Nine Inch Nails
By JOHN D. SELIG for The Harvard Crimson on April 20, 2007
So here we are, with Nine Inch Nailsâ 24th âhaloâ (or, in non-NIN speak, their fifth full-length release). Mastermind Trent Reznor has come a long way from his humble beginnings as a studio janitor. Thousands of rabid fans worldwide have been counting the days until âYear Zeroâsâ release, but a cautionary note to those same listeners: this is not the norm for Reznor and co.âand the change might be hard to swallow.
As a concept album dealing with religion, mind-control drugs, and a fascist American government, âYear Zeroâ is set in a world straight out of a Philip K. Dick story. Itâs definitely a new experiment for NIN. Itâs also a musical departure: âYear Zeroâ features a substantial number of ambient and electronic pieces. And while these songs constitute a major change of pace, the bandâs trademark intensity still shows up, in a big way. The first two singles, âSurvivalismâ and âCapital Gââarguably the two songs most like the Nine Inch Nails of oldâstill break some new ground for the band, bringing in some snazzy stylistic elements (and, on the former track, hip-hop artist Saul Williams) for backup.
âYear Zeroâ isnât a mellow listen by any standard, but it doesnât have the same type of edge as other NIN albums. The album uses smoother production values to create surprising moodsâit occasionally even grooves. Although itâs a cool track, âMy Violent Heartâ is so studio-slick that it will probably see as much live performance as past hit âPerfect Drugâ: that is to say, none. And while a couple of tracksâlike âSurvivalismââwill help to sate the hunger of those seeking another âDownward Spiral,â the album as a whole is slightly more reminiscent of early, âPretty Hate Machineâ Nails.
âYear Zeroâ is clearly trying to tell a story, but at its close, weâre left wondering what happened. The accompanying multimedia propaganda bonanza, which consists of creepy symbols and cryptic Web sites, doesnât explain much either. The standalone album is much more atmospheric than Nailsâ typical hammer-to-the-face fare, and it amounts to an intriguing, if not always coherent, experience.
While some of the songs will surely disappoint the NIN faithful, nearly all contribute to the albumâs conceptual bent and are worth a listen. If nothing else, this album will fuel anticipation for the slated sequel. It wouldnât be surprising if on the follow up, Nine Inch Nails rallied and hit us twice as hard.
As a concept album dealing with religion, mind-control drugs, and a fascist American government, âYear Zeroâ is set in a world straight out of a Philip K. Dick story. Itâs definitely a new experiment for NIN. Itâs also a musical departure: âYear Zeroâ features a substantial number of ambient and electronic pieces. And while these songs constitute a major change of pace, the bandâs trademark intensity still shows up, in a big way. The first two singles, âSurvivalismâ and âCapital Gââarguably the two songs most like the Nine Inch Nails of oldâstill break some new ground for the band, bringing in some snazzy stylistic elements (and, on the former track, hip-hop artist Saul Williams) for backup.
âYear Zeroâ isnât a mellow listen by any standard, but it doesnât have the same type of edge as other NIN albums. The album uses smoother production values to create surprising moodsâit occasionally even grooves. Although itâs a cool track, âMy Violent Heartâ is so studio-slick that it will probably see as much live performance as past hit âPerfect Drugâ: that is to say, none. And while a couple of tracksâlike âSurvivalismââwill help to sate the hunger of those seeking another âDownward Spiral,â the album as a whole is slightly more reminiscent of early, âPretty Hate Machineâ Nails.
âYear Zeroâ is clearly trying to tell a story, but at its close, weâre left wondering what happened. The accompanying multimedia propaganda bonanza, which consists of creepy symbols and cryptic Web sites, doesnât explain much either. The standalone album is much more atmospheric than Nailsâ typical hammer-to-the-face fare, and it amounts to an intriguing, if not always coherent, experience.
While some of the songs will surely disappoint the NIN faithful, nearly all contribute to the albumâs conceptual bent and are worth a listen. If nothing else, this album will fuel anticipation for the slated sequel. It wouldnât be surprising if on the follow up, Nine Inch Nails rallied and hit us twice as hard.
Transcribed by UninTY