AMG Review of Fragile

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

As The Fragile unfurls, all of Nine Inch Nails' trademarks -- gargantuan processed guitars, ominous electro rhythms, near-ambient keyboards, Trent Reznor's shredded vocals and tortured words -- are unveiled, all sounding how they did on The Downward Spiral. Upon closer inspection, there are new frills. The Fragile lives up to its title once the first disc is over. There are some detours into noise but they're surrounded by long, evocative instrumental sections that highlight Reznor's gifts for arrangement. Whenever Reznor crafts delicate, alternately haunting and pretty soundscapes or interesting sonic juxtapositions, The Fragile is compelling. There's no denying that it's often gripping, offering odd and interesting variations on NIN themes. Reznor's music is immaculately crafted and arranged, with every note and nuance gliding into the next.