liked it

Industrial Rock I guess? I never listened much to NIN, because no one song pulled me in. So hearing the full album was a much more fair opportunity to assess. Turns out, I had not missed out.

Noise rock. A little obsession with God. Play this one loud.

It's pretty fucking miserable. It's good, but miserable. And a bit too edgy at times, I actually found it to be a bit cringey occassionally. But yeah it's very well made, it all sounds pretty dope. Fav songs: - Heresy - Closer - Ruiner - Hurt

Album that has both Closer and Hurt on it. Definitely prefer the Pretty Hate Machine era but Trent was definitely doing his own thing.

Conceptionell industrial rock album telling the story of a suicidal man within its downward spiral.

Trent Reznor is one of those paradoxical artists who I respect but do not necessarily enjoy listening to.

Not my thing.

No private session used for Spotify. Industrial noise rock at it's finest. It's a little too melodramatically angry for me, I know some folks really connected with it, but not me. Hurt is a classic, though.

Oh it's fine. Bonus point for reminding my of Broken / Fixed EP and the look on my program managers face when I played it at 2 in the afternoon.

have to be in a very specific mood to enjoy this. I was not.

Nine Inch Nails go so hard in The Downward Spiral! At some points, their industrial sound is like you're in a horror movie and I felt so off kilter--but that was the obvious intention, so I give credit where it's due. "Hurt" in particular made me feel unnerved because of the static sound, harsh cords, and minimal piano; it's fascinating to see how Johnny Cash adapted the song, but it's just as fascinating here, too. NIN excel in the industrial genre--every single song was just right. I would even describe NIN as harsh but in a good way. This as their second album reveals to me that, yeah, NIN were always this way. 3.5

Angry?

Viel grunge-Geräusche, düstere Stimmung 3/5

Heavy

bleak

Average...prefer Pretty Hate Machine

I tend to process negative emotions by listening to music that really externalizes turmoil via fast rhythms, hard production, and angry lyrics. This album offered some of that (tracks like Big Man With a Gun, Eraser), but would pivot sharply to near silence. I felt like I was riding straight off a cliff. Knowing someone who's struggling with depression, I found this haunting and a bit disturbing. I think it really achieves what it sets out to, but I don't imagine I'll be giving it a cover-to-cover relisten again. The last track really hit too close to home.

I have never really understood the hype around NIN. I definitely don’t hate them, but they also don’t excite me in the way that other people are. It means I listen to this every couple of years in the hopes it will get better (for me) but it never does… Maybe next time

I think I like the idea of NiN more than the music. There’s so many good little bits and ideas in this, and I love the production, but it just doesnt work for me like I would like it to. It sounds more like a scrapbook of ideas mashed together. Some are great, others not so.

This is one of those albums , irregardless of quality , is either a hit or miss for you sonically . It is not a bad album in any right and some people may consider it as one of their all time favourites , but it's just not for me.

Much more my vibe than the last 2! Rock on

This albums has some intersting sound choices that sometimes go well and sometimes makes my ears bleed, lol

An interesting and deliberately challenging listen, but not one I have any desire to go back to.

This album grew on me the further into it I got. After the first song I thought for sure that it would be a 2 star album for me, but the song variation and themes worked really well. Not every song is my cup of tea, but there are some fun ones.

101/1001

Don't think I've ever really listened to industrial rock. Album was very quiet at times, but also could go hard. Would give this a 2.5, round it up to a 3.

This was exhausting. Lyrics are revelatory. Music made it one long dirge. Categorizing as industrial rock is dead on because this is a tough job to listen to… Johnny Cash’s later cover of “Hurt” has always been a favorite.

N-I-N has a cool vibe and sound that defines their albums, and this is no exception. It's a cool mesh of hardcore electro and metal, and it makes for an interesting listen. That said, I don't find a ton of variety in their music. Its either a fast N-I-N song or a slow one. Wash, rinse, repeat. Good for a listen or two, probably not an album I'll consistently return to.

What a stellar album. An essential industrial album. This album has great tracks likes Hurt, piggies, Reptilian, and closer. However there are some tracks that just don’t do it for me. The Fragile and hesitation marks seem more complete albums to me.

Great at what it's doing but this is such teenage edge. This sounds like a kid who grew up with their parents listening to 80s Peter Gabriel while they argued and the kid played video games. I think this should be on the list for his it influenced a genre but it's nothing magical. It sounds like what someone puts on when they slam their door after being told they need to start paying their own phone bill.

I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would. I went fully into this just expecting loud noise. March of the pigs and Heresy are great song and I enjoyed self destruct Favourite song: March of the pigs Least favourite: the becoming Album artwork: I wont be getting the poster.

Well, this is cheery. Pain, degradation, despair and hopelessness set to music that sounds like being trepanned with an electric drill. I imagine. Actually, I’m being hard on this. I do like harsh, industrial electronica - my introduction to NiN was via the Quake soundtrack and I really like the movie and TV soundtracks that Reznor is doing now. Hurt (at least the Johnny Cash cover) is a masterpiece. This is just a bit *too* grimdark for my tastes.

Actually better than i thought it would be, very nice dark tones.

Always a good listen.

This one had me all over. I'll be honest and say this isn't my kind of music. I've never been a fan of really aggressive or raspy anger. And for the first few tracks I tolerated it rather than enjoyed it. However I did come out the far side resp dating the work and kind of enjoying it. There is a lot more variety and depth than id expected. The light and dark were good contrasts and the album was filled with good ideas and hooks. When 'hurt' appeared at the end it was very interesting to get a different perspective on it habig only heard the Johnny Cash original (joke). I won't be going back, but I'm glad I listened.

