Amazon.com

Trent Reznor has always been a one-trick-pony, but it's a damn good trick: sunny melodies filtered through ferocious electronics. Unfortunately, the trick's impact was often watered down by a tendency toward petulance and self-absorption. Still, almost six years after NIN's last release, The Fragile, the trick itself has lost none of its Teen-Beat-from-hell appeal. With Teeth blisters from the start with "All the Love in the World," and tracks like "The Collector" take full advantage of Dave Grohl's sledgehammer drumming. Reznor stretches occasionally, trying out different tactics, from crunchy, overtly commercial rave-ups ("The Hand That Feeds") to borderline New Wave ("Only"). But Teeth isn't about stretching. It's about doing the same trick, only better, with less clutter and more bite. By neatly distilling the sparseness of Pretty Hate Machine with Downward Sprial-style density, it ends up being the most focused record in the NIN catalog. –Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (312)

Best Nine Inch Nails album since "Pretty Hate Machine"
First, I have been a fan of NIN since its debut album back in 1991 when I was in high school. And I have followed this band all through college and grad school and I have to say that this is by and large their best effort since "Pretty Hate Machine"

I listened to entire album twice before writing this review and I have to say, I LOVE IT!

This is the album that should have followed "Pretty Hate Machine". PHM is by far NIN's best, but this comes a second close. Whereas "The Fragile" and the "Downward Spiral" and even the EP "Broken" were an exhausting orgy of noise and aural chaos, this album is well crafted and tight; it's hardcore yet melodic.

All the tracks are good, but the best are (in my opinion):

1) All the world in the world
3) The collector
4) The hand that feeds
5) Love is not enough
6) Every day is exactly the same
9) Getting smaller
13) Right where it belongs

Enjoy!

This guy is 40 and he has a number one album
When you mention NIN to anyone, the past music could be summed up with one word: angst. Even though much of Trent Reznor's last album was unfocused and weird, besides being very non-commercial, you can only be angry and full of angst for so long, to a point where that becomes clichÎ. Reznor wisely took a long break. He reformed the band, which includes Jeordie White. This album is also 13 tracks just over fifty minutes. Reznor has learned that less is more. The songs are brilliant. "All The Love In The World" and "You Know What You Are?" show immediately the soft and the hard side of the same coin. Then we get to the weird world of "The Collector" where all music collides. Three tracks in you realize that Reznor has decided to get more interesting on the percussion. The drum sounds are almost a fusion of drum and bass and rock drumming. "The Hand That Feeds" is a political song that recalls early NIN. Reznor proves that he hasn't lost his edge. Most of his current emotions are dealt with on "Love Is Not Enough." He makes a lot of noise and takes us to new NIN vistas. He even plays around with retro 1980s synth sounds on "Only." Punk rock and metal pop are words to describe "Getting Smaller." Reznor has made an interesting album that looks to the past and looks to the future. Not many records sound like this right now, so good for him.

Bad Pop, Even Worse Rock, and Terrible Industrial
I thought Trent was better than this. Almost every track is boring emo garbage with little to no electronic work. I've never really liked his vocal work, but here it just deflates because he has few to no catchy melodies. The good tracks are "The Hand That Feeds," "Only," "Beside You In Time" (which is nice and experimental) and "Right Where It Belongs."

The Fragile was good for its length and fairly catchy melodies. The Downward Spiral was good for its lyrics, repeating melody, and storyline. Pretty Hate Machine was good for its vast sparseness and minimalism. Get those if you haven't.

Don't be fooled; With Teeth has none of NIN's redeeming qualities or songs which will stick. Trent seems to have sold out just about completely now.

With Teeth is good!
I enjoyed With Teeth very much. I have been a fan for many years. And I think this CD is just as good as all the other Nine Inch Nails records.All of the 13 songs are different in a way.All of the NIN music has changed over the years and that is a reason that I like their work.
Trent is still a bright Artist. Some of the amazing songs in this album are All The Love In The World, Only, Sunspots, The Line Begins To Blur, Beside You In Time, and Right Where It Belongs.

If you buy this album you should try and get the 5.1 DUALDISC, it sound really amazing!
I think this album is a step forward in Nine Inch Nails music making.
The drumming is really well done for the records as well.
This new NIN won't disappoint at all.

Hate Pretty Machines
Trent's thunderously technological turbulence reaches a new zenith with the new album.I was a skeptic; initially, I thought Reznor wouldn't be able to outdo the Downward Spiral.In the end, I was right . . . because Reznor smartly doesn't try to.

Instead, the new album feels more organic.Reznor has hired out more guns to play (instead of playing an insane Beethoven and recording all his own tracks) and that has seemed to help.The first single, "The Hand That Feeds", has true punch but lacks the resonance of, say, the Greatful Dead releasing "Casey Jones."Further, Trent is good but Jerr Bear is better.Set the new NIN release aside and don't worry - your local alt station will play it over and over to drill it all into your cranium anyhow.

I do appreciate Trent offering up tracks to Apple users to remix and bushwhack at will.That struck me as open and cool; in fact, reverse my previous non-recommendation.Run out and by two copies of the new album for you and your mother,Check Amazon now; my used one is for sale right now.

And Trent just wants to play on em-tee-vee in front of a simplistic Bush backdrop and they won't let him?What's a rage-ridden rocker to do?Can rock and roll ban even the hint of rebellion?Yes, Trent has aged, and, yes, many of the beats feel (or are overtly) retro, but isn't everything? Everything is built on what came before it.Deal with it, buy the album, and enjoy it.Then, as the lights draw low, go groove to the Dead.

Trent makes forty seem fabulous !! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Trent Reznor has always been a one-trick-pony, but it's a damn good trick: sunny melodies filtered through ferocious electronics. Unfortunately, the trick's impact was often watered down by a tendency toward petulance and self-absorption. Still, almost six years after NIN's last release, The Fragile, the trick itself has lost none of its Teen-Beat-from-hell appeal. With Teeth blisters from the start with "All the Love in the World," and tracks like "The Collector" take full advantage of Dave Grohl's sledgehammer drumming. Reznor stretches occasionally, trying out different tactics, from crunchy, overtly commercial rave-ups ("The Hand That Feeds") to borderline New Wave ("Only"). But Teeth isn't about stretching. It's about doing the same trick, only better, with less clutter and more bite. By neatly distilling the sparseness of Pretty Hate Machine with Downward Sprial-style density, it ends up being the most focused record in the NIN catalog. –Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (112)

With Teeth is good!
I enjoyed With Teeth very much. I have been a fan for many years. And I think this CD is just as good as all the other Nine Inch Nails records.All of the 13 songs are different in a way.All of the NIN music has changed over the years and that is a reason that I like their work.
Trent is still a bright Artist. Some of the amazing songs in this album are All The Love In The World, Only, Sunspots, The Line Begins To Blur, Beside You In Time, and Right Where It Belongs.

If you buy this album you should try and get the 5.1 DUALDISC, it sound really amazing!
I think this album is a step forward in Nine Inch Nails music making.
The drumming is really well done for the records as well.
This new NIN won't disappoint at all.

Good, very solid, but not Great.
This album is perfectly produced, every note is hit right, every thing is in its place.It's superbly done and well crafted, both musically and in the recording.However, there is nothing new here.It seems bland and too thought out.Nothing grabs you.There is no "Terrible Lie" or "Closer" here.All the songs are good and because of that all of them get lost.There are some jazz-esque type moments on the first track and repeated in another song or two but it does not make them stand out.This album is boring in every way.

With Teeth, angst all grown up... sort of.
Trent Reznor is back with another trip through his psyche in With Teeth, and this time, it's a rock and roll trip. Six years after the release of his last studio album, The Fragile Trent brings us an album that at face value has a alt-rock sound, yet has all the underpinnings of a true Nine Inch Nails release. The album is subtly complex full of the layering fans would expect from a follow up to Downward Spiral and The Fragile, but may not be immediately aware of them as they blend in so naturally with the composition. With Teeth separates itself from its predecessors with high energy tracks throughout the album, with a notable exception of the quiet Right Where It Belongs. Driving this energy is the rock record finish on this album of trashy guitars and driving percussion, a majority of the live percussion done by Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. The emotion of the album shows in Trents signature vocals and a matured version of angst and anger in the lyrics and music. Longtime fans may miss the abundance of harsh synthesizers and wildly distorted guitar found in previous albums.

With Teeth is rife with the sound of rock clichés spun through the industrial machine that is Nine Inch Nails. The first single from the album "The Hand That Feeds" is commercial rock so riddled with clichéd questions and just as if not more compelling then Closer was when it was released. Edges of punk rock come out in Getting Smaller, and Only has a opening and a synth line that could have come straight out of an 80's new wave hit. Sunspots stands out sounding like something that R.E.M. might have done coming out of a week-long drug bender. Something that surprised me so much to find on a Nine Inch Nails album that I had to replay the track several times, Right Where It Belongs has a definite country western bend to it and could have been this albums Hurt given a different treatment. With multiple plays I am positive any listener will be able to draw lines connecting the sounds of With Teeth to all corners of the rock genre.

I applaud Trent and the marketing at Nothing Records for providing everything this or any album needs for the art that is the entire package to survive in the digital age. Neither physical format of the album comes with much more liner notes than a track listing and a web link to find all the information at a page for the album on nin.com including downloadable PDF versions to print and save.

NIN FUTURE
It's so good to have NIN back.
I;ve listened the entire album for 3 times and it's still amazing me.
There are so many bands that have been influenced by NIN like TOOL,Linkin Park, etc... that we allways expect something new and different from Trent Reznor.
With TEETH is a complete different album from the others NIN's works but it still have the NIN essence.
For me The best song in the album is "Beside you in time".
I'ts a masterpiece and i see the Future of NIN there.
NINE INCH NAILS NO TE ME MUERAS NUNCA

Open Letter to Mr. Trent Reznor
For the last 6 years, while you were busy doing heroin and whacking off to Shakira videos, you forced the rest of us to endure the likes of Nickelback and frickin' Rob Thomas.
But we forgive you.
It is so good to have you back.
... Read more

Album Description

The first single to be lifted from the 2005 album,'White Teeth'. This UK limited edition includes three versions of the title track,Album Version, Photek Straight Remix and Photek Dub. Interscope. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

the hand of the artist should have been in this
rockin' song with great energy dampered only by the limited number of versions. Why go to the trouble of cutting a disc like this without giving the consumer 5 or 6 versions of the song? Trent should know better, being the music fan that he is.

I think it's solid.
Remember all that garbage social music you've heard for years now?Please let it go.Don't call that music 'pop music', call it 'Disney Dollars'.

What do I mean?I might know...

I've been a NIN fan all the long.Trent's certain breed of music has always had a bitter aftertaste.I think there's a point there.

Let's talk about 'The Hand That Feeds'.Musicaly, any other time than now, this would be wrong.I thought a long time ago that once computer screen resolutions where so high that no normal person could see individual pixels... at that time, at this time...the mosiac effect is effective artisticaly.So, that in mind along with what everybody really has noticed these last 10 years... 'The Hand That Feeds' is the best song I've heard in a long time....and it's all done in that walking talk the talk in NIN style; acceptable now for a social setting.

