Grading this CD was a struggle. Compared to the smashing, loud, conglomerations that Nine Inch Nails have put out in the past, such as "The Downward Spiral," it would fail. On the other hand, grade it solely on its musical creativity, and it is a beautiful collection of tracks. -รก
This isn't the main CD that was recently released, but rather, a bonus album that was only available through www.nin.com. The CD is now available in stores as part of the deluxe boxed set of "And All That Could Have Been." The CD sells for $10 on the Web page.
The disc contains 9 tracks best described as haunting melodies such as those found in the soundtrack of a dramatic movie masterpiece. (Graeme Revell could have some competition if Reznor keeps these efforts up.) I say that because almost every piece seems to build up suspense as it plays along, just as a movie should.
The first track, "Something I Can Never Have" begins tonally quiet. The piano work on "Still" is great, but the first track seems to be the emotional showpiece. It nears the end of the track, maintaining its quietness, when it crescendos into the yelling that has been expected from Reznor.
"Adrift and At Peace" sounds like a broken jack-in-the-box. The notes don't flow together and create a discord and cacophony of sounds. The song fades in with a soft piano and then fades out the same-- leaving a totally instrumental, and rather boring, track. It matches well with "Gone, Still" because this piece relies on sounds of discord as well. "Gone Still" blends its sounds more than "Adrift," however, even though they are heard separately, there is no doubt they came from the same album.
The most recognizable track on the album is "The Becoming." It is a remake from the version on The Downward Spiral, but this time it sounds less menacing because there are no people screaming in the background. The heavy bass track and cymbals stand out most of all.
"Leaving Hope," an instrumental piece, is the last track. It, more than the others, has that movie-music quality to it. Dark elements cued in with the lighter sounds make it a complex piece. One can imagine a masculine figure dressed in black, walking down the street at night in the rain (complete with slow motion close-ups of his saddened statement) and flashing back to his miserable life.
I have never been a huge fan of NIN, but this album earned a spot in my car's CD album. "Still" shows that Reznor has matured in his music creation process, even if he doesn't show it most of the time. With further efforts of this nature, he might be able to outlive most of the artists that premiered when he did and who haven't been able to grow up.
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