Nine Inch Nails
"Year Zero"
Interscope Records
(Out Of 5)
Bleak and dour, Nine Inch Nails’ new album, the concept-driven “Year Zero,” portrays a world with no future ““ a world which frontman Trent Reznor believes is destined to be ours if we continue on our current path.
Released amid much fanfare generated from a viral marketing campaign (with USB drives containing tracks from the album and secret codes on T-shirts being found all over the world), “Year Zero” exceeds expectations, recapturing much of the glory of NIN’s best album, “The Downward Spiral” and distancing itself from 2005’s underwhelming “With Teeth.”
“Year Zero” leads the listener on a tumultuous journey of sound through the lens of industrial rock. Though songs range from harsh and loud to whispered and haunting, each is signature NIN, relying on electronic overtures and Reznor’s trademark vocals, going from whispers to screams without warning. “Survivalism” has a manic energy manifested by frantic synthesizers and a shout-along chorus that captures the rage that often pervades Reznor’s music.
And if listeners feel inclined to dance to something so bleak, Reznor won’t begrudge them the pleasure. It won’t be surprising to find tracks like “God Given” spun at any number of clubs down on Sunset Boulevard due to the songs’ catchy beats and hooks.
While “Year Zero” purports to be about the future, there are many references that not-so-subtly allude to our current leaders. As if there were any doubt, Reznor proclaims “Well I’m on my hands and knees turning in the god of this war and he signs his name with a capital G,” in “Capital G.”
The decision to both make “Year Zero” a concept album and to release it so soon after “With Teeth” seems to have paid off. The quicker turnaround for “Year Zero” seems to have been liberating for Reznor, as he seems more relaxed, even choosing to improvise many of the songs on the album. Perhaps this is because with less time having passed between releases, Reznor felt less pressure. It shows in the album, which flows and builds in a way that “With Teeth,” which came off more as a collection of isolated songs, never did.
With everything from danceable tunes and a more unified sound to overt political themes, “Year Zero” provides a little something for everyone. As a result, Reznor has delivered NIN’s most fully-realized album since “The Downward Spiral.”
““ Michelle Castillo
Email Castillo at mcastillo@media.ucla.edu.