Abrasive and gritty in a way that actually manages to work. I have had a number of albums so far which try to handle heavy industrial elements in a song to varying degrees of success. But none to the same degree of mastery of Trent Reznor, from start to finish this albums sound is tonally congruent with the aggression and self-destructive themes while remaining perfectly melodic, it makes perfect sense why Reznor would have worked in sound design given how he has an ear for making so many of these sounds work. Perhaps I am just looking for more things to glaze this album over but as always, bonus points for an album structure that enhances the experience of a full listen rather than just singles. While the whole thing is certainly contains a fairly dreary mood throughout I would say the faster thrills of the beginning of the album really do give way to a downward spiral in self-destruction, capping off beautifully with Hurt.