Since it burst onto the music scene in 1989 with its debut effort, "Pretty Hate Machine," Nine Inch Nails has long been characterized as a front for the solo aspirations of lead singer Trent Reznor.
With the release of the live album "And All That Could Have Been," the group does not do much to refute these charges, as the talents of Reznor are again the focal point.
Reznor revitalized the Goth movement in the early 1990s with his dark lyrics and commanding personality. By blending industrial music with heavy metal, Reznor got kids out of their everyday clothes and brought them in black trenchcoat legions to NIN shows.
The band, however, has been limited by Reznor's perfectionism as it has only released four full-length albums in 13 years.
Contrasted with their earlier performances, Reznor and company took more risks on last year's "Fragility v2.0 Tour," which was launched in support of their most recent studio effort, "The Fragile." "And All That Could Have Been" captures 16 of the best performances from the 43-date tour across North America.
The album is not short on the traditional Reznor themes of self-loathing and repudiation -- topics particuarly apparent on "Sin" and "Gave Up."
Powered by high b.p.m. industrial sampling, the tunes provide the perfect forum for Reznor to let loose on the raucous crowd. Amid sludgy guitars and feedback that recalls Jimi Hendrix, Reznor proclaims on "Gave Up," "After all I've done, I hate myself."
And to show that the group has not gone soft, the album includes angry versions of the rebellious songs "Suck" and "Head Like a Hole." The messages of alienation and rage are echoed in the screaming and harsh effects. With a James Hetfield-like (Metallica) riff blazing in the background of "Suck," Reznor admits, "Once I could see; now I am blind."
Reznor shows what he's made of when the spotlight is on him alone. On "Piggy," he explodes into a forceful rant, declaring, "Nothing can stop me now." And, indeed, nothing stops him as he breaks out into a piano solo that lucidly captures the impending doom of the song.
He continues his mastery on the instrumental, "The Frail," which serves as the preamble to the Black Sabbath-laden "The Wretched." Showcasing his dynamic finger work, Reznor busts out a slower and more emotional solo that creates a dramatic climax.
Reznor also rises to the challenge and displays another side of himself on the album's closer and best track, "Hurt." His powerful lyrics and icy delivery are reinforced by the soft, cool rhythm of the tune. In a sign of distress, he pronounces, "I focus on the pain -- the only thing that's real."
The album, though, is not without its shortcomings. "The Great Below" is quite flat and exposes the weaknesses of the band. There is a clear connection between Reznor's obsession with failure and success and the album's submissive title.
"Wish" and "Starf---ers Inc." are also weak and sound like repeats of one another, as both feature ominous lyrics and whiny guitar work -- I must concede, however, that after 45 minutes of screaming, all the songs start to blend together.
In another one of the album's defining moments, on "Closer," NIN provides an impressive alternative to the regimented studio take. This version of the smash hit that was featured on 1994's "The Downward Spiral" shows the take-no-prisoners side of Reznor.
Through muffled hooks and a funky bass, the live adaptation of "Closer" has a greater impact than the original.
This funky experimentation is seen also on "The Mark Has Been Made." The cool bass lines are in stark contrast to the muddy guitar lines. This counterbalance contains hints of The Doors' classic 10-minute epic, "The End."
The band doesn't stray far from its punk roots that are so entrenched in their sound. The group's grating guitar work and menacing sampling on "Gave Up" and "The Day the World Went Away" show their fans that things have not changed that much since Reznor started the band back in Cleveland.
No one can doubt Trent Reznor's musical abilities. But one has to question the way in which he displays them. Blaring vocals in front of a mediocre band is one way to get your point across. But this, like the album, leaves me thinking about "All That Could Have Been."
