The Downward Spiral
Studio album by Nine Inch Nails
Released	March 8, 1994
Recorded	1993-1994 Le Pig, Beverly Hills; Record Plant Studios & A&M Studios, Los Angeles
Genre	Industrial rock
Length	65:02 (Original) 70:38 (Japanese Version) 135:40 (Deluxe Edition)
Label	Nothing Records
Producer	Trent Reznor, Flood
Professional reviews
Original Release: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (800x700, 178 KB) Cover Art for Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... “NIN” redirects here. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... “Beverly Hills” redirects here. ... Record Plant Studios (also known as just The Record Plant) is a famous recording studio, first opening in New York City at 321 West 44th Street map, in 1968. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Industrial rock is a musical genre which is a fusion of post-industrial music and rock music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) and John Malm, Jr. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Mark Ellis a. ... All Music Guide link Rolling Stone 3/24/94, p.92 Robert Christgau link Deluxe Edition: The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... All Music Guide link Pitchfork Media (8.3/10) link
Nine Inch Nails chronology
Fixed (1992) The Downward Spiral (1994) Further Down the Spiral (1995)
Alternate cover
Deluxe Edition cover art
Singles from The Downward Spiral
"March of the Pigs" Released: February 25, 1994 "Closer to God" Released: May 30, 1994

The Downward Spiral (also known as Halo 8) is an LP by Nine Inch Nails (NIN), released in 1994. It is the eighth official Nine Inch Nails halo release and the band's third major release. The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork and occasionally shortened to P4K or pfork,[1] is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... “NIN” redirects here. ... Fixed (also known as Halo 6) is an EP by Nine Inch Nails released in 1992. ... Further Down the Spiral (US version also known as Halo 10 and UK version also known as Halo 10v2) is an EP by Nine Inch Nails released in 1995. ... image of nins halo 8 (downward spiral) deluxe edition File links The following pages link to this file: The Downward Spiral ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... March of the Pigs (also known as Halo 7) a single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1994. ... is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Closer to God (also known as Halo 9) is a single by Nine Inch Nails released in 1994 for the song Closer from the album The Downward Spiral. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... This is the discography of the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... “NIN” redirects here. ... Trent Reznor, frontman and sole member of Nine Inch Nails The following is a comprehensive discography of Nine Inch Nails, an American industrial rock band formed in 1988 by Trent Reznor. ...

The album's success propelled NIN into the public consciousness, especially after the release of its popular second single, "Closer", which was accompanied by a controversial video directed by Mark Romanek. Some critics have stated that this album demonstrates a maturation of Trent Reznor's pop music sensibility, and credit his ability to blend it with taboo themes (as seen in the catchy "Closer"). The album served as basis for a remix album entitled Further Down the Spiral, released in 1995. It was ranked 25 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005". It was ranked #488 in the book 'The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time' by Martin Popoff.In 2001 Q magazine named The Downward Spiral as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time.^[1] In 2003, the album was ranked number 200 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. ^[2] Closer to God (also known as Halo 9) is a single by Nine Inch Nails released in 1994 for the song Closer from the album The Downward Spiral. ... Mark Romanek (born September 18, 1959) is an award-winning American music video director who has also moved into directing theatrical films. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ... Further Down the Spiral (US version also known as Halo 10 and UK version also known as Halo 10v2) is an EP by Nine Inch Nails released in 1995. ... Spin is a music magazine that reports on all the music that rocks. Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. ... Martin Popoff (born 1963 in Trail, British Columbia) is a Canadian-born music journalist and critic who covers the genre of heavy metal music. ... Q is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 140,282 and a readership of 731,000. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

Its final song, "Hurt", was covered by Johnny Cash shortly before his death in 2003, and the song is sometimes mistakenly attributed in authorship to Cash. However, one line of the lyrics was altered: 'crown of shit' became 'crown of thorns', possibly to remove the profanity but also in reference to Christ's passion. For the Christina Aguilera song, see Hurt (Christina Aguilera song). ... In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... For the song of the same name, recorded by Tracy Byrd and later by Jason Aldean, see Johnny Cash (song). ... Lyrics are the words in songs. ... The Passion is the theological term used for the suffering, both physical and mental, of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion. ...

