Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

In this fourth production Nine Inch Nails accentuates the heaviness of the guitars giving them a typical treatment and the electronic textures are really amazing. In all the songs they put him that atmosphere of madness, whose theme "Into The Void" it summarizes the personal vision of Trent Reznor. I consider "The Fragile" is one of the most experimental/atmospheric works in NIN's history.

The Fragile is the most brilliant and ambitious NIN album to date. Every single NIN record is top notch and easily accessible. However, this is the record that makes Trent shine. His other albums seem to contained within one particular tone or mood. The Fragile changes styles and moods track to track. One minute you'll be listening to a soft atmospheric ballad, and the next you may find yourself dancing to disco type beats. Industrial roller coasters may take you through a mess of noise core and you may find yourself puzzled with weird arrangements. This album combines the sound of past and future NIN records and has more of a personal, human based lyric style. Key tracks: The Great Below, Into the Void, Ripe, Just Like You Imagined, The Fragile, We're In This Together. 5/5

I am completely disappointed with "The Fragile". It has nothing of the devastating impact and touching humanity of the previous works, nor of their originality. This double CD monolith is much boring and uninteresting. A real pity. And, please, stop calling "industrial" this music... on "The Fragile" Nine Inch Nails play some kind of alternative rock thing, which has nothing to do with real disturbing, harsh and uncompromising industrial music.

Received lackluster reviews from those expecting something more along the lines of his earlier work. Fragile takes the NIN sound in a (mostly) new direction, with the exception of a few tracks that have the old vitriol stamped upon them. As for the new sound, we see elaborate sonic textures, intricate crescendos and fades, and all other such manner of subtle music. In some cases, the music approaches genius, and is complemented perfectly with intelligent track layout. On some of the tracks, there is an ambient quality that few artists who dedicate their entire sound to ambient can approach.

This sort of genre crossing, mixing, hashing, and destruction is just one of the things that really causes Reznor to stand out as a musician. So, while you probably couldn't form a decent mosh with most of the material on these two CDs, we find something more suitable for a listening party, or a night alone with the lights off and the audio equipment the only extension for the senses.

Is this Mr. Reznor's best work? On some grounds it is, on other grounds it fails to reach the same visceral, human level that some of his prior works did. It is debatable which is "better," and no doubt a personal decision. I for one enjoy The Fragile a great deal, and would be hard pressed to choose a best.