Cool

Who hurt you Trent? NIN are cool as fuck, but they never really blow me away. Closer and ...Pigs are classics, but there's a lot of similar sounding songs padding around that. If you want a raw as hell album to have carnal sex to this is the one, but I'm hiding this CD when grandma gets in the car.

Angsty, adolescent, and humorless. It hasn’t aged well, but still, moments of real brilliance shine through.

You must be in the right mood - if not, too much „noise“ and much too less music 🤔

Prince for incels

Respect the process but not my jam.

NIN isn’t my thing but it’s a solid album

Love me some Trent Reznor, but even my more edgy younger self wasn't into NIN. Really like the cover of Johnny Cash's 'Hurt' though...

I now see that I have a love/ hate relationship with Nine Inch Nails. The passion and depth of his angst have been a beacon with his music and the gritty rawness is always amazing. But it starts to feel hopeless, bleak, like damn dude, lighten up... But it doesn't. I love industrial music (for reasons I don't understand) but it is not necessarily dark and ominous. This is. Under the right circumstances I can really embrace this, I really do like it a lot, and always have. It is like a great movie that nobody can favorite because it would be way too emotionally taxing. Great does not equate love in these cases. I think we need to take Nine Inch Nails in smaller doses than a full on album all at once..

Well this was a fun album at the time, and it really helped progress the music scene in a whole new direction, but to be honest NIN really didn’t age well, and standing the test of time is very important if your making a list of the best albums of all time.

Tough one. I recognise The Downward Spiral as one of the great and important albums of the 90ies but it wasn't quite my thing then and it isn't now. I think I like my angsty depression soundtracks more on the ethereal side.

Not terrible, not great.

Closer and Hurt are amazing. And I admire Trent Raznor's abilities - this album does exactly what he wants it to do and how he wants it to do it. A great concept album. And the video for Closer is one of the best I've ever seen, a perfect match. But in terms of listening? Not for me. I'm not & was not ever a sad angry young man nor a mid 30s angry quiet woman, the two groups of people who are the biggest fans I know. It's a 3 for the artistry & the ability of Closer to suddenly pop up in my head decades later. Complete with Trent spinning in midair.

Closer Hurt

I really like NIN and have since Pretty Hate Machine came out. Unfortunately, this is such a product of its time - with all its angst and desire to shock - that I never really got into it like I have with other NIN releases. It’s a good enough album, but it pales in comparison to the band’s whole discography.

Not my usual taste but I enjoyed! Probs not the best thing to listen to while I was mid depressive episode but I rlly liked the electro vibes of closer

Interesting

- Ich dachte, dass ich mehr von NIN kennen würde - War nicht so, von dem Album kannte ich nur Closer und Hurt - Hurt ist ein absoluter Oberbanger und das Johnny Cash Cover einer meiner Alltime Favs - Irgendwie ein bisschen abgefucked das Album, was mir gut gefallen hat und der Stil ist absolut stringent - Leider fand ich das aber auch an vielen Stellen ziemlich anstrengend Rating: 3,25/5

I liked this more now than I would have a few years ago, having heard Trent Reznor's solo work I can hear the musicality in these tracks more easily than I used to.

Industrial indie. Like when released. Not so much any longer

The Downward Spiral is brutal, harsh, abrasive and sometimes quiet and beautiful. It’s an album of extremes. Hurt is masterpiece, possibly the greatest album closer of all time. 6.4/10

Not my taste, but I didn't mind listening to it

Definitely not my style. Can barely understand any of the lyrics, distortion of the backing tracks is way too high. Most of the album sounds like a factory where the parent company would be legally required to tell employees to wear ear plugs. I know it was all intentional, but still. I’ve definitely heard a few of these songs, but never knew the context. By the latter half of the album, I really started to appreciate how they put the album together. So many different styles that brought me through a range of emotions. It sort of reminded me of the Nick Cave album, but it was actually well executed. Some appreciation here, but I still don’t really want to listen to it again.

How high can one song carry an album? Hurt and its legacy are undeniable. I don’t feel as if the album is very accessible, even hurt took me a few listens to appreciate it. That makes me wonder if the rest of the album would be the same way, though. Being that we have ~950 albums to listen to still, another listen will have to wait.

I like doing this random generator because I don’t know that I’d ever give Nine Inch Nails a full album listen otherwise. There were definitely parts that were way too rock heavy for me, the screaming isn’t my thing. But there were parts that I enjoyed, like the instrumental sections at the end and a couple of the other songs. I came into this one only knowing Hurt and Closer, and those two are probably the only ones I’d potentially go back and listen to. I also think it’s wild that this came out in 1994, it sounds like it was much more recent. Good, just not for me.

somehow my first time listening to nine inch nails; enjoyed it quite a bit, but probably will never seek it out on my own again

Solid album. There's absolutely some 4-5 star tracks on here, but the whole thing as a singular work doesn't speak to me. And, of course now that there's some incredible alternative versions of some songs available that elevate them to the next level (Johnny Cash's take on Hurt, team-up with Peter Murphy on Reptile), it leaves the listener wanting something more when hearing the originals.

I think this was the first time I'd listened to an entire NIN album. I was obviously familiar with their singles, but I can't say I really enjoyed many of the songs that were new to me. This is one of those bands where I feel like I should like them more because I know some people think they're amazing, but they don't do much for me. I didn't dislike any of these songs, but I also didn't love them.

As much as I appreciate this record and what it has done for music it was never really my bag.

3.4.

