| | Full Review | Ratings (299) |
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| 4.0 excellent | ZiggyPop | November 29th 10 |
Pretty Hate Machine is a collection of emotionally driven electronic darkness. The Nine Inch Nails debut, now over 20 years old, is back on the shelves of record stores in a new, sleeker package. It's been remastered, bringing a crisper, but more notably louder, production to the classic industrial album.
As always, Trent Reznor was the creative head of this album and did pretty much everything himself. From the ambient, tribal rumble of "Sanctified" to the sample-laden esoteric groove of "Ringfinger", Reznor commanded sounds found on a little Casio keyboard to essentially give the middle finger to New Wave, like Big Black before him. The songs here are topped with Reznor's quavering but passionate vocal delivery, ranging from unsettling whispers to hoarse yells.
If you're unfamiliar with 1989 Nine Inch Nails, watch the video for "Head Like a Hole" - it justifies Pitchfork's claim that Reznor makes a convincing Satan. This reissue is the perfect opportunity for newcomers to see what all the fuss is about, and the bonus Queen cover ending this version is a welcomed addition too.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | Defeater | November 19th 10 |
It took over twenty years, but Nine Inch Nails' original LP finally received the remastering treatment. The bass is the biggest change here; while it was almost inaudible before, now it's balanced just right with the rest of the music. The sound effects are still the same, but there's a level of clarity that just wasn't there before. And you no longer have to turn your stereo up all the way to hear the album at a decent level.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | PKmonkey0401 | October 29th 14 |
It's Pretty Hate Machine. It's remastered. What's not to love?
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | TRMshadow | February 16th 13 |
What can I say? It's Reznor doing what he does best. I'll be honest and say I haven't listened to the original mastering, but after this I don't feel I really need to. 4.0/5
Bump |
| 4.5 superb | jday | November 5th 12 |
I was hoping this would be a remake of the original album, replacing all the synthetic electronic sounds with
live instruments and such. Nope, this is a remaster. The sounds been cleaned, and the volume of the tracks
and all their layers has been pretty well retuned. However, I'm not the best listener, and unless I compare each
track one by one, a lot of the remastering goes over my head. However, I do notice an unexplainable
improvement, and it's a great album, and I just reassigned the same rating as the original.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | SlowlyFallingAwake | March 5th 11 |
I never paid much attention to Pretty Hate Machine. It has always seemed like an inferior little brother to the Fragile and Downward Spiral. However, I felt the compelling pull of the remastered CD, luring me in to hear the unraveling of one of those records where everything seems to blend and you have to turn it up tremendously to hear certain effects/sounds (the only reason I never gave the songs a deep listen, was because of the poor quality). And I dare say I was blown away. Especially 'head like a hole', 'terrible lie', 'kinda I want to' (a new instant favourite) and 'that's what I get' are superbly enhanced. Right now, the only band of whom I own nearly all the albums is NIN. They are that good. And this album only does justice to that statement.
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| 4.5 superb | ginandjesus | December 11th 10 |
A timeless NIN classic with a much needed touch. Remasters generally have a high tendency to be disastrous. Not so, under the hand of Reznor. This is how remastering should be done. The original pressing of PHM was a little quiet, even in comparison to other music around that same time frame. It seemed to lack something sonically that which made the sound mismatch the atmosphere of the music. Still yet, it was so good that the production is almost viewed as part of its character. However, Reznor has proven that remasters are sometimes a worthy cause. The volume is louder (without even coming close to Metallica's Death Magnetic audio-clipping loudness-war disaster). The bass is punchier, more defined, and has much more impact. Once you hear it, you'll feel like it's been missing all along when you go back and hear the original. Bass lines punch through, whereas they were an afterthought in the original. The vocals are pushed a little more forward in the mix, bringing one of the most important parts of Reznor's music (his voice) to the right spot. This isn't an overhaul. This is a slight touch up to make the music match the mood. The poignancy and stark ambiance is now not just implied, but heard loud and clear. PHM finally has some teeth, and boy is it growling.
Bump |
| 5.0 classic | bSmith | June 19th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | kolbasa | August 14th 22 |
| 4.5 superb | Watch | April 27th 22 |
| 4.5 superb | Adol | June 15th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | KOZAKY | April 27th 21 |
| 4.5 superb | teo | March 27th 21 |
| 4.5 superb | Juuso | February 7th 21 |
| 5.0 classic | skeed | August 7th 20 |
| 3.5 great | YRI | July 19th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Eons | April 6th 20 |
| 5.0 classic | Josh | April 2nd 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | canczar | November 5th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | VlacDrac | September 21st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | unkle | July 28th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Revarf | July 24th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | Rice303 | February 14th 18 |
| 4.5 superb | xxm | July 29th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Atrophy | December 13th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Simon K. STAFF | February 18th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Dav85 | February 1st 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | fuzzbutt | December 29th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | slaps | December 16th 14 |
| 4.5 superb | TurntUp | October 15th 14 |
| 3.5 great | ethos | May 1st 14 |
| 4.5 superb | ngk44 | April 20th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Skoj | February 26th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zuh | February 18th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Sithese | February 17th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | JBull | December 11th 13 |
| 4.5 superb | Zeg | August 12th 13 |
| 3.5 great | pbass0 | August 7th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zamora | February 18th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | Lobber | February 4th 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | balazs | January 16th 13 |
| 3.0 good | Lenix | December 31st 12 |
| 5.0 classic | 7trials | November 3rd 12 |
| 5.0 classic | goop | March 16th 12 |
| 5.0 classic | Trey STAFF | December 17th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | HiLion | October 20th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ire | October 18th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | stotty | September 25th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | ZKG777 | September 23rd 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | vakuola | September 9th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | 1zero | August 18th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | 6sic6 | August 5th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | Piglet | July 31st 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | ONI65 | May 12th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | psite45 | January 17th 11 |
| 4.5 superb | dre517 | December 21st 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Drone | December 18th 10 |
| 3.0 good | rid | December 13th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | zyzil | December 9th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | Manic_ | December 6th 10 |
| 5.0 classic | askbill | December 2nd 10 |
| 3.0 good | tables | December 2nd 10 |
| 4.5 superb | kabs | November 30th 10 |
| 4.5 superb | JWT155 | November 29th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | TomServo | November 23rd 10 |
| 5.0 classic | Mateus | November 21st 10 |
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