The lyrics in 'The Hand That Feeds' has the most clever double meaning contained in there.I don't think anybody is catching it.

So, I'm a little disturbed that everybody misses the point.If this isn't an original song... what is?I wonder what the kids would say to answer that question?Maybe something about Incubus or... uh... Jay Z...

Lastly, if you don't know who Photek is... You probably won't get the remixes.You don't listen to something extendedly titled [Dub Mix] and be disgusted when it's the type of thing to play in club that's not too busy playing irresponsible dry-hump music that has spoken lyrics about killing gangstas.Yeeeaaah!

Nobody wants to change it.

There've Been Better, But There've Been Worse
ALBUM MIX: I'm not going to bother much with this; we've all heard it, it's a great song, let's hear it for Nine Inch Nails, yay.

STRAIGHT MIX: Interesting extended take on the original, and well-done.There's not much actual remixing - other than the techno beat, the "whispering" and the "horror movie synths" near the bridge (which were great), it stays mostly true to the album version - but that doesn't stop it from being a good listen, and it's just as catchy as the album version.I especially liked when the music mostly drops out in favour of the vocals at 3:53; it was a nice touch, one that probably should've been part of the album cut.Either way, not bad.

DUB MIX: It's a house version.What can be said about that, really?Trent's occasional voice adds something, and the beat and guitar/synth loops are infectious enough with this mix that it doesn't fall COMPLETELY flat... but you're probably not going to want to listen to it too often.Decent.

OVERALL: I'd rather spend my money on Things Falling Apart or Further Down The Spiral, of course... but this was supposed to be a single, not a remix album, and as such, it's not bad.Worth a few quid, but don't bump it to the top of your list.

SIDE NOTE: Trent is SO not fat; my bandmate Aeon and I saw him a few days ago, and he's as ripped as he ever was.

For diehards only.
Let me start by putting out a couple of my biases before getting into this review-- first, I relaly don't care for remixes as a rule, unless they're dramatic and severely restructure a song, I generally find they add little.Second, I really don't care for "The Hand That Feeds".

Having said that, the piece is presented in three mixes, the album version, the Straight mix, and the Dub mix.The album version has a catchy, circular guitar line and a straightahead drum beat that's actually decent until the bridge with this bizarrely irritating spoken wordish section.Just doesn't work.

The remixes fare no better-- the Straight mix adds different rock beats and an extended introduction that eventually becomes tedious, the dub mix layers a grating sustained guitar note over a beat and a mumbled repeated take on the chorus.

If you're a fan, get it.If not, skip this one, there's good reasons it wasn't released in the U.S.

SAD.Pathetic.Lame.Desperate.
Trent, sweetie, we know you want another radio single and to sell a TON of merch on your new tour.

Good luck, baby cakes.

This song sounds like a fourth-rate Utah band with a CD rack full of Halos.

Really sad.Without a doubt, the lamest of all NIN singles.

Silly, sad, fat Trent doesn't understand that he owes his "fame" to Mark Romanek and the catchphrase "I want to BLEEP you like an animal."

NIN is dead.At least we still have The Downward Spiral and Broken.

This single is too stupid for a single star. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Considered the breakthrough album that delivered a more palatable version of industrial music to the commercial audience, Pretty Hate Machine left its dingy mark on pop culture. The abrasive "sonarchy" of the album was first churned by despondent club-goers who roiled with the rhythms and aligned with the angst-ridden convictions. Since its release, the album's tempered deviations came to signify an aesthetic reverie for machine-driven martyrdom. Permeated by hissing engines and dissonant strains, the tracks cascade outside channels of modern complacency. Hits like "Head Like a Hole" and "Down in It" are recognized by the acidic beats, piercing riffs, and lyrical hostilities which snare the listener with disparaging rhapsody. Not for the light-headed, Pretty Hate Machine afflicts the inner sanctum and strikes a nerve. --Lucas Hilbert ... Read more

Reviews (279)

Once upon a time, there was a man named Trent Reznor........
That's what I'll be saying to my grandkids in the future, when Nine Inch nails is firmly set as a music phenomenon and Trent Reznor is a legend everywhere you go. This album is the first of the group, and the album that really brought industrial music into the eyes of the world. It would definitely be safe to say that NIN is not only an industrial band, it is THE industrial band. Trent Reznor is a musical genius, and this album proves it. The songs are eerie and electronic, very powerful in a slow, forboding sort of way. The best song on this album is the first, Head Like a Hole. Terrible Lie follows, another masterpiece, and soon your mind is set that Nine Inch nails are no disposable trash. Alot of great, dark bands have come along recently. Marilyn Manson, KoRn, Cradle of Filth, but Trent Reznor will always hold a special place in my heart.

Black As Your Soul
Nine Inch Nails' incredible debut album Pretty Hate Machine is a personal favourite of mine and one of the most consistently good albums I have ever listened to. Each and every track is of a Grade-A standard and the album contains essential NIN tracks such as "Head Like A Hole", "Terrible Lie", "Down In It" and "Sin", but really, they're all essential. The opening track and alternative radio hit "Head Like A Hole" is a classic example of great industrial rock, with it's thrashy guitar and gloomy synthesizers, though it's not really indicative of the rest of the album. In fact, unlike subsequent releases, there is very little guitar at all on this album. Trent Reznor utilizes walls of synthesizers and electronic noise to generate a stark and bleak sound. Overall, the album is more accessable than other Nine Inch Nails albums but still dark and caustic, despite having catchy melodies. Lyrically Trent Reznor tackles such subject matter as betrayal, disillusionment and loss of identity. All the good stuff. Pretty Hate Machine is a marvel, and (dare I say it?) a work of genious. A true classic.

freekin excellent
by far the best nine inch nails album ever. I remember buying this from the local record store on vinyl back in 89. My mind spun watching the blue and pink decals twist on the turn table forming this wierd filament of psychodelic colors; WAY cool!. Despite this being an 80s album, this music would still be considered hot today. This record has so much variety in the techno/ industrial genres let alone Reznors other albums. This one is unique and a must have for all nine inch nail fans.

Yummy
Seems like I get to everything late in the game, but better late than never, eh? I thoroughly enjoyed the entire disc, finding nothing to skip over every time I listened. Favorite tracks were "Down in it" and "Kinda I want to." "Something I Can Never Have" struck a cord. PRETTY HATE MACHINE hit a good two weeks on my "sit-and-spin-in-my-player" ranking. Two weeks of good, solid listening. I found what little profanity there was appropriate and not enough to make me roll my eyes.

this cd never cools off!
Ok you know how when after you finish playing a CD, when you take it out, its warm? This CD has not cooled off since i got it 2 days ago. I probbally listend to it like 50 times in 2 days. I'm obsessed with it, as soon as it finishes playing, i hit play again. Most of the time, im not really listening to it, but it makes great back ground music. It's also awesome if your "actually paying attention" to the CD. I definatly recomend this CD. If you wana get to know nine inch nails, get this. ... Read more

Album Description

Originally released in 1994, Trent Reznor created THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL as both a concept album and modern day classic. This influential 90’s classic is Trent Reznor’s industrial cum-tragic opera view of the world and the soul’s sonically detailed fall from grace. The Downward Spiral delves into despair and anger with hard guitars and brutal beats.

DUAL DISC VERSION (CD & DVD on one disc)

CD SIDE: Includes entire album in Re-Mastered CD Stereo

DVD SIDE: * Video in surround sound and Stereo of "Closer" * Videos of "March of the Pigs" and "Hurt" * Entire album in Stereo and Advanced Resolution Surround Sound * Entire album in Dolby Digital Surround Sound and Stereo * Image Gallery * Complete Discography * Random DVD menus * Surround Sound mixes by Trent Reznor ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Trent Reznor took five years to record this monstrous double-CD set, wielding a perfectionist's touch in the production and the subtlety of a chainsaw in the musicianship. The result is uncompromising, full of hysterical noise and yet utterly accessible. Somehow, someway, this is one of the best pop records of the year. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (963)

Did the music grow up with the fans?
I was 15 when The Downward Spiral was released, now I'm 21. When I first heard about the new album I wondered if Trent's rage would still be applicable to me six years later. Well, it isn't really - but Reznor's musical ability can make almost any statement applicable to me.

The first song on this CD absolutely blew my socks off. It sounded like a mixture of Korn and an angry Tom Waits. As I continued through the CD I noticed the mass amount of time and effort put in to each track. Some almost sounded influenced by PJ Harvey, while other tracks were straight up rock and roll out of NIN's history. Now I see why this is an album that took a long time to assemble. As much as I love this CD - already - it has its downfalls just like any other. The biggest being its overwhelming size. 1 CD of Trent can be a lot to take, 2 can just be mind boggling. Also, much like in the past, sometimes Trent can leave the impression of being overly whiney when most of the material deals with how other people constantly dissatisfy him. But, over all I think this is going to be one of the last "most important records of the 90's."

I just hope future installments are a little more timely.

Beautifully Crafted Soundscapes From Mastermind Reznor
It took Trent Reznor five years to craft and touch up the double disc THE FRAGILE. When you play the whole 2-CD set from start to finish, you can't help but appreciate the results with uncompromising validity.

There are angry rockers on here like the in-your-face scathing of "No, You Don't", the subdued tempest of "Into The Void" with it's hopeless theme, and the ferocious snap at NIN imitators that is "Starfucker's Inc.", with its easy-to-remember chorus. Contrasting these moments are pleasant interludes like the gorgeous piano instrumental "The Frail", the haunting but slow-charging title track, the love song thrash of first single "We're In This Together", and the atmospheric and hauntingly melodic and memorable rocker "The Day The World Went Away".

The instrumentals on this double disc treat range from the sinister apocalyptic "Pilgrimage", to the haunting and deadly "Ripe With Decay", the aforementioned beauty "The Frail", and the haunting "La Mer" with it's absolutely catchy beat.

There are also tracks reminiscent of earlier Reznor works, like the opening caustic "Somewhat Damaged" and the fragile anger of "The Wretched", which reminds me of the seething "Reptile".

All in all, THE FRAGILE only continues what THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL began, and Trent Reznor shows us over the course of 100 minutes and 23 songs why he remains an important figure in the realm of industrial rock music. He's a genius, and THE FRAGILE proves that even at wit's end, Reznor is here to stay.

a musical masterpeice
Trent Reznor is an extremely talented singer and song writer. His writing is perfect, music is mezmerizing and wonderfully crafted. He has a message that should be heard: the world is not all daisys and fairytales. In my opinion, his music is not intended for the mainstream pop culture. It is simply intended to tell a story that in in is mind. The music has an appeal to the deepest parts of the soul. In my opinion, this is the perfect album to sit back and reassess the thoughts and views of such a horrible time we live in.

