Sigil 03_: An omen EP_

[simonn]

On the topic of The Loop Closes, I don't know what everyone else is complaining about. When Trent starts singing "The beginning is the end" it absolutely blows me away. I seriously couldn't be happier with this EP. And so the wait for the LP begins

It's just great to hear him singing again. Apart from Zoo Station, (which I loved) this is the first Trent solo vocals since Demon Seed (I think).

Start of The Loop Closes keeps on reminding me of Shout by Tears for Fears, which is worrying!

Listened to this EP about 5 times now, and to be honest, there's nothing I dislike about it. Great stuff.

[fillow]

How many tracks have the trademark drone guitar in it?

[slave2thewage]

As somehow who's been bitching about Reznor's output since TSN... I really like this. A LOT.

[Emil Dorbell]

Judging from the last EP and Keep It Together I was expecting to dislike Mariqueens vocals. Very surprised at how good she sounds on Ice Age. They should make some more songs with actual instruments and her voice up front. The rest of the EP is... not for me.

[Reznor2112]

Ok...I have listened to this thing 5 times through since last night. I have been trying to understand where all the positive comments are coming from...
After finally getting the songs on my iPod and listening to the EP sitting on the back deck this morning whilst drinking coffee...I understand now.

I take back all negative comments on this EP. I guess listening to this after a long hectic day of classes wasnt the best timing. I can now say I am a fan.

Not so much of Ice Age because I feel like it sounds like every Carina Round song (calm down) My 2 favorites are On the Wing and The Loop Closes

So now will you guys let me back in the club???

[Christo]

Capitalise the titles for the love of all that is good and holy

[WorzelG]

Ok...I have listened to this thing 5 times through since last night. I have been trying to understand where all the positive comments are coming from...
After finally getting the songs on my iPod and listening to the EP sitting on the back deck this morning whilst drinking coffee...I understand now.

I take back all negative comments on this EP. I guess listening to this after a long hectic day of classes wasnt the best timing. I can now say I am a fan.

Not so much of Ice Age because I feel like it sounds like every Carina Round song (calm down) My 2 favorites are On the Wing and The Loop Closes

So now will you guys let me back in the club???

Why do you feel you have to force yourself to like it? Nobody has been anything but courteous about people's differing opinions on this thread (except for one comment about brain abnormalities which was obviously jokey) but still people pretend they have to duck in and put up shields for being flamed - it's just not happening

[danebraddy]

umpteenth listen.
Still really like this.
'Speaking in Tongues' reminds me so much of Saul's 'Skin of a Drum' (and a bit of 'Seaweed') and although Q sings on it, if 'The Loop Closes' was labelled as the new NIN single no one would think twice - 'Keep It Together' having a bass line that is somewhere between 'With_Teeth' (song) and 'The Warning' (guitar) also turns me on a bit

I know in the realm of music Trent has been involved in there are always going to be unintentional theme overlaps but "The beginning is the end" and "We have become zeroes and ones, I am the end of it all" coupled with the art direction can't help but make me think that it's related to Year Zero - I know it's not, but the connections are there, and if TR, RS and Atticus weren't involved in any way I would think it was heavily influenced by YZ and post Fragile NIN - I'd still like it - a lot - but I'd be thinking it.

Whats cool is that despite these 'links' or a fan's 'clutching at straws' (take your pick), it still feels like it's own thing and this EP, although made of songs from a larger piece feels cohesive and standalone. As much as I liked the first EP I think one of it's flaws was that it felt like it was a collection of songs ('cause well... it was) whereas An Omen_ feels closer to an 'album' with a consistent mood and theme.

I'm not criticizing this for having some TR-esque influence in there at all, in fact I guess I would find it stranger if all the songs were out complete left field like Ice Age.

I really think this is solid and for those who like this type of thing and aren't looking for the next 'Head Like A Hole' or 'No, You Don't' this is a great taster of what is most likely going to be an awesome album early next year.

