Review: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

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Nine Inch Nail’s newest release “Hesistation Marks” has proven to have taken the band’s sound in a different direction. What used to be recognized as a rock/alternative sound has now been turned into an ambient electronica album filled with programmed percussion as well as a lack of any certainty of traditional guitar and bass. But is this new direction a negative one? It seems some fans of the band are torn about the new sound, but others are supportive. Overall, this album is cohesive and immersible, but it may let down fans that were initially attracted to the band’s rock sound.

This album starts off by diving right into the electronic sound with their opener. As the rest of the album proceeds the listener will find most of the songs continue on in this electronic style with a different type of vocal style throughout. The new vocals have been controversial between many of the fans but overall it seem to fit the songs. The lyrics of the album as well as the melodies wrap tightly around the atmosphere that this album brings to the listener. Once able to get past the new sound and vocal style, “Hesitation Marks” can be very relaxing and exciting. “Disappointed” and “Everything” are songs that can really wrap up this album in just a few minutes. These songs represent the new sound and vocals well while still differentiating themselves from the other songs on the album.

Although the new style is alarming at first, most listeners will find themselves surprisingly satisfied with the direction Nine Inch Nails is taking their sound. Even I can admit at first that the lack of a solid rock sound is disappointing at first, but once you get into the swing of things, this album can be quite enjoyable. That being said, there are some downsides to this new direction. The monotonous programmed drums can be very repetitive throughout most of the album. Although the electronica feel of the album is intentional, the lack of variation in the electronic percussion can be annoying. Also, this album having very little natural guitar and bass can also be somewhat of a letdown. Is this an album by Nine Inch Nails? Or just a feature of the vocalist? Sometimes it seems like every song is almost entirely reliant on the vocals. Despite these cons, “Hesitation Marks” is still definitely an album to expand your comfortable criteria of music.

This album will open your mind to when a band changes their direction and will turn you on to the sounds of electronic ambiance. Even though this vocalist was originally known for hard vocals during their time as a rock band, this album shows a different side of the band as well as the vocals. This album is something to look into, and something to embrace. It takes a lot of courage for a band to take a new direction like this, so take a listen and enjoy the relaxing sounds of “Hesitation Marks”.

Rating 8/10

-Nic

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AuthorJordan Mohler
TagsNine Inch Nails, hesitation marks, Trent Reznor
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Nine Inch Nails to release “Audiophile Version” of ‘Hesitation Marks’

Nine Inch Nails have announced that they will offer an alternate “audiophile mastered version” of their new album, Hesitation Marks, as a free download for those who purchase the record through the band’s site.

Hesitation Marks is set for release Sept. 3 via Columbia Records, and is currently streaming in full on iTunes.

When we were mixing Hesitation Marks we decided to treat the mastering process in a slightly different way to the usual. Since we had tried to treat every other aspect of making this record differently to how we were used to, it seemed to make sense. We were mixing as we went along with the production of each song rather than at the end, so we thought that once we had a song pretty close we would send it off to Tom Baker, our long time serving mastering engineer, to give it some mastering treatment. Normally you wait until the record is finished being recorded and mixed, then take all the mixes to mastering.

But we thought doing it again, as we went along, might make us push the process further and spend more time on mastering rather than rush through it at the end. Whilst doing this we became aware of how much low bass information there was on the record. Since that can define how loud of a level the mastering can be, we were faced with a dilemma: do we keep the bass and and have a significantly lower level record, or do we sacrifice the bass for a more competitive level of volume?

The biggest issue in mastering these days tends to be how loud can you make your record. It is a fact that when listening back-to-back, loud records will come across more impressively, although in the long run what you sacrifice for that level can be quality and fidelity. So after much discussion we decided to go with two versions. On the main release Tom did exceptional work to maintain the integrity of our mixes and reproduce the low end as much as possible and still get a decent level, although it’s still nowhere as loud as a lot of modern records.

The Audiophile Mastered Version is more true to how the mixes sounded to us in the studio when we were working on the songs. Have a listen, turn up the volume and enjoy the experience!

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AuthorJordan Mohler
TagsNine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, hesitation marks
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Nine Inch Nails's Hesitation Marks Will Have Four Different Covers

