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 Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
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If
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Mindless Self Indulgence;
The End;
2008-04-28;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £9.86
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Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
Fantastic Vinyl, 24 Sep 2008
Ordered this directly from the distributor (hence why I have it before the UK release date), and it truly is a brilliant set to have. The artwork is top-notch (no surprise, coming from artist Jhonen Vasquez), it includes all of the art he did for the album (including the cover of the deluxe version) in high resolution quality and is worth buying just for this reason alone.
The album itself is pretty good, though no-where near as good as YRTA, FGWSSS or Tight, but passable, despite a few throwaway tracks. The overall arrangement seems a lot better as well, with a reworked track listing spread across two Vinyl disks.
The main complaint I have is how, unfortunately the vinyl is treated as a second-hand product by the producers of the set, who made the ridiculous decision to include NO BONUS TRACKS. I mean, why?
The Clean version of the album gets the bonus track 'Uncle' (presumably because they feel sorry for them), and the UK version gets 'Uncle', 'S3' and FOUR remixes of 'Never Wanted to Dance' (because they feel really sorry for us!). Vinyl owners get squat.
But for collectablity and the artwork, it's well worth getting. Just download the other tracks.
Great...but..., 18 Jun 2008
First off,I was worried with You'll Rebel To Anything that MSI were beginning to sound a little like Marilyn Manson, especially with Straight To Video. So thankfully, for me, IF is back to the quirky MSI I know and love from the Frankenstein and Tight albums. The songs are nothing new for the band then, but personally I wouldn't want a new sound from them. They are an amazing and unique band!!And yes Revenge, Uncle and Bomb This Track are not exactly brand new material to older fans, that's the main reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. But you are still left with enough new material, and the remixes thrown in, to make a great album. So go buy it and enjoy the originality and stupity of Jimmy and co. They are making music that is entertaining, interesting and nuts, which is more than can be said for the majority of the stuff in the charts!!
Yet another mindless rip off?, 02 May 2008
The first reviewer (Mister Superstar) pretty much hits the nail on the head with his review, but I want to write my own anyway.
MSI's last full album (You'll Rebel To Anything) was unquestionably the most commercial of all their releases, but who's complaining when it was such a concise, consistent album with tracks that managed to stand up against (and on several occasions, better) material from Frankenstein Girls or Tight? I certainly wasn't. It marked a slight change in direction with a more polished sound and less confrontational songs than before (far less mentions of "niggaz" and songs that were perhaps geared more towards a slightly younger audience) but it nevertheless retained the fast, furious, sardonic and often ridiculous sound that people either love or hate MSI for. Things were looking good for the next release...
But... with this album... it just isn't quite there. The problem being maybe that now they've become much more well known (especially in the UK) they actually CARE how this album is received, at least, that's how it sounds: in some places - far too self-conscious and self-aware. Also, in general, much less spontaneous and in some places I found myself thinking, "where's the energy gone??". Some of the tracks could really do with being a bit faster, or at least have some more intense beats behind them.
I am by no means saying that this is a bad album, but as Mister Superstar pointed out, quite a few of the tracks are old demos, b-sides or from the unreleased album "Pink", and sadly, for the most part, these are the better songs (you can recognise them by the old synths or the high pitched vocals, the latter of which is sadly absent from the new tracks). "Mastermind" and "Never Wanted To Dance" are two of the best new, previously unheard (except live) tracks, and stand up well against old material, but on the whole "If" is, to be brutally honest, a disappointment. Worth it for many of the songs, but the others I find myself even more likely to skip than the more throwaway tracks on Frankenstein Girls.
I just hope MSI can stop being so over-eager to impress and make a better, more consistent album next time. Also, whilst I'm on the subject, I pray they'll go back to using pre-taped backing vocals at gigs so we can actually hear the whole song, many of them just can't be sung otherwise! and more importantly I hope they go back to their more spontaneous gig-style, I saw them 3 times last year and almost everything Jimmy Urine said was exactly the same each show, try and get hold of the really old concert video where he goes nuts and throws this dude out of the gig for no reason, you'll see the difference. Still, I guess they've got a lot of people to keep happy now, but for me, it just isn't working.
Bomb This Album, 25 Apr 2008
This being MSI's first offering for over 2 years, I was expecting something sharp, edgy and quirky as hell. It is evident with IF that time and effort has been implemented, and experimentation obviously is the main feature here, but alot of the time it comes off cheap and rather stale, they even fob you off with one or two demo's that have been around longer than i can remember. Had this have been a first or even second album for them it would have stood a much better chance, but with all the hype they have garnered over the past 5 years or so it isnt as simple as churning out yet another record with more of the same.
That being said, just because it sounds like previous material, thats not to say it sounds bad. It has some real gems, ancient demo "Bomb This Track" and the irresistible "Issues" are real standouts for me. Another great selling point is the level of humor... some of these tracks are Hiiiiilarious, "Get It Up" had me smirking from beginning to end. At the end of day, MSI fans will lap this up anyway... but you cant help feeling a little cheated. Newcomers would do well to start with this record, it is accessible and fun. If you accept this as what it is, more of the same, you wont be disappointed, if your coming in looking for something fresh id suggest trying something else.
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The Slip + DVD
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Nine Inch Nails;
The Null Corporation;
2008-07-28;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £9.00
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Product Description
Having recently and radically reinvented themselves--and their business model--with recent album Ghosts I - IV, Trent Reznor and team are back with another 45 minutes of brand new music. The Slip, released free as a download and licensed again under the Creative Commons license, follows up musically and conceptually on themes already explored on Ghosts I - IV as well as on older projects like Year Zero, With Teeth and The Fragile. Ambient electronic loops mingle with dark lyrics and searing rock riffs to create a progressive and at times prophetic tapestry, which begins with the ambient "999,999", morphs into the scintillating rock of "1,000,000", and the post-disco of "Discipline" and ends with seven-minute meditations like "Corona Radiate". Along the way are some classic NIN moments. "Head Down" harks back to a more traditional sound, while "The Lights in the Sky" won't surprise anyone that knows Reznor's fondness for blending pretty piano melodies with morbid lyricism. There are indulgences here--not least the eleven-minute "The Four of Us Are Dying"--but many will consider it a small price to pay for such beautiful sonic bravery. --Paul Sullivan
Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
Fantastic Vinyl, 24 Sep 2008
Ordered this directly from the distributor (hence why I have it before the UK release date), and it truly is a brilliant set to have. The artwork is top-notch (no surprise, coming from artist Jhonen Vasquez), it includes all of the art he did for the album (including the cover of the deluxe version) in high resolution quality and is worth buying just for this reason alone.
The album itself is pretty good, though no-where near as good as YRTA, FGWSSS or Tight, but passable, despite a few throwaway tracks. The overall arrangement seems a lot better as well, with a reworked track listing spread across two Vinyl disks.
The main complaint I have is how, unfortunately the vinyl is treated as a second-hand product by the producers of the set, who made the ridiculous decision to include NO BONUS TRACKS. I mean, why?
The Clean version of the album gets the bonus track 'Uncle' (presumably because they feel sorry for them), and the UK version gets 'Uncle', 'S3' and FOUR remixes of 'Never Wanted to Dance' (because they feel really sorry for us!). Vinyl owners get squat.
But for collectablity and the artwork, it's well worth getting. Just download the other tracks.
Great...but..., 18 Jun 2008
First off,I was worried with You'll Rebel To Anything that MSI were beginning to sound a little like Marilyn Manson, especially with Straight To Video. So thankfully, for me, IF is back to the quirky MSI I know and love from the Frankenstein and Tight albums. The songs are nothing new for the band then, but personally I wouldn't want a new sound from them. They are an amazing and unique band!!And yes Revenge, Uncle and Bomb This Track are not exactly brand new material to older fans, that's the main reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. But you are still left with enough new material, and the remixes thrown in, to make a great album. So go buy it and enjoy the originality and stupity of Jimmy and co. They are making music that is entertaining, interesting and nuts, which is more than can be said for the majority of the stuff in the charts!!
