Industrial for the people
With Teeth (4 out of 6)
By Stig Henning Morken for Neste Klikk on May 3, 2005
Although many only know Trent Reznor as the guy-who-made-the-cool-Johnny-Cash-song-that-played-on-MTV, Reznor and Nine Inch Nails is so much more than the song âHurtâ or [Norwegian] Idol (Erik Flaa sang it during country evening a few weeks ago).
This is the king of pitch-dark industrial rock who once in a while surfaces to give his fans something to scream about!
Nine Inch Nails (Reznor is NIN, and NIN is Reznor) broke through with âThe Downward Spiralâ (1994), which for many is the masterpiece of industrial rock.
In many ways, you can say that Reznor with that album rediscovered the youthful and melodramatic angst that grunge was about to destroy in the early nineties.
The album sold five million copies, and in addition to his own musical career, Reznor worked, among other things, as Marilyn Mansonâs producer (âSmells Like Childrenâ, âAntichrist Superstarâ).
In other words, Reznor captured the mid-nineties Zeitgeist, and since then he has released albums more or less when he himself wanted to.
With Teeth
Now heâs here with his first big release since âThe Fragileâ (1999), and on his team this time is super-producer Rick Rubin (Mars Volta, System of a Down, Slipknot, Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Ăźber-drummer Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters).
Musically speaking are these 14 songs moving in the landscape of cold, electronic and melodic rock. In other words, classic industrial rock, where Reznor first and foremost impresses as a vocalist. In many ways, Reznor resembles a cold, cynical and less polished version of Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave).
The hardest rockers are songs like âThe Collectorâ, âThe Hand That Feedsâ, âLove is Not Enoughâ, âEvery Day is Exactly the Sameâ and âWith Teethâ, and itâs easy to understand why this man is so respected.
Itâs bone-hard, gloomy, melodic, prompt and no less than splendid industrial rock. It should also be said that the record contains to very competent âballadsâ: âAll the Love in the Worldâ and âRight Where it Belongs.â
Downhill
Reznor doesnât keep our attention all that way towards the end of the record, and it could have cut by four or five tracks.
If that were the case, the jubilation and applause from yours truly would probably be about as loud as the cheers the band gets from its more fanatical fans.
Translated by Sveinung Mikkelsen