Best Metal Videos of All Time
Honourable Mention 7: Closer—Nine Inch Nails
Honourable Mention 7: Closer—Nine Inch Nails, Score = 9 points;
Score justification: 8 points for the song + 1 point for production values = 9 points;
Wait what? Are there any guitars in this song? Is this metal? This is from one of those rare metal albums where guitars don’t dominate. But make no mistake, The Downward Spiral is the pinnacle of Industrial Metal[1]. The intense mood, the way total insanity is barely kept in check, the relentless atmosphere, sheer emotional intensity and mind-shattering bleakness[2] give every doom metal band—no matter how heavy their guitars—a run for their money. This is the metal counterpart of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures and, indeed, Closer[3], sonically updated to the 90s (and beyond). Immitated and emulated by many, but never equalled (let alone surpassed).
Wait a minute, isn’t metal supposed to help kids with suicidal thoughts by empathising with them rather than reinforcing their depression? True. But in this particular case, I think you can, in a way, compare The Downward Spiral with Slayer’s “Angel of Death”. The latter is meant to display the utter inhumanity and depravity of the Nazi regime, not—as many Germans at the time of release mistakingly assumed—glorify it. Similarly, The Downward Spiral is meant to display the utter depravity and insanity of a truly sick mind without glorifying it. As Nietzsche said: “And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into thee[4].”
You keep mentioning the whole album instead of this particular song. Why? The problem is that “Closer” is not—in my unholy opinion, obviously—the best song on The Downward Spiral. That honour goes to the last three songs: “Reptile”, the title song “The Downward Spiral” and “Hurt[5]”. Unfortunately, NIN didn’t originally shoot videos for these songs.
So the song isn’t the best of the album, but what about the video? The video is fantastic. Stylish in a faux-authentic mad scientist lab where depravity and perversion rule, with disturbing images that not only refer to the song’s lyrics, but link to the whole Downward Spiral album. I agree with Reznor who said: “the rarest thing occurred: where the song sounded better to me, seeing it with the video.” Ideally, a video enhances a song, as it does in this case.
Alright, so the atmosphere is deeply metal. But how metal was Nine Inch Nails live? Totally metal. I first saw them at Lollapallooza in 1991—before The Downward Spiral was released—and Reznor was quite intense life, supported by an excellent band[6] who he seemed to hit, kick and torture on stage (well I hope it was an act). Like almost any band, they were much heavier live than in the studio (even if only Reznor had been in the studio). The Downward Spiral live was freaking insanity.
Don’t say: How’s life working for the man, Trent[7]?
Do say: Let’s snort a line[8], Trent, because you know Bill Hicks[9] was right[10];
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
[1] Sorry Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Marilyn Manson and Rammstain, but in Industrial Metal “The Downward Spiral” is basically untouchable;
[2] It was recorded in the mansion in which the Manson family had murdererd Sharon Tate, Leno LaBianca and five others;
[3] With the note that NIN’s main composer didn’t kill himself;
[4] We have seen the enemy and it is us;
[5] Which is, incredibly enough, covered by Johnny Cash and is—according to many—even better than the original. Initially, Reznor hated the cover, calling it: “as if someone was kissing your girlfriend”. Later, he praised, saying “that song isn’t mine anymore”. This, however, motivated Reznor to put a hell of an extra attempt during concerts where “Hurt” became both better than the album version and the Cash cover. Win-win for all!
[6] In the studio reznor plays all instruments himself except for the drums, for which—hey, Industrial Metal—we have the infamous drum machine;
[7] Reznor is part of the Apple Music team. He was ‘chief creative officer’ at Beats Electronic and since the takeover now works for Apple;
[8] While he admitted to being a heavy drugs user during the first four NIN albums, Reznor is now clean. He was afraid, though, that quitting drugs would kill his muse;
[9] Many metal fans encountered this comedian first through a sample on Tool’s Ænima album in the intro of the song “Third Eye” which goes like—I’m paraphrasing a bit here—“Drugs have done some good things. If you don’t believe drugs have done good things for us, then do me a favour. Go home tonight and take all your albums, tapes and CDs and burn ‘em. Because the musicians […] real fucking high on drugs.”;
[10] And in Reznor’s case Hicks may very well be right, because Nine Inch Nails with the clean Reznor has never reached the heights of the first four albums (and The Downward Spiral in particular) when Reznor was high as a kite;