Yet another mindless rip off?, 02 May 2008
The first reviewer (Mister Superstar) pretty much hits the nail on the head with his review, but I want to write my own anyway.
MSI's last full album (You'll Rebel To Anything) was unquestionably the most commercial of all their releases, but who's complaining when it was such a concise, consistent album with tracks that managed to stand up against (and on several occasions, better) material from Frankenstein Girls or Tight? I certainly wasn't. It marked a slight change in direction with a more polished sound and less confrontational songs than before (far less mentions of "niggaz" and songs that were perhaps geared more towards a slightly younger audience) but it nevertheless retained the fast, furious, sardonic and often ridiculous sound that people either love or hate MSI for. Things were looking good for the next release...
But... with this album... it just isn't quite there. The problem being maybe that now they've become much more well known (especially in the UK) they actually CARE how this album is received, at least, that's how it sounds: in some places - far too self-conscious and self-aware. Also, in general, much less spontaneous and in some places I found myself thinking, "where's the energy gone??". Some of the tracks could really do with being a bit faster, or at least have some more intense beats behind them.
I am by no means saying that this is a bad album, but as Mister Superstar pointed out, quite a few of the tracks are old demos, b-sides or from the unreleased album "Pink", and sadly, for the most part, these are the better songs (you can recognise them by the old synths or the high pitched vocals, the latter of which is sadly absent from the new tracks). "Mastermind" and "Never Wanted To Dance" are two of the best new, previously unheard (except live) tracks, and stand up well against old material, but on the whole "If" is, to be brutally honest, a disappointment. Worth it for many of the songs, but the others I find myself even more likely to skip than the more throwaway tracks on Frankenstein Girls.
I just hope MSI can stop being so over-eager to impress and make a better, more consistent album next time. Also, whilst I'm on the subject, I pray they'll go back to using pre-taped backing vocals at gigs so we can actually hear the whole song, many of them just can't be sung otherwise! and more importantly I hope they go back to their more spontaneous gig-style, I saw them 3 times last year and almost everything Jimmy Urine said was exactly the same each show, try and get hold of the really old concert video where he goes nuts and throws this dude out of the gig for no reason, you'll see the difference. Still, I guess they've got a lot of people to keep happy now, but for me, it just isn't working.
Bomb This Album, 25 Apr 2008
This being MSI's first offering for over 2 years, I was expecting something sharp, edgy and quirky as hell. It is evident with IF that time and effort has been implemented, and experimentation obviously is the main feature here, but alot of the time it comes off cheap and rather stale, they even fob you off with one or two demo's that have been around longer than i can remember. Had this have been a first or even second album for them it would have stood a much better chance, but with all the hype they have garnered over the past 5 years or so it isnt as simple as churning out yet another record with more of the same.
That being said, just because it sounds like previous material, thats not to say it sounds bad. It has some real gems, ancient demo "Bomb This Track" and the irresistible "Issues" are real standouts for me. Another great selling point is the level of humor... some of these tracks are Hiiiiilarious, "Get It Up" had me smirking from beginning to end. At the end of day, MSI fans will lap this up anyway... but you cant help feeling a little cheated. Newcomers would do well to start with this record, it is accessible and fun. If you accept this as what it is, more of the same, you wont be disappointed, if your coming in looking for something fresh id suggest trying something else.
No one likes to pay to hear somone jam, 18 Aug 2008
In a discussion recently I remarked to a friend how Nine Inch Nails are the only band who [in my opinion] have never made a bad album. However, I now take my comment back. While the production of the album is first rate, the songs fall far from the industrial noise come conceptual evolutions that have propelled Trent Reznor through the last decades. The opening track (999,999) gives intriguing promise, only to give way to the disappointing melodic electronica that doesn't subside. There is one diamond in the rough though; The Four of us in Here Are Dying. However this instrumental is not enough to rescue the sinking ship that is 'the slip'. Ultimately this album feels little more than Trent Reznor and friends jamming in their studio. Full marks for being bold enough to try a new direction, but this time the goods are simply not delivered. Buy this album to fill up your collection, but if you want to experience NIN [Trent] at his best, go buy The Fragile
3 1/2 out of 5, 11 Aug 2008
hey i felt that the first 1/3 of the album was a bit weak personaly but the second half is right up there with the rest. i can't help but feel like this release is just a colection of year zero B-sides though. still worth a looking inbut if your new to the bend start else where.
NIN come up with the goods once again - great album!, 05 Aug 2008
Barcode: 0766929934627
I've seen a fair few reviews across the media referring to The Slip as 'Nine Inch Nail's most accesible album', and i a way i can see what they're getting at. The way the album was made available as a free download (a good way for new fans to try out some of the band's material), a catchy lead single in the form of Discipline and at only 10 tracks long, the final product comes across as a slick, modern and concise demonstation of Trent Reznor's intent.
Crucially though, it also explores a large number of facets of the NIN sound. As with the masterpiece Year Zero, The Slip begins with an eerie instrumental that builds to full volume over a minute and a half. As always with NIN material, each track is a carefully constructed soundscape, every element there for a reason and what i love most about The Slip is that it displays this element of the band at it's best while at the same time delivering some of the band's most instant material to date.
1,000,000 is the first example of this. With a pulsating, distorted hook and a classic angsty vocal from Trent, screeching siren-esque sounds add to the relentless energy and power that emmanates from tracks like this and Discipline, building on the template displayed in previous tracks like The Hand That Feeds and Survivalism but giving it a new rawness that only adds to the tracks' appeal.
Letting You takes this rawness to practiaclly bestial levels while Discipline is a slick number seeing NIN at their most commercial. It is songs like this that show the true genius of Trent Reznor, his skill at writing a song with as many hooks as this that worms its way into your mind and upon the first listen already sounds like a classic.
Echoplex is another highlight, a rhythmic guitar line packed over an infectious beat. We soon come to Lights In The Sky, which marks a change in the mood of the album. The first half is fast and relentless while the second half is slower, moody and altogether more atmospheric.
Lights In The Sky is a beuautiful track, just Trent and a piano. This is The Slip at it's most intimate, haunting and melancholy. This then leads into the 7 and a half minute slice of electronica that is Coron Radiata. These two tracks together bring to mind the song Another Version Of The Truth on Year Zero and while those new to the band might find this aspect quite daunting, the fact it is so open to interpretation only serves to intice you further into the music. The album is then nicely bookended by the sleazy grind of Demon Seed.
So, on the whole, i think Year Zero was a better album, but then, presented as a concept piece - it was meticulously planned whereas The Slip sounds like Trent Reznor, free from his old record label, exploring himself and the world around him with complete freedom. Year Zero presented a cold, frightening picture of an alternate future whereas The Slip is about the right now, the present, is full of an untamed fire and passion that sees NIN on top form. Whether you're new to the band and want to try some of their material out or whether you're a long-time fan, The Slip is well worth getting your hands on. The fact it's a limited edition of 250,000 copies and comes with a bonus DVD featuring live material is even more incentive to get this brilliant album.
Another Gift!, 04 Aug 2008
I just wanted to point out that what Mr Reed said in a previous review:
'"Discipline" features a vocal mistakenly introduced (and hastily silenced) a bar too early due to a rushed mix'
is clearly incorrect! Do you really think trent would have allowed a mistake to remain on a song?? (let alone the lead single!)It is clearly an intentional stutter meant to add more realism to the mood of the song. Just thought i'd clear that up.
(it's a great album by the way)
Heresy - 85,601 / 250,000, 31 Jul 2008
Is the hand on Mr.Reznor's shoulder, on the front cover artwork of my
individually numbered CD/DVD set (and how lucky am I feeling about that?),
keeping him in the same place or preventing him from moving forward ?
