Written by Anne Gresens
There’s no doubt Nine Inch Nails has a special place in the alternative music world, especially when noting the classic cult song “Closer.” While this sexually charged song promoted individuality and innovative progress in their music, this band has truly turned a new page with their new highly anticipated album Hesitation Marks.
While Trent Reznor is the only “official” member of the band, he compromises little with the direction the music takes. What I initially noticed about Hesitation Marks was the authentic Nine Inch Nails sound, with added hip-hop and club-like beats to make the excitement of the record appealing without selling out. One example is the song “Find My Way”; it starts with a low rhythmic line of percussion slowly escalating into intense musical anarchy Nine Inch Nails is known for. Another amazing song incorporating a fresh sound is “All Time Low”, starting with a funky fresh guitar riff and powerful vocals, fading ultimately to some sort of enticing psychedelic melody at the end.
Oh, and can we talk about “Satellite?” This song transforms the environment around us into some trendy electro-grunge club from the 90’s. I have no idea what that consists of, but in my imagination it seems pretty cool.
This new experimental sound is rad, but don’t worry, there’s also the classic radio-clad crowd pleasers like “Everything” which is about as awesomely sane as it gets. There’s no question whether this song is going to be a hit, it’s toned down in the most impressive way. There’s also “I Would For You”, which is a passionate slower tempo ode to love with a sick guitar component that guides the whole song.
Enough with the specifics, the album as a whole is extremely impressive, especially for those who weren’t previously Nine Inch Nails fans. This is because of their newfound versatility with sound that offers accessibility to those who were not interested before. Don’t be scared, this album kills it. Add it to your playlist, because I’m positive there is one song that will stick out and fill your ears with earth-shattering pleasure.
Hesitation Marks Is for everyone. Nine Inch Nails created something that will pull them out of being a cult classic, and crosses their industrial sound with a new funky and eclectic spectrum including many genres. It’s new, it’s fresh, and it’s exciting. All I can really say is I dig this album and so will you.
RIYL: Tool, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Disturbed
Key Tracks: “Everything”, “All Time Low”, “Satellite”, and “Copy Of A”
