Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch

[Cryptowen]

PS is he drinking/doing drugs again?

i dunno! but i agree with you, there definitely does seem to be something bringing the old fire back - specifically that sense of "I'm very angry about life in general & the only way I can address it is by putting as much weird shit as I can into a pop song" (which is more effective now that he finally seems to be maturing a bit as a lyricist in his 50s).

 

So many artists I was into when I was younger went through a similar career trajectory of doing all of their truly intense//compelling work early in their careers, and then settling into something far safer & more predictable once they got successful. So it's inspiring to finally see one hit that point (ie doing oscar winning ambient soundtracks for films) & then as a decently old dude decide to start making something that sounds this much like walking into uncharted territory.

[Polytrix]

The last three tracks on this are absolute class!

[modey]

Yeah, there's a lot of really great stuff going on in the last half of this album. The last two EPs didn't really make me want to listen regularly but I'm keen to keep listening to this. Maybe I can treat all three releases as one big album..

[Cryptowen]

ppl who've been to recent live shows: have they stylistically fucked around with the older tracks like they sometimes do? I really dug whatever tour it was a couple years back, where they had a guy doing jazzy basslines & some backing female soul vocalists. Really put a new spin on some of the back catalogue (particularly thinking of this version of sanctified:

 

 

shit's so funkayyy

[modey]

Ah yeah, that's one of my favourite things about NIN live, really makes it worth going along to the shows. Even/especially the smaller changes like the heavier Terrible Lie with the jammy section at the end.

[Joyrex]

OK, so I forgot this came out, and decided to listen to it on my way to get dinner last night (since it was only a 6-track 30 minute EP).

 

What. The. Fuck. Tront.

 

This is the most uninspired, cringey music I have ever heard from NIN - even the beats were simplistic and basic, nothing like we all know Tront is capable of producing. His take on 303 acid beats sounds like something you'd hear on a "303 for beginners" demo. Totally gutted this was such a disappointment, especially after the praise it has been receiving.

 

I think he really needs to stick to ambient soundtracks and hang up the angsty rocker persona once and for all.

[Richie Sombrero]

I'll have to listen to it now.

[oscillik]

I thought this was quite good.

[Cryptowen]

for me it's getting better with subsequent (focused) listens. there's lots of little details & a decent amount of "i dunno what that is actually" sounds (which doesn't happen very often for me these days)

[beerwolf]

I think Joyrex has had a few sherberts

[Avarik]

OK, so I forgot this came out, and decided to listen to it on my way to get dinner last night (since it was only a 6-track 30 minute EP).

 

What. The. Fuck. Tront.

 

This is the most uninspired, cringey music I have ever heard from NIN - even the beats were simplistic and basic, nothing like we all know Tront is capable of producing. His take on 303 acid beats sounds like something you'd hear on a "303 for beginners" demo. Totally gutted this was such a disappointment, especially after the praise it has been receiving.

 

I think he really needs to stick to ambient soundtracks and hang up the angsty rocker persona once and for all.

 

This

[Zephyr_Nova]

OK, so I forgot this came out, and decided to listen to it on my way to get dinner last night (since it was only a 6-track 30 minute EP).

 

What. The. Fuck. Tront.

 

This is the most uninspired, cringey music I have ever heard from NIN - even the beats were simplistic and basic, nothing like we all know Tront is capable of producing. His take on 303 acid beats sounds like something you'd hear on a "303 for beginners" demo. Totally gutted this was such a disappointment, especially after the praise it has been receiving.

 

I think he really needs to stick to ambient soundtracks and hang up the angsty rocker persona once and for all.

 

Banned.

[Joyrex]

 

OK, so I forgot this came out, and decided to listen to it on my way to get dinner last night (since it was only a 6-track 30 minute EP).

 

What. The. Fuck. Tront.

 

This is the most uninspired, cringey music I have ever heard from NIN - even the beats were simplistic and basic, nothing like we all know Tront is capable of producing. His take on 303 acid beats sounds like something you'd hear on a "303 for beginners" demo. Totally gutted this was such a disappointment, especially after the praise it has been receiving.

 

I think he really needs to stick to ambient soundtracks and hang up the angsty rocker persona once and for all.

 

Banned.

 

Hey, just an opinion on the internet - I think what might have really coloured my expectations was listening to bits of The Downward Spiral the other day, along with some of my favourites from Hesitation Marks - THAT is Tront at his best, IMO.

[oscillik]

Hesitation Marks? BANNED

[Joyrex]

Hesitation Marks? BANNED

That's what I love about music and opinions... so subjective!

 

Sure - Hesitation Marks has some notable NIN songs:

 

Came Back Haunted

Satellite

Copy of A

[kirm]

I actually quite liked Hesitation marks but seems mad to say this new e.p is more cringey and uninspired! This is the most vital NIN have sounded for ages

 

Only had couple of listens to the 2 previous e.ps as they didn't seem to do much for me but after loving this think I may have to re-listen

[Zephyr_Nova]

I actually quite liked Hesitation marks but seems mad to say this new e.p is more cringey and uninspired! This is the most vital NIN have sounded for ages

 

Only had couple of listens to the 2 previous e.ps as they didn't seem to do much for me but after loving this think I may have to re-listen

 

Absolutely.  JR is way outta line.  

Add Violence to me sounded like it was leading up to something that could be potentially great, and BW delivered.  Not sure how he settles on album/song titles though, and why no one ever talks him out of it.  Or maybe they do and that's when he knows it's right.

[Cryptowen]

^yeah at this point i'm not even sure where i stand with NIN titles & lyrics. like they're usually so goofy, but T-Rez always seems so commited in the delivery that he almost sells it as being something far more poetic. i used to be more embarassed by them when i was younger, but now i find something charmingly amateurish & honest about them, especially in comparison to how refined the sound design is

 

also hesitation marks is another NIN release that I only listened to a couple times. i do remember liking tracks off it quite a bit more in their live versions, where it felt like things were beefed up a bit

[jules]

hesitation marks is funky as shit

[Kavinsky]

so confused by this track, from 2:00 onwards i thought wow that next track is badass 60 sec later it ended. that guitar riff combined with the phasing/flanging effect on the guitar is sick!

[tec]

I genuinely thought Bowie was singing on a track and thought how sweet it was. It's still sweet, I don't mind, but it really sounds like Bowie in places.

[Zephyr_Nova]

Yeah, I was pretty surprised he could pull off such a good Bowie impression.  Didn't know he could sing with vibrato, period.  GBDTD is a pretty awesome Bowie homage really. 

[modey]

This has made me go back and revisit the other recent NIN releases, mostly the EPs (of which I'd only listened to once) but also Hesitation Marks. I'm enjoying the EPs! It'd be interesting to create an optimal playlist for the "trilogy" of the EPs and Bad Witch.

[Zephyr_Nova]

 that guitar riff combined with the phasing/flanging effect on the guitar is sick!

 

Yeah that is maybe the coolest use of phase I've ever heard in a song.  It sounds like the microphones were actually being physically moved rather than it being a plugin.  First time that thought has ever occurred to me when hearing a phase effect.  I'm sure it's been done though.  It's something I've always thought about doing but never got around to.

[colunga]

This has made me go back and revisit the other recent NIN releases, mostly the EPs (of which I'd only listened to once) but also Hesitation Marks. I'm enjoying the EPs! It'd be interesting to create an optimal playlist for the "trilogy" of the EPs and Bad Witch.

 

 

This thread on the nin subreddit was a fun read. I went with Shit Spiral hehe.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nin/comments/8ski27/alternate_track_listings_and_the_reasons_why/