| Band: | Various Artists |
| Release: | Best of Nine Inch Nails Redux / The Downward Spiral Redux |
| Genre: | Industrial |
| Country: | All over the world |
| Release Date: | 28th of November, 2025 |
| Released via | Magnetic Eye Records |
Nine Inch Nails have been, and still are, the backbone of my musical taste for decades now. It is a clear understatement to say they influenced a lot of artists and for many people The Downward Spiral serves as the pinnacle of their career. Magnetic Eye Records once again (they have already released numerous tribute albums) assembled many artists from all over the world and genres to pay tribute to this album and Nine Inch Nails‘ body of work in general.
The Best of Redux compiles 12 hidden gems and well-known hits spanning from Pretty Hate Machine to Bad Witch. This tribute album has such a high level of quality that it is very hard, to pick certain songs. Therefore I stick to my personal favorites of this album and most creative covers here.
The first surprise is Grayceon with “Right Where it Belongs“. The somber and melancholic album closer of With Teeth is given a more uplifting touch with a steady heartbeat. It somehow reminds me of Wear your Wound‘s second album Rust on the Gates of Heaven .The Ocean‘s version of “Even Deeper” (The Fragile) is as good as it reads on paper. Stripped of its electronics it could easily have been a good fit for the Pelagial album. It also serves the swan song of their (now) ex-vocalist Loïc Rossetti.
The Moth Gatherer transform “The Hand That Feeds” (With Teeth) into a slow, fuzzy affair with massive riffs on top of it. Bees Made Honey In The Vein Tree took a very deep dive into NIN’s discography and made “Over and Out” (Bad Witch) their own. This version is barely recognizable which is a great compliment.
The Downward Spiral is an album I listened to countless times. I know the tracks by heart so these cover versions feel like own stories told by new people. Most of these I haven’t known before but they surely do a good job telling said stories.
Some artists seem like obvious choices since they don’t stray too far from their own genres (which doesn’t mean they’re bad or boring). Author & Punisher covering NIN is an overdue experiment finally coming to life. Another fitting pairing is John Cxnnor (feat. Hexa) and his stomping version of the fast and blistering “Big Man With a Gun“.
Among my favorites are Black Tusk. Their version of “Mr. Self Destruct” is awesome. Instead of a deadly machine this song is now raw muscle power. Daevar‘s “Closer” is among the biggest risks on this album and another favorite. Cleary a staple in NIN’s discography it takes courage to cover this one but Deavar does it with excellency. A stomping rock rendition with mesmerizing female vocals. The other well-known musical elephant would be “Hurt” covered by Prog-Metal-Masters Between the Buried and me. Likely to the assimilation that The Ocean did to “Even deeper“, this is a very good cover. You can’t beat Johnny Cash, but no one will ever try and this surely isn’t their goal.
Magnetic Eye Records did an excellent job compiling and releasing these compilations. Both releases should be taken in together as they form a great insight into the vast cosmos that is the Œuvre of Nine Inch Nails. Besides a tasty choice of songs those tributes show the wide array of artists and genres that have been affected or influenced by them.
