Hesitation Marks

Hesitation Marks

Digital cover
Studio album by Nine Inch Nails
Released September 3, 2013 (2013-09-03)
Recorded 2012–May 2013
Genre
Length 61:50
Label
Producer
Nine Inch Nails chronology
The Slip
(2008)
Hesitation Marks
(2013)
Halo numbers chronology
"Halo 27"
(2008)
"Halo 28"
(2013)
Singles from Hesitation Marks
  1. "Came Back Haunted"
    Released: June 6, 2013
  2. "Copy of a"
    Released: August 13, 2013[4] (promotional)
  3. "Everything"
    Released: August 20, 2013[5] (promotional)

Hesitation Marks is the eighth studio album by the American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on September 3, 2013 by Columbia Records in the United States, Polydor Records in Europe and by The Null Corporation internationally. It is the band's first release through Columbia, and their first album released on a major record label since Year Zero (2007). The album's title is derived from the term "hesitation wounds", which is used to describe marks that are produced by testing a bladed weapon before attempting suicide or self-harming.[6]

On August 12, 2013, Amazon UK officially made the album's second track "Copy of a" available for free to download. On August 22, 2013, a radio rip of "Find My Way" was uploaded to YouTube.[7] On August 27, 2013, the album was streamed on iTunes after it was leaked online.[8][9] The album was made available in two different masters for digital download; a "standard" version and an "audiophile mastered" version, the latter of which having extended dynamic range not meant to be competitive in the loudness war.[10][11] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background

In February 2009, Trent Reznor stated, "I've been thinking for some time now it's time to make NIN disappear for a while", indicating the possible end of the act.[12] Nine Inch Nails then entered a hiatus after touring with Jane's Addiction and performing on a few subsequent shows.[12][13][14] Afterwards, Reznor clarified that the band was done with touring for the foreseeable future, but that he would continue to make music under the moniker.[15]

Since then, Reznor pursued other projects. In 2010, he formed the post-industrial project, How to Destroy Angels with long-time collaborator Atticus Ross and West Indian Girl frontwoman Mariqueen Maandig, whom he married in 2009.[16][17] In 2010, Reznor also collaborated with Atticus Ross on the original score for David Fincher's 2010 film, The Social Network.[18] The duo won a 2010 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for a Motion Picture and a 2010 Academy Award for Best Original Score. Reznor and Ross again collaborated with Fincher for the official score the American adaptation of the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, released in December 2011.[19]

In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Reznor indicated that he would be writing for the majority of 2012 with Nine Inch Nails "in mind".[20] In 2012, Reznor confirmed that he was working on new Nine Inch Nails material and would possibly be performing live again.[21][22][23] In February 2013, Reznor announced the return of Nine Inch Nails and revealed tour details.[24] The album was first acknowledged by Trent Reznor on May 28, 2013 in a post on nin.com:

I've been less than honest about what I've really been up to lately. For the last year I've been secretly working non-stop with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder on a new, full-length Nine Inch Nails record, which I am happy to say is finished and frankly fucking great. This is the real impetus and motivation behind the decision to assemble a new band and tour again. My forays into film, HTDA and other projects really stimulated me creatively and I decided to focus that energy on taking Nine Inch Nails to a new place. Here we go!"[25]

The album began life as a couple of tracks that were meant to be included in a forthcoming greatest hits package for Interscope Records. The sessions gave way to more songs and ended up yielding an entire album.[26] The two songs originally written and recorded for the hits package were revealed to be "Everything" and "Satellite".[27]

Release and promotion

Packaging

Each version of the album has its own cover with artwork by Russell Mills[28] whose art was previously used 19 years earlier on The Downward Spiral, its accompanying singles, and the double VHS set Closure.

