Review Summary: A Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross LP with a Nine Inch Nails EP attached to it.
Nine Inch Nails has been neglected in the last few years as far as recordings go, since Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross decided to focus on soundtracks instead. Recently, the founding member expressed his dissatisfaction with the ways technology changed the music industry and how people seem to rapidly lose interest, especially in regard to the album format. The two found movie scores considerably more engaging and creatively rewarding instead. Plus, they have become some of the most respected musicians out there, winning several awards for their compositions. Opting to put the band’s name on the brand new
Tron: Ares OST shifted things a bit, as it provided a ray of light for starving fans. Drafting DJ/producer Boys Noize to co-produce it, the three crafted an ‘80s-inspired, electro-industrial affair with ambient touches.
Although Reznor mentioned the LP can be listened to as a conventional Nine Inch Nails release, yet it is ultimately too fragmented to call it as such. There is an EP’s worth of fleshed out material here, with only four cuts featuring vocals. Most of the other tracks present a certain theme or atmospheric sound scapes built for or inspired by various scenes from the movie. Lead single, “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” is the centerpiece, boasting an infectious, dancefloor-ready groove. It is also one of the most straightforward ones in the band’s catalog so far. A blend of synth pop with an industrial edge, the track summarizes pretty well what the two members had in mind for this soundtrack. “Infiltrator” & “Target Identified” are two variations, taking bits of the main rhythm to develop in different sonic directions. The former continues the party, adding some high pitched synth leads, before emphasizing the bass line halfway through. The latter, however, paints a moodier scene by layering slowly detuning notes in between “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”’s coda sample. Whereas previous installments relied on orchestral arrangements, NIN chose to transpose everything into their electronic sonic sphere for
Ares. Meanwhile, “I Know You Can Feel It” comes across as a Mezzanine-type slow burner, its trip hop beat and intensifying low end creating a thrilling atmosphere. Trent gently croons, preferring for the most part to blend with the instrumental. A darker, distorted synth pad kicks in during the final segment to great effect, as it creates even more tension. Amid these two main tracks, the somber ballad “Echoes” stands out too. Had Reznor provided some lyrics, it would have been even more compelling.
The bittersweet “Who Wants to Live Forever?” is another highlight, intertwining brittle piano chords with plucked and percussive elements into a lovely, lullaby-like melody. Spanish singer Judeline shares soothing vocals alongside Trent’s tender delivery, turning this into the softest Nine Inch Nails number penned so far. Not even the poignant bass part and bit crushing noise at the end can disrupt its overall touching vibe. Thankfully, “Not Going Back” replays the beautiful intro during the LP’s final stretch. From here, various ditties follow, mostly under two minute ambient or EBM inspired pieces. Most memorable are the Depeche Mode reminiscing “A Question of Truth”, the brooding “Daemonize” and its sister track, “Nemesis”, as well as “New Directive”, which offers a taste of the final song, “Shadow Over Me”. Utilizing the sequenced notes of the opener “Init”, it soon launches into a stomping, mid-tempo beat with slightly detuned synthesizer leads and vocoded choruses. It is a solid end to this epic journey. Overall, you could say Trent and Atticus had in mind a late night club atmosphere where any disco groove can be twisted into a darker, rather uncanny version of itself. The attention to detail is impressive and the resulting soundtrack is quite cohesive. Nevertheless, the brief runtime of most tunes here make
Tron: Ares more of a
Ghosts I-IV type record with an attached EP of what you would expect from a conventional Nine Inch Nails release.