The dilemma of continuity versus development stands at the still beating
heart of Nine Inch Nails' most recent offering 'The Slip'.
I have long been an admirer of Mr Reznor and his vision.
I emphasise admirer rather than devotee, many of whom would appear
to have made a happy home here on Planet Amazon.
Devotees are, by their very nature, absorbed by and committed to the
understanding and discussion of minutiae.
There is of course nothing inherently wrong with obsession but it
sometimes inhibits the sufferer's ability to stand back and see the
whole picture for want of examining each individual brushstroke.
Against a back catalogue including such peerless gems as 'The Downward Spiral',
'The Fragile', 'With Teeth' and the sublime 'Year Zero',
'The Slip' is a somewhat desultory affair.
Creative freedom is not a cast iron guarantee of quality control.
These ten tracks contribute little to the body of work that we have
come to know and love.
The electricity is still there intermittently...but only just.
Opening track, '999,999' made me sit upright with raw anticipation.
I held my breath too soon.
'1,000,000', 'Letting You' and 'Discipline' are then trundled out in
workmanlike fashion. Drums forward, voice mixed way back.
The heart of these musical ideas however is essentially recycled.
'Echoplex' is an undifferentiated mess.
'Head Down' and 'Demon Seed' almost approach past glories.
'The Four Of Us Are Dying' is a tired and banal instrumental interlude.
For my money (...and yes I did buy it) 'Lights In The Sky' and its'
umbral echo 'Corona Radiata' are technically and emotionally riveting.
The saying "if it ain't broke don't try to fix it" carries some
credence but I'm really beginning to feel that the NIN formula
is running out of steam.
There's nothing wrong with continuity of course.
Palindromic cohorts ABBA managed it within their own world for years.
A little development would none-the-less have been warmly welcomed.
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Mutter
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Rammstein;
Universal / Island;
2001-04-16;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £5.20
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Product Description
Formed in Germany in 1994, this industrial rock six-piece gained notoriety when they were found to be fave raves of the Columbine High School killers. Mutter is the studio follow-up to 1998s platinum-selling Sehnsucht, and a very menacing beast it is too. Vocalist Till Lindermann delivers growling German lyrics over a melange of explosive guitar, pared-down bass and juddering drums. But these 11 tracks are not all nu-metal stomp rock, as every so often the aural assault is broken by quivering flights of fragile pop melody. Songs like Spieluhr and Mutter are reminiscent of early 1980s synth-pop merchants such as OMD, proving that under the Teutonic Nine Inch Nails exterior lies a streak of lofty romance. --Lucy O'Brien
Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
Fantastic Vinyl, 24 Sep 2008
Ordered this directly from the distributor (hence why I have it before the UK release date), and it truly is a brilliant set to have. The artwork is top-notch (no surprise, coming from artist Jhonen Vasquez), it includes all of the art he did for the album (including the cover of the deluxe version) in high resolution quality and is worth buying just for this reason alone.
The album itself is pretty good, though no-where near as good as YRTA, FGWSSS or Tight, but passable, despite a few throwaway tracks. The overall arrangement seems a lot better as well, with a reworked track listing spread across two Vinyl disks.
The main complaint I have is how, unfortunately the vinyl is treated as a second-hand product by the producers of the set, who made the ridiculous decision to include NO BONUS TRACKS. I mean, why?
The Clean version of the album gets the bonus track 'Uncle' (presumably because they feel sorry for them), and the UK version gets 'Uncle', 'S3' and FOUR remixes of 'Never Wanted to Dance' (because they feel really sorry for us!). Vinyl owners get squat.
But for collectablity and the artwork, it's well worth getting. Just download the other tracks.
Great...but..., 18 Jun 2008
First off,I was worried with You'll Rebel To Anything that MSI were beginning to sound a little like Marilyn Manson, especially with Straight To Video. So thankfully, for me, IF is back to the quirky MSI I know and love from the Frankenstein and Tight albums. The songs are nothing new for the band then, but personally I wouldn't want a new sound from them. They are an amazing and unique band!!And yes Revenge, Uncle and Bomb This Track are not exactly brand new material to older fans, that's the main reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. But you are still left with enough new material, and the remixes thrown in, to make a great album. So go buy it and enjoy the originality and stupity of Jimmy and co. They are making music that is entertaining, interesting and nuts, which is more than can be said for the majority of the stuff in the charts!!
Yet another mindless rip off?, 02 May 2008
The first reviewer (Mister Superstar) pretty much hits the nail on the head with his review, but I want to write my own anyway.
MSI's last full album (You'll Rebel To Anything) was unquestionably the most commercial of all their releases, but who's complaining when it was such a concise, consistent album with tracks that managed to stand up against (and on several occasions, better) material from Frankenstein Girls or Tight? I certainly wasn't. It marked a slight change in direction with a more polished sound and less confrontational songs than before (far less mentions of "niggaz" and songs that were perhaps geared more towards a slightly younger audience) but it nevertheless retained the fast, furious, sardonic and often ridiculous sound that people either love or hate MSI for. Things were looking good for the next release...
But... with this album... it just isn't quite there. The problem being maybe that now they've become much more well known (especially in the UK) they actually CARE how this album is received, at least, that's how it sounds: in some places - far too self-conscious and self-aware. Also, in general, much less spontaneous and in some places I found myself thinking, "where's the energy gone??". Some of the tracks could really do with being a bit faster, or at least have some more intense beats behind them.
I am by no means saying that this is a bad album, but as Mister Superstar pointed out, quite a few of the tracks are old demos, b-sides or from the unreleased album "Pink", and sadly, for the most part, these are the better songs (you can recognise them by the old synths or the high pitched vocals, the latter of which is sadly absent from the new tracks). "Mastermind" and "Never Wanted To Dance" are two of the best new, previously unheard (except live) tracks, and stand up well against old material, but on the whole "If" is, to be brutally honest, a disappointment. Worth it for many of the songs, but the others I find myself even more likely to skip than the more throwaway tracks on Frankenstein Girls.
I just hope MSI can stop being so over-eager to impress and make a better, more consistent album next time. Also, whilst I'm on the subject, I pray they'll go back to using pre-taped backing vocals at gigs so we can actually hear the whole song, many of them just can't be sung otherwise! and more importantly I hope they go back to their more spontaneous gig-style, I saw them 3 times last year and almost everything Jimmy Urine said was exactly the same each show, try and get hold of the really old concert video where he goes nuts and throws this dude out of the gig for no reason, you'll see the difference. Still, I guess they've got a lot of people to keep happy now, but for me, it just isn't working.
Bomb This Album, 25 Apr 2008
This being MSI's first offering for over 2 years, I was expecting something sharp, edgy and quirky as hell. It is evident with IF that time and effort has been implemented, and experimentation obviously is the main feature here, but alot of the time it comes off cheap and rather stale, they even fob you off with one or two demo's that have been around longer than i can remember. Had this have been a first or even second album for them it would have stood a much better chance, but with all the hype they have garnered over the past 5 years or so it isnt as simple as churning out yet another record with more of the same.
That being said, just because it sounds like previous material, thats not to say it sounds bad. It has some real gems, ancient demo "Bomb This Track" and the irresistible "Issues" are real standouts for me. Another great selling point is the level of humor... some of these tracks are Hiiiiilarious, "Get It Up" had me smirking from beginning to end. At the end of day, MSI fans will lap this up anyway... but you cant help feeling a little cheated. Newcomers would do well to start with this record, it is accessible and fun. If you accept this as what it is, more of the same, you wont be disappointed, if your coming in looking for something fresh id suggest trying something else.
