Nine Inch Nails: “The Fragile” (Album Review)

Genres: Industrial Rock, Art Rock, Alternative Rock

        Following up an album like The Downward Spiral, both narratively and sonically, would be a difficult task for any band. This is what makes Nine Inch Nails so impressive, as The Fragile reaffirms that they are not just any band. Exploring the depths that The Downward Spiral plunges into, this record isn’t afraid to expand on the themes of self-hate and desperation. Hope is another theme that gets introduced here, which ends up serving as a great progression from the previous two albums. Progression is a key word for this record, with importance place of the potential to become better, and in being saved. 

      Whereas The Downward Spiral focuses on the inner world, The Fragile explores the connection between individuals. Even from a position of darkness and fragility, we see the determination to help someone else in a similar position. All over the record there are powerful moments of the intense desire to want better for another person. One of the strongest of these is on the album’s self-titled track, with a chorus that repeats the line, “I won’t let you fall apart”. This is a sentiment of pure compassion, being right there for someone you love. This adds layers to the narrative of the album and to the Nine Inch Nails discography as a whole. 

        As a double album, The Fragile features the typical and obvious flaws of being somewhat bloated and longer than necessary, but it doesn’t feel too distracted despite this. Both discs feature incredible songs, where it’s clear that the buildup and created atmosphere are the emphasized features. After looking at the record as a whole, it’s hard to deny a success on this front. The raw and gritty industrial sound makes every expression of emotion much more passionate. Untamed feelings are allowed to run free, but they’re also refined to be more structured. “Into The Void” is a song about losing the very concept of the self, mainly through lyrical repetition. What elevates this concept to a higher level is through the layered vocals, which makes it a surprisingly dynamic track. Many songs on the album are similarly deepened by thoughtful production and engaging vocal performances.

       Trent Reznor is an expert at wonderfully executing his vision. Although it’s definitely  conceptually strong, the way in which one the concepts are brought to fruition is the primary reason why The Fragile is effective. This record deals with many intense emotions, so intensity is a quality that the listener needs to understand and feel. However, due to the length of the album, the industrial sounds can be overbearing, and it feels like Reznor is fighting against them in an effort to show his full vocal performance. There’s some struggle in the way that the full portrait is shown, but it’s beautiful nonetheless. With The Fragile, preexisting concepts are not just expanded upon, but also portrayed in a new light, creating a narrative that could stand strong on its own.

Favorite Tracks: Where is Everybody?, Even Deeper, Into The Void, The Wretched, We’re In This Together, No, You Don’t, Please, Just Like You Imagined, The Fragile

Least Favorites: 

Enjoyment: High 8

Critically: High 8

Arbitrary Number: 8.8/10