Either Giles Corey or Deathconsciousness are even crazier than this (somehow) both are insane, the guy who made giles corey like mentally tortured himself making it I'm pretty sure 💀
Aging is weird. Trent was a hero for me as a teen, but as I got older I realized he was actually just a weak edge lord that put some dumb ideas in my head. Some NiN songs were great, but if I'm honest it was more about feeling like a rebel than it was about loving the songs. In retrospect, a lot of their music sucks. The remix albums are objectively garbage. Nostalgia is a strong drug.
@@BmetalfulI agree. Same with Korn... I'm totally confused as to why I enjoyed them so much as a teen. But that answers my own question; I was a teenager and a complete moron. I still consider Trent Reznor's musicianship to be good, particularly on here. However compared to other bands in the genre, like Skinny Puppy, his songs seem comparatively shallow and formulaic. It's like 'Pop-Industrial' all manufactured angst.
@@Bmetalful That's just like... your opinion man. I got into NIN in my 20s. Saw the Downward Spiral tour in 94. I'm 50 now, and still love NIN. That's just like... my opinion man.
It's weird to see these guys be kind of immature listening to this album while 11 year old me in '94 was intrigued and opened my mind to this type of music . To each their own I guess. Haha
I think a lot of it is nervousness. You laugh off provocative and revealing stuff like this. It's as they said. They might talk like this all the time, but they would never put it to music. It's disarming. One of the reactions a person can have is just to laugh it off, because you are actually uncomfortable with it. And when there are 2 people, you play off each other - "Can you believe this crazy stuff?" "No, that guy is crazy." But he is actually a lot like you and is saying things you've thought about at one point or another, but wouldn't admit. I think if they went back to it alone and listened again, they might have a more introspective reaction.
If you pay attention to the current culture, sacrilegious music is really out of fashion. It made more sense in the 90’s as a form of commentary on free speech and the dominant Christian morality of the time but the script since the mid 10’s has flipped. In some other videos they’ve also hinted towards their views and it falls in line with that trend imo. If I were to introduce NIN to someone in their age range, I would definitely give that context as I am just old enough to witness that paradigm shift.
@@nicocaffarilla8556 I think it started even earlier than that with the arrival of Brittney, Christina, Nsync, and the Backstreet Boys. Grunge started fading by the late 90s and a lot of the bands that were popular started transforming into something else or became stale. NIN started to change with the next album as well, though they stayed pretty true to the vision throughout. Indie rock became more of a thing. Rap metal became the next fad. Not everything became wholesome, but in the 2000s experimentation became more of a thing. That was more of the rebellion rather than shocking lyrics, angst, and just heavy music.
The other one he won an Oscar for is the most groundbreaking film score of the 21st Century. When I was 12 and was turned on to Pretty Hate Machine in 1991 I could have never envisioned what Reznor was going to do in his career. The Fragile is still my favorite NIN album.
@@Stankman_Crudders Reznor composed the soundtrack to the video game Quake right after Downward Spiral and produced David Lynch’s Lost Highway soundtrack as well.
@@cactaceous @Stankman_Crudders He also started working on the score for the Mark Romanek movie called "One Hour Photo" (which is a very good movie, btw), but his music was not used in the end, can't remember why right now, and parts of that music were released in the Still EP, maybe in a reworked way. But besides some stuff he did here and there producing soundtracks for movies like NBK or LH, or besides the Quake stuff, he didn't really have a serious career as a movie music composer until The Social Network, and Fincher had to insist like a lot until he accepted the job.
Some trivia: - Some of The Downward Spiral was recorded where the Manson murders took place. - That sample at the beginning of Mr Self Destruct is from the film THX 1138, the directorial debut of George Lucas and the namesake for the company THX. - The weird sound at the end of Mr Self Destruct is a guitar played by Adrian Belew of King Crimson, which was processed so heavily it became... that. - The drums at the end of Piggy were played by Reznor and were intended to be filler (a stand-in for a proper drum track) but he liked how they sounded, so they stayed. - There is a recurring motif on the album that can be heard on Piggy, Heresy, Closer, and the title track. - March of the Pigs has a weird but cool time signature, with three bars of 7/8 and one of 4/4. The chord progression in the calmer bridge is borrowed from an older song called Wish off of the EP Broken. - The kick on Closer is sampled from the Iggy Pop song Nightclubbing. Starting in the second verse, there's a subtle 808 bassdrum that adds rhythm to the steady four-on-the-floor kick pattern. It is not supposed to be a sexy song. The song is about the protagonist coping with intense self-loathing through sex. - The Becoming is in a combination of 7/4 and 6/4, with the "Annie" section being solely in 6/4. The opening samples a scene from the 1989 film Robot Jox. - Big Man With A Gun was written as a parody of gangta rap of the late 80s and early 90s. Ironically, some complained about the song, assuming it WAS a gangsta rap track, which is funny. - A Warm Place is the only track to be in a "typical" key, being D minor. The rest of the album heavily utilizes dissonant intervals like tritones and minor seconds, as well as interchanging minor and major thirds. - The "eraser" sound effect at the opening of Eraser was made by blowing into a detached sax reed. The song is in 6/4, but switches to 4/4. - Reptile samples a sound effect from the 1989 film Leviathan. I have been caught off guard SEVERAL times by the sudden jump in volume at the beginning. - The title track samples ambient sounds from the 1979 film Alien. It marks the final appearance of the Spiral motif, as well as the album's protagonist (if you interpret the song as depicting a successful suicide attempt). - The noise on Hurt is mostly present in the left stereo channel, almost as if the hearing in that ear was damaged by, say, a really loud sound. The song was famously covered by Johnny Cash.
Awesome. I'm lazy and didn't read all of your interesting comment. Most people don't realise that the 'Pig' references are also about the Manson murders as 'Pigs' was left written in blood on the wall or door or something.
Still blows me away that after ALL of that, including big man with a gun, one song was left off, Just Do It, because Flood felt it went too far. It's the only "b-side" of nin's career to never surface even as a demo, which leads us to believe it was never recorded, or perhaps ever written at all. The warped voice at the begining of Big man with a gun is credited as "steakhouse" by Tommy Lee (of motley Crue) and is just a moaning woman from a porno being massively distorted. Also, the "he-help" part in Reptile was from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Touring bassist/guitarist Danny Lonher had the job of pulling samples from movies, and was literally paid to sit and watch movies endlessly. I think there are a lot of cool rumors from the making of this record, like the house being haunted and contributing to the fucked up sound of everything. There use to be all sorts of crazy stories spread out on 90s fan sites. In the end, I think Trent knew exactly what house he rented, and knew it would add to the entire vibe and atmosphere of the record. Hindsight, he realized that was pretty fucked up. But no one has the balls to do that today. Everything has become a bit too sterile and watered down, for better and worse. Sorry, one last thing, but my personal interpretation: I always believed the protagonist Iggy, managed to kill off Mr self destruct, or so he thought... Which sets up the continuation on The Fragile. Trent says they aren't really related...but with songs like Somewhat Damaged, The Day the would went away, The Wretched, The Big Come Down, and Underneath it all have slight hints at themes from TDS. All I do, I can still feel you, you remain, I am stained Oh I just remembered, if you translate the lyrics to La Mer from French, the last line is "nothing can stop me now", a prevalent phrase throughout The Downward Spiral.
Oh damn. I’ve been listening to this album for 30 years - I thought I knew everything about it. But the noise in hurt in one channel being from a ‘loud noise’ I.e. - the gunshot in TDS - that’s the first time I ever realised that. This album is so layered!
