Random NIN Thoughts

[thefragile_jake]

Demon Seed is my jam.

I really like how the song is built upon mood as opposed to normal song structures, it reminds me of a track off the Fragile. I really hope we see more of these in the new record. Some of these songs lengths clocking in at over 5 to 6 minutes gives me a feeling some might!

[r_z]

Demon Seed's always been my favorite of The Slip. I always thought, a song by NIN produced by The DFA would sound like this... the way it's building up slowly, layer by layer.

[MrSlfDstruct]

I can't help but feel like this new album is going to feel something like a look at the character from TDS and how he's come back from everything. Maybe it's just the artwork and the vibe from the title. Whatever it turns out to be, I'm excited for it.

I'm kind of thinking that might be what we're going to see as well. I feel like everything post With Teeth hasn't been as personal as what came before it. Obviously YZ was telling a story from multiple viewpoints, so the personal aspect wasn't even the intention. But . . . TR went through some shit, and obviously he's come out the other side, and that has to be a big source of inspiration for some writing.

[johnbron]

Made a few more today...

[xmp3x]

^how are you cutting those again? The plain wood one came out really cool.

[JessicaSarahS]

Damn, those are great!

[Jon]

That plain ol' cube of wood looks very nice. Makes me want to go over to my parent's and spend some time in my stepdad's shop.

[Fred]

Hesitation Marks is an awful, awful name. I'm surprised more people haven't commented on it, or do they not know what it refers to? (Trigger warning for suicide on that link, btw)

In fairness, if you search 'hesitation marks' specifically, the first eight million hits are for Nine Inch Nails and people probably wouldn't think to search for variations on the phrase to find out what it means, but surely people would have heard of the phrase? I mean... This is the Nine Inch Nails fanbase. We're not exactly unfamiliar with suicide and self-harm.

Anyway, yeah. Awful name for a new album there, Trent. I found myself triggered just reading it but I guess I'm just a delicate little flower?

The name makes sense to me. In more than one sense.

Apart from the fact that NIN have always been into dark imagery, isn't this album pretty much a "hesitation mark" in itself? It sure looked like NIN would never be coming back after the final wave of "farewell" concerts. Flash-forward - now it becomes clear that, in Reznor-speak, "soon" means 5-6 years while "the foreseeable future" lands at 3-4 years. He tried to let his primary musical identity "commit suicide", so to speak, but he hesitated and here we are.

There's also the whole deal about the artwork tying in with "The Downward Spiral". As others have suggested, this may be a sequel of sorts that's actually about pulling yourself back up and re-building. Awkward title or not, there is something oddly positive about it. "The Downward Spiral" just goes downwards and ends at its lowest. "Hesitation Marks" at least implies that, even in the darkest hour, something (or someone?) can make you reconsider what you're about to do and pull you out of it.

Bottom line, this is Nine Inch Nails. The band that did the "Broken Movie", a still-unreleased - and alledgedly pretty fucking disturbing - suicide anthem called "Just Do It" and a whole double album about trying to save yourself, only to arrive at the same fucked-up, deconstructed place you came from. Don't expect this one to carry any stickers advertising suicide hotlines, even if Trent is in a better place now...

(I'm in no way making light of suicide in this post. But I do firmly believe that taboos will never solve such problems.)

[johnbron]

^how are you cutting those again? The plain wood one came out really cool.

I work with some large laser engravers, mostly for granite engraving. We've gotten jobs from Nike, Burton, and Keen over the years for wood engraving and I've wound up with extra wood pieces from them.

I love this stuff!

[thefragile_jake]

Nine Inch Nails concerts are the only place I feel like breaking the unwritten cool rule about wearing a shirt of the band you're going to see at the concert.

That red Hesitation Marks shirt is going to be worn with delight at their show in October when I see them...

Also, I was listening to the Every Day Is Exactly the Same EP yesterday and I love the DFA remix of THTF. Made me start thinking about remix albums and I really hope Trent decides to release a remix album for Hesitation Marks. I know the deluxe edition has like three remix bonus tracks but I love remix albums as companion pieces to the record.

[MrSlfDstruct]

I usually wear one of my older nin shirts that is obviously old, because I don't wear them much just beause they look a little raggedy, so it gives me an opportunity to get some use out of them. Lots of memories associated with those shirts.

Plus I've got so many other important things going on at this point in my life to not give a fuck what somebody thinks about what t-shirt I'm wearing

[GavinCollins420]

After listening to Year Zero the other day, the vocal delivery throughout that album is stellar.

[Henrie_Schnee]

Found an old interview with Reznor and Malm & discovered, that "Crown of Thornes" was one of the first names of what would later become "Nine Inch Nails". Back in the demo-days.

Not that big a revelation, but I either forgot about this or never knew it to begin with. Also my brain immediately started to make a bunch of connections, e.g. to the radio-friendly version of "Hurt" and that old rumor of "Nine Inch Nails" alluding to Christs crucifixion.

http://www.theninhotline.net/archive...le.php?id=6183

[Scarlet Siren]

Broken is my favourite album, or should I say EP, at the moment

I envy everyone currently getting themselves in knots trying to get tickets.... I wish I was able to buy tickets also. Hopefully it'll only be a matter of time until UK/European shows are announced. Before 2014 would be nice but it's unlikely

[konstantin]

so is Urban Outfitters the new Hot Topic?