He wrote this while he was living in the Sharon Tate Manson murders house. Which tells you everything you need to know about his mental state. Have only ever listened to Hurt before, actually went through a stage of listening to it a lot. It wasn’t a cry for help though, I just like a good sad lad. Probably won’t be listening to any more than Hurt in the future, would have been a solid 2* without it. Simpsons: Yes

I am very familiar with the few singles that were released from this album, but NIN was never really a band i connected with. I did enjoy this album more than I expected.

Not really my taste, but there's a power to this album i do enjoy

Man, the synths and bass riffs on this album are DIRTY. Like, they're sick as well, and were this album completely instrumental, I could see myself liking this a whole lot more, as it has so many cool sounds, especially for 1994. However, my issues with this album lie in the angst of it all. If you like that sort of thing, that's awesome, I can dig some anger every now and then, but at over an hour long, this album tends to go from cheesy lyrics to just being a bit dull by the end, and while Trent Reznor is certainly the mastermind behind this album, instrumentals and all, I still think his singing is more cringeworthy than piercing, and it leads to a lot of awkward moments, I feel. However, when this album sucks you in, dear lord is it surprisingly funky, and that mood, which is more prevelant in the first half, really skyrockets the album for me from the depths of "ew" to a more understandable "oh, okay!" I can totally see why one would consider this one of the best albums of all time, just a little too much 90s-ness for me.

Would give 3.5 if I could, a decent LP

Ah yes, the album that features "Hurt," which was more famously covered by Johnny Cash. Other than the aforementioned song, the album has little to offer — it's dark, angry and harsh but the songs themselves are superficial.

got some real bangers in it, and love the aesthetic of the whole thing. sounds like music made by factory mechanisms. but sometimes it was a little too stylistic, it could fade into thumps and clangs too often

It’s fine. Not really my genre.

one of the true rebellious bands from high school days. Trent is a genius. Don't really have them in my rotation anymore.

It was good

Mr. Self Destruct, Heresy, March of the Pigs, and Closer. Really enjoy listening to those songs as loud as possible. The rest of the album was meh.

To borrow a phrase from my dad and uncle, “That’ll put hair on your chest.” One of those albums that’ll really wake you up in the morning and then send you into a dark and confusing place. I really like NIN, but the older I get, the harder time I have enjoying this kind of dark energy in the music I listen to.

1 song saved

Gave this a listen, a good friend I lost loved them. More light and shade than I expected, not for me though.

Punchy. Fuzzy. Thiccc. Fat synths. Distortion. Seductively understated vocals. Sometimes screaming vocals. Classic! "Closer" always made me feel mad uncomfortable and it's wild that this song is so popular. Resnor might overuse that major third in his melody's. That kind of melody is pretty common for this era though. Maybe that's why it's somewhat boring to my ear. The instrument industrial sounds and beats really do make NIN stand out from the crowd though. A lot of these songs feel like the first club scene in the Matrix. I think I'm realizing I like the NIN band but not so much Trent Resnor's vocals. I would rate higher if there was a different vocal style. Faves: Heresy -love the lyrics on this one A Warm Place -a peaceful moment among the chaos Eraser -another (mostly) instrumental one.

No es mi estillo

Not for every das, but nice. Good for Sports and bars

I expected more, but a lot of this just came across as noise, static, and banging on trash cans. The good songs are really good (Closer, Hurt), but the bad ones are quite bad. 3 stars on balance.

I liked parts

2.5. I last heard this album as a teenager, and it hasn’t aged particularly well.

The first couple of tracks are a bit too abrasive and inhuman for me. But I guess that’s the whole point of industrial metal. Also so much processing of his vocals sometimes leaning on the side of overdone. But when the industrial beats groove it’s really great.

It's a fairly distinct and unusual sound, even next to similar artists/albums. Lyrically, there are a lot of critiques on society, thinly veiled behind angsty nihilism and BDSM tropes. In the end, I can see why Reznor and NIN have so many fans, and I can also see why they have so many critics that consider it banal edgelord fair. I'm somewhere in the middle. I can appreciate what it for what it is, but I wouldn't choose it over most other albums.

There was a time and a place where this was cutting edge, it's now a curio. One track with any kind of groove, the rest is just angry noise that is kind of exhausting. Should be a 2, but Closer gives it an extra star even if it isn't going onto any kind of regular rotation

Hard to take...i tryed. I might been getting softier. Some very good passages and effects, others sound like a windows error message (probably they were searching that)

The best thing out of this album is the last song that was going to be covered by Johnny Cash later. Strange sounds, interesting atmospheres, not suitable for all moods, but for that mood of not being at terms with anyone is great.

I can see why people love NIN but I cant get behind it. Closer is good I guess. Trent Reznor's musical contributions spanning albums, movies, games, etc. Is really commendable and he absolutely gives a distinct flavor that sets a mood.

Heavy, dirty, grimy rock. Felt like being homeless

Horrible

There were 2 songs I liked, the rest were too hard

Forced myself to listen to it out of nostalgia for “Closer” and a sense of duty to the project. A couple songs near the beginning were interesting but I ended up skipping through the last 3. I feel like I got whatever this album was trying to do within the first 20 minutes.

No me encantó

Very hard to rank this album as it’s not my kind of music. So hard to classify what I’m hearing. It’s like heavy metal techno alternative horror.

Mr. Self Destruct // Hurt

I am not very familiar with the industrial genre, but it seems this album is one of the better examples. From this album, I already knew Closer and Hurt, both of which I like. The album is cohesive in that there's a strong mood and feeling throughout, with similar sounds and textures. I may not find myself listening to the full album particularly often but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Up and down. Great synths and weird sounds, but March of the Pigs is the first standout song. Closer is still deranged sounding, almost hard to believe it was a hit. Nice ambient soundscapes on A Warm Place. Hurt is a beautiful closer.