Dude in red was so triggered after Heresy 😂 Song is so true though. Stop killing people in the name of God Reznor is pretty well adjusted in fact. Guy is a Grammy award winner and movie score specialist. Downward Spiral is a magnificent work of art. Glad you enjoyed it!
The downward spiral is about a person who discards every aspect of his life. His inability to relate to others, to personal relationships, religion, fear of disease. Trent said he wanted to address not just anger but tension. He did it perfectly…
Watching the guy on the left squirm and feel uncomfortable is great, and the only thing he can do is call the guy crazy for being artistic. Appears very close minded. Guy on the right is super cool and completely open minded. Trent Reznor is one of the most creative geniuses of our lifetime. Again like you mentioned, it's a concept album.
@leoseguin5761 if you can't see how incapable he is at approaching the album I don't know what to tell you. He pulled out his cross neckless. Not to hate, I know art like this is difficult when it's in your face, but my dude kept talking about Dahmer etc.
@ouhutra I wouldn't say he's incapable of approaching the music. I was getting the impression, by how he zoned out at times, that the music was starting to dig deep and rip open some scabs. Like it was hitting a little too close to home in some respects.
You shouldn’t presume everyone will come to the same conclusion as you. Art like this is dependent on the times, the context that the people who experience come from
I’ve been scrolling through their videos today, and yes, there’s some disappointing naivety here. Swearing, referring to women as vaginas, and talking about Asian women giving them happy ending massages, but then giggling about and offended by NIN. Hopefully this process opens their eyes.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have written the scores for 27 films and have won 2 Oscars for Best Original Score for the movies "The Social Network" in 2010 and "Soul" in 2020. They also won The Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series or Movie for the score for "The Watchmen". Trent also has 4 Grammys and Atticus has 2. There has been talk of making "Soul" a musical potentially giving them an opportunity to win a Tony Award and complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) cycle which has only been done 19 times before. I know this album seems like total chaos (and it is) but these are some serious and in-demand artists and surprisingly down to earth. Thank you for reacting to my favorite band...
God this album is nuts but so great. “The Fragile” is Trent’s masterpiece in my opinion. It’s very long, but definitely worth a look. Both that and Downward Spiral are 10/10 for me. Great job guys!
hell yes!! A full listen through of the double album would be amazing. And they would get to see another aspect of Trent and maybe be less 'scared' of him haha
"The Fragile" is one of my favorite albums of all time... it was transformative for me as a teen. The way most fans talk about Downward Spiral is how I feel about The Fragile. Also, if you want a quicker video listen to all of The Broken. it's like 26 minutes long.
@@hunterking8807 Pretty easy to see why if you don't know though. Given Johnny Cash's catalogue is way older the natural assumption would be that NIN covered it (assuming you don't know anything about Johnny Cash either)
@@Stu-Bono, hunterking is right. not knowing everything about everything (filming a first-reaction video no less) just bc you happen to know one thing about something no one really needs to care or know about in the first place is wayyy more annoying than someone calling it out like a violation of physics before thanking that same person for keeping the entire universe in order, hero that they are.
Trent DIDN'T intentionally buy/rent the murder house. It just had all the room for the equipment and a guest house for what was needed. The other thing you guys need to learn is that everytime when people say fuck, its not always about sex. Sometimes it's referring to fucking someone over or betraying them.
No. Music is music, its not satanic. Satanism doesnt exist. If a song slaps it slaps so yes we will listen to it, you dont have to be fucked up to enjoy it
You guys got a great channel, but I wanted to address that just because someone is interested in the darker side of life doesn’t mean they’re bad or evil. Trent was a really dark dude but he’s a good dude. Don’t let something being dark automatically make it bad/evil. Charles Manson who was mentioned in this video was a fan of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, you just never know someone’s true moral compass.
Trent Reznor said he wrote Heresy partially in response to conservative Christians who in the 90's were extremely homophobic about the HIV/AIDS epidemic saying that gay people deserved it and that it was God punishing them for their "sin". In an interview, he said, "What gets me mad is the way the right wing has used the ‘convenience’ of this epidemic in helping to promote their own agenda.”
I love your opposing reactions. It was the same back in the 90s. Half of us went 'oh shit, this is amazing', the other half went 'oh, shit' and felt uncomfortable.
and first Quake in '96, original CD had the music on game's CD as tracks playing with that industrial music was scary af czcams.com/video/5n8iU7abqkQ/video.html
Some Nine Inch Nails trivia for you. You mentioned how a warm place sounds like Call of Duty or something like that. Trent Reznor did the opening song for Black Ops II. This same guy did the soundtrack to a Pixar film called Soul. Reznor and Ross are geniuses.
Most of these songs are sung from the perspective of the drugs like heroin that had a hold on Trent, depression and the downward spiral one can take. I love you guys but this whole album went over your heads lol
@@lucastaylor0 Yeah, a poor choice of wording. I meant only that the songs often refer to heroine addiction and the things associated with it. Not really sung from the drug’s perspective but there are certainly elements of that as well.
Heroin isn’t Trent’s drug of choice. In fact,he mistaken heroin for cocaine and was sent to the hospital due to overdosing.this was his step to sobriety altogether.
They were actual drums played by Trent on Piggy. They were originally recorded as microphone test drums, but he thought they sounded cool and put them in the song
Cash's cover of "Hurt" was from a cover album he did shortly before he passed. The director of the iconic music video also directed the video for "Closer." That video and Cash's passing imbued it with a lot of cultural significance and caused it to overshadow the original. And yes, Trent has a wife and several kids. He and his wife have their own band called How to Destroy Angels, along with his music writing partner Atticus Ross. In addition to occasional NIN projects and collabs he also does film/television scores and ocassionally video game soundtracks. Most recently they did the score for the movie _Challengers,_ and Ross did the score for the show _Shogun._
It’s pretty naive to say someone has to be crazy or fucked up to enjoy this music. What that tells me is that life has not broken you yet, and for that you are lucky. For millions of the rest of us, this music is a catharsis that makes us feel less alone and empty. Trent isn’t a psychopath. He deeply feels things and the music is the outlet. Taking the lyrics at face value is a huge mistake. There is deeper meaning behind everything you claimed “was fucked up and a murderer must listen to this.” I implore you to think beyond your own narrow horizons.
When you have a bunch of people dumb as rocks, it is completely normal that they wouldn't understand it enough to realize that it was a spit in their face.
You guys missed the who;e point of Closer. It's about a man whose final, last resort against the encroaching darkness is sex, and his addiction to it. The whole album is about self destruction. It's as sexy as hell, but unhealthy as fuck
It is amazing. Annoying and amazing, the complete misunderstanding of this song.." *I wanna fuck you* hahaha he said dirty words". We live with philistines my man... it makes me sad.
It's a desperate plea for salvation.. sex is the only thing that's left. I can't relate anymore to anything but flesh.. but no: "LOL fuck you like an animal! Lolol". People disappoint me.
1. The album is cathartic. Actually helps people cope with anger and depression. 2. None of these sings are about what you think they're about. It's very metaphorical. 3. NIN wrote Hurt. Cash covered it as the last song he ever recorded. Also, in an interview, Reznor says he didn't know it was the Tate house until after recording was underway.😊
The nineties were a great time to be going through teen angst. We had the perfect soundtrack for our lives on the radio, in our cd players, and on Mtv.
Guys a lot of stuff he says in the lyrics isn’t literal. For example “take the skin and peel it back” on march of the pigs isn’t meant to be taken literally lol. Or like big man with a gun, he’s mocking a specific type of person. This album is philosophical and metaphorical in a lot of ways, and you won’t completely understand it until you look at it in that perspective.
