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We're In This Together

Originally published in Kerrang! on December 1, 1999

We're In This Together
(Nothing/Interscope)
KKKK

Formats:
Three-track CD1("We're In This Together"/"The Day The World Went Away(Quiet Version)"/"The Day The World Went Away(Porter Ricks Mix)")
Three-track CD2 ("We're In This Together"/"10 Miles High"/"The New Flesh")
Three-track CD3 ("We're In This Together"/"Complication"/"The Perfect Drug")

THE ALBUM version of this song is almost seven minutes long. The single edit has been shaved down substantially but still weighs in at a radio-unfriendly five minutes plus. The stunning Head Like A Hole aside, Nine Inch Nails have never really been a singles band - and indeed, this song works better in the context of the album, but it is still able to stand alone as a shining example of Trent Reznor's craft.

And craft it is. Reznor is an artisan, carefully piecing his music together as opposed to just opening the floodgates like America. The result is a track that is instantly recognisable as Nine Inch Nails. There's the dark, pulsing beat, the exemplary use of menacing dynamics and the perfect production. What you won't find are any surprises - but while NIN are at times a little formulaic, the formula they stick to is superb.

Transcribed by Keith Duemling

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