the roots of Industrial go back a long way and it gets much harsher and more noisy and less musical than this, but NIN really brought Industrial to the mainstream and combined it with rock and pop influences; so many bands are influenced by them now
It's a concept album of a man succumbing to addiction and depression. Along with Prince's Purple Rain and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life, I think this one of those albums that are perfect.
Looks like great concept albums often come from a single person involved in almost every lyrical and musical elements. "Histoires de Melody Nelson" by Serge Gainsbourg is in the same vein, and you can feel it even more if you understand the French lyrics.
A massive part in understanding his album is understanding that most of the time when he's talking about a woman, it's a metaphor for his relationship with heroin. In Closer it's all good like "oh man I'm so fucked up rn ha ha", then in Reptile it's like "oh shit i'm really fucked up, this isn't fun anymore". Also, when he'll often talk about a part of himself in the 3rd person, so the "Ruiner" is actually himself making stupid decisions and ruining everything. There's a lot of duality and sincerity in this album, a lot of people might see it as exaggerated shock factor, but really it's just very honest and portrays depression and self loathing very accurately.
No, it's a double meaning - which means, it means both sides of the metaphor. I struggled thru heroin addiction, and I am a songwriter. I would never use a metaphor of violence against women to convey my struggles with addiction. Not because I'm above that (tho I am) - but just because it doesn't represent how I ever felt at all!!
Thank goodness Trent took accountability and went to rehab and is still making great music to this day. I would really recommend the album 'With Teeth'.
One of the friends who helped Trent come out of this darkness, who toured with them during this album as well was none other than David Bowie. Funny thing is that A Warm Place is an accidental copy of David Bowie's "Crystal Japan" (a song for an ad for gin in Japan)... They've talked about it in interviews back in the day :)
And "Tanz Der China Dolls" by the Legendary Pink Dots. Its been speculated it wasn't that accidental. Trent was the biggest Bowie fan. He likely heard it at some point. Then did A Warm Place unconsciously or even a bit consciously. His explanation that he was thinking that it was from somewhere, but found out only after the album was released was a bit suspect. He even admitted that it's the same. On that part though he is partly wrong. The notes could be considered different enough. Either way, Bowie is now given a writer's credit on it. So that ends any debates. Also interesting is that the Downward Spiral theme that recurrs throughout the album (like the piano in Closer) is also similar to another Bowie song, but backwards. So Bowie might have just inspired the main theme in the NIN album and so really the backbone of the musical concept.
@@deadlyredly1i feel like A Warm Place could also represent a psychological thing called "pink clouds" which usually happens right after recovering from addiction for the first time when patients are filled with optimism, taking everything easy right before they get slammed down and relapse again usually leading into self-h4rm and a svicide attempt. So it makes sense to be right before The Eraser
@@lasernikixcex perfect explanation! Always the way I saw it, but couldn't have put into words. Also often suicidal people seem to "perk up" and it's due to the fact they have made the decision - and are genuinely happy to feel like they suddenly have control over something. So sad, but also so amazing that this album puts it in such a perfect package.
I was obsessed with this album in 2016; it was my first conscious full album experience where I saw such a cohesive work of music, and with such devastating power.
Prolly *the* seminal industrial rock album, and also a soundtrack for Trent Reznor’s own Downward Spiral. It’s crazy to think that an album so noisy, aggresive and sexual became as mainstream as it became. If you’d want to go down into the industrial rabbit hole a couple good albums to start with could be: Suicide - Suicide (a cold and mechanic synth punk classic) Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats (arguably the start of industrial with some haunting minimal synth tracks) Coil - Horse Rotorvator (fun, interesting and experimental industrial songs) Swans - Filth (probably the heaviest and nastiest album of the bunch) Big Black - Atomizer (more like filth than the rest, but a bit more digestible)
All great suggestions. It's personal preference, but I'd probably add some early SPK (first two albums), Einstuerzende Neubauten, Godflesh (heavily influenced by Swans) and maybe Skinny Puppy (Too Dark Park)
I want to add some context to the album. Basically first few tracks are setting up the exposition for the protagonist: his self-destructive tendencies, his loneliness, his nihilism and hatred for rеligion and sосiety as a whole. Closer is where we're starting the next chapter. It shоws the protagonist sеаrсhing for sехual validation as a сорing meсhаnism for his dерressiоn. In a wау using thаt other реrsоn аs a wау to make himself look more important than he actually is. It also shows protagonists mеssеd uр viеw of rеIigion as he sееs having control over someone as a way to get himself "closer to god". That theme of him putting "=" betwееn sех аnd godhood continues into Ruinеr as he contracts himself as he spews pure hаtrеd towards the idea of god, while also being jealous in a way, as he sees god as sort of the ultimate manliness "big strong hard and long". To create a stronger connection between gеnitаIs and religion it brings into the song the subject of men's circumcisions being a fuсked uр religious ritual of mutilating bаby boys' gеnitals, which apparently Americans still proudly practice to this day "What you gave to me? My perfect ring of scars" The song ends with protagonist slowly embracing the godhood, and saying "nothing can stop me now" as he rides this high of being invulnerable and unstoppable. Unfortunately for him the next chapter starts, which shows what's actually happening. It's not him gaining control but him losing it, turning his ideological crusade into a simple automated mechanical process of him going towards the end, and him trying to fight against it. In a way I see it as a cautionary tale about Hedonism and, in a way, Nihilism making a person lose their free will to their primal animalistic urges, but maybe I'm digging too deep into it. "I do not want this" is the last bit of the protagonist's struggle to maintain his sanity. It shows how he wants to get help but then violently pushes away anyone that tries to get closer to him and help "Don't you tell me how I feel. You don't know just how I feel" The song ends with the protagonist throwing away all his hatred towards his "idea of gоd" аs he himself wants to become an almighty omnipotent being just to find any meaning in his life. "Вig mаn with a gun" is a short glimрse into what happens аftеrwаrds, аs he triеs to hurt and аbusе еvеryone around him as a way to make up for his own issues. How he does it, is up for interpretation. The song abruptly ends and leads into a "warm place", as protagonist finally reflects on his actions and where they had lead him. What happens afterwards is that he understands that he can't go on like this anymore. "Eraser" shows exactly that as the protagonist starts begging to еnd his suffеring and save him from this living nightmare he trapped himself in. It took me some time to understand the place of "Reptile" on the album but eventually I realized that it's basically how the protagonist's perception of "Closer". What was once his only way to feel better, his only method of escapism now seems gross and repulsive to him. There's nothing that can make him feel better anymore, so there's only one thing he can do. "The Downward Spiral" Is pretty straight forward as the finale of The Downward Spiral. There's nothing in this world except for sadness, so he shооts himsеlf in a head while his Self-destructive tendencies aka Mr. Self-destruct are celebrating. "Hurt" is an epilogue and a 4th wall break in a way as both Protagonist and Trent Reznor through the protagonist reflect on the events of the album. "My sweetest friend" in this instance is the listener who was the only person following the protagonist on his journey. This is a warning to not make the same mistakes as him. He's just a character in an album. His fate is set in stone. You, on the other hand, can change. There's always a way and if you lose it, you may listen to an album again, as "I am still right here". At least that's the way I want to see it, as I went through most of what is being talked about on the album myself. The song ends with a sudden loud noise that slowly dissolves into an absolute nothingness, symbolising reality of a gunshоt
Don't sleep on Joanna Newsom's Ys! And Trent Reznor, who is NIN, co-scored the Disney film Soul a few years ago. He's doing fine. This album is from the point of view of a character, an exaggeration of where Trent was at at the time-an addict, depressed, sex-obsessed, etc.