The end of the nineties dream...
I was amazed at how many people didn't buy this album because they said it wasn't nine inch nails... This album was Trent showing how human he really was, as with evidence in the lyrics and song titles referring to a piece of fruit (ie opening with Somewhat Damaged and ending with Ripe (with Decay)). Experimental, heartfelt, and totally dreamy. Despite all the hype that predated this album, i think it stood up to it. In a musical world of mediocrity this album stands the test of time. Especially now in 2004 where everyone whines exactly the same about how great high school was and other emotional barren themes, people need to discover the truth and vitology that thrives within this album. Listen to it from beginning to end... It may speak to your heart as it did to mine.

A gem.
There is nothing wrong with The Fragile. The problem with the critics and fans is that they were expecting another, The Downward Spiral from Reznor. Every artist, upon each new release, no matter how great they are, mature a little more. Reznor is no exception. His music is more melodic rather than a bunch of noise clashed together, which is what they call industrial. I loved The Downward Spiral, but there's something about The Fragile that's just so great. It took Reznor five years to write, record, and produce this monsterous LP. Reznor is releasing another album in 2004, title pending as "Bleedthrough". I am anticipating this release because I know that it'll be yet another masterpiece from Reznor. ... Read more

Album Description

Originally released in 1994, Trent Reznor created THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL as both a concept album and modern day classic. This influential 90’s classic is Trent Reznor’s industrial cum-tragic opera view of the world and the soul’s sonically detailed fall from grace. The Downward Spiral delves into despair and anger with hard guitars and brutal beats.

This SACD/Hybrid DELUXE EDITION of THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL celebrates the 10 Anniversary of the modern masterpiece.

DELUXE EDITION includeds 2 hybrid SACD/CDs:Disc One - The original album in SACD Surround Sound (remixed by Trent Reznor), and newly remastered SACD Stereo and CD Stereo program.Disc Two - Bonus material (13 B-Sides, Remixes, and Rarities) in SACD Stereo and CD Stereo. ... Read more

Album Description

Shaking off the conventions and cliches of the EBM and futurepop genres, VNV Nation have crafted a work of art. From haunting, quiet beauty to introspective depths, to dance floor anthems, "Matter + Form" is an album crafted to move not only bodies on the dance floor, but hearts as well. VNV Nation is the new face of electronic music. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

What is truth
VNV Nation is one easily one of best bands in the EBM/futurepop genre as well as in general. I first discovered thema couple of years ago with their last studio album "Futureperfect". I was completely awestruck by their abilities to fuse haunting lyrics and melodies with a blend of industrial and synthpop beats. Ronan Harris writes some of the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard (i.e "Beloved").

I finally obtained a copy of "Matter + Form". I personally love this album. I think it is great that the band continues to evolve with their sound. I think it would be dull for a band like VNV Nation to stick with one particular sound. It may work for bands like AC/DC but I think in VNV's case, they should be allowed to grow as a band. While there is no "Beloved" to be found on this album per say, the songs are far from lacking a good hook. I dug the industrial-influenced tracks "Chrome" and "Arena". They really set the tone of the album and I hope the band plays one or both of those songs live next month in concert. "Colours of Rain" is a beautiful haunting instrumental. "Homeward" is another personal favorite track of mine that I find myself hitting the replay button on.

I thought "Matter + Form" is a solid follow-up to "Futureperfect". I thought the general overall sound of "Matter + Form" was more aggressive than the band's previous two albums because of songs like "Arena" and "Perpetual" (another personal favorite track of mine). It is definitely one of the best albums of the year so far. I can't wait to see the band live in conert next month.

Uninspired
Whenever I've listened to a VNV Nation album, I've always been struck by how interesting and innovative the group is, even if I don't particularly enjoy every song on the album.There's still a sort of appreciation for trying to create something truly unique, something only VNV Nation could do.

Most of the tracks on Matter and Form are sub-par for what I expect from VNV Nation, and come nowhere near matching the quality of their earlier works.

There's an intro track on M+F, however it does nothing to set the mood for the rest of the album; it's essentially a minute and a half of sci-fi sounds that make you anticipate something dark and unknown, which really doesn't fit how the rest of the album feels.

Chrome is the only song on this album I have any sympathy for, as you can tell that a lot of time was put into the song to make it so great.It almost sticks out like a sore thumb on the album since the majority of the lyrical pieces on M+F are slow and ballad like (think Airships from Futureperfect, which I wasn't particularly a fan of).

The instrumental pieces are great tracks to fall asleep to, most of which are boring techno pieces that sound like the same 10 second sound clip looped over and over for a few minutes.

I'd recommend purchasing Praise The Fallen, Empires, Futureperfect, or if you can find it, Advance and Follow instead of this album if you do not have them.Or, check out something by Assemblage 23.

actually 2 1/2 stars to be exact
only has a couple good songs.about 5 or 6 of the songs are just instrumental, which i hate for this type of music.they are usually boring and stupid.It feels like i paid 15 bucks for only 5 or 6 songs.
I like VNV nation and love their last 2 albums, past perfect and empires but this one did not impress me.
save your money and download the only 2 decent songs that are on there.

Fantastic
"Chrome" and "Perpetual" are among the best of VNV and EBM. Great, great CD.

Not Quite the New Face of FuturePop
Like most fans of VNV, I too could sense that something in the way of a major shift had to occur. I mean Ronan might as well have said it directly on the "Futureperfect" DVD. He noted that the electro industrial scene undergoes a major shift about every 5 years or so. All of us then did the quick mental math to realize that VNV had taken over the scene about 5 years prior. Therefore he was saying that the scene, and his band too, needed to shake things up. In listening to this it almost seems as though VNV felt that everyone was looking to them to take that bold step and become the new face of whatever the new sound would be. Given that mindset I find "M&F" to be a major disappoint and, for the most part, a failure.

I think the only fully realized song is the single "Chrome"; it manages to be a clubsmasher while changing things enough to really break out of the confines of their earlier work. The synth sounds utilized recall nothing of prior songs, while the vocals are spun in a way that is fresh for Ronan. Outside of this I find some glaring flaws. The intro is a useless throwaway piece and I'm really tired of industrial bands thinking that they can get away with this. I don't mind simple mood setters but this has no value (if you have 17 tracks then a few fillers might be alright, but not on a 10-track album). Far too many tracks do not have vocals and they are not strong enough instrumentals to really stand on their own merit. Several are formulaic trance numbers that would work as decent dancefloor sets for lesser artists but fall flat here. One of the better tracks is nothing more than a rewrite of "Airships" from the previous album. If it's a bold new direction you are looking for, then please do not write a song built out of the exact same presets as a previous hit. "Homeward" is a very nice track but it's one that Covenant has written about 30 times already, no? I love the sound but it really isn't much to brag about creatively.

All in all, it's a pretty good album but it does nothing to resolve the "where is this freakin' scene heading?" question. While offering glimpses of brilliance it falls back too often on its predecessors and fails frequently when new ground is covered. It pains me to say that as an old fan with great respect for the artist, but I simply have to disagree with many others who I believe are overlooking flaws out of love for the artist rather than being honest with themselves. I've tried to give this album more than a fair chance, but after 20+ listens I just can't kid myself any longer. Generally I applaud it when bands try to do something new, but in this case they didn't have the guts to go nearly far enough. They got caught in between taking an artistic stand and giving us what they thought we wanted... an unpleasant compromise. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Nine Inch Nails are a pretty amazing phenomenon when one considers what they--um, he--have done with just a few studio recordings. The Downward Spiral, NIN's second full-length album, is just as packed with vitriol as Pretty Hate Machine and the EP Broken--and has just as solid a base of pop hooks that go a long way toward explaining NIN's popularity. Most recognizable is the down-tempo single "Closer," which remains a staple of dance clubs everywhere. But for the most part, the album is all heavy beats and aggressive guitars--industrial music with a pop angle. That winning combination is what makes Trent Reznor a law unto himself, becoming insanely popular while the main body of industrial music retains its subculture status. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (471)

One of essential 90s records
Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails is something of a cultural phenomenon. While being a fairly abrasive industrial act with a touch of underground flavor, it still had all the attention of the masses (that is, until Marylin Manson showed up on stage), and gained popularity that most other bands will never see even in their dreams. This album is NIN's best so far, it represents Reznor's creativity well and shows what this is all about.

Having both feet planted firmly in the legacy of industrial gods Ministry, Nine Inch Nails managed to add all the popular influences of the era to this timeless classic. One thing that's clearly audible is a bow towards grunge. I'll even go as far as calling this record "Nirvana plays in a steels factory".

Describing this album is pointless. It has to be heard. It combines angst, sadness, frustration, fun and violence, all in one. These feelings aren't in the lyrics alone, they also shine through every instrumental track and sample out there. Playing, programming and overall execution is superb, absolute perfection. This is a top-notch industrial metal album, one of the 4 CDs that define the genre (also included Ministry "Psalm 69", Fear Factory "Demanufacture" and White Zombie "Astro Creep 2000"). Unless you are allergic to hard-hitting music, or grunge-styled lyrics, you'll want to buy this record.

And in case you were wondering, yes, I think this Trent Reznor's record alone is by far superior to anything Marylin Manson (Reznor's creation, by the way) ever put out.

Not music, ART
This album is truly life-changing! One of the most uncompromising albums ever, it took me over a year of constant listening (i just didn't get it the first time i heard it) until i finally realized its genius. I hated it, i was truly offended by the lyrics and evil-sounding music, but in the end discovered that these are what makes the album great. i have yet to hear anything so angry and full of despair and pure pain (next in line would be BROKEN, also by nin). this leaves no doubt in my mind that trent is crazy or really (mad), not just faking it. it still disturbs and provokes me, and i hear some new sounds every time i listen to it. so deep and intricate. unlike a typical electronic album, nin doesn't abandon guitars (the amazing solo on "ruiner") or bass (good basslines throughout, including "piggy", "mr. self destruct", etc) OR even drums (half the songs have significant percussion intros or elsewhere, especially the fantastic work at the end of "piggy"). some of the most genuinely creepy and abrasive sounds you will ever hear. every song is different, every song is important, and as most know its a concept album which takes the listener on a sick twisted journey through the spiral of hell! every song is like its own demented world that creates unbearable tension and a variety of feelings. the ONLY time i ever listen to it is at night, all the lights off, laying in bed just really hearing it... it actually doesn't sound that good in the daytime as a "car album" or something... TRY IT, it actually left me scared at night when i first did it! anyways, THE FRAGILE is fantastic but trent will never outdo this. this album stands as a masterpiece that captured the purest of all the most loathable creepy-crawly feelings wrapped into genius songwriting talent and a sonic explosion that has yet to be paralleled! good listening!

hot topic ??? the nirvana of industrial music
you call this crap music, my grandma makes better... get into real music with real guitars not this satanic techno crap... try children of bodom, pink floyd, or the cars if you want nice keyboard

Don't expect anything.
This is not an industrial CD. This is not a rock CD. This is not a pop CD. Those who would hate TDS do so because they listen to it expecting it to sound like something else. Read the reviews, either it's someone complaining that they only liked "Closer" and the rest sucked, or that NIN pales compared to "other" industrial groups.

