Review Summary: NIN's take on hope and optimism.
In 2008, Nine Inch Nails released
Ghosts I-IV. It was an experiment in terms of composition and the way it was released (free with some paid upgrades).
Ghosts I-IV essentially served as a resume or audition tape for film scoring. In fact, Trent Reznor encouraged film makers to use the music in their work. While the music on
Ghosts I-IV was instrumental and could be used in film, it was still composed by rock musicians and that is apparent in terms of arrangement and execution. Whether or not it was their intention,
Ghosts I-IV did successfully springboard Reznor and Ross into the world of film scoring. After the album’s release, they scored
The Social Network. The success and acclaim of that score lead to more and more film work and an impressive resume, including
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
Gone Girl,
Mid90s,
Watchmen,
Bird Box,
Waves, and more. In fact, Reznor & Ross’s day job pivoted to composing films and Nine Inch Nails became more of a passion project.
Fast forward to March 26th, 2020. Nine Inch Nails surprised released
Ghosts V: Together and
Ghosts VI: Locusts. Similar to
Ghosts I-IV,
Ghosts V-VI are instrumental, experimental, and cinematic. Unlike
Ghosts I-IV,
Ghosts V-VI was created by professional and accomplished film composers. You can hear the difference. The arrangements flow like a film score and the build ups and climaxes feel more like scenes of a movie, instead of scattered industrial rock instrumentals. This creates more unity and consistency than its predecessor. Tonally,
Ghosts V: Together and
Ghosts VI: Locusts are polar opposites, giving fans two completely different albums to digest.
Ghosts V: Together combines the emotional depth, moodiness, and sadness of Nine Inch Nails
Still with the hopefulness and optimism of the duo’s
Mid90s score. Most of the songs include warm and melodic piano on top of droning ambience. Reznor uses his voice as an instrument throughout tracks like “Letting Go While Holding On,” “Together,” and “With Faith,” adding a more personal touch. “Out in the Open” and “Apart” introduce some orchestration and synth strings, which is a nice addition to the duo’s normal pallet of synthesizers and piano. The latter calls back the piano melody from “I Ghosts I,” thematically tying the new volume to the original. “Your Touch” and “Hope We Can Again” recall some of the most touching moments of
Still. “Still Right Here” closes the album with some piano work that would not be out of place on
The Fragile, before launching into guitar and electronic beats.
Overall,
Ghosts V: Together is a great collection of songs that marry the moodiness and melody of NIN's more delicate moments with the sprawling arrangements of Reznor and Ross’s film scores.