This album can definitely be a tough listen, both in sound and subject matter. However it's really become one of my all time favorites, there's always something new for me to discover in it and it's such a powerful album. And yes, Trent is doing much better now! He was able to get clean and even has a family now. He's a really big inspiration to me. NIN has so much to choose from, The Fragile is great, albeit very long. Not The Actual Events is another amazing one that I find very underrated. I also hope you find the time for some more Elliott Smith as well! I'm glad you're always willing to listen to anything! I had a great time watching this :)
Its like so freaking terrifing like this is scarier then any horror movie soundtrack i ever heard even coil cant get this creppy they came close with backwards although honestly its just as terrifing for me no more no less
one of my favorite album experiences of all time. i also love how genuine the reaction is and how they’re not played up for views. highly highly recommend his next album, the fragile. i’m my opinion, i think it’s the better of the two. however both of them are interchangeable w a lot of people
I think this album is NIN's masterpiece, but an argument can be made for the follow-up album The Fragile, although that is a double-album and some consider it a bit bloated. I definitely recommend it if you want more of this kind of NIN, alternatively if you want some NIN that sounds very different then I'd recommend their debut album Pretty Hate Machine (80s, bit more pop-friendly and danceable) or Year Zero (difficult to describe, honestly).
I recommend "with Teeth" and "Pretty Hate Machine" as they're MUCH more accessible albums by comparison. TDS is definitely a better album if you're in that personal headspace. Found TDS a week after my mom passed. Needless to say its fit me ever since. Spiral is also meant to be a story piece listened in full. Glad you experienced the masterpiece as it was intended.
Glad you got around to doing this one. As a troubled teen this album was on heavy rotation and scared the shit out of my parents lol. This is personally my favorite of his music although he went on to do a lot more stuff. Glad to see that recommending things over and over again pay off eventually! Sick as fuck in bed with Covid and this really lifted my spirits! Recommendations Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern David Bowie - Blackstar
dude! this album is one of my top 10. love the production, the songwriting, the lyrics, everything about it is perfection to me. you dropped this in a very bad day for me, so watching you have a similar experience to my first time listening to it was like therapy, ty bro. love yr reactions, been here since the first videos. kudos from brazil, mate ✨️
There's a reason that "Closer" is considered one of Trent's masterpieces. It's still crazy to think about the fact that "Closer" was played on the radio FREQUENTLY in the 90's, and only one word was censored. Reptile is probably my favorite from this album. Trent is a musical genius. Even if the lyrics are strange, the production is always immaculate. NIN is like Radiohead in the sense the they have aged like fine wine. Some artist lose their touch a bit as they get older, but both bands just keep getting better. If you like the song A Warm Place, you should definitely check out The Fragile, and With Teeth. There are some really beautiful songs on beautiful songs on both albums.
I think the character in the song Hurt kills themselves at the end. The combination of the lyrics "Start again (start over) ... a million miles away (a different place than the one the character is in) ... I would find a way" along with the loud, distorted sound and this song being the ending of the album makes me believe that's the intended meaning.
I'm personally not big on NIN but I can appreciate what they did with this record - another noise rock record you should 1000% check out is You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr if you haven't already heard it
My favorite album. You get used to the darkness the more you listen (for better or worse). You should definitely check out his album, 'The Fragile' for some of the best production ever put to tape.
Closer is about sex addiction. Each verse is describing the hell the person in question is going through ending with the chorus of just wanting to fuck to feel better for a moment, only for the emptiness creeps back in after.
Thought I’d mention that Closer isn’t actually about sex. It’s about self-loathing. The “you get me closer to God” line isn’t a good thing it’s Mr. Self Destruct’s “Ruiner” saying that it gets sustenance from watching him slowly die inside or “get closer to God.” Really fucking bleak once you get into it.
I saw another comment mention it, but Year Zero would be a great second album to check out from NIN. It came out about 15 years after The Downward Spiral, after Trent got clean. It's another concept album, but it will offer a different experience both musically and thematically. Leading up to the album's release, there was a whole Alternate Reality Game where NIN would leave hidden thumb drives for people to find with audio from the album, play secret shows, mysterious websites, etc. They built a whole narrative, and the concept for the album almost became a show on HBO but the talks never got off the ground. A non-NIN album that you should absolutely check out, also mentioned in another comment, is Blackstar from David Bowie. It was his final album, released days before he died. It felt planned, but it wasn't really. Still, a perfect exit for one of the best artists of the 20th century.
You should react to "Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern" by Lil Ugly Mane. BRO I'm sure you would love this, really underrated album blending hip-hop, psychedelia, trip hop etc should be right up your alley!!
Not sure if you know or not but the reason Trent talks about pigs so much is that he and Marilyn Manson stayed in Sharon Tate's house during the recording of some of the songs on the album. It's pretty ironic bringing a manson to the manson murder house but the two left after Sharon's sister told Trent she found the act disrespectful, there's no beef between Trent or her. He's got a lot of humanity in him since he cried that night out of shame after meeting her and left immediately.
The Broken EP from the same era is similar in tone. The follow up album to this called The Fragile turns the atmosphere up with soundscapes and instrumentals. Well worth checking out. I think someone else mentioned it but their set at Woodstock 94 is one of the greatest concerts of the 90s. Would love to see a reaction to that too
This album comes from a place of despair and destruction, both metaphorically, physically and even geographically in the house Trent Reznor named "studio Le Pig" : "While I was working on [The] Downward Spiral, I was living in the house where Sharon Tate was killed. Then one day I met her sister [Patti Tate]. It was a random thing, just a brief encounter. And she said: 'Are you exploiting my sister's death by living in her house?' For the first time, the whole thing kind of slapped me in the face. I said, 'No, it's just sort of my own interest in American folklore. I'm in this place where a weird part of history occurred.' I guess it never really struck me before, but it did then. She lost her sister from a senseless, ignorant situation that I don't want to support. When she was talking to me, I realized for the first time, 'What if it was my sister?' I thought, 'Fuck Charlie Manson.' I went home and cried that night. It made me see there's another side to things, you know?"
This isn’t an album I go back to often but it is a must listen as it’s one of the most vital and hugely influential albums in music history. Definitely need to be in the mood to listen to this one.
Today The Downward spiral feels just as angry, visceral and bleak as it did decades ago. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but maybe its somewhere in between.
Masterpiece. The A Warm Place/Eraser/Reptile trio is so particularly fucking good. Great reaction, man. I hope you react to The Fragile at some point. Really long, but even better (and probably more palatable if this was a bit much for you, overall), in my opinion. My favorite album of all time from my favorite artist of all time.