If ever a CD could be considered an audio suicide note, this may very well be it. The lyrics are not always the most creative, but they will hit you harder than any others. I believe the strongest segment of the CD lies in three songs: Ruiner, The Becoming, and I Do Not Want This. These songs so fiercely cast the world away and place Trent deep in his mind that I found it actually difficult to listen to them at certain times.

Unlike so many other groups of ANY genre, Trent has no problem with using absolutely everything at his disposal to create a sound he wants. He won't limit himself to slow bass grooves, chorused pianos, or a distorted guitar when the mood calls for it. And therein lies the greatest strength of the CD as a whole: not only do the words perfectly capture his emotion, but the sounds as well. The blistering noise while he screams "Don't you tell me how I feel", the quiet vulnerability of the final notes of Hurt (I personally think the Quiet version is better, the final chords here are a little too harsh), every note and every sound is specificall engineered to put across EXACTLY the emotion Trent wants.

I believe "Closer" to be the dividing point of the CD. Those who prefer the more "predictable" songs will most likely listen to the first half only. From "Ruiner" onward, the CD takes on the tone of someone whose mind is falling apart, until the title track. "Hurt" itself is an epilogue to the story.

The other beautiful part of TDS is that unlike most "angst-rock" groups, Trent's anger is just as directed toward himself as the rest of the world, if not more so. As said, "Closer" is a confession to weakness, not a random misogynist club song. Read the lyrics. Much of the hatred felt here is toward the self, which is probably why it resonates so deeply with so many. And more so than that, it sounds genuine. Few artists create music that sounds like it was made with little concern for the fans and record sales, and when a CD sells this many copies it may be hard to believe that this could apply, but it does. Even fans of Burn and PHM found this to be a shock.

A masterpiece, and a story. Listen without any preconceived notions of what NIN is and you'll find yourself enthralled. 10/10

Not what you think
People always seem to not realize that this album is not something that you just listen to for "Closer". It is a concept album based on one's depression and his degredation through sex, drugs, rejection of religion, and other things where you see them. The whole album is just a novel of sorts...

mr self destruct- the table of contents, an epilogue of what's to come.

piggy- the real beginning IMO, the place where everything starts to come apart

heresy- ok, you must understand that this is part of the spiral and not a real f-you to religion, but the character is saying there can't be a God for all this to happen to him

march of the pigs- the character blows off society

closer-the character uses sex as a crutch to lift himself out of depression...he tries to get closer to God

ruiner-again the depression screws up everything that he picked up through "closer", and nothing can stop him now

the becoming-the character becomes someone else, not him...you can say he's finally posessed and powerless

i do not want this-just listen Trent and the depression are in dialogue with each other...again "he wants to do something that matters" as the lyrics quote...

then it gets crazy!!!

big man with a gun-about violation and overpowering through sex, shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot as the lyrics say

a warm place-the morning after "big man with a gun" he finds solace after the sexual assault in the previous track

eraser-basically about self-rejection

reptile-again degredation through sex though even more severe...relates to prostitution

the downward spiral-the character is fed up with his problems..he imagines what it would be like to kill himself..

hurt- the finally undoing, the only thing that's real is the pain he feels from the suicide...(if i could start again, a million miles away, i would keep myself, i would find a way)

i suggest reading the lyrics in the booklet while listening to the album on headphones....in the booklet the pictures gradually get more and more violent, then you'll see the overall point of the album..

in it's form, i really have to say that this is one of the best concept albums ever...that's why i have to give it 5 stars, listen it to it ALL the way through and you won't be disappointed ... Read more

Amazon.com

As a placeholder between the full-length Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, Broken packs a serious punch. Angrier and less poppy than Machine, this EP is full of noisy hooks, if such a thing is possible (check out that guitar riff on the full-throttle "Wish"), and much closer aesthetically to the industrial subgenre that informs Trent Reznor's music. As song titles like "Help Me I Am in Hell" suggest, Broken is a work of undiluted rage, which is, of course, a big part of its appeal. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (200)

Can't get much more intense than Broken
This Broken EP is the one to play if you are in anger. But it's very amazing. It will even scare you. Going from the emotional Help Me I Am In Hell going slower than the others, it then gets to Happiness In Slavery. That will scare you the first time you hear it.

And you'd be used to NIN having such soft songs. Broken uses a trend no other NIN album managed to do. No synths, no piano. But it's still great. And I love synths. But this isn't the mood for it. And you will probably find yourself head banging to Wish the day that you feel like your stupid. Then there's Gave Up before the hidden tracks, about losing your strength. It doesn't hold up for as much emotion as The Fragile but is still great.

I love the first hidden track, Physical, the cover of an Adam Ant song. You'll probably be addicted to it. And it IS addictive. Watch out though. There's a trick: There'll be a thing that makes you think there's 99 tracks when 91 of them are really left blank, those being seven through 97.

The only flaw is that it's barely longer than 33 minutes. It could have been much longer. Add this to your NIN collection if you are a beginner in collecting. mainly if you love more of the metal music. This is where they were called "metal" from. Join the ride like no other.

A Clamorous Smash of Affliction and Angst
Broken is the second NIN cd I purchased following the dark masterpiece that is "The Downward Spiral". It is 33+ minutes of raw torment and carnage all twisted and tied up into a bondage of an EP. The emotions of Halo 5 are genuine and pure, inspired by Reznor's feud and hatred with TVT records. Each song is capable of representing sheer power and strength in sound while the instrumental tracks provide some peaceful yet depressing insights in between periods of onslaught and rage. The two bonus tracks are interesting but lacks some character and focus of the first six.

Standout Tracks: Happiness in Slavery & Gave Up
As each song procedes the previous, the adrenaline and intensity is heightened. Thus, the last two tracks [excluding the bonus material] represent the climax of Broken. Combining heavy guitar riffs with loud, innovative synths; surprisingly enough, Happiness in Slavery comes off extremely catchy. Gave Up is my favorite track on this CD. With its hopeless lyrics and distortion, it certainly leaves the listener on a high note. Gave Up also appeals to me as a faster version of Wish. As Reznor screams through the chorus, he sounds like a racing demon on speed.

Broken is the next step up from the phenomenal debut "Pretty Hate Machine". It is anything but a "placeholder" described by Genevieve Williams. The song "Wish" won Reznor a Grammy and it elevated NIN's popularity. My only complaint about "Broken" is its length, as it leaves the audience with a bit of emptyness. However, having a full album of hate anthems might bring this precious gem to a bore real fast...

- aZnXgIn

OMG
oh the rage...oh the rage....when your record company upsets you..

what do you do..
put the swerve on em

standouts: wish, happiness in slavery

Overrated
Broken is incredibly angry for NIN, considering that they tend to prefer angst to anger. However, the CD falls victim to the fact that it frequently lacks flow and in many cases it gets overly abbrasive.

First song (an instrumental) leads into the secon, "Wish." This is the best song on the CD, and it is actually very good. Incredibly catchy and it avoids Trent's overuse of the loud-soft-loud-soft dynamic. It flows well, avoids being jerky and manages to actually be entertaining. Try getting that guitar hook out of your head!

The second track of note on this CD is "Happiness In Slavery." The track is very complex, and has wonderfully morbid lyrics. However, the track falls down owing to two factors. The first is that it lacks continuity. It seems like it lurches between a Frontline Assembly track and a PHM era NIN track. This in turn causes the song to lack catchiness and continuity. The second problem is that it again follows the awful loud-soft-loud-soft gimmick.

The other songs are all somewhat unremarkable.

Overall, Broken showed Trent's skill increase, and NIN still sounds incredibly unique. However, the overall sound can get as bad as an in-sink garbage disposal with a guitar over the top. And even Frontline Assembly have somemelody in their tracks.

Short on songs, long on quality
This is more of an EP than an LP. But what it lacks in length, it certainly more than makes up for in intensity. "Broken" packs a punch and I like it more than "The Downward Spiral" or "The Fragile" -- at least at times when I crave very angry music. (The other two are more very good and diverse collections but just aren't the 100% pure angry energy that "Broken" is.)

If you're not a NIN fan, you many not connect with this album. I'd recommend "Pretty Hate Machine" as the NIN primer for those new to the band, and I'd recommend this one for the NIN fan who just wants some primal anger and energy. ... Read more

Album Description

A must-stock piece! Do the math, this value-laden piece features all of the tracks from BOTH the U.K. singles of 'Closer' all on one disc for just $1 more than buying one of our regularly priced import CD singles ($7.99)! 'Closer' is off the 1994 album 'The Downward Spiral'. Includes six mixes of 'Closer', a mix of the album track 'Heresy', a mix of 'March Of The Pigs' re-titled 'March Of The Fuckheads' and a cover of Soft Cell's 'Memorabilia'. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

The one that all will know...
Ok, let's face it, you're buying this disc for one of two reasons: a)you like NIN and this is a must own for your collection (and it IS) or b) you, along with those other people who like the song Closer, are just buying it because you don't want to get into NIN, but just want this one song, along with a few remixes, on a disc. Either way, the fan will be satisified.
Closer to God, the opening track, is a remix of Closer. Not only is it a great track (my favorite of the cd) but it surpasses the original version. This one has a great, and catchy, drum beat, synth-lines, and guitar riff. Not only that, but some of the lyrics are different as well.
The other standout track on this single is Memorbilla, a great dance track.
Besides that, I won't be saying much else, because after the first listen, those tracks which I spoke of became my favorites on the single. Yet all in all, you will NOT be disappointed. But on we move...Further Down The Spiral...

even better than both the original or halo 8 themselves
I'm sure all of you have heard "Closer," NIN's most accessible (Yet their not) and poppy (But this one's not trying to be popular for $) single, in fact, one of their most poppy. This song has been put in six remixes, in which, if you're offended by that song, you'll only have room for two songs you'll actually like. Then if you're 100% strongly Christian, you may not like "Heresy", even though Trent's singning about paranoia of AIDS, but you still won't like the fact that he blames God. But those of you in any other religion and don't mind the sex-type music will *love* this.

Closer To God-- Techno metal remix of the original "Closer." At the end it has Trent screaming more, and it's better than the original instead. It doesn't have those "help me" parts either.

"deviation" mix-- This one's weird, but not for the average party-goer. Part of it reminds me of "Into the void", even though THIS was from the TDS-era.

the "further away" remix is the only song whis maxi-single could've gone with out. It gets a bit repetitive. But it's not that bad.

the "internal" remix is another excellor, so I can't fairly describe it. Also, same for the "precursor", which is aptly named. It also reminds me of "Into the Void" a bit.

What's left? A cover of Soft Cell's "Memorablia", MOTP remix retitiled "March of the f---heads" (Stompy remix indeed), and a 'blind' mix of "Heresy," in which has a lot of keyboards and disstortion and you can barely hear the words.

So at $... (Actually, where I bought it, $...), it's a reasonable-enough price to where if you hated it, you won't even give it a one-star. After all, it's pretty good as far as music quality.

