Archive for July, 2007

It’s weird. I’ve plugged in my blog into facebook and for the longest time blogging was a personal diary of sorts; a notebook of things from the journey. As social networking has developed, blogging has transformed into a little bit of  back channel method of communication. I’m still not used to it. Words have effect. With that said, I cautiously offer up my latest review:

In April of this year, Trent Reznor released his latest recording entitled ‘Year Zero’ I’ve come to appreciate Trent’s work from a distance and from his precipitating fan base; there are a number of computer geeks I know that are into his music. It seems he touches a nerve. Normally, I would have not given it much notice because a large body of his writing centers nihilism and on his disenfranchisement with organized religion and God, in general. There are moments, however, when he’s not expressing anger or hatred toward Christians when his strongest writing comes out. He betrays himself as a thinker and his writing becomes thoughtful and well articulated. With Year Zero, his focus turns to the political world and his perceptions of growing injustice. The CD has a back story set in the year 2022 where America has turned into a dictatorship and the world is feeling the effects of climate change.

Musically, the disc is extremely accessible and even, dare it be said, radio friendly. Although there are a few harsher instrumentals with ‘HyperPower’, ‘Another version of the truth’, and the almost instrumental ‘Zero Sum’, the greater share of the tracks are a little less harsh industrial rock tracks.

Throughout the disc, Reznor flurts with the idea of organized religion and the implications of confusing nationalism with a more authentic relationship with God; religion in the meta story surrounding the release is nationalism. His main criticism in his writing centers around the dangerous idea of nation as god. One of the core tracks that emphasizes this idea is ‘Captial G’ whose chorus rings ‘I used to stand for something/now I’m on my hands and knees/trading in my god for this one/he signs his name with a capital G’. It’s easy to write this track off as another Christian slam, however, listening to the whole song betrays his real meaning–the god he refers to in the song is George Bush, or more generally, nationalism.

Another interesting theme running throughout the disc is the total depravity of man; that if you leave a person to their own devices they will ultimately screw it up. He describes with gritty detail the sinful nature that sits inside everyone and comes infinitely close to asking God for help in parts. For example, in Zero Sum, in Solomon-like fasion he exclaims ‘God have mercy on our souls/God have mercy on our dirty little hearts/We just wanted to know what it was like/All we are worth is zeros and ones’. Much of the content of the disc describes the thirst for power and significance and finding it hollow when when it was finally attained.

Hurt, disillusionment and need are themes that permeate this disc. Reznor is perhaps his most honest and vulnerable in his writing and his normal overt anger is replaced with a genuine desire to find an answer. This is the primary reason why Year Zero is so strong; it touches a larger need that we all share in a desire to see justice where evil is encamped.

One of the strongest sentiments that I think Christianity could step into is the fear that is pervasive on the CD. The lead single, survivalism pays homage to the fear that seems to permeate our lives as Americans and how we react to the world stage. Understanding where this fear comes from, which Reznor outlines so well, really is a step in helping understand people we interact with and helping love them well.

As intelligent as the CD is and as accurate as it is in it’s description of the need for justice a review should not go without caution; There are a number of profanities on the disc. Any Nine Inch Nails disc should be approached overall with caution given Reznor’s bent towards nihilism. However, it’s not uncommon to know a Nine Inch Nails fan given how well he describes the hurt and disillusionment that  is so prevalent, it is important to know what you’re talking about at releases like this are good common ground to discuss exactly what causes that hurt and where a Christian world view could speak.

If you’re looking for specific tracks to grab on iTunes, try ‘The Beginning of the End’, ‘Good Soldier’, and the post-modern anthem ‘In This Twilight’.