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Into the Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of the Downward Spiral
Ushering in a new era of confessional music that spoke openly about experiences of trauma, depression, and self-loathing, Nine Inch Nails' seminal album, The Downward Spiral, changed popular music forever—bringing transgressive themes of heresy, S&M, and body horror to the masses and taking music technology to its limits.
Released in 1994, the album resonated across a generation, combining elements of metal, industrial, synth-pop, and ambient electronica, and going on to sell over four million copies. Now, Into the Never explores the creation and cultural impact of The Downward Spiral, one of the most influential and artistically significant albums of the twentieth century.
Inspired by David Bowie's Low and Pink Floyd's The Wall, the album recounts one man's disintegration as he descends into nihilism and nothingness. Blurring the lines between autobiography and concept album, creation and decay, it is also the story of Trent Reznor (who is Nine Inch Nails) as he pushed himself to the edge of the abyss, trapped in a cycle of addiction and self-destruction. The Downward Spiral also presents a reflection of America and a wider culture of violence, connecting the Columbine High School shooting, the infamous Manson family murders, and the aftermath of Vietnam and the Gulf War.
Featuring new interviews with collaborators and artists inspired by the album, Into the Never sets The Downward Spiral in the context of music of the era and brings the story up to date, from Reznor's recovery to his reinvention as an Oscar-winning soundtrack artist.
Released in 1994, the album resonated across a generation, combining elements of metal, industrial, synth-pop, and ambient electronica, and going on to sell over four million copies. Now, Into the Never explores the creation and cultural impact of The Downward Spiral, one of the most influential and artistically significant albums of the twentieth century.
Inspired by David Bowie's Low and Pink Floyd's The Wall, the album recounts one man's disintegration as he descends into nihilism and nothingness. Blurring the lines between autobiography and concept album, creation and decay, it is also the story of Trent Reznor (who is Nine Inch Nails) as he pushed himself to the edge of the abyss, trapped in a cycle of addiction and self-destruction. The Downward Spiral also presents a reflection of America and a wider culture of violence, connecting the Columbine High School shooting, the infamous Manson family murders, and the aftermath of Vietnam and the Gulf War.
Featuring new interviews with collaborators and artists inspired by the album, Into the Never sets The Downward Spiral in the context of music of the era and brings the story up to date, from Reznor's recovery to his reinvention as an Oscar-winning soundtrack artist.
- GenresMusicNonfictionBiography
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2020
38 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Adam Steiner
6 books10 followersAdam Steiner is a lifeguard, journalist and author. When not saving lives he sits dreaming about all the books he will never write. In 2020 his book Into The Never, a deep dive into the Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral album, was published by Rowman and Littlefield, his first novel, Politics Of The Asylum about a cleaner in a collapsing hospital was published in 2018
He created the Disappear Here poetry film project – 27 x collaborative poetry-films about Coventry Ringroad – and now curates the Living With Buildings series, screening experimental films about people, poetry and place.
www.adamsteiner.uk
www.disappear-here.org
@BurndtOutWard
He created the Disappear Here poetry film project – 27 x collaborative poetry-films about Coventry Ringroad – and now curates the Living With Buildings series, screening experimental films about people, poetry and place.
www.adamsteiner.uk
www.disappear-here.org
@BurndtOutWard
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 13, 2021
It is incredibly difficult to write anything original about NIN, let alone The Downward Spiral era, but Adam Steiner has done it with this book. This brilliant book combines interviews with Trent Reznor and everyone involved with the album along with historical references, literary references and general philosophy. This book is an excellent read. It has helped me reconnect with an album that I fell in love with almost three decades ago. It helps to provide a fresh and mature perspective on how an album released in 1994 still feels so far ahead that, frankly, we still haven't caught up with it. Steiner also connects the contemporary plights we are struggling through as a culture to the conflicts raised on the album. Just a really thoughtful, intensely researched, fun read. Any fan of NIN is in for a treat reading this book, as well as any reader of philosophy, contemporary politics, history and journalism. Highly recommend.
March 1, 2020
An emotionally exhilarating and exhausting high protein account of the history, cultural impact, and purposes The Downward Spiral serve.
“Almost in spite of itself, it has become, for many, that rare thing—the album that saved your life.”
Steiner’s opening of “Into the Never” cuts as quick to the point as the reason you’re putting “The Downward Spiral” on the turntable for the however-hundredth time. Even if it is not this particular second, you remember the time you played the record that changed everything. Or, you remember the time one particular song drifted you in a little deeper, so you went back to listen to the whole thing over again. You remember this as you remember the time it broke through as urgent and confused as you were. Or, are.
