Underrated NIN songs/albums

[hani]

The Warning, Echoplex and Running are in top 10 of my fav NIN tracks tbh

[ZeroSum]

Year Zero and Hesitation Marks are achingly close to the status of masterpiece that people seem to reserve for The Downward Spiral and The Fragile. The thing holding back YZ for me is that it's so dependent on the context of its release, in such a way that it can't really age the way most albums do. The political topics (though perhaps more salient than ever) and ARG sort of prevent it from feeling timeless. It has way too many excellent tracks to be a considered a novelty, but of all NIN albums, it probably relies the most on novelty. Hesitation Marks, on the other hand, is just a little too languid in its pacing. Not saying that I want it to be heavier, but there are certain points where I wish there was a bit more urgency to it. Some of the songs feel like they drag on a bit too long (Came Back Haunted usually gives me this feeling the most) but rather than saying it needs a couple of different songs, I'd probably say just a few of the ones that are already there could use a bit of trimming here and there.

I think The Slip is also very underrated; people tend to write it off, I think, because of the way it was released, and treat it like it isn't a proper NIN album, but to me there's a surprising amount of depth to it. It has a very traceable musical/narrative arc, and I'd say it even tops TDS in this regard. I'm sure it can feel a little uneven to people who aren't familiar with every corner of the NIN catalogue, but this is the one album where you can get everything NIN does-- maybe not always in highest quality, but its there, and it is coherent. You have the abrasion of the early material (1,000,000; Letting You) the sort of mainstream, hard rock/pop appeal most apparent on With Teeth (Discipline; Echoplex) the noisy, glitchy squalor of Year Zero (Head Down) as well as the experimental, layered textures of The Fragile (basically the entire second half of the album). For me, it's a very complete package- never maximizing on any one trait, but pulling them all together in a way that makes a ton of sense.

Also, "I'm Looking Forward to Joining you, Finally" is an awesome song, and I didn't realize it until just a couple weeks ago. All of The Fragile (Right), really, is underrated.

[ziltoid]

The entirety of !
I know technically it shouldn't be counted as an official release but, they are demos to PHM, and in my opinion they are relevant for this reason alone.

Specifically the versions of, , , and Twist.
We can hear Trent experimenting with sounds and vocal deliveries that have disappeared until he got more creative during With Teeth and more prominently with the Trio of the latest Ep's.
Purest Feeling is a great measuring stick to see how Trent's musical diversity has grown and evolved over his entire career and the album still kicks ass!

[neorev]

Songs
In Two
Beside You In Time
My Violent Heart
And All That Could Have Been
10 Miles High

Album
Ghosts I-IV

[zecho]

The Slip is definitely underrated. If you go into it expecting some super layered and elaborate NIN album, you'll be disappointed, but if you go in with fresh expectations it's pretty great. If it was released by another band, it would have been celebrated. And the detour into textures in the second half is amazing, the way that these ambient ideas eventually combine with the straightforward rock of the first half to make Demon Seed... It's just a really good album.

[jmtd]

I briefly forgot EDIETS existed, and it’s a solid track.

[Lastentrance]

Please (appendage).

[r_z]

Technically it's not NIN, but since they played it at the last Vegas show: I like Parasite a great deal!

[AlanMorlock]

I love Last. It's a pretty straightforward and unlayered song but damn that riff and the while energy if the track is fantastic. Now it also carries an association for me with the ending of Cabin in the Woods as well, which I love. I wish it were played live more than a few times per decaden

[caca]

I love Last. It's a pretty straightforward and unlayered song but damn that riff and the while energy if the track is fantastic. Now it also carries an association for me with the ending of Cabin in the Woods as well, which I love. I wish it were played live more than a few times per decaden

Agreed 100%!

My band covered “The Mark Has Been Made” at shows about a decade ago. We’re in the process of getting things going again, and “Last” is a tune that I’m considering fleshing out and potentially working into our set.

[elevenism]

For me it's The Slip and Year Zero, which are kind of connected in my mind. That era showed me that NIN was far from finished and seriously reinvigorated my enthusiasm. It was a very special thing for me, and i liked those records better than With Teeth.

as far as underrated songs, going with the same theme

1,000,000
Echoplex
Non Entity
Hyperpower!/The Beginning of the End
Zero-Sum

and

That's What i Get
The Only Time
Kinda I Want To

[augustobt]

Most underrated album is definitely Year Zero. People only talk about the ARG, almost never about the music. Meet Your Master and Capital G are sick!

Hesitation Marks is very underrated too. All Time Low and Various Methods of Escape are some of my all-time favorite songs. The remixes EP is really good too, but as it was a Beats Music exclusive almost anyone caught it.