During the time that
Pretty Hate Machine
was becoming an underground sensation,
Trent Reznor
became embroiled in legal difficulties with his label that prevented the release of any new
Nine Inch Nails
material. But the three-year wait actually helped -- most of
NIN
's fans were relatively recent converts, and they eagerly snapped up 1992's
Broken
, which afforded the already angst-ridden
Reznor
the opportunity to vent his ample frustration over the imbroglio. Where
had a few moments of reflection and sardonic humor,
is a concentrated blast of caustic, naked rage. Given how draining it is, a full-length album in its style would unquestionably have been wearisome, even self-parodic. So,
is the rare EP that's conceptually focused and complete unto itself. Production-wise, it's also a step up from
, and a showcase for
's flowering studio acumen. While
was primarily electronic,
is loaded with heavy, jagged guitars, processed through a veritable meat grinder of effects into a massive wall of distortion. Each song one-ups the viciousness of its predecessor; even the two relatively subdued instrumental interludes are full of abrasive textures. There are two hidden bonus cuts at the end of the CD (early pressings had them on a separate disc); they're neither as produced nor as intense, and thus separated conceptually as well as physically. The cover of
Adam Ant
's "(You're So) Physical" was something of a revelation -- not just demonstrating
's fondness for new wave, but serving as a touchstone for his self-conscious, glammed-up sense of style. That -- and his skills as a producer and arranger -- would reach their fullest realization on
The Downward Spiral
, but
's tight focus and frothing intensity make it a major work in its own right. ~ Steve Huey