Pretty Hate Machine leans toward an angstier Depeche Mode than the iconic industrial sound NIN became known for. Trent Reznor played and programmed most of the instruments himself, then overlaid them with lyrics of youthful rage, all during late-night downtime in the recording studio, where he worked as a janitor and assistant engineer. In retrospect, Pretty Hate Machine is a study of an artist finding his way and a masterpiece of that finding.

The album (and NIN) kicks off with a mission statement in “Head Like a Hole,” the most industrial track on the album: “bow down before the one you serve, you are going to get what you deserve.” Is Trent defying “God Money” or thirsting for it, or is it the guilt in the paradox?

“Terrible Lie” is a desperate, melodic song about a failed transaction of faith, followed by “Down in It,” a psychological descent one could break out some moves to on the dance floor. In my opinion, what makes this album so great is how Reznor bends the funky synth-pop style into hardcore rock. This is not a Trojan Horse that requires reading between the lines. It’s direct, literal cause-and-effect self-loathing. Don’t agree? “Sanctified” is a song about Trent’s relationship with a cocaine pipe. He is just that special, making you groove to his personal devotion to a substance.

Pretty Hate Machine has something rare in NIN’s catalog, heartbreak writing that points to a real, specific person rather than an abstract wound. Side B kicks off with “Something I Can Never Have,” a stripped-down industrial ballad sung from the ambiance of a void. If heartbreak is often the catalyst for a great story, this might as well be NIN’s.

“Kinda I Want To” is Trent’s least favorite song, and it’s one of those tracks I kinda love. It’s raw. It’s NIN in its awkward teenage form. It has beats, rhythm, and the iconic car-engine-like processed guitar. It perfectly transitions the synth’s chaotic end into “Sin,” defying “the one you serve,” now turned inward; he is in it.

“That’s What I Get” is the eighth track on the album and the most straightforward song about heartbreak. This is one of those rare gems I mentioned earlier. The beat clearly shares DNA with what would become “Closer” on a later album, but the lyrics are so young and naive that you must appreciate it as something you will never hear again from NIN. I bet Trent would’ve wanted a second chance to rework this song. I’m glad he didn’t.

Speaking of rare songs, Side C opens with “The Only Time,” a late-’80s pop song about, well, fucking. No shame. The youth is horny, and maybe all messed up. Depeche Mode heavily influenced Reznor, and this is peak NIN sensuality. “Ringfinger” closes the loop with a submissive melody: “If I was twice the man I could be / I’d still be half of what you need / Still you lead me and I follow.”

The remastered version of Pretty Hate Machine closes with a cover of Queen’s “Get Down, Make Love” as the final track. It comes out of nowhere, a deflection from someone trying to revise and overthink their younger self rather than accept it as it is. Of all the edits that could have happened in the remaster, I’m happy it was just a “bonus track.”

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Side A

Side B

Side C

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