This album is very much a NIN album. "Closer" is a well known song which makes radio waves with some regularity despite its questionable lyrics. "Hurt" is a ballad cover of the Johnny Cash tune, which is not unfamiliar to radio airwaves, and includes a static background noise which serves to tie the mainstream to the more familiar sounds of the artist. The album does juxtapose the extreme noise of NIN music against some lighter tones. While not an album I would pick to listen to on my own, this album does expose the musical ability of NIN.

It wasn’t my vibe (which I’m shocked by too?) maybe it was just the day… gonna listen to it again

Not my personal vibe but i see the vision

I'm starting to question my own musical tastes. Another good album when I was expecting very little, I had previously considered Nine Inch Nails as something way outside my preferences. There were a couple of moments that I didn't gel with, but in large it was a lot better than I expected. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, I'll go with 3 as 4 probably feels a bit too much based on other ratings I've given.

This was a really big album in formative years. It's aggressive and the lyrics are pretty angry. It has a place and I just don't know if it resonates anymore at 35 years old. It gets bonus star for what it had been in the past.

hurt!!

All of these tracks are pretty hard, I'm seeing the appeal of NIN. Yet I also expected something *more*, given their wide appeal on the internet. That could be their association with Johnny Cash through Hurt more than anything else. The more I listen the more I'm getting into their sound. Very surprised by A Warm Place, I wasn't expecting such a pleasant...? track from this album. High 3, or low 4.

Angry, dense industrial music with vocals hidden in the mix for most of it. Mr. Self Destruct Heresy Closer Hurt

Half of the songs are great. The whole thing suffers a bit from edge lord lyrics.

Closer, Hurt, and a few others make this a very interesting album. Mostly very hard and pounding music. Something I have to be in the mood for... 3.5

Cool sounds, NIN still isn't really my thing. Obviously crafted with care

oke lesgo mr self destruct induustrial hössig, flüsterige bueb. noisi stuff ok piggy er immerno flüsteribueb, phased up drums sind geil. heresy, s isch weird aber s het en groove und isch geil hässig, aber schochli streng. March of the pigs, scho bitz messy, aber d gitarre drunder isch no cool. ich glaub ich checks langsam. KLAVIER??? sini clean stimm isch nöd de hammer. closer. beat gfallt mer. aha you let me penetrate you uf chillo. text huere nasty aber dasch glaub de sinn. i wanna fuck you like an animal? de song het meh hooks als d pj harvey. ruiner. uuuh synthchords. und denn singter mir is linke ohr, hoi jo gang chli weniger nöch ane. the becoming. hui ihm goht nöd guet lüt schreied überall. ich checks mega aber s isch huere nöd min vibe, mega streng. i do not want this, trent alls ok? aha nai glaub nöd. uuh screamy time no cool s wird metaltime. oke nocher meeega noisy stuff, ha nonie öpis so noisigs ghört glaub man with a gun. noisy streng aber häsig a warm place. mega schön eig?? eraser. synth sound geil drums au. oke s isch afoch wieder weird reptile. do hets es riff und e melodie no nice. refrain goht no dumm. er macht chli viel breathy singe. the downward spiral. akustischi gitti?? meditativ ufe intressanti art irgendwie. detuneti gitarre au no nice. uuuh und de dämpfti shit au cool. hurt. sehr guet sehr guet mega guet sehr guet. isch biitz schluss vomne teeniefilm? boah d gitarre nöd uuuuuuuh yes ccool oke ähm ich glaub wenn mer so shit gern het liiiiiiebt mer das album. so mega mega fest. mir ischs z noisy und z wenig lieder und z viel bitcrushing. aber s isch huere eige und verstoh wie revolutionär s isch für 1994. s tönt wie nüt anders irgendwie. es 3 hets verdient.

ich glaub ich han schomal inneglost und hans denn aber langwilig gfunde, mal luege ok s konzept dehinder schomal spannend iwie ischd stimm chli lislig abgmischt? find drum mr. self destruct echli vill distortion mit wenig wo ich chan ahfange chan de mal SINGE anstatt FLÜSTERE oke aber suscht no col, reduziert und vor allem bass und drums, plus hii und daa synths heresy fangt guet ah ok ich chegg jz sehr ihre ihfluss hahahah ok closer findi super, immer sochli de glich beat aber sini stimm isch fast gar nöd nötig ruiner chli inere ähnliche art und wiis a warm place findi no cool, es würkt iwie au warm? und isch e willkommeni abwechslig zude herte industrial-kläng allgemein han ich nöd vill chönne demit ahfange, so paar synthi-parts hani sehr gfühlt aber iwie ischmer alles chli too much gsi für so chillig, bzw. denn au genau z wenig mengisch? mengisch hettis gern gha wenns eifach durrezoge hetted anstatt so es gesflüstere und pipapo und weiss nöd öb das sinn macht aber ja s hetmi nöd so umghaue, es KNAPPS 3 (chömmer endlich 1-10 bewertig haa?)

Harsh as fuckk, grungyy

I was originally going to give this two stars, but the more I listen to it the more I warmed up. I can dig industrial music, but Trent reznor's particular style leads to some messed up music for messed up people. While I'm not that messed up, I can still appreciate his use of instruments and sounds that are probably very mundane in nature, but are so unnatural to hear an everyday life that your mind thinks up the worst possible image. That being said I'm sure the music videos to accompany these songs did not help.