Never could get into NIN but I love what Trent did on the show Watchmen on HBO…dude kills the soundtrack. Really looking forward to the Strawberry Jam review if it happens…I don’t say this lightly, SJ changed the trajectory of my life in the best of ways. Good stuff bro 🍻
A common thread I see in a lot of younger Gen-Z reactors is almost a hyper-literalism in dealing with lyrics. Two immediate examples here are on "This is Why" and "Closer". The use of "God is dead" in the former is more an expression of feeling hopeless and abandoned than any sort of statement of fact or opinion. In the latter, Trent uses the juxtaposition of what is normally something that brings people closer to instead be a means of escape and removal. What is described is, in intentionally irony, the furthest thing from being "Closer." Especially the best music is rarely about the text but the feeling. A good example of this is Brian Eno, who often intentionally chose his lyrics for feel and sound over meaning.
such literal interpretations are not a new thing.. to use closer as an example actually, when it came out it was widely considered a sex anthem, got play in strip clubs & whatnot, & it's definitely still got that reputation. not that i blame anyone for thinking of it like that i mean, it is sexy as fuck even beyond the lyrics, but that is a shallow interpretation of the song as a whole. obviously, there's a lot more going on there. totally agree with your general point that people should be less literal with lyrics on the whole though,, not everything's a "story" in the traditional sense. & a lot of them really require the music in order to fully make their point or have their proper effect.
@@submandave1125 bjork gets fairly literal and blunt, but ebbs in and out of that and a very metaphor heavy allegorical style. and sometimes just nonsense lol. & often it's hard to tell the difference which is a big part of her lyrical identity imo. it's all confusion and being overwhelmed and very arrogantly sure of some things and totally baffled by others. im sure someone going into that with a very literal mind would probably find themselves more confused than if the whole thing was abstract, lol. so you're def right eno ive only really heard his ambient stuff so i cant really comment.. you've made me curious though !
@@resiseven7407 Specifically, you're looking for "Here Come the Warm Jets," "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)," "Another Green World," and "Before and After Science." The latter two have hints at his future ambient work, but a good portion of his lyrical process consciously employed the concept of word poetry (with an explicit nod to Kurt Schwitters's Ursonate), where individual words were chosen less for meaning than for its inherent sound or emotional tenor.
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile would make for a fascinating reaction. Take the layers and sounds of The Downward Spiral and multiply them times 10. Add more experimentation, more melody, more variety, and more pop. Not necessarily a better album or complete work, but an amazing album.
I just discovered your channel man, I’m so so so sorry that your first exposure to industrial metal was the downward spiral, that’s like throwing a baby off a diving board
Have you ever listened to the musician 'Lone' (Matt Cutler)? He's one of my favourites; I found out about Boards of Canada my favourite band/duo of all time through him. BoC had a significant influence on Lone's earlier music but he isn't a musician I would consider a clone or child of BoC. This wouldn't be a bad thing for me because I follow and like such musicians but Lone is distinct enough to stand out on his own. He has produced a combination of house, techno, hiphop and ambient sounding music. If someone was to only check out one album by him, I'd highly recommend 'Galaxy Garden'.
Have you heard much industrial music before? NIN are generally considered to be the poster-boys for that genre. And yea if you wanna get more into the meaning, basically the whole album is a linear story about a guy going mad and then shooting himself.
I grew up listening to NIN. It’s nice to see current reaction videos. Excellent band! I am glad they have been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame 2019. Trent’s music is timeless and has pushed music to the extremes. This record was recorded in the house in Los Angeles on Cielo drive….
I recommend listening to “The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads” by Lift To Experience. Severely underrated band and the album is just beautiful. the ironic album cover makes it better
I could see Reptile being a track about a woman but to me it always felt more like Trent’s song about Heroin. Talking about how she leaves a trail of honey (dead bodies from trafficking and overdosing), how she has been with everyone, how she is beautiful to him but lies about how he truly feels, and how he himself is diseased and impure. I know that Trent came up with this album as an overall idea of a man spiraling into depression, disassociation, isolation, and subjects like drug use, sex abuse, and other topics to cope but also knowing what Trent was going through at the time leads me to believe he was dealing with all of this himself as well. The whole album is a beautiful piece of art and if you haven’t checked it out yet I would highly recommend checking out the album that came after this Fragile, also an amazing piece of work and I would personally put them on the same scale for quality.
Mostly at Nine Inch Nails concerts we cry and/or hurt ourselves. And those of us who know better hope those off the ground if they’re too fucked up or hurt, though people rarely get crazy this decade or the last.
NIN (Trent Reznor) with the album "Pretty Hate Machine" was the first to bring popular commercially viable industrial music to the relative masses. It is a classic album you will totally love from start to finish. First time I saw NIN they were opening for Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) shortly after PHM started getting airplay, and IMHO they totally ruled the night. The venue brough NIN back to open for another band about a month later and I bought tickets specifically to see them again. Don't even remember who had the top billing that night.
2 songs in and I'm loving your ear for the music, even if it's not in your wheelhouse. Keep it up, I'm subbed to see more from ya, I appreciate reactors who take the time to sit down and digest a whole album in one sitting
You cannot talk about the song closer or any other song of this album in a vacuum. It is a concept album. It's a downward spiral talking about addictions, vices, etc
I think you would enjoy his following albums even more. With Teeth, and The Fragile (a personal favorite). Don't worry about the man who wrote it. He's married now, has kids, and even wrote music for a Disney Pixar movie. 😅
This is a very aggressive set of music. What an intro to NIN and into this genera of industrial music. Trent's later work has less of a lyric shock value and vocal rage to it as his career progresses. I think that was his point, shock and explore the extreme state frame of mind and blast it from all sides without a filter. I strongly advise you to explore his other recordings. There is an evolution as the years pass.
I had gotten sober in july of 93 from booze and dope.(still sober today) My old running buddy Johnny F. got sober around the same time I did. We saw the 94 show in Mountain View then in 95 saw them and Bowie in 1995 in San Jose. That was a surreal concert with Bowie and Trent. (Bowie is one of my absolutely favorite artists of all time) The last time I saw NIN was in Boise Id. He said there had been a snowstorm in which some of the elements of his light show/production was stranded. In his words "We're really sorry for the lack of a stage show we'll just play more songs". I'll take that over stage lights any day of the week. In short, NIN saved my f*cking sanity as I could relate to This album and Trents angst, in various,multiple ways. (I was dealing with some pretty serious mental health issues at that time) Also, an interesting note, the mention of a blue in the song The Downward Spiral. "Everything's blue Everything's blue in this world The deepest shade of mushroom blue" To me is reminiscent of Bowie's reference to a blue room for the song Sound and Vision. P.s. My absolute favorite song is Reptile. It reminded me of a couple of ex's. Anyways, good to see someone react to this album. Thanks for the vid.
