Customer Reviews

How to Destroy Angels

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

When Trent Reznor announced that he was disbanding Nine Inch Nails he said he was tired of being constrained with the type of music he created because of the expectations that people had with that name. Not his exact words (by a long shot!) but definitely his meaning behind them.

It's obvious to me that he was quite inspired by his wife in creating this "band" if you can call it that. It is Trance with a Trent twist. Like early NIN it doesn't quite fit into any preconceived or pre-marketed genre. As always, he is a musical genius and quite possibly/probably ahead of his time. It's very chill and relaxing - not what you would normally expect from him!

Personally I think a lot of the bad reviews here were from people who wanted NIN reincarnated. Mariqueen Maandig certainly doesn't have the voice to do Industrial, but she is marvelous singing this.

If you have an open mind, like/love Electronic/Trance (not just Club stuff) music, like/love Trent Reznor's style of music then give this a shot.

Once people get past the fact that Trent Reznor has released an album with his wife Mariqueen Maandig Reznor and that they might have to wait a bit longer for the next Nine Inch Nails record and that after spending pretty much the last 4 years touring and releasing records at a record rate, they might actually like this. I know some people who would prefer Trent to have no life and think he's embarrassing himself with this record, i would have to totally disagree. A lot of people have slated this partnership(of cours e they do it from the comfort of hiding behind a computer screen) now if it was rubbish fair enough but this ep is far from that.

How To Destroy Angels(named after a single by the band Coil) are made up of Trent Reznor(nine inch nails), Mariqueen Maandig Reznor(ex West Indian Girl) and Atticus Ross(producer for nine inch nails, korn, saul williams) and with this first self titled release they have given us 6 songs full of beats, fuzzy guitars and vocals provided by Mrs Reznor, Trent himself can be heard singing in the background on Parasite and BBB(big black boots). The ep opens with The Space In Between which sounds like The Sneaker Pimps with its big beats, we then move on to the aforementioned Parasite which has a nin trademark distorted fuzzy guitar, and has Trent tucked in on background vocals, the combination works well. Third track Fur Lined has a beat that sounds like it was borrowed from the nin track Only(found on the with teeth album) then its onto BBB which is more of a spoken word duet by Mr & Mrs Reznor as we are told to listen to the sound of Mariqueen's Big Black Boot's, Fifth track The Believers has Mariqueen doing a whisper style vocal over some big beats and distorted guitars, which leaves us with the final track A Drowning, this track is over 7 minutes long and is probably too long and doesn't really go anywhere even if it does contain a hint of the sound Reznor used so well on his masterpiece album The Fragile.

This is probably only the beginning for HTDA and they are probably only testing the water, but after hearing this ep it wets the appetite for a full length studio album.

Post-industrial and avant-rock artsy fartsy, experimental electro-rock and trip-hop, etc., etc., etc., ...who knows? I think it's simple...HTDA is another great work of art in Trent Reznor's creative powers...and this has the potentiaal to become a very exciting band if record sales will permit it.

It's a pretty good records. Yeah you can hear some of Trent's melodies whether at some vocals, guitar riffs, basslines or even drum beats that reminds us to NIN, but still this is a very interesting band to hear. Well if you don't want to hear NIN-ish sounds then go ahead listen to something else that don't have Trent in it. Overall 5 stars from me.

I really like trents music and I don't follow much on whats on the radio. I only found this from getting a message about a new soundtrack and did some searching and came across this. I heard the first track and bought the download the next minute. I also found the video for The Space in Between. It caught my eye and I thought it was really good for something I never heard of. I hope to hear more of the music in the future. But for people like me that do not listen to whats played on the radio we made need to go out of our way to hear music that is very good and not the crap we hear about on TV

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"

This is a good EP, but I wish there were more-- a full album. Trent's wife adds a feminine touch to his sound. This was a free download and was appreciated as such! Together with "The Social Network" this proves that Trent Reznor's abilities go far beyond NIN.

I am an avid NIN fan, and have enjoyed Trent's work from Quake to movie soundtracks to the Ghosts compilation. I was lucky enough to get to see the Lights In The Sky tour, and I thoroughly enjoyed this EP. "The Space in Between" is fantastic (best with video), and "A Drowning" combines stark emotion with a satisfying musical double-meaning. Mariqueen's voice is appropriately haunting and melds well with the music. Six good pieces from three aural artists. I look forward to more from this talented group.