Nine Inch Nails - The Slip Review [2]

Posted by Mikey MiGo on 05.07.2008

Trent Reznor used to make us wait five years. Now it’s all “Poof! Here’s a new album! Mindfreak!”

Recently a new Nine Inch Nails song was “leaked” called “Disciple” to many people’s surprise. It was a good song and it’s been on Chicago radio rather frequently so it’s gotten out there. I checked out a respected NIN news source and saw that there was a hidden message in the tags of the file telling us to go to nin.com on May 5th.

Today is May 5th. As an avid Reznor and NIN fan, I went to nin.com this morning and just about pissed myself. What was there was a NEW album. Halo 27, if you will, was just sitting there waiting to be downloaded. A new ten track album made available FREE TO DOWNLOAD.

If you’re new to Nine Inch Nails then you’ve been living under a rock. Odds are you know what to expect and what type of music you’re going to get with a new NIN album. You’re going to love it, like it, or hate it. The NIN fanbase is large and will grow via word of mouth and absorbing friends of friends. It’s not going to change over night. The fanbase is hardcore and Trent Reznor knows this. This is why he released this new album, “The Slip” to the fans of free. Hell, to quote the man “This one is one me.”

I’m not really big into doing album reviews because it’s always an objective topic. It’s not so much a discussion, but a critique. What I can do is share my first listen with YOU. I’m going to put my headphones on, sit back, sip on some tea, and share my first impressions and first thoughts of Nine Inch Nail’s “The Slip”…



1. 999,999
The 411: It starts off with a pulsating and growing drone. Perhaps it’s digging you deeper into something or clawing closer. It’s such a weird sounding intro that the minute and a half duration goes by rather quickly because you’re thinking “Where is this going?” The ending has some muffled voice sounding loops behind it as it blends directly into the next track.

2. 1,000,000
The 411: It’s a harder sounding sound. It’s almost like “The Hand That Feeds” meets “Wish”. It’s a harder rock song, but with layers of industrial grit layered behind it. The chorus of “I’ve jumped from every roof top” isn’t that great, but the breakdown with “I don’t feel anything at all” is as powerful enough to give this song a huge thumbs up. The layers towards the end of the song are very descript and makes it hard to describe. Listen to this one for yourself.

3. Letting You
The 411: It’s got a droning drum and feedback opening and jumps to Trent throwing cocky and angry vocals out there comparable to “March of the Pigs”. I know that right that got some people’s attention. I kid you not; this song has “Downward Spiral” written all over it. Still at about 2 minutes you begin to get bored, but just then the song breaks down. The chorus of “We’re letting you go away” is pushed forward in a rally call that is reminiscent of an 80’s hair anthem. I say that with fairness.

4. Discipline
The 411:This track was leaked a week before “The Slip” and got my panties in a bunch. I was really into the track and was really grateful to have a new song added to the NIN collection, but in the end it ended up being an entire album. I really like this song. I love the piano/synth break down towards the middle more than anything I’ve heard in awhile. I am sorta worried that it’ll be like “My Violent Heart” with “Year Zero” where it was leaked first and I ended up liking it more than the rest of the album after release. Remember, this is a real time review; but this song is easily my favorite of the album thus far.

5. Echoplex
The 411: It starts with a weird drum loop that reminds stripped down hip hop and then blends into a droning guitar sound that’s following by a subdued Trent Reznor delivering the lyrics. I know this was released before the album as well, but it’s my first listen. The chorus is really unique for a NIN song and really stands out. It’s like how when “Even Deeper” came on “The Fragile” and took a few listens to full appreciate it. I think this song will end up being one of those NIN songs that I’ll include on A LOT of mix CDs and play lists in the future.

6. Head Down
The 411: We kick it off with some industrial funk. I guess that’s a good name for it. It’s abrasive, but it’s got a good groove. It’s a lot of the same for the first minute and then breaks down with a “this is not my life” type of lyrical combo, but as cliché the lyrics are it’s well done and works in this track. It’s definitely a “track 6”. The last minute of the song brings it back to life oddly enough by making it feel like it’s underwater or even as if the music is being suffocated into oblivion.

7. Lights in the Sky
The 411: It’s piano! It’s Trent! From the start of it, I’m in love with this track. I’ve always been a sucker for Trent’s piano work. It seems more of his soul comes out in songs like “Hurt”, “Something I Can Never Have”, and even “The Frail”. This song starts on that same calming and passionate tune. I am really happy as the song ends because it doesn’t get any industrial madness thrown into it. No weird electronic sounds. Just Trent, the piano, and his heart to expose. Part of me wants to proclaim this as my favorite track. We’ll see…

8. Corona Radiata
The 411: This Mars Volta sounding titled song starts off with a penetrating drone that makes you feel as you’re getting closer to something. It keeps building and gives an eerie vibe. Not one you’d want to run away from, but rather just accept and wait for with shock on your face. About two and half minutes in it seems like something else is happening. The drone has changed to something increasingly intense. Going all the way into it for 5 of the 7 plus minutes I start to realize it’s an instrumental. This is an awesome track. It’s something every NIN album should have. I actually like this more than any of the 36 instrumentals from “Ghosts”. As “Just Like You Imagined” and “The Mark Has Been Made” were, expect this to show up in many soundtracks.

9. The Four of Us are Dying
The 411: This carries over some of the eeriness of the last track and builds it with a nice guitar riff to bring it into a new track. It’s another instrumental, but not as cool as the last one. It’s got more layers and is more of an assault to the ears as opposed to the calmness of “Corona Radiata”.

10. Demon Seed
The 411: This song is no joke. It instantly kicks in with aggressive drumming and goes into some synth and electronics. The backing melody is the signature type of NIN sound that we’ve all grown used to. Trent says/sings the vocals behind the beat, drumming, and electronics. About half way though, Trent’s vocal volume goes up. In time for a weird “yeah… yeah… yeah” background vocals. It actually threw me off a bit. I had to pause, rewind, and go back to where I was. At like 3 minutes and ten or so seconds in the song completely breaks down. It seemingly feels like it’s destructing, but then you hear a “1-2-3-4” and it all comes back. This song is hard to compare to anything else. I say that as a good thing. This song might have a longer impression on me than others on the album.

The 411: I am bias. There’s no reason for me to sugar coat it. I am a card carrying NIN fan (I wish I were exaggerating) and will enjoy Trent’s work more than the normal 411 reader. Still I can be objective about it. I enjoyed “Year Zero” more than “With Teeth”, but not as much as “Fragile” and maybe a little more or less depending on the day than “The Downward Spiral”. I like this album more than “With Teeth”, but probably on par with “Broken”. For a NIN fan, that says a lot. There are songs on this album that’ll remain classics in the expanding NIN catalogue and some that’ll go forgotten. I am big on “Demon Seed”, “Discipline”, “Echoplex”, and “Lights in the Sky” after the first listen. Give it some time because those picks will change. For it being my first impression and it being free, I struggle to give it anything less than a 9.0. So that’s what it gets.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]