Although Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor became the poster boy for industrial rock in the early 1990s, his '89 debut, PRETTY HATE MACHINE, actually has a stronger foothold in '80s synth-pop. The guitar-heavy opener, "Head Like a Hole", is the most aggressive track on the album and proved to be the signature song for Reznor's initial breakthrough, but much of the disc sounds like Depeche Mode in a particularly bad mood.
All of the tracks on PRETTY HATE MACHINE are based on synthesizer lines and programmed beats, with other elements--such as the distinctive bass on "Sanctified" and sampled explosions on "That's What I Get"--filling out the sound. Despite Reznor's morose lyrics, a number of HATE MACHINE's finest moments are energetic dance tunes, particularly "Down in It" and the surging "Sin". Oddly enough, Reznor's fiercer--and seemingly less accessible--subsequent work (the BROKEN EP and THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL) led directly to his mainstream success, but PRETTY HATE MACHINE reveals where the Nine Inch Nails aesthetic started out.

• Alternative Press (7/95, p.77) - Ranked #7 in AP's list of the 'Top 99 Of '85-'95' - "...fulfilled what had merely been the prophetic rumblings of industrial music....before PRETTY HATE MACHINE, [industrial had]...no real messiahs....Reznor assumed that position...with subhuman slips of the tongue and those patented screaming, 'gated' guitars..."
  Q (3/91) - 4 Stars - Excellent "NIN scans the spectrum of modern dance...Reznor's panoramic vision is both admirably adventurous and yet accessible."

Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor (vocals, various instruments).
Additional personnel includes: Richard Patrick (guitar); Chris Vrenna (drums).
There are lyrics on Nine Inch Nails' 1989 debut album which you wouldn't want your children to recite and Trent Reznor, good looks notwithstanding, is hardly the sort you'd invite round to meet your parents. On this Reznor's despair, self-loathing and anxiety are animated by a fearful barrage of bone-crunching industrial noise. Parts of "Something I Can Never Have," for example, could teach Motorhead a thing or two about the power riff. It's not all jet-propelled hate and fury, however, with varied producers (Flood, Adrian Sherwood, Keith LeBlanc) all bringing something new to the table. And if Reznor's nihilism clouds proceedings, his vitriol nevertheless produces some spectacular moments - "Head Like A Hole," "Sin" and "Ring Finger" being prime examples.

Before Nine Inch Nails, electronic-based rock was often considered devoid of feeling and danger. Leader Trent Reznor merged synths with tortured vocals/lyrics, distorted guitar, and repetitive, slamming rhythms into an unpredictable amalgam, helping to popularize industrial rock in the '90s. In the process, Nine Inch Nails became one of the biggest alt-rock acts of the era, responsible for enduring hits like "Head Like a Hole" and "Closer," while inspiring legions of younger bands. The ever-stoic Reznor continued to evolve and create innovative music well into the band's third decade.