In it, Steiner offers a glimpse into the wider world of what birthed and was influenced by The Downward Spiral, much in the same way “Roger Waters The Man Behind The Wall” by Dave Thompson does. It meticulously scours old articles, video interviews, and comparative historical events and philosophy (complete with a subtle Kevin Smith’s “Dogma” reference) to bring a relevant reading of the album to us.
Yet, that is just the journalistic structure of the book. Where Steiner shines is his ability to take an album that bleeds over from song to song in a waking nightmare and deconstruct what is already a piece about deconstruction. And, beyond clinically taking the album song by song and offering their recipes the book cracks with Steiner’s editorializations (which he gives disclaimer to at the top). The process of ingesting the book on those grounds makes it a journey for the reader to engage with Steiner’s stances, and in so doing opens where the reader meets the emotions of the album’s title character as Steiner interprets them. Which he does as vulnerably as any one who is a deep cuts fan would. It’s as if Steiner has slipped in his emotional journey with The Downward Spiral inside the professional journalistic account of the album’s gestation, and it makes the attachment to the original material all the more profound. It offers room for catharsis, commiseration, and community amongst fellow Nine Inch Nails obsessives without ever turning into a memoir about what The Downward Spiral means for Steiner. We never get the story (emotional state, circumstances, gut response) of his first time hearing the record save for the description of each song in their respective chapter, but it will make you even more grateful for the first time you listened to it.
The book achieves its confluence partially because you get to observe from a distance the chaotic factors that let The Downward Spiral exist in the first place. Beyond Trent Reznor’s mental health come an intersectional conflict with the recording industry’s practices, toxic masculinity, the hollowness of celebrity, and how The Downward Spiral has been used as a means for upliftment and a harmful weapon. Only sometimes with mutual exclusivity.
This book is a meditation upon why we keep returning to the album as much as it is a means to say “Thanks” to Trent Reznor for giving it to us in the first place. It is by a fan, it is for the fans. And, it is for the fans without "Star-Fucking" fueling the fire.
You’ve already entered the spiral. The only way to why and out is through.
“Almost in spite of itself, it has become, for many, that rare thing—the album that saved your life.”
Steiner’s opening of “Into the Never” cuts as quick to the point as the reason you’re putting “The Downward Spiral” on the turntable for the however-hundredth time. Even if it is not this particular second, you remember the time you played the record that changed everything. Or, you remember the time one particular song drifted you in a little deeper, so you went back to listen to the whole thing over again. You remember this as you remember the time it broke through as urgent and confused as you were. Or, are.
In it, Steiner offers a glimpse into the wider world of what birthed and was influenced by The Downward Spiral, much in the same way “Roger Waters The Man Behind The Wall” by Dave Thompson does. It meticulously scours old articles, video interviews, and comparative historical events and philosophy (complete with a subtle Kevin Smith’s “Dogma” reference) to bring a relevant reading of the album to us.
Yet, that is just the journalistic structure of the book. Where Steiner shines is his ability to take an album that bleeds over from song to song in a waking nightmare and deconstruct what is already a piece about deconstruction. And, beyond clinically taking the album song by song and offering their recipes the book cracks with Steiner’s editorializations (which he gives disclaimer to at the top). The process of ingesting the book on those grounds makes it a journey for the reader to engage with Steiner’s stances, and in so doing opens where the reader meets the emotions of the album’s title character as Steiner interprets them. Which he does as vulnerably as any one who is a deep cuts fan would. It’s as if Steiner has slipped in his emotional journey with The Downward Spiral inside the professional journalistic account of the album’s gestation, and it makes the attachment to the original material all the more profound. It offers room for catharsis, commiseration, and community amongst fellow Nine Inch Nails obsessives without ever turning into a memoir about what The Downward Spiral means for Steiner. We never get the story (emotional state, circumstances, gut response) of his first time hearing the record save for the description of each song in their respective chapter, but it will make you even more grateful for the first time you listened to it.
The book achieves its confluence partially because you get to observe from a distance the chaotic factors that let The Downward Spiral exist in the first place. Beyond Trent Reznor’s mental health come an intersectional conflict with the recording industry’s practices, toxic masculinity, the hollowness of celebrity, and how The Downward Spiral has been used as a means for upliftment and a harmful weapon. Only sometimes with mutual exclusivity.
This book is a meditation upon why we keep returning to the album as much as it is a means to say “Thanks” to Trent Reznor for giving it to us in the first place. It is by a fan, it is for the fans. And, it is for the fans without "Star-Fucking" fueling the fire.
