August 5 - Head Like A Hole

When Nine Inch Nails (NIN) stormed onto the industrial music scene in 1989, Head Like A Hole, the lead off track on their debut was a ferocious display of texture, aggression, and melody. The synthesized backdrop creates the perfect canvas for Trent Reznor's sense of melody, delivered with just the right amount of attitude and aggression before it all explodes in the chorus. Watching the video is quite interesting, especially seeing Reznor with dreadlocks - his current public persona is far more clean cut. This was the beginning of a fascinating musical career that I am thankful I get a chance to follow. Head Like A Hole was a moderate alternative hit, although it did not make it on to Billboard's Hot 100 list. The album Pretty Hate Machine is a good debut, but it was clear that there was more lurking underneath the surface. Regardless of that, Head Like A Hole was a great introduction to Nine Inch Nails!