Concept by Interpretation

There are several layers of metaphors that move throughout the album, which opens it to a multitude of interpretations. As a whole, The Downward Spiral is replete with Nietzschean concepts; existentialism is without a doubt one if its fundaments. It is a concept album in which the overarching plot follows the character along his life's "Downward Spiral". While this character can be understood as a representation of Reznor himself (Metal Edge July 2005) In the television series Andromeda, the Nietzscheans are a race of genetically engineered humans who quite religiously follow the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Social Darwinism and Dawkinite genetic competitiveness. ... Existentialism is a philosophical movement which claims that individual human beings create the meanings of their own lives. ... In popular music, a concept album is an album which is unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical (Shuker 2002, p. ...

The satirical elements of Big Man With A Gun as well as the suicide and subsequent speech in The Downward Spiral and Hurt (respectively) suggest that Reznor is exploring feelings and ideas that extend beyond his own personal experiences; his experiences are nonetheless influential.

Recording

Most of the album was recorded at Le Pig in Beverly Hills, California, a studio space built by Reznor in the house where Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family. Before leaving the house, Trent claimed the infamous 'pig' door, and as of July 2006 the door is still located at the (former) Nothing Studios in New Orleans. “Beverly Hills” redirects here. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... Built in 1944 by French actress Michele Morgan, 10050 Cielo Drive was sited on 3 acres (12,000 m²) of land, high above Los Angeles with views of Sunset Boulevard and the Ocean. ... Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. ... Nothing Records was an American record label, specializing in industrial rock and electronic music, founded by Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) and John Malm, Jr. ... NOLA redirects here. ...

Reznor made a statement about working in the Tate house during a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone:

Adrian Belew makes a guest appearance, adding improvised guitar textures to the distorted sounds of "Mr. Self Destruct" and "The Becoming".^[4] Adrian Belew in concert, November 2006. ...

Tenth anniversary re-releases

On November 23, 2004, The Downward Spiral was re-released to celebrate its tenth anniversary. It is available in two versions: as a 2-disc hybrid SACD set and as a DualDisc (DVD-A on one side and CD on the reverse). The SACD version is known as The Downward Spiral: Deluxe Edition and the DVD-A version is known as The Downward Spiral: DualDisc. is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Super Audio CD (SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc format aimed at providing much higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the compact disc. ... DualDisc is a type of double-sided optical disc product developed by a group of record companies including EMI Music, Universal Music Group, Sony/BMG Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, and 5. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... “CD” redirects here. ...

Deluxe edition

The SACD version consists of two discs. Disc one is a CD/SACD hybrid. It has the original album, digitally remastered, in SACD 5.1 surround and SACD stereo on one layer (only playable in SACD players), and regular CD stereo on the other layer (playable in normal CD players). Disc two consists of b-sides, soundtrack contributions, and previously-unreleased demos presented in regular CD stereo only. Super Audio CD (SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc format aimed at providing much higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the compact disc. ... Multichannel audio is the name for a variety of techniques for expanding and enriching the sound of audio playback by recording additional sound channels that can be reproduced on additional speakers. ... Label for 2. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... A film soundtrack is the music that is from or inspired by a feature film. ... For other uses, see demo. ...

This version is labeled halo eight DE.

DualDisc

The CD-compatible side contains the digitally remastered original album, which is playable on regular CD players.

The DVD side contains:

• 5.1 surround and stereo version of the original tracks, digitally remastered
• The Downward Spiral Artwork (plays with the music in DVD-A players, viewable as a slideshow on DVD-Video players)
• Music Videos
  • "Closer" (available in 5.1 surround and stereo)
  • "March of the Pigs" (stereo)
  • "Hurt" (stereo)
• Discography, including selected bits of music from each album (starting with Broken) that run about a minute each

This is a North American release (DVD Region 1) and is labeled halo eight DVD-A. For other uses, see Broken (disambiguation). ...