The amount of observations made in passing. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the screams in The Becoming are sampled from that film. Trent has done MANY scores for films to great success, like his Oscar for the Social Network.. Pure genius. My favorite musician
Despite it being long, you two should definitely react to The Fragile, that album is sort of like a sequel to The Downward Spiral, but sounds more cinematic and almost hopeful. You should do like a Part One then a Part Two since it is pretty long but it's honestly worth the listen. Probably one of their best sounding albums imo, although The Downward Spiral comes second for me.
I think you guys need to look for the metaphors more. A lot of the stuff in here that you think is super dark is more about emotional pain. And Trent doesn't write songs about hating women... that I'm aware of. The pigs are the terrible people in the world that use others for their own wants and hurt the world... I think. Again, metaphorical. Not actual pigs.
The song is about power and control, hence the reference to using his dick/gun to put things in their places. It's about the person using their power for toxic messed up isht.
From a more modern perspective I always thought it dealt with the violent/nihilistic tendencies of a man going through hardship. I ALWAYS related it to school shootings, how the shooter starts to think and how he “proves” himself to be dominant
Trent was sooo sad during the 90s, suffering from extreme depression and addiction. He did a great job of showing how fucked up he felt with the music he made. Trent felt so hopeless. He's doing a lot better now. Sobered up, started living a healthy lifestyle, and has a beautiful family.
3 things for yall: 1. This is not their masterpiece in my opinion, that title belongs to The Fragile, which you are now contractually obligated to listen to now. Demonic contract. 2. March Of The Pigs was infamous in old NIN shows as the "song that kills people". This song created the most hellish mosh pits to ever exist, which would give many, many people near-death experiences. 3. Trent Reznor and whoever was his keyboardist of the day were notorious for destroying equipment, there are countless videos of them curbstomping and smashing keyboards, which are also really fucking funny.
This was Jayden's episode frfr. 😅 Who knew he is actually the tuff one 💪😂 jkjk but you were right about Trent Reznor making movie soundtracks, he's done a lot after The Social Network (2010), which won an Oscar for Best Original Score. Dude is 60 now, and just vibing with a wife and 5 kids.
Great reaction! Flood also produced "Violator" by "Depeche Mode", which I highly recommend, I think you would like it. Trent Reznor took a huge inspiration from them.
On a very dark note, you guys mentioned how “a murderer must have listened to this music”… Trent and Nine Inch Nails (in addition to other artists) got a lot of backlash from the media because one of the Columbine school shooters was a fan of the group. “Big Man with a Gun” specifically
The downward spiral is a masterpiece. I was 14 when it came out. I’m totally normal and happy. I wasn’t at all an angsty teen. But I’m not afraid to explore the darker side of life. And NIN is as dark as it gets but it’s also beautiful. It’s art, and good art isn’t afraid to explore the dark side of our minds / bodies / souls As a musician it was hugely influential.
They were making industrial music back in the 70’s - bands would use machinery, tape loops run through machines, power tools, weird synth tones, sliced up and rearranged tape, samples. By the time this came out they had computers to help, but nearly all of this was recorded live and then worked into the final product.
This is actually the 3rd NIN album, behind Pretty Hate Machine and Broken. (4th if you count Fixed, which is a remix version of broken). Those first two are great and my favorites. Trent is currently a HUGE writer of hollywood soundtracks, winning many awards.
I can still clearly remember the day my best friend and I drove up to a well known Record Store, with no real particular plan in mind. We walked around and had fun looking at all the different vinyl and merch. But it was this album that caught our eye. I am sure we bought a couple things while there, but my buddy definitely bought this CD. We opened it as soon as we got into the car....and from the moment Mr. Self Destruct erupted through my car speakers, it was all over. We listened to every track in that first sitting, on the way home and then sitting in my driveway just blown away by the entirely and enormity of this album. Will live on forever as one of the GOATS in contemporary Music. Many years later I was lucky enough to be able to attend Soundgarden opening for NIN. It was truly a life affirming experience. Very much looking forward to watching your review!!
Funny you said something about soundtracks. :) Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. He's won multiple Oscars for movie soundtracks on top of Grammys for NIN. Also, he's just fine, married with like a ton of kids.
The most influential Industrial band, and arguably the definitive (other than NIN) is Skinny Puppy. Nivek Ogre and Kevin Compton aka 'CEvin Key' they were the main influence for Trent Reznor and sounded literally decades ahead of their time. Their most acclaimed albums are 'VivisectVI' (1988) and 'Too Dark Park' (1990) definitely worth checking out
You were talking about who would listen to it, or when someone would want it. The feeling of not being alone, of having suppressed anger, fury, of feeling isolation and despair, all washed away through a sense of catharsis and acceptance, through feeling valid. This album saved so many people. Not feeling alone, having some place to let those feelings exist, to work through inner struggles and turmoil. All of that makes you feel crazy, makes you feel full of spite and rage, and here is a vehicle of someone else's design that let's you escape it, to see it as a passenger, to walk the darkness with a guide. The level of metaphor used seemed to escape the two of you, but I'm guessing as you become more introspective, it will make more sense. Come back in 5 years and listen again, see if anything has changed in your opinion. Good work sticking through the whole album. It seemed out of your comfort zone, but is a good way to break through and find even more depth. Best of luck boys.
The first time I listened to this album it ruined my day lol. Now it's one of my favorite albums. Yes, murderers have listened to this album. The columbine shooters were big fans. They completely misunderstood it though. This album is a warning against the mindset of nihilism and self destruction that leads people to that place. It's a story. It's not promoting any of the things it discusses.
Downward Spiral was my intro to NIN, Fav was the Becoming personally. I'm a very damaged person. So Proud to see the young to follow me like this stuff and enjoy it too :) Lots of content with NIN :) (Um, I think "flood" was C Christopherson iirc.) Edit, Trent makes a ton of references to Drug addiction problems and Governmental control - for context... :) 2nd Edit. Yes he was on soundtracks. Trent's work was on "Natural Born KIllers", "The Crow" and "Gone Girl" as well as being on the Quake soundtrack, "Lost Highway" and "the Cat and the Coup"
I agree with most of the comments here: The Fragile, the album after this one, is essentially an attempt of recuperating from going into this downward spiral, yet failed to realize that the fragility of your psyche and mental state has been damaged so much that you cannot escape that mental anguish. Make that the next reaction NIN reaction bois. Subscribed.
I didn't see anyone answer, sorry if I missed it: The drums on Piggy are real, played. They were just sort of haphazardly played as they were supposed to be just a placeholder to be replaced as the song was put together, but when it came to that point it was decided that it actually fit the song as-was. It's just live drums being played without any intentional beat/direction....
nice job boys. not too many days in high school without my nin shirt. anyways, dude on the left looks like he feels the need to go to confession or something after this. in high school Reptile was a love song with my gf lol
48:30 Fun Fact: During the chorus of "Hurt". Trent Reznor said the wineing sound in the background was originally designed to be an "unsound." Its off key, off pitch and was meant to be a unrepeatable sound
Thank you for recording this reaction video. =) - For those of us who have been in the Industrial scene 30+ years (and there's a LOT of us...) it's always great seeing people encounter the genre, especially when they have ZERO frame of reference. Industrial is very unlike mainstream genres of music, so when people discover it, they tend to have a strong visceral reaction (either for or against it.) - If it doesn't speak to you, that's cool; it doesn't have to be for everyone. If it DOES speak to you, there's a WEALTH of music waiting for you to discover it.
