NINE INCH NAILS [WITH TEETH]
Trent Reznor takes the critics lying down
It’s safe to say that Trent Reznor needed the fourth studio album from the Nine Inch Nails to be impressive. Ever since it became apparent that [With Teeth], the follow up to 1999’s The Fragile, was on the way, fans and critics alike have been lining up to make predictions and ask questions. Plenty of fans have decided to hate the new album simply because it’s not a retread of The Downward Spiral and on the basis of an admittedly ropey first single: ‘The Hand That Feeds’.
Thank goodness then, that Trent and co. have once again delivered an outstanding album. This is the first NIN album not recorded under the shadow of drug abuse, specifically heroin. There was a general suspicion, prior to the record’s release, that this would damage the album, however good it would be for Reznor. Given that previous works were firmly rooted in the frontman’s self-loathing and addictions it looked likely that, without the inner turmoil, [With Teeth] would, well, lack bite.
There are moments where this seems to be the case, notably second track ‘You Know What You Are?’ which, despite being excellent musically, feels falsely enraged. For the most part though, NIN have progressed; maybe Reznor is mellowing as he grows older, it really doesn’t matter, he knows better than to fake the sentiment and has instead moved on thematically.
That’s not to say that the new album is a complete departure, trademark fuzzy guitars, strong bass-lines, sampling and variable time signatures remain the order of the Nine Inch Nails’s day and old fans (pedants aside) will certainly find much that reminds them of past glories. One element of the music that has been put to greater use than previously, however, is the lead vocal. This is a welcome development and one which renders the band more accessible than ever before.
After more than five years away it’s almost inevitable that a band will have become irrelevant and somewhat embarrassing; NIN have bucked the trend spectacularly on [With Teeth], proving that the wait was worth every second. We can only hope that we’re not made to wait so long for the next one.
19th May 2005