No one likes to pay to hear somone jam, 18 Aug 2008
In a discussion recently I remarked to a friend how Nine Inch Nails are the only band who [in my opinion] have never made a bad album. However, I now take my comment back. While the production of the album is first rate, the songs fall far from the industrial noise come conceptual evolutions that have propelled Trent Reznor through the last decades. The opening track (999,999) gives intriguing promise, only to give way to the disappointing melodic electronica that doesn't subside. There is one diamond in the rough though; The Four of us in Here Are Dying. However this instrumental is not enough to rescue the sinking ship that is 'the slip'. Ultimately this album feels little more than Trent Reznor and friends jamming in their studio. Full marks for being bold enough to try a new direction, but this time the goods are simply not delivered. Buy this album to fill up your collection, but if you want to experience NIN [Trent] at his best, go buy The Fragile
3 1/2 out of 5, 11 Aug 2008
hey i felt that the first 1/3 of the album was a bit weak personaly but the second half is right up there with the rest. i can't help but feel like this release is just a colection of year zero B-sides though. still worth a looking inbut if your new to the bend start else where.
NIN come up with the goods once again - great album!, 05 Aug 2008
Barcode: 0766929934627
I've seen a fair few reviews across the media referring to The Slip as 'Nine Inch Nail's most accesible album', and i a way i can see what they're getting at. The way the album was made available as a free download (a good way for new fans to try out some of the band's material), a catchy lead single in the form of Discipline and at only 10 tracks long, the final product comes across as a slick, modern and concise demonstation of Trent Reznor's intent.
Crucially though, it also explores a large number of facets of the NIN sound. As with the masterpiece Year Zero, The Slip begins with an eerie instrumental that builds to full volume over a minute and a half. As always with NIN material, each track is a carefully constructed soundscape, every element there for a reason and what i love most about The Slip is that it displays this element of the band at it's best while at the same time delivering some of the band's most instant material to date.
1,000,000 is the first example of this. With a pulsating, distorted hook and a classic angsty vocal from Trent, screeching siren-esque sounds add to the relentless energy and power that emmanates from tracks like this and Discipline, building on the template displayed in previous tracks like The Hand That Feeds and Survivalism but giving it a new rawness that only adds to the tracks' appeal.
Letting You takes this rawness to practiaclly bestial levels while Discipline is a slick number seeing NIN at their most commercial. It is songs like this that show the true genius of Trent Reznor, his skill at writing a song with as many hooks as this that worms its way into your mind and upon the first listen already sounds like a classic.
Echoplex is another highlight, a rhythmic guitar line packed over an infectious beat. We soon come to Lights In The Sky, which marks a change in the mood of the album. The first half is fast and relentless while the second half is slower, moody and altogether more atmospheric.
Lights In The Sky is a beuautiful track, just Trent and a piano. This is The Slip at it's most intimate, haunting and melancholy. This then leads into the 7 and a half minute slice of electronica that is Coron Radiata. These two tracks together bring to mind the song Another Version Of The Truth on Year Zero and while those new to the band might find this aspect quite daunting, the fact it is so open to interpretation only serves to intice you further into the music. The album is then nicely bookended by the sleazy grind of Demon Seed.
So, on the whole, i think Year Zero was a better album, but then, presented as a concept piece - it was meticulously planned whereas The Slip sounds like Trent Reznor, free from his old record label, exploring himself and the world around him with complete freedom. Year Zero presented a cold, frightening picture of an alternate future whereas The Slip is about the right now, the present, is full of an untamed fire and passion that sees NIN on top form. Whether you're new to the band and want to try some of their material out or whether you're a long-time fan, The Slip is well worth getting your hands on. The fact it's a limited edition of 250,000 copies and comes with a bonus DVD featuring live material is even more incentive to get this brilliant album.
Another Gift!, 04 Aug 2008
I just wanted to point out that what Mr Reed said in a previous review:
'"Discipline" features a vocal mistakenly introduced (and hastily silenced) a bar too early due to a rushed mix'
is clearly incorrect! Do you really think trent would have allowed a mistake to remain on a song?? (let alone the lead single!)It is clearly an intentional stutter meant to add more realism to the mood of the song. Just thought i'd clear that up.
(it's a great album by the way)
Heresy - 85,601 / 250,000, 31 Jul 2008
Is the hand on Mr.Reznor's shoulder, on the front cover artwork of my
individually numbered CD/DVD set (and how lucky am I feeling about that?),
keeping him in the same place or preventing him from moving forward ?
The dilemma of continuity versus development stands at the still beating
heart of Nine Inch Nails' most recent offering 'The Slip'.
I have long been an admirer of Mr Reznor and his vision.
I emphasise admirer rather than devotee, many of whom would appear
to have made a happy home here on Planet Amazon.
Devotees are, by their very nature, absorbed by and committed to the
understanding and discussion of minutiae.
There is of course nothing inherently wrong with obsession but it
sometimes inhibits the sufferer's ability to stand back and see the
whole picture for want of examining each individual brushstroke.
Against a back catalogue including such peerless gems as 'The Downward Spiral',
'The Fragile', 'With Teeth' and the sublime 'Year Zero',
'The Slip' is a somewhat desultory affair.
Creative freedom is not a cast iron guarantee of quality control.
These ten tracks contribute little to the body of work that we have
come to know and love.
The electricity is still there intermittently...but only just.
Opening track, '999,999' made me sit upright with raw anticipation.
I held my breath too soon.
'1,000,000', 'Letting You' and 'Discipline' are then trundled out in
workmanlike fashion. Drums forward, voice mixed way back.
The heart of these musical ideas however is essentially recycled.
'Echoplex' is an undifferentiated mess.
'Head Down' and 'Demon Seed' almost approach past glories.
'The Four Of Us Are Dying' is a tired and banal instrumental interlude.
For my money (...and yes I did buy it) 'Lights In The Sky' and its'
umbral echo 'Corona Radiata' are technically and emotionally riveting.
The saying "if it ain't broke don't try to fix it" carries some
credence but I'm really beginning to feel that the NIN formula
is running out of steam.
There's nothing wrong with continuity of course.
Palindromic cohorts ABBA managed it within their own world for years.
A little development would none-the-less have been warmly welcomed.
One of if not their best albums, 05 Sep 2008
This was the first Rammstein album I ever bought and it remains my favourite to this day. If you're new to Rammsteins sound this is definetely the album to start with from the slower songs like "Spieluhr" and "Spiel Mit Mir" to the epic riffs of "Mein Herz Brennt" this album is amazing and has a song for all moods. Dominant tracks include "Mutter" and "Sonne" but end ones like "Zwitter" are great as well. As soon as you hear the opening chords to "Mein Herz Brennt" with that orchestre you'll just immerse yourself into the album. The price too is good, as I normally see it priced up to £15 in HMV. For new fans listen to a few tracks on YouTube then buy this album - its worth it.
Third time I've tried to get this review on..., 05 Dec 2007
Never having considered listening to Rammstein before - what use could I have for German industrial metal after all? - I was sparked into doing so by getting the "Emigrate" album, by the guitarist in the band, Richard Kruspe. I am very glad I did. I can't add any new revelations to those listed below. Listen without prejudice and prepare your wallet for some action!
should go down in musical history as one of the best albums ever, 28 Oct 2007
This masterpiece has to be one of the best albums ever made. Eleven songs, eleven classics. There can't be many albums out there where every single track is gem. Mutter slips into my all time best albums ever with ease. It's genius,made by musicians from another planet with far superior intellegence to us mere earthlings. In fact it's probably the best album that has ever been made and I definately want to hear the one that knocks it off its perch. Hopefully Rammstein's next. If Rammstein get your juices flowing you have to buy this.In fact buy two copies just in case there's ever a world shortage.
