With a well-staged promotion campaign mastermind Trent Reznor himself has forced up tension and expectations for his new album Year Zero, finally unleashed on a Friday 13th. As it’s known Mr. Razor is musically speaking changeable like a chameleon, recently proved once more with the predecessor With Teeth. So it was difficult to say what to expect. Striking is the short period between both albums.
The conceptual story behind anyway, could not be much more way-out: wild conspiracy theories and dark future visions in the year of 2022 define the lyrical content and offer much room for musical interpretations, Reznor could have made more use of it.
Of course one will find all known NINE INCH NAILS trademarks on Year Zero. Sound is dense, intensive, partly disturbing; heavy and driving beats and distorted guitars hypnotize. But… that’s all is nothing new, neither innovative nor something special. Sound elements sound too much placed, deliberated, Industrial tendencies too systematic. As for me there is too much consideration, not enough spontaneity. Seems, Mr. Reznor has run out of new ideas. Trademarks just get repeated, too many leanings to older hits, none of the songs stands really out or is what I would call a hit or a catchy tune. But it does not mean that the songs are bad. No way! All 16 tracks range on a constantly high level of quality. Songs such as the opener The Beginning Of The End, Capital G, the extreme contrast between The Good Soldier and following Vessel, as well as The Warning and God Given attracted my attention, at least for a moment. But over the entire running time of more than an hour it feels too lengthy.
Altogether Year Zero is good but operates in the “already known” modus.