About the cover arts, Mills said:

This renewed collaboration very quickly suggested massive potential for the strange and the familiar to collide and collude in works that I hoped would encapsulate, by allusion, suggestion, metaphor and association, the conceptual ideas imbued in the album as well as in the undertow of its sonic world. I've tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core. I hope that they will invite multiple readings.[29][30]

Mills also explained that the works explore ideas of "catharsis, of being into dissolution into being, both on a personal and sociological level." Mills said that the works allude to ideas about chaos and order. He also described the artworks as a "cross between the forensic and a pathology of the personal in which only fragments remain, in which minimal clues can suggest events that may have occurred."[31]

During the creation of the cover arts, Mills used traditional materials such as oils, acrylic paints, varnishes and wires as well as miscellaneous objects which were subject to various chemical processes, including burning, bleaching, calcification and erosion.[30] Blood was used for standard CD cover and digital cover.[32]

Alternative cover arts

Tour

Main article: Twenty Thirteen Tour

Nine Inch Nails began a world tour to support the album in July 2013, starting at the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[33]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[34]
Alternative Press[35]
Consequence of Sound[36]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[37]
The Guardian[38]
Kerrang![39]
NME8/10[40]
Pitchfork Media7.0/10[41]
Rolling Stone[1]
Spin9/10[42]

Critical reception for the album has been generally positive. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 77, based on 40 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[33] Allmusic critic and senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine stated: "Hesitation Marks makes it quite clear that Trent Reznor is no longer an angry young man but rather a restless, inventive artist who is at peace with himself, and the result is a record that provides real, lasting nourishment."[34] Jason Pettigrew of Alternative Press described the album as "both business as usual and remarkably prescient."[35] Dave Simpson of The Guardian wrote: "Hesitation Marks is a very different beast to an intense industrial classic such as 1994's The Downward Spiral, but the darkness remains in lyrics that address self-doubt and the struggle for identity with honesty and candour."[38] Writing for Kerrang!, George Garner inferred that "Hesitation Marks would provide Nine Inch Nails with a future every bit as promising as their illustrious past."[39] NME critic Louis Pattison stated: "This is the sound of a cleaner, smoother Nine Inch Nails, one that delights in complexities of rhythm more than caustic blasts of rage."[40] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork wrote that the album is "much more in tune with the spartan grooves of the xx and the elastic electro of the Knife than his [Reznor's] usual arena-rattling influences."[41] David Fricke of Rolling Stone described the album as "one of Reznor's best", stating that "it combines the textural exploration on the 1999 double CD The Fragile, and the tighter fury of his 1994 master blast, The Downward Spiral."[1] Christopher R. Weingarten of Spin regarded the album as "the most important artistic statement from NIN leader Trent Reznor since the late '90s."[42] Nevertheless, Philip Cosores was mixed in his assessment of the album and thought: "For the album itself, the good ideas seem to have been wasted on trying to revive something that killed itself years ago."[36]

The audiophile mastered version of the album has been the subject of discussion on several audio-related websites which claim that its "audiophile" credentials are debatable since its dynamic range is not much higher than the standard version due to audio compression.[43][44]

Accolades

Hesitation Marks was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards.[45] Rolling Stone,[46] Stereogum,[47] and Spin all included Hesitation Marks in their best albums of 2013 lists.

Commercial performance

Hesitation Marks debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 with 107,000 copies sold in its first week, Nine Inch Nails' fifth top five album.[48] As of December 2013, the album had sold 187,000 copies.[49] In Canada, the album debuted atop the Canadian Albums Chart with first-week sales of 12,000 copies, becoming the band's first number-one album on the chart.[50] The album was certified Gold in Canada on September 26, 2013.[51] The album sold 12,286 copies to enter the UK Albums Chart at number two, earning the band its highest-charting album yet in the United Kingdom.[52]

Track listing

The full track listing was announced on June 21, 2013, along with the credits.[53] The deluxe edition features 3 additional remixes and an interview with Trent Reznor. The interview also includes three untitled demo songs from the album sessions, along with a demo sample of the song "All Time Low":[54]

All songs written by Trent Reznor, except "The Eater of Dreams" by Trent Reznor and Alessandro Cortini. "While I'm Still Here" contains a lyrical interpolation from "Weary Blues From Waitin'" written and performed by Hank Williams.

