halo twenty eight. hesitation marks. 09.03.2013

[Prettybrokenspiral]

Hez Marks will always have a special place in my heart; I was in a dark place at the time of its release and it saved me by helping to give what was happening a sort of clarity. Music is amazing like that..

I love how the songs are built from simple, sparse foundations and then continue to build and evolve. Sometimes in subtle ways (While I'm Still Here, Disappointed, Find My Way), and sometimes in different ways from how they began (All Time Low, Copy of A, VMOE). Overall, I think it's his most varied and abstract album. Nothing else in his discography changes things up as much as Hez Marks does over the course of its run time, which is pretty amazing considering how simplistic a lot of the songs appear on the surface.

It definitely rewards repeat listening and I'm still finding new things in it each time it's played. It isn't nearly as aggressive or confrontational as his other records, yet it's constantly shifting between light and dark textures. A lot of people thumbed their nose at it when it came out, and said the gospel singers were out of place in the live shows, but I thought the songs translated well in a live setting and I was comfortable with the direction he was taking for that album..

[PhoenixML]

So after... 4 years? Has it been that long? Shit..

Well I haven't really listen to it over the years. I think it's good, it's just not something I came back to. Not like NTAE. Came Back Haunted is still my favorite NIN song though.

[Vertigo]

Just really wish the multitracks were out there, so I can edit the percussion. It spoils the album for me, particularly on All Time Low and Satellite - painfully overbearing and drearily unchanging.

Year Zero would have taken a similar listen-every-six-months position, but having been allowed to tinker with it, it's become one of my very favourite albums. Hesitation Marks could, too, if it had the same editability - there's so much incredible work in there.

[niggo]

Year Zero would have taken a similar listen-every-six-months position, but having been allowed to tinker with it, it's become one of my very favourite albums.

That's very interesting, actually. What did you do exactly? Any chance to listen to your version?

[piggy]

Hez Marks will always have a special place in my heart; I was in a dark place at the time of its release and it saved me by helping to give what was happening a sort of clarity. Music is amazing like that.

Sort of the same thing happened for me. I was going through a breakdown when it came out and while I didn't necessarily look for parallels to my life at the time, just the fact that there was a new NIN album really lifted me up.

[acrid avid jam shred]

I really love HM. I had just become an avid NIN fan around the time that it was announced, and I loved it instantly on first listen when it was released, so it was a super exciting period, having a brand new record from Trent to listen to! There's not a weak song on it, and I love how there's heavy catharsis mixed with nuanced electronic elements, especially in the second half of the album. Songs like All Time Low and Satellite are brilliant in the way that they combine slinky, synthetic funk with a sense of eeriness and unease, and I Would For You is an epic, awesomely emotional classic. That outro is one of my top NIN moments for sure. Hesitation Marks just contains heaps of fantastic songwriting, and something new to unearth every time you listen to it.

[Jordan]

I'm looking for a FLAC Audiophile Mastered Version of Hesitation Marks. Any help would be much appreciated.

[_T_B_W_]

I'm looking for a FLAC Audiophile Mastered Version of Hesitation Marks. Any help would be much appreciated.

On the same boat here.

[Jon]

I'm looking for a FLAC Audiophile Mastered Version of Hesitation Marks. Any help would be much appreciated.

I hope this is okay since there's not a direct link...

If you're familiar with the typical layout of websites, you can sign up for an account at rutracker.org (it's in Russian). Translating to English obviously helps, but is not 100% accurate.

[Jordan]

I hope this is okay since there's not a direct link...

If you're familiar with the typical layout of websites, you can sign up for an account at rutracker.org (it's in Russian). Translating to English obviously helps, but is not 100% accurate.

Yea, I'm unable to track that down. Thank you though.
I have the Audiophile Mastered Version on MP3. I'm surprised it's so hard to find FLAC files. Being that it was mastered for "Audiophiles" who generally hate MP3's, you'd think FLAC or WAV or ALAC would be the standard format it was distributed in.

[tony.parente]

4 years later and this record is still horrible. I’m thankful the EPs more than made up for it.

[botley]

^ no u

Yea, I'm unable to track that down. Thank you though.
I have the Audiophile Mastered Version on MP3. I'm surprised it's so hard to find FLAC files. Being that it was mastered for "Audiophiles" who generally hate MP3's, you'd think FLAC or WAV or ALAC would be the standard format it was distributed in.

They were. You literally had your choice between all of those.

[Jordan]

^ no u

They were. You literally had your choice between all of those.

So do you know where I can get them now?

[botley]

So do you know where I can get them now?

On the aforementioned tracker, or private ones. Not going to directly link here as it's against the rules.

[sonic_discord]

4 years later and this record is still horrible. I’m thankful the EPs more than made up for it.

