Trent Reznor's Uneasy Virtue: Looking Back on The Downward Spiral
Published May 02, 2005
In 1994, Nine Inch Nails auteur Trent Reznor totally disturbed my peace of mind with his full metal paean to self-loathing and destruction, The Downward Spiral. It was a somewhat shocking turn of events for me. I'd never been a fan of synth noodlers, had no interest whatsoever in industrial music, and was not habitually interested in guys who rocked it in leather hotpants, fishnets, and opera-length latex gloves, but somehow, I rigged myself up to a pair of headphones and gave it a full day in court. It was all over after that: I was a total slave to his grind.
Almost universally praised by critics, The Downward Spiral was improbably launched into the stratosphere by "Closer", the danceable hit single with the chorus least likely to please the FCC. After that, drunk frat boys, kid sisters and liberal arts majors like me joined Reznor's misfit industrial goth audience, and that year, we all bore witness to a tour so headlong and ferocious, that it's a wonder scorched earth was not left in its wake.
The night I saw the "Self Destruct" tour, Reznor, who was beside himself about sound problems and a failed attempt to accompany his most plaintive moments with a film clip featuring rotting animals, hurled a microphone at the mixing desk with all the adrenalized strength of a furious five year old in a grown man's body, and told the projectionist he was fired over the PA with a growl so rumblingly and gutturally pissed off that the sweaty, vinyl coated moshers down front were momentarily rendered attentive out of what I can only assume was an instinct for self-preservation. Before that, Reznor had destroyed several keyboards and a guitar, and had physically menaced the rest of his band in such a way that I was genuinely concerned that someone would put an eye out. Before the night was over, he'd spent a good five minutes writhing around with his hands in his pants, and ended by shuddering over what was left of his busted-up keyboard.
All of that's to say nothing of his opening acts of special freakishness: The Jim Rose Circus, featuring "Mr. Lifto's" amazing cinderblock lifting nipples, and Marilyn Manson, wearing latex underpants with a strategically placed hose. I mention them only in passing because compared to Reznor's pure physical intensity, howling rage, desperately emotional and subversive sexuality, and seemingly bottomless despair, they were barely memorable. Trent Reznor was clearly the biggest freak in the building, and it took me months to explain to myself why a good Christian girl like me loved it so much I could barely breathe. How could something so dirty feel so clean?
- Trent Reznor's Uneasy Virtue: Looking Back on The Downward Spiral
- Published: May 02, 2005
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Music
- Writer: Jaime Nichols
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I really enjoyed this article, especially as a lead up to finally hearing his new opus - "With Teeth" (not like he didn't have any BEFORE this). Often artists like Trent are not looked at by the masses as the figures they actually are. They are frequented by culty fans, banging heads and lifestyle copycats that are in it for the emotional rush and the communication that their less than happy lives have a powerful companion. And he has given them all those things and a good show to boot. Like Dylan, Trent's a (techie) "song and dance man." However, those who can lay down something truly unique, with great style and substance, and find a way to keep that up over time and distance by actually GROWING and MORPHING into a better artist and a better self (through the obvious ups and downs of an actual human life)are few and far between. The question is always "do they have it in them to actually jump into the crucible and come back out unscathed?" The weight you give in this piece to his previous work is well worth the read, and entertaining to boot. I can't wait for the next review from you of his new effort. Thanks.
The Ultimate Object = God? Or, Cock?
Stop using fucked up long confusing words..just get to the fucking point...god....u ppl,i was sitting here reading this huge long babbling lecture sounding like u detest againsed the guy,then at the end u like it?
like seriously...i dont get you!!...ugh your blogs suck the bone!!
ps:Trent is amazing at what he does,and he if extermely gifted ^.^(see now thats getting to the point, not your blog thinger that is making everyone in it look like complete jack offs...like MANSON!)
Steff(the one who gets to the point)
Steff..it seems as if the sequipedalian tendencies of some writes irks you due to what you perceive as a lack of elucidation and clarity
nonetheless, some find a distinction as well as a rareified sense fo satisfaction from placing persnickity prose in paragraphs
now..go to fucking dictionary.com and look shit up to add to yer feeble branipan before ya open yer pie-hole, twink...
Excelsior!
Steff, I thought I made it pretty clear in the first paragraph that this article was totally an appreciation of the way Trent Reznor is awesome at what he does.
Sorry I lost you like that...
Hopefully after Steff graduates from junior high school, she will like be able to like comprehend what Jaime is like saying. To me, it didn't seem like Jaime was "sounding like [she] detest againsed the guy" when she spoke of Trent Reznor, but was wondering why she was so fascinated with his music and lyrics.
Steph, if you think this is a "huge long babbling lecture," wait until you get to college (of course, I'm not holding my breath for that).
Sorry, I just have a low tolerance for ppl who cant spell or use punktuation an right in all lowercase and fucking use "fucking" all the fucking time cuz they cant find another fucking word in theyre vocabularry, so I guess I shouldn't spend that much time on the internet, right?
Anyway, in response to Jaime's post, I thought it was very interesting to read a review of this album from her perspective rather than the same-old "it wuz a dark heavy depressing CD that wuz really kool an made me want to slit my rists to feel trents pain" perspective. I'm curious to hear what you think about "With Teeth," so I'll head over to read your post that I just found on that.
I agree with u Steff. I thought your comment was very honest, trent reznor is amazing at what he does.
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Some very interesting perspectives in here... The performance element has always been a vital part of Nine Inch Nails' power and ability to connect with people beyond those traditionally suited to "that kind" of music, that to have the power roles happening within that Audience/Performer symobiosis broken down is some fascinating stuff.
Even more exciting is the notion that Reznor himself -- obvioiusly no stranger to Master/Slave relationships -- may have been on some level knowingly orchestrating this dynamic. I think there's definitely some evidence for this in his body of work, and the famed precision with which he designs and executes every single element of the presentation of NIN.
Now that Reznor seems to be in a healthier mental state then before, I would gather the parasitic flavor of that performance relationship would not exist in the "With Teeth" era. So what does he have in store next?