Nine Inch Nails – Unsung Sundays https://unsungsundays.com What you should be listening to. Wed, 31 Jan 2018 14:47:58 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.1 Nine Inch Nails: Not the Actual Events https://unsungsundays.com/album-reviews/nine-inch-nails-not-actual-events/ Thu, 19 Jan 2017 17:47:29 +0000 http://unsungsundays.com/?post_type=album_reviews&p=1611 Not the Actual Events is the most ferocious Nine Inch Nails release in decades, but its teasing brevity and self-importance almost make it disappointing.

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]]> Not the Actual Events is, for all intents and purposes, a warning sign of things to come. It’s in the title. Not the Actual Events is not the actual event you’re looking for. It’s not a full album, and considering the build-up around the EP from Reznor (hushed murmurs of grandeur before a sudden surprise release), it’s nearly disappointing. But there’s a visceral quality to Not the Actual Events that’s been missing since The Downward Spiral and The Fragile.

I’m on record as being a huge Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor fan, but it’s hard not to acknowledge that the group’s last few records have either been formulaic or, in the case of Ghosts, different to the point of being occasionally uncomfortable. While Not the Actual Events is sometimes predictable, it often has a brashness and urgency to it that Reznor hasn’t had in a long time.

A quick listen to the alternately pulsing and attacking “Branches / Bones” reveals Reznor at his peak. “The Idea of You” is reminiscent of the angriest moments of With Teeth, but it goes beyond that and reminds me of The Downward Spiral’s most furious moments. And finally, “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)” mixes Black Sabbath-style ferocity with the curious meandering of “Right Where It Belongs” to create something that truly embodies a modern Reznor-ian sound.

Now we just have to wait for the actual event.

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]]> Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks https://unsungsundays.com/album-reviews/nine-inch-nails-hesitation-marks/ Sun, 08 Sep 2013 12:05:25 +0000 http://unsungsundays.com/?post_type=album_reviews&p=950 Hesitation Marks is a welcome return to form for Trent Reznor, and while it’s not perfect, it’s a daring outing that reveals Reznor at his most fragile.

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]]> As usual with discussing what’s undoubtedly going to be a popular record, I feel like a personal touch is in order. I got into Nine Inch Nails in my late high school years, but really absorbed Reznor’s ferocity during my first year of university. As I’ve grown old and my tastes have expanded, I’ve come to love Reznor’s later records (in particular, Ghosts and even The Social Network Soundtrack).

My expectations for Hesitation Marks were really high, and I’m actually very pleased. This is a Reznor who isn’t so filled with rage and self-loathing, and his music sounds more mature — but he hasn’t lost his sense of artistry.

Find My Way is as introspective as his best tracks were, and Copy of A has the same intensity as some of the best tracks off Slip or With Teeth. Come Back Haunted is dangerously sharp and dramatic, and will be sure to please old-time fans. All Time Low has that same old groove and bounce he’s familiar for, but is a good example of a track that isn’t as dark as it would have been in years gone by. I Would For You is fantastic, but it’s quickly toppled by In Two. While I’m Still Here is beyond impressive, playing with elements I never would have thought Reznor would have tried.

The album isn’t perfect, and some tracks are clearly flawed and lack the bite that vintage Nine Inch Nails carried. Reznor isn’t as angry as he used to be (and if he was, the record wouldn’t sound authentic at all). This isn’t the best Nine Inch Nails record, but who cares? We should just be glad he’s back.

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