Surprised that the 90s kid in me who was struggling with religion never got into this. I think late 90s new metal made me think that NIN was shit? Totally listenable - not necessarily something I would return to a bunch.

I like industrial a fair bit. Pretty good. Would pair nicely with a Lord of the Flies reread.

Not the biggest industrial fan, but it was still pretty good. At the very least I enjoyed how unique the sound is.

Niet echt mijn ding, maar ook niet slecht, begrijp dat dit vernieuwend is.

Definitely some known songs on this album but just not my style at this point in life. NIN resonated with me a lot more in my teenage angst years

fine

Pink Floyd's "The Wall" for the school shooter (Look it up) Cool album

Take a journey inside the mind of the average league of legends player

Johnny Cash did to Nine In Nails what Jimmy Hendrix did to Bob Dylan

Good so far, already had Closer on my playlist lol. Front half is ok, some misses, some hits. I like the rough sound in the instrumentals paired with softer/quieter voice. Back half picks it up a bit. Hurt is really goof but I still prefer the Johnny Cash Hurt cover. Going with 3/5 but in reality I think it's a 7-7.5/10. Enjoyed it but can't say it blew me away.

Way to angsty and angry for me, but not 100% garbage

I was not a fan when I first started to listen to this album. It felt like a bad acid trip embodied in music. The pacing, the raw reverberated guitar, the static effects on the vocals. It's uncomfortable. But the more you settle into this album the better it gets. If I had more time to sit down and digest this album today my rating may be different but as a whole I just wasn't feeling it.

3/5. Closer is a vibe. I can appreciate the quality and sounds but I don’t find myself coming back to the album itself, just the song Closer.

All I can really say is “who hurt you, Trent Reznor?” I actually bought this album when it came out. I dabbled in 9 inch nails, because some of the songs had a heaviness that I was into. But these days it doesn’t do it for me. It’s kind of sounds like what you would listen to in a dark night club set in a dystopian future.

Some good moments but they are unfortunately the exception rather than rule with some of this album heavy-going.

Industrial rock indeed

John Wick soundtrack? Just in time for Halloween because a lot of these songs are spooky. This music makes me want to break things. I imagine this is the hype track for mass shooters. Wow. And “The Becoming” is just a mass shooter in action with people screaming. “A warm place” was a nice break. “Eraser” opens with someone pinching a straw while blowing through it. Wait… what.. Johnny Cash took the song “Hurt” from this guy? What a bizarre and dark journey this album was. I generally dislike depressive music like this but I somehow ended up being okay with it just become some of heavy electronic melodies go so hard. He could write soundtracks for action and thriller movies for sure. 6/10

Not really my thing but Hurt is a classic

So back when this came out I must have thought it's what I need to listen to both to be "cool" and and as rebellion against parents or something. I didn't really like it then but acted like I did at roughly age 12 I'm sure the lyric " I want to fuck you like an animal" was pretty edgy and cool back then. Don't really like it much now but unfortunately understand it. Also understand why my parents hated this lol. It sucks to be able to understand the concept of this apparent concept album now nearly 30 years later especially with how fucked in particular the last several years have been. Theres terrible war in Ukraine and now in Israel and Gaza, global pandemic killed millions and pretty much scrambled society as we knew it. Another nut with an AR-15 just massacred a bunch of people. A tropical storm turned into a category 5 hurricane in under 24 hours then slams into coast of Mexico. In 5 or 10 or 20 years what isn't under water will probably be on fire. Right wing Republicans not content with their coup failing in 2020 are doubling down on a presidential candidate who is dividing his time between 3 or is it 4 different criminal trials (and that fraud trial and that defamation one in NY). He has the unwavering support of approximately 40% of the population no matter what. So yeah hearing this today makes me wonder what the hell was so depressing back in 1994

One or two songs in a row is fine vut a while album gets tiring

Its very emo for my taste, the instramentals sound like static and the vocals sound like a guy trying to be seductive but failing misserably.

Cool and forward thinking, very much not for me.

Solid

Too dynamic.

Decent music but probably something I wouldn’t listen to again just due to taste

Decent album. Not exactly my favourite style of music, but there are a few good songs on there. Of course, "Hurt" and "Closer" are the two standouts

A bit rough to get into but liked it more on the second listen

The music on this is an easy five star. Trent is absolutely meant for sound design and soundtracks. I can't stand his voice though. Control is the creepiest song i've ever heard

Not my favorite. But hurt is a phenomenal song

It has a deep feel and operates at a high level but it doesn't' speak to me personally

This is dark, industrial, bleak and super-heavy. It's a concept album about a man's downward spiral to his eventual suicide. I'm not averse to bleak albums. 'The Holy Bible' by Manic Street Preachers and 'The Terror' by Flaming Lips being two of my favourites. However, I didn't really like this. I think this is because the reason for this person's downward spiral isn't obviously explained. Therefore it just seems he's a bit of a dodgy scumbag type character, which makes it difficult to empathise. In the other examples, the bleakness is much more relatable, being a world-view based on man's inhumanity (The Holy Bible) and the bleakness that results from the absence of love (The Terror). In terms of form meeting function and delivering an artistic intent, it is hard to criticise this. However, it seems to be coming from a place that I can't relate to (thank goodness). It's all a bit much. Rating: 3/5 Playlist track: Hurt Date listened: 27/09/23

Ik ben niet zo'n fan van industrial rock of metal, maar af en toe een nummer kan ik prima hebben. Het zet een enorm beklemmende dystopische sfeer neer, zoals in films als Mad Max, Blade Runner, etc. Dat Trent Raznor dat kunstje wel beheerst, blijkt uit zijn enorme ouevre qua filmmuziek. Vaak is het wat eentonig qua drums, het moet ook altijd op een decibelletje of 140 afgespeeld worden. Maar als je de muziek afpelt, zoals Johnny Cash met Hurt deed, dan pas kom je er achter dat het soms uitstekend in elkaar kan zitten. Maar echt vrolijk word je er niet van

Ugh this is not my jam. I can respect it but getting through this album will be a bit of a slog for me, I can feel it. Down to keep an open mind, though! After more listening I was right, but there is a lot here going on musically that I totally respect. It's just too harsh for my delicate little baby ears. Definitely some interesting stuff happening in Eraser.

