Review Summary: Trent's comeback; just wished it was a little more angrier.
I understand that Trent has been having the time of his life lately. I really do. But Nine Inch Nails is the epitome of angst, insecurities and fear. So why is the same man who made "Big Man With a Gun" making pop *** like "Everything"? Hesitation Marks is a great album; mainly due to its huge hooks. Songs like "Came Back Haunted", "Copy of a...", "In Two", "Disappointed", all got the big extravagant stadium feeling to it. But why isn't Trent focused on making nihilistic and vicarious tunes instead of the happy ones? Just a thought.
The intro "Eater of Dreams" is damn good. Leads up to "Copy of a...", which is pretty repetitive but catchy in its own way. That's when you realize that this album is influenced by his work with How to Destroy Angels. His wife is ***ing him over now, isn't she? All of the dance-y hooks are like the ones featured on Welcome Oblivion. And that isn't a bad thing, but for Trent it means that he's gone soft.
"Came Back Haunted" and "Find My Way" would have you think otherwise. Both dark and brooding tunes with a lingering despair resonating around the feel. They aren't happy tunes; the former is Trent's return song; stating how he's back, but forever changed by the ghosts (haha, pun) of his past. And he is. But the ghosts aren't bad; the ghosts are his happiness in life. I said this before in Night Visions, and I'll say it again. Music thrives on depression, not elation. And Hesitation Marks is full of both elation and depression; just wish it was more of the latter.
"All Time Low" is the album's highlight. Great funky beat and lyrics with some nice delivery from the star-***er himself. The album slows down in the middle; "Everything", "Satellite", and "Various Methods..." are all pretty bland overall. Everything is pretty much Trent's sellout song; going towards post-punk rather than industrial metal. Strange, right? But the album makes up for it because "I Would For You" is the second best. It's angry, longing for something more. He would do it for this one person, and only him. It's songs like these that make Hesitation Wounds stands out so much.
So because the album is a little too bright, I have to give it a 4.5. Only a few filler tracks, and the rest are distinct NIN from Reznor himself. The HTDA influence is high, but not enough to ruin the album. Thankfully the album isn't a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy of a previous work by Reznor.
