Country : United States Label : The Null Corporation Genres and styles : Ambient / Drone / Electronic / Experimental / Contemporary Year : 2020

Ghosts V-VI

· by Alex Labonté

In the wake of #Stayhome and twelve years after Ghosts I-IV, Nine Inch Nails suggest an escape plan, offering us a free double album containing more than two and a half hours (!) of instrumental music. It’s not just a casual getaway, but a sound environment that reflects the events surrounding the pandemic. Trent Reznor and his long-time collaborator Atticus Ross, as if they were carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders, turn their focus directly onto the ineluctable series of alarming events unfolding around us.

But don’t forget to put on your suits, because we’re going out into space with Ghosts V-VI. We find ourselves in orbit around anxiety, with a plethora of cryptic, haunting, ambient and sometimes new-age pieces, and a few drone moments. Nothing extraordinary however, as the record sticks to the exploration of ethereal sounds and gloomy atmospheres created with the help of synthesizers, sometimes out-of-tune pianos, occasional guitars and haunting samples. The pieces carry anxiety-provoking frequencies – “Hope We Can Again” might just induce tinnitus. 

NIN still have the ability to create a sense of imminent threat in the background, no matter how soft some of the pieces seem… like a giant, invisible enemy slowly approaching, hidden behind thick silk. The sadness is also obvious; Reznor’s big hands know how to get deep inside our brains to extract the hidden tears and irrigate the canals of our dry eyes.

In the second part, called Locusts, the walls close in on us even more, if such a thing is possible. Oppressive titles such as “Trust Fades”, “Your New Normal” or “Turn This Off Please” contribute to this. “The Cursed Clock”, with its incisive notes that twist the skull, is also a good example. Disturbing horns sow discord and take us into the heart of darkness on “Around Every Corner” and “The Worriment Waltz”. The album ends on “Almost Dawn”, with a heartbeat. Or… could it be the footsteps of a spectre that finally took flesh?

Latest 360 Content

Montreal Anti Jazz Police Festival – Day 2

Montreal Anti Jazz Police Festival – Day 2

Shaina Hayes and her Kindergarten Heart

Shaina Hayes and her Kindergarten Heart

David Binney – In The Arms Of Light

David Binney – In The Arms Of Light

Chauffeur et Parlak – “The Napoli Run”

Chauffeur et Parlak – “The Napoli Run”

Arlo Parks’ infectious, festive melancholy at the Beanfield.

Arlo Parks’ infectious, festive melancholy at the Beanfield.

Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Charles Lloyd – The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow

Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival at URSA – Day 1

Montreal Anti-Jazz Police Festival at URSA – Day 1

Piano Symphonique | Julia Mirzoev, Braden McConnell & Antoine Rivard-Landry

Piano Symphonique | Julia Mirzoev, Braden McConnell & Antoine Rivard-Landry

Single of the Day: Magick Brother & Mystic Sister “The Hierophant”

Single of the Day: Magick Brother & Mystic Sister “The Hierophant”

The Bolokos – feat. Fanswa Ladrezeau – Kouté Pou Tann

The Bolokos – feat. Fanswa Ladrezeau – Kouté Pou Tann

Real Farmer – Compare What’s There

Real Farmer – Compare What’s There

Simon Leoza – ACTE III

Simon Leoza – ACTE III

Opera McGill Presents Semele: An Ambitious Evening with the Gods

Opera McGill Presents Semele: An Ambitious Evening with the Gods

In Pursuit Of Repetitive Beats Experience Strives for Human Connection through VR

In Pursuit Of Repetitive Beats Experience Strives for Human Connection through VR

Daymé Arocena – Alkemi

Daymé Arocena – Alkemi

Extra Time – Where Is The Light

Extra Time – Where Is The Light

Martha Wainwright about her new jazz festival

Martha Wainwright about her new jazz festival

Félix Dubé Trio – Impermanence

Félix Dubé Trio – Impermanence

Thomas Dybdahl – Teenage Astronauts

Thomas Dybdahl – Teenage Astronauts

Buzhold – What It Meant?

Buzhold – What It Meant?

Yoo Doo Right – The Sacred Fuck EP

Yoo Doo Right – The Sacred Fuck EP

Residente – Las Letras Ya No Importan

Residente – Las Letras Ya No Importan

Subscribe to our newsletter