The band's best album by miles, 06 Oct 2007
I own all of Rammstein's albums, and feel that this is definitely their strongest ever offering. The frenzied electric guitars and smashing drums are powerful as ever, and these really propel the legendary Teutonic roars of the lead vocalist along. There are some glorious tracks, especially "Links-2-3-4", which achieves the Rammstein signature combo of ghostly sounds/rocky sounds and will really get you rocking. The track "Sonne" is also a good example of this combo, and is something truly special when you can turn up the volume. All in all, this is definitely the strongest album the band have ever produced, and is a must for any genuine fan. Its also a great introductory album if you are not sure if you like them or not. This will definitely convert you!
Rammstein`s best album., 22 Jul 2007
Defined by its all-round bubbley keyboard feel, this is definatley Rammsteins best album. The best song is Spielhur, as that is the song that got me hooked on rammstein, and caused me to buy 8 [!!] of thier CDs. All the tracs here are good except Nebel, the last one. Feur frie! is probably my 2nd favoirite of all the rammstein songs, and this album meats all the rest hands-down! I`d deffinatley reccomend it!
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Year Zero
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Nine Inch Nails;
Universal / Island;
2007-04-16;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £4.50
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Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
Fantastic Vinyl, 24 Sep 2008
Ordered this directly from the distributor (hence why I have it before the UK release date), and it truly is a brilliant set to have. The artwork is top-notch (no surprise, coming from artist Jhonen Vasquez), it includes all of the art he did for the album (including the cover of the deluxe version) in high resolution quality and is worth buying just for this reason alone.
The album itself is pretty good, though no-where near as good as YRTA, FGWSSS or Tight, but passable, despite a few throwaway tracks. The overall arrangement seems a lot better as well, with a reworked track listing spread across two Vinyl disks.
The main complaint I have is how, unfortunately the vinyl is treated as a second-hand product by the producers of the set, who made the ridiculous decision to include NO BONUS TRACKS. I mean, why?
The Clean version of the album gets the bonus track 'Uncle' (presumably because they feel sorry for them), and the UK version gets 'Uncle', 'S3' and FOUR remixes of 'Never Wanted to Dance' (because they feel really sorry for us!). Vinyl owners get squat.
But for collectablity and the artwork, it's well worth getting. Just download the other tracks.
Great...but..., 18 Jun 2008
First off,I was worried with You'll Rebel To Anything that MSI were beginning to sound a little like Marilyn Manson, especially with Straight To Video. So thankfully, for me, IF is back to the quirky MSI I know and love from the Frankenstein and Tight albums. The songs are nothing new for the band then, but personally I wouldn't want a new sound from them. They are an amazing and unique band!!And yes Revenge, Uncle and Bomb This Track are not exactly brand new material to older fans, that's the main reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. But you are still left with enough new material, and the remixes thrown in, to make a great album. So go buy it and enjoy the originality and stupity of Jimmy and co. They are making music that is entertaining, interesting and nuts, which is more than can be said for the majority of the stuff in the charts!!
Yet another mindless rip off?, 02 May 2008
The first reviewer (Mister Superstar) pretty much hits the nail on the head with his review, but I want to write my own anyway.
MSI's last full album (You'll Rebel To Anything) was unquestionably the most commercial of all their releases, but who's complaining when it was such a concise, consistent album with tracks that managed to stand up against (and on several occasions, better) material from Frankenstein Girls or Tight? I certainly wasn't. It marked a slight change in direction with a more polished sound and less confrontational songs than before (far less mentions of "niggaz" and songs that were perhaps geared more towards a slightly younger audience) but it nevertheless retained the fast, furious, sardonic and often ridiculous sound that people either love or hate MSI for. Things were looking good for the next release...
But... with this album... it just isn't quite there. The problem being maybe that now they've become much more well known (especially in the UK) they actually CARE how this album is received, at least, that's how it sounds: in some places - far too self-conscious and self-aware. Also, in general, much less spontaneous and in some places I found myself thinking, "where's the energy gone??". Some of the tracks could really do with being a bit faster, or at least have some more intense beats behind them.
I am by no means saying that this is a bad album, but as Mister Superstar pointed out, quite a few of the tracks are old demos, b-sides or from the unreleased album "Pink", and sadly, for the most part, these are the better songs (you can recognise them by the old synths or the high pitched vocals, the latter of which is sadly absent from the new tracks). "Mastermind" and "Never Wanted To Dance" are two of the best new, previously unheard (except live) tracks, and stand up well against old material, but on the whole "If" is, to be brutally honest, a disappointment. Worth it for many of the songs, but the others I find myself even more likely to skip than the more throwaway tracks on Frankenstein Girls.
I just hope MSI can stop being so over-eager to impress and make a better, more consistent album next time. Also, whilst I'm on the subject, I pray they'll go back to using pre-taped backing vocals at gigs so we can actually hear the whole song, many of them just can't be sung otherwise! and more importantly I hope they go back to their more spontaneous gig-style, I saw them 3 times last year and almost everything Jimmy Urine said was exactly the same each show, try and get hold of the really old concert video where he goes nuts and throws this dude out of the gig for no reason, you'll see the difference. Still, I guess they've got a lot of people to keep happy now, but for me, it just isn't working.
Bomb This Album, 25 Apr 2008
This being MSI's first offering for over 2 years, I was expecting something sharp, edgy and quirky as hell. It is evident with IF that time and effort has been implemented, and experimentation obviously is the main feature here, but alot of the time it comes off cheap and rather stale, they even fob you off with one or two demo's that have been around longer than i can remember. Had this have been a first or even second album for them it would have stood a much better chance, but with all the hype they have garnered over the past 5 years or so it isnt as simple as churning out yet another record with more of the same.
That being said, just because it sounds like previous material, thats not to say it sounds bad. It has some real gems, ancient demo "Bomb This Track" and the irresistible "Issues" are real standouts for me. Another great selling point is the level of humor... some of these tracks are Hiiiiilarious, "Get It Up" had me smirking from beginning to end. At the end of day, MSI fans will lap this up anyway... but you cant help feeling a little cheated. Newcomers would do well to start with this record, it is accessible and fun. If you accept this as what it is, more of the same, you wont be disappointed, if your coming in looking for something fresh id suggest trying something else.
No one likes to pay to hear somone jam, 18 Aug 2008
In a discussion recently I remarked to a friend how Nine Inch Nails are the only band who [in my opinion] have never made a bad album. However, I now take my comment back. While the production of the album is first rate, the songs fall far from the industrial noise come conceptual evolutions that have propelled Trent Reznor through the last decades. The opening track (999,999) gives intriguing promise, only to give way to the disappointing melodic electronica that doesn't subside. There is one diamond in the rough though; The Four of us in Here Are Dying. However this instrumental is not enough to rescue the sinking ship that is 'the slip'. Ultimately this album feels little more than Trent Reznor and friends jamming in their studio. Full marks for being bold enough to try a new direction, but this time the goods are simply not delivered. Buy this album to fill up your collection, but if you want to experience NIN [Trent] at his best, go buy The Fragile
3 1/2 out of 5, 11 Aug 2008
hey i felt that the first 1/3 of the album was a bit weak personaly but the second half is right up there with the rest. i can't help but feel like this release is just a colection of year zero B-sides though. still worth a looking inbut if your new to the bend start else where.
NIN come up with the goods once again - great album!, 05 Aug 2008
Barcode: 0766929934627
I've seen a fair few reviews across the media referring to The Slip as 'Nine Inch Nail's most accesible album', and i a way i can see what they're getting at. The way the album was made available as a free download (a good way for new fans to try out some of the band's material), a catchy lead single in the form of Discipline and at only 10 tracks long, the final product comes across as a slick, modern and concise demonstation of Trent Reznor's intent.
Crucially though, it also explores a large number of facets of the NIN sound. As with the masterpiece Year Zero, The Slip begins with an eerie instrumental that builds to full volume over a minute and a half. As always with NIN material, each track is a carefully constructed soundscape, every element there for a reason and what i love most about The Slip is that it displays this element of the band at it's best while at the same time delivering some of the band's most instant material to date.