No album that contains songs like "All Time Low," "Satellite," "I Would for You," "In Two," and (my personal favorite) "Various Methods of Escape" should be called "horrible," but yeah, taken as a whole, the EPs are on a whole other level and we don't even have the third one yet. I wish NIN would make more than one music video per album these day too, because I never liked the Came Back Haunted music video. It's been over a decade since we've had a great video from NIN. The closest thing was HTDA's video for The Space In Between.

[HWB]

4 years later and this album still kicks ass to me. It feels raw and very honest, I still catch new textures and sounds with repeated listens. Hesitations Marks also had to happen for these EPs to happen

[Shadaloo]

4 years later and I'm much more lukewarm to the album than I was when it came out, when I was convinced it ranked only below TDS and TF (yeah, no). Now I look at it as 3/4 good and 1/4 rather underwhelming, a record that just falls apart midway through and recovers well enough, where most songs are vastly better live. I'll agree that NTAE and AV blow it right the hell out of the water.

Sucker for Lynch though so the CBH video was right up my alley.

[HWB]

4 years later and I'm much more lukewarm to the album than I was when it came out, when I was convinced it ranked only below TDS and TF (yeah, no). Now I look at it as 3/4 good and 1/4 rather underwhelming, a record that just falls apart midway through and recovers well enough, where most songs are vastly better live. I'll agree that NTAE and AV blow it right the hell out of the water.

Sucker for Lynch though so the CBH video was right up my alley.

I feel like the album becomes much stronger after Everything, then again, almost all NIN albums are better in their second halfs, this goes for all EPs too. It seems like Trent always saves up the more interesting songs later on the album.

[botley]

^ Even the soundtrack albums follow that pattern; all the best stuff on Dragon Tattoo is hidden in the back third of the record.

[HWB]

^ Even the soundtrack albums follow that pattern; all the best stuff on Dragon Tattoo is hidden in the back third of the record.

It's also worth noting that the first halfs also mostly tend to have singles. (Hurt and Sin being the only expectations I can think of)

[BRoswell]

I still really enjoy the album, but between the new score material and EPs, I haven't been playing anything from it as much. That's pretty much going to happen to any album after four years though.

[ultimatebdp]

I think when it came out I was just happy to have new NIN as I wasn’t feeling the Welcome Oblivion album as much as I’d hoped after that first great HTDA ep. 4 years later, I don’t hate HM, but it’s definitely towards the bottom of my list of TR’s albums. I get that he was trying new stuff, I loved the Russell Mills artwork, and I like a handful of songs on there…but overall it’s missing an “energy” that all other NIN albums have, IMO. Other than Copy of A, I didn’t even like the live versions of the HM songs so I was very apprehensive when NTAE was announced...for fear that it would be more of the same. Fortunately, Branches/Bones blew me away from the get-go and that short song has more energy than all of HM combined!! NTAE and AV have REALLY got me excited again and the live versions of the new songs sound great!!

[xfocalinx]

I listened to this album while driving last week..I noticed myself spacing out and not really paying attention to the lyrics. I don't want to say I don't think it aged well, but NTAE/AV are really spectacular.

[Jordan]

I still love Hesitation Marks. In fact, I've been surprised by how much I like it after a long periods of not listening to it. It's not my favorite album but I believe it has it's important place.
Keep in mind, some of you are saying that you loved it when it first came out but now that it's no longer new it feels worn, especially compared to NTAE and AV. Well, NTAE and AV are still new. I'm not saying the EP twins aren't better but we are still in the honeymoon phase with those two.

[HWB]

Not The Actual Events is very close to being one year old. I think honey moon for that EP's over, it seems like appreciation for that EP is growing over time thanks to its inaccessible nature. I expect the same for Add Violence.

[Prettybrokenspiral]

Hez Marks is amazing. It took a lot of guts for him to release such a minimal and experimental collection of songs (by NIN standards). It's all over the place sound-wise, but goes down so well thematically and atmospherically.

The new EPs are good but lack the focus and cohesiveness of Hez Marks. I know, that's part of their charm, kind of like The Slip, which both EPs tend to resemble. Granted, songs like Less Than, She's Gone Away and The Idea of You are modern day NIN classics, no question. But then there's tracks like Burning Bright, The Background World and The Lovers which sound like they were composed over a lunch break. Not Anymore is a complete throwaway and doesn't warrant the lavish praise I've seen it receiving since AV's release.

But Hez Marks is a winner from start to finish. All Time Low, Satellite, Various Methods of Escape, Copy of A, Came Back Haunted, Find My Way, While I'm Still Here...it's just one burner after another after another. And it doesn't sound like anything else he's ever done, while still being positively NIN at the same time..