You’ve already entered the spiral. The only way to why and out is through.
November 3, 2024
I don't mean to come across as a hater with all my critical reviews, but there's not much I'm itching to say about the 20 books I read this year that were "perfectly fine"...
I am a huge NIN fan (I imagine that's true for anyone who would read this book). I get why this book was written, but I don't get why this was the guy to write it. It's weird for an English guy to write a book that talks so authoritatively about American culture, first of all. I didn't know anything about the author, but when I was reading his writing, I was like there's no way this guy is from the U.S. based on how unfamiliar he seemed with Black American culture, American violence culture and so on - so I googled him, and then it all made sense. It's fine to be from somewhere else, but when your book is about an American artist writing criticisms of the American system and his experience growing up in a very specific culture etc, it definitely benefits the reader for you to be familiar with what you're pretending to understand.
Reading this book felt like being trapped with the pretentious guy at the party who tries to namedrop as many writers/movies/art references as he can to impress you, but it's so clearly try-hard that you end up insulted by his assumption that you're shallow / naive enough to be wowed.
Why was Fight Club mentioned on 17 different pages? Neither the book nor movie existed when this album came out, so they were not influences for the album. Maybe just write the book about Fight Club you clearly want to write, and it'll be more appropriate to tie it back to TDS every other page, being that the influence went in that direction.
I didn't find any value in the author's analysis, which read like a freshman year english paper, or a stupid person's idea of how a smart person sounds. This book would have been much improved if he simply strung together all the relevant quotes from interviews and research from the people involved with the creation of the album and arranged them together that way. Let's be honest, that's what someone reading this book is really looking for anyway. I appreciated the quotes from the more obscure zines.
This is a petty point but a huge peeve of mine -- this book was littered with typos. Like, words spelled completely wrong, missing letters (not just talking about a than/then usage kind of issue, or spelling a word wrong but it still makes a legitimate correctly spelled word). I don't understand how this happens for books ostensibly written in word processing software in the 21st century in the first place, but even so, is this not what editors are for? I hate feeling like I'm the first person who read through a book. You want me to read something you couldn't be bothered to read through after you wrote it? The least you can do with a book you're publishing and printing hundreds-thousands of copies of is spellcheck it!
I am a huge NIN fan (I imagine that's true for anyone who would read this book). I get why this book was written, but I don't get why this was the guy to write it. It's weird for an English guy to write a book that talks so authoritatively about American culture, first of all. I didn't know anything about the author, but when I was reading his writing, I was like there's no way this guy is from the U.S. based on how unfamiliar he seemed with Black American culture, American violence culture and so on - so I googled him, and then it all made sense. It's fine to be from somewhere else, but when your book is about an American artist writing criticisms of the American system and his experience growing up in a very specific culture etc, it definitely benefits the reader for you to be familiar with what you're pretending to understand.
Reading this book felt like being trapped with the pretentious guy at the party who tries to namedrop as many writers/movies/art references as he can to impress you, but it's so clearly try-hard that you end up insulted by his assumption that you're shallow / naive enough to be wowed.
Why was Fight Club mentioned on 17 different pages? Neither the book nor movie existed when this album came out, so they were not influences for the album. Maybe just write the book about Fight Club you clearly want to write, and it'll be more appropriate to tie it back to TDS every other page, being that the influence went in that direction.
I didn't find any value in the author's analysis, which read like a freshman year english paper, or a stupid person's idea of how a smart person sounds. This book would have been much improved if he simply strung together all the relevant quotes from interviews and research from the people involved with the creation of the album and arranged them together that way. Let's be honest, that's what someone reading this book is really looking for anyway. I appreciated the quotes from the more obscure zines.
This is a petty point but a huge peeve of mine -- this book was littered with typos. Like, words spelled completely wrong, missing letters (not just talking about a than/then usage kind of issue, or spelling a word wrong but it still makes a legitimate correctly spelled word). I don't understand how this happens for books ostensibly written in word processing software in the 21st century in the first place, but even so, is this not what editors are for? I hate feeling like I'm the first person who read through a book. You want me to read something you couldn't be bothered to read through after you wrote it? The least you can do with a book you're publishing and printing hundreds-thousands of copies of is spellcheck it!
October 1, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.
Full of information, speculation, and a fair amount of geeking out, this book nonetheless failed to keep my attention. Pretty much everyone over a certain age knows who Nine Inch Nails is. It was one of my “angry” go-to bands for the longest time, and I still listen to their music on a semi-regular basis. Whether it’s your cup of tea or not, I think everyone can agree that NIN did things with music that hadn’t been done before. The subject of the book is an interesting one.