1,000,000 is the first example of this. With a pulsating, distorted hook and a classic angsty vocal from Trent, screeching siren-esque sounds add to the relentless energy and power that emmanates from tracks like this and Discipline, building on the template displayed in previous tracks like The Hand That Feeds and Survivalism but giving it a new rawness that only adds to the tracks' appeal.
Letting You takes this rawness to practiaclly bestial levels while Discipline is a slick number seeing NIN at their most commercial. It is songs like this that show the true genius of Trent Reznor, his skill at writing a song with as many hooks as this that worms its way into your mind and upon the first listen already sounds like a classic.
Echoplex is another highlight, a rhythmic guitar line packed over an infectious beat. We soon come to Lights In The Sky, which marks a change in the mood of the album. The first half is fast and relentless while the second half is slower, moody and altogether more atmospheric.
Lights In The Sky is a beuautiful track, just Trent and a piano. This is The Slip at it's most intimate, haunting and melancholy. This then leads into the 7 and a half minute slice of electronica that is Coron Radiata. These two tracks together bring to mind the song Another Version Of The Truth on Year Zero and while those new to the band might find this aspect quite daunting, the fact it is so open to interpretation only serves to intice you further into the music. The album is then nicely bookended by the sleazy grind of Demon Seed.
So, on the whole, i think Year Zero was a better album, but then, presented as a concept piece - it was meticulously planned whereas The Slip sounds like Trent Reznor, free from his old record label, exploring himself and the world around him with complete freedom. Year Zero presented a cold, frightening picture of an alternate future whereas The Slip is about the right now, the present, is full of an untamed fire and passion that sees NIN on top form. Whether you're new to the band and want to try some of their material out or whether you're a long-time fan, The Slip is well worth getting your hands on. The fact it's a limited edition of 250,000 copies and comes with a bonus DVD featuring live material is even more incentive to get this brilliant album.
Another Gift!, 04 Aug 2008
I just wanted to point out that what Mr Reed said in a previous review:
'"Discipline" features a vocal mistakenly introduced (and hastily silenced) a bar too early due to a rushed mix'
is clearly incorrect! Do you really think trent would have allowed a mistake to remain on a song?? (let alone the lead single!)It is clearly an intentional stutter meant to add more realism to the mood of the song. Just thought i'd clear that up.
(it's a great album by the way)
Heresy - 85,601 / 250,000, 31 Jul 2008
Is the hand on Mr.Reznor's shoulder, on the front cover artwork of my
individually numbered CD/DVD set (and how lucky am I feeling about that?),
keeping him in the same place or preventing him from moving forward ?
The dilemma of continuity versus development stands at the still beating
heart of Nine Inch Nails' most recent offering 'The Slip'.
I have long been an admirer of Mr Reznor and his vision.
I emphasise admirer rather than devotee, many of whom would appear
to have made a happy home here on Planet Amazon.
Devotees are, by their very nature, absorbed by and committed to the
understanding and discussion of minutiae.
There is of course nothing inherently wrong with obsession but it
sometimes inhibits the sufferer's ability to stand back and see the
whole picture for want of examining each individual brushstroke.
Against a back catalogue including such peerless gems as 'The Downward Spiral',
'The Fragile', 'With Teeth' and the sublime 'Year Zero',
'The Slip' is a somewhat desultory affair.
Creative freedom is not a cast iron guarantee of quality control.
These ten tracks contribute little to the body of work that we have
come to know and love.
The electricity is still there intermittently...but only just.
Opening track, '999,999' made me sit upright with raw anticipation.
I held my breath too soon.
'1,000,000', 'Letting You' and 'Discipline' are then trundled out in
workmanlike fashion. Drums forward, voice mixed way back.
The heart of these musical ideas however is essentially recycled.
'Echoplex' is an undifferentiated mess.
'Head Down' and 'Demon Seed' almost approach past glories.
'The Four Of Us Are Dying' is a tired and banal instrumental interlude.
For my money (...and yes I did buy it) 'Lights In The Sky' and its'
umbral echo 'Corona Radiata' are technically and emotionally riveting.
The saying "if it ain't broke don't try to fix it" carries some
credence but I'm really beginning to feel that the NIN formula
is running out of steam.
There's nothing wrong with continuity of course.
Palindromic cohorts ABBA managed it within their own world for years.
A little development would none-the-less have been warmly welcomed.
One of if not their best albums, 05 Sep 2008
This was the first Rammstein album I ever bought and it remains my favourite to this day. If you're new to Rammsteins sound this is definetely the album to start with from the slower songs like "Spieluhr" and "Spiel Mit Mir" to the epic riffs of "Mein Herz Brennt" this album is amazing and has a song for all moods. Dominant tracks include "Mutter" and "Sonne" but end ones like "Zwitter" are great as well. As soon as you hear the opening chords to "Mein Herz Brennt" with that orchestre you'll just immerse yourself into the album. The price too is good, as I normally see it priced up to £15 in HMV. For new fans listen to a few tracks on YouTube then buy this album - its worth it.
Third time I've tried to get this review on..., 05 Dec 2007
Never having considered listening to Rammstein before - what use could I have for German industrial metal after all? - I was sparked into doing so by getting the "Emigrate" album, by the guitarist in the band, Richard Kruspe. I am very glad I did. I can't add any new revelations to those listed below. Listen without prejudice and prepare your wallet for some action!
should go down in musical history as one of the best albums ever, 28 Oct 2007
This masterpiece has to be one of the best albums ever made. Eleven songs, eleven classics. There can't be many albums out there where every single track is gem. Mutter slips into my all time best albums ever with ease. It's genius,made by musicians from another planet with far superior intellegence to us mere earthlings. In fact it's probably the best album that has ever been made and I definately want to hear the one that knocks it off its perch. Hopefully Rammstein's next. If Rammstein get your juices flowing you have to buy this.In fact buy two copies just in case there's ever a world shortage.
The band's best album by miles, 06 Oct 2007
I own all of Rammstein's albums, and feel that this is definitely their strongest ever offering. The frenzied electric guitars and smashing drums are powerful as ever, and these really propel the legendary Teutonic roars of the lead vocalist along. There are some glorious tracks, especially "Links-2-3-4", which achieves the Rammstein signature combo of ghostly sounds/rocky sounds and will really get you rocking. The track "Sonne" is also a good example of this combo, and is something truly special when you can turn up the volume. All in all, this is definitely the strongest album the band have ever produced, and is a must for any genuine fan. Its also a great introductory album if you are not sure if you like them or not. This will definitely convert you!
Rammstein`s best album., 22 Jul 2007
Defined by its all-round bubbley keyboard feel, this is definatley Rammsteins best album. The best song is Spielhur, as that is the song that got me hooked on rammstein, and caused me to buy 8 [!!] of thier CDs. All the tracs here are good except Nebel, the last one. Feur frie! is probably my 2nd favoirite of all the rammstein songs, and this album meats all the rest hands-down! I`d deffinatley reccomend it!
ALBUM OF THE YEAR, 23 Jan 2008
Released only two years after comeback album With Teeth, Year Zero is a concept album set in the future with a guest apperance from his new buddy Saul Williams.
The album is not for the faint of heart so fall out boy fans can stop reading now you wont find any ready made coporate radio rock here.
From the opening of hyperpower the album never lets up and features some of Reznors heaviest work to date before ending peacefullywith zero sum.
