pretty hate machine

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track 1:	head like a hole
track 2:	terrible lie
track 3:	down in it
track 4:	sanctified
track 5:	something i can never have
track 6:	kinda i want to
track 7:	sin
track 8:	that's what i get
track 9:	the only time
track 10:	ringfinger

head like a hole
Head Like A Hole is the most popular song off of Pretty Hate Machine. I like it, it's energetic and I listen to it when I go to the gym. I like how screamy it is, and I love the music video.
terrible lie
Terrible Lie is one of my favourites on PHM, I love how angsty it is. It (in my opinion) very accurately conveys the internal conflict that being raised to believe in a religion brings. This song is angry and desperate for an answer on what to believe in after finding out that something you devoted your life to might not be as stable as you think.
down in it
Trent rapping is a nice surprise. Down In It is not my favourite in terms of the verses (some lyrics come across as "nice guys finish last!"), but I love the chorus and the use of samples throughout the song. It's catchy and fun.
sanctified
I LOVE the slap bassline soooo much. This song is super ***** and I love it, I'd say its like my second favourite. The prechorus is fire. I think the sampled interlude is a fun addition and I'm kinda sad they cut it out of the remastered version, my CD copy of this album doesn't have it :(.
something i can never have
Something I Can Never Have is not my favourite. I find it a little whiny, but it's not BAD just not something I tend to gravitate towards. Some of the lyrics seem a bit codependant and just pathetic (sorry!) which makes it hard to take it seriously unless I'm actually depressed or something.
kinda i want to
I know this song isn't Trent's favourite but I still think it's better than tracks 5 and 8. It still has the industrial pop essence of the album while bordering on the theme of darker subjects such as drug addiction. Something I can't shake though is how childish/simplistic the prechorus/chorus is to me. This song is another one that is fun but sometimes difficult to take seriously.
sin
THIS SONG IS REALLY GOOD. It's angry and I love it, the instrumentation is also awesome and energetic. The lyrics aren't overly edgy and do a really good job at storytelling without being boring. I can listen to this song anytime. Also has a fire music video.
that's what i get
Oh god I don't like this song. It comes across as super juvenile. I know it's about infidelity and maybe it's just because I can't personally relate, but:
"How can you turn me into this? After you just taught me how to kiss? I told you I'd never say goodbye Now I'm slipping on the tears you've made me cry"
....Really? Unfortunately, the bridge is fire.
the only time
I remember the first time I listened to this song, I didn't know that he would just moan after the chorus and it caught me very off-guard. But it's still a very good song, the lyrics are amazing. I love this song. It's tied with sanctified IMO.
ringfinger
Ringfinger didn't stick out to be at first, but then I came back to it after my first couple of listens and really fell in love with it. I love the ending of the song and the fun riff repeated throughout (no idea what instrument that is sorry). Also absolutely wild hidden lyrics, I'm kinda glad they didn't make it to the song because "When I do it, I only think of you," is very teenage boy to me. But yeah this is my favourite PHM song.

overall album rating
Pretty Hate Machine was the first Nine Inch Nails album I listened to in full after discovering The Downward Spiral in my mum's old CD collection. It's been years since my first listen, and I can clearly remember loving and relating to the teen angst wrapped in catchy synth-pop tunes. I'm sure that if I knew how to code properly back then, this review would be all 5 stars. This album will always hold a special place in my heart because of that. Now that I'm older, I can clearly see it isn't perfect, there are definitely some skips on here - but I think that's just because I'm not in the right mental space to fully immerse myself in this album anymore. That doesn't make it bad, just not my preferred style at the moment. It is a great debut album, especially for the time period and target audience. To me, that's what makes this album so special - it was written solo by a whiny man after his janitor shifts at the recording studio. It's not professional, and it's some of his first work. It's honestly kinda cringe. But so was I when this was my favourite album in the whole world.

overall album rating

Pretty Hate Machine was the first Nine Inch Nails album I listened to in full after discovering The Downward Spiral in my mum's old CD collection. It's been years since my first listen, and I can clearly remember loving and relating to the teen angst wrapped in catchy synth-pop tunes. I'm sure that if I knew how to code properly back then, this review would be all 5 stars. This album will always hold a special place in my heart because of that. Now that I'm older, I can clearly see it isn't perfect, there are definitely some skips on here - but I think that's just because I'm not in the right mental space to fully immerse myself in this album anymore. That doesn't make it bad, just not my preferred style at the moment. It is a great debut album, especially for the time period and target audience.
To me, that's what makes this album so special - it was written solo by a whiny man after his janitor shifts at the recording studio. It's not professional, and it's some of his first work. It's honestly kinda cringe. But so was I when this was my favourite album in the whole world.