10:30 Piggy is not a woman but is in fact ex-guitarist Richard Patrick (who Trent knew since high school), and yeah I guess he was pretty heart broken about it.
Ladies and Gentleman, the Academy Award and Golden Globe winner for the score of Disney Pixar's Soul, Trent Reznor!!! Lol crazy how far he's come from his depression era.
This album is a re-enactment in a way of the thoughts and feelings of an addict or someone similar during their descent down the spiral, a process that happens before the "rock bottom" people hit. Also, take the lyrics metaphorically rather then literally like the guy in the red did. Generation X loved metaphors especially descriptive and shocking ones. Visceral ones.
So interesting to hear naive young guys listen to this album and give their two cents in the year of our lord 2024. This album has helped me feel less alone at my lowest. For anyone struggling with drug addiction, sexual trauma and violent thoughts, its a soothing masterpiece. If you can believe it
Hey, I just wanted to say that since you guys liked Nirvana you should definitely check out the first two Weezer albums. The first one is fairly light and fun, and the second one, Pinkerton, is much darker but also much more musically involved and interesting. Don’t be thrown off by their meme status, they rocked in the 90’s.
Super enjoyed watching the reaction! I've been a Nine Inch Nails fan since the 90's. I'd have to say that this is my top favorite album by the band but I've got two runner ups that are mighty impressive as well. They'd be their debut album Pretty Hate Machine as well as The Fragile. Pretty Hate Machine is similar to this in that it has a number of intense songs that are fast moving and driving but The Fragile on the other hand is a double album that has a run time of one hour and forty five minutes. That album has many more songs on it and a good amount of them are more chill than a lot of this album. If either of you are open to further exploring Nine Inch Nails I'd love to see/hear your thoughts on either one of those albums. :)
99% of what you identify as hatred towards women, which would be the truth nowadays, is actually self hatred..It really not about women.. which is something that really annoyed Reznor to no end..
There is no misogyny in there. It's almost a solipsitic album. A lot of women hater got a hold of some of the song. And they would've been stumped in the mosh pit in 94.
The reaction, lol. NIN has some of the best live productions. I've been fortunate to see Trent and Co. twice. You guys should definitely check out some of the live concert here on CZcams, such as 'Nine Inch Nails - The Line Begins To Blur 1080p HD (from BYIT)' or 'Nine Inch Nails - Eraser 720p HD (Fixed camera angle, from BYIT).'
Trent wrote Hurt. He also said Cash did it better. Dude. This album is about him going insane. Is gonna sound crazy. He goes from being unstable to being suicidal. This is him visualizing what that would sound like inside his head. Society still has issues being open to mental Illness. This album was controversial for both the subject matter, and the lyrics. It also was fundamental in opening the conversation about it. So many artists are influenced by NIN. The evolution of anything has to also include things that make you uncomfortable. The media hated him and Marilyn Manson as being satanic, much like Ozzy in his time. Whenever music makes a leap into uncharted territory people go nuts cause they don't understand it. I saw NIN in 1994 on the Downward Spiral tour. OMG. I fuckin adore NIN. Trent doesn't fuck around... oops. Yes he did fuck around LOTS. lol. He is still kickin out albums, and also does soundtracks and collabs with other artists. I believe he did the soundtrack to the movie Lost Highway. He's da GOAT. My co-workers kept blasting my cd so much they almost wore it out. lol. Ha. You should do Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar. Will blow your minds. Also, the internet was just coming onto the scene in the early 90s. This was made old school. Is good you guys are open enough to step out of your comfort zones. Is how we find new things to add to ourselves. Grow as a person type thing. Keep doin your thing. Love your videos and reactions!
All of this bands records are very different. I think you’d love The Fragile albums. Yes Trent has a family. A wife. Children. He is one of the most respected musicians in history. Even Time magazine wrote about him and called him a modern day Mozart.
This is the spiral downward, the descent into hell and madness, once the discovery comes that nothing you thought would make things better, make things better. Anyone who has been in that darkness, knows exactly what I am talking about.
How does music get any crazier than this?
Death Grips maybe
Either Giles Corey or Deathconsciousness are even crazier than this (somehow) both are insane, the guy who made giles corey like mentally tortured himself making it I'm pretty sure 💀
DAFT PUNK
DAFT PUNK
DAFT PUNK
DAFT PUNK
DAFT PUNK
DAFT PUNK
Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
Mr Bungle 😊
You guys have no idea how much of an outlet for teen angst this was when it came out. I was 14 and it was glorious.
Ah the good old days 🫡
Aging is weird. Trent was a hero for me as a teen, but as I got older I realized he was actually just a weak edge lord that put some dumb ideas in my head. Some NiN songs were great, but if I'm honest it was more about feeling like a rebel than it was about loving the songs. In retrospect, a lot of their music sucks. The remix albums are objectively garbage. Nostalgia is a strong drug.
@@Bmetalful idk I listen to NIN because I like the beats, sounds, and melodies, not so much for the edginess
@@BmetalfulI agree. Same with Korn... I'm totally confused as to why I enjoyed them so much as a teen. But that answers my own question; I was a teenager and a complete moron. I still consider Trent Reznor's musicianship to be good, particularly on here. However compared to other bands in the genre, like Skinny Puppy, his songs seem comparatively shallow and formulaic. It's like 'Pop-Industrial' all manufactured angst.
@@Bmetalful That's just like... your opinion man.
I got into NIN in my 20s. Saw the Downward Spiral tour in 94. I'm 50 now, and still love NIN.
That's just like... my opinion man.
It's weird to see these guys be kind of immature listening to this album while 11 year old me in '94 was intrigued and opened my mind to this type of music . To each their own I guess. Haha
Yep. Well said.
I think a lot of it is nervousness. You laugh off provocative and revealing stuff like this. It's as they said. They might talk like this all the time, but they would never put it to music. It's disarming. One of the reactions a person can have is just to laugh it off, because you are actually uncomfortable with it. And when there are 2 people, you play off each other - "Can you believe this crazy stuff?" "No, that guy is crazy." But he is actually a lot like you and is saying things you've thought about at one point or another, but wouldn't admit. I think if they went back to it alone and listened again, they might have a more introspective reaction.
Fellow 83 kid here! One of my most formative albums of that year, but honestly 94 had some of the best music of my lifetime to date.
If you pay attention to the current culture, sacrilegious music is really out of fashion. It made more sense in the 90’s as a form of commentary on free speech and the dominant Christian morality of the time but the script since the mid 10’s has flipped. In some other videos they’ve also hinted towards their views and it falls in line with that trend imo.
If I were to introduce NIN to someone in their age range, I would definitely give that context as I am just old enough to witness that paradigm shift.
@@nicocaffarilla8556 I think it started even earlier than that with the arrival of Brittney, Christina, Nsync, and the Backstreet Boys. Grunge started fading by the late 90s and a lot of the bands that were popular started transforming into something else or became stale. NIN started to change with the next album as well, though they stayed pretty true to the vision throughout. Indie rock became more of a thing. Rap metal became the next fad. Not everything became wholesome, but in the 2000s experimentation became more of a thing. That was more of the rebellion rather than shocking lyrics, angst, and just heavy music.
Closer was played at every strip club through the 90s
Even though Trent has stated that it was not meant to be a stripper anthem
@@Milo-it1tf True. It's a song about a self destructive person, drowning his problems in sex and drugs.
It still gets radio play these days. Any big city with an alt rock radio station will play Closer.
