Review Summary: The perfect soundtrack to the uncertainty and uneasiness most of the world is feeling right now.
In 2008, Nine Inch Nails released
Ghosts I-IV. It was an experiment in terms of composition and the way it was released (free with some paid upgrades).
Ghosts I-IV essentially served as a resume or audition tape for film scoring. In fact, Trent Reznor encouraged film makers to use the music in their work. While the music on
Ghosts I-IV was instrumental and could be used in film, it was still composed by rock musicians and that is apparent in terms of arrangement and execution. Whether or not it was their intention,
Ghosts I-IV did successfully springboard Reznor and Ross into the world of film scoring. After the album’s release, they scored
The Social Network. The success and acclaim of that score lead to more and more film work and an impressive resume, including
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,
Gone Girl,
Mid90s,
Watchmen,
Bird Box,
Waves, and more. In fact, Reznor & Ross’s day job pivoted to composing films and Nine Inch Nails became more of a passion project.
Fast forward to March 26th, 2020. Nine Inch Nails surprised released
Ghosts V: Together and
Ghosts VI: Locusts. Similar to
Ghosts I-IV,
Ghosts V-VI are instrumental, experimental, and cinematic. Unlike
Ghosts I-IV,
Ghosts V-VI was created by professional and accomplished film composers. You can hear the difference. The arrangements flow like a film score and the build ups and climaxes feel more like scenes of a movie, instead of scattered industrial rock instrumentals. This creates more unity and consistency than its predecessor. Tonally,
Ghosts V: Together and
Ghosts VI: Locusts are polar opposites, giving fans two completely different albums to digest.
Compared to
Ghosts V: Together,
Ghosts VI: Locusts is a far less pleasant experience. It combines the darkness, ugliness and experimentation of Nine Inch Nails
Bad Witch, the ominous and paranoid tones of
Bird Box, and the most abstract and unsettling moments of
Waves. Out of the gate, you start to hear the difference with "The Cursed Clock." The warm, soft piano tone from
Together is replaced by a cold, harsh piano sound. Melody has been replaced with dissonance. Hope has been replaced with anxiety. Another notable difference between the two volumes is arrangement and instrumentation.
Locusts has shorter songs, more diversity between tracks, and more percussive elements. Don't expect any beats you can tap your toes to. The percussion here is off-kilter and abrasive. From an instrumentation standpoint, Locusts introduces trumpet on a number of tracks, which is a welcome addition.
Songs like "Around Every Corner" and "Turn this Off Please" take the template from
Bad Witch's "I'm Not From This World" to horrifying new extremes. "Run Like Hell" builds to a really great bridge with trip-hop sounding drum samples and noir horns, reminding me more of Ulver than Nine Inch Nails. "When it Happens (Don't Mind Me)," "Temp Fix," and "Your New Normal," recall the weirder and darker moments of
Ghosts I-IV. The album closes with "Almost Dawn," which features a more melodic and hopeful melody that ends up being sucked into a black hole of droning bass.
As a whole,
Ghosts VI: Locusts, is one of the stranger and more challenging installments in Nine Inch Nails discography. If you prefer the more abstract, dissonant, and disturbing moments of Nine Inch Nails and Reznor and Ross's film scores, this album is for you. It is not as accessible as its counterpart, but it is a rewarding experience that projects the uncertainty and uneasiness most of the world feels right now.