NIN can be a bit much. You should try their first album, Pretty Hate Machine, it's not as aggressive in your face, more palatable. I saw them play at a small bar in Kansas City in 1990 shortly after Pretty Hate Machine was released and it was ka-ra-zy (good)! The entire bar turned into a mosh pit, I saw several guys come out of their with torn clothes and covered in footprints from head to toe, literally footprints across their face. It was very memorable to say the least. PHM is still my favorite album of theirs. Also, NIN's lead singer, Trent Reznor, is quite a character. He inadvertently faked his own death for quite some time, it's pretty interesting. It's worth a google search if you are bored. I love your reactions, they are so honestly and unfiltered combined with your charming personality is a winning combo. Keep up the great work.
"The Downward Spiral" is a pretty apt name for this record. Would it surprise you to know that they lived in and recorded the album in a house where an infamous murder took place?
“nah these lyrics are weird idk why i like this” yeah real also thank you nine inch nails vocalist Trent Reznor for both the gay awakening and goth awakening
Something I feel a lot of people don’t get when first listening to this album (myself included, don’t feel bad) is that it’s not meant to be a condemnation of god or just hate for the sake of hate, but instead integral parts of a story. The main character starts out as a nihilistic, self-destructive person who doesn’t care about life or death or anything at all, and only cares about the sex and drugs that he knows will kill him. As the album goes on, this mindset and lifestyle spiral out of control and lead him to misery for the life he’s thrown away and self-loathing towards the person he has become. Soon enough, it’s no longer about not caring that he’ll die, but feeling that he deserves to die and wanting it more than anything. That’s what makes Hurt such a powerful song, because it’s in that moment, after he tries to take his own life in the title track, that he realizes that he was completely wrong. That, where he thought his nihilism would keep him safe from his emotions by just not caring about anything, and therefore getting rid of the guilt brought about by his actions. After all, it’s easier to just give up and say nothing matters so I shouldn’t worry about anything bad around me, but that doesn’t mean that it’s right or healthy. Only after his attempt does he realize that the only way he’ll ever get better is if he confronts his feelings and traumas, which scared him so much before that he changed into someone he hated just to get away from them, in order to finally heal. At the end of the album, he says “I will find a way”, showing that while he still has a long way to go, he’s finally ready to face his demons, and hopefully, overcome them.
Just a heads up your chapter for Heresy is labelled as "This is Why", Eraser is labelled as "A Racer" and Reptile is labelled as "A Reptile". Also The Downward Spiral & Hurt were just not chaptered
You should really check out his first album Pretty Hate Machine. It's my favourite of his honestly. SImilar vibes and production ideas at times but with a distinct 80's hardware tinge to it
If you liked this, I really feel like you'd be into A Perfect Circles "Thirteenth Step" Another concept album steeped with deep meaning and intense thematic imagery, plus it's got Maynard James Keenan on vocal duties, and he delivers a suitably bombastic performancen
You should react to I Robot by the Alan Parsons Project. It's made by Alan Parsons, the guy who did the engineering of The Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd. I Robot makes heavy up front use of synths, which was very unusual and innovative for the 70s due to computerized sound not being very advanced, giving the album a very futuristic sound, though in the more stereotypical way.
Lol, Trent Reznor is definitely doing just fine after this album. He's gone on to win Academy Awards for his composing work. I think to really appreciate this music you had to live in the time it came out in a way. For people that grew up in the 80s and 90s he's a legend and musical genius.
yooo the people want more Ween 🙏🙏 and if you dont want to, you should definitely check Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun literally listened to it like 2 days ago and its a neo soul masterpiece dude
I probably wouldn't still be here if it weren't for Trent Reznor's music. I may be biased, but In my opinion this is the greatest album of all time, and I 100% believe his music will still be studied hundreds of years down the road.
"You get me closer to god" lyric isn't necessarily a contradiction; you can not believe in any supernatural being without evidence and still write a lyric with a metaphor about how having sex makes you forget yourself and get closer to "enlightenment".
Best reaction and review of this album I’ve seen so far. I would recommend some tracks from The Fragile or With Teeth, like "The Wretched", "Only", "The Hand That Feeds" or "Into The Void", to see how he progressed since ‘94. Also their first album Pretty Hate Machine to see where he began
unbelievably good album i love how you just listen to anything you don't discriminate huge respect for doing that
No problem!
Based Karkat pfp
Not unbeleavable,just NIN!😉🤘
"I feel like this whole album is taking place in a factory, like some kind of industrial setting" ... 💯 and thats why its called "industrial" music 😀
the roots of Industrial go back a long way and it gets much harsher and more noisy and less musical than this, but NIN really brought Industrial to the mainstream and combined it with rock and pop influences; so many bands are influenced by them now
Just don't tell Trent it's industrial 😅
Can you give me an example of an old school industrial song? @@MadailinBurnhope
The sample at the beginning of Reptile is from the movie "Leviathan" which is set in an underwater mining platform.
@@anthonyfernandez82 Skinny puppy Dig it
It's a concept album of a man succumbing to addiction and depression. Along with Prince's Purple Rain and Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life, I think this one of those albums that are perfect.
Songs in the Key of Life is a great recommendation!
Looks like great concept albums often come from a single person involved in almost every lyrical and musical elements. "Histoires de Melody Nelson" by Serge Gainsbourg is in the same vein, and you can feel it even more if you understand the French lyrics.
I thought this album was about self hatred and lust which lead through to suicidal, murder, and depression thoughts.
A massive part in understanding his album is understanding that most of the time when he's talking about a woman, it's a metaphor for his relationship with heroin. In Closer it's all good like "oh man I'm so fucked up rn ha ha", then in Reptile it's like "oh shit i'm really fucked up, this isn't fun anymore". Also, when he'll often talk about a part of himself in the 3rd person, so the "Ruiner" is actually himself making stupid decisions and ruining everything. There's a lot of duality and sincerity in this album, a lot of people might see it as exaggerated shock factor, but really it's just very honest and portrays depression and self loathing very accurately.
No, it's a double meaning - which means, it means both sides of the metaphor.
I struggled thru heroin addiction, and I am a songwriter. I would never use a metaphor of violence against women to convey my struggles with addiction.
Not because I'm above that (tho I am) - but just because it doesn't represent how I ever felt at all!!
@@lueyteledeluxe7457 you didn't write the song
Thank goodness Trent took accountability and went to rehab and is still making great music to this day. I would really recommend the album 'With Teeth'.
Fragile is better than With Teeth
One of the friends who helped Trent come out of this darkness, who toured with them during this album as well was none other than David Bowie. Funny thing is that A Warm Place is an accidental copy of David Bowie's "Crystal Japan" (a song for an ad for gin in Japan)... They've talked about it in interviews back in the day :)
And "Tanz Der China Dolls" by the Legendary Pink Dots. Its been speculated it wasn't that accidental. Trent was the biggest Bowie fan. He likely heard it at some point. Then did A Warm Place unconsciously or even a bit consciously. His explanation that he was thinking that it was from somewhere, but found out only after the album was released was a bit suspect. He even admitted that it's the same. On that part though he is partly wrong. The notes could be considered different enough. Either way, Bowie is now given a writer's credit on it. So that ends any debates.
