Nine Inch Nails
Every generation, every decade, has a handful of artists and bands that helped define the era. Whether you'd like to admit it or not, Nine Inch Nails is one of those defining bands of our generation. Often misunderstood by those who refuse to actually listen to the music, Nine Inch Nails has proven that rock music can be intelligent, meaningful, emotional, and insightful. Nine Inch Nails is musical art at its finest.
Somewhat Damaged
For those unaware, Nine Inch Nails is the brain child of Trent Reznor. He is the only member of the band, except when touring of course. This one man band wrote, arranged, and performed his debut album ''Pretty Hate Machine'' in 1989. The album infuses industrial rock and sythpophanging onto its heavy 80s influence. But don't think it sounds like a Duran Duran album. The opening track "Head Like a Hole" will pummel you with its drum machines and crunching guitars. The album was a success and led to a huge underground following. Reznor's on stage performance is a force not to be reckoned with. Reznor and fellow band mates became known for destroying instruments on stage, an act they continued to do up until 2009.
In 1992 he released the EP ''Broken'' which turned away from 80s sythpop and moved into a something much heavier and aggressive. Two years later, NIN released ''The Downward Spiral'', his most successful album. The album takes us on the journey of a man's self-destructive path. The song and video everyone is most familiar with is "Closer." You know, the one that goes, "I want to ___ you like an animal. I want to feel you from the inside." Although not the best song on the album, it still manages to be a favorite among many fans, and hated by many parents.
Five years, and a few singles and a concert tape called ''Closure'' later, the highly anticipated two-disc album ''The Fragile'' was released. Almost half the songs are instrumental, using electronic beats and noises. It's not as aggressive as the last album, but certainly is just as destructive. The following tour was filmed and released on DVD as ''And All That Could Have Been''. The companion CD ''Still'' offers stripped down versions of several songs.
Art Is Resistance
There was a reason the last album was so bleak, Reznor was deep into a drug and alcohol addiction, on the brink of suicide. Drug free and sporting a ripped body, Reznor released ''With Teeth'' in 2005. In terms of lyrics, this album is his most "philosophical," talking about layers of reality and finding one's place in life. Musically, it's aggressive synth and distorted guitars. ''Year Zero'' came out two years later and is a concept album depicting a future dystopia. It's clear Reznor wasn't too satisfied with the direction of our government with songs like "Capital G" and "Survivalism." Fans became involved when Reznor conveniently left USB drives at concerts, along with clues left in tmails that uncovered information about the CD.
In 2008, NIN embraced the reality that CDs are a dying breed and released the album ''Ghosts Idistorted instruments, a range of emotions, and thought provoking melodies. Two months later, we were surprised again with the release of ''The Slip'', and it was 100% free to download. Although no longer touring, Reznor promises the music will continue and I certainly hope it will.
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