If your a nin fan get this now, if your not do yourself a favour and get it to futher your music education.
very different, 15 Jan 2008
when starting to listen to any new nine inch nails album i never know what to expect except for it to be good. year zero didn't disapoint.
this is very different to anything trent reznor has done before and takes quite awhile to get used to. the instrumentation has been stripped down and sounds a bit droning, seemingly so that trent can concentrate on the lyrics more (which makes sense as it's a concept album dealing with the future).
the main downside to this album is that it isn't the sort of CD that you can just press play and listen to all the way through because a few of the tracks are pretty bad, however most of them are good and that's more than you can say about most albums lately (that have about 1 or 2 decent tracks).
i still prefer pretty hate machine and the downward spiral because this album just doesn't have the tracks that standout and hit you from the first listen (the music here certainly isn't as catchy) nor does it have the same emphasis on the drum beats as previously mentioned albums (with the exception of "the warning" which i loved), but what is here is a story well told and in an interesting and original way with good lyrics and a futuristic, claustrophobic feel that lives up to the high standards he has set himself.
In my opinion, his most consistent album yet, 04 Jan 2008
The songwriting on Year Zero is very solid throughout, both musically and lyrically. Several themes - like paranoia and politics - creep into the usual heavy introspection Trent Reznor is so fond of (and is still here but more honed than in the past).
The music also varies in tone, from dark and brooding to energetic and aggressive. The instruments are indeed more electronic than the recent NIN offerings, but they suit the songs themselves perfectly. It's very sparse and intense in places, and the accompaniment of electronics with the usual drums and guitar add to the feeling of isolation and paranoia. The Downward Spiral would not have worked nearly as well if it had been recorded in this style - but TDS is a completely different set of songs, so they can't really be compared on the same level. Enjoy them both (I sure do!), just don't expect them to sound the same.
In a nutshell, I think this is the most consistent NIN album to date. Bloody brilliant.
Awesum!!!, 02 Jan 2008
This album is a breath of fresh air in the corporate controlled music industry of today! Its fantastic to see someone doing something truely original and different in an age where even the most alternative of bands are manufactured by the industry. I would highly recommend this album to anyone its a classic - 5 Stars
Absolute rubbish, 11 Dec 2007
This is the worse NIN release ever. The whole album feels like Trent left it to the last minute to record the album.
Expect random nasty sounding samples, weak vocals and nothing attractive to listen to.
The basic pattern of virtual every track is:
30 seconds of bad drum machine intro
30 seconds of random noise
weak verse
weak chorus
rinse and repeat
more noise and bad drum machines
If you have a taste in music, avoid like the plague.
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Reise, Reise
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Rammstein;
Universal / Island;
2004-09-27;
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Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £4.98
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Customer Reviews
Essential , 14 Nov 2008
Ok so it's easy to be a little disgruntled at Roadrunner for milking the cash cow for all its worth and then some, but would you honestly expect anything less? But lets forget about any disputes with the record label and take a look at whats on offer here.
'The Blackening' is probably Machine Heads strongest release since their debut (not that any of their releases are particularly weak) and its also probably their darkest and heaviest release and on its original release arguably the album of its year, and if you haven't heard it yet where on earth have you been?
Now with this special edition we get a second cd containing various covers, live tracks and alternative mixes, and also a dvd with footage from various shows and a few music videos, With the possible exception of the Ice T cover 'Colors' the extra content is excellent and confirms just how brilliant we already knew Machine Head are. It's a shame the cover of Metallica's 'Battery' (as found on the original deluxe edition ha ha) didn't make it on here but I guess we can't have everything in life. Still, say what you like about Roadrunner, they sure know how to put a package together and this is more than worthy of your hard earned cash even if it does mean purchasing a second time round.
Machine ****ing Head!, 13 Nov 2008
The Blackening, an album of pure musicianship, this album is full of amazing songs, machine head have never lost their touch and with each album they bring out they seem to just raise the mark completely!!! if you haven't already got this head banging album go get it, your missing out on a truly spectacular album!
Great Album, even if I have to buy it twice, 09 Nov 2008
This is a great album, and rebuying it is worth it, if only for the second CD. One thing I want to add is that the version of "My Misery" that is on this CD is different from the one that is on the Demon Knight soundtrack. I can't tell if it is entirely re-recorded or not. The vocals are different, the bridge has different lyrics and, obviously, the mix is different. The Demon Knight version is better, in my opinion.
A Great album but once again..., 07 Nov 2008
Roadrunner screw over those who buy there artists' highly anticipated albums on release date.
I waited months/years for The Blackening to come out, and bought it on release day, and yet again just a few months/a year after Roadrunner go and release ANOTHER version, they do it with most of there artists, cheers for screwing the real fans over once again you *****!
Machine Head are incredible and so is this album, it gets a 1-star because of Roadrunner.
I once wanted Robb to adopt me!, 05 Nov 2008
I love Machine Head (and was into Robb's pre-Machine Head album Vio-Lence) so I bought this album upon its original release last year. Despite sticking with Machine Head through their "nu-metal" phase and the critical disaster that was "Spercharger", I just can't get into "The Blackening". Yes, its got it all, riffs galore, angst ridden songs like only Robb and crew can dish out but this is album is pretentious and "epic" translates as "overlong". Maybe I've not spent enough time with it, maybe it has to grow on me but more than a year after its release, I'm still skipping tracks. "The Blackening"...even the title is rubbish...has been hailed as Machine Head's "masterpiece". No, "Burn My Eyes" is a masterpiece, arriving at a time when heavy music was much missed and reminding us old thrashers of a lost (at the time - welcome back!) genre of music.
Roadrunner seem to have contempt for fans of their roster of bands with their relentless re-release schedule. However, if you were savvy enough not to buy this album when it came out, there's no complaints as to value for money. The bonus CD scoops up rarities and B sides, although I have these songs from the various special editions of earlier albums, the Demon Knight soundtrack and the Kerrang! CD's, this re-release has all of these curiosities in one neat package. I have not seen the bonus DVD but I have the "Elergies" DVD and that will do me but again, if you don't own that either then this re-release is superb value.
I'm hoping that seeing Machine Head on the upcoming Slipknot and Metallica tours might jolt me into liking "The Blackening", whilst I am not giving up on Flynn and co just yet, this album can't hold a (black)candle to "Burn My Eyes".
Fantastic Vinyl, 24 Sep 2008
Ordered this directly from the distributor (hence why I have it before the UK release date), and it truly is a brilliant set to have. The artwork is top-notch (no surprise, coming from artist Jhonen Vasquez), it includes all of the art he did for the album (including the cover of the deluxe version) in high resolution quality and is worth buying just for this reason alone.
The album itself is pretty good, though no-where near as good as YRTA, FGWSSS or Tight, but passable, despite a few throwaway tracks. The overall arrangement seems a lot better as well, with a reworked track listing spread across two Vinyl disks.
The main complaint I have is how, unfortunately the vinyl is treated as a second-hand product by the producers of the set, who made the ridiculous decision to include NO BONUS TRACKS. I mean, why?
The Clean version of the album gets the bonus track 'Uncle' (presumably because they feel sorry for them), and the UK version gets 'Uncle', 'S3' and FOUR remixes of 'Never Wanted to Dance' (because they feel really sorry for us!). Vinyl owners get squat.
But for collectablity and the artwork, it's well worth getting. Just download the other tracks.
Great...but..., 18 Jun 2008
First off,I was worried with You'll Rebel To Anything that MSI were beginning to sound a little like Marilyn Manson, especially with Straight To Video. So thankfully, for me, IF is back to the quirky MSI I know and love from the Frankenstein and Tight albums. The songs are nothing new for the band then, but personally I wouldn't want a new sound from them. They are an amazing and unique band!!And yes Revenge, Uncle and Bomb This Track are not exactly brand new material to older fans, that's the main reason it gets 4 stars instead of 5. But you are still left with enough new material, and the remixes thrown in, to make a great album. So go buy it and enjoy the originality and stupity of Jimmy and co. They are making music that is entertaining, interesting and nuts, which is more than can be said for the majority of the stuff in the charts!!
Yet another mindless rip off?, 02 May 2008
The first reviewer (Mister Superstar) pretty much hits the nail on the head with his review, but I want to write my own anyway.
