Sold Date: January 30, 2015
Start Date: January 16, 2015
Final Price: $39.99 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 9240
Buyer Feedback: 80

ARTIST: Nine Inch Nails
TITLE: The Downward Spiral
FORMAT: 2xLP (180 Gram)
LABEL: Interscope
CATALOG #: B-0011697
RECORD CONDITION: NEW
JACKET CONDITION: NEW
DESCRIPTION: 

review by Steve Huey allmusic

positioned as industrial's own , painting detailed, layered soundscapes from a wide tonal palette. Not only did he fully integrated the crashing metal guitars of , but several newfound elements -- expanded song structures, odd time signatures, shifting arrangements filled with novel sounds, tremendous textural variety -- can be traced to the influence of progressive rock. So can the painstaking attention devoted to pacing and contrast -- is full of striking sonic juxtapositions and sudden about-faces in tone, which make for a fascinating listen. More important than craft in turning into a full-fledged rock star, however, was his brooding persona. Grunge had the mainstream salivating over melodramatic angst, which had always been 's stock in trade. The left-field hit "Closer" made him a postmodern shaman for the '90s, obsessed with exposing the dark side he saw behind even the most innocuous façades. In fact, his theatrics on -- all the preening self-absorption and serpentine sexuality -- seemed directly descended from . Yet 's nihilism often seemed like a reaction against some repressively extreme standard of purity, so the depravity he wallowed in didn't necessarily seem that depraved. That's part of the reason why, in spite of its many virtues, falls just short of being the masterpiece it wants to be. For one thing, fascination with texture occasionally dissolves the hooky songwriting that fueled . But more than that, 's unflinching bleakness was beginning to seem like a carefully calibrated posture; his increasing musical sophistication points up the lyrical holding pattern. Having said that, the album ends on an affecting emotional peak -- "Hurt" mingles drama and introspection in a way had never quite managed before. It's evidence of depth behind the charisma that deservedly made him a star.

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