Review: Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

Five years, it’s been five years since the release of the last Nine Inch Nails’ album. After all this time after The Downward Spiral and the classic single, “Closer,” Trent Reznor finally releases a new NIN album. Complete with 2 CDs and one huge CD pullout booklet, the album doesn’t disappoint.

One thing you will find in this album is a constant reminder of how much life sucks. Constant words like decay, damaged, and void will lead you in a direction of pity, and self-deluded depression.

The amazing sounds, ambient or not, make this CD a true industrial masterpiece.

This album, does have one downfall, that isn’t that much of a big deal, but it does need to be mentioned. Unfortunately for this CD set, it doesn’t need to be a CD set. Most of the stuff on the second disk is just repeats of the stuff on the first. Sure they are different songs, but it is mostly the same stuff again. This isn’t a really bad thing, because the stuff on the first disk is very good.

Also, as you listen to the CD you will notice that only in one song does Trent refer to the word “we”. This would be in “We’re In This Together.” All of the other tracks on the CDs refer to “you” in the singular form. From high screams of intensity to low bows of soft comforting music, then have both going on at the same time, and you have have the picture of this new CD.

After hearing numerous CDs from them, The Downward Spiral, Pretty Hate Machine, and Broken, I can honestly say that The Fragile is the best of the them all.

A few songs stand out on the CD. The recently released single “Into the Void” stands out on the 2nd Disk along with a chopped up vocal-fest of “StarF*ckers,” Inc.. The first disk contains songs like “We’re in this Together” and “The Day the World Went Away.” All with the beauty of the everlasting gloom upon them.

If you do like Nine Inch Nails in the slightest then you need to pick up The Fragile, for 18 dollars you get 2CDs packed with awesome tracks from one of the best trend-setting bands in today’s music industry.

It is sad to say that the sales of this record have been slow to pick up since the albums release. When the CD debuted at number one on the charts late last year, everyone thought the best, but as it slipped further and further down the charts, the sales began to dry up. Trent, himself, has spoken about the current industry and the situation of his latest CD in an interview with CD Now.