The Depths · All albums

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails · 1994

• Scores: Noise 4, Unease 4, Complexity 3 (each 1 to 5)
• Genre: Industrial, Rock, Industrial rock
• Mood: abrasive, nihilistic, claustrophobic
• Sound: industrial, sampled drums, electronic

The Downward Spiral is a semi-autobiographical concept album about a protagonist’s descent through religion, violence, drugs and sex to suicide. Trent Reznor recorded it with producer Flood in 1992 and 1993, largely at Le Pig, a home studio at 10050 Cielo Drive, with Alan Moulder doing the final mix. He built it as a collage in Pro Tools, processing guitars with editing software and TurboSynth, distorting vocals with a Zoom 9030, and turning live drum performances into looped samples alongside Roland 808 drum machines. Film audio runs throughout, with a sample from THX 1138 opening “Mr. Self Destruct” and a clip from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in “Reptile”. Songs avoid verse-chorus form and use dissonance and unusual meters, and “March of the Pigs” alternates bars of 7/8 and 8/8. Reznor drew on Bowie’s Low and Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and later industrial rock bands copied its sound.

Track list

1. Mr. Self Destruct (4:31)
2. Piggy (4:24)
3. Heresy (3:54)
4. March of the Pigs (2:59)
5. Closer (6:14)
6. Ruiner (4:58)
7. The Becoming (5:31)
8. I Do Not Want This (5:41)
9. Big Man with a Gun (1:36)
10. A Warm Place (3:22)
11. Eraser (4:53)
12. Reptile (6:52)
13. The Downward Spiral (3:58)
14. Hurt (6:16)