History Music / TheDownwardSpiral

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''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American rock band Music/NineInchNails. Released on March 8, 1994, it was the band's first full work following their [[NewSoundAlbum shift]] from the dark, mechanical take on [[SynthPop synthpop]] and {{alternative dance}} heard on their debut album ''Music/PrettyHateMachine'' to the harsher, angrier {{industrial metal}} sound introduced on the ''Broken'' EP.

In its year of release, the album had two singles, "March of the Pigs" and "Closer to God"[[note]]This single corresponds to the song known simply as "Closer", although it's the title of one of the remixes featured in it[[/note]], both of which feature a number of remixes and b-sides from the album. Just over a year after its initial release, ''The Downward Spiral'' received a remix album titled ''Further Down the Spiral'' that contains more remixes from Music/AphexTwin, Music/RickRubin, Music/JGThirlwell, and a good portion of Music/{{Coil}}, among other high-profile names. It's reportedly one of the best-selling remix albums of all time.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of Russell Mills' artwork for the album and ''Closure'', and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point with playable track excerpts. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

# "Reptilian" (8:39)[[note]]Remix of "Reptile".[[/note]]

# "A Violet Fluid" (1:05)[[note]]A b-side of the album.[[/note]]
# "Underneath the Skin" (7:13)[[note]]Remix of "Reptile".[[/note]]

** Whether or not you believe that [[spoiler:the protagonist killed himself]], the album's ending still has the protagonist at the bottom of the spiral after his disconnection from everything including himself. The only light at the end of the tunnel that the album provides is in retrospect, as the protagonist [[WhatHaveIBecome realizes the errors of his ways]] in "Hurt" but states that it's too late to start over.
** Without referencing the album's concept, the conclusion with "Hurt" is an eligible example, as the song is told from the perspective of someone lamenting the emptiness of their life and acknowledging that they will leave no legacy behind.

* WhatHaveIBecome: Mentioned word for word in "Hurt" and also the TropeNamer.

''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American rock band Music/NineInchNails. Released on March 8, 1994, it was the band's first full work following their shift from the dark, mechanical take on [[SynthPop synthpop]] and {{alternative dance}} heard on their debut album ''Music/PrettyHateMachine'' to the harsher, angrier {{industrial metal}} sound introduced on the ''Broken'' EP.

''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American rock band Music/NineInchNails. Released on March 8, 1994, it was the band's first full work following their shift from the dark, mechanical take on [[SynthPop synthpop]] and {{alternative dance}} heard on their debut album ''Pretty Hate Machine'' to the harsher, angrier {{industrial metal}} sound introduced on the ''Broken'' EP.

While touring for the album, Reznor ended up befriending its lead inspiration, Music/DavidBowie, who just so happened to be promoting his RockOpera ''Music/{{Outside}}'', itself inspired by the industrial stylings of Nine Inch Nails. Bowie and Reznor combined their live shows together by making Nine Inch Nails' ''Dissonance'' tour the opening act for the American leg of Bowie's ''Outside'' tour, featuring Bowie and Reznor duetting on one-another's songs. Reznor would also provide remixes for Bowie's singles "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" and [[Music/{{Earthling}} "I'm Afraid of Americans"]], co-starring in the latter's music video. Reznor would later cite this friendship as an influence in his eventual sobriety and CreatorRecovery.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Probably one of music's most tasteful examples; the "crown of shit" line in "Hurt" was changed in Music/JohnnyCash's cover of the song to "crown of thorns", nodding to Cash's devout Christianity.

** "Hurt" has "I wear this crown of shit", which was changed quite cleverly into "I wear this crown of thorns" in the Music/JohnnyCash cover, referencing Cash's devout Christianity.

''The Downward Spiral'' is the second studio album by American rock band Music/NineInchNails. Released on March 8, 1994, it was the band's first full work following their shift from a dark, mechanical take on [[SynthPop synthpop]] and {{alternative dance}} (their debut album ''Pretty Hate Machine'') to a harsher, angrier {{industrial metal}} sound (the ''Broken'' EP).

*** The porn star sample on "Big Man With A Gun", which is distorted and processed to the point of being unrecognizable. The liner notes call this sample "Steakhouse".

*** The crowd screaming in the background of "The Becoming" is taken from ''Film/RobotJox''. Meanwhile the muffled vocals in the acoustic sections are a reversed sample of Harry Angel's line "I know who I am" from ''Film/AngelHeart''.