[eversonpoe]

so is Urban Outfitters the new Hot Topic?

context?

(no, seriously...what are you talking about?)

[imail724]

I don't get people that say Trent hasn't done anything worthwhile since The Fragile. I could listen to Year Zero every day and would put it above both Pretty Hate Machine and Broken.

[thevoid99]

For me, Year Zero started a great streak of material that Trent had been doing and I'm one of those that loves The Fragile. I think he's getting better at what he does. I don't care if he doesn't do anything new. It just has to be good.

[neorev]

The Fragile would have been better as a single disc for me... half amazing tracks/other half filler
10 Miles High and And All That Could Have Been should have been included, yes i know one is on the vinyl version

My tracklist for The Fragile...
The Way Out Is Through
Somewhat Damaged
The Day the World Went Away
The Frail
The Wretched
We're in This Together
The Fragile
Even Deeper
Pilgrimage
The Mark Has Been Made
10 Miles High
Starfuckers, Inc.
The Big Come Down
Underneath It All
The Great Below
And All That Could Have Been

I love With Teeth... don't get the hate for that album. Downward Spiral & With Teeth are my two faves

Year Zero... the concept and idea behind it is great... the album on the other hand gets a tad boring after a while
It starts to sound the samey after a while... felt the same about Welcome Oblivion, which dislike even more
My Violent Heart, Me I'm Not, and In This Twilight are the only tracks that I can listen to really and enjoy
The rest are bleh.

The Slip doesn't feel like a full on album... more like a collection of not fully fleshed studio band tracks
It could have used some more depth in its production. It's very stripped down and one dimensional.
Letting You is the only I can listen to... Discipline is in my top worst of NIN track list.

Ghosts just seems like an NIN audition for score work... nothing more.
It has its moments of goodness though I would have loved to hear some of the ideas actually fleshed out into full on NIN tracks. I think there's some great ideas that could have been great full on tracks with some more work and lyrics.

For me, the last great NIN album was With Teeth... I can listen to that album all the way through. Only Broken, The Downward Spiral, and With Teeth I can do that with.

I felt they have lost their depth with the last few releases
The production is just not the same anymore

Being glitchy doesn't cut it. The beats aren't the same. There's no real edge anymore.

And Welcome Oblivion wasn't a huge departure from the NIN-style... just a more boring version of Year Zero with monotone vocals.

Come Back Haunted is pretty good, sounds promising.

But I just want that atmosphere and depth back... the layering of sounds... and the edge that made NIN... well NIN.

[allegro]

so is Urban Outfitters the new Hot Topic?

you mean the ubiquitous black hoodie? :-)

[theimage13]

I like Ilan. But I hope he leaves and Trent makes a bizarre move to add Abe Laboriel, Jr. as the new drummer.

[Reznor2112]

Random: I really hope that The Fragile reissue, if it does come out, comes with a blu ray of the album. Much like the Ghosts deluxe versions and TSN soundtrack.

I don't expect a blu ray for all new NIN/HTDA/tr releases to come with a blurry option but this is one release that needs one for those that do not buy vinyl.

[sheepdean]

Random: I really hope that The Fragile reissue, if it does come out, comes with a blu ray of the album. Much like the Ghosts deluxe versions and TSN soundtrack.

I don't expect a blu ray for all new NIN/HTDA/tr releases to come with a blurry option but this is one release that needs one for those that do not buy vinyl.

The fact we know it's mixed to 5.1 means a BD is almost certain

[MrSlfDstruct]

I don't know if my body is prepared to experience The Fragile on Blu-ray.

[KarenLeslie]

I like Ilan. But I hope he leaves and Trent makes a bizarre move to add Abe Laboriel, Jr. as the new drummer.

I want Josh Freese back. I have replaced my immature, teenaged crush on Trent Reznor with a fully mature woman's crush on Josh Freese.

[frothy_ham]

Is it just me, or does the NIN fan community just seem a lot more negative/curmudgeon-ey than 8-4 years ago (the time between With Teeth's release and the Wave Goodbye tour).

Even before CBH/Hesitation Marks was even announced or the reveal of new tour/ticket prices it felt like most people would rather he just not do anything ever again...or was it the same before and I'm just viewing the past through rose-colored glasses?

[PhoenixML]

I always tried to create a playlist for a shorter Fragile listen. It never clicked.

Then recently I did a longer than long playlist and that was awesome! I added Adrift and at Peace, AATCHB, Slipping Away, The Great Collapse, 10 Miles High, A New Flesh and Deep. The choices are questionable, but it clicked for me.

[jmtd]

Never understood why there's 5-10 seconds of near silence between "wish" and "last" since they fit together so well...

[screwdriver]

I always tried to create a playlist for a shorter Fragile listen. It never clicked.

Then recently I did a longer than long playlist and that was awesome! I added Adrift and at Peace, AATCHB, Slipping Away, The Great Collapse, 10 Miles High, A New Flesh and Deep. The choices are questionable, but it clicked for me.

awesome idea! what's your sequence?

[ryanmcfly]

I have rediscovered my love for The Big Come Down today.