@@nathanpapp432It's actually insane that something like NIN managed to become mainstream
Still gets played at strip clubs now
Trent Reznor has been making film soundtracks for over a decade now, he has even won a couple of oscars, one of them for a Disney/Pixar movie, lol.
The other one he won an Oscar for is the most groundbreaking film score of the 21st Century. When I was 12 and was turned on to Pretty Hate Machine in 1991 I could have never envisioned what Reznor was going to do in his career. The Fragile is still my favorite NIN album.
Intro to Se7en and also think he was like head of music on Natural Born Killers too back to the 90s
@@Stankman_Crudders Reznor composed the soundtrack to the video game Quake right after Downward Spiral and produced David Lynch’s Lost Highway soundtrack as well.
@@cactaceous @Stankman_Crudders
He also started working on the score for the Mark Romanek movie called "One Hour Photo" (which is a very good movie, btw), but his music was not used in the end, can't remember why right now, and parts of that music were released in the Still EP, maybe in a reworked way.
But besides some stuff he did here and there producing soundtracks for movies like NBK or LH, or besides the Quake stuff, he didn't really have a serious career as a movie music composer until The Social Network, and Fincher had to insist like a lot until he accepted the job.
@@badmf7974 damn never knew that, love One Hour Photo. Always liked Robin Williams serious roles over comedy
Some trivia:
- Some of The Downward Spiral was recorded where the Manson murders took place.
- That sample at the beginning of Mr Self Destruct is from the film THX 1138, the directorial debut of George Lucas and the namesake for the company THX.
- The weird sound at the end of Mr Self Destruct is a guitar played by Adrian Belew of King Crimson, which was processed so heavily it became... that.
- The drums at the end of Piggy were played by Reznor and were intended to be filler (a stand-in for a proper drum track) but he liked how they sounded, so they stayed.
- There is a recurring motif on the album that can be heard on Piggy, Heresy, Closer, and the title track.
- March of the Pigs has a weird but cool time signature, with three bars of 7/8 and one of 4/4. The chord progression in the calmer bridge is borrowed from an older song called Wish off of the EP Broken.
- The kick on Closer is sampled from the Iggy Pop song Nightclubbing. Starting in the second verse, there's a subtle 808 bassdrum that adds rhythm to the steady four-on-the-floor kick pattern. It is not supposed to be a sexy song. The song is about the protagonist coping with intense self-loathing through sex.
- The Becoming is in a combination of 7/4 and 6/4, with the "Annie" section being solely in 6/4. The opening samples a scene from the 1989 film Robot Jox.
- Big Man With A Gun was written as a parody of gangta rap of the late 80s and early 90s. Ironically, some complained about the song, assuming it WAS a gangsta rap track, which is funny.
- A Warm Place is the only track to be in a "typical" key, being D minor. The rest of the album heavily utilizes dissonant intervals like tritones and minor seconds, as well as interchanging minor and major thirds.
- The "eraser" sound effect at the opening of Eraser was made by blowing into a detached sax reed. The song is in 6/4, but switches to 4/4.
- Reptile samples a sound effect from the 1989 film Leviathan. I have been caught off guard SEVERAL times by the sudden jump in volume at the beginning.
- The title track samples ambient sounds from the 1979 film Alien. It marks the final appearance of the Spiral motif, as well as the album's protagonist (if you interpret the song as depicting a successful suicide attempt).
- The noise on Hurt is mostly present in the left stereo channel, almost as if the hearing in that ear was damaged by, say, a really loud sound. The song was famously covered by Johnny Cash.
Awesome. I'm lazy and didn't read all of your interesting comment. Most people don't realise that the 'Pig' references are also about the Manson murders as 'Pigs' was left written in blood on the wall or door or something.
Still blows me away that after ALL of that, including big man with a gun, one song was left off, Just Do It, because Flood felt it went too far. It's the only "b-side" of nin's career to never surface even as a demo, which leads us to believe it was never recorded, or perhaps ever written at all.
The warped voice at the begining of Big man with a gun is credited as "steakhouse" by Tommy Lee (of motley Crue) and is just a moaning woman from a porno being massively distorted.
Also, the "he-help" part in Reptile was from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
Touring bassist/guitarist Danny Lonher had the job of pulling samples from movies, and was literally paid to sit and watch movies endlessly.
I think there are a lot of cool rumors from the making of this record, like the house being haunted and contributing to the fucked up sound of everything.
There use to be all sorts of crazy stories spread out on 90s fan sites.
In the end, I think Trent knew exactly what house he rented, and knew it would add to the entire vibe and atmosphere of the record. Hindsight, he realized that was pretty fucked up. But no one has the balls to do that today. Everything has become a bit too sterile and watered down, for better and worse.
Sorry, one last thing, but my personal interpretation:
I always believed the protagonist Iggy, managed to kill off Mr self destruct, or so he thought... Which sets up the continuation on The Fragile. Trent says they aren't really related...but with songs like Somewhat Damaged, The Day the would went away, The Wretched, The Big Come Down, and Underneath it all have slight hints at themes from TDS.
All I do, I can still feel you, you remain, I am stained
Oh I just remembered, if you translate the lyrics to La Mer from French, the last line is "nothing can stop me now", a prevalent phrase throughout The Downward Spiral.
@@punker-gamer-trucker-guy It was Chris Vrenna that was watching movies and pulling samples, not Danny Lohner.
Oh damn. I’ve been listening to this album for 30 years - I thought I knew everything about it. But the noise in hurt in one channel being from a ‘loud noise’ I.e. - the gunshot in TDS - that’s the first time I ever realised that. This album is so layered!
There are youtube videos that reveal even more film and music samples. That's just touching surface
Dude in red was so triggered after Heresy 😂
Song is so true though. Stop killing people in the name of God
Reznor is pretty well adjusted in fact. Guy is a Grammy award winner and movie score specialist. Downward Spiral is a magnificent work of art. Glad you enjoyed it!
The downward spiral is about a person who discards every aspect of his life. His inability to relate to others, to personal relationships, religion, fear of disease. Trent said he wanted to address not just anger but tension. He did it perfectly…
Watching the guy on the left squirm and feel uncomfortable is great, and the only thing he can do is call the guy crazy for being artistic. Appears very close minded. Guy on the right is super cool and completely open minded. Trent Reznor is one of the most creative geniuses of our lifetime. Again like you mentioned, it's a concept album.
how is he close minded? he listened to the entire album; id say hes pretty open minded
@leoseguin5761 if you can't see how incapable he is at approaching the album I don't know what to tell you. He pulled out his cross neckless. Not to hate, I know art like this is difficult when it's in your face, but my dude kept talking about Dahmer etc.
@ouhutra I wouldn't say he's incapable of approaching the music. I was getting the impression, by how he zoned out at times, that the music was starting to dig deep and rip open some scabs. Like it was hitting a little too close to home in some respects.
You shouldn’t presume everyone will come to the same conclusion as you. Art like this is dependent on the times, the context that the people who experience come from
I’ve been scrolling through their videos today, and yes, there’s some disappointing naivety here. Swearing, referring to women as vaginas, and talking about Asian women giving them happy ending massages, but then giggling about and offended by NIN. Hopefully this process opens their eyes.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have written the scores for 27 films and have won 2 Oscars for Best Original Score for the movies "The Social Network" in 2010 and "Soul" in 2020. They also won The Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series or Movie for the score for "The Watchmen". Trent also has 4 Grammys and Atticus has 2. There has been talk of making "Soul" a musical potentially giving them an opportunity to win a Tony Award and complete the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) cycle which has only been done 19 times before. I know this album seems like total chaos (and it is) but these are some serious and in-demand artists and surprisingly down to earth. Thank you for reacting to my favorite band...
