nine inch nails closer

[bryantm3]

i've been hearing this song recently on the radio and i just wanted to know if all their stuff sounds this depeche-modey. i really like it, but i don't want to go buy a whole album to find out i don't like it. qu'est-ce que vous pensez?

[Champiness]

I don't know much about them, but from what I gather their debut was pretty much all like that. The rest of their discography is a real change in direction.

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

As far as I know Trent has always been kind of a closet New Wave guy. I agree with the guy above me, the first album definitely had a Depeche Mode vibe to it more than the second, but IMO the second one is much better. Check out the track "Ringfinger" from the debut...I think that's what you're looking for.

[kagenaki koe]

As far as I know Trent has always been kind of a closet New Wave guy.

oh, i would say he's not a closet New Wave guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJYBx5NJULY

[joethelion]

Hmm... well definitely not "ALL" of NIN's stuff is Depeche Mode-y but... it's safe to say that most of Trent's albums have at least one or two DM sounding tracks on them.

and yea - Trent is a closet New Wave guy for sure, he's done stuff with David Bowie, Adrian Belew, Gary Numan, and.... oh what's that guy's name... I think it was Adam from "Adam & the Ants"

As far as the actual album, "The Downward Spiral"... I'd say "Closer" is kinda unique amongst the other songs on the album. Overall - it's much harder than that single

(also the "Broken" EP sounds nothing like DM)

but - "The Fragile" "Year Zero" and "The Slip" all have many songs that I'd say are in the same vein as Depeche Mode's work (especially SOFaD, Ultra, Exciter, and to a lesser extent, SotU)

(edit)
So basically -

• "Pretty Hate Machine" - pretty Depeche Mode-y, but I'm personally not a huge fan of the album
• "Broken EP" / "Fixed EP" - not DM at all, more industrial than anything
• "The Downward Spiral" - some DM influence, for sure - but mostly "industrial" that's easier to consume than most "industrial music" - and btw the track "A Warm Place" is Trent's version of Bowie's "Crystal Japan" ... also Trent spent most of the time recording this album while listening to Bowie's "Low"
• "The Fragile" - long album, great stuff - but maybe not the best introduction to NIN
• "With Teeth" - It kinda felt like an EP to me.... I never really listened to it much, but definitely a song or two that are dark-ish pop like "Only"
• Year Zero - probably your best bet for "sounding like Depeche Mode"
• "The Slip" - basically a more experimental or agressive version of Year Zero/ With Teeth

(edit 2)

if you want just like a good overview/ "Best of" -> you should get NIN's live album, "All that Could Have Been"
there's also a two-disc instrumental album called "Ghosts" but none of them really remind me of DM's instrumentals

[TheBang]

If you're worried about buying something you don't like, then this might help.

You can get their latest album, The Slip, completely for free here: http://theslip.nin.com

You can get Ghosts 1 for free from here: http://ghosts.nin.com/main/order_options

You can listen to their entire catalog (snippets and full songs) here: http://www.nin.com/listen/

[chems1919]

Nine Inch Nails are awesome (and of course Depeche Mode is incredible). I think their best moments were in the mid to late nineties with Downward Spiral, The Fragile (one of the only albums that is effective on 2 discs) and then the Broken EP and Perfect Drug single. Their latest efforts are also really good, but I don't think they'll ever reach the same momentum they had at that time.

On a side note, Trent Reznor is releasing a new EP under a new band formed with his wife. I was skeptical at first, but I have to admit it's pretty damn good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmu2-SWm0Ac

I have to give credit to Atticus Ross for that as well. That man deserves a lot of respect. I don't know if you guys have heard "The Book of Eli" soundtrack, but it's amazing. I highly recommend you check it out.

As far as Depeche Mode goes, I definitely see the inspiration Nine Inch Nails incorporates into some of their songs.