Changes

==Re-ReleaseInspiration==For its tenth anniversary, [[Trent Reznor]] has stated in various interviews some of the ideas and inspiration behind the album: ''"The Downward Spiralidea behind the album is of someone who sheds everything around them to a potential nothingness, but through career, religion, relationship, belief and so on. It's less muscle-flexing, though when I started it I didn't know what I wanted it to sound like. I knew I didn' t want to be a full metal album, so I tried to address the issue of restraint. It was re-released in two new formats:* As a 2-CD long process."Deluxe Edition" (labeled [[Halo numbers|Halo 8DE]]). The first disc is an ''[http://enwww.wikipediatheninhotline.orgnet/archives/wikiarticles/SACD SACDxart5a.shtml]/CD hybrid featuring  ''"Thematically I wanted to explore the idea of somebody who systematically throws or uncovers every layer of what he's surrounded with, comfort-wise, from personal relationships to religion to questioning the album whole situation. Someone dissecting his own ability to relate to other people or to have anything to believe in high-resolution stereo and 5.1 surround sound. .With 'The second disc features various remixesDownward Spiral' I tried to make a record that had full range, brather than a real guitar-sides, and other nonbased record or a real synth-album tracks based record. I tried to make it something that were available around opened the time of palate for NIN, so we don't get pigeon-holed. It was a conscious effort to focus more on texture and space, rather than bludgeoning you over the original releasehead for an hour with a guitar.* As a "''[http://enwww.wikipediatheninhotline.orgnet/archives/wikiarticles/DualDisc DualDiscxart49.shtml] ''"I was really into electronic music at the time. "[[David Bowie]]'s 'Low' was probably the single greatest influence on 'The CD side features a digitally remastered version of Downward Spiral' for me. I got into Bowie in the album'Scary Monsters' era, then I picked up 'Low' and instantly fell for it. The DVD side includes highI related to it on a song-resolution stereo writing level, a mood level, and 5on a song-structure level.1 surround sound versions ..I like working within the framework of accessibility, and songs of the album as well as videos for course, but I also like things that are more experimental and instrumental, maybe."''[[Closer]http://www.theninhotline.net/archives/articles/xart43.shtml] ==Recording==Reznor set out to make an album that was a departure from the Broken EP (" (directorwhen I went into the studio, I knew that I didn's cutt want to make Broken again"), which he described as "a real hard-sounding record that was just one big blast of anger." Instead, Reznor wanted to create an album "that went in 10 different directions, but that was all united somehow."Reznor brought in a number of guest performers to record, including [[March Of The Pigs (song)wp:Stephen Perkins|March Of The PigsStephen Perkins]]" and "[[HurtAdrian Belew]]. Perkins played a number of drum parts that were recorded live in the studio; these tracks were then turned into sample loops. Reznor took a similar approach to recording guitar parts. Reznor would record 20 to 25-minute long sessions of himself playing guitar on a hard disc recorder with a Studio Vision sequencer, then would cut out parts of the recording he found interesting for later use. Reznor said, " (live)99 percent of the stuff we do–even vocals–is recorded into the computer [hard disk] first. We get an arrangement together and then dump it to tape." For "Mr. Also included is artwork Self Destruct" Reznor ran the entire mix through the mike preamps of several modules plundered from an old Neve board. ==Concept and Interpretations==There are numerous layers of metaphors that are present throughout the album, which leaves it open to wide interpretion. As a whole, ''The Downward Spiral'' era is defined by Nietzschean concepts and a prominent theme of existentialism. It is a concept album in which the overarching plot follows the protagonist moving through his own "Downward Spiral", dealing with religion, dehumanization, violence, disease, society, drugs, sex, and finally suicide. Reznor has stated that the character is a discographyrepresentation of himself: ''"...it was during that tour'' ([[Self Destruct Touring Cycle|Self Destruct]]) ''that problems started to arise.Prior to that I would have considered myself pretty normal. With the Downward Spiral, I can remember where I was in my head, what I was thinking, and I can remember writing that record, and the mindset. This record that was about an extension of me, became the truth fulfilling itself."''

==Concept and interpretations==Most fans seem to agree that "[[Closer]]" (noted for its "I want to fuck you like an animal" lyric) has meaning deeper than its surface lyrics (note the desperate dependency expressed by the final line, "you are the reason I stay alive"). The entire concept album is interpreted to be about the journey of one man in dealing with religion, dehumanization, violence, disease, society, drugs, sex, and finally suicide. The narrator was not exactly modelled after [[Trent Reznor]]'s previous life, though he would later go through his own sort of "downward spiral" during the Fragility tour, battling issues such as drug abuse.