Ok, if you’re like me, you’ve been waiting 5 years for new Nine Inch Nails. Yeah yeah… there’s How to Destroy Angels. But that’s NOT Trent Reznor at his finest (though it is worth checking out if you’ve never listened, his wife is the vocalist).
You won’t be confused when listening to Hesitation Marks. It’s clearly Nine Inch Nails. Somehow the album finds itself as a link between The Downward Spiral and Year Zero. There’s numerous new things Trent went for on this. There’s some funky stuff, different types of beats and beat styles, and vocal techniques. You’ll also blatantly hear 70’s and 80’s ideas come alive in 2013. Don’t worry, it’s not a throwback. It all sounds VERY modern. Trent has always been a “state of the art” kinda guy.
Find my Way, Satellite, Various Methods of Escape, I Would For You, In Two, and While I’m Still Here are all my top song choices! ( Find my Way is my most favorite)
Obviously electronic, always moody (sometimes positive, mostly on the darker side), interesting arrangements of course, thought provoking lyrics, the usual contrasts of loud and noisy to quietly subtle… and Trent’s incredible voice. We waited 5 years for him to return to his true calling. And while it’s not perfect, and it’s not his best, it’s far more on the really good side than the not as good one. Hopefully it’s just the beginning to him getting back to full on NIN mode and we get more music sooner than later. In the meantime, we can be thankful for what we’ve just received!
8/10
~ Marcus Miller