The examination of the groundbreaking album details the sound, thematic scope, and enduring legacy of one of Nine Inch Nails’ most important masterworks.
There are a handful of albums that are just beyond superlative. These masterworks are always ahead of their time and transcend a level of creativity that redefine the limitations of their respective genres. In that regard, The Downward Spiral from Nine Inch Nails is at the pinnacle of that criteria.
Immersing himself in the culture and environment that spawned such a colossal artistic contribution, author Adam Steiner penned the book Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails And The Creation Of The Downward Spiral. Conducting extensive interviews with the album’s collaborators and embedding himself with Trent to get an intimate account of the album’s evolution, Steiner’s excavation is academic in how thorough it is.
Detailing his work and research on the Knotfest series Mosh Talks, Steiner covered an array of topics pertaining to the album and it’s creators. Steiner shared how Trent took inspirational cues ranging Prince to Ministry to David Bowie and went into the meticulous recording process that embraced an analog format that afforded the album an especially unique sound.
Steiner also revisited how the location in which the record was made ultimately added to the lore forever associated with the album. NIN spent the duration of the recording process in the home where the infamous Sharon Tate murders were carried out by the Charles Manson family followers. The move was considered controversial at the time but nonetheless is an important talking point in the creation of the album.
The comprehensive study of the not only the album but the creatives that made record serves as a snapshot of a definitive era in heavy music. Steiner’s detailed examination of the nuances of The Downward Spiral’s sound, thematic scope, and enduring legacy is an important cultural contribution that that is equally compelling and comprehensive.
Watch the complete interview with Adam Steiner, author of Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails And The Creation Of The Downward Spiral on Mosh Talks.
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