Whips would have thought a band as annoying as Depeche Mode would influence a band as awesome as this. Now, I was living England in the eighties and The Mode were regarded as somewhat of a joke and fashion wannabes. So, when I moved over the other side of the pond, it came as a shock to find out that they were such an influence on so many people. NIN are not a lot like Depeche Mode – thank god -as they are a totally different subversive beast. Equal parts electro pop, dance and industrial metal, they were a jolt to the arm of the music scene at the time.
Things start off with the awesome Head Like A Hole, a killer track of epic proportions and encapsulates everything about the band at the time. Terrible Lie is a quirky track full of electronic weirdness and a simple groove. Down In It is a full on electro pop experience. Drum machines have developed so much since this album, well, it was released in ’89. Sanctified is the last track on this Side, and is another killer track with an epic bass line.
Something I Can Never Have starts like a soundtrack and is just a piano, a synth, and a vocal until an industrial backdrop looms in the background. The one track that does remind of Depeche Mode is Kinda I Want To. The choppy synth groove is very catchy. The track that everyone should know is Sin and that is up next. This is the song that I heard first and it’s a monster tune. A full on electronic metal masterpiece. This should get the most die hard rock fan up and grooving. That’s What I Got is more sleazy electro pop with a simple synth groove. The Only Time is another song about sexual endeavors and is my least favourite on the record. The very apt Ringfinger follows, and is a full on electro dance pop experience and is one of the three great songs on the record. It starts off quite simple and just builds. A very strange cover of Queen’s Get Down And Make Love is the last track on the album and bears no resemblance to the original. The only way you would know is the vocal line.
A groundbreaking album for sure as a whole genre would grow out of this record and The Downward Spiral.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