Also interesting is that the Downward Spiral theme that recurrs throughout the album (like the piano in Closer) is also similar to another Bowie song, but backwards. So Bowie might have just inspired the main theme in the NIN album and so really the backbone of the musical concept.
It is a masterpiece. A chaotic, depressing, lust filled masterpiece. Glad you did the whole album in one sitting - as that is how it should be!
"A warm place" is exactly the breather the album needed. A moment to reflect before the shit comes back to roost
@@deadlyredly1i feel like A Warm Place could also represent a psychological thing called "pink clouds" which usually happens right after recovering from addiction for the first time when patients are filled with optimism, taking everything easy right before they get slammed down and relapse again usually leading into self-h4rm and a svicide attempt. So it makes sense to be right before The Eraser
@@lasernikixcex perfect explanation! Always the way I saw it, but couldn't have put into words. Also often suicidal people seem to "perk up" and it's due to the fact they have made the decision - and are genuinely happy to feel like they suddenly have control over something. So sad, but also so amazing that this album puts it in such a perfect package.
I was obsessed with this album in 2016; it was my first conscious full album experience where I saw such a cohesive work of music, and with such devastating power.
Prolly *the* seminal industrial rock album, and also a soundtrack for Trent Reznor’s own Downward Spiral.
It’s crazy to think that an album so noisy, aggresive and sexual became as mainstream as it became.
If you’d want to go down into the industrial rabbit hole a couple good albums to start with could be:
Suicide - Suicide (a cold and mechanic synth punk classic)
Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats (arguably the start of industrial with some haunting minimal synth tracks)
Coil - Horse Rotorvator (fun, interesting and experimental industrial songs)
Swans - Filth (probably the heaviest and nastiest album of the bunch)
Big Black - Atomizer (more like filth than the rest, but a bit more digestible)
BIG agree on filth
Big black is amazing but i think it falls more into noise rock than industrial
All great suggestions. It's personal preference, but I'd probably add some early SPK (first two albums), Einstuerzende Neubauten, Godflesh (heavily influenced by Swans) and maybe Skinny Puppy (Too Dark Park)
The 90s was so much more open
Horse rotoravator isn't really industrial more of a psychedelic rock and experimental rock alblum
I want to add some context to the album.
Basically first few tracks are setting up the exposition for the protagonist: his self-destructive tendencies, his loneliness, his nihilism and hatred for rеligion and sосiety as a whole.
Closer is where we're starting the next chapter.
It shоws the protagonist sеаrсhing for sехual validation as a сорing meсhаnism for his dерressiоn. In a wау using thаt other реrsоn аs a wау to make himself look more important than he actually is. It also shows protagonists mеssеd uр viеw of rеIigion as he sееs having control over someone as a way to get himself "closer to god". That theme of him putting "=" betwееn sех аnd godhood continues into Ruinеr as he contracts himself as he spews pure hаtrеd towards the idea of god, while also being jealous in a way, as he sees god as sort of the ultimate manliness "big strong hard and long". To create a stronger connection between gеnitаIs and religion it brings into the song the subject of men's circumcisions being a fuсked uр religious ritual of mutilating bаby boys' gеnitals, which apparently Americans still proudly practice to this day "What you gave to me? My perfect ring of scars"
The song ends with protagonist slowly embracing the godhood, and saying "nothing can stop me now" as he rides this high of being invulnerable and unstoppable.
Unfortunately for him the next chapter starts, which shows what's actually happening. It's not him gaining control but him losing it, turning his ideological crusade into a simple automated mechanical process of him going towards the end, and him trying to fight against it. In a way I see it as a cautionary tale about Hedonism and, in a way, Nihilism making a person lose their free will to their primal animalistic urges, but maybe I'm digging too deep into it.
"I do not want this" is the last bit of the protagonist's struggle to maintain his sanity. It shows how he wants to get help but then violently pushes away anyone that tries to get closer to him and help "Don't you tell me how I feel. You don't know just how I feel"
The song ends with the protagonist throwing away all his hatred towards his "idea of gоd" аs he himself wants to become an almighty omnipotent being just to find any meaning in his life.
"Вig mаn with a gun" is a short glimрse into what happens аftеrwаrds, аs he triеs to hurt and аbusе еvеryone around him as a way to make up for his own issues. How he does it, is up for interpretation.
The song abruptly ends and leads into a "warm place", as protagonist finally reflects on his actions and where they had lead him. What happens afterwards is that he understands that he can't go on like this anymore.
"Eraser" shows exactly that as the protagonist starts begging to еnd his suffеring and save him from this living nightmare he trapped himself in.
It took me some time to understand the place of "Reptile" on the album but eventually I realized that it's basically how the protagonist's perception of "Closer".
What was once his only way to feel better, his only method of escapism now seems gross and repulsive to him. There's nothing that can make him feel better anymore, so there's only one thing he can do.
"The Downward Spiral" Is pretty straight forward as the finale of The Downward Spiral.
There's nothing in this world except for sadness, so he shооts himsеlf in a head while his Self-destructive tendencies aka Mr. Self-destruct are celebrating.
"Hurt" is an epilogue and a 4th wall break in a way as both Protagonist and Trent Reznor through the protagonist reflect on the events of the album. "My sweetest friend" in this instance is the listener who was the only person following the protagonist on his journey. This is a warning to not make the same mistakes as him. He's just a character in an album. His fate is set in stone. You, on the other hand, can change. There's always a way and if you lose it, you may listen to an album again, as "I am still right here". At least that's the way I want to see it, as I went through most of what is being talked about on the album myself.
The song ends with a sudden loud noise that slowly dissolves into an absolute nothingness, symbolising reality of a gunshоt
Where the FLIP FLAPPIN FLOP did circumcision come from, dude? Is this your opinion based on your experience with the music?
Don't sleep on Joanna Newsom's Ys! And Trent Reznor, who is NIN, co-scored the Disney film Soul a few years ago. He's doing fine. This album is from the point of view of a character, an exaggeration of where Trent was at at the time-an addict, depressed, sex-obsessed, etc.
A Warm Place is perfectly palced beacause he's accepted where things are going and there's no going back.
This album can definitely be a tough listen, both in sound and subject matter. However it's really become one of my all time favorites, there's always something new for me to discover in it and it's such a powerful album.
And yes, Trent is doing much better now! He was able to get clean and even has a family now. He's a really big inspiration to me.
NIN has so much to choose from, The Fragile is great, albeit very long. Not The Actual Events is another amazing one that I find very underrated. I also hope you find the time for some more Elliott Smith as well!
I'm glad you're always willing to listen to anything! I had a great time watching this :)
Its like so freaking terrifing like this is scarier then any horror movie soundtrack i ever heard even coil cant get this creppy they came close with backwards although honestly its just as terrifing for me no more no less
one of my favorite album experiences of all time. i also love how genuine the reaction is and how they’re not played up for views. highly highly recommend his next album, the fragile. i’m my opinion, i think it’s the better of the two. however both of them are interchangeable w a lot of people
I think this album is NIN's masterpiece, but an argument can be made for the follow-up album The Fragile, although that is a double-album and some consider it a bit bloated. I definitely recommend it if you want more of this kind of NIN, alternatively if you want some NIN that sounds very different then I'd recommend their debut album Pretty Hate Machine (80s, bit more pop-friendly and danceable) or Year Zero (difficult to describe, honestly).
