Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
A NIN retrospective series
Enough is enough. Its time for me to talk about my actual favorite band. Nine Inch Nails. Over the course of the next few weeks, I want to go back and examine each album again with a fresh perspective. I used to listen to this band every single day for years and honestly its still my go to when I have no idea what to listen to. As legend goes, the first Nine Inch Nails album was recorded during Trent Reznor’s off time as a janitor at a studio. Once these demos were recorded, TR was able to sign a record deal and then kick off Nine Inch Nails with the first album of material, Pretty Hate Machine. Doing mostly everything himself the first time through, this established a known characteristic for NIN going forward.
For the most part listening to this album now is pretty interesting. We are so far removed from the time and era it was made that it does make it seem much more dated. A lot of the album still sounds stuck in the late 80s sound while elements that lay under the surface would be given new life in live performances. Some of NIN’s biggest songs are on this album as well. With all that said. At the time, this album was sort of revolutionary in the way it brought these industrial sounds to a much more mainstream audience. A lot of it was also much more accessible than some of the bigger industrial artists at the time as well. Many people look down on this, but to be honest, so much of it works and the way these songs are brought to life live, just give it that aggressive edge all the more. This album does straight up lay down the ground work for what the band would eventually end up releasing. But unlike some other bands where the first album’s sound is so dated, there is something to the songwriting here that makes these tracks just ascend. At the end of the day, this album was a huge success and I’m just talking about it through a future lense of 2022 as well as my own first experiences listening to it back in my house in Matamoros. Lets get into it.
"Head Like A Hole" – 4:59
The grand daddy NIN track to end all tracks. Literally starting the album with a showstopper, this has gone down as one of the ultimate NIN songs ever. Typically used as one of the final songs at a show, we kick off the album with this famed double chorus song. Starting with these chants, drums and some weird percussion and leading into the first bass synths gives you this feeling of eeriness. There is a dark and energy brewing here. Trent Reznor’s come through very clean as well and they hold a certain angry edge.
Lyrically this song is just a great fuck you. The verses and the bridge lead into the fantastic first chorus with distorted guitars pummeling at you. Once that’s over the second chorus kicks in and its hard not to just want to go all the way with it. The quiet section between this and the 2nd verse shows there doesn’t need to be full on aggression throughout the entire track and gives room for a breather. The vocals get angrier as we keep going and the end of the track has Reznor screaming his heart out. Its just so fucking good. What a fantastic opener."Terrible Lie" – 4:38
Switching things up a bit sonically, but not lyrically, Terrible Lie is a bit of a slower rock track but with an extra punch to it. TR continues his themes of anger at religion here, aiming directly at God. Growing up Catholic, I can understand some of the frustration Reznor presents here just about the church and faith in general. This really hits different with just how aggressive and direct its lyrics are. The samples throughout also just hit in the right ways as well. This is another live mainstay, thanks to its call and response chorus. By the end things get wild as the synths, samples, guitars and drums come to a head.
"Down In It" – 3:46
The first ever released Nine Inch Nails song has so much going for it still to this day. Kind of a rapped song with a heavy percussion, samples and distorted guitars throughout. Even Trent’s vocals are a bit distorted through the song too. This would end up as a template I think for future NIN singles. An out there idea taken to its logical conclusion. For example here, there are so many crowd chant samples, synths, clean and distorted vocals and a very upbeat drum pattern. Trent Reznor has a knack for catchy melodies and hooks and its shown directly here. Sure the final part with “rain rain go away” is a bit corny, but it still somehow fits here. Towards the end a crazy energy starts to develop as Trent starts to yell and scream a bit more. Amazing song, would love to see this live sometime as well.
"Sanctified" – 5:48
Also known as the first song NIN ever played live when they opened for Skinny Puppy in 1989. Sanctified is one of those rare songs that was completely remade in a newer updated version for recent tours, but the original is still one of the most interesting songs from the album. To start off with, the slap bass. Wow, this is some serious bass on this song like right off the bat. Trent wears many of his synth pop influences on his sleeve, but as well as his goth influences with the guitar playing as well being somewhat reminiscent of bands like The Cure. The lyrics might be too corny, but at the same time there is something so dope about this bass, the guitar, the gregorian chants (so many goddamn gregorian chants on this album! fuck yes), it all fits together so well. The newer version is dope in its own way as well:
What a fucking awesome remake. I miss the slap bass on it, but the bassline that is there still does a lot of work.