Author Adam Stein went deep down the proverbial rabbit hole with this book. He pulled out quotes from years ago, found new points of view, and dug up information that painted an introspective and profound picture of Trent Reznor (founder and singer of NIN) and his emotional state when Downward Spiral was being created. He also waxed enthusiastic over NIN and every move made by Reznor. That enthusiasm made the book much more relatable. It’s difficult to be interested in a subject that the author cares nothing about, so his interest made this book fascinating.
Unlike many such books, Into the Never focused on the artist through the lens of his art, instead of the other way around. The author took a very song-by-song breakdown approach toward the latter half of the book, and made connections that I certainly wouldn’t have known to make. Reznor’s thoughts on faith, religion, and the human condition were both fascinating and sometimes unsettling. While I personally don’t agree much with Reznor’s viewpoints, it was engrossing to read them.
Unfortunately, about halfway through, the author’s extreme love of NIN became a little grating. I felt that the author’s enthusiasm started to cloud the point of the book a little bit. It would be that way with anything written by an extreme fan, though. There’s that moment where it becomes a bit much for “normal people” (aka, people who don’t have driving obsessions). For example, you don’t want to discuss Firefly with me unless you’ve cleared your schedule because I’ll go from Firefly to the actors’ continued careers, and segue into the epicacity (I’m over here making up words now) of Nathan Fillion’s mustache. See? There’s always that point where the excitement needs to be reined in, or at least given direction.
I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this book much more if I’d taken longer to read it, maybe even putting it down to read something cheerful in-between parts. It’s interesting, but also a bit too much at times. It started out strong and I wanted to love it, but this book ends up getting something closer to a “meh” from me.
Full of information, speculation, and a fair amount of geeking out, this book nonetheless failed to keep my attention. Pretty much everyone over a certain age knows who Nine Inch Nails is. It was one of my “angry” go-to bands for the longest time, and I still listen to their music on a semi-regular basis. Whether it’s your cup of tea or not, I think everyone can agree that NIN did things with music that hadn’t been done before. The subject of the book is an interesting one.
Author Adam Stein went deep down the proverbial rabbit hole with this book. He pulled out quotes from years ago, found new points of view, and dug up information that painted an introspective and profound picture of Trent Reznor (founder and singer of NIN) and his emotional state when Downward Spiral was being created. He also waxed enthusiastic over NIN and every move made by Reznor. That enthusiasm made the book much more relatable. It’s difficult to be interested in a subject that the author cares nothing about, so his interest made this book fascinating.
Unlike many such books, Into the Never focused on the artist through the lens of his art, instead of the other way around. The author took a very song-by-song breakdown approach toward the latter half of the book, and made connections that I certainly wouldn’t have known to make. Reznor’s thoughts on faith, religion, and the human condition were both fascinating and sometimes unsettling. While I personally don’t agree much with Reznor’s viewpoints, it was engrossing to read them.
Unfortunately, about halfway through, the author’s extreme love of NIN became a little grating. I felt that the author’s enthusiasm started to cloud the point of the book a little bit. It would be that way with anything written by an extreme fan, though. There’s that moment where it becomes a bit much for “normal people” (aka, people who don’t have driving obsessions). For example, you don’t want to discuss Firefly with me unless you’ve cleared your schedule because I’ll go from Firefly to the actors’ continued careers, and segue into the epicacity (I’m over here making up words now) of Nathan Fillion’s mustache. See? There’s always that point where the excitement needs to be reined in, or at least given direction.
I have a feeling that I would have enjoyed this book much more if I’d taken longer to read it, maybe even putting it down to read something cheerful in-between parts. It’s interesting, but also a bit too much at times. It started out strong and I wanted to love it, but this book ends up getting something closer to a “meh” from me.
September 15, 2022
Into the never offers an in-depth analysis of Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral that’s every bit as intricate and impeccably crafted as the masterpiece it examines.
Full review at Louder Than War
https://louderthanwar.com/into-the-ne...
Full review at Louder Than War
https://louderthanwar.com/into-the-ne...
April 11, 2024
4.5
An incredibly insightful, well-articulated exploration of NIN’s ‘The Downward Spiral’. There are so many sentences in this book that knocked the wind out of me with their beauty and brutality.
An incredibly insightful, well-articulated exploration of NIN’s ‘The Downward Spiral’. There are so many sentences in this book that knocked the wind out of me with their beauty and brutality.