I wanted to like this more than I did and certainly don’t begrudge people who love this music. I just don’t think it was overall my thing. It has a couple of well known songs that I enjoyed, and I appreciated it overall, but it was too long for me and I didn’t like Trent whispering and/or growling in my ear the entire time. 3/5 - I won’t be buying one of those t-shirts.

Two great songs and the rest is loud angry noises.

It was alright

Not a big fan of Nine Inch Nails but this was pretty significant with the Industrial genre.

It's a very important album from a music genre I just can't love.

Eraser oli kova biisu

nostalgiaa

Bit industrial for my liking

Ok, ikkje så inspirerande

I didn't mind this - interesting texture, though not really my thing.

I never really listened much to this record -- I had a roommate who would play it with some frequency in his room, but I didn't own a copy myself. Listening to it now, it just seems a bit depressing. I liked the energy of "Pretty Hate Machine" and saw NIN live during that era... I like industrial, but I prefer angry music to depressing music.

Super interesting stuff, but too dark and chaotic for me to really enjoy. Perhaps would be cool at some point to just lie down and give it full attention and really sink into that world.

It was ok

Songs were hit or miss for me. I liked what I liked, but overall it didn't click with me.

The first album was far better

Not as bad as I was expecting at all. Dour but some songs still had an unmistakable groove. Solid album

Okay

I’m split on this album. I like the industrial sound in a lot of places, but a lot of the lyrics are just kind of whiney. That said, ‘Hurt’ is a genuinely great song, and it’s still enjoyable enough, so I’ll give it a 3.

Some of its cool, some of its angry, some it's sad. Mission accomplished?

Never been huge on NiN and the industrial music scene, but I understand the appeal. I think for those in that scene this is probably a great album. As for me, it runs middle of the pack. I find Pretty Hate Machine to be a more enjoyable listen start to finish, but this has a few high points (Closer, March of the Pigs, Hurt). Overall, not something I would go back to any time soon.

4/14, 29%

The first time I heard this album, I hated it. Viscerally. Just sounded like pure cacophony. While those elements still exist to me, my appreciation for it has grown significantly, and the artistic decisions made on it are much more clear to me. It is a very jarring listen, and that was the intention. The arrangements are extremely particular and do well to portray the album. I can't say I will be revisiting this album very often, but I definitely get it a lot more now. Favorite track: Hurt

I'm starting to feel like a broken record, but here's another album that hits differently now that I'm older. Trent Reznor is a brilliant composer. And that shows here even in his early work. NIN is a powerhouse of industrial rock. There's not a missed note or a missed opportunity here. It's a perfect industrial album. Musically, at least. Lyrically, it's another matter. So much of this album that felt edgy and rebellious in my youth now feels juvenile and try hard. Don't get me wrong, there are still some great tracks on this album. But the big hits? They just come off kind of cheesy. Oh, did you say a bad word? Oh, I see It's because you're talking about having sex. And now you're screaming that God's dead. This isn't exactly breaking new ground, is it? This is just to try to be shocking. That's disappointing. You're capable of more intelligent writing.

Man there are some really iconic songs on here. Piggy, March of the Pigs, Closer, and of course Hurt (Johnny Cash's version is a GOAT cover). Listening to this in 1994 must've been a wild experience. Fun fact it was recorded where the Manson Family killed Sharon Tate +friends. This is such a tough album for me to rank. It has some serious high's and serious low's. 3 it is!

Wasn't feeling it.

A lot of noise, not much substance.

I liked this album. It gave me the creeps at some points but I enjoyed it. Some of the sounds made in here are so unique to NIN it really defines their sound. Sometimes the album feels a little too repetitive but it only happens at some points. I did hear a lot of later Trent Reznor movie score vibes in this album especially with the unique sounds. Overall pretty good

I think this dude has a lot of pent up anger and angst that only gets released through his music. I get the idea, but don't get most of his music. But, I do like several NIN songs and Hurt is my favorite song by these guys. Johnny Cash version is the best. Regardless. this song is painfully beautiful. A five star song. Recommend everyone check out Cash's version and video! A couple of other songs I enjoy are Closer and Heresy. Heresy has some great lyrics. As for the rest of the album, just a little (OK , a lot) too much in your face nonsense for me to enjoy. But for Hurt alone, I'm going to give this album a 3. A top song regardless of who performs. Back to my week of remembering Prince: I was dreaming when I wrote this So sue me if I go too fast But life is just a party And parties weren't meant to last People call me rude I wish we al were nude I wish there was no black and white I wish there were no rules

Huh okay so I didn’t enjoy this album as much as I remember. There are a few standout songs that I still really love but felt like I was wading through kinda-meh tracks to get there.

Repeat album for me as I got this one early in my journey. Unique industrial sound with incredibly angsty (and many times cringy) lyrics. 2.5/5

Started a bit weird, it was hard to get into this, but eventually with a second listen I did. Good journey, but musically it's sometimes very far from me. Still appreciatable.

