Sin

Album review

"Sin" might just be Nine Inch Nails' most menacing, powerful song. Sadly, the three versions of the song that appear on this EP extract much of Trent Reznor's fury. The chief culprits are famed industrial producer/soundsmith Adrian Sherwood and his frequent partner Keith Leblanc. In place of the menace of the song as found on Pretty Hate Machine, the duo have substituted dated dance grooves in their three remixes. The Long version inserts goofy, percolating sound effects, quiets Reznor's powerful vocals, and scratches repeated samples of Reznor's chant of "Lies." The Dub mix is a true stretch of the word "dub." Since when does dub mean pointless sound washes, cheap keyboard patterns, and misguided stabs at making a song sound spooky? The final version is the biggest slight of all, as it begs to be played on the radio, with its radio edit label. The album version, similar in length, is far superior, remaining true to its industrial roots and avoiding clichéd dance-oriented drum patterns. The only reason Sin is worth a look, outside the excellent Designers Republic sleeve, is for "Get Down, Make Love," a thoroughly entertaining and effective Queen cover. The song, produced by Hypo Luxa, aka Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen, is drenched in both comedy and sexual tension; it's aggressive and snarling, thanks to one of Reznor's most uninhibited and energetic recorded vocal performances. "Get Down Make Love" makes the EP worth a look, but the "Sin" mixes are almost laughable in their vapid redundancy.

© Tim DiGravina /TiVo