Nine Inch Nails "Bad Witch" (2018)

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are offically the duo that makes up the current Nine Inch Nails line up of this specific era. Atticus expands his role into songwriting with Trent after having produced all the groups albums for the last decade or so. Bad Witch is the third and final in this series of mini albums following Not The Actual Events and Add Violence which the pair have written together. The three records make up a larger experience which I am yet to enjoy in one session as a whole musical piece.

In my mind this thirty minute ride splits itself into three phases with the first two songs focusing on the lyrical content. Shapely words fit to mold your feelings can be interpreted in many ways but give the focus on the now and the mutation of change, one line in particular "celebration of ignorance" strikes me as being aimed towards the social-political climate we currently endure. Its fuzzy, hard and grizzly guitars channel the aggression into singular moments as its tightly tuned drums propel us through the aesthetic landscape of Industrial noises and layered synths that forge a disenfranchised mood.

Its next songs include the saxophone which adds a distinct voice to two songs that unpack themselves with groaning landscapes, heaving, expanding and contracting as the musics various layers of sound slowly evolve through their duration. The first track has a beautiful break in the middle for layers of sax to work mysterious magic before the track winds down gracefully. God Break Down The Door seems to mirror this approach with the sax taking a backseat. The inclusion of Trent's voice and the lively drum and bass percussive loop greatly ups the energy it exudes.

Moving into the third phase we have our ambience tracks, the first a soundscape piece of paranoia and phobia driven by a brooding baseline that drags us forward as alien, dark and dystopian noises build up a closing sense of dread that culminates to a hellish moment in the middle, letting the music repeat itself over. The following Over And Out is my favorite song from the record. It lays down a foundational drum groove and woven synth sounds for a big grooving baseline to patrol. Ready for extensive repetition, these quirky, off key, ambiguous piano notes float around the music, mixed into their own carving of audio space. The song sets itself up for length but wisely Trent brings in his voice to drive home a narrative that time is running out and the instruments are pulled through the volume sliders before descending into a drone of airy reverberation to let the music calmly fade out.

Its hard to say exactly what I feel about this record. Much of Nine Inch Nails music from this era demands much of your time to unpack the depth these songs possess. With each listen more is uncovered but it is only inches to the mile, excuse the pun. After quite a few listens the music still feels like it has a lot to offer however It does not wedge itself in the mind. I will listen to all three together at some point and then happily move forward with this band who I appreciate greatly but never quite get sucked all the way in.

Favorite Tracks: Play The Goddamned Part, Over And Out

Rating: 6/10

Nine Inch Nails "Add Violence" (2017)

Its been four years since the last full length NIN record and fans are still crying out for more! At the end of 2016 we got the short EP "Not The Actual Events" and seven months later another short experience comes our way with rumors of a third in the works to make up a trilogy. In my mind this record sets itself up for disappointment with a huge contrast between the remarkable opening track "Less Than" and its ambient, atmosphere driven tracks that follow. "Not Anymore" musters aggression again in a noisy whirl of gritty bassline distortion and ambiguous, eerie synths that culminate with an explosive emergence of industrious groove and textural ecstasy from its crying sirens. It though, doesn't par with the vibes of its opener.

Its to short of a record to bridge the gaps between the different avenues of Trent's genius. It kicks of with retro jiving synths pulsating over muddy dissonant bass noise, the words and rhymes sung with a 90s edge that kicks into a sublime chorus so fitting of that era. In a strange way Trent's "So what are you waiting for?" hook reminds me of Oasis, if anything its a sign of where the musics coming from. A simple power chord arrangement flying high in a dense wall of sound the breaks out from the verses. Its one of the best songs Ive heard from him but that's not saying much given my lack of time with the NIN discography.

The energy, intensity and momentum is switched off instantly as the next two songs roll into the quiet and calm of downtempo electronic ambience. "The Lovers" has a fantastic backbone beat and murmuring melody that plays like the beating of a heart or ticking by of time, ceasing a sense of passing time as Trent calls through the fog of a chilling and lonely soundscape. The following number is similar with Ethereal vibes creeping into its dense and rich layers of sound that subtly moan and groan with what sounds like an effeminate voice buried between layers of sleepy sounds.

The record drones out with an experiment in noise manipulation as the final loop of music at the four minute mark is repeated over and over for a further seven minutes with increasing distortion, eventually devolving into a tonal mess with no resemblance to where it started. It stretches the run time with little avail. Its been an interesting listen but the stellar songs really deserved a slot in a full length project, on this EP they might go by unnoticed by some fans.

Favorite Tracks: Less Than, This Isn't The Place

Rating: 5/10

Nine Inch Nails "Not The Actual Events" (2016)

 Nine Inch Nails, stylized NIN, are one of Industrial Metal's most successful and influential bands if not thee most next to Rammstein. Trent Reznor, the man behind the band, has been hailed a musical genius by many and over the years Ive made several attempts to get into NIN. I can hear his identity within the music however Its never clicked for me, I like the music but I don't get that emotional elevation. From my understanding of their early records this new EP is very much a fitting part of the bands discography and sound, this time with an ambient and atmospheric edge for the five songs included.

It may just be fitting that my lack of connection with Reznor leaves me with not many words to say about this record. Its temperate, mid tempo and easy on the mind with a couple of scouring moments where the guitars bristle up and Trent takes to screaming. The atmospheres are born of intricacies, subtle, unobtrusive instruments working around one another. Its powerful moments are downplayed and experiments with noise and reverb remove a lack of definition for a calming cohesion.

Each of the tracks have distinct and interesting ideas that come together well. The closer plays around with a big burgeoning distortion that smothers itself over the synths and slow heart beat of an industrial, mechanical drum machine. The underlying music is solid and for the most part revolves are repetition of simpler ideas. Its brilliance is in the production that carefully manages the emergence of many distortions, noises and oddities that arise between the intentional melodies and instruments. Its an impressive listen, took a little time to grown into but the familiarity exposes the inner workings of an interesting record and I find myself positioned closer to Reznor's appraised brilliance.

Favorite Tracks: She's Gone Away, Burning Bright

Rating: 6/10