[frankie teardrop]

some really interesting sonic choices here, well executed but ultimately not at all my cup of tea. not at all expecting a NIN-ish sound, but the plucky, current 4AD roster vibe has never been to my liking and it seems like that sound has been heavily explored here.

i do like 'speaking in tongues,' on a positive note.

[sick among the pure]

I have 3 things to say about the EP:
1) I really don't like Ice Age
2) I really really like On The Wing
3) I realized On The Wing reminds me of the music from Katamari Damacy. Especially the vocal effects.

[simonn]

Judging from the last EP and Keep It Together I was expecting to dislike Mariqueens vocals. Very surprised at how good she sounds on Ice Age. They should make some more songs with actual instruments and her voice up front. The rest of the EP is... not for me.

"With actual instruments"

Like it!

[Emil Dorbell]

I really think this is solid and for those who like this type of thing and aren't looking for the next 'Head Like A Hole' or 'No, You Don't' this is a great taster of what is most likely going to be an awesome album early next year.

Oh, what I'd give for a new album full of Head Like A Holes and No You Don'ts

[GentlemanLoser]

Oh man Ice Age blew my mind, it was kinda like pop music for a tangent universe, one where I could actually enjoy a ClearChannel radio station.

This whole EP is so strange and not like anything I could have guessed it would be, which in and of itself is the most I could ask for, but man, it really delivers, it's a giver, makes me want to sing Moon River!

Need to give it a proper listen though, I only heard it right before going to bed, skipping the last track, on laptop speakers. What was I thinking!?

[tyrannus]

after several listens, i can say i really really like this. only, it makes me want more. goes by waaaay too fast. i'm quite curious to see how the whole LP goes and where (some of) these songs fit into the big picture.

[voidnz]

EP is great music, perfect as usual but I can't get into it really. It's music for a special mood for me. It's certainly gone in a different direction to the first EP which is a bit catchier.

Since we're getting more NIN i'm not going to bitch about it. It's cool we can get some new Reznor music that's a bit different in the mean time.

[Morad]

I'm just going to leave this here and run away, forever and ever and ever. Ahh, I was actually scared to post it here, but I really wanted to share it with you guys too. So here, we, go.

[baudolino]

I'm just going to leave this here and run away, forever and ever and ever, because I was actually scared to post it here, but I wanted to share it with you guys too. So here, we, go.

i think its a fair judgement, however none that i share. guess i'm more tolerant and tend/try to fade out legacies when listening to new music. and repetition is an inherent property of life after all

and its a well written

[BRoswell]

I'm just going to leave this here and run away, forever and ever and ever, because I was actually scared to post it here, but I wanted to share it with you guys too. So here, we, go.

Congrats. You found a negative review. Good on you.

[WorzelG]

---

i think its a fair judgement, however none that i share. guess i'm more tolerant and tend/try to fade out legacies when listening to new music. and repetition is an inherited property of life after all

and its a well written

I agree - I was expecting a review in the vein of the Pitchfork 'Fragile' 2.0 stars thing but I thought you treated it fairly and pointed out positives and negatives. I mean I did find it a bit jarring when the Sleep of Reason.... Song suddenly stopped but I'll have to listen some more times to argue any more points. Basically my first response was very positive, wanted to dance to most of it, need to listen to it more

[Morad]

Thank you so much, guys. I was trying my best to be fair and objective with the music, and I can't help but think of legacies when listening to this. You can't treat somebody who's set the bar as high as Reznor has like an upstart musician. I would view an upstart musician as an upstart musician surely, but I just can't hold down Trent to such a low standard. His art means way too much to me for me to be able to do that - and again I tried to hollow out all the personal stuff to write an objective review.

Congrats. You found a negative review. Good on you.

I didn't find it. I wrote it, and since everyone was giving their thoughts on the record, I just thought I'd share mine too.

[Canuckle]

Thank you so much, guys. I was trying my best to be fair and objective with the music, and I can't help but think of legacies when listening to this. You can't treat somebody who's set the bar as high as Reznor has like an upstart musician. I would view an upstart musician as an upstart musician surely, but I just can't hold down Trent to such a low standard. His art means way too much to me for me to be able to do that - and again I tried to hollow out all the personal stuff to write an objective review.