Very well said my fellow NIN friend
God this album is nuts but so great.
“The Fragile” is Trent’s masterpiece in my opinion. It’s very long, but definitely worth a look. Both that and Downward Spiral are 10/10 for me. Great job guys!
hell yes!! A full listen through of the double album would be amazing. And they would get to see another aspect of Trent and maybe be less 'scared' of him haha
"The Fragile" is one of my favorite albums of all time... it was transformative for me as a teen. The way most fans talk about Downward Spiral is how I feel about The Fragile.
Also, if you want a quicker video listen to all of The Broken. it's like 26 minutes long.
Johnny Cash covered this original version of Hurt.
Thank you for clarifying this for them lol it’s annoying when people think it’s Johnny Cash’s work and kinda just spread that word of mouth.
@@hunterking8807 Pretty easy to see why if you don't know though. Given Johnny Cash's catalogue is way older the natural assumption would be that NIN covered it (assuming you don't know anything about Johnny Cash either)
@@Stu-Bono, hunterking is right. not knowing everything about everything (filming a first-reaction video no less) just bc you happen to know one thing about something no one really needs to care or know about in the first place is wayyy more annoying than someone calling it out like a violation of physics before thanking that same person for keeping the entire universe in order, hero that they are.
And every time that I've seen them, they end the show with Hurt.
Trent DIDN'T intentionally buy/rent the murder house. It just had all the room for the equipment and a guest house for what was needed.
The other thing you guys need to learn is that everytime when people say fuck, its not always about sex. Sometimes it's referring to fucking someone over or betraying them.
No. Music is music, its not satanic. Satanism doesnt exist. If a song slaps it slaps so yes we will listen to it, you dont have to be fucked up to enjoy it
Satan doesn't exist, but Satanism certainly does 😆
lol satanism definitely exists
@@robertstull8759 exactly
... m0rons
I think the point they were trying to make is that Satanism as a religion doesn't exist, it is a philosophy
You guys got a great channel, but I wanted to address that just because someone is interested in the darker side of life doesn’t mean they’re bad or evil. Trent was a really dark dude but he’s a good dude. Don’t let something being dark automatically make it bad/evil. Charles Manson who was mentioned in this video was a fan of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, you just never know someone’s true moral compass.
You boys weren't even ready.
Nope. They absolutely were not worthy of the Downward Spiral.
Trent Reznor said he wrote Heresy partially in response to conservative Christians who in the 90's were extremely homophobic about the HIV/AIDS epidemic saying that gay people deserved it and that it was God punishing them for their "sin". In an interview, he said, "What gets me mad is the way the right wing has used the ‘convenience’ of this epidemic in helping to promote their own agenda.”
Nine Inch Nails released this record in 1994 along with the single "Hurt"
Johnny Cash released "Hurt" in 2002.
Do the math
8 years difference? Instructions are unclear
@@herroalex
I love your opposing reactions. It was the same back in the 90s. Half of us went 'oh shit, this is amazing', the other half went 'oh, shit' and felt uncomfortable.
The references to Pigs is most likely a throwback reference to Animal Farm. Pig's are authoritarians.
"reminds me of call of duty"
my dude he literally did the soundtrack for black ops 2, you hit the "nail" on the head haha
and first Quake in '96, original CD had the music on game's CD as tracks playing with that industrial music was scary af
czcams.com/video/5n8iU7abqkQ/video.html
"literally did the soundtrack" is a exaggeration, he did the main theme and that's it.
It’s funny that Trent Reznor has made scary sounding shit like this and then also did the soundtrack for Disney Pixar’s Soul and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
Some Nine Inch Nails trivia for you.
You mentioned how a warm place sounds like Call of Duty or something like that. Trent Reznor did the opening song for Black Ops II. This same guy did the soundtrack to a Pixar film called Soul. Reznor and Ross are geniuses.
A Warm place sounds like Bowies Crystal Japan. Then Mogwai did Sine Wave
Most of these songs are sung from the perspective of the drugs like heroin that had a hold on Trent, depression and the downward spiral one can take. I love you guys but this whole album went over your heads lol
Which songs are you reffering to? I haven't heard that interpretation for any of the songs before
@@lucastaylor0 Yeah, a poor choice of wording. I meant only that the songs often refer to heroine addiction and the things associated with it. Not really sung from the drug’s perspective but there are certainly elements of that as well.
Heroin isn’t Trent’s drug of choice. In fact,he mistaken heroin for cocaine and was sent to the hospital due to overdosing.this was his step to sobriety altogether.
Oh shit, religious people are listening to nine inch nails. Watch out!
They were actual drums played by Trent on Piggy. They were originally recorded as microphone test drums, but he thought they sounded cool and put them in the song
The dark underbelly of GenX.
Cynical, angry, self-deprecating….ultimately not giving a fuck.
And all with good reason :)
Cash's cover of "Hurt" was from a cover album he did shortly before he passed. The director of the iconic music video also directed the video for "Closer." That video and Cash's passing imbued it with a lot of cultural significance and caused it to overshadow the original.
And yes, Trent has a wife and several kids. He and his wife have their own band called How to Destroy Angels, along with his music writing partner Atticus Ross. In addition to occasional NIN projects and collabs he also does film/television scores and ocassionally video game soundtracks. Most recently they did the score for the movie _Challengers,_ and Ross did the score for the show _Shogun._
It’s pretty naive to say someone has to be crazy or fucked up to enjoy this music. What that tells me is that life has not broken you yet, and for that you are lucky. For millions of the rest of us, this music is a catharsis that makes us feel less alone and empty. Trent isn’t a psychopath. He deeply feels things and the music is the outlet. Taking the lyrics at face value is a huge mistake. There is deeper meaning behind everything you claimed “was fucked up and a murderer must listen to this.” I implore you to think beyond your own narrow horizons.
I was NOT expecting u guys to react a industrial metal album. Thank god u did, this is one of my fav albums!
Man literally said "further down the spiral"
Heresy was a very flagrant song. I expected EVERY church in the USA to trip about it, but they left it alone 🤔
When you keep in mind it’s the perspective of a guy on a downward spiral in the track it’s not really a serious critique anyway.
@@cuteasxtreme true dat 👊🏽
Because they know it’s true. 🤷🏻♀️
@@CBGB_1977 no
When you have a bunch of people dumb as rocks, it is completely normal that they wouldn't understand it enough to realize that it was a spit in their face.
You guys missed the who;e point of Closer. It's about a man whose final, last resort against the encroaching darkness is sex, and his addiction to it. The whole album is about self destruction. It's as sexy as hell, but unhealthy as fuck
It is amazing. Annoying and amazing, the complete misunderstanding of this song.." *I wanna fuck you* hahaha he said dirty words". We live with philistines my man... it makes me sad.
It's a desperate plea for salvation.. sex is the only thing that's left. I can't relate anymore to anything but flesh.. but no: "LOL fuck you like an animal! Lolol". People disappoint me.
You know when they talk about media litteracy? .. yeah. I feel you dude.
lol, this was like watching Brad and Janet meet Frank N Furter
👏👏👏
1. The album is cathartic. Actually helps people cope with anger and depression.
2. None of these sings are about what you think they're about. It's very metaphorical.
3. NIN wrote Hurt. Cash covered it as the last song he ever recorded.
Also, in an interview, Reznor says he didn't know it was the Tate house until after recording was underway.😊
This is the original; version of Hurt
The nineties were a great time to be going through teen angst. We had the perfect soundtrack for our lives on the radio, in our cd players, and on Mtv.
