Nine Inch Nails

Trent Reznor may come off like someone who doesn't give a damn about stardom, but guess what? He wants to sell records. Lots of them. His last studio set, 1999's The Fragile, was an ambitious effort that didn't set either the nation's cash registers or his supporters' imaginations ablaze. Teeth,...

By Michael Roberts

May 19, 2005

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Trent Reznor may come off like someone who doesn't give a damn about stardom, but guess what? He wants to sell records. Lots of them. His last studio set, 1999's The Fragile, was an ambitious effort that didn't set either the nation's cash registers or his supporters' imaginations ablaze. Teeth, in contrast, is an overtly commercial package that replicates his greatest hits.

Veteran fans should be thrilled by this backward-looking decision, and it's admittedly fun to hear tracks like "Only," which sports the sort of synthetic funk Reznor hasn't bothered with much since 1989's Pretty Hate Machine. Vigorous, lyrically pugnacious aggro such as "You Know What You Are?" will hit the sweet spot of NIN longtimers, too. Overall, though, the disc's been-there, done-that quality is echoed in the "Love Is Not Enough" lines "I've gone all this fucking way/To wind up back at -- I'm back at the start."

That's the idea, of course, and while the strategy will probably boost sales, the disc is essentially an industrial-age nostalgia trip. Reznor's Teeth may be sharp, but they don't have much bite.

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

Follow:

Facebook: 111180895657427

Twitter: @mikerobertscolo