Too Much Closer for my Taste, But It Has Some Nice Extras
I'll just first state the obvious, this has too many remixes of Closer. And I'll state the obvious once again, why did I buy it to begin with if I didn't want a bunch of Closer remixes? Well let me tell you. I was obsessed with Nine Inch Nails for about a year and was one of those unfortunate souls that feels the need to "collect all the halo's". I've moved on now, honest I have, The NIN are still great, but hopefully now I can help you, the fledgling Nine Inch Nails fan, to not make the same mistakes that I did.

Closer To God is a mediocre version of Closer. The only redeeming quality is that it at least took the song in a different direction. Personally I like the direction it had to begin with, so I don't care for this remix. Closer (Precursor/Deviation/Internal/Further Away) is a rather strange remix which I have to give merrit to for being extremely creepy at times. Heresy (Blind) is a great remix of Heresy. I almost like it better than the original if it weren't for the fact that the original is one of my favorite Nine Inch Nails songs. Memorabilia is an extremely repetitive cover of a great Soft Cell song, I usually skip this one. March of the F**kheads is a neat beat-driven instrumental which is somewhat awkward. It sounds as though Trent spilled some silverwear on the floor, just happened to record it, and then looped it to make a song. The final track, Closer, is about having sex with farmyard animals, but the music is neat.

It's a descent collection of songs, and I think it's worth getting if you're a big Nine Inch Nails fan, especially for the, what I like to call; F**king weird Closer remixes.

my ears are still bleeding
ok, a lot of the remix cds i hear get so old i want to pour bleach on them and then drop them from the grand canyon, but this is an exception...this is one of those cds you have the need to bow down to...cuz its better than you and your grandma combined!...ive also labled this as my scariest album, because it often makes me jump during the joy of listening, and afterwords im like, "oh my god,,,somebodys in my house,,,somebodys gonna kill me...*tear*" because i always hear noises afterwords, and im always lookin around for stuff, such as serial killers and giant pigs, maybe im just goin skitzo.

every song on here gets a ten out of ten...it contains.:
5 remixes of closer(all of which are perfect to a pinpoint).......the original closer.....heresay remix.......memorbilia(new song),pretty good and strange like always......march of the f*c*heads(new song), it sounds like a computer game to me, but hey im goin skitzo, why would you trust me?

DAMN YOU NINE INCH NAILS!!...im so confused anymore...i dont know whether to bow down to nine inch nails because they are the best band of all time or smack them for making me go crazy, lookin for serial killers under my bed 'n stuff...anywayz...
peace away
amen.......

If you like the Song Closer, it's good.
This single is just Closer in many different forms. If you think Closer on it's own is worth the $, it's worth it. I'd spend my money on some of the other NIN's albums though, rather than on this single. Buy The Fragile or Pretty Hate Machine before this. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Fixed should be called Broken...
This remix ep seems to have a identity crisis. Though the nice blue on the cover may seem to represent hope, you'll find NONE of that on this bad boy. Though this ep is called Fixed, you'll find NOTHING that comes close to that sound on this bad boy. Anyway, on to the review...
The Gave Up remix is a great way to start this out, as it just builds and builds. With a drum beat that makes your head spin, chopped up lyrics, and that great Gave Up guitar riff, this one will stand out to the listener at first listen.
The longest song on the cd is next, the Wish remix. It builds greatly for the first few minutes, then goes to a deconstructed mix of the song. Then, it loops yet has enough differences to make it enjoyable.
My favorite song would be the Happiness In Slavery remix, track 3. It sounds nothing like the Broken version, and truthfully, I find that good. This is a great song,and to think that it's an instrumental!
Throw This Away is a combination of Suck and Last. Certainly the quietist of the cd, this song is above decent, so to speak.
The last two tracks are ones I could deal without. Fist is too boring, and Screaming Slave is just noise, though good noise. With the other songs on this cd though, the last two will be forgotten.
All in all, this is a great attempt at remixing, and a very successful one too. Buy this if you like expermientation.

Noise
This is by far my least favorite NIN CD. I didn't like it the first time I listened to it, and I haven't liked it since (and believe you me: I tried to like it).

It's simply noisy. Now I know, alot of NIN is loud, distorted, etc, but this seemed noise for noise's sake. Now, I LOVED Broken. It was in fact my first foray into non-pop music. I loved how loud and aggressive it sounded. Fixed managed to take all of that noise and simply filter out the the purpose imo. The vocals are buried under wall of noise, the measures are chopped up... and that's my real big peeve actually (measure chopping). I loved Wish; it was my favorite song on Broken. They took the guitar riff and arbitrarily chopped off the last beat in the measure... and looped it. It's grating. I thought at first my CD player had freaked out or perhaps the CD was scratched.

Now, just so no one thinks I just hate remixes... I LOVED Further Down the Spiral (The Botton, At The Hear of it All, Erasure[polite]... all great remixes). And they were quite different than their originals... especially The Bottom which was my favorite track. But, they'd been crafted into new songs. Every time I hear tracks on Fixed, I get an image of a guy that just got a new mixing program and wants to see just how much "damage" he can do. "Ooo... check it out; this program lets you just drop a beat out... AWESOME! It's like, I'm in 4/4 now and then... *BAM!* it's the same thing only in 3/4. What a mind trip! What else can this thing do?!"

:-/

Now this is a rarity - a NIN CD I'll give more than 3 stars
Although I rarely listen to this CD anymore - it's filled with good ideas ie Trent doesn't sing as much which is a bonus for me. Alright there are 2 in which he does but I can live with that. And on one of the tracks his vocals are garbled nonsense - excellent it suits him better that way! Now this is the way it should have been but what do I know says you the NIN fanatic.

My favourites are the Happiness in Slavery Remix - dig that cool synth work! Throw This Away sounds too short ( which maybe a blessing ) and Screaming Slave which is the nearest to industrial Trent ever got - pure noise!

But here is where my generosity ends towards NIN

Buy Broken And Fixed NOW
I need to counter the mediocre and bad reviews of Fixed. This CD is absolutely worth getting. Broken is about as pure Trent Reznor as you can get and Fixed is a step beyond that. If you like Broken and Fixed, you like the real NIN.

Gave Up is fantastic, perfectly disjointed yet still driving and aggressive. Then there's Wish. It alone is worth the price of the CD. The original was great, this remix is life-altering. It's violent, shrill, jarring, it takes everything that makes NIN what it is and cranks it up to the highest level.

After Wish, the songs get more quirky and less "song-like". This isn't a bad thing, this is Trent Reznor. If you like things even more off-the-wall, the last few tracks might just be your favorites.

Regardless, I consider Fixed and Broken to be the most NIN of all the NIN CD's. If you really want to get inside Trent's head and see just what the world looks like to him, buy these, jack up the treble, jack up the volume, then listen 'til your ears bleed.

basically hate it...but it'll grow on me i imagine
there's a couple of songs that are ok on here ... but there not the kind you can listen to all the time like, say, the downward spiral, pretty hate machine, broken or the fragile.......im sure eventually i might like it more....ive only listened to it a couple times since ive had it and i always have the urge to turn it off....usually i would take a cd i dont like to the pawn shop but since this is nine inch nails i have to keep it for my most TREASURED collection.....

so basically...get this if you are a severe nine inch nails halo-ist....(but it most likely wont be on repeat in your stereo) ... Read more

Album Description

The acclaimed debut album on Universal records by TrentReznor & company released in 1989. Pretty Hate Machinecontains 10 tracks, including 'Head Like A Hole', 'Sin','Terrible Lie' and 'Down In It'. ... Read more

Reviews (279)

Once upon a time, there was a man named Trent Reznor........
That's what I'll be saying to my grandkids in the future, when Nine Inch nails is firmly set as a music phenomenon and Trent Reznor is a legend everywhere you go. This album is the first of the group, and the album that really brought industrial music into the eyes of the world. It would definitely be safe to say that NIN is not only an industrial band, it is THE industrial band. Trent Reznor is a musical genius, and this album proves it. The songs are eerie and electronic, very powerful in a slow, forboding sort of way. The best song on this album is the first, Head Like a Hole. Terrible Lie follows, another masterpiece, and soon your mind is set that Nine Inch nails are no disposable trash. Alot of great, dark bands have come along recently. Marilyn Manson, KoRn, Cradle of Filth, but Trent Reznor will always hold a special place in my heart.

Black As Your Soul
Nine Inch Nails' incredible debut album Pretty Hate Machine is a personal favourite of mine and one of the most consistently good albums I have ever listened to. Each and every track is of a Grade-A standard and the album contains essential NIN tracks such as "Head Like A Hole", "Terrible Lie", "Down In It" and "Sin", but really, they're all essential. The opening track and alternative radio hit "Head Like A Hole" is a classic example of great industrial rock, with it's thrashy guitar and gloomy synthesizers, though it's not really indicative of the rest of the album. In fact, unlike subsequent releases, there is very little guitar at all on this album. Trent Reznor utilizes walls of synthesizers and electronic noise to generate a stark and bleak sound. Overall, the album is more accessable than other Nine Inch Nails albums but still dark and caustic, despite having catchy melodies. Lyrically Trent Reznor tackles such subject matter as betrayal, disillusionment and loss of identity. All the good stuff. Pretty Hate Machine is a marvel, and (dare I say it?) a work of genious. A true classic.

freekin excellent
by far the best nine inch nails album ever. I remember buying this from the local record store on vinyl back in 89. My mind spun watching the blue and pink decals twist on the turn table forming this wierd filament of psychodelic colors; WAY cool!. Despite this being an 80s album, this music would still be considered hot today. This record has so much variety in the techno/ industrial genres let alone Reznors other albums. This one is unique and a must have for all nine inch nail fans.

Yummy
Seems like I get to everything late in the game, but better late than never, eh? I thoroughly enjoyed the entire disc, finding nothing to skip over every time I listened. Favorite tracks were "Down in it" and "Kinda I want to." "Something I Can Never Have" struck a cord. PRETTY HATE MACHINE hit a good two weeks on my "sit-and-spin-in-my-player" ranking. Two weeks of good, solid listening. I found what little profanity there was appropriate and not enough to make me roll my eyes.

this cd never cools off!
Ok you know how when after you finish playing a CD, when you take it out, its warm? This CD has not cooled off since i got it 2 days ago. I probbally listend to it like 50 times in 2 days. I'm obsessed with it, as soon as it finishes playing, i hit play again. Most of the time, im not really listening to it, but it makes great back ground music. It's also awesome if your "actually paying attention" to the CD. I definatly recomend this CD. If you wana get to know nine inch nails, get this. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Resuscilent
This and Closer CD1 are what I would recommend for people to get the best of Nine Inch Nails;

March of the Pigs - this is the actual March of the Pigs song that appears on The Downward Spiral, so expect some sloppy production and sound quality. Nothing super-special. 3/5

Reptilian - awesome remix of Reptile, kinky love song to say the least (not at all what you are thinking), this one really creates an obscene image. 5/5

All The Pigs, All Lined Up - the perfect mix, this is what should have been on The Downward Spiral, not the original. The new ending might be a bit little long, but it's cool so that is a good thing. 5/5

A Violet Fluid - Short but sweet. Perfect length for this thing, definately the finishing touch on this single. 5/5

Underneath The Skin - Instrumental mix of Reptile (except for three "reptile" screams in the beginning). A good 75% of this song is drums-only. Fits in well as the closing track. 5/5

Overall, these tracks and their arrangement (with the exception of the mix quality of the original MOTP) are perfect. A must-have CD, this is one you can leave on a continuous play loop for hours at a time and not get sick of. This officially gets 4.5/5 stars.