[HWB]

Hez Marks is amazing. It took a lot of guts for him to release such a minimal and experimental collection of songs (by NIN standards). It's all over the place sound-wise, but goes down so well thematically and atmospherically.

The new EPs are good but lack the focus and cohesiveness of Hez Marks. I know, that's part of their charm, kind of like The Slip, which both EPs tend to resemble. Granted, songs like Less Than, She's Gone Away and The Idea of You are modern day NIN classics, no question. But then there's tracks like Burning Bright, The Background World and The Lovers which sound like they were composed over a lunch break. Not Anymore is a complete throwaway and doesn't warrant the lavish praise I've seen it receiving since AV's release.

But Hez Marks is a winner from start to finish. All Time Low, Satellite, Various Methods of Escape, Copy of A, Came Back Haunted, Find My Way, While I'm Still Here...it's just one burner after another after another. And it doesn't sound like anything else he's ever done, while still being positively NIN at the same time..

I agree with you on Het Marks's focus and cohesiveness, but I disagree about Burning Bright Not Anymore and The Background World. Then again I utterly love The Slip, but I enjoyed Hesitation Marks a lot too. Your view on it is spot on.

[niggo]

The new EPs are good but lack the focus and cohesiveness of Hez Marks. I know, that's part of their charm, kind of like The Slip, which both EPs tend to resemble. Granted, songs like Less Than, She's Gone Away and The Idea of You are modern day NIN classics, no question. But then there's tracks like Burning Bright, The Background World and The Lovers which sound like they were composed over a lunch break. Not Anymore is a complete throwaway and doesn't warrant the lavish praise I've seen it receiving since AV's release.

Couldn't disagree more. Although I like She's Gone Away and The Idea of You, those two songs have to be my least favorite from both EP's. I love BB, I love TBW and I love The Lovers. And I absoultely super-duper love This Isn't The Place.

I listened to HM quite a lot. It's an awesome record and it's true that it doesn't sound like anything else he's ever done, and that's cool. There are amazing songs on it. But NTAE+AV feel 10x more relevant to me.

[iamclassic]

Hez Marks is amazing. It took a lot of guts for him to release such a minimal and experimental collection of songs (by NIN standards). It's all over the place sound-wise, but goes down so well thematically and atmospherically.

The new EPs are good but lack the focus and cohesiveness of Hez Marks. I know, that's part of their charm, kind of like The Slip, which both EPs tend to resemble. Granted, songs like Less Than, She's Gone Away and The Idea of You are modern day NIN classics, no question. But then there's tracks like Burning Bright, The Background World and The Lovers which sound like they were composed over a lunch break. Not Anymore is a complete throwaway and doesn't warrant the lavish praise I've seen it receiving since AV's release.

But Hez Marks is a winner from start to finish. All Time Low, Satellite, Various Methods of Escape, Copy of A, Came Back Haunted, Find My Way, While I'm Still Here...it's just one burner after another after another. And it doesn't sound like anything else he's ever done, while still being positively NIN at the same time..

Burning Bright over a lunch break? Hmm. I actually think lyrically it is one of the more complex NIN songs. I suppose you mean musically... As for The Background World, that song has a lot of layers and hidden stuff in it. Played backwards, he still says the line "Are you Sure?" as well as some other things. Agree on Hez Marks being more cohesive.

I like Hez Marks. TBH, the only album by NIN I'm not too thrilled about is The Slip. Also, I agree Not Anymore is far too short.

I think Dear World and The Lovers are two very weird songs that I only like when I'm in the mood for it. But besides Dear World, I feel NTAE is very cohesive, not sure about AV, still. *shrugs*

[Halo Infinity]

I just like how Hesitation Marks is one of those albums that I can rock out and chill out to at the same time to for the lack of better terms. I've thought about it since it came out, but it's grown on me to the point where I can really feel it now. I just had to give it some more time to breathe as a whole. It's great for when I don't want to keep up with the faster and heavier albums, or sit through albums as long as The Fragile or Ghosts I-IV, but it certainly packs a punch in just the right areas. (As with just about any NIN album.)

Another thing that still hasn't changed at all, is how I also like to switch between Pretty Hate Machine and With Teeth in between getting my fill from it too. I don't do it every time I listen to HM, but PHM and WT are my go-to albums whenever I want to listen to other NIN albums in between an HM fix. It kind of gives me a bit more of a reason to appreciate HM, but that's just me.

It's almost to the point where I also hardly skip around the album, as if I'm listening to Pretty Hate Machine or The Downward Spiral, which are still the albums I'm far less likely to skip around on whenever it comes to proper listens. At that point, I'd definitely say that I actually like it more than I did when it first came out. Even Disappointed and Running have been growing on me, and I skipped those songs a lot.