ninehertz

Magnetic Eye Records have a history of curating grand cover album works, convincing typically stoner and doom bands to head into their studios and play the songs of Soundgarden, Helmet, AC/DC and Jethro Tull. This edition of their Redux series promises to be the most intriguing – two albums worth of material of Nine Inch Nails – the additional intrigue due to this being a further reach for the types of bands than before.

Nine Inch Nails transcend the genre they helped popularise. Many of us, myself included, were drawn to them and influenced by them, particularly in their heady days of the mid to late 90s – their importance spreads way beyond industrial. It is therefore no surprise to find so many bands from the doom world happy to be involved – and not forgetting the unbelievably wide range of covers already out there – from Johnny Cash to Lil Nas X to Miley Cyrus on Black Mirror.

I’m not normally a fan of cover songs, because too many times the new version adds nothing to the original, making them redundant. There is plenty of that here, even with the leap across genre divides that you would think necessitates the creation of a new hybrid song. The best coverers – and I always think of Sepultura and Thou in this regard – take inspiration from the original but then make it their own.

There are two albums – a song-by-song recreation of The Downward Spiral and a best of the rest. There are names that jump out, others less known. There are some non-doom bands here, even some industrial (Author & Punisher for one), but I’m less interested to hear those for the reasons above. Instead, here’s a selection of the best or most interesting songs – the ones which stood out by taking the opportunity to create something new.

Welcome to ninehertz’s Nine Inch Nails nine-song highlights…

The Downward Spiral

1. Black Tusk – Mr Self Destruct

First song, first of the two albums – at this point I’m pessimistic I’ll listen beyond a song or two, based on experiences of similar types of projects. I’ve just listened to a bunch of stoner bands covering Kyuss and all it did was make me put the originals on. And, being honest, I’m not the biggest of Black Tusk fans. Then they go and do everything I’ve been saying bands should do, starting the whole thing off perfectly. They play the synth lines with guitars, they make it sounds like a Black Tusk song. It’s an excellent start; well played Black Tusk.

2. Daevar – Closer

Only Hurt bears a heavier responsibility, and it is bold for Daevar to take it on. They succeed – changing it, removing the famous mechanical heartbeat pulse beginning altogether, turning it into a purer, guitar driven rock song. Without the lyrics it wouldn’t be immediately obvious it was a cover at all. Their bravery is rewarded.

3. Dreadnought – The Becoming

This feels like a great fit – Dreadnought, the innovative and unique band have the armoury to take on the complex adaptation required. They do so by turning this into an ethereal, gentle percussive and vocal led cover, as if from a different world altogether. This is exactly how to take inspiration from a song and then build upon it, reinvent it, make it your own and create something distinct; the best way to honour the original.

4. Iah – A Warm Place

Some bands here just feel like a great fit to take on the challenge – for Iah and A Warm Place this instantly looked like a perfect match of band and song. And so it proves, the Argentinians' typical ambient psychedelic stoner rock subtly manipulating the minimal ambient industrial of the original, played with guitars whilst still remaining faithful to the fragile beauty of the original, a complimentary version that is lovely.

5. Between the Buried and Me – Hurt

Giving the opportunity, the potential burden of Hurt to the biggest draw on the bill makes a lot of sense. It is such a personal song – not only to Reznor (or Cash) but to every fan and the seeming application upon their own lives. BTBAM play it fairly straight – it’s hard not too I guess – sung, played beautifully, with little reinvention save for some added light and levity into what is an emotionally dense song.

The Best of Nine Inch Nails

6. Blue Heron – Head Like a Hole

How does a stoner rock band cover this? By turning it into a stoner rock song. Blue Heron totally own this, no concession to industrial, adding substantial stoner groove to the main riff by its end – this is really good.

7. Nonexistent Night – The Perfect Drug

I’ve not heard of this band prior, but was particularly looking forward to this track, being a big fan of the original and its none-more-goth video. I saw Nine Inch Nails live this year, out of the blue, for the first time in 25 years and The Perfect Drug was a live highlight. This cover strips down its gothic strangeness but replaces it with some of their own. I’m impressed; a slightly slacker, arty take on an absolute classic.

8. Chrome Ghost – Every Day is Exactly the Same

Chrome Ghost have, like Thou, form for mid-90s alternative covers, having Floor and Nirvana songs in their back catalogue. They apply a fuzzy, grungey stoner-ish take, turning the riff into something much warmer, moving it away from the natural coldness of industrial. It’s probably the best song on the album.

9. Thou – Suck

It’s always good to hear Thou regardless of setting. And as mentioned, they do love a good 90s cover. This is fairly fathful for a large section, sung, guitars threatening but not yet attacking, only the screams and sludge in the chorus riff blowing their cover. They do it very well, of course they do.