Each version of Hesitation Marks will have its own unique cover with artwork by Russell Mills. Pictured above: Digital cover: “Turn And Burn" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood) Deluxe CD cover: “Cargo In The Blood" (Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood) Standard CD cover: “Time And Again" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood) Vinyl cover: “Other  Murmurs" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood) Some words from Russell about the artwork created for the album: The artworks, (30 mixed media pieces) that I eventually produced towards uses in the Hesitation Marks releases, evolved out of lengthy exchanges between myself and Trent and in response to the conceptual ideas that thread through the tracks and to the sonic territory that the album explores. I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core.  As with my self-initiated works - the paintings, assemblages, collages and multimedia installations - personal ideas and obsessions seep into these works. The organic, the natural, prevailing over or feeding into the industrial, the man made, is a common theme in my work generally and in this instance was particularly apt for the art required. The works explore ideas of catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level. They allude to ideas about chaos and order. They deal with ways of suggesting presence in absence. They are a cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred. They attempt to harness the chaos of a situation, of now, of the personal trauma, of the human condition, into a form that is coherent, a form that accommodates the mess without disguising it as something else. It attempts to capture the essence of these ideas by implication and exclusion. Beneath the form lies the uncertainty and ceaseless flux of the mess, of the chaos.     An amalgam of the contextually-anchored and the process-driven, they are hopefully powerful, arresting, seductive, suggestive and resonant. I hope that they will invite multiple readings. Hesitation Marks is out September 3rd. Pre-order now direct from nin.com or from iTunes.Each version of Hesitation Marks will have its own unique cover with artwork by Russell Mills. Pictured above: Digital cover: “Turn And Burn" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood) Deluxe CD cover: “Cargo In The Blood" (Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood) Standard CD cover: “Time And Again" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood) Vinyl cover: “Other  Murmurs" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood) Some words from Russell about the artwork created for the album: The artworks, (30 mixed media pieces) that I eventually produced towards uses in the Hesitation Marks releases, evolved out of lengthy exchanges between myself and Trent and in response to the conceptual ideas that thread through the tracks and to the sonic territory that the album explores. I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core.  As with my self-initiated works - the paintings, assemblages, collages and multimedia installations - personal ideas and obsessions seep into these works. The organic, the natural, prevailing over or feeding into the industrial, the man made, is a common theme in my work generally and in this instance was particularly apt for the art required. The works explore ideas of catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level. They allude to ideas about chaos and order. They deal with ways of suggesting presence in absence. They are a cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred. They attempt to harness the chaos of a situation, of now, of the personal trauma, of the human condition, into a form that is coherent, a form that accommodates the mess without disguising it as something else. It attempts to capture the essence of these ideas by implication and exclusion. Beneath the form lies the uncertainty and ceaseless flux of the mess, of the chaos.     An amalgam of the contextually-anchored and the process-driven, they are hopefully powerful, arresting, seductive, suggestive and resonant. I hope that they will invite multiple readings. Hesitation Marks is out September 3rd. Pre-order now direct from nin.com or from iTunes.Each version of Hesitation Marks will have its own unique cover with artwork by Russell Mills. Pictured above: Digital cover: “Turn And Burn" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood) Deluxe CD cover: “Cargo In The Blood" (Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood) Standard CD cover: “Time And Again" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood) Vinyl cover: “Other  Murmurs" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood) Some words from Russell about the artwork created for the album: The artworks, (30 mixed media pieces) that I eventually produced towards uses in the Hesitation Marks releases, evolved out of lengthy exchanges between myself and Trent and in response to the conceptual ideas that thread through the tracks and to the sonic territory that the album explores. I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core.  As with my self-initiated works - the paintings, assemblages, collages and multimedia installations - personal ideas and obsessions seep into these works. The organic, the natural, prevailing over or feeding into the industrial, the man made, is a common theme in my work generally and in this instance was particularly apt for the art required. The works explore ideas of catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level. They allude to ideas about chaos and order. They deal with ways of suggesting presence in absence. They are a cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred. They attempt to harness the chaos of a situation, of now, of the personal trauma, of the human condition, into a form that is coherent, a form that accommodates the mess without disguising it as something else. It attempts to capture the essence of these ideas by implication and exclusion. Beneath the form lies the uncertainty and ceaseless flux of the mess, of the chaos.     An amalgam of the contextually-anchored and the process-driven, they are hopefully powerful, arresting, seductive, suggestive and resonant. I hope that they will invite multiple readings. Hesitation Marks is out September 3rd. Pre-order now direct from nin.com or from iTunes.Each version of Hesitation Marks will have its own unique cover with artwork by Russell Mills. Pictured above: Digital cover: “Turn And Burn" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood) Deluxe CD cover: “Cargo In The Blood" (Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood) Standard CD cover: “Time And Again" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood) Vinyl cover: “Other  Murmurs" (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood) Some words from Russell about the artwork created for the album: The artworks, (30 mixed media pieces) that I eventually produced towards uses in the Hesitation Marks releases, evolved out of lengthy exchanges between myself and Trent and in response to the conceptual ideas that thread through the tracks and to the sonic territory that the album explores. I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core.  As with my self-initiated works - the paintings, assemblages, collages and multimedia installations - personal ideas and obsessions seep into these works. The organic, the natural, prevailing over or feeding into the industrial, the man made, is a common theme in my work generally and in this instance was particularly apt for the art required. The works explore ideas of catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level. They allude to ideas about chaos and order. They deal with ways of suggesting presence in absence. They are a cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred. They attempt to harness the chaos of a situation, of now, of the personal trauma, of the human condition, into a form that is coherent, a form that accommodates the mess without disguising it as something else. It attempts to capture the essence of these ideas by implication and exclusion. Beneath the form lies the uncertainty and ceaseless flux of the mess, of the chaos.     An amalgam of the contextually-anchored and the process-driven, they are hopefully powerful, arresting, seductive, suggestive and resonant. I hope that they will invite multiple readings. Hesitation Marks is out September 3rd. Pre-order now direct from nin.com or from iTunes.

Each version of Hesitation Marks will have its own unique cover with artwork by Russell Mills. Pictured above:

Digital cover: “Turn And Burn” (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, bitumen, burning, rusted linen, blood, spent matches, on wood)

Deluxe CD cover: “Cargo In The Blood” (Burning, Polaroid frame, copper wire, mica, on velvet, on wood)

Standard CD cover: “Time And Again” (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, rusted linen, blood, microscope slides, on wood)

Vinyl cover: “Other  Murmurs” (Plaster, earth, oils, acrylics, etching varnish, collage, on canvas, on wood)

Hesitation Marks is out September 3rd. Pre-order now direct from nin.com or from iTunes.

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AuthorJordan Mohler
TagsTrent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails, hesitation marks
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Nine Inch Nails release track list for Hesitation Marks

The track listing for Nine Inch Nails' new album, Hesitation Marks, can be seen below. The album will be released on September 3rd via Columbia Records.

Track Listing
01) The Eater of Dreams
02) Copy of A
03) Came Back Haunted
04) Find My Way
05) All Time Low
06) Disappointed
07) Everything
08) Satellite
09) Various Methods of Escape
10) Running
11) I Would for You
12) In Two
13) While I’m Still Here
14) Black Noise

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AuthorJordan Mohler
TagsHesitation Marks, Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails
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