And so, I've had this new Nine Inch Nails thing for a while (but I am still waiting for my wonderful vinyl package to arrive, which may or may not change it all completely.) I am a huge Trent Reznor fan, especially when he goes nuts, but NOT when he makes awfully boring soundtracks for the equally boring intellectual cunts. On the edge, over the top, aggressive, desperate, falling apart, lost, out of hope, depressed, freaked out, with internal nuclear mind explosions, fucked up. Those are all words describing how I prefer Trent.
I was a bit disappointed to begin with after the first spin and I kinda still am. But some of it is cool though, so don't give up too soon. You just shouldn't expect a NIN masterpiece. You won't get a psycho-Trent on dope like on "The Downward Spiral"[1994] with a death-wish and a drive to kill and destroy. It all feels too relaxed and happy Disney-family like. I'd gladly believe Trent is still a monster when live on stage, because he hopefully is, who he always was. But on record he is not really NIN anymore... More like a 75% extract or something. Sadly enough.
I will skip the "lowlights" for now and then go straight to the highlights:
- "Copy of A" - really great standard NIN song. I like it a lot. A repeating rhythm, lyrics, beat. How to do it.
- "Came Back Haunted" - Initially it sounded like a great start-up single, but because it is quite ordinary NIN, it is not really the next new thing. The title is fine though and we can all see that he pissed away and came back. But still... we know that Sir Reznor can go up a few levels from here.
- "Everything" - A fantastic pop-song. Well, of course it has explosions and noise like any NIN song. But it is generally happy and it stares all the way back to the boohoo-I-feel-so-sad-for-myself album "Pretty Hate Machine"[1989].
- "Satellite" - It is minimalistic, but it's got it going on. A simple drum beat but it catches your interest and keeps you hooked. It's got a lot of simplistic-yet-still-funky stuff in the last part of the song. Not bad. Not bad at all.
- "Various Methods Of Escape" - Also not an impossible escapee from the "Year Zero" sessions. Worth a paranoid dive or two.
- "Running" - It sounds quite a bit claustrophobic. A lot like "Year Zero"[2007]. Perhaps it is an outtake from back then? Well, cool it is. Dot Zero.
- "I Would For You" - While writing this shit and listening to the album, I've found out that I like this song too.
How to get the new shit? Best advice is to buy it from NIN.com to make sure the money go straight to Trent himself. He even offers the album in 2 different digital versions, while you wait for your CD or LP to arrive:
- The usual "in-your-face" mastered version.
- Or the unusual "I am Trent, I am pretty cool and I still have my two ears" audiophile-mastered version.
Honestly, the latter version sounds a lot better. Very recommended indeed, if you've got decent equipment for the sound. But still, it has to be said, there are many better NIN albums out there than this one.
Rating: 
Band: Nine Inch Nails
Record Title: Hesitation Marks
This Release: 2013
Record Format: Download
Record Label: Columbia
Content Type: Record Review
Language: 
Updated: 2013-09-18 10:26
Created: 2013-09-18 04:18
