Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism (Interscope)
3/5
By: Keri Kennedy
What is a man to do when he's run out of personal traumas to write songs about? Take on the worlds problems? Trent Reznor seems to think so. Reznor has publicly defeated drug addiction and alcoholism, coming out clean on 2005's 'With Teeth', decidedly the most poppy effort in NINs catalogue. This years follow up however, 'Year Zero' - 'Survivalism' being the first single - apparently began as an experiment that ended up as a 16 track concept album about the end of the world, set 15 years in the future. Heavy stuff then.
'Survivalism' echoes 'March Of The Pigs', only more minimal, with a start-stop grinding electronic bassline running through it and a marching, distorted beat. Reznors trademark quiet-loud-quiet vocal style is prominent and as angsty as ever, though, unlike 'Closer' and many previous singles, 'Survivalism' plods along without any climax.
However, there's an obvious message Reznor is aiming to get across; human greed and the effect on the planet: 'I should have listened to her/So hard to keep control/We kept on eating but our bloated belly's still not full' and the possibility of blame: 'We did just what you told us/Lost our faith along the way and found ourselves believing your lies'. I wonder who that line is aimed at.
If this is a taste of Year Zero, we're in for a difficult listen. Something makes me think it's intentional.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment