Nine Inch Nails

When I first listened to Ghosts I-IV, a 36 song instrumental album courtesy of Nine Inch Nails, I was at a loss to describe it. Famous movie writer, Roger Ebert, has stated several times that he will always give a movie at least half a star, unless it is morally reprehensible in some way. He went back on this statement when he gave a movie called Pink Flamingos no stars. It wasn’t morally reprehensible; he just felt that it was so out of the ordinary that it transcended any categories. That’s exactly how I feel about this album. As such, I’m going to pull an Ebert and not rate it.

Imagine that Trent Reznor was hired to write the score for a horror movie set in a steel plant. Ghosts I-IV would be that soundtrack; a mixture of industrial beats, crunching guitars, and pretty, haunting piano. You can’t listen to any one track by itself, or like any one track more than any others. They all run together to make one large song. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, nor is it a good thing. Like Pink Flamingos, it just is what it is. Trent Reznor has stated that Ghosts I-IV is supposed to be a “soundtrack for daydreams.” And it does have a dreamlike, surreal quality that haunts you long after you finish listening to the tracks.

By its very nature, Ghosts I-IV requires a niche audience. An audience whose members are already superfans of Trent Reznor, or whose members are fans of arty, directionless industrial based instrumental rock. I don’t want to give the impression that the album isn’t good. It is. But it takes a certain kind of person to pick up this album and listen to the tracks more than once.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. 01 Ghosts I
02. 02 Ghosts I
03. 03 Ghosts I
04. 04 Ghosts I
05. 05 Ghosts I
06. 06 Ghosts I
07. 07 Ghosts I
08. 08 Ghosts I
09. 09 Ghosts I
10. 10 Ghosts II
11. 11 Ghosts II
12. 12 Ghosts II
13. 13 Ghosts II
14. 14 Ghosts II
15. 15 Ghosts II
16. 16 Ghosts II
17. 17 Ghosts II
18. 18 Ghosts II
19. 19 Ghosts III
20. 20 Ghosts III
21. 21 Ghosts III
22. 22 Ghosts III
23. 23 Ghosts III
24. 24 Ghosts III
25. 25 Ghosts III
26. 26 Ghosts III
27. 27 Ghosts III
28. 28 Ghosts IV
29. 29 Ghosts IV
30. 30 Ghosts IV
31. 31 Ghosts IV
32. 32 Ghosts IV
33. 33 Ghosts IV
34. 34 Ghosts IV
35. 35 Ghosts IV
36. 36 Ghosts IV

Run Time: 1:50:00