Classic Day – A Means To An End

As the hammer strikes down upon the steaming anvil, creating a blast of confusion for a moment; the industrial reigns take hold on the room engulfing everything in a blackened, crisp smoke. The smoke takes a similar stance to Nine Inch Nails on their sophomore record which debuted in 1994, known for their catastrophic sense of performance and stage presence, The Downward Spiral takes hold. The record is smooth, but abrasive; textured, but layered; holds immense value and persistence in a music scene to soon be uprooted by the contents.

“Mr. Self Destruct” which acts as more of an auto-biographical piece of a speaker that is overpowered by the social constructs that attach throughout The Downward Spiral. Where the visuals are lacking, Nine Inch Nails describes through immense detail that dictates and validates. “I am the voice inside your head, I am the lover in your bed. I am the sex that you provide, I am the hate you try to hide” describes Trent Reznor while the backing vocals that are layered to showcase a chorus in a sense, “And I control you.” With the overarching arms that outreach and stand over the main character in Reznor’s twisted stories, Reznor is the main orchestrator of the vocals and instruments present on The Downward Spiral.

His contributions are unmatched as he was the primary producer, but he did not work alone. Artists like Mark “Flood” Ellis, Chris Vrenna, Adrian Belew, Danny Lohner, and even Charlie Clouser worked hand-in-hand with Reznor to develop and craft the otherworldly sound. Through Nine Inch Nail’s movement on The Downward Spiral, the work is incredibly and deliberately layered. There is no simplicity that comes with any track present and the themes of battling paranoia, religion, the other half of man’s warped sense of fragmented thinking, and anything else that would make a mid-90’s parent nervous in their teen.

The Downward Spiral can contort well within itself however and shows a brighter side to the creative performance. From spawning some of the genre-defining sounds of industrial rock to essentially still being a relevant masterpiece of the modern day. Nine Inch Nails was able to strike a gold mine with The Downward Spiral and the record never conformed or felt forced in any way. The record separated itself from society and felt more as a caged animal that broke out and lashed against its captives. It was unforgiving, unpredictable, and most importantly, dangerous in a mainstream environment.

Listen To The Downward Spiral Here!!! – Youtube/Spotify/Amazon/iTunes