Retro Review: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

I have a very difficult time beginning to write about something so important to me. I think that's why I chose to review this one first--not because it's almost definitely my favorite album of all time, but because it will be the hardest one to write about.



I was 13 in 1994. Certainly, I'd heard and seen the video for "Closer" at some point before I was 15. But it wasn't until then, as a sophomore in high school, that I listened to The Downward Spiral in its entirety. At an emotionally low point in my life, music (and other media) with such dark atmosphere had a way of reaching me to begin with, but there was something more to this one. Trent Reznor immediately became the first person I truly regarded as a musical genius.
 
The suicidal and what some call "nihilistic" themes of The Downward Spiral are certainly not for everyone, nor particularly original. What makes the concept of this record special is the competent effectivness of its execution. Reznor demonstrates his musical aptitude through every aspect of Halo Eight: the lyrics, the production, the progression of the album. Not to mention the sounds themselves, the carefully selected samples and melodies that use precisely the light touch or ferocity needed to evoke the appropriate emotion from the listener. The familiar piano melody from the end of "Closer" is one example of several occurrences of the recurring musical theme, also most notably present in the album's instrumental title track and slightly adapted for "Heresy." The subjective and musical themes alike work in tandem to tie the album together, as with any good concept record.
 
Reznor relates the listener's experience to his own when it comes to the details of a release. Attention is always paid to packaging, artwork, and extras. All releases of The Downward Spiral are excellent examples. The CD came in a slim jewel case with an oversized booklet (containing additional artwork and full lyrics), packed together in a slipcase featuring the cover art. The first limited release LP* version is a gorgeous picture disc. Even the cassette release was presented in a cardboard slipcase similar to that of the CD. The more recent 10th anniversary Deluxe Edition was released both as a DualDisc and hybrid SACD containing the incredible 5.1 surround mix of the album, the former including videos and other bonus content on the DVD side, and the latter including a bonus disc of remastered b-sides and alternate versions. The artwork of the album and associated releases, masterfully composed by artist Russel Mills, depicts an atmosphere of decay and despair, contributing in no small way to the overall experience.
 
As for the tracks themselves, not one is out of place on this record. We are introduced to the album with the harsh grinding of "Mr. Self Destruct," calmed for a moment by the melodic yet apathetic "Piggy" before the hard-hitting, atheistic "Heresy." The pace keeps up through the album's singles: the pit favorite "March of the Pigs" and the infamously controversial "Closer." The contrasting sections "Ruiner" make a nice segue into the mechanical sound of "The Becoming," bringing us to the foreshadowing despair of "I Do Not Want This." "Big Man With A Gun" is the closest thing to an anomaly on the album with its tongue-in-cheek attitude, but it's kept brief, and blends in musically with a raw, driving guitar riff. The Bowie-inspired "A Warm Place" provides an eerie intermission that leads into the slowly building, ominous "Eraser," whose powerful ending is abruptly separated from the sluggish grinding and whirring of "Reptile." Then, the album's title track culminates in the climactic suicide of our "character," and we arrive at the epic closing track, the calm, regretful "Hurt."
 
The Downward Spiral is a classic example of a well-constructed album in all respects. Trent Reznor established his capabilities very early in his career with this record. The average 27-year-old musician working on his second full-length album simply does not produce one like this. Not since 1994, anyway.

* Not the version linked to