Despite boasting such a dominant frontman, his wife and co-vocalist Mariqueen Maandig’s harmonious vocals rule here
Even though it falls apart towards the end and could stand to cut a few songs, Welcome oblivion is a powerful record, both musically and thematically.
The album’s landscape is mostly littered with bits and pieces of scattered NIN-style electronic debris
At its best, Welcome Oblivion is undecided and unfocused, with moments of intrigue scattered through songs that wander on an album that rambles.
Welcome oblivion is a technical marvel, as everything the good Dr. Reznor works on becomes, even if its unintentional reprisals of earlier NIN material hamper it from a critical standpoint.
The aspirations here are lofty, as always, if less reflective than your average NIN lament; the songs swell, bobble, and even leak from the seams under the pressure.
Instead of a transformative listening experience that allows you to wallow in your own bleak thoughts, it’s is a disappointedly depressing one.
Welcome Oblivion depicts How to Destroy Angels as a little adrift, mixing road-weary maturity with rookie mistakes.
Welcome oblivion often comes across as messy, uninteresting and sometimes half baked but it does have moments of pure brilliance sadly they are few and far between.
Track Review
The wake-up 7/10
Keep it together 6/10
And the sky began to scream 5/10
Welcome oblivion 5.5/10
Ice age 5.5/10
On the wing 5/10
Too late, all gone 6.5/10
How long? 6/10
Strings and attractors 5.5/10
We fade away 4.5/10
Recursive self-improvement 5/10
The loop closes 5.5/10
Hallowed ground 6/10
Average: 5.6/10
An ambitious, intriguing, and often rather powerful record that unfortunately feels aimless and uncertain, it's well worth a listen but there isn't much on it that makes me want to return other than to have a coldly ambient soundtrack
1 | The Wake-Up 1:43 | 92 |
2 | Keep It Together 4:27 | 85 |
3 | And The Sky Began To Scream 3:57 | 83 |
4 | Welcome Oblivion 3:47 | 98 |
5 | Ice Age 6:57 | 90 |
6 | On The Wing 4:52 | 80 |
7 | Too Late, All Gone 6:15 | 99 |
8 | How Long? 3:54 | 95 |
9 | Strings And Attractors 4:28 | 100 |
10 | We Fade Away 6:41 | 80 |
11 | Recursive Self-Improvement 6:28 | 70 |
12 | The Loop Closes 4:50 | 82 |
13 | Hallowed Ground 7:19 | 80 |