Today, I have chosen to present a really awesome album, it's "The Downward Spiral" from the metal-indus band Nine Inch Nails. Issued in 1994, after two years of writing and intensive work on every sound, every second of music, The Downward Spiral is a haunting journey into the tormented mind of Trent Reznor (the frontman, and the only studio member of Nine Inch Nails), a Reznor slaves of his own machines, keyboards and guitars.
The main topic, the punishment and pain, are recurring ideas all along the fourteen tracks really successful and original. The atmosphere of destruction, dirty and desperate that appears is also due to the recording studio, because it was the house where Sharon Tate and her friends were murdered by disciples of Charles Manson. The result is a CD particularly disturbing opened by the appropriately named song "Mr. Self-Destruct", with its intro made with screams of a man beated, followed by a sort of schizophrenic devastating dialogue. In the others tracks, we can find some of the best-known titles of NIN. To begin with the singles March Of The Pigs, surprising song where the most classical piano is played beside abrasive guitars, and the very smashed up disco Closer (which will appear in the form of a remix in the movie "Seven" of David Fincher), where the main sentence "I want to f**k you like an animal" speak about a brutal sexuality to forget and silencing the monster inside you.
There is also a lot of despair in "Piggy" and "Ruining" through words such as "nothing can stop me now because i don't care anymore". The excellent track "Heresy", rough and furious, let see what will be soon the "antichrist superstar" Marilyn Manson with lyrics about of the death of god. The instrumental "A Warm Place" provides a break in the ambient self-destruction, the title evokes the original Placenta sometimes we want never have left. In fact, in this disc, every word, every sound of every song is one step closer to the deprivation, to "The Downward Spiral", track full of despair and pain. This emotional phase culminates with the sublime "Hurt", the most beautiful ballad ever, speaking about self harm as well as the abuse of drugs, routinely performed in lives and obviously fans favourite song.
The Downward Spiral is an album of violence, organic and really brutal. The satured sound, painful lyrics, the total involvement of Trent Reznor make this album a pearl in the industrial metal and a rare album, full of emotions and truth.
5 comments:
It's an old album ? I don't like very much Metal but your description and the exctract is very interesting. Maybe I will download it !
Yes, the album issued in 1994, so it's an old album but the music is still present. It's a concept album about the self-destruction of a man. The steps to his destruction and his rebirth/though about it. This album is really cool. Don't hesitate to listen this music.
It's a great review guys!
I'm just amazed by the fact that you choiced a calm sample to discover a "metal album". It's not very representative even if I know that this kind of group can make awesome melodies.
I would add that I liked the music you proposed to listen.
PS: I deleted my first comment because my name wasn't correct.
Yeah, it's a really great album. I've choosen this sample just because I can't find anything else on radioblog. But if you want to discover this album, you can search "The Downward Spiral" on Deezer, there are the all tracks. I advise you to listen Mr. self destruct, Piggy, March of the pigs, Closer, Ruiner and Hurt. But the all album is just one long story and it's better to listen every track.
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