Retro Friday: Head Like A Hole

Today's edition of Retro Friday features the band Nine Inch Nails and the song "Head Like A Hole."

I was introduced to the band Nine Inch Nails my freshman year in college. Their first album, Pretty Hate Machine, dropped that fall and we instantly fell in love with the band. They had a totally unique sound, all their own, and the lyrics were perfect for the rebellion that we were feeling in our first year away from home.


Nine Inch Nails (also known by the acronym "NIN") is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction.

Reznor's singing follows a similar pattern in all of his songs, frequently moving from whispers to screams. He also uses noise and distortion in his song arrangements, and incorporates dissonance with chromatic melody and/or harmony.

The first of NIN's songs that we fell in love with was "Head Like a Hole." It was a staple at all dorm parties/dances that year. Apparently we were not the only ones who loved that song, as to this day the song is the set closer for most NIN shows, or the last song before the encore if an encore takes place.

Some other songs of note off Pretty Hate Machine are "Terrible Lie" and "Sin."

The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by American industrial rock recording act Nine Inch Nails, released the spring of 1994. The album was designed to tell a story of sorts, detailing the destruction of a man, from the beginning of his "downward spiral" to his climactic attempt at suicide. The Downward Spiral features elements of industrial rock, techno, and heavy metal music, in contrast to the dance-influenced Pretty Hate Machine.

The album The Downward Spiral was a major commercial success that established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, particularly following the release of the single "Closer" and its controversial video. It has been widely regarded by music critics as Nine Inch Nails' best work.

(Due to the very adult nature of the Closer video, I will not be linking to it on YouTube.)

An interesting note on the recording of the album The Downward Spiral ... To record the album, Reznor rented the house located at 10050 Cielo Drive in Beverly Hills, California where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969. Reznor built a studio space in the house which he named Le Pig, after the message that was scrawled on the front door with Tate's blood by her murderers.

There it is ... your introduction to NIN ... and if you're in the mood for a little rebellion and head banging, NIN is your band!

Cheers!