AWESOME US Halo!
Trent Reznor and Dave Oglivie teamed up to make one MONSTER of a maxi-single. It starts off with the title track "March of the Pigs". This is in itself (in its original album version) a fierce song that really gets you going. Any NIN fan knows that it is among Trent's best work. Next (I'm not sure of the order) is "Reptilian" which if a remix of "Reptile" off "The Downward Spiral". It was remixed by Dave Ogilvie. I actually like this remix better than the album version. It gives it a little more twists and complexity yet it still remains close enough to the original version to not p**s me off. "A Violent Fluid" is a short 1-minute instrumental. Short and sweet. It is basically the same loop repeated 10 times or so. Even though it is a cool loop, I wish a bit more had been done with it. That is why this maxi-single lost a star. "All the Pigs All Lined Up" is a "MOTP" remix which is equally as fast and furious as the original. "Underneath the Skin", also remixed by Oglivie, is another "Reptile" remix. It is mostly instrumental with few lyrics which makes it very interesting. If you are a big NIN fan who is seeking all the Halos, this is definitely one of the best! The other cool thing about this Halo is that it's a US release and you don't have to pay so much money! (don't buy the imported versions of this single....it takes both of the imported versions to get all the songs on the US version!)

One of the Better singles released from the NIN
This, the first single, actually preceeding The Downward Spiral, is a nice little introduction to what The Downward Spiral would later come to sound like. Contents:

1. March of the Pigs - March of the Pigs. Y'know, booty beats and marching pigs. 4/5

2. Reptilian - An interesting remix of one of the best songs on The Downward Spiral. This one's got all kinds of crazy bleeps and bloops and weird computer malfunctioning sounds. The best Reptile remix. 4/5

3. All the Pigs, All Lined Up - Basically just a stripped down version of March of the Pigs made to sound like a live performance I suppose. It's okay ..I guess. 2/5

4. A Violet Fluid - A great instrumental piece which is almost dance-y, quite strange. I like it. 3/5

5. Underneath the Skin - Another remix of Reptile. I actually prefer the first remix of it on this EP, but whatever floats your boat. 3/5

A nice collectors item, but I wouldn't recommend it to new listeners.

hae pigs!!
halo.seven,intro to the downward spiral...THIS IS THE TRACK LISTING< FOOLS!!!!

MARCH OF THE PIGS...the original, we all know how that goes(or we should)...10/10
REPTILIAN...reptile remix, sounds basically the same but the music is pretty different, in a very good way...10/10
ALL THE PIGS< ALL LINED UP...march of the pigs remix, its just longer, with cheering in the background (which gets annoying to a point) and added liyrics at the end "dont you feel feel a whole lot better?"...10/10

A VOILENT FLUID...short instrumental song with a steady beat for an interlude...9/10
UNDERNEATH THE SKIN...reptil remix, basically instrumental, and doesnt REALLY sound like the actual song, but if you pay attention it stays a safe amount of close~ness to the song...10/10

this is a really great remix thingie, theres also a part 2 to this but its not THAT nessecary, cause all those songs are on here.

Intro To Downward Spiral
This was a preview of downward spiral and did a good job of capturing the feel of the new album. personally i think march of the pigs was a bad choice for the first single though... ... Read more

Amazon.com

The novelty was stripmined from ethnobeat pop long ago, and this skin-deep confection is surprising only in its lack of edge and invention. On the plus side, the melodies are textured and lush, the beats entrancing, and a parade of gifted singers--Kristy Thirsk, Jacqui Hunt, and Sarah McLachlan included--bill and coo impressively. Lead single "Euphoria (Firefly)" has spark and spirit, while "Enchanted" and "Duende" are strong vehicles for Thirsk and Camille Henderson respectively. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (158)

Karma is a Delerium Classic
Karma is a wide leap from the earlier albums from Delerium, such as Stone Tower, but it is excellent. I love the fact that Rhys and Bill decided to bring in phenomenal female singers such as Kristy Thirsk, Jacqui Hunt, Sarah McLachlan, and Camille Henderson. The enchanting rhythms and sounds create a beautiful sound scape for your mind to dive into. My favorite track on this album is Duende. I love the mid-eastern feel of it. Enchanted is another great one, Thirsk's voices is amazing, and the lyrics have a lot of meaning. The album comes together as a whole when you listen to it all the way through, as with most of the Delerium albums. Karma will enchant and move you to higher places.

I cannot wait for the next Delerium album to follow up this one. But for now, this along with other Delerium albums such as Semantic Spaces and Spiritual Archives are staying in my CD player.

Spellbinding vocals over surrealistic soundscapes
Wow! Wow! I can't hear this CD enough!

I started listening to Delerium through the side-door: I'm no fan of Front Line Assembly or much of Leeb and Fulber's other work produced under various names, including Delerium.

Then a friend leant me the awe-inspiring Semantic Spaces. Shortly, I got ahold of Karma. And it's been stuck in my Rio player for six months now, and I've no plans to remove it any time soon.

It's hard to write about something that sounds so beautiful: words don't do it justice. But imagine ethnic beats, electronic sophistication, angelic lamentations, and ethereal landscapes, and you might get an idea of what this album sounds like. If you're at all a fan of Semantic Spaces, or Enigma's early work, you'll definitely enjoy Karma.

Can't Get Enough Of This Disc
I just bought this CD yesterday and wow, there is nothing like this group in existance. Their music is so lush and haunting. I had used to think Enigma was the height of otherworldly music but Delirium outdoes them everytime. My favorites have to be Enchanted and Silence (featuring the lovely Sarah Mclachlan) A must for anyone who love ambient music.

Leeb, Fulber, you guys have changed man
If you are truely familiar with Delerium you know that it is the oldest and now (thanks to albums like this) the most profitable side project of "Front Line Assembly". That's not because this is their best album, it's because this is the type of music mainstream America wants. If your familiar with earlier Delerium then it's evident that this is not their true style. It sounds like an experiment done by Leeb and Fulber to milk the common American cd buyer of every penny so they can make improvements and upgades on their 2 million dollar homes. Having said that I'd like to reassure you that this review is not going to be all negative. There's nothing wrong with making money and capitolism is how our favorite groups become successful. Hey, I gave this album 4 stars. It's a good album for what it is. It's for a very specific mood. To me it's for getting girls in that 'specific' mood. Women seem to like this album more than us guys. Although us guys have a taste in softer music too even though we may try to hide it behind our heavy metal, beer drinking and love of boxing.

So Leeb and Fulber have a good idea here. As always they have a vision for creating a style of music unique for any type of mood. Using female vocalists such as Kristy Thirsk creates a sort of sensual feel to this cd. The entire album is solid, with no song sticking out as a best or worst. Like I said it's a cd designed for that 70+ minute mood that we all sometimes feel. It's not at all like early Delerium and certainly different from most Front Line Assembly. If you're a big fan of heavier FLA this album might dissappoint you. If you expect Delerium to sound like they did on "Faces Forms and Illusions" then this album is bound to raise a few eyebrows. But I gave this album a try and liked it. I guess I believe that all music has it's place and purpose.

My first delerium, my favorite delerium
This was my first delerium cd, and it served as an excellent introduction to new-era delerium. I like all the other cds of the duo, but this is still my favourite. it is probably the most tribal album of theirs, and it is vocal without being a cheap poppish attempt to make money. It has quite a variatey of styles, ranging from ethereal trance/new age (twilight) to ambient/dance pop (but not forced) songs like euphoria (firefly) and silence. the details are below.

1:enchanted- I LOVE kristy thirsks voice! it is so sexy, when she comes in with her oohs and aahs. this song is tribal, ambient, poppish, and a little ethereal. So angelic.

2:deunde- When I first got this album this was my favorite song. it has a great powerful beat, some sampled chants, and a great vocal job by camille. It almost makes you feel like you are in the aboriginal outback, but it is still pop influenced.

3:twilight- an ethereal tranceey instrumental track with some chants. very pretty and inspiring.

4:silence- outstanding song. it has monks in the bigenning but after about 1:30 sarah mclachlan comes in, and starts singing. piano is interlaced through parts of the chorus and there is a nice piano solo at the end.

5:forgotten worlds- very otherworldly, you can see why they put the title there. the song takes you to a long forgotten temple and awakens it and brings you inside. it only starts out dark, then it begins to glow. Chanting in this one too.

6:lamenation- definitley tribal, especially during the first three minutes or so. then it gets really pretty. too bad it has such a long introduction. a little weak, could have been on semantic spaces.

7:euphoria (firefly)- two slightly slow instrumental somgs make way for a dancey pop song. this was the first single from the album. it is catchy and danceable. if you heared and liked other poppish songs like silence or deunde you'd probably like this.

8:remembrance- one of my friends claims to have heared this on the radio, but I never knew it was a single. (or is it?) this starts out with some woodwinds, but about 1:00 in this song comes to life with chanting monks and then gets spacey and synthesized after about three minutes, and then the chanting comes laced in with the spacey sounds. very interesting.

9:wisdom- a short song, but still welcome. yay, more thirsk! This song is a little like enchanted, but less tribal sounding.

10:window to your soul- this is not at all even hinted with pop. it is a piece of mood music, very relaxing, and inspiring. and even though it's around 10 minutes, it dosent drag on. it keeps you listening. it starts out dark, but dont skip it, after about two minutes you will be on your way to a very peaceful place. this song has chimes, synthesizers (of course) and chanting. REALLY pretty.

11:til the end of time- this is probably the weakest song on the cd. it is a lot like wisdom, but slower. vocals, too.

-----------------------------------------------------------

You need this in your collection! there is a little something for everybody, but you will probably end up liking it all. :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here's where the trippier directions of the electronic movement run smack into its Sturm-und-Drang industrial heritage. Trent Reznor's peak achievement through 1997 is reshaped five times over with profoundly weighty beats, dub textures, and trance soundscapes. The Orb's mix, which makes Reznor sound like he's drowning in his bathtub, is a bit silly, but otherwise this is fascinating stuff. --Jeff Bateman ... Read more

Reviews (66)

Stick with the original
Don't get me wrong, I think "Perfect Drug" is one of the best songs to ever come from Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails outfit, but this CD single is for die hard NIN fans only who don't already own the original song featured on the Lost Highway soundtrack. There are five tracks of remixes, one of which done by Reznor which is the only track that comes close to resembling the original song. The other four tracks are loaded with remixed industrial loops and blips that borderline on annoying and is kind of boring. These remixes really don't hold a candle to the original, and your better off getting the Lost Highway soundtrack considering this single doesn't even include the original song. All in all, this Halo is for die hard NIN fans only.

much under-appreciated work.
i don't know what the hell is wrong with the other reviewers, but this cd kicks a**. while i am not the biggest fan of drum and bass (too repetitive and boring for my tastes), i found the tracks on this cd to be very entertaining and fascinating. the plug and nine inch nails remixes (tracks 2 and 3) take you on a journey. this is music that doesn't need words; just close your eyes and let it take over. it's a very cerebral experience focusing on the subtle changes in sound patterns and beats in the songs, not unlike concentrating on the nuances of classical music. not all the songs are winners, though; track 4, while starting off w/ an interesting array of sounds, quickly degenerates into a dull and mind-numbingly repetitive series of beats. however, this album is an all-around interesting addition to anyone's collection. the fact that the original isn't on the disc does nothing to detract from the great music that IS on the disc.

