I remembered back in college, one of my friends who used to lived in the same hall as I did told me two bands that he used to listen when he was growing up. The first one was Depeche Mode which came up when we were talking about electronic music. The other and this was probably his favorite of the two was Nine Inch Nails. He was fond of them during the early 90's when he first listen to their debut record, Pretty Hate Machine. For me personally, I had never indulged in any of their music. Maybe it was because I was too young to know about them. My friend and I did have a good 10 year gap between us. The only encounter I did have with NIN's music was video called The Perfect Drug which is a single from the soundtrack off the 1997 film, Lost Highway. We continued with our conversation band and talked about everything from music style to which albums were the best and even revealing to me that NIN has only one core member, which is Trent Reznor. When he revealed that to me, it completely threw me off guard because I was never aware that one person can represent the idenity of an entire band. I thought it was the coolest thing at the time. Our conversation about NIN ignited my interest in the band and I began my listening spree trying to obtain as much listening material as possible. After listening to some of their albums, I realize that he was right about one thing. Although, Pretty Hate Machine was a stellar debut, The Downward Spiral is the best album in his catalog.
After announcing in 2009 that Nine Inch Nails was no longer a touring band, the mulit-instrumentalist/songwriter began work on new material for a new music project. In 2010, he revealed that his new project will be with his wife Mariqueen Maandig and fellow collaborator Atticus Ross and named the project How To Destroy Angels. Like Trent Reznor's previous works with Nine Inch Nails (Ghosts I-IV and The Slip), How To Destroy Angels' EP is available for download for free on their official website. I immediately downloaded it and started listening to it. Like Ghosts I-IV and The Slip, the electronic aspect of the project is very strong, but it brought upon a strong conceptual vibe to it. I was imagining that I woke up from a deep sleep and witnessing the aftermath of a post-apocalytic war. While listening, my mind painted a picture of a desolate wasteland in which cities are ruins and where life is scarce. The music created a dark and lonely atmosphere. However, beyond the ashes of the wasteland, there is a gleam of hope. That hope came in the form of Mariqueen Maandig. Despite the name of the band, her voice is delicate and very angelic. She brings life to the music on the EP. Although, her voice gave the music depth, it feels as though that throughout the EP her voice merely blends in the background of atmospheric sounds, but not too much to the point where she's unnoticed. However, the true highlight of the EP is the final track "A Drowning" and this is where Mariqueen Maandig truly shines. Her voice really stands out past the atmospheric sounds of electronics and drum beats and showcases her strength and grace as it closes the album on a powerful note.
Although this is a mere preview of the things to come from How To Destroy Angels, this EP is a solid record filled with stunning atmonspheric electronic landscapes featuring stunning vocals from Mariqueen Maandig. Since the EP is free download, I highly recommend giving this album a listen, whether you are a long time fan of Nine Inch Nails or even just a fan of electronic music. If you would like to download the album, click HERE. If you are willing to spend a little cash (it's very small, trust me), you can also download the album in lossless audio and it comes with their stellar video "The Space In Between". Or if you absolutely love the album, there are bundles on sale where you can buy the EP and it comes with a T-shirt. Either way, don't miss out on one of the best EPs of 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment