And All That Could Have Been

Unless you live under a rock, you should know by now who Trent Reznor is. His introduction to the scene, Pretty Hate Machine launched a career fueled by utter hatred and despair, but hey, it's damn good music. Of course those aren't the only subjects of his music, but it's the most prominent one here on The Fragile. The Fragile follows off the heels of The Downward Spiral, starting Somewhat Damaged and ending Ripe (With Decay), which to me is a perfect formula. Spanning between these two tracks is one smasher of a record, with some pseudo-DnB style, Industrial grinding, and ethereal soundscapes, this album will always find a listener who enjoys at least one song on here. The story behind the album follows a person down in a hole, and only falling further and further as he tries to get out. This journey is documented through tracks like The Day The World Went Away, The Wretched, Even Deeper, and Where is Everybody?. The nice part is that every track compliments the one before it. You become immersed in it after listening enough times. And that's the beauty of an album; being able to immerse yourself in it. Much like Abbey Road, this cd is a landmark in music, for both what it is, and it's diversity and innovative sounds. Reznor really layers on the guitars over subliminal beats, and drags his voice along over it, adding a perfect touch that the song needs. Some songs don't even have vocals but still speak to the soul in a way, making it that much more pleasing to listen to. Of course we can't forget about the other contributors, who do amazing work on drums, piano, and whatever else their respective instruments may be. However, Reznor really steals the show here with his brilliant, yet simple (at times) lyrics. Each song helps bring the story together and can really put visuals into the listeners head. I also really like the format he chose to make this album, himself commenting that "You can't listen to the Left, until after hearing the Right, but you have to hear the Left first to understand the Right.". Sure, it's confusing, but makes perfect sense. The discs compliment eachother in a way that I haven't heard since The Wall by Pink Floyd. Nine Inch Nails took a dramatic turn after this record, and only got better with age. **** out of ****