I consider Year Zero to be NIN's most underrated album. Another great concept album with some wonderful glitchy synth work from Atticus.
@@BrianKoppe Year Zero is criminally underrated.
I recommend "with Teeth" and "Pretty Hate Machine" as they're MUCH more accessible albums by comparison. TDS is definitely a better album if you're in that personal headspace. Found TDS a week after my mom passed. Needless to say its fit me ever since. Spiral is also meant to be a story piece listened in full. Glad you experienced the masterpiece as it was intended.
Glad you got around to doing this one. As a troubled teen this album was on heavy rotation and scared the shit out of my parents lol. This is personally my favorite of his music although he went on to do a lot more stuff. Glad to see that recommending things over and over again pay off eventually! Sick as fuck in bed with Covid and this really lifted my spirits!
Recommendations
Oneohtrix Point Never - R Plus Seven
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Lil Ugly Mane - Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern
David Bowie - Blackstar
Oh man, Blackstar is a must ❤️
For me as a teenager was this album my life. My mom didn't understand that😂
I did forget how industrial sounding this album was 😂 really lives up to the genre
reviewing the downward spiral yet we only going up 🔥🔥🔥
Yessir
A Warm Place is actually my favorite song on this album. Beautiful song. Could listen to it on repeat all day
I stay forgetting just how tough a listen this record is lmao
The issue is, everyone who's heard it before is in tune with the album and on first listen isn't prepared for what bad vibes the album gives off.
@@mr.froglegs its still hard since its honestly the scariest alblum i ever heard
dude! this album is one of my top 10. love the production, the songwriting, the lyrics, everything about it is perfection to me. you dropped this in a very bad day for me, so watching you have a similar experience to my first time listening to it was like therapy, ty bro. love yr reactions, been here since the first videos. kudos from brazil, mate ✨️
Thank You bro !
There's a reason that "Closer" is considered one of Trent's masterpieces. It's still crazy to think about the fact that "Closer" was played on the radio FREQUENTLY in the 90's, and only one word was censored. Reptile is probably my favorite from this album. Trent is a musical genius. Even if the lyrics are strange, the production is always immaculate. NIN is like Radiohead in the sense the they have aged like fine wine. Some artist lose their touch a bit as they get older, but both bands just keep getting better. If you like the song A Warm Place, you should definitely check out The Fragile, and With Teeth. There are some really beautiful songs on beautiful songs on both albums.
So glad you really enjoyed this album from them. I’d say there are 3 more mandatory listens from them [Pretty Hate Machine, Broken EP & The Fragile]
I think the character in the song Hurt kills themselves at the end. The combination of the lyrics "Start again (start over) ... a million miles away (a different place than the one the character is in) ... I would find a way" along with the loud, distorted sound and this song being the ending of the album makes me believe that's the intended meaning.
I honestly think that the fragile would be a perfect album from nine inch nails for you to listen to
I'm personally not big on NIN but I can appreciate what they did with this record - another noise rock record you should 1000% check out is You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr if you haven't already heard it
My favorite album. You get used to the darkness the more you listen (for better or worse). You should definitely check out his album, 'The Fragile' for some of the best production ever put to tape.
Closer is about sex addiction. Each verse is describing the hell the person in question is going through ending with the chorus of just wanting to fuck to feel better for a moment, only for the emptiness creeps back in after.
Hum - You’d Prefer an Astronaut
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
King Krule - 6 Feet Beneath the Moon
Thought I’d mention that Closer isn’t actually about sex. It’s about self-loathing. The “you get me closer to God” line isn’t a good thing it’s Mr. Self Destruct’s “Ruiner” saying that it gets sustenance from watching him slowly die inside or “get closer to God.” Really fucking bleak once you get into it.
I saw another comment mention it, but Year Zero would be a great second album to check out from NIN. It came out about 15 years after The Downward Spiral, after Trent got clean. It's another concept album, but it will offer a different experience both musically and thematically. Leading up to the album's release, there was a whole Alternate Reality Game where NIN would leave hidden thumb drives for people to find with audio from the album, play secret shows, mysterious websites, etc. They built a whole narrative, and the concept for the album almost became a show on HBO but the talks never got off the ground.
A non-NIN album that you should absolutely check out, also mentioned in another comment, is Blackstar from David Bowie. It was his final album, released days before he died. It felt planned, but it wasn't really. Still, a perfect exit for one of the best artists of the 20th century.
how do you recommend albums to be put on the poll?
I try to base albums on how many times they’ve been recommended. But I do a lot of random picks to avoid favoritism
You should react to "Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern" by Lil Ugly Mane. BRO I'm sure you would love this, really underrated album blending hip-hop, psychedelia, trip hop etc should be right up your alley!!
Not sure if you know or not but the reason Trent talks about pigs so much is that he and Marilyn Manson stayed in Sharon Tate's house during the recording of some of the songs on the album. It's pretty ironic bringing a manson to the manson murder house but the two left after Sharon's sister told Trent she found the act disrespectful, there's no beef between Trent or her. He's got a lot of humanity in him since he cried that night out of shame after meeting her and left immediately.
The Broken EP from the same era is similar in tone. The follow up album to this called The Fragile turns the atmosphere up with soundscapes and instrumentals. Well worth checking out. I think someone else mentioned it but their set at Woodstock 94 is one of the greatest concerts of the 90s. Would love to see a reaction to that too
Nothing can prepare one for this album. All you can do is jump right in and let it take over.
I love seeing people's reactions to the vocal change in March of the Pigs, lol. Great video. This is easily a top 5 favorite album for me right now.
Hurt is a certified Depresed Homie classic. You should listen to White Pony by Deftones, AMAZING album!
You think six minutes is a long song? Also, you ever think the connection issues may be on your end as opposed to Spotify's?
Nah it was Spotify I was on Twitter at the time ppl were having issues
This album comes from a place of despair and destruction, both metaphorically, physically and even geographically in the house Trent Reznor named "studio Le Pig" :
"While I was working on [The] Downward Spiral, I was living in the house where Sharon Tate was killed. Then one day I met her sister [Patti Tate]. It was a random thing, just a brief encounter. And she said: 'Are you exploiting my sister's death by living in her house?' For the first time, the whole thing kind of slapped me in the face. I said, 'No, it's just sort of my own interest in American folklore. I'm in this place where a weird part of history occurred.' I guess it never really struck me before, but it did then. She lost her sister from a senseless, ignorant situation that I don't want to support. When she was talking to me, I realized for the first time, 'What if it was my sister?' I thought, 'Fuck Charlie Manson.' I went home and cried that night. It made me see there's another side to things, you know?"
The last guitar on hurt always scares the shit out of me even when you know its coming since it builds in volume its still just so creppy
This isn’t an album I go back to often but it is a must listen as it’s one of the most vital and hugely influential albums in music history. Definitely need to be in the mood to listen to this one.