MSI's last full album (You'll Rebel To Anything) was unquestionably the most commercial of all their releases, but who's complaining when it was such a concise, consistent album with tracks that managed to stand up against (and on several occasions, better) material from Frankenstein Girls or Tight? I certainly wasn't. It marked a slight change in direction with a more polished sound and less confrontational songs than before (far less mentions of "niggaz" and songs that were perhaps geared more towards a slightly younger audience) but it nevertheless retained the fast, furious, sardonic and often ridiculous sound that people either love or hate MSI for. Things were looking good for the next release...
But... with this album... it just isn't quite there. The problem being maybe that now they've become much more well known (especially in the UK) they actually CARE how this album is received, at least, that's how it sounds: in some places - far too self-conscious and self-aware. Also, in general, much less spontaneous and in some places I found myself thinking, "where's the energy gone??". Some of the tracks could really do with being a bit faster, or at least have some more intense beats behind them.
I am by no means saying that this is a bad album, but as Mister Superstar pointed out, quite a few of the tracks are old demos, b-sides or from the unreleased album "Pink", and sadly, for the most part, these are the better songs (you can recognise them by the old synths or the high pitched vocals, the latter of which is sadly absent from the new tracks). "Mastermind" and "Never Wanted To Dance" are two of the best new, previously unheard (except live) tracks, and stand up well against old material, but on the whole "If" is, to be brutally honest, a disappointment. Worth it for many of the songs, but the others I find myself even more likely to skip than the more throwaway tracks on Frankenstein Girls.
I just hope MSI can stop being so over-eager to impress and make a better, more consistent album next time. Also, whilst I'm on the subject, I pray they'll go back to using pre-taped backing vocals at gigs so we can actually hear the whole song, many of them just can't be sung otherwise! and more importantly I hope they go back to their more spontaneous gig-style, I saw them 3 times last year and almost everything Jimmy Urine said was exactly the same each show, try and get hold of the really old concert video where he goes nuts and throws this dude out of the gig for no reason, you'll see the difference. Still, I guess they've got a lot of people to keep happy now, but for me, it just isn't working.
Bomb This Album, 25 Apr 2008
This being MSI's first offering for over 2 years, I was expecting something sharp, edgy and quirky as hell. It is evident with IF that time and effort has been implemented, and experimentation obviously is the main feature here, but alot of the time it comes off cheap and rather stale, they even fob you off with one or two demo's that have been around longer than i can remember. Had this have been a first or even second album for them it would have stood a much better chance, but with all the hype they have garnered over the past 5 years or so it isnt as simple as churning out yet another record with more of the same.
That being said, just because it sounds like previous material, thats not to say it sounds bad. It has some real gems, ancient demo "Bomb This Track" and the irresistible "Issues" are real standouts for me. Another great selling point is the level of humor... some of these tracks are Hiiiiilarious, "Get It Up" had me smirking from beginning to end. At the end of day, MSI fans will lap this up anyway... but you cant help feeling a little cheated. Newcomers would do well to start with this record, it is accessible and fun. If you accept this as what it is, more of the same, you wont be disappointed, if your coming in looking for something fresh id suggest trying something else.
No one likes to pay to hear somone jam, 18 Aug 2008
In a discussion recently I remarked to a friend how Nine Inch Nails are the only band who [in my opinion] have never made a bad album. However, I now take my comment back. While the production of the album is first rate, the songs fall far from the industrial noise come conceptual evolutions that have propelled Trent Reznor through the last decades. The opening track (999,999) gives intriguing promise, only to give way to the disappointing melodic electronica that doesn't subside. There is one diamond in the rough though; The Four of us in Here Are Dying. However this instrumental is not enough to rescue the sinking ship that is 'the slip'. Ultimately this album feels little more than Trent Reznor and friends jamming in their studio. Full marks for being bold enough to try a new direction, but this time the goods are simply not delivered. Buy this album to fill up your collection, but if you want to experience NIN [Trent] at his best, go buy The Fragile
3 1/2 out of 5, 11 Aug 2008
hey i felt that the first 1/3 of the album was a bit weak personaly but the second half is right up there with the rest. i can't help but feel like this release is just a colection of year zero B-sides though. still worth a looking inbut if your new to the bend start else where.
NIN come up with the goods once again - great album!, 05 Aug 2008
Barcode: 0766929934627
I've seen a fair few reviews across the media referring to The Slip as 'Nine Inch Nail's most accesible album', and i a way i can see what they're getting at. The way the album was made available as a free download (a good way for new fans to try out some of the band's material), a catchy lead single in the form of Discipline and at only 10 tracks long, the final product comes across as a slick, modern and concise demonstation of Trent Reznor's intent.
Crucially though, it also explores a large number of facets of the NIN sound. As with the masterpiece Year Zero, The Slip begins with an eerie instrumental that builds to full volume over a minute and a half. As always with NIN material, each track is a carefully constructed soundscape, every element there for a reason and what i love most about The Slip is that it displays this element of the band at it's best while at the same time delivering some of the band's most instant material to date.
1,000,000 is the first example of this. With a pulsating, distorted hook and a classic angsty vocal from Trent, screeching siren-esque sounds add to the relentless energy and power that emmanates from tracks like this and Discipline, building on the template displayed in previous tracks like The Hand That Feeds and Survivalism but giving it a new rawness that only adds to the tracks' appeal.
Letting You takes this rawness to practiaclly bestial levels while Discipline is a slick number seeing NIN at their most commercial. It is songs like this that show the true genius of Trent Reznor, his skill at writing a song with as many hooks as this that worms its way into your mind and upon the first listen already sounds like a classic.
Echoplex is another highlight, a rhythmic guitar line packed over an infectious beat. We soon come to Lights In The Sky, which marks a change in the mood of the album. The first half is fast and relentless while the second half is slower, moody and altogether more atmospheric.
Lights In The Sky is a beuautiful track, just Trent and a piano. This is The Slip at it's most intimate, haunting and melancholy. This then leads into the 7 and a half minute slice of electronica that is Coron Radiata. These two tracks together bring to mind the song Another Version Of The Truth on Year Zero and while those new to the band might find this aspect quite daunting, the fact it is so open to interpretation only serves to intice you further into the music. The album is then nicely bookended by the sleazy grind of Demon Seed.
So, on the whole, i think Year Zero was a better album, but then, presented as a concept piece - it was meticulously planned whereas The Slip sounds like Trent Reznor, free from his old record label, exploring himself and the world around him with complete freedom. Year Zero presented a cold, frightening picture of an alternate future whereas The Slip is about the right now, the present, is full of an untamed fire and passion that sees NIN on top form. Whether you're new to the band and want to try some of their material out or whether you're a long-time fan, The Slip is well worth getting your hands on. The fact it's a limited edition of 250,000 copies and comes with a bonus DVD featuring live material is even more incentive to get this brilliant album.
Another Gift!, 04 Aug 2008
I just wanted to point out that what Mr Reed said in a previous review:
'"Discipline" features a vocal mistakenly introduced (and hastily silenced) a bar too early due to a rushed mix'
is clearly incorrect! Do you really think trent would have allowed a mistake to remain on a song?? (let alone the lead single!)It is clearly an intentional stutter meant to add more realism to the mood of the song. Just thought i'd clear that up.
(it's a great album by the way)
Heresy - 85,601 / 250,000, 31 Jul 2008
Is the hand on Mr.Reznor's shoulder, on the front cover artwork of my
individually numbered CD/DVD set (and how lucky am I feeling about that?),
keeping him in the same place or preventing him from moving forward ?
The dilemma of continuity versus development stands at the still beating
heart of Nine Inch Nails' most recent offering 'The Slip'.
I have long been an admirer of Mr Reznor and his vision.
I emphasise admirer rather than devotee, many of whom would appear
to have made a happy home here on Planet Amazon.
Devotees are, by thei | | |