No. Title Length
1. "The Eater of Dreams"   0:52
2. "Copy of a"   5:23
3. "Came Back Haunted"   5:17
4. "Find My Way"   5:16
5. "All Time Low"   6:18
6. "Disappointed"   5:44
7. "Everything"   3:20
8. "Satellite"   5:03
9. "Various Methods of Escape"   5:01
10. "Running"   4:08
11. "I Would for You"   4:33
12. "In Two"   5:32
13. "While I'm Still Here"   4:03
14. "Black Noise"   1:29

Personnel

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[51] Gold 40,000^
Portugal (AFP)[87] Gold 10,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Label
Australia[88] August 30, 2013 Universal Music Group
Netherlands[89]
Germany[90] Polydor Records
Ireland[91]
United Kingdom[92] September 2, 2013
France[93] Mercury Records
United States[94] September 3, 2013 Columbia, The Null Corporation
Italy[95] Universal Music
Japan[55] September 4, 2013

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fricke, David (September 3, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  2. Richard Trapunski (September 5, 2013). "Review: Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks". NOW. Retrieved June 18, 2015.
  3. Roberts, Randall (August 30, 2013). "Review: Nine Inch Nails' musically shimmering 'Hesitation Marks'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  4. Amazon.com: Copy of a: Nine Inch Nails: MP3 Downloads
  5. Nine Inch Nails, 'Hesitation Marks' | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone
  6. Listen: Nine Inch Nails: "Find My Way", Plus Conversation With Trent Reznor | News | Pitchfork
  7. "Stream Nine Inch Nails' new album, Hesitation Marks". Consequence of Sound. August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  8. Firecloud, Johnny (August 27, 2013). "Album Stream: Nine Inch Nails 'Hesitation Marks'". CraveOnline. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  9. Trent Reznor Fights The Loudness Wars, Offers ‘Loud’ & ‘Audiophile’ Masters Of Hesitation Marks » Synthtopia
  10. NIN's Hesitation Marks Will Come In an Audio-Nerds-Only Version
  11. 1 2 Phillips, Amy (February 16, 2009). "Trent Reznor Announces Possible End of Nine Inch Nails, Tour With Jane's Addiction". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  12. Montgomery, James (February 17, 2009). "Nine Inch Nails To Go On Hiatus After Tour With Jane's Addiction?". Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  13. Breihan, Tom (July 14, 2009). "Nine Inch Nails Reschedule Cancelled "Wave Goodbye" Shows". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  14. Breihan, Tom (July 14, 2009). "Trent Reznor Explains the State of NIN". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  15. Breihan, Tom (April 28, 2010). "Trent Reznor and Wife Mariqueen Maandig Are How to Destroy Angels". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  16. Phillips, Amy (May 4, 2009). "Meg White, Trent Reznor Getting Married (No, Not to Each Other, Sorry)". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  17. Phillips, Amy (July 1, 2010). "Trent Reznor Scores Facebook Movie". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  18. Breihan, Tom (January 10, 2011). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to Score David Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  19. Battan, Carrie (January 13, 2012). "Trent Reznor Writing New NIN Material". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  20. Pelly, Jenn (November 7, 2012). "New Nine Inch Nails Material Definitely in the Works". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  21. Doyle, Patrick (November 7, 2012). "Trent Reznor: Nine Inch Nails Working on New Music, Possible Tour". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  22. "New Nine Inch Nails material 'in the works'". NME. November 7, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  23. Young, Alex (February 25, 2013). "Trent Reznor relaunches Nine Inch Nails with new lineup, extensive tour planned". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  24. Reznor, Trent (2013-05-28). "nine inch nails - i've been less than honest about what i've really...". Tumblr. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
  25. http://www.theninhotline.net/archives/articles/manager/display_article.php?id=6190
  26. Beaumont, Mark (8 August 2013). "The nine lives of Trent Reznor". The Guardian.
  27. nine inch nails
  28. Greenwald, David (July 17, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails Drop Four Covers for 'Hesitation Marks'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  29. 1 2 Young, Alex (July 17, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails' Hesitation Marks features four different album covers". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  30. Blistein, Jon (July 17, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails Plan Four Different Covers for 'Hesitation Marks'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  31. Pelly, Jenn (July 17, 2013). "New Nine Inch Nails Album Will Have Four Different Covers, Check Them Out Now". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  32. 1 2 "Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  33. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hesitation Marks – Nine Inch Nails". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  34. 1 2 Pettigrew, Jason. "Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  35. 1 2 Cosores, Philip (August 30, 2013). "Album Review: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  36. Anderson, Kyle. "MUSIC REVIEW Nine Inch Nails (2013)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  37. 1 2 Simpson, Dave (August 29, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails: Hesitation Marks – review". The Guardian. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  38. 1 2 Garner, George (28 August 2013). "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". Kerrang. London (1481): 52.
  39. 1 2 Pattison, Louis (August 29, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails - 'Hesitation Marks'". NME. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
