I still stick by NIN being an on-the-whole pretty mediocre act. I am not impressed at all by the new batch of releases, whether Year Zero, Ghosts I-IV or The Slip. Just why is Reznor such a cult act? What could the fascination, as far as the music goes, possibly be?
My view is that it has little to do with the actual music, and more to do with personality and the message. This is what people fall for. You often find that those obsessed with NIN are of a certain sub-cultural class within society, and this is no coincidence at all. The appeal seems to go beyond the music itself.
...not that that is particularly unusual. It seems quite common these days for certain groups within society to listen to a certain type of music not really for the music itself, but because it is associated with the latest trends within party culture or whatever. The best recent example I've seen in my city is that of minimal techno. I've actually heard people saying things like "the music, well, it's not all that - but it's not really about the music - it's all about the after parties".
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