Nine Inch nails – With Teeth.

In an attempt to avoid all manner of dodgy clichés that seem to follow the periodical release of a new Nine Inch Nails album, and avoiding all obligatory references to Trent Reznor(such as moody troubled and elusive)

With Teeth has been released in various formats, either in an attempt to cater for all tastes or to boost sales because of Nine inch nails fanatical fan base will go out and buy every single version of the album. However I have been forced to review the normal cut down version because my copy is in transit and unable to contain myself I listened to it on line...alot.

The first thing that strikes you about his album is the Rawness from the opening track ‘all the love in the world’ through to the melancholy’ ‘right were it belongs’ it is heavier in a rock/metal sense and relies less on the complex layers of snyth chords and ambient noise.

First impression are of course important and in my initial listen it sounded more like an album that should have come somewhere between pretty hate machine and Broken. It has the basic synth sound of the PHM interspersed with the guitar heaviness of Broken.

It does not sound like the follow up to the fragile which for it’s flaws demonstrated a frightening amount of maturity and range in it’s musical depth, From the noisy(and quite frankly unlistenably) day the world went a way to the Lilting La mere which showed I believe a maturity to Trent Reznors writing and musical ability

With teeth has little of The Fragile's musical range. That is not to say that this is a bad album, it has nearly everything you come to expect from a NIN album The opening track sets the tempo for the rest of the album, which is unremitting in it assault on your ears, apart from the now obligatory quiet whispering bit in the middle with plinky piano.

However one welcome omission is the Anthem that seems to be the apart of every NIN album, the one that all the teens will be listening to with the word FUCK in it countless times.

That’s not to say this is an album that is constant throughout their a few dips in quality, the title track With teeth, is weak, not a bad song but poor song in the context of NINs work. Trent ’s’ singing would not sound out of place on a Cheese metal album (Waith Teetha) and sounds shite

However there are three exceptional tracks on this album ‘everyday is exactly the same’ starts in a traditional NIN manner heavy drums and haunting vocals, which builds to a storming and catchy chorus.

‘Only’ has a Billie jean beat to it with a dirty synth chord and down tuned bass, is again a catchy tune and again guaranteed to fill dance floors (and the track I am looking forward to hearing live in July)

‘Sunspots’ another more pretty hate machine than the fragile, catchy and definite single material.

Interestingly the reception of this album has been weird and in many respects exactly the same as all NIN albums receive. The usual critics

NME who referred to the downward spiral as not scary not dangerous just sad. And if you wanted a truly frightening album buy PJ Harvey. Consider with teeth tired and sad that a man touching forty should be singing about perceived teen angst, not that it gives it much credence when they review the rolling stones they think it is great they sing about shagging girls 50 years their junior.

The Independent latched onto the age thing also, because obviously a man who is forty and reads the independent should be singing about natural fibres, saving the whale and a recipe for a simple yet hearty lentil soup. They accuse Trent of lacking the irony of his one time protégé Marilyn Manson, I’m sorry I have missed something from the Antichrist god of fuck…I must just be stupid and don’t get it.

Then of course there is the Industrial community who think it is NIN ‘Load’ when they have finally sold out and try to cash in. one small inaccuracy is that Metallica sold out massively in the Black album (Bob Rock for Christ sake) and as with all these ‘Scenesters’ they won’t like it because you have heard of it and it may break down barriers into their wee elite.

Apart from the weird reviews and reception it has received (it’s sold 272,000 copies in north America already)All and all an album of one shit song, three exceptional tracks and Nine other songs which are good but do not live up to the expectation and the unfortunately high standard NIN has set itself.

An album that is a good entry point into NIN and to this ‘type’ of music and is still one of the best albums I have heard in a very long time