  40. 1 2 Berman, Stuart (September 3, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  41. 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher R. (August 30, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails' Rhythmic Jack Move 'Hesitation Marks' Makes It Rain Acid Beats". Spin. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  42. Shepherd, Ian (September 4, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails' "Hesitation Marks" – Audiophile, or AudioFAIL ?". Production Advice. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  43. "Terrible Lie". Metal-Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  44. Grammy Awards 2014: Full Nominations List | Billboard
  45. Nine Inch Nails, 'Hesitation Marks' | 50 Best Albums of 2013 | Rolling Stone
  46. Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks (Polydor) Stereogum
  47. Caulfield, Keith (September 11, 2013). "Ariana Grande Debuts At No. 1 On Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  48. "Nine Inch Nails Split Up With Manager". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 6, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  49. Tuch, Paul (September 11, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails Score First Number One Album" (PDF). Nielsen Company. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  50. 1 2 "Gold Platinum Database: Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks". Music Canada. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  51. Jones, Alan (September 9, 2013). "Official Charts Analysis: The 1975 see debut album land at No.1 after 31k sales". Music Week. Intent Media. Retrieved September 14, 2013. (subscription required)
  52. Blisten, Jon (June 21, 2013). "Nine Inch Nails Unveil 'Hesitation Marks' Tracklist and Credits". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  53. "Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks deluxe edition on Itunes". Retrieved 2013-06-09.
  54. 1 2 ナイン・インチ・ネイルズ - ヘジテイション・マークス [Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  55. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  56. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  57. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  58. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in French). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  59. "Nine Inch Nails – Chart history: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  60. "TOP50 Prodejní: NINE INCH NAILS – Hesitation Marks" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  61. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in Danish). danishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  62. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  63. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  64. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in French). lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  65. "Nine Inch Nails, Hesitation Marks" (in German). charts.de. Media Control. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  66. "Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 38/2013)" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on October 3, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  67. "Top 100 Artist Album, Week Ending 5 September 2013". Chart-Track. Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  68. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 36 (dal 02-09-2013 al 08-09-2013)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  69. ナイン・インチ・ネイルズのアルバム売り上げランキング [Nine Inch Nails album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  70. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  71. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  72. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży". OLiS. September 16, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  73. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". portuguesecharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  74. "2013 Top 40 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  75. "Gaon Album Chart – 2013.09.01~2013.09.07" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  76. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". spanishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
  77. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  78. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks". swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  79. "2013 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  80. "Nine Inch Nails – Chart history: Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  81. "Nine Inch Nails – Chart history: Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  82. "Nine Inch Nails – Chart history: Top Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
  83. "2013 Year-End Charts – Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  84. "2013 Year-End Charts – Alternative Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  85. "2013 Year-End Charts – Rock Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  86. "Top 30 Artistas – Semana 37 2013" (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Archived from the original on September 19, 2013. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  87. "Nine Inch Nails Store – Hesitation Marks". Getmusic. Universal Music Australia. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  88. "Hesitation Marks | Nine Inch Nails" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  89. "NINE INCH NAILS | Hesitation Marks (Ltd. Deluxe Edt.)" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  90. "Nine Inch Nails – HESITATION MARKS". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  91. "Hesitation Marks". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  92. "Hesitation marks – Nine Inch Nails" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  93. "Hesitation Marks". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  94. "Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/22/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.