How to Destroy Angels How to Destroy Angels Genres:Pop, Rock The first post NIN project of Trent Reznor featuring vocals from wife and ex-West Indian Girl Mariqueen Maandig and his regular collaborator Atticus Ros
The first post NIN project of Trent Reznor featuring vocals from wife and ex-West Indian Girl Mariqueen Maandig and his regular collaborator Atticus Ros
"If there is one thing I was hoping for with the release of the eponymous EP from How To Destroy Angels it was for something completely beyond the norm for Trent Reznor. I'm a HUGE Nine Inch Nails fan, so as far as I am concerned, anything the man touches is solid gold (and I haven't been let down yet). HTDA is no exception; it's a quality record from a quality group of musicians. My only complaint would be that it does sound a little too NIN-ish. Some of these tracks sound like they could have been b-sides or unreleased tracks from Year Zero, which wouldn't have been a bad thing if this was a Nails release. It sounds as though Trent is trying to get out of his comfort zone here but just can't seem to get all the way out. Some tracks are stellar standouts that offer a lot of hope that some amazing things are in the works; "Fur Lined" in particular has a very unique feel that sets it apart from Reznor's previous work. "The Space In Between" is a bit out there for him, but still manages to toe that line of comfortability. The addition of Mariqueen Maandig-Reznor certainly adds an interesting element to the equation, her vocals are haunting and breathy which does wonders for the music; Reznor singing would have not made quite the impact.
All in all, this is a good record; not a great one, but a good one. If Trent and company can find a way to get themselves out of their comfort zone, they could deliver a truly amazing album."
An excellent blend of old (NIN) and new
Jeff Loudon | Nashville, TN | 07/08/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"When Trent Reznor played his final Nine Inch Nails show in September of 2009, fans knew it wouldn't be the last they saw of Reznor. Named after a single by the 80s electronic group Coil, Reznor formed How to Destroy Angels with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig and former Nine Inch Nails producer, Atticus Ross. The lead single, "A Drowning" was released in May and now a six song EP is available to download free of charge from the band's website with a high quality download available for a modest two dollars. Trent Reznor is no stranger to giving his music away for free. In fact, Nine Inch Nails' last record was available from the band's website at no cost as well.
How to Destroy Angels opens with "The Space in Between," a song vaguely reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins' darkened single "The Beginning is the End is the Beginning." Slowly building throughout the track until coming to a very abrupt end, Maandig's vocals are casually introduced and fit perfectly into the mix. With the exception of a few backup harmony vocals and whispers, Reznor's trademark voice is traded in for that of his wife with extremely positive results. Maandig's calm and quiet singing echoes the dark mood conveyed by the music which rattles the brain with heavy bass, thumping drums, and distorted guitar like the best of Nine Inch Nails.
The album's third track, "Fur Lined," is, in a way, the perfect description of Trent Reznor's new sound. The song opens with the most nostalgic drum and bass line to Nine Inch Nails. When Maandig's vocals enter, they are distant and distorted, sounding very much out of place. Reznor fans may find themselves wondering just how great the song could be with his harsh vocals and tortured screams. When the chorus enters, however, an additional high hat rhythm enters, changing the mood just enough to create an opening for Maandig to really shine. The remaining instrumentation presses on, but that slight change is all that is needed to really make the pieces come together, like finding the last edge piece of a puzzle before continuing with the center.
Reznor and company do an excellent job of mixing the past with the future to string longtime fans of Nine Inch Nails along for the ride without clinging to the security blanket of past success. How to Destroy Angels, though available for free, is worth the CD or high resolution download price if you really want to hear the music. The reign of Nine Inch Nails may be over, but this record proves Reznor still has a great deal to show our ears.
Similar Artists: Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins
Track Suggestion: "A Drowning""
"Try to fill the spaces in between."
Matt Jacobs | Trumansburg, NY | 06/25/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the self-titled debut EP by How to Destroy Angels, a group formed by Trent Reznor, his wife Mariqueen Maandig, and producer Atticus Ross. It sort of sounds like Nine Inch Nails release The Slip if a woman was singing. It will be released physically early next month, but you can still download it online for free if you want. So yeah, it's pretty enjoyable electronic/industrial stuff, and it's hard to go wrong when you don't have to pay. My two favorite tracks happen to be the opener and closer, "The Space in Between" and "A Drowning". The former has a perfect, ominous sound countered by Mariqueen's pleasant voice that nicely introduces you to their style, and the latter has a nice build up and release for the record's climax. The other tracks are totally fine too, with my third favorite probably being "The Believers". I'm not sure how dedicated any of them really are to the future of this project, but their first effort is fairly strong and might be worth some further development."
Reznor's new band delivers
Daniel Maltzman | Arlington, MA, USA | 07/06/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"At the start of the year Trent Reznor promised fans via Nine Inch Nails official website that although NIN was done touring for the time being, he would be back soon, with new music from NIN as well as some other projects. Over the first several months of 2010 fans were teased by pictures and videos over at the NIN official website--pictures and video clips of Trent and his wife Mariqueen Maandig working on something. Then, this past spring the project was finally revealed to be a new band, How to Destroy Angels, named after a Coil EP, featuring Reznor, Maandig and NIN programmer Atticus Ross. A full length video for the song "A Drowning" was soon released and shortly thereafter an entire EP was available for free online.
Rather than sounding just like Nine Inch Nails but with a woman singing, HTDA is an altogether different entity. How to Destroy Angels has Reznor's signature written all over it, yet it sounds distinct from Nine Inch Nails. While NIN could be loosely described as "industrial rock" (although that description is woefully superficial and inadequate) How to Destroy Angels is less rocking, more laid back, more danceable. In short, the music on this EP lends itself more to a spin at a club as opposed to a rock concert. This is not at all a bad thing, as it only goes to show how versatile of an artist Reznor really is. Maandig, formerly of the band West Indian Girl, proves to be a fine singer. Her voice doesn't have much inflection, yet it doesn't sound exactly monotone either, and lends itself to the Massive Attack/ Portishead styling of the music nicely.
The EP starts out with "The Space in Between," a rather downbeat, catchy, spacey opening that's quite captivating. The offbeat "Parasite," with its white noise and effects sounds a bit like "Year Zero" era (2007) NIN. The very danceable," almost Luscious Jackson sounding "Fur Lined" is probably the catchiest song on the EP and could easily be successful on an alternative rock station or make it as a cross-over hit. The hypnotic "BBB" (Big Black Boots) is really offbeat, and like "Parasite" sounds a bit like "Year Zero" NIN. This one took me a few listens to really appreciate, but it's definitely a grower. "The Believers" is the hardest song on the EP to describe. Listing to it, I feel as though I am taking a journey though an Amazonian forest. Like some of the other songs there are traces of "Year Zero" here as well as World-Beats. The EP's finale, "A Drowning" is excellent. It's a melancholy, epic closer in the vein of "Hurt," "Right Where it Belongs" and "Zero-Sum."
Is Trent Reznor capable of making bad music? 20 years of great album after album seems to suggest that the answer is a definitive no. If this EP is just a taste of what HTDA has in store for their full length album, it will definitely be something to look forward to next year.