I didn't find it. I wrote it, and since everyone was giving their thoughts on the record, I just thought I'd share mine too.

I have a quick question. Did you review the album based on the 128 kbps we have all been listening to?

[Morad]

I have a quick question? Did you review the album based on the 128 kbps we have all been listening to?

Unfortunately, that's all there was, and you're right, it does make a difference, but I don't think any of that changes what I criticized about the record. I made sure not to talk about anything that could be affected by that quality difference. I tried to, at least. For instance, I have the shitty quality version of Trent's "Tetsuo The Bullet Man" song still, and I can still tell you exactly what I love about it, regardless of its bad audio quality.

[BRoswell]

I would view an upstart musician as an upstart musician surely, but I just can't hold down Trent to such a low standard.

It's not a low standard. It's a REALISTIC standard. Sure, I could compare this to the greatest points in the Nine Inch Nails catalog, but what's the point? We all know what's going to come out on top. I'm judging this thing on its own merits. If you want to be concerned with legacies and history, that's fine, but I'm more interested in how this music makes me feel, and it makes me feel pretty damn good.

I didn't find it. I wrote it, and since everyone was giving their thoughts on the record, I just thought I'd share mine too.

Congrats. You wrote a negative review. Good on you.

[Canuckle]

Unfortunately, that's all there was, and you're right, it does make a difference, but I don't think any of that changes what I criticized about the record. I made sure not to talk about anything that could be affected by that quality difference. I tried to, at least. For instance, I have the shitty quality version of Trent's "Tetsuo The Bullet Man" song still, and I can still tell you exactly what I love about it, regardless of its bad audio quality.

Hey, I'm not here to shoot you down, as I do agree that much of your critique can be discerned from the 128kpbs as you speak about mood and composition.

I just think it's a fundamental flaw to review an album in compressed format, much like reviewing a movie from a hand held camera. To each their own; and I assume it's your love of NIN that made you want to put this out ASAP. Just trying to offer a small bit of constructive criticism for ya.

[Amaro]

It's not a low standard. It's a REALISTIC standard. Sure, I could compare this to the greatest points in the Nine Inch Nails catalog, but what's the point? We all know what's going to come out on top. I'm judging this thing on its own merits. If you want to be concerned with legacies and history, that's fine, but I'm more interested in how this music makes me feel, and it makes me feel pretty damn good.

And it apparently wasn't good enough for Morad to make him feel good, or think twice about whatever standards. The end.

I've tried to feel something from this EP, but...I just feel like I'm wasting my time. It's not there.

[Canuckle]

My two cents/nonsense....

When I view this as an EP, it stands up quite nicely. It does what an EP should. It gives us a cross-section of what the new LP will sound like, while also providing some content that won't be offered. This may explain why some of the blends/flow seems disjointed at times.

My favourite upon my very few listens has to be 'The Loop Closes'. I love songs that drive, and this like many opening NIN tracks drives and builds in momentum. Ice Age was a nice surprise but did feel that it was maybe a minute or two too long. Speaking in Tongues is great for a closer and probably my second favourite, followed by Keep it Together (yes, I actually enjoy this song) which now sounds better in context. Each song brings something different to the table and that makes me excited for the LP.

Mind you, this is all after a half dozen listens. I'll wait to reserve full judgement for when I get the wax.

[blassster]

Music reviews: Meh.


Got the vinyl. Visuals look nice in a big print. Download page is 404ing, guessing it's up on Tuesday.

[GoodSoldier333]

Wonder if that cough in Sleep Of Reason was a recorded accident they decided to keep?

[thefragile_jake]

Man, after a couple more listens...I still think Ice Age is the standout track.

So I'm sorry if this has already been posted, but is this thing not coming out in physical CD form? Just digital download and vinyl?

[blassster]

Man, after a couple more listens...I still think Ice Age is the standout track.

So I'm sorry if this has already been posted, but is this thing not coming out in physical CD form? Just digital download and vinyl?

Correct, no CD.