The Downward Spiral
by Nine Inch Nails

The textures on this album still shock me. There is a vision to this cd that I wonder if anyone else 'gets' the way I do. And each time I think of it, I feel like I must be a pompous ass. However, the awe remains and yet when discuss the record I rarely hear people digging to the heart of the album. David Bowie's Low is often quoted as a reference point...and er, i suppose, but the larger point of the Eno era, late 70s Bowie as a whole I do observed as being a source of inspiration for Reznor as well has Brian Eno himself.

This record is so full of paradox and conflict. Because Reznor's lyrical themes haven't changed in 20 years, he is often made fun of about them. "There goes Reznor again, hurt because his Young Life group rejected him. However, here on TDS Reznor melded pieces together that are opposites; lust, emptiness, yearning, hope, overwhelm & pride (both the constructive variety a/w/a destructive) but most especially the organic with the mechanical. He loves to write patterns associated with industrial using natural organic sounds.

Truthfully, the intangibles on display here leave me in a place where at least 'my words' feel insufficient, so I'll merely highlight a section of this record that properly illustrates its power.

The transition between A Warm Place & Eraser is notable for several reasons. First, A Warm Place is the first occasion Reznor gives for any kind of a break, replacing the intense frustration, fear and self-loathing to this point with mere meloncholy. A Warm Place is bittersweet, beautiful and above all, brief. However the way the listener is overcome again is utterly terrifying. Reznor starts subtly with the blowing through a reed. Not a 'reed instrument' but literally a blade of rivergrass (again, organic), or at least it sounds like it. This blowing pattern starts quietly but as it gets louder dread begins to creep again within the listener. Bees begin to buzz beneath the surface and then rise to add swarm to the swell. Finally, these thundering toms oppressively crash down on you as hard as anything you'd expect from John Bonham until finally the rest of the song kicks in.

The Downward Spiral doesn't give you another break until the character in Reznor's story is has completed the descent detailed in the narrative. When taken in for all its power, TDS is among the most uncompromising discs I've heard. That it enjoyed the chart success it did still baffles me. However, if only taken for its surface level of hooks & adolescent-friendly narcisistic nihilism, much of this power is missed.

From souplipton 05/23/2016 01:37 | #166684 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

If someone told me even 5 years ago that I would ever profess to being a Nine Inch Nails fan, I would have called them a bald-faced liar. Even more so if they had said I would put one of their albums in my personal top ten. Yet, here we are, with The Downward Spiral claiming a position on my list. My perceptions about what NIN was were proved to be wrong after my first listen through this album, and my appreciation of Reznor's unique musical genius grows with each listen. The emotion on this album is honest and real, and the instrumentation is truly unique. No one else sounds quite like Reznor. His control of the studio gives him the ability to create textures that express whatever he wishes. In this case, he creates a story of a man's descent towards suicide, covering the mosaic of emotions which are encountered along the way. The album closes on one of the most touching songs ever in "Hurt", an incredible wrap up to what is a bold and powerful album throughout. No other album so honestly expresses anger as The Downward Spiral, both in its music and in it's lyrics. A tour-de-force from Reznor, and one of my persnonal favourites.

I love this album. The angst and anger are essential listening for a troubled adolescent. Just try not to commit suicide listening to it, the entire album is negative and dark. You have to be in the right state of mind to listen to it.
But it is a classic, one you can listen to the whole way through. Trent Reznor is a brilliant musician, and his talent shines through on this album. Should be rated higher in my opinion.

Existencial nihilism put into sound. favorite track: a warm place. this album is about humanity and our self-destructive nature as a whole. The extended metaphor regarding phallic imagery and guns reflects the ways in which man can dominate through violence and sex, rather than simply focusing on any one individual. Although The Downward Spiral is splenetic and furious, everyone can identify with it on some level. We may not like to admit it, but the way in which we propelled this album into the upper echelons of popular culture speaks louder than our words.

From HazeyTwilight TOP 100 COMMENTER 11/17/2013 20:38 | #93217 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This shocked me first time listening, very schizophrenic and using industrial sounds were scarily catchy to my ears, when I listen to the songs again, I'm much more used to the sounds and I now find this thing enjoyable despite the themes being not my cup of tea.