Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

By Philip Sayblack
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Music has, for those who may not know much about me, always been a big part of my life.  I was born into a family of musicians.  My late father, like me, was a drummer and percussionist.  My mother is a multi-talented musician who plays clarinet, piano, and organ.  My oldest brother played trumpet through his junior high and high school years.  My other brother is multi-talented in his own right, being a cellist, trombonist, and guitarist.  Myself, I am also a violinist, along with being a percussionist and drummer.  Yes, there is a difference.  Growing up in a family of musicians also means having grown up in a house full of various kinds of music.  It is something that has really benefitted me as I have gotten older.  Even now in my mid-40s, I find myself still a fan of so many styles of music and in turn so many acts.  One of my favorite acts in the world of hard rock is Nine Inch Nails and that is the result, interestingly enough, of having been introduced to the band in 1994 by one of my brothers.  That was the year that Nine Inch Nails released what is now among its most important albums, its sophomore record, The Downward Spiral.  This record was my introduction to the industrial metal world.  Up until that point, I had been more of a “pure” rock fan and audience to the grunge scene. 
To this day I am thankful to my brother to have introduced me to Nine Inch Nails and this album.  It is thanks to this band and album that I would go on to become a fan of other industrial acts, such as Spineshank, Fear Factory, Static-X, Gravity Kills, Blue-Eyed Christ, etc.  As much as I am a fan of those bands, their music has never been like that of Nine Inch Nails and the album that led me to become a fan of those other acts.  The only band whose work even came close to that of The Downward Spiral up to that point was Ministry.  Even in that case, Ministry’s music had its own identity.
The Downward Spiral put Nine Inch Nails on the map because it took what Ministry was doing and turned it on its ear.  Band founder Trent Reznor blended electronics with real instruments to make a record here that was unlike anything else on the market at the time.  Case in point is the early entry, ‘Piggy.’  The subdued, bass-driven composition, set against Reznor’s equally controlled vocal delivery and the unique drum programming (handled by Reznor as well) creates a musical landscape that really makes the old adage of keeping it simple rung true.  The song’s lyrical message has allegedly been a point of contention, with former band member and Filter founder Richard Patrick claiming at one point it was about him while Reznor said it had nothing to do with Patrick.  Regardless, the whole of the musical arrangement, Reznor’s own vocal performance and the very discussions that continue to this day about the song make clear how much this song brings to the record. 
‘Ruiner,’ which closes out the album’s first half, is another example of what makes this record so strong.  According to comments from Reznor himself, the song was actually two different songs fused together into one.  That would explain why it comes across as a dual movement composition.  Those two separate songs work surprisingly well together with the goth lean alongside its industrial metal lean.  The impact therein, with the keyboards, the electronics, etc. makes this one of the album’s more notable “deep cuts.”
According to information regarding the song’s lyrical content, it is another song centered on the matter of religion.  That would make sense, considering the song’s lyrics.  The “ruiner” would be that religions leader who abused his power.  In this case, the song hints at the crimes committed by higher ups in the Catholic church.  This as the song’s subject notes, “The ruiner’s got a lot to prove/He’s got nothing to lose/And now he made you believe/Well/He’s the living end/To the cattle he deceives/The raping of the innocent/You know/The ruiner ruins everything he sees/Now the only pure thing left/In my f****** world/Is your disease.”  He expands on this in the song’s second chorus, screaming, “The ruiner’s a collector/He’s an infector/Serving his s*** to his flies/Maybe there will come a day/When those that you kept blind/Will suddenly realize/Maybe it’s a part of me you took/To a place I hoped it would never go/And maybe that f***** me up/Much more than you’ll ever know.”  Even with all of that, Reznor’s subject is defiant against the “ruiner” in the song’s end, stating, “You didn’t hurt me/Nothing can stop me now.”  It is a powerful, defiant statement against the abuse that the song’s subject endured at the hands of the “Ruiner.”  It is a statement of moving on, and not letting that trauma ruin him.  Keeping that in mind, this commentary and the power in the song’s musical arrangement makes it another powerful, hard hitting addition to this record, further showing why The Downward Spiral is such an
influential record.
‘A Warm Place,’ an even later track in this record, is yet another key moment in its body.  A simple, instrumental track that runs only three minutes, 23 seconds, it is such a break from all of the energy and anger exhibited throughout the rest of the record.  According to information regarding the album, the song is intentionally soft and quiet, as it is a moment of resolution for the main subject.  As is pointed out, it is the last moment of the “human side” of the subject before that “inhuman side” takes over in ‘Eraser.”  In other words, it is at this moment that audiences understand that The Downward Spiral is essentially a concept record with actually being a pure concept record. 
That revelation, that this album is essentially a concept record that isn’t a concept record, is brilliance in itself.  It makes this song, the others examined here, and the rest of the album, all the more impacting and memorable.  In that vein, it makes sense why some have called The Downward Spiral one of the best albums of the 1990s.  It is such a unique concept in the bigger picture of things with music that is unique and original and lyrical content that is familiar and accessible.  It is this album that led me to be a lifelong Nine Inch Nails fan ever since and is sure to be just as much of a solid starting point for any other listener.
The Downward Spiral is available now.  More information on the record is available along with all of Nine Inch Nails’ latest news at:
Website: https://nin.com


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