Thanks for doing it! Highly recommend his next album, another concept album: The Fragile
I just commented the same thing, love that album!
Today The Downward spiral feels just as angry, visceral and bleak as it did decades ago.
Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but maybe its somewhere in between.
Masterpiece. The A Warm Place/Eraser/Reptile trio is so particularly fucking good. Great reaction, man. I hope you react to The Fragile at some point. Really long, but even better (and probably more palatable if this was a bit much for you, overall), in my opinion. My favorite album of all time from my favorite artist of all time.
Never could get into NIN but I love what Trent did on the show Watchmen on HBO…dude kills the soundtrack. Really looking forward to the Strawberry Jam review if it happens…I don’t say this lightly, SJ changed the trajectory of my life in the best of ways. Good stuff bro 🍻
Don't know if you're into metal but Tool - Lateralus won't disappoint
Ive seen them maybe 7 times live. Theyre old stuff like this hits so hard live.
Yesss I love NIN, I was honestly hoping you'd listen to this album ! Great videos man, can't wait for more !
Thank You!
The Fragile next!
@@smags1082
A common thread I see in a lot of younger Gen-Z reactors is almost a hyper-literalism in dealing with lyrics. Two immediate examples here are on "This is Why" and "Closer". The use of "God is dead" in the former is more an expression of feeling hopeless and abandoned than any sort of statement of fact or opinion. In the latter, Trent uses the juxtaposition of what is normally something that brings people closer to instead be a means of escape and removal. What is described is, in intentionally irony, the furthest thing from being "Closer."
Especially the best music is rarely about the text but the feeling. A good example of this is Brian Eno, who often intentionally chose his lyrics for feel and sound over meaning.
such literal interpretations are not a new thing.. to use closer as an example actually, when it came out it was widely considered a sex anthem, got play in strip clubs & whatnot, & it's definitely still got that reputation. not that i blame anyone for thinking of it like that i mean, it is sexy as fuck even beyond the lyrics, but that is a shallow interpretation of the song as a whole. obviously, there's a lot more going on there. totally agree with your general point that people should be less literal with lyrics on the whole though,, not everything's a "story" in the traditional sense. & a lot of them really require the music in order to fully make their point or have their proper effect.
@@resiseven7407 This literalism runs smack against the wall when they encounter something like Bjork or Eno.
@@submandave1125 bjork gets fairly literal and blunt, but ebbs in and out of that and a very metaphor heavy allegorical style. and sometimes just nonsense lol. & often it's hard to tell the difference which is a big part of her lyrical identity imo. it's all confusion and being overwhelmed and very arrogantly sure of some things and totally baffled by others. im sure someone going into that with a very literal mind would probably find themselves more confused than if the whole thing was abstract, lol. so you're def right
eno ive only really heard his ambient stuff so i cant really comment.. you've made me curious though !
@@resiseven7407 Specifically, you're looking for "Here Come the Warm Jets," "Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)," "Another Green World," and "Before and After Science." The latter two have hints at his future ambient work, but a good portion of his lyrical process consciously employed the concept of word poetry (with an explicit nod to Kurt Schwitters's Ursonate), where individual words were chosen less for meaning than for its inherent sound or emotional tenor.
@@submandave1125 thanks for the recommendations !!
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile would make for a fascinating reaction. Take the layers and sounds of The Downward Spiral and multiply them times 10. Add more experimentation, more melody, more variety, and more pop. Not necessarily a better album or complete work, but an amazing album.
I just discovered your channel man, I’m so so so sorry that your first exposure to industrial metal was the downward spiral, that’s like throwing a baby off a diving board
Most important album about self depreciation that shines light on being truly lost
Have you ever listened to the musician 'Lone' (Matt Cutler)? He's one of my favourites; I found out about Boards of Canada my favourite band/duo of all time through him. BoC had a significant influence on Lone's earlier music but he isn't a musician I would consider a clone or child of BoC. This wouldn't be a bad thing for me because I follow and like such musicians but Lone is distinct enough to stand out on his own. He has produced a combination of house, techno, hiphop and ambient sounding music. If someone was to only check out one album by him, I'd highly recommend 'Galaxy Garden'.
I haven’t maybe I should
Have you heard much industrial music before? NIN are generally considered to be the poster-boys for that genre.
And yea if you wanna get more into the meaning, basically the whole album is a linear story about a guy going mad and then shooting himself.
I grew up listening to NIN. It’s nice to see current reaction videos. Excellent band! I am glad they have been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame 2019. Trent’s music is timeless and has pushed music to the extremes. This record was recorded in the house in Los Angeles on Cielo drive….
It's great that you got to react in a full playthrough since the album is about a man's decent into madness and depression, then eventually suicide
This used to be my favourite album of all time. Slipped down the list a bit, but probably in my top 10. Looking forward to watching later with a beer.
Right at the beginning I thought: that smirk is gonna fade.. :D
I recommend listening to “The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads” by Lift To Experience. Severely underrated band and the album is just beautiful. the ironic album cover makes it better
I could see Reptile being a track about a woman but to me it always felt more like Trent’s song about Heroin. Talking about how she leaves a trail of honey (dead bodies from trafficking and overdosing), how she has been with everyone, how she is beautiful to him but lies about how he truly feels, and how he himself is diseased and impure. I know that Trent came up with this album as an overall idea of a man spiraling into depression, disassociation, isolation, and subjects like drug use, sex abuse, and other topics to cope but also knowing what Trent was going through at the time leads me to believe he was dealing with all of this himself as well. The whole album is a beautiful piece of art and if you haven’t checked it out yet I would highly recommend checking out the album that came after this Fragile, also an amazing piece of work and I would personally put them on the same scale for quality.
can you believe this is the same guy that just co-scored the new TMNT movie? it's amazing too!
The people want JPEGMAFIA
Me = the people, JPEGMAFIA = Injury Reserve
Mostly at Nine Inch Nails concerts we cry and/or hurt ourselves. And those of us who know better hope those off the ground if they’re too fucked up or hurt, though people rarely get crazy this decade or the last.
an album that got me through some of the darkest times in my life. thanks for reviewing!
14:55 is so jokes. Vibing with the music, without missing a second "what are you *talkin* about" haha
NIN (Trent Reznor) with the album "Pretty Hate Machine" was the first to bring popular commercially viable industrial music to the relative masses. It is a classic album you will totally love from start to finish. First time I saw NIN they were opening for Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus) shortly after PHM started getting airplay, and IMHO they totally ruled the night. The venue brough NIN back to open for another band about a month later and I bought tickets specifically to see them again. Don't even remember who had the top billing that night.
2 songs in and I'm loving your ear for the music, even if it's not in your wheelhouse. Keep it up, I'm subbed to see more from ya, I appreciate reactors who take the time to sit down and digest a whole album in one sitting
You cannot talk about the song closer or any other song of this album in a vacuum. It is a concept album. It's a downward spiral talking about addictions, vices, etc
I think you would enjoy his following albums even more. With Teeth, and The Fragile (a personal favorite). Don't worry about the man who wrote it. He's married now, has kids, and even wrote music for a Disney Pixar movie. 😅
This is a very aggressive set of music. What an intro to NIN and into this genera of industrial music.
