Wired Review of the Downward Spiral by Colin Berry.
One might dismiss the dark, autobiographical follow-up to 1989's
Pretty Hate Machine as self-indulgent bombast, but The Downward Spiral
is too tight and lean, snarling at the end of its chain, to do so. Trent
Reznor's broad songwriting spectrum and sheer range of volume compensate
for his narrow emotional breadth, with eternally pissed off vocals hissing
through Spiral's driving hard beats, guitar fuzz, synth, and touches of
acoustic piano. Lyrical content prevents much radio airplay: Better grab a
copy before Reznor kicks your ass and writes a song about it.
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jason patterson, (patt