AOTY 2023
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Critic Score
Based on 6 reviews
1994 Ratings: #82 / 425
User Score
1994 Ratings: #4
Liked by 836 people
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

100
AllMusic

The Downward Spiral positioned Trent Reznor as industrial's own Phil Spector, painting detailed, layered soundscapes from a wide tonal palette.

100
Sputnikmusic

Although The Downward Spiral is splenetic and furious, everyone can identify with it on some level. We may not like to admit it, but the way in which we propelled this album into the upper echelons of popular culture speaks louder than our words.

83
Entertainment Weekly
On its second full-length album, Nine Inch Nails advances further along the path of radio-friendly aural terrorism.
80
Rolling Stone

The Downward Spiral is music the blade runner might throw down to: low-tech futurism that rocks.

40
NME
The scale here maybe more cinematic than previously, but Reznor still only has two speeds – menacing croon or demented howl.
BradTasteMusic
98

disgusting. vid coming soon

PipePanic
100

Perfection. Listen to it if you have even a vauge interest in hard rock.

EDIT: OK, maybe I should elaborate. It album is dark, ugly, dirty, brutal and disgusting, like a pig playing in mud and relishing everything that is found in the dirt. But while it does house heavy, disgusting and brutal instrumentation, it's true perfection lies in the lyrics. The album is a concept album about someone taking their own life, what lead up to that moment and how it effects the people around the main ... read more

ThePurpleIdiot
100

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

While I’m writing this, I’m honestly in one of the worst days of my entire life. I have been suicidal for almost a year, and it’s all currently built up to this. I have been the most suicidal today, but I won’t get to into it. I finally heard this album, after not wanting to for a while, but here I am. I was crying the entire way through this album, it was the most beautiful yet depressing album I’ve ever heard, INCREDIBLY hard hitting. Anyways, ... read more

90

Low 9/10
Fav song: Hurt

gebhi
95

Ive listened to this album a lot. Only now have I been paying attention to the lyrics.

As the name implies, this is a downward spiral. a concept album about a man losing it all to existence, a horror story thats tragically retold day after day. Nine Inch Nails allows us to step into this world for just a brief minute and experience that pain. Its brash, its violent, its tearing everything up. I feel life disintegrate from my two hands and get blown away by a brisk wind. The whole album has ... read more

Jlepileo03
90

An experimental OPUS.

Purchasing The Downward Spiral from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

1Mr. Self Destruct
4:29
96
2Piggy
4:24
93
3Heresy
3:54
94
4March of the Pigs
2:58
95
5Closer
6:13
98
6Ruiner
4:58
95
7The Becoming
5:31
93
8I Do Not Want This
5:41
91
9Big Man with a Gun
1:36
88
10A Warm Place
3:22
92
11Eraser
4:54
94
12Reptile
6:51
94
13The Downward Spiral
3:57
92
14Hurt
6:13
98
Total Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Year End Lists

#4/Spin

Please stay on topic. To go off topic, head to the General Chat.

Sign in to comment
1d
2w
3w
4w
1mo


Added on: October 13, 2012