Track listing

Original version

1. "Mr. Self Destruct" - 4:30
2. "Piggy" - 4:24
3. "Heresy" - 3:54
4. "March of the Pigs" - 2:58
5. "Closer" - 6:13
6. "Ruiner" - 4:58
7. "The Becoming" - 5:31
8. "I Do Not Want This" - 5:41
9. "Big Man With a Gun" - 1:36
10. "A Warm Place" - 3:22
11. "Eraser" - 4:54
12. "Reptile" - 6:51
13. "The Downward Spiral" - 3:57
14. "Hurt" - 6:13

The Japanese version also has the Joy Division cover "Dead Souls", from the soundtrack to The Crow, between "Big Man With a Gun" and "A Warm Place". March of the Pigs (also known as Halo 7) a single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1994. ... Closer to God (also known as Halo 9) is a single by Nine Inch Nails released in 1994 for the song Closer from the album The Downward Spiral. ... For the Christina Aguilera song, see Hurt (Christina Aguilera song). ... This article is about the band. ... The soundtrack to the movie The Crow was released in 1994. ... The Crow is a 1994 American film adaptation of the comic book of the same name by James OBarr (who himself makes a cameo in the film). ...

Deluxe edition

(disc 1)

• Identical to the original version, although 1 dB louder mix overall, track anomalies fixed (sounds from previous tracks creeping up on start of tracks)
• Includes SACD layer

(disc 2) For other uses, see Decibel (disambiguation). ... The phrase loudness war (or loudness race) refers to the music industrys tendency to record music at progressively higher and higher levels, to create CDs that sound perceptibly as loud as possible or louder than CDs from competing artists or recording labels. ...

• Collection of remixes and b-sides. Last three tracks previously unreleased

1. "Burn" (from the Natural Born Killers soundtrack) - 5:00
2. "Closer (Precursor)" [from Closer to God) [remixed by Coil, Danny Hyde] - 7:16
3. "Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)" [from Further Down the Spiral] [remixed by Rick Rubin] - 4:03
4. "A Violet Fluid" (from March of the Pigs) - 1:04
5. "Dead Souls" (from The Crow soundtrack) (originally by Joy Division) - 4:53
6. "Hurt (Quiet)" [from Further Down the Spiral (US version) [remixed by Trent Reznor] - 5:08
7. "Closer to God" (from Closer to God) (remixed by Reznor, Sean Beavan, Brian Pollack) - 5:06
8. "All the Pigs, All Lined Up" (from March of the Pigs) - 7:26
9. "Memorabilia" - 7:22 (from Closer to God) [originally by Soft Cell]
10. "The Downward Spiral (The Bottom)" [from Further Down the Spiral) (remixed by John Balance, Peter Christopherson, Drew McDowall, Hyde] - 7:32
11. "Ruiner (Demo)" - 4:51
12. "Liar (Reptile Demo)" - 6:57
13. "Heresy (Demo)" - 4:00

Burn is a promotional single from Nine Inch Nails for the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. ... Natural Born Killers is the soundtrack to the film Natural Born Killers. ... Closer to God (also known as Halo 9) is a single by Nine Inch Nails released in 1994 for the song Closer from the album The Downward Spiral. ... Coil was an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as Jhonn Balance—and his lover Peter Christopherson, aka Sleazy.[1] The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be inspired by... Danny Hyde is an experimental musician and renown remix artist. ... Further Down the Spiral (US version also known as Halo 10 and UK version also known as Halo 10v2) is an EP by Nine Inch Nails released in 1995. ... Frederick Jay (Rick) Rubin (born March 10, 1963 in Lido Beach, New York) is an American record producer and is currently the co-head of Columbia Records. ... March of the Pigs (also known as Halo 7) a single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1994. ... The soundtrack to the movie The Crow was released in 1994. ... Joy Division was a rock music band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Sean Beavan is a record producer/ mixer best known for his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails. ... March of the Pigs (also known as Halo 7) a single by Nine Inch Nails for the song of the same name released in 1994. ... Soft Cell is a Synth-Pop duo formed during the early 1980s. ... John Balance (first name also spelled Jhon and Jhonn; born Geff Rushton/Geoffrey Laurence Burton; February 16, 1962 – November 13, 2004). ... Peter Martin Christopherson, a. ...