Trent's later work has less of a lyric shock value and vocal rage to it as his career progresses. I think that was his point, shock and explore the extreme state frame of mind and blast it from all sides without a filter. I strongly advise you to explore his other recordings. There is an evolution as the years pass.
Not easy to digest lol
Almost like it’s been recorded in an industrial setting😂! Great vid! Honestly, if you really never heard nin before, your comments are on point!
I had gotten sober in july of 93 from booze and dope.(still sober today)
My old running buddy Johnny F. got sober around the same time I did.
We saw the 94 show in Mountain View then in 95 saw them and Bowie in 1995 in San Jose.
That was a surreal concert with Bowie and Trent. (Bowie is one of my absolutely favorite artists of all time)
The last time I saw NIN was in Boise Id.
He said there had been a snowstorm in which some of the elements of his light show/production was stranded.
In his words "We're really sorry for the lack of a stage show we'll just play more songs".
I'll take that over stage lights any day of the week.
In short, NIN saved my f*cking sanity as I could relate to This album and Trents angst, in various,multiple ways.
(I was dealing with some pretty serious mental health issues at that time)
Also, an interesting note, the mention of a blue in the song The Downward Spiral.
"Everything's blue
Everything's blue in this world
The deepest shade of mushroom blue"
To me is reminiscent of Bowie's reference to a blue room for the song Sound and Vision.
P.s. My absolute favorite song is Reptile.
It reminded me of a couple of ex's.
Anyways, good to see someone react to this album.
Thanks for the vid.
One of my fave albums, thanks for bringing me down memory lane
Am I the only one who has this weird audio issue when the start of Hurt is playing in the video? It’s like glitchy and weird
Love it or hate it, this was a unique piece of art from a time when music took chances
NIN can be a bit much. You should try their first album, Pretty Hate Machine, it's not as aggressive in your face, more palatable. I saw them play at a small bar in Kansas City in 1990 shortly after Pretty Hate Machine was released and it was ka-ra-zy (good)! The entire bar turned into a mosh pit, I saw several guys come out of their with torn clothes and covered in footprints from head to toe, literally footprints across their face. It was very memorable to say the least. PHM is still my favorite album of theirs. Also, NIN's lead singer, Trent Reznor, is quite a character. He inadvertently faked his own death for quite some time, it's pretty interesting. It's worth a google search if you are bored.
I love your reactions, they are so honestly and unfiltered combined with your charming personality is a winning combo. Keep up the great work.
"The Downward Spiral" is a pretty apt name for this record. Would it surprise you to know that they lived in and recorded the album in a house where an infamous murder took place?
That 5k getting closer and closer! We will be there when it happens, trust me.
Suggestion (Yep, Just one): Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
“nah these lyrics are weird idk why i like this” yeah real
also thank you nine inch nails vocalist Trent Reznor for both the gay awakening and goth awakening
Something I feel a lot of people don’t get when first listening to this album (myself included, don’t feel bad) is that it’s not meant to be a condemnation of god or just hate for the sake of hate, but instead integral parts of a story. The main character starts out as a nihilistic, self-destructive person who doesn’t care about life or death or anything at all, and only cares about the sex and drugs that he knows will kill him. As the album goes on, this mindset and lifestyle spiral out of control and lead him to misery for the life he’s thrown away and self-loathing towards the person he has become. Soon enough, it’s no longer about not caring that he’ll die, but feeling that he deserves to die and wanting it more than anything. That’s what makes Hurt such a powerful song, because it’s in that moment, after he tries to take his own life in the title track, that he realizes that he was completely wrong. That, where he thought his nihilism would keep him safe from his emotions by just not caring about anything, and therefore getting rid of the guilt brought about by his actions. After all, it’s easier to just give up and say nothing matters so I shouldn’t worry about anything bad around me, but that doesn’t mean that it’s right or healthy. Only after his attempt does he realize that the only way he’ll ever get better is if he confronts his feelings and traumas, which scared him so much before that he changed into someone he hated just to get away from them, in order to finally heal. At the end of the album, he says “I will find a way”, showing that while he still has a long way to go, he’s finally ready to face his demons, and hopefully, overcome them.
I wish I could listen to this album for the first time again. Happy birthday to this album today!
I actually have never known anyone who has never heard of nine inch nails….
Its a good day when Smags posts
Just a heads up your chapter for Heresy is labelled as "This is Why", Eraser is labelled as "A Racer" and Reptile is labelled as "A Reptile". Also The Downward Spiral & Hurt were just not chaptered
You should really check out his first album Pretty Hate Machine. It's my favourite of his honestly. SImilar vibes and production ideas at times but with a distinct 80's hardware tinge to it
Good video (you should listen to a Can album soon)
A Frank Zappa, Daniel Johnston, and Tom Waits album would be cool too
Swordfish trombones!
Which one
@@smags1082Ege Bamyasi
@@mr.froglegs agree
If you liked this, I really feel like you'd be into A Perfect Circles "Thirteenth Step"
Another concept album steeped with deep meaning and intense thematic imagery, plus it's got Maynard James Keenan on vocal duties, and he delivers a suitably bombastic performancen
You should react to I Robot by the Alan Parsons Project. It's made by Alan Parsons, the guy who did the engineering of The Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd. I Robot makes heavy up front use of synths, which was very unusual and innovative for the 70s due to computerized sound not being very advanced, giving the album a very futuristic sound, though in the more stereotypical way.
Lol “ I feel like this whole album takes place inside a factory” def why it’s called industrial music
Lol, Trent Reznor is definitely doing just fine after this album. He's gone on to win Academy Awards for his composing work. I think to really appreciate this music you had to live in the time it came out in a way. For people that grew up in the 80s and 90s he's a legend and musical genius.
yooo the people want more Ween 🙏🙏 and if you dont want to, you should definitely check Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun literally listened to it like 2 days ago and its a neo soul masterpiece dude
The becoming is the most underrated song on this album. Its basically Trent becoming NiN .
He did get sober! The Fragile is a great album as well, the next album is his discography. Awesome reaction, I haven’t seen someone do the full album.
I probably wouldn't still be here if it weren't for Trent Reznor's music. I may be biased, but In my opinion this is the greatest album of all time, and I 100% believe his music will still be studied hundreds of years down the road.
"You get me closer to god" lyric isn't necessarily a contradiction; you can not believe in any supernatural being without evidence and still write a lyric with a metaphor about how having sex makes you forget yourself and get closer to "enlightenment".
I was in high school when this came out. Still one of my favorites today.
Best reaction and review of this album I’ve seen so far. I would recommend some tracks from The Fragile or With Teeth, like "The Wretched", "Only", "The Hand That Feeds" or "Into The Void", to see how he progressed since ‘94. Also their first album Pretty Hate Machine to see where he began
Pretty Hate Machine, Broken, then Downward Spiral. The triumvirate of nihilism. You jumped into the deep end. Kudos