Review Summary: Finck is finally branching out..
Robin Finck has always been one of the most mysterious Nine Inch Nails members. Most prominent and charismatic of all, yet behind the music he played or contributed to, there's little to no insight regarding his own ideas or projects. Even during his Guns N' Roses stint, a very publicized band, we haven't learned much about him. As a result, it should come as no surprise there was a low-profile collaboration between him and Wordclock, an ambient songwriter, on the
NOCT soundtrack. The album was revealed this fall in order to coincide with the release of the 2D multiplayer survival horror game (available of course through Steam).
Given the fact that Finck has grown to become one very malleable musician, Reznor's influence on him is unquestionable. During the last couple of tours with NIN, his role became quintessential as he began to handle a significant amount of the keyboard section aside from the usual guitar bonanza. The man always had a penchant for sharp, eerie sounds created by the mixture between feedback, delay or echo, helped by the use of a slide and e-bow. On
NOCT he managed to extend this side to create a dark ambient/drone soundtrack. The first string of tracks share a similar foundation comprised of a bass synth with some white noise on top, bringing Wordclock's ambient background, while Robin details it with sparse leads that float all over. Cuts like 'DASR' or 'EROS' make extensive use of all the aforementioned arsenal, triggered by an expression pedal. The results range between subdued, harrowing landscapes and hypnotizing patterns that complement very well the game's post apocalyptic scenario. 'IBEX' and 'LAAS' expand on multiple brooding synthesizer layers that very slowly unfold, whereas 'NeXT' along with 'JUNO' bring some different sounds to the fold. They are two melancholic, piano-led dirges that signify the start of a second phase, where we get some cuts that are richer in details. 'TCAS' features some distorted guitars and bass that are lifted by aural pads, acting like an uneasy climax to the journey. After this, we can hear a glimmer of hope in 'APEX' and the massive closer 'NuSTAR', both resembling Carbon Based Lifeforms' droning LP,
Twentythree. They are less dense, somewhat lighter in tone, especially the latter, which features a very airy middle segment, only to return to a grand, cinematic finale. The subtle change in mood means a lot after so much gloom, however, you're not out entirely of the woods as danger still lurks around. Playing the game will definitely help you get completely immersed into this lovely OST.
Overall,
NOCT is close to the stark works of Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross'
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo or
Gone Girl, but also harkens back to some of Nine Inch Nails' massive
Ghosts I-IV. Besides those, there are traces of
Leaving Home by Solar Fields too, however, Robin Finck and Wordclock manage to create a wonderful, vivid experience that stands very well on its own. The man is finally branching and hopefully we get to hear more from him in the near future.