This album is so far ahead of its time!!! In 94 this was fucking mind blowing!!!
you read what the concept of the album was but then just.... ignored it i guess.
Siamese Dream is great! Looking forward to the reaction.
Guys a lot of stuff he says in the lyrics isn’t literal. For example “take the skin and peel it back” on march of the pigs isn’t meant to be taken literally lol. Or like big man with a gun, he’s mocking a specific type of person. This album is philosophical and metaphorical in a lot of ways, and you won’t completely understand it until you look at it in that perspective.
The amount of observations made in passing. Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the screams in The Becoming are sampled from that film. Trent has done MANY scores for films to great success, like his Oscar for the Social Network.. Pure genius. My favorite musician
Despite it being long, you two should definitely react to The Fragile, that album is sort of like a sequel to The Downward Spiral, but sounds more cinematic and almost hopeful. You should do like a Part One then a Part Two since it is pretty long but it's honestly worth the listen. Probably one of their best sounding albums imo, although The Downward Spiral comes second for me.
You guys should react to Pretty Hate Machine (1989) its their first album
Also this is a concept album. Of an addict in a Downward spiral.
I think you guys need to look for the metaphors more. A lot of the stuff in here that you think is super dark is more about emotional pain. And Trent doesn't write songs about hating women... that I'm aware of. The pigs are the terrible people in the world that use others for their own wants and hurt the world... I think. Again, metaphorical. Not actual pigs.
Big Man with aGun was commenting on Rap culture. Think about the lyrics
The song is about power and control, hence the reference to using his dick/gun to put things in their places. It's about the person using their power for toxic messed up isht.
From a more modern perspective I always thought it dealt with the violent/nihilistic tendencies of a man going through hardship. I ALWAYS related it to school shootings, how the shooter starts to think and how he “proves” himself to be dominant
The song Closer was very mainstream. It was played on the radio alot.
(but censored)
This was on the radio constantly in Canada. Uncensored usually I think, but maybe later in the evenings.
Trent was sooo sad during the 90s, suffering from extreme depression and addiction. He did a great job of showing how fucked up he felt with the music he made. Trent felt so hopeless. He's doing a lot better now. Sobered up, started living a healthy lifestyle, and has a beautiful family.
That's good to read
3 things for yall:
1. This is not their masterpiece in my opinion, that title belongs to The Fragile, which you are now contractually obligated to listen to now. Demonic contract.
2. March Of The Pigs was infamous in old NIN shows as the "song that kills people". This song created the most hellish mosh pits to ever exist, which would give many, many people near-death experiences.
3. Trent Reznor and whoever was his keyboardist of the day were notorious for destroying equipment, there are countless videos of them curbstomping and smashing keyboards, which are also really fucking funny.
This is their masterpiece but the fragile is amazing too
I can attest to #2. Self Destruct tour in 94 was awesome. I was in the pit!!!!
it definitely is better than The fragile every song is super good imo and broken is also better than Fragile
This was Jayden's episode frfr. 😅 Who knew he is actually the tuff one 💪😂 jkjk but you were right about Trent Reznor making movie soundtracks, he's done a lot after The Social Network (2010), which won an Oscar for Best Original Score. Dude is 60 now, and just vibing with a wife and 5 kids.
Great reaction!
Flood also produced "Violator" by "Depeche Mode", which I highly recommend, I think you would like it.
Trent Reznor took a huge inspiration from them.
On a very dark note, you guys mentioned how “a murderer must have listened to this music”…
Trent and Nine Inch Nails (in addition to other artists) got a lot of backlash from the media because one of the Columbine school shooters was a fan of the group. “Big Man with a Gun” specifically
They also used Marilyn Manson as a scapegoat
@@Milo-it1tfAnd the game "DOOM" was used as an excuse as well. They blame everything except the parents and the self accountability of the killer.
@Bmetalful and the bullying causes school shootings, yet school boards do nothing to stop that, and yet they act like they didn’t see it coming
The downward spiral is a masterpiece. I was 14 when it came out. I’m totally normal and happy. I wasn’t at all an angsty teen. But I’m not afraid to explore the darker side of life. And NIN is as dark as it gets but it’s also beautiful. It’s art, and good art isn’t afraid to explore the dark side of our minds / bodies / souls
As a musician it was hugely influential.
yeah they totally didnt get the album
They were making industrial music back in the 70’s - bands would use machinery, tape loops run through machines, power tools, weird synth tones, sliced up and rearranged tape, samples. By the time this came out they had computers to help, but nearly all of this was recorded live and then worked into the final product.
Guys, we have to make them listen to Rust In Peace
My man on the left was going through an existential crisis for half this album. 😂 Give a chance little dude. It's good
The way the dude on the left checked tf out during Heresy was hilarious.
This is actually the 3rd NIN album, behind Pretty Hate Machine and Broken. (4th if you count Fixed, which is a remix version of broken). Those first two are great and my favorites.
Trent is currently a HUGE writer of hollywood soundtracks, winning many awards.
Fixed is pretty twisted. Glad you mentioned it
Ahhh, kids.
This album may be deeper than you can ever wrap your head around.
Please continue your journey.
Them -"Murderers listen to this stuff."
Me- ...*Stops eating my baked potato
I can still clearly remember the day my best friend and I drove up to a well known Record Store, with no real particular plan in mind. We walked around and had fun looking at all the different vinyl and merch. But it was this album that caught our eye. I am sure we bought a couple things while there, but my buddy definitely bought this CD. We opened it as soon as we got into the car....and from the moment Mr. Self Destruct erupted through my car speakers, it was all over. We listened to every track in that first sitting, on the way home and then sitting in my driveway just blown away by the entirely and enormity of this album. Will live on forever as one of the GOATS in contemporary Music.
Many years later I was lucky enough to be able to attend Soundgarden opening for NIN. It was truly a life affirming experience. Very much looking forward to watching your review!!
As dark as it is, I relate to this album. 18-19 were some dark years lmao🤣
hurt was released by nin in 1994 then was covered by johnny cash in 2002 so nails made it
Kids discovering real music, what a gem. Even if they're too young to fully appreciate it, they're on the path.
bingo!
Funny you said something about soundtracks. :) Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails. He's won multiple Oscars for movie soundtracks on top of Grammys for NIN. Also, he's just fine, married with like a ton of kids.
The most influential Industrial band, and arguably the definitive (other than NIN) is Skinny Puppy. Nivek Ogre and Kevin Compton aka 'CEvin Key' they were the main influence for Trent Reznor and sounded literally decades ahead of their time. Their most acclaimed albums are 'VivisectVI' (1988) and 'Too Dark Park' (1990) definitely worth checking out
Some more classic industrial bands:
Nitzer Ebb
Front 242
Ministry
My Life With the Thrill Kill Cult
Pigface
KMFDM
Frontline Assembly
Pailhead
@@CBGB_1977 don't forget early Killing Joke. Their first two albums are absolute industrial rock/metal essentials.
You were talking about who would listen to it, or when someone would want it. The feeling of not being alone, of having suppressed anger, fury, of feeling isolation and despair, all washed away through a sense of catharsis and acceptance, through feeling valid. This album saved so many people. Not feeling alone, having some place to let those feelings exist, to work through inner struggles and turmoil. All of that makes you feel crazy, makes you feel full of spite and rage, and here is a vehicle of someone else's design that let's you escape it, to see it as a passenger, to walk the darkness with a guide.