*** The kick drum sound of "Closer" is a sample of the song "Nightclubbing" from Music/IggyPop's album ''Music/TheIdiot'', which was produced Music/DavidBowie. Music/RoxyMusic's "Take a Chance with Me" is also sampled at the end of the song.

*** "Ruiner"'s intro section features pitched-up elephant sounds from the opening sequence of ''Elephant Man'', while its bridge samples screaming from ''Parents''. Meanwhile, the song's drums are taken Music/ArtOfNoise's "Beat Box".

*** The TitleTrack's watery noise in the intro is from ''Film/{{Alien}}''[='=]s opening credits, while the build-up guitar riff is from "Twins", a song on the soundtrack of ''Film/DeadRingers''.

*** The TitleTrack's watery noise in the intro is from ''Film/{{Alien}}''[='=]s opening credits, while the electric guitar riff is from "Twins", a song on the soundtrack of ''Film/DeadRingers''.

*** "Ruiner"'s intro section features pitched-up elephant sounds from the opening sequence of ''Elephant Man'', while its bridge samples screaming from ''Parents''.

*** The TitleTrack's beginning watery noise is from ''Film/{{Alien}}''[='=]s opening credits, while the electric guitar riff is from "Twins", a song on the soundtrack of ''Film/DeadRingers''.

*** The kick drum sound of "Closer" is a sample of the song "Nightclubbing" from Music/IggyPop's album ''Music/TheIdiot'', which was produced Music/DavidBowie. Music/RoxyMusic's "Take a Chance with Me" is also sampled prominently.

*** The TitleTrack's beginning watery noise is from ''Film/{{Alien}}'', while the electric guitar riff is from "Twins", a song on the soundtrack of ''Film/DeadRingers''.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of Russell Mills' artwork for the album and ''Closure'', and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point with playable track samples. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of Russell Mills' artwork for the album and ''Closure'', and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

Note that the track listing is different between the US and UK releases, but the songs remain the same otherwise.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of the artwork for the album and ''Closure'' made by Russell Mills, and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of the artwork for the album and ''Closure'' made by Russell Mills and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside music videos, a gallery of the artwork for the album made by Russell Mills and a timeline of the band's discography up to that point. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

The album later received a 10th anniversary remaster in 2004, including a standard edition; a deluxe edition that features a bonus disc with demos, b-sides, remixes (including those from the singles and ''Further Down the Spiral'') and soundtracks that the band made for films; and a [=DualDisc=][[note]]A now-discontinued disc format that features a CD side and a DVD side.[[/note]] version with a stereo mix of the album on the DVD side, alongside other features. This remaster is notorious for being one of the few albums to use the short-lived SACD format[[note]]Which was intended to succeed the standard CD format used for music albums with a better sound quality.[[/note]] on CD releases.

*** "Ruiner"'s intro section features pitched-up elephant sounds from ''Elephant Man'', while its bridge samples screaming from ''Parents''.

* FadingIntoTheNextSong: "A Warm Place" ends with the blowing sounds that open "Eraser", "The Becoming" crossfades into "I Do Not Want This", "I Do Not Want This" in turn segues into "Big Man with a Gun", and "The Downward Spiral" ends with the white noise heard throughout "Hurt".

** "Mr. Self Destruct" begins with a sampled clip from ''Film/THX1138'', that of a man being beaten, which increases in tempo until it matches the song proper.
** "March of the Pigs" includes screaming taken from ''Film/{{Sorcerer}}'' and ''Film/ExorcistIITheHeretic''.
** The kick drum sound of "Closer" is a sample of the song "Nightclubbing" from Music/IggyPop's album ''Music/TheIdiot'', whose producer, Music/DavidBowie, was a major influence on ''The Downward Spiral'' as a whole.
** "Ruiner"'s intro section features pitched-up elephant sounds from ''Elephant Man'', while its bridge samples screaming from ''Parents''.
** The crowd screaming in the background of "The Becoming" is taken from ''Film/RobotJox''. Meanwhile the muffled vocals in the acoustic sections are a reversed sample of Harry Angel's line "I know who I am" from ''Film/AngelHeart''.
** There's also the porn star sample on "Big Man With A Gun", distorted and processed to the point of being unrecognizable. The liner notes call the sample "Steakhouse".
** "Reptile" takes its opening machinery sounds from ''Film/Leviathan1989'', and the looping female voice in the bridge is from ''Film/TheTexasChainsawMassacre1974''.
** The TitleTrack's beginning watery noise is from ''Film/{{Alien}}''.