Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

NO!

the friends of my enemies are my friends

Hahaha.

"D'you think the end of the world is coming?"

"No. So says the preacher man but...I don't go by what he says."

I think the album is okay, but Reznor's poetry is a bit simplistic and high-school for my taste.

The pre-release marketing campaign was more interesting than the music turned out to be.

You know, there have been accusations of payola (at least promo-type freebie incentives) that are pretty laughable for the most part and come mostly from one perpetually disgruntled commenter. Stylus just isn't that likely an offender. If ever there was a review to point at, though, this is the one. Fluffy fluffy fluffy. Could serve as a one-sheet pretty much as is.

I bet none of you have even heard this record. You know, most people don't really understand poetry or literature, so lyrics aren't necessarily the #1 draw for them. Why couldn't NIN produce another A album? Just relax, everyone.

jhitting: I paid for it and have heard it.

Seriously though, regardless of what you score it, this review doesn't really say anything other than that maybe it sounds like 10 year-old electronic music. Then it goes on to say it's "the most forward-thinking rock album to come down the pike in some time"? Huh, what? Where did this come from? It certainly wasn't a point supported by the preceding review, that's for sure. It makes me think you're just flame-baiting, Innskeep.

I think it does sound like 10-year-old electronic music, but is forward-thinking in its conceptualism, marketing, and subject matter.

Marketing maybe, but concept albums have been around for a million and a half years, and as far as subject matter, the Thermals covered similar territory last year.

i actually think the album is pretty good, but calling Trent Reznor "such a fine songwriter—one of the past 20 years’ best, in fact" kind of borders on laughable.

KingVitamin: Yeah, yes it does. I was gonna let that one go, but you are correct sir or madam.

KlausFraktal: I didn't say that NIN invented concept albums.

Nor does another band's coverage of the same topic preclude NIN's coverage from being forward-thinking. The existence of forethought is not limited to one individual or band on planet earth.

Huh? What kind of sophistic jibber-jabber is that? It most certainly does preclude them if this is stylistic and lyrical ground that has been tread for years (if not decades), unless you're limiting the frame of reference to, say, Avril Lavigne and Thursday.

Generally a review should attempt to justify the score it's given through a series of insights and explanations. Three paragraphs on an A-? What did I learn by reading this review? I learned that it was a very bad one, indeed.

KlausFraktal, I just mean that an album can still be forward-thinking even if the same ground has been tread by others. For example: if I think about tomorrow, does that mean you can't because I always have? You fucking students think too hard.

LIAR!