The level of metaphor used seemed to escape the two of you, but I'm guessing as you become more introspective, it will make more sense. Come back in 5 years and listen again, see if anything has changed in your opinion.
Good work sticking through the whole album. It seemed out of your comfort zone, but is a good way to break through and find even more depth. Best of luck boys.
The first time I listened to this album it ruined my day lol. Now it's one of my favorite albums. Yes, murderers have listened to this album. The columbine shooters were big fans. They completely misunderstood it though. This album is a warning against the mindset of nihilism and self destruction that leads people to that place. It's a story. It's not promoting any of the things it discusses.
No need to repent or be afraid of Santa Claus
Downward Spiral was my intro to NIN, Fav was the Becoming personally. I'm a very damaged person. So Proud to see the young to follow me like this stuff and enjoy it too :) Lots of content with NIN :) (Um, I think "flood" was C Christopherson iirc.) Edit, Trent makes a ton of references to Drug addiction problems and Governmental control - for context... :) 2nd Edit. Yes he was on soundtracks. Trent's work was on "Natural Born KIllers", "The Crow" and "Gone Girl" as well as being on the Quake soundtrack, "Lost Highway" and "the Cat and the Coup"
He does indeed have a wife and some children now and seems to be doing very well with a pretty major second career winning Ocars for scoring films.
this album is almost perfect it has nothing about woman it's about addiction
2am on the dance floor of some bar in any city in the 90's...this was the shiznit and in the strip clubs it was a standard
I agree with most of the comments here:
The Fragile, the album after this one, is essentially an attempt of recuperating from going into this downward spiral, yet failed to realize that the fragility of your psyche and mental state has been damaged so much that you cannot escape that mental anguish. Make that the next reaction NIN reaction bois. Subscribed.
Wake up honey, new jaybud drop
I didn't see anyone answer, sorry if I missed it:
The drums on Piggy are real, played. They were just sort of haphazardly played as they were supposed to be just a placeholder to be replaced as the song was put together, but when it came to that point it was decided that it actually fit the song as-was. It's just live drums being played without any intentional beat/direction....
nice job boys. not too many days in high school without my nin shirt. anyways, dude on the left looks like he feels the need to go to confession or something after this. in high school Reptile was a love song with my gf lol
I've never heard anything like this before... now imagine it in 1994, 30 years ago.
48:30 Fun Fact: During the chorus of "Hurt". Trent Reznor said the wineing sound in the background was originally designed to be an "unsound." Its off key, off pitch and was meant to be a unrepeatable sound
Reptile has always been my favorite.
This summer's Zendaya tennis movie "Challengers" has a great soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross!
Thank you for recording this reaction video. =)
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For those of us who have been in the Industrial scene 30+ years (and there's a LOT of us...) it's always great seeing people encounter the genre, especially when they have ZERO frame of reference. Industrial is very unlike mainstream genres of music, so when people discover it, they tend to have a strong visceral reaction (either for or against it.)
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If it doesn't speak to you, that's cool; it doesn't have to be for everyone. If it DOES speak to you, there's a WEALTH of music waiting for you to discover it.
10:30 Piggy is not a woman but is in fact ex-guitarist Richard Patrick (who Trent knew since high school), and yeah I guess he was pretty heart broken about it.
Ladies and Gentleman, the Academy Award and Golden Globe winner for the score of Disney Pixar's Soul, Trent Reznor!!! Lol crazy how far he's come from his depression era.
I cry for the youth.
They’ve won Oscar’s for their soundtracks
cause they sound amazing and save lives they don't get what the lyrics mean
Didn’t see a comment, but Closer was used in the opening credits for Se7en.
Trent did the score for the movie Gone Girl so you guys nailed it!
Day 2 of asking for Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Fantastic album, yes!
This album is a re-enactment in a way of the thoughts and feelings of an addict or someone similar during their descent down the spiral, a process that happens before the "rock bottom" people hit. Also, take the lyrics metaphorically rather then literally like the guy in the red did. Generation X loved metaphors especially descriptive and shocking ones. Visceral ones.
So interesting to hear naive young guys listen to this album and give their two cents in the year of our lord 2024. This album has helped me feel less alone at my lowest. For anyone struggling with drug addiction, sexual trauma and violent thoughts, its a soothing masterpiece. If you can believe it
Hey, I just wanted to say that since you guys liked Nirvana you should definitely check out the first two Weezer albums. The first one is fairly light and fun, and the second one, Pinkerton, is much darker but also much more musically involved and interesting. Don’t be thrown off by their meme status, they rocked in the 90’s.
Super enjoyed watching the reaction! I've been a Nine Inch Nails fan since the 90's. I'd have to say that this is my top favorite album by the band but I've got two runner ups that are mighty impressive as well. They'd be their debut album Pretty Hate Machine as well as The Fragile. Pretty Hate Machine is similar to this in that it has a number of intense songs that are fast moving and driving but The Fragile on the other hand is a double album that has a run time of one hour and forty five minutes. That album has many more songs on it and a good amount of them are more chill than a lot of this album.
If either of you are open to further exploring Nine Inch Nails I'd love to see/hear your thoughts on either one of those albums. :)
Still one of my favorite albums. If you guys want crazier, listen to Songs About F*cking by Big Black. RIP Albini
99% of what you identify as hatred towards women, which would be the truth nowadays, is actually self hatred..It really not about women.. which is something that really annoyed Reznor to no end..
There is no misogyny in there. It's almost a solipsitic album. A lot of women hater got a hold of some of the song. And they would've been stumped in the mosh pit in 94.
The reaction, lol. NIN has some of the best live productions. I've been fortunate to see Trent and Co. twice. You guys should definitely check out some of the live concert here on CZcams, such as 'Nine Inch Nails - The Line Begins To Blur 1080p HD (from BYIT)' or 'Nine Inch Nails - Eraser 720p HD (Fixed camera angle, from BYIT).'
Trent wrote Hurt. He also said Cash did it better.
Dude. This album is about him going insane. Is gonna sound crazy. He goes from being unstable to being suicidal. This is him visualizing what that would sound like inside his head. Society still has issues being open to mental Illness. This album was controversial for both the subject matter, and the lyrics. It also was fundamental in opening the conversation about it.
So many artists are influenced by NIN. The evolution of anything has to also include things that make you uncomfortable.
The media hated him and Marilyn Manson as being satanic, much like Ozzy in his time. Whenever music makes a leap into uncharted territory people go nuts cause they don't understand it.
I saw NIN in 1994 on the Downward Spiral tour. OMG. I fuckin adore NIN. Trent doesn't fuck around... oops. Yes he did fuck around LOTS. lol. He is still kickin out albums, and also does soundtracks and collabs with other artists. I believe he did the soundtrack to the movie Lost Highway. He's da GOAT. My co-workers kept blasting my cd so much they almost wore it out. lol.
Ha. You should do Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar. Will blow your minds.
Also, the internet was just coming onto the scene in the early 90s. This was made old school.
Is good you guys are open enough to step out of your comfort zones. Is how we find new things to add to ourselves. Grow as a person type thing. Keep doin your thing. Love your videos and reactions!
They should react to the fragile imo
All of this bands records are very different. I think you’d love The Fragile albums.
Yes Trent has a family. A wife. Children. He is one of the most respected musicians in history. Even Time magazine wrote about him and called him a modern day Mozart.
This is the spiral downward, the descent into hell and madness, once the discovery comes that nothing you thought would make things better, make things better. Anyone who has been in that darkness, knows exactly what I am talking about.