Okayish.

bn bu album icin fazla yasliyim sarkilar birbirine cok benziyo ve sozleri cringe biraz

Very raw and aggressive. Some of these tracks had so much bite it hurt. Appreciate the fusion of hard rock and electro.

Enjoyed the music but likely won’t revisit

I didn’t hate it as much this time!

Lol, imagined you walking in the woods listening to this Like the noises, don't like the way the vocals are drowned out by the music

I used to love these vibes when I was in school. Now it doesn't seem really interesting, but I like the concept.

Makes sense that "Closer" is the only single I recognize. Might be okay with the right atmosphere, but on casual listen it just drones on.

Ok, I was expecting to absolutely hate this but a few tracks in and I was already enjoying it far more than I expected. As it goes on, it gets worse though. The lyrics get cringy AF and I can imagine this attracting what you might call an incel crowd these days. Probably one of the reasons I never listened to it before: I associated it with people I wanted nothing to do with. I enjoyed this enough, however, to consider exploring the rest of NiN's output and that's something I definitely wouldn't have said this time yesterday.

Undecided. Quirky, moody. Previously, I was only familair with the Johnny Cash cover of "Hurt".

Yeah a classic of course! Everyone was so good damn horny in the late 90’s!

Bowie, Iggy inspired NiN. Can cause headaches, but good stuff. Has a couple of 4 stars on it, but not enough to rate 4.

Has some interesting music and blend with metal that I didn’t expect. Lyrically terrible though and abit too messy at times

The record sets a specific mood. Probably exactly the mood they intended to set, but not a mood I like or can relate to very much. That being said, it's not bad at all. Favorite song: heresy

Has great moments but it’s tiresome.

A bit of a mixed bag. Enjoyable overall though.

Difficult album for me. Some tracks I didn't like, but other I did. But definitely something I did not have heard before. Favourite tracks: 'Closer', 'Hurt'. 3/5

Mostly liked it, some stuff I didn't

Ya los conocía y en general me han gustado todas las canciones. Closer es que me flipa. Pues yo no les conocía y me han gustado (LNB)

3 Cyberpunk

kiinnostava albumi. mutta ei niin kiinnostava... olenko tekemässä tutkimusta? en... gradua? pff, heh... en todellakaan. tarvi pomppimaan lähteä... b (B) osio paljon parempi, höpötykset pois alta. PASKAA.. mutta myös OK. influenced by t-t-t-t-the w-w-w-w-w TH- THE WALL... tykkäsin industrial saundista a warm place

Bättre än jag trodde. Har aldrig lyssnat, men har tänkt på Nine Inch Nails some ett screamo-igt emo-metal band. Det var mycket mer industriellt, hårt, art-rockigt, och till och med lite brittiskt big-beatigt än så! Rätt häftiga låtar bitvis. Även om texterna absolut är rätt gymnasiala och emo. Gillar ju konceptalbum! Här bara en dryg timmes ångest och mörker och depression som kulminerar i berättarjagets självmord. Vissa låtar drar ut och blir lite för långa, även om det är spännande att vara i kaoset länge. 'A Warm Place' är en skön vilostation. Spännande att höra den här versionen av 'Hurt' i kontexten med resten av albumet. Blir spöklikt och kittlande bra. Bästa låt: Ingen specifik som fastnade extra. Nog bäst som helhet. Även om det var lite för utmattande för att jag ska känna mig manad att återvända (okej kanske 'Hurt' då).

Edgy. Trent Reznor’s emotional palette and lack of self awareness leave a lot to be desired but he’s matured beyond screaming nursery rhymes at least. Try not to think too much about content and let the production’s noise and detail impress you, it’s too good to deny.

Panostin tämän kuunteluun enemmän kuin ajattelin. Kuuntelin kahdesti mutta en siltikään ole varma tähdistä. 3 tuntuu liialta ja 2 liian vähältä. Ajattelin että pitäisin tästä enemmän mutta ei tuo industrial tyyli lähtenyt. Levyllä oli kuitenkin elementtejä mistä pidin ja Hurt lopettajana aivan loistava. Annetaan kuitenkin arvostuksesta 3

I think my friends Stewart and Roald would really like this. Very dark and sinister, like watching an underground horror film where you are pretty sure it is fake but a small part of you is thinking maybe this is real? Anyway, I'm not a big fan but I can appreciate this to some extent. Musically it's an interesting blend of electronic, industrial, goth, and heavy metal. 3 stars.

gritty, industrial, unpleasant in parts, but not wholly awful. Johnny Cash did 'Hurt' better though

Väkivaltaista mutta ei huonolla tavalla. Samasta syystä silti hankala pitää (tarkoituksella tietty). Silti viehätyn omanlaisuudesta. Miksi Hurt on miksattu noin kovalle?

Looking back on this from 2023, it's still good bit also repetitive and cartoonishly angsty.

Loud

OK but a bit samey - It seemed to rumble along with no tracks standing out The one exception is "hurt" but I think this was done better my Johnny Cash

Dark rollercoaster of sequenced noise. Pretty amazing production. Comes with a lot pressure and power which is the backbone of this „Downward Spiral“. If you’re not so much into being yelled 24/7 this may be a tough piece of work. But beyond that it‘s worth to give it an attentive session. There‘s a lot to witness getting lit on fire. 3.1

pas mon genre mais ça sonne !!

me encantó sorprendentemente porque el inicio hasta closer maso me pareció pesadísimo pero después moooy boeno 7.5 / 10 pq sí sé que no es lo que suelo escuchar

I wasn’t able to give this the full attention it deserved but I liked what I heard. 3*, could have been higher if I’d paid attention.