"Something I Can Never Have" – 5:54
“Grey would be the color if I had a heart.”
The first ever NIN ballad, Something I Can Never Have still shares the same aggression from the previous tracks so far, but in a much slower and chill format. The Ballad. The thing is, this track isn’t a slow and boring song. This really is just so much more thanks to the powerful performance from Trent Reznor. You can just feel it. No other words really. For the most part its a dark and smokey atmosphere with a haunting piano (sample!?) through out the track. These big boom percussion samples kick in to give it a much more grande feel. Whats so good about this song is that it goes just as hard as the previous songs on the album. Who knew that a ballad can go that hard? We will come to see this in practically every NIN album going forward.
Too add a bit more to this, Something I Can Never Have really just highlights Trent’s songwriting and his incredible way of showing emotion. Lyrically the song is incredibly powerful, so the way Trent sings on here just baring his soul is incredible. And, of course its just so hooky, but with that signature edge."Kinda I Want To" – 4:33
Supposedly this is Trent’s least favorite song he has ever written and promised he would never play live again. You can kinda hear why he would even think this way once you hear the track. Its pretty dated with the way the samples and synths layer over each other in this weird late 80s sorta way. Its just all over the place. I still think about this song’s chorus and verses as well as the crazy synths in the chorus too. The guitar section in the middle of track still goes hard as well as the end with Trent screaming “I WANT TO.” Is so sick. Finally just ending in this ocean of sound and noise at the end as everything coalesces together. Not the strongest track on the album, but there’s still a lot of stuff to enjoy here."Sin" – 4:06
This is still what I think a goth club sounds like. Sin has one of the best driving beats that Reznor has ever come up with in my opinion. There is so much going on here, with these samples, beats and driving synth bass. The synth keyboard melody during the verses and leading into the chorus is so so so so sick. Even the chorus has this crazier dark energy when the synth changes too. Everything about this song is just so much fun. The breakdown in the middle goes insane, and the wall of noise returns for the finale as well. This is just a banger."That's What I Get" – 4:30
This is definitely the weakest song on the album. Corny lyrics that are pretty cringeworthy, but looking back, its funny so I don’t really care too much. Outside of the lyrics, this is essentially the synth pop track of the album. And you can feel it because of the lyrics, but here Trent plays around with the synths in an interesting way alongside the down tempo beat. Other nice things are that the beat and the synth pads/patterns really do hit for me."The Only Time" – 4:47
PHM’s second to last track is none other than The Only Time. Another slower song on the album, but features more aggression than the previous track “That’s What I Get.” Notably using the same recognizable melodic synth voice as “Down In It,” as well as a strong bassline. After the first chorus, the iconic keyboard synth melody is played. While NIN does not play this song anymore, this melody comes back for live versions of Closer from the Downward Spiral when they get into the breakdown, which I’ve personally always been a fan of.
The song kicks into second gear for the chorus the second and final times through featuring much more anger and aggression. Trent’s voice has always been one of my favorites in music. Very expressive and clear with intent in my opinion. Strong industrial rock vibes here and it pays off well."Ringfinger" – 5:40
Ending the album is this goth club banger: Ringfinger. Pulsating beat alongside synth patterns start the song off with vocals from Trent. Leading into this eerie synth, backing vocals and bassline and then into this killer guitar. Once the beat kicks in you start to get more stuff layered in. Of all the songs on this album, this definitely feels at home in its late 80s vibe. The samples and drum patterns as well as the loud guitar bring it all together. At the end of the track this funky guitar comes through, heavy synths, samples all over the place. To be honest its always wild going back to Ringfinger. One of the most underrated tracks in the NIN discography for sure. There’s even goddamn record scratching at the end. Public Enemy influence showing its hand. Just so wild.
All in all, Pretty Hate Machine still stands to the tests of time. So much of this album is just so catchy and addictive. The gothic industrial sound that Trent Reznor was going for and clearly influenced by is strong throughout. But whereas other industrial bands or artists at the time weren’t that huge, this was because of its songwriting. All in all, Pretty Hate Machine owns incredibly hard. I can’t wait to get into the rest of NIN’s discography on here.