This five-song EP / single (depending on how you think of it, I guess) from Nine Inch Nails contains the Downward Spiral album cut of the title track, which is one of Trent Reznor’s best cuts in terms of showcasing how he can go from industrial madness to quiet goth and back again in the blink of an eye.
“Reptilian” (a remix of “Reptile” by Dave Ogilvie) might refer to the deep part of our brains, or perhaps the way the song crawls around the room like a komodo dragon with its hisses, clanks, and snarls from Reznor’s guitars and synths. “All the Pigs, All Lined Up” is a remix of “March of the Pigs” that swirls techno, drum and bass, and industrial chaos around you with Reznor belting out the lyrics as sampled screaming masses cheer behind him.
“A Violent Fluid” is a quick (barely over a minute) instrumental that’s more or less an introduction to the longer instrumental of “Underneath the Skin,” which has similar themes to other NIN songs, including the gothic synthesizers, drums that sound like garbage cans, and creepy bass.
It’s a dark, brooding EP, but that shouldn’t surprise you considering the state of mind (drugged and otherwise) Reznor was in at the time it was made. The Downward Spiral is one of the best albums of the 1990’s, and this EP is a visceral slice of it.
Keep your mind open.
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