#the downward spiral

[robsheridan]

Hard to believe Nine Inch Nails' classic The Downward Spiral is 30 years old today! Here is some detail photography I took of the original album cover painting by Russell Mills for the 10th anniversary deluxe edition release, which I had the unique honor of designing, and somehow that is now 20 year old.

Everyone has that one album that hit at just the right moment of adolescence to change their perspective on music and get them through their teenage angst. The Downward Spiral was that album for me, released as it was in 1994, when I was a freshman in high school (and an absolute banner year for music/films/games all around). I must have stared at the artwork for hours over those years, without even much detail to draw from on its tiny 5” CD slip case. So five years later, when I found myself inexplicably working for Nine Inch Nails, it was surreal to see the actual original painting in the flesh, hanging as it was at the time in Trent Reznor’s office at Nothing Studios, New Orleans.

I was struck by how much dimension and texture there was in the artwork that never translated on that tiny slipcase printing, how much detail was happening in the physical materials of the art: Flies, moths, wires, blood… I had been staring at this “painting” for so long, yet suddenly it was like I had never seen it before. I also noticed that it had aged - the wires had wilted over the years, drooping down from their original position as captured in the original album cover (interestingly, judging by the photo posted today by NIN, the piece has since been restored); a tooth was missing from the other main piece.

That experience stuck with me and it was the first thing I thought about when the task of re-imagining the album package fell upon me in 2004. I wanted to re-photograph the artwork, subtly updating the cover to show that ten years had changed it physically, much like our perceptions of art and music and memories change over time with perspective. I also wanted to dig into the previously unseen details of the work and explore it with my macro lens, so that fans like me, old and new, could have new layers of texture to pore over for hours while listening to a legendary album.

Happy birthday, old friend.

#nine inch nails #the downward spiral #nin #trent reznor #90s nostalgia #90s music #industrial #rob sheridan #Russell mills #photography #album art #album design

[zegalba]

#nine inch nails #the downward spiral #t shirt #butterfly #white #1994

[cold-black-and-infinite]

Trent Reznor with Russell Mills' "Wound", March 8th, 2024

#nin #nine inch nails #trent reznor #photos #the downward spiral

[ruinedholograms]

Further Down The Spiral (1995)

#old magazines #90s #music #nin #coil #aphex twin #rick rubin #nine inch nails #nothing records #trent reznor #russell mills #the downward spiral #1995 #hologram parade #robin finck #danny lohner #chris vrenna #charlie clouser #dave navarro #new musical express #further down the spiral

[witchrealms]

(x)

#u #web finds #nine inch nails #nin #tech #ipod #music #the downward spiral #trent reznor #alternative #2000s #00s

[grrl-beetle]

Nine Inch Nails

#Nine Inch Nails #The Downward Spiral #1994 #1995 #tour #merch #vintage #color

[sewercentipede]

NIN

#want so bad #need #nine inch nails #nin #merch #fashion #the downward spiral #eraser #transparent #my edit #up #1k

[natnin]

#nine inch nails #trent reznor #the downward spiral #nin #tds era #closer

[flowersofnaivete]

#trentreznor #trent reznor #danny lohner #james woolley #robin finck #nineinchnails #nine inch nails #the downward spiral #march of the pigs #tds era #joseph cultice

[undeadbetareads]

I absolutely love how The Doctor is not allowed to be alone. Like he goes full downward spiral while gaining a god complex in the process, and I ate it up.

#10th doctor #doctor who #david tennant #10 #tenth doctor #post donna #donna noble #the downward spiral #god complex #i love doctor who #martha jones #rose tyler

[vampryn]

trent reznor behind the scenes of march of the pigs, by joseph cultice

#joseph cultice #this mf took some of the best pics of our boy #rezzy #trent reznor #nine inch nails #the downward spiral #march of the pigs #can you imagine calling this man mike #lookin cunty

[the-fragile-joan]

Happy 30th Birthday to "The Downward Spiral."

#nine inch nails #the downward spiral #30th anniversary #tds era

[dykeferatu]

#buzz buzz #nin #nine inch nails #the downward spiral

[new-world-mutation]

“Spending too much time looking backwards feels dangerous to me, but this day on the calendar caught my attention. Has it really been that long, old friend? I just spent an hour listening to this time capsule of what 28 year old me had to say, and it still excites me and breaks my heart. Be kind to yourselves. Hope to see you soon."

TR 3.8.24

#nine inch nails #trent reznor #the downward spiral #30th anniversary #foun on ig

[mothwithapencil]

I made pride flags colorpicked from Nine Inch Nails albums. I tried to make more but couldn't because NIN albums don't contain color. I feel a personal connection to Downward Spiral Lesbian

#nine inch nails #nin #pretty hate machine #the fragile #the downward spiral #further down the spiral

[rezwhore]

Watched the behind the scenes of the "Closer" video again and got inspired

#trent reznor #nine inch nails #treznor #nin #nine inch nails fanart #the downward spiral #traditional art #trent reznor art #fanart #this took ages #closer