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Nine Inch Nails - The Slip - 15-May-08 06:04 AM
The Slip is the eighth proper studio release for NIN. The music here resembles types of songs from With Teeth, Year Zero and Ghosts. So in that sense, it is a bit disappointing. Reznor is generally known for taking big steps forward. Although he is alienating some older fans and gaining new ones, he is always ensuring NIN's longevity. The Slip is a very good record. I would say it is the worst of the bunch, but still worthy. Let's take a look at the progressions of NIN.

-Pretty Hate Machine (Synth Pop meets Industrial. This one gains high recognition and even more so after the release of the The Downward Sprial)

-Broken (From Synth to Metal...Ministry anyone? This is the start of the heavy sound of NIN)

-The Downward Spiral (Again, completely new territory. The hook was closer, the rest was an exciting, yet dark musical experience)

-The Fragile (Reznor's best work. Taking the techniques of the TDS to the next level, Reznor displays both the past and future sound of NIN. If there is one definitive record to tell you what NIN sounds like, this would be it.)

-Still (Although same may claim it is a companion or a live piece, it actually contains several new tracks and a few great reworkings, make it an album on its own. This is all ballads and piano pieces. Reznor has planned this one for years and always described "making an album for a rainy day")

-With Teeth (A step backwards in my opinion. The songs here are more stripped down, but really don't give us anything new musical wise. These tracks also sound like a radio version of NIN, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. This even has some of Reznor's best songs, which makes this a very noteworthy album.)

-Year Zero (Great concept and an exciting new direction. No slow songs here, which is a bummer. Great release though.)

-Ghosts (Well, here are all those slow songs you wanted! NIN's first instrumental and highly experimental album to date. Also one of his best. This really is "music for daydreams")

-The Slip (This is more on lines of With Teeth. A step back and not forward. But I understand that even Reznor needs a break from being epic every once in a while. These songs sound more like outtakes from the last three albums, which one should question. It generally doesn't take Mr. Reznor just a few weeks to complete a new album. The songs are good, especially the ballad and instrumentals. Demon Speed is a completely new type of song for Reznor. I will be buying the CD version when it comes out)

Assemblage 23 - Binary - 07-Jan-08 08:53 PM
I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of this song. However, this a great single. Dirt and Florescent Skies present a new type of direction for Tom (as does the Meta album) which brings much excitement to what is to come in the future from Mr. Shear. The remixes are interesting, but I wish Tom would have made new versions like he did with the Storm singles. Nevertheless, this is a great singe and worth picking up. 4/5

Assemblage 23 - Ground - 07-Jan-08 08:51 PM
Ground is the second single from the Storm album and follows the same format as the Let the Wind Erase Me EP. First off, Ground is one of the best A23 tracks, having said that, lets take a peek. Tom not only created a very cool club version of the track, but an acoustic version as well. It is very interesting to hear a stripped down, unplugged version. This is proof to the disbelief that computerized music is "cheating" or "fake". If you have a good song, it really doesn't matter what you use. Like all things, you can change the appearance, but not the soul. The B-sides are great as well. Well done Tom! 5/5

Assemblage 23 - Let The Wind Erase Me - 07-Jan-08 08:45 PM
This is the first single from the Storm Album. I must admit, this is one of the best concepts for a single I have ever seen. Aside from the LP version, Tom has not remixed, but recorded new versions of the title track. These really show no resemblance to the original other than the lyrics. The new tracks, Tragic Figure and Darker really don't carry the Storm sound, but fit more in the Meta arena. This should be viewed as a mini album rather than a single. For those who collect basic albums, this one is must to own. 5/5

Assemblage 23 - Early, Rare, And Unreleased 1988-1998 - 07-Jan-08 08:40 PM
This release is a limited edition of 1,000 copies. I was lucky enough to pick one up and have signed from Mr. Shear himself on the Meta tour. Ok, well let's take a look here. I'm not sure what Tom's opinion is on some of these tracks, but he did take the time to go back and record them again to make them presentable for his audience. I've never had the opportunity to hear the original songs, but this release is quite interesting. The 80s tracks Mortuary, Straight Jacket and I Sometimes Wish I Were Dead (no, this is not Depeche!) are well done, and highly catchy. Chemical Restraint and Underneath the Ice are great tracks as well. Some of the tracks on here have the Contempt sound and could have easily been released on that album. Sometimes Tom can be a bit overcritical of himself (as most musicians are) but most of these tracks are very good. Dare I say it? I do! This is better than Contempt! If you are reading this Tom, have some self confidence, this is awesome! 5/5

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