OK, just OK
I'll admit, I bought this CD for th original version and I was very dissapointed when looked closer and found out the original version wasn't on it. I gave the CD a chance just because I love Reznors work and thought it would be ok. It is an ok CD in small doses. Some of the remixes are very repetitive and it gets to the point where they are just annoying. The best track is Reznors own remix. This is definitely only a CD for people who are obsessive NIN fans. Those who like NIN but aren't obsessive would not enjoy this CD at all. The best thing about this was when I realized the original wasn't on it so I bought the Lost Highway soundtrack. If you liked the original just buy that.

come on people!!!
i dont know why this ep has gotten bad reviews. no the original version is not on here. whatever, if you're a hardcore nails fan, you've already got it on the Lost Highway soundtrack. this is definitely one of if not his absolute best remix album. every track is absolutely bitchin, good for driving and those late nights and wee early morning hours of twilight. unless you absolutely hate drum N' bass/jungle/techno stuff (it IS a remix folks), you WILL love this album....dammit!

Screw Objectivity, This Sucks!
Okay, so usually I can be open minded about too many singles filled with too many remixes and not enough original material, but I'm throwing objectivity out the window and letting fly on this piece of sh*te.

5 boring and repetitive remixes of The Perfect Drug, and the original version isn't even on here.

Get "The Day the World Went Away Pt. 3" and consider yourself saved.

F*ck you Reznor. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After the two nihilistic epics The Downward Spiral (1995) and its belated follow-up The Fragile (1999), Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails are settling into a loud, predictable rut. The same thrashy, complex-yet-melodic industrial rock that sounded so groundbreaking on Downward Spiral is beginning to show its limitations. Though often mesmerizing in the way Reznor's inventive sonic structure and relentlessly bleak tone congeal so convincingly around the catchiest of pop melodies, the man seems to have run out of places to go. Things Falling Apart, a collection of severely remixed songs from The Fragile, adds precious little to Rezner's familiar, impossibly angry milieu. Almost all the songs fall short of their original versions, especially all three versions of "Starf***ers Inc" (though, to be fair, that may have been The Fragile's best track). There are a few previously unreleased tracks here that shine; the Fragile outtake "10 Miles High" throws a simple, pounding chorus into a swamp of washed-out ambient noise, while the Gary Numan cover "Metal" makes convincing use of Reznor's gift for pop melody. Still, it's apparent that, despite how great he is at what he does, Reznor just can't keep doing it forever. --Matthew Cooke ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Helix scatterproof
After the phenomenal commercial and artistical success of "The fragile", Reznor returns with this 10-track remix EP, and quite honestly it is one of his more palatable ventures into pop-inclined electronica. Whereas earlier remix albums like "Fixed" and "Further down the spiral" totally distorted the original content of the songs, the pieces on "TFA" feel like reflections and supplements; according to Reznor, nearly all sounds on "The fragile" were created by 'traditional' instruments like drums and guitars and then filtered through extensive post-production, and "TFA" does a good job of setting the whole thing in a framework of crunching electronic beats/loops and dark atmospherics. Some of the remixes are vaguely reminiscent of Autechre's/Aphex Twin's mid-'90s output, others are somewhat closer to industrial rock but still retain their humanity due to Reznor's compelling voice and some amazing nods to chamber music and ambient. Sure, the record doesn't tread enough new ground to be a great leap forward and won't start any NIN fans self-combusting; the songs are more accessible and atmospheric than those of previous albums just as they are less innovative and exciting, although I feel that, had NIN never released "The fragile" and augmented "TFA" with a few more tracks, some people would prefer "TFA" over the long-winded double-disc affair. At least the first three and the last three songs on "TFA" have hooks and melodies which make them eminently listenable.

"Slipping away" begins the album with a distinctly spooky feel, featuring sighing string arrangements and slightly growling guitars over a strong mid-tempo rhythm, and the way Reznor brings the song to a climax is simply brilliant. Many of the remixes here seem to have an added edge, particularly the uncanny "The great collapse", containing an understated two-chord piano line and various intriguing splinters of other instruments behind a strong central beat and occasional sequencer burblings. "The wretched" and "Where is.." with Reznor's talk-singing are not so interesting, but have an unmistakable sense of how to frame his voice with alternately quiet and confrontational arrangements. One of this album's highlights is the short mix of "The frail", a neo-classical piece which provides a convenient break in the listening program. Unfortunately, the album is somewhat flawed by these three "Starfuckers Inc." remixes. With too many layers of childish sound effects, Sherwood's and Ogilvie's versions of this song do not only miss any musical sensibility, they also feel out of place among the other songs. One has to be careful when painting with too many colors not to end up with a shoddy picture, and exactly this does happen here. Now, there's the 7-minute cover version of Gary Numan's "Metal", it's twice as long as the original song. "Metal" originally appeared on Numan's 1979 album "The pleasure principle", and as far as I know, it was never released as a single. In my opinion, it's not a classic and not among Numan's most memorable songs ("Cars", "We are glass", "Are friends electric?"). Reznor transfers the song's heavy sequencer/synth patterns into a more industrial setting and adds a fairly lengthy acoustic guitar outro for a slightly disturbing but still quite relaxing atmosphere. If you are interested in Numan covers, you should probably check out the tribute album "Random", a double-disc set with cover versions from the likes of The Orb, Moloko, and Blur. After the aggressive "10 miles high", things calm down again: Clouser's mix of "Starf-----s Inc." begins very beautifully with static ambient sounds and pulsating beats which are somewhat reminiscent of Brian Eno's famous ambient works. After this sublime opening section, we are exposed to the same aimless and boring industrial hotchpotch as on the other two "Starf-----s Inc." mixes.

On reading this review you may have noticed the constant references to different sounds and other electronica artists, and indeed, "TFA" has its roots in industrial rock and synth pop, but it adds so many elements from other styles that the listener's mind isn't left to wander. Apart from the redundant "Starf-----s Inc." versions, this is really an album I can recommend without reservation, especially for the newly interested.

because everything Nine Inch Nails does gets 5 stars...
But, really, I'd probably only give it 3 stars. In case you didn't know, this is a remix EP (however, it is album-length) and includes remixes of songs that appeared on the 1999 Nine Inch Nails album "The Fragile". however, it does sport one new song - a cover of Gary Numan's Metal.

If you are looking to buy your first NIN album, get Downward Spiral, and if you are looking for a remix cd, Fixed and Further Down The Spiral are much better than Things Falling Apart.

Standout tracks on this CD are
Slipping Away (remix of Into The Void), The Great Collapse (remix of The Wretched), Metal, and the versions of Ten Miles High (a Fragile B-side, available on Halo 15) and The Frail.

The Starf..kers, Inc remixes are rubbish, quite frankly. And there are 3 of them! If you are buying this CD for them, you will be disapointed.

For collectors, of course this album is a must, but it can wait if you have other ones you need to buy as well.

Never thought I'd listen to this one (and write a review)
I'll start by saying that NIN isn't even my favorite band. I recall somewhat liking their (OK - his) "Broken" and "Downward spiral". I've listend to the "Fragile" exactly once and didn't want to hear it again.
After listening to this EP, I really feel that Reznor shouldn't have bothered with the original. Seems Reznor has been listening to too much Aphex Twin and it shows in couple of the tracks. Pretend that you are listening to somebody else and have no expectations. You will actually enjoy this CD. A decent industrial album.

Nine Inch Nails can actually be laughed at with this one
This is the worse album for any goth/rock group. Trent is a very intelligent and respected artist of his time but he overdid his work with the remixes. Either he wanted more money or actually thought this piece of work was going to be worthy. Its depressing to just think some songs from a great album such as "Fragile" was remixed into TECHNO wanna-be Moby songs.This album is one of those that you listen to you want to end as soon as possible because it is just irritating noise. The music that was once taken seriously can now be a club joke. The only reason why I gave this one a two was, ONE for the album art, and TWO, for Trent's time taken into this irritating album.

The Fragile is a fine album
Just like to say the editor review disgusted me to the point of writing this. The fragile is quite possibly trents best NIN album and Starf*kers is NOT one of the strongest songs on it. Maybe if the editor stopped listening to the pop 100 singles and took time to listen to the album hed realize songs like La Mer, Into the Void, Underneath it All, and Somewhat Damaged are trent at his best. Things Falling apart is a decent remix of these songs but not as interesting as The Fragile from which these songs are based. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ministry's followup to The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste makes use of the same aggressive approach but sinks to a darker and fiercer level. Chokehold opener "N.W.O." uses tape loops of then-President Bush calling for a "New World Order," which Ministry delivers by infusing their industrial savvy with machine-gunned, thrash metal guitars, relentless beats, and vocals that run the gamut from deranged auctioneer of the damned ("Jesus Built My Hotrod") to terrifying screams ("Just One Fix"). Fast and furious, Psalm 69 is an acidic taste of Ministry at their most focused and diabolical. --Erin Amar ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Aggro Industrial at its best
After learning that Ministry used to be a synth dance outfit it's hard to imagine how they completely changed their sound for this album (and it's predecessor Twitch). Lightining fast drum beats slam away over Rammstein-esque guitars that are absolutely unrelenting. Some of the songs contain vocals while others use samples. Of course there's Jesus Built My Hotrod which contain absolutely off the wall vocals from Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers.

One of the things on the album that appeals to me so much is the sense of humor that runs through it. Al Jourgensen never takes himself on the album which is evident in the above mentioned track, Psalm 69 which features samples of a something that sounds like an choir in the church of Satan, people yelling "praise Jesus" and a priest speaking before turning into a mind numbing speed metal groove.

This album really insn't for everyone and definately not something you can play just anytime. But if you'd like some ... kicking industrial with a twisted sense of humor, then you'll love this.

Hardcore heaven
If you're a fan of heavy and industrial rock, do yourself a favor and pick up Ministry's "Psalm 69", it's worth it! Never receiving the props that they deserve, Ministry delivers thrashing and explosive industrial rock on this 1992 album. I first discovered Ministry about three or four years ago and have been a big fan ever since. The album starts off with "N.W.O.", a look at then President George Bush's supposed new world order. "Just one fix" follows, with its ripping guitars and all out aggression and angst. Soon you come to the thrash and fun of "Jesus built my hotrod" and the awesome title track "Psalm 69". The album is aggressive, dark, meaningful, and delivers for fans of hardcore rock.

