GHOSTS I-IV

This is i big step away from the former releases of NIN, Reznor is now exploring a more experimental music, that you would normaly find on recordings by ambient composers or musicians more interested in experimental recording than in Rock itself. You still find elements of Industrial, but its mixed up in a way more meditative manner. Cant help to wonder to what extend Reznor was inspired by "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" ?. Similarity is there for sure, but still its not that close. This is a recording very well suited for closed eyes / lying down. Where the "noise" from most previus NIN Outputs was intended to be stressfull and maby even to some extend anoying, here it creates a beautiful but dark sound landscape, for the most parts relaxing, but still colorfull and full of variety. Seen from a progrock view, a masterpiece, can imagine though, that many Industrial Rock fanboys, would be very disapointed. Adrian Belew ad a lot of Guitar effects on the album, making it even more of a Prog. must-have. I find this the best instrumental expreimental prog album i'we listen'ed too for quite a while, and at the same time it is fresh aproach at the genre, with some very heavy sounds mixed in, some upbeat tracks, some relaxed piano pieces, some "asian" inputs, some elements of Psychedelic ( or rather Psycodelic), some techno vibes, not to mention great guitar preformance from Adrian Belew and NIN's italian guitarist Alessandro Cortini. Cant help myself, this needs 5 stars, its beautiful, its interesting, its strong. May not be prog in the most narrow meaning of the word, but if you view it up against a genre like PROGRESSIVE ELECTRONIC, it just hits the Nail perfectly. Seems to me I find a development in the cruelness of those spirits of the deceased, even though not all linar. Anyway the ghosts, though sometimes pretty ugly, are not nearly as scary as you might fear from NIN. This is a long album, but its not a problem, every track would be missed if not there. Everything ads to the full picture. If 110 min. is to much at once, its naturaly split in 4 smaller pieces, as the title might suggest. Each kvarter a unit in itself.