Track information

• "Mr. Self Destruct" begins with a sample from the film THX 1138. It is taken from a scene in which a man is being beaten by an officer; depicted on a holographic television.^[5]
• The loop of screaming voices heard at the beginning of "The Becoming" is a sample from the movie Robot Jox (approx. 20 minutes in, after Achilles' machine crushes the spectators).
• The looping female voice that appears on "Reptile" (approx. 5:06) is a sample from the horror film, Nekromantik (approx. 47:14 into the film).^{[citation needed]}
• The beginning creaking sounds from "Reptile" were sampled from the 1989 film Leviathan when the under sea lab is about to collapse.^{[citation needed]}
• "A Warm Place" is based on the melody from David Bowie's 1980 instrumental, "Crystal Japan". ^{[citation needed]}
• The frantic drumming on the end of "Piggy" (where the line "nothing can stop me now" is being repeated) is courtesy of Reznor himself. This is currently his first and only attempt at live drumming on a record, and one of the few "live" drum performances on the album (Stephen Perkins on "I Do Not Want This", Andy Kubiszewski on "The Downward Spiral" and Chris Vrenna on "Hurt"). He states that it was from him testing the mic setup in studio, but he liked the sound too much not to include it.^[6]

THX 1138 was George Lucas first full length movie. ... Robot Jox is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Stuart Gordon, and starring Gary Graham, Anne-Marie Johnson, and Paul Koslo. ... NEKRomantik is a 1987 German horror film directed by Jörg Buttgereit. ... Leviathan (1989) is a sci-fi film, following a line of movies like Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982), depicting encounters of a group of humans with a ravenous organism of an unknown origin. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 1947 January 8) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Crystal Japan is an instrumental piece written by David Bowie and released as a single in Japan in 1980. ... Stephen Andrew Perkins (born September 13, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and songwriter. ... Andy Kubiszewski (born on September 30, 19??) is an American musician, songwriter, remixer and producer. ... Chris Vrenna (born in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 23, 1967) is an American musician, Grammy-winning producer, drummer, engineer, remixer, songwriter and programmer, and is a former drummer for Nine Inch Nails (1990–96). ...

Personnel

• John Aguto - Engineer
• Tom Baker - Mastering
• Sean Beavan - Mixing
• Adrian Belew - Ring mod & texture generating guitars
• Charlie Clouser - Programming, Continuity
• Flood - Producer
• Bill Kennedy - Mixing
• Andy Kubiszewski - Drums
• Danny Lohner - Guitar
• Alan Moulder - Mixing
• Stephen Perkins - Drums
• Brian Pollack - Engineer
• Trent Reznor - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Arranger, Producer
• Chris Vrenna - Drums, Programming, Sampling
• Russell Mills - Paintings
• David Buckland - Photography
• Gary Talpas - Package
• Rob Sheridan - Package, additional photography (for 10th anniversary releases)
• James Brown - 5.1 mix (for 10th anniversary releases)
• Neal Ferrazzani - Assistance (for 10th anniversary releases)
• Bob Ludwig - High-resolution mastering (for 10th anniversary releases)

Sean Beavan is a record producer/ mixer best known for his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nine Inch Nails. ... Adrian Belew in concert, November 2006. ... Charles Alexander Clouser (born June 28, 1963 in Hanover, New Hampshire) is a musician whose activities include playing keyboard and drums, music programming, engineering, and mixing. ... Mark Ellis a. ... Andy Kubiszewski (born on September 30, 19??) is an American musician, songwriter, remixer and producer. ... Daniel Patrick Lohner (born December 13, 1970 in Corpus Christi, Texas) , most commonly known as Danny Lohner is an industrial musician who plays bass guitar, guitar and keyboards. ... Alan Moulder (born 11 June 1959) is one of Britains premier alternative rock record producers. ... Stephen Andrew Perkins (born September 13, 1967 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician and songwriter. ... Michael Trent Reznor (born May 17, 1965) is an American musician, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. ... Chris Vrenna (born in Erie, Pennsylvania on February 23, 1967) is an American musician, Grammy-winning producer, drummer, engineer, remixer, songwriter and programmer, and is a former drummer for Nine Inch Nails (1990–96). ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Bob Ludwig (b. ...

Chart positions

Album

Singles

References

is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... This article is about the magazine. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Guitar Player magazine contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official Nine Inch Nails site
• at NIN Wiki
• Album Concept breakdown at Everything2.com
• Halo 8 at NINCollector.com
• The Downward Spiral (US CD) at discogs.com
• The Downward Spiral (US LP) at discogs.com
• The Downward Spiral (EU CD) at discogs.com
• The Downward Spiral: Deluxe Edition (US 2xCD) at discogs.com
• PluggedIn Review