I liked it. I wish I'd like NIN more than I do... A Warm Place is an absolute peach though and almost worth a four for that alone.

Mixed feelings. 23 yr old me loved the raw angst of this album, 53 yr old me doesn’t connect to it in the same way. It was a quick trip down memory lane for me but not one I’ll revisit any time soon.

нннну не так не в кассу как я ожидала) но не моя музыка

rock dad music

I always thought NiN would be a band that I'd absolutely hate. I'd always see people wearing NiN shirts and feel this aversion to it/them deep in my bones. Over the years, I've kind of softened that position (because it's stupid), so I definitely went into this with a more open mind than I would have 10 years ago. I didn't love it, but it definitely had its moments. Standouts: Piggy, March of the Pigs, Closer, Ruiner, Hurt

I liked about 50% of it.

I was transported back to a time where this music was too old and too heavy for me. Funny how so much time can pass and yet things remain the same. Also, sorry NIN, like the Zutons and Valerie, Hurt is not your song anymore. Good job.

This is a great soundtrack for being on the subway. I’m not sure I would listen to this again intentionally but I’m glad it exists and I had a fun listening to it. It’s so grimy and industrial sounding

I LOVED this album when I was in high school. What’s interesting is that I still love so much of the music I listened to back then but NIN didn’t make the cut somehow. Listening to this was a nice trip down memory lane but I could go another 15 years before listening again.

Very NIN

i feel like i should have liked this more than i did. the overwhelming feeling is that its a bit messy, it could have been refined. a ten track album would have worked better for me. maybe i'm missing the point and the album needs all of the ambient noise to accentuate the aggressive noisy bits but then maybe i'm the next big thing producer and i could have brought unimaginable fortunes and turned trent into the next justin timberlake. i hope trent thinks about that next time he's at the oscars.

3.5 stars. A lot of heavy and dark lyrics, can feel the emotion from the singer. Musically the ominous rock is distorting and grinding. Standouts are the sexually explicit "Closer" and "Ruiner"

Very important record for industrial/noise rock. Very, very dark and grim. It follows the “Downward Spiral” of a man, ultimately ending in his suicide. Not a bad record, but some of the lyrics are cringe in retrospect. I would’ve loved this shit when I was in high school.

Love hate relationship here. I got this album when was first released. Most of this is noise but I do love "Closer" and "Hurt". I do have fond memories lustening to this album but I wouldn't want MY kids listening to it...LOL!! This one falls in the middle for me.

It’s a hard album to listen to at times. I think that’s the point.

My reaction to this album today is pretty much identical to my reaction when this first came out. I had friends who were intensely into this album, so I was familiar with it, and back then, as now, my overwhelming thought was, "Jesus, man, lighten up." So yeah, I get this is supposed to channel extreme angst and anger and — how the hell am I supposed to know what Trent was going through? Anyway, the sounds are good and he's certainly created a vibe and a mystique and an empire by this point, so good on him. But this is too noisy and overwrought for me to enjoy. Even the "hits" are just too much. I don't relate.

This was an interesting album. This is truly an alt record. The chord progressions arent anything crazy but they make them fun/spooky enough to stay cool. Very sad vibes on this one. There are some good ass songs on here. I really like the instrumental tracks the most like a warm place and the downward spiral. Can't listen to Hurt without thinking of Johnny. Good album 6/10

Appreciate the ground-breaking it did for electronica in the 90's, but it's always been an album that hasn't resonated with me.

It has not been a pleasant nor enjoyable experience to listen to this BUT I must admit it's incredibly interesting and well crafted. Unfortunately it's not for me and I don't think I'll listen to this again.. so 5 stars for the art, 1 star for the experience

Hmmm. Very angry. Very lost. Was it cathartic for the young man? Puking up all that phlegm? We can only hope he has found some tranquility.

Interesting mix of Electronica and metal. Johnny Cash did a cover of Hurt, that may have been better than this original version. Overall a good album.

Its ok

When it dropped, I felt very let down. I had wanted a reprise to Pretty Hate Machine, an album with outsize influence on my probably owing to all the time I spent with girlfriend Joanna listening to it. But in this album, they seemed to lose the melody with the exception of 'Piggy' which is a terrific song, but with lyrics that for some reason offended me then. I like that sound now, words and all. Nothing can stop me now. Closer on this album is pretty epic and definitely was an important early college song that got a lot of air time at parties etc. Hurt left me feeling shattered. Still does. I leaned on that song in hard times and I still do. It's an important one. When Johnny Cash did it, I felt like Gen X had been fully vindicated by the aging boomers. It was a nod and a passing of the torch. It's a gorgeous empire of dirt.

The shocking and attention-grabbing "Closer" video certainly was a memorable part of my early teens musical taste expansion, but I was never quite sucked into becoming a Nine Inch Nails fan. I just wasn't ready for that much abrasive industrial chaos. And I'm still not. I think Trent Reznor is a creative, impressive, and fascinating musician, but most of NiN isn't for me. "Closer" is amazing though. And Reznor's film and TV scores are great. It looks like "The Downward Spiral" is the only NiN on the list, which is interesting, as I think "Pretty Hate Machine" is probably at least as good and is more impressively influential coming out in 1989.

Here's how good Trent Reznor is - this stuff is comedically angry and bleak. And yet - very listenable. I love the sound of it and there are occasional sparks of greatness. My mind wanders a bit on the way through, but he makes bleeps and booms sound better than most people.

Yllättävän hyvää settiä, luulin et tää ois liian örinää mulle, mut jatkoon!