The Downward Spiral (Deluxe Edition)

iTunes Review

Recorded in a home studio that occupied the same L.A. hillside residence where the infamous Sharon Tate murders were executed by the Manson family, The Downward Spiral (Nine Inch Nails' second album) is one of the Goth-Industrial Complex’s most formidable achievements. It's rich in sonic color and devastating in its use of dynamics. The dark, sexually charged “Closer” quickly became NIN’s resilient breakthrough hit, while “March of the Pigs” underscored Reznor’s unlikely pop sensibility. The ‘Deluxe Edition’ improves the dynamics and overall sound, but is most welcomed for its generous addition of bonus material.  Two Joy Division covers (“A Violet Fluid,” “Dead Souls”), a Soft Cell cover (“All the Pigs, All Lined Up”), early alternate versions and demos of familiar tunes (“Hurt (Quiet),” “Ruiner,” “Liar,” “Heresy”) and cuts from various soundtracks (“Burn” from Natural Born Killers) all paint a better picture of the mid-90s era when Reznor was restructuring the influence and musical reach of this previously difficult-to-access genre. Reznor broke down the resistant barriers without compromising industrial music’s inherent ferocity and impact.