NIN - Pretty Hate Machine

Oh hard rock. You're a mysterious friend of mine. For a while I love you, then for a while I hate you. You toy with my emotions and make me feel great when times are good and horrendous when I get to my lowest. A band like NIN can bring out emotions that you never thought you could feel. I think I talked about that a little bit with Downward Spiral when I reviewed that a couple of months ago. This album is right up there on the same plain. This album dropped back in 1989 - and is a nice 3x platinum in the states. For as huge as 'Spiral' was, it only sold an extra million compared to this. With less of a monstrous hit. Whenever I listen to a record by old Trent, I seem to be incredibly impacted by the music. It's like I feel what he wants his audience to feel. It isn't so much just they lyrics, it's also the music accompanying the lyrics. If he wants you to feel down - he has a way to make it so. It's almost as if a spell is cast over you when you put it on your headphones. It's kind of crazy. When I gave very high praise in the last review, follower janis! asked that I get to this one as well. And I'll say, I own this album - have for years. It's VERY hard for me to listen to it a lot - simply because of the emotions it brings out in me. Depending how my mood already is, it could be anger, sadness or even a little motivation to get something done. A track like 'Something I Can Never Have' and the way it haunts me - it always puts me on the path to thinking. Thinking about anything really. I guess you could probably tell - I enjoy this quite a bit. I completely understand that it isn't for everybody - but if you can get through it, it's worth it everytime. If nothing else, see if it has the impact on you as it does me and others I know enjoy it. Listen to it straight up too, no shuffle and no skipping. See how you do. Enjoy!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Head Like a Hole
2. Terrible Lie
3. Down in It
4. Sanctified
5. Something I Can Never Have
6. Kinda I Want To
7. Sin
8. That's What I Get
9. Only Time, The
10. Ringfinger
11. Get Down Make Love

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Something I Can Never Have
2. Head Like A Hole
3. Sanctified

FINAL RATING:
3.75 out of 5 stars

NIN - Downward Spiral

Metal fans, wake up. Another crazy realization the other day was when follower Janis! mentioned that I hadn't done any NIN yet. NIN of course being Nine Inch Nails for those who don't like to show your metal... But man, does any band hit harder than them? And by band and them, I actually mean one man, Trent Reznor. Probably unknown to most of you out there, this is actually a concept album. The goal of this record was to document the fall of man. It starts with his downward spiral in life and climaxes ultimately when he attempts suicide. Trent talks about how because of this 'theme' and the goal of the record, he wanted to tone it down a bit and not be so hard and so metal. Maybe I stand alone on this opinion, but that almost makes it harder and MORE metal. Maybe not in terms of just the sound of it, but the message, lyrics and vibe is totally something I expect and long for from the genre. This album in a sense, it quite simply a classic. The flow, the arrangements - everything about it is just about perfect. Even if you don't like metal in the classic sense, this record tells a story, and tells it brilliantly. Forget about all the mainstream success this saw due to 'Closer', it's not about that. Don't listen to this record just for the one track. Listen all the way through and listen in order. By the time you get to the end, I think you feel the emotions that the album was intending. Very few records can have that impact on you. I might feel a certain way when listening to a record, but it probably isn't what the artist intended. Not the case here. Reznor shot for something new and undone, and he got it. I can only close by saying please, give this a whirl. I promise you'll if nothing else be very intrigued.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Mr. Self Destruct
2. Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)
3. Heresy
4. March of the Pigs
5. Closer
6. Ruiner
7. Becoming, The
8. I Do Not Want This
9. Big Man With a Gun
10. Warm Place, A
11. Eraser
12. Reptile
13. Downward Spiral, The
14. Hurt

Listen To Samples

Top 3 Tracks:
1. Closer
2. Hurt
3. Reptile

FINAL RATING:
4.5 out of 5 stars