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After a five year hiatus, "Nine Inch
Nails," fronted by mainman Trent Reznor, blast out of Nothing
Studios full force and in your face with "The Fragile."
This grinding double CD affirmativiely answers the question:
"Was it worth the wait?"
"The Fragile," as with all of
"Nine Inch Nails'" albums, is meant to be experienced
as a whole rather than be listened to at random. Haunting melodies,
ripping beats, and fatalistic lyrics combine to form a dark musical
journey not soon forgotten.
The lyrics, vocals and music weave a three-dimentional
web of aural fantasy that holds you suspended in it's thrall.
As we fans have come to expect from NIN, Trent's vocals range
from the raw angst of "The Wretched" to almost coquettishness
on "I'm Looking Foward to Joining You, Finally." As
always, the language is a bit strong, but not overly excessive.
Musically speaking this is a guitar lover's
dream. It contains a unique combination of "natural"
sounds blended with synthized chords that gives birth to an immediate
connection to the emotional flavor of the album.
The drum tracks on "Something Damaged,"
backed by the powerful guitar, make you sit up and take notice,
while the rest of the album makes you glad that you did. "Pilgramage"
and " Ripe (with Decay)" are haunting instramentals
that are a masterful mixture of rich sound and heavy texture.
On the other hand "Complication," has a churning beat
that almost dares you to sit still.
"Please," "The Big Come
Down" and "The Fragile" are all potential singles
and are apt victims of overzealous D.Js and over exposure. But
in my opinion, the real hit on this double CD is "Starf*ckers,
Inc." This pulsating, jamming little ditty is the epitome
of what we have come to expect of NIN. The lyrics rip, and the
music pulsates with derision.
"The Fragile" is more than a
creative purging from the dark recesses of NIN's talent pool,
it is an evolution into the band's next incarnation. Kudos to
the Dark Gremlin who dwells in our collective psyche, because
if you weren't a fan of "Nine Inch Nails" before, this
is the album to convert you. |
