The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails

Pros: Beautiful, emotional, operatic masterpiece...truly inspiring.

Cons: Nothing.

The Bottom Line: I was asked to write about music that inspires me, and this is what I chose. Need I say more?

Review: Happy birthday to me!

As many of you may know, Trent Reznor has been my biggest musical inspiration, and his band, Nine Inch Nails, ranks as one of my favorites of all time. Accordingly, Trent’s second full-length studio album,...

Pros: anger and anguish conveyed through uniquely aggressive sounds

Cons: May be hard to get into

The Bottom Line: Reznor teaches us: "there is worse pain than yours."

Review: Nine Inch Nails had already released two stellar albums and won a Grammy. But it was 1994's The Downward Spiral that took the industrial metal band to the apex of its acclaim and popularity. Meshing the catchiness of Pretty Hate ...

Pros: Amazing lyrics and musicianship, Trent Reznor has never been better.

Cons: A few filler songs, and he's never again achieved this level of brilliance.

The Bottom Line: The best NIN album ever. Never doubt it.

Review: I blame the video for “Closer”. Before that, I’d heard the name Nine Inch Nails, but hadn’t given it a second thought. Just another band. They’re not Prince, or Bowie, so how good could they possibly be? But, man, that video . . . Problem was, no ...

Pros: Yes

Cons: Big man with a gun

The Bottom Line: One of the best albums out there. Go get it.

Review: The train rattles through the early darkness of an October evening. Rain spatters against the window, inches from my face, as I peer into the pitch darkness beyond: my own reflection more visible than anything beyond the train. It’s almost as if there ...

Pros: It'll smash you in the face and hump ya like the pig you are.

Cons: Largely lacks the delicate nature of a Hungarian dessert wine.

The Bottom Line: The closest industrial will ever get to being a teen phenomenon. Trent either venting or pretending to, on a monumental scale. Creative use of animal imagery.

Review: I can just imagine the expression on the faces of record kooks upon hearing the rough mixes of "The Downward Spiral". The guys at Interscope must've been immensely concerned about the mental well-being of Trent Reznor and probably wondered if their ...

Pros: Production, Arrangements, Layers, Instrumentation, Lyrics, Tone, & Performance.

Cons: None.

The Bottom Line: A Brilliant Achievement from the mind of Trent Reznor and his cohorts of Nine Inch Nails. One of the most brilliant albums of the 1990s.

Review: In 1992, Nine Inch Nails and its leader Trent Reznor had one of the most incredible periods that year when their 1992 EP Broken was an instant success while their 1989 debut album Pretty Hate Machine was still in the mind of fans and ...

Pros: Great industrial music. An album you can listen to all the way through.

Cons: A little heavy for some people. Couple controversial type songs.

The Bottom Line: If you have any interest in industrial, hard rock, or metal rock music, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up. You definitely won't regret it.

Review: Well here I go, involved in my first write-off. Seeing as how the topic is a 5-star album, I searched through my cd collection, trying to find that one perfect album. I looked at some Smashing Pumpkins, Our Lady Peace, Furnaceface, Hayden, KMFDM, and so...

Pros: An album brimming with psychological issues, delivered in a very harsh, restrained style...

Cons: While some will write it off, many will identify with the message that it conveys...

The Bottom Line: The Downward Spiral is a reflection of society's attempt to come to grips with itself, and searching for a purpose in a world that has been bogged down with despair...

Review: To be honest, I think that in a lot of ways Trent Reznor is to music what Clive Barker is to movies and books in the last few decades. Hell, in the booklet for "Pretty Hate Machine," he even credits Clive among various other artists for inspiration for ...

Pros: The Downward Spiral (album, not song)

Cons: Cons don't exist in the same universe as this album.

The Bottom Line: If you haven't heard this yet, there's something wrong with you. If there's one album you NEED to hear, it's this.

Review: I've been meaning to review this album forever now. I first heard it for the first time a few months ago (which may not seem like a very long time to hardcore NIN fans who have been listening since Pretty Hate Machine's release, but it is for ...

Pros: The most focused of any of his albums. Pure sonic mayhem with strong melodies. Reptile

Cons: It's only a little over an hour

The Bottom Line: An absolute masterpiece. The Downward Spiral is an essential album for anybody interested in metal or rock music.

Review: Nine Inch Nails have been around since the late 80s, but I hadn't even heard of them till about a year ago, and had never heard any of their, (I mean his) music until about 5 months ago. However, from the moment that I first heard Head Like A Hole on ...