Guess what number I'm thinking of....................
I'm a recently converted Ministry fan. I got Houses of the Mole a few weeks ago, and ever since then, I couldn't wait to get another Ministry record. So this is what I got.
I'm glad I did buy this because it rocks. Every song rocks. It's something I can listen to from start to finish. Here are some of my favorite parts:

"Just One Fix"-- I like the sample they used: "never trust a junkie". It sort of reminds me of Courtney Love.

"TV II"--- It's 2nd most intense song on the record. "CONNECT THE GOD DAMN DOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Corrosion"--The most intense song on the record. It's like hardcore techno. Atari Teenage Riot stuff. That's the only way I can describe it.

And of course "Jesus Built My Hotrod" is great. Makes you feel like going for a drive.

I think the weakest track would be "Scarecrow", it's an okay song that goes on too long. But it still rocks better than a lot of stuff on the radio.

If you aren't sure whether you want to buy this record or not, then you have to ask your self, "What would Jesus do?"

Industrial-metal at it's best
Psalm 69 was the first Ministry album I ever bought, and it's a great album to start out with. After listening to it, I was so amazed by the muscicianship by these guys, they sure know their instruments very well. Songs such as N.W.O, Hero, and Just One Fix are just loaded with angry buzzsaw like guitar riffs that aim right for your throat, fast marching like drum hits, and plenty of angry vocals from Al Jourgensen. Jesus Built My Hotrod is another good fast paced song with some cool guitar solos, and also features Gibby Haynes from the Butthole Surfers. Overall every song is just great, and this masterpiece is an absolute must have for those who like Ministry or metal in general. Long live Ministry. F*ck Evanescence and f*ck Avril Lavigne, they don't compare.

Not as good
I'm sorry but I have to dissagree with all hype surroundind this album. It's definately a let down from their previous two. Don't get me wrong, half of the songs on here are very good, but there are some songs on here that just sound like repetttttative noise. TVII makes me reach for the fast forward button faster than a starving Nigerian reaches for a sandwich. Not to mention the ridiculous "Jesus built my hotrod", which definately does not show the sinister edge that most of their songs,(especially the earlier ones)did so well. This album proves that the worst thing that can happen to a band is become mainstream. I do like the first track, N.W.O. and "Just One Fix",which is repetative, but in a good way. "Scarecrow", probably being my favorite. But, as far as the rest of the songs, I could probably do without. The classic "Land of Rape and Honey" is still their best, even after all these years. ... Read more

Album Description

After their last album 'Empires', the future poppredecessors present their latest effort, an exquisiteelectronic accomplisment with intellectual lyrics fusedwith lively synth lines, throbbing beats, and intricatesequences. 12 tracks. Metropolis ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Futureperfect is a great album, but it doesn't top Empires
VNV Nation's new album Futureperfect is a bit of a departure in sound from Empires, unfortunately. Futureperfect is a very listenable album, but many of the songs just don't have the impact that the ones on Empires had. Genesis and Beloved are the only songs that hit me right away as outstanding. I guess I had high expectations since every track on Empires was a masterpiece. Some of the tracks on here could have been better if only they had the high bpm, energizing feel of Genesis. It's a shame because all of the lyrics on Futureperfect are ingenius, some of VNV's best yet. Hopefully VNV Nation will release a remix album that will pump new life into some of the slower songs. Despite that fault, I highly recommend this album to VNV Nation fans or anyone who likes industrial/EBM. Futureperfect is still a great album that overshadows all of the foolishness found in much of today's music.

Disappointing
I love VNV Nation, but Futureperfect is totally inferior to Empires in almost every respect.

Musically, it sounds almost forceless, bassless and flimsy. This is probably due to the fact that most of the album was made with soft-synths. Previous albums like Praise The Fallen and Empires had music that was far more emotive, made you want to raise your fists in defiance, or cry.

Lyrically, however, it shows a more melancholic side to VNV Nation, however, this is the only respect in which it shines.

You may ask as to why I gave this CD 3 stars instead of two or one. The reason is that VNV is still far better than any form of pop music, and the lyrics are wonderful, and there are two songs that are good (Epicentre and Fearless (Beloved is overrated and far to candy-coated).

Overall, it is not an important purchase except for VNV Fans. If you are just getting into VNV Nation, buy "Empires" instead!

Absolutely Perfect
If I could I wouldn't change a thing about this album! Although I'm quite a fanatic now 'Futureperfect' was my introduction to any kind of Industrial music. I downloaded "Beloved" from the Internet and the first time I heard that song I was positively floored! The words are somewhat melancholy but the bittersweet lyrics are interlaced with melodic EBM and passionate vocals by Ronan Harris and it is the best ballad I have yet to hear by any Industrial band. I tend to gravitate more toward female voxes but he's quickly become a preference of mine. In fact, just behind Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode he is my favorite male singer.

A lot of people associate Industrial music as being repetitious with no emotion but I can assure you that not all groups in this genre sound remotely close to that description. There are many feelings to be felt in VNV Nation's music. 'Futureperfect' doesn't even start with any type of dance beat. Lush string orchestrations open on "Foreword" with a powerful message spoken in English, German and then French (or at least I think) before diving into a pounding rhythm. There are plenty of hits here destined for the Gothic club scene but they truly shine their brightest on their slower numbers. "Holding On", for example, is a moving song and one of their strongest deliveries with gorgeous synth lines and piano chords mingling in with the ever-changing cadence (tempo). Many beautiful instruments can actually be heard throughout the elaborate sequences of this album but whatever your inclination there's enough here to keep any Industrial fan entranced.

From start to finish this record is a glorious triumph... There's no need for skipping tracks, that's for certain.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS!

{FYI: VNV stands for "Victory Not Vengeance"}

It is strong where it is strong
I was overjoyed when I heard that a new VNV CD was being released, but felt let down initally after hearing it. With tracks like Beloved and Hold On I was very happy, but I feel that Fearless and Epicentre are weak where they should be much stronger. The words to fearless just seem king of weak or cheesy would be a better way of describing it.

Stunning, amazing, ridiculously good
This album gives me shivers down my spine every time I listen to it. If you like any music that's vaguely related to VNV Nation, you need to own this album immediately. Please buy it and make your world a better place. ... Read more

Album Description

Sensual, powerful, exotic, and alluring ...

The orchestrated layers of sound and emotion unravel an expressive journey, exploring one’s place within themselves and the universe.Meaningful lyrics and hypnotic vocals combine with an aural sculpture to form a unique listening experience."Some Kind of Strange" is seductively captivating on many levels from the primal to the sublime.Collide creates a distinctive harmony and clashing of sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Beautiful!
It has taken me a long time to decide what to say about this album. A long-time fan of Collide, the albums are so different that they are difficult to describe into a category. Therefore, I will not even try. Like all of Collide's work, this album stands alone as a work of art. The unmistakable, surreal and sexy voice of kaRIN along with the eclectic, professional and developed sounds of STATIK bring about a collection of music that has long been anticipated. While this is a wonderful album, it should not be forgotten that Beneath the Skin and Chasing the Ghost are alone, excellent albums as well. I cannot say that to hear Collide is to listen to one CD, this is a grave mistake. To hear what they begin to encompass is to listen to all of their work. Though being music makers, they are purely artists. I, without a doubt, recommend this to anyone who desires to hear music that is not like that of everyday humdrum.

Must Buy!!
I was eagerly anticipating the follow up to Collide's extraordinary album "Chasing the Ghost". If they could live up to past reputations I knew this would be one hell of a cd.
Collide has proven themselves once again with "Some Kind of Strange".Out of the gates comes the first track "crushed" and knocks you back into your seat with Statik's full rhythmic sound accompanied with kaRIN's outstanding vocals. Collide had some guest musicians that are a bonus to the cd. Kevin Cey and Danny from Tool add their special unique rhythms respectively to a couple tracks, don't worry you won't be disappointed. As you move through the cd some tracks that particularly stand out as notables and make you wanting more are "tempted", "euphoria" and "shimmer" all showcase Collide's unique blending and mixing of vocals and interesting rhythmic music. Collide can be proud of their latest effort because they stand true to their form. Collide truly has a unique sound that doesn't let you down. Their music lifts you up and expands your mind as only they can do. Both kaRIN and Statik have become that more polished in their musical abilities that make Some Kind of Strange a cd difficult put down. Finally, the last track "so long" ends the cd with a bang. It builds, grows, weaves and expands into a truly amazing track that begs you wanting more. I believe that track is a perfect example of the definition of Collide, a true blending of music from different avenues composed in an interesting form. Personally, I think Collide would shine on stage with their latest efforts and I don't think I am the only one waiting to see Collide live. This cd is a must have in anyone's music collection. Good luck to both the both them, as they greatly deserve it with an effort such as Some Kind of Strange.

Orignal, and when it gets things right, fantastic....
Collide is a very intesrting band. There music really cant be branded into a genre. Its closer counterpart is probably Delerium. However its a little darker then anything Delerium could put toghter...FOR THE MOST PART. Karins vocals are flat out gourgeous, she has the ability to make row row row your boat sound like a 5 star master piece. However i dont think her voice has much range, and at times this can be a let down for youll never hear a high note or true agressive tones within any vocals. However what Karin can do, she does fantasticly. Her style really does clash with Statik & because of this a few tracks can seemingly drift to no where, it almost feels like Statik and Karin just cant meet up on the same page on some songs and things sound flat-out messy. However when wthese two get things right they can put out some of the most dark, calming, & beuatiful music youll hear. As you journey through the CD youll see a change of style near the end. Near the end of the Album all darker tones seem to be lost, and the last few songs sound like Delrium songs that couldnt make the cut. That doesnt nessarcly mean a bad thing, however Collide has its own style, one that sounds like nothing youll ever hear...and its down right heart breaking whenever you see them leave this style all toghter to move on to something else, which is the case the last couple of tracks. The Album does get better with each listen. Id say its a buyer if only for Karins soothing vocals alone.

"Crushed" Is Enough For Me
Well, I've only listened to one of their songs, but if everyone else's reviews hold standing true, I'll love the cd.

I have only heard "Crushed". I love the song. It reminds me a lot of Lacuna Coil (nothing wrong with that) and since I don't know which one came first, I don't know who influenced who (notice how I didn't use "copy" or "immitate"). All in all, if every song on the cd is like "Crushed", I'm definetly buying it.

"Crushed" was dark meet sensual. At least that's what I got out of it. kAREN has great vocals. They really are quite sensual, yet dark at the same time. If you can't stand high pitched chicks in dark rock, Collide is right up your alley.

I hope everyone is right, and I hope that every song on the track is like "Crushed". I'm definetly buying the cd. Five stars, Collide!

Did I miss something?
I really did try to give this CD a fair chance. After reading all these reviews I ordered the disc. I played it 3 times in a week at various times of day to see if my mood may affect my decision, but it didn't.....this disc is on the goodbye pile. The instrumentation is fine and kaRIn's voice does what she will with the words, but I can't detect any melody or anything to make any song memorable. It appears that it takes more than mysteriousness and meds to make good music. The album just seems to be an amalgam of noise. Which is ironic, because the label is called NoisePlus. Appropo. Some kind of strange, indeed. ... Read more