September 16, 2025
Exigente. Mucho. Requiere que prestes mucha atención pero merece la pena muchísimo si eres un fan irredento como yo de NIN y Trent Reznor. Documentado e incisivo hasta casi abrumar, análisis pormenorizado de lo que fue esa obra maestra de los 90 que fue “The Downward Spiral”. Se echa en falta una entrevista en profundidad como contrapunto, pero, eso sería verdadera ciencia ficción.
March 8, 2021
Adam Steiner’s ‘Into The Never’ offers readers an in-depth, track-by-track overview of the seminal Nine Inch Nails release, ‘The Downward Spiral.’
Regardless of where ‘Downward Spiral’ sits within your personal rankings—I’d start my list with its follow-up, ‘The Fragile’—the cultural impact of the 1994 release is undeniable. But it’s nearly impossible to tell the story of this massive album without diving deep into the headspace of one Trent Reznor. To that end, Steiner tethers a vivid narrative surrounding Reznor’s writing and recording to his in-depth analysis of the record.
Over nearly three-hundred pages, Steiner recounts a treasure-trove of fascinating anecdotes and personal insights about the man (and his band) behind the record as well as the circumstances surrounding its creation. Dissecting the record song by song, the London-based author offers thoughts and insights on everything from the lyrical and musical components to how each song fits within the context of the greater album.
Steiner is clearly a skilled writer, but I couldn’t help but appreciate the level of personal investment with which he approached this project. Sure, ‘Into The Never’ chronicles one of the nineties’ biggest records, but Steiner’s take is anything but clinical. That being said, the author wisely rounds out his personal thoughts with a myriad of quotes, many from Reznor himself, infusing this text with objective credibility that might otherwise be lacking.
Additionally, there’s a ton of analysis focusing on the pop-culture landscape circa the mid-nineties—this is a crucial component of truly understanding the value and impact of what many consider to be Reznor’s masterpiece.
Obviously, Steiner writes from a fan’s perspective, but having experienced ‘The Downward Spiral’s massive popularity first-hand is hardly a prerequisite for enjoying this book. In fact, it could be argued that it's the uninitiated who stand to gain the most from ‘Through The Never.’
While you only get one chance to hear a record ‘for the first time,’ Adam Steiner’s ‘Into The Never’ offers fans young and old a whole new way to experience ‘The Downward Spiral’—highly recommended.
Regardless of where ‘Downward Spiral’ sits within your personal rankings—I’d start my list with its follow-up, ‘The Fragile’—the cultural impact of the 1994 release is undeniable. But it’s nearly impossible to tell the story of this massive album without diving deep into the headspace of one Trent Reznor. To that end, Steiner tethers a vivid narrative surrounding Reznor’s writing and recording to his in-depth analysis of the record.
Over nearly three-hundred pages, Steiner recounts a treasure-trove of fascinating anecdotes and personal insights about the man (and his band) behind the record as well as the circumstances surrounding its creation. Dissecting the record song by song, the London-based author offers thoughts and insights on everything from the lyrical and musical components to how each song fits within the context of the greater album.
Steiner is clearly a skilled writer, but I couldn’t help but appreciate the level of personal investment with which he approached this project. Sure, ‘Into The Never’ chronicles one of the nineties’ biggest records, but Steiner’s take is anything but clinical. That being said, the author wisely rounds out his personal thoughts with a myriad of quotes, many from Reznor himself, infusing this text with objective credibility that might otherwise be lacking.
Additionally, there’s a ton of analysis focusing on the pop-culture landscape circa the mid-nineties—this is a crucial component of truly understanding the value and impact of what many consider to be Reznor’s masterpiece.
Obviously, Steiner writes from a fan’s perspective, but having experienced ‘The Downward Spiral’s massive popularity first-hand is hardly a prerequisite for enjoying this book. In fact, it could be argued that it's the uninitiated who stand to gain the most from ‘Through The Never.’
While you only get one chance to hear a record ‘for the first time,’ Adam Steiner’s ‘Into The Never’ offers fans young and old a whole new way to experience ‘The Downward Spiral’—highly recommended.
November 13, 2020
Into the Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of The Downward Spiral by Adam Steiner serves as the story of how this seminal album came to be as well as how an album can connect to so many lives.
Anyone who remembers when this album first dropped probably has their own personal story about it. This is likely true whether you liked it or not. If you don't remember when it dropped, then it may well just be another album to you, again, whether you like it or not. It came to me at a time in my life when it gave me pause, offered some things to think about, and gave permission to express whatever it was I was feeling.
This is as much about Trent Reznor's life as it is a breakdown of each track. In the case of this album, there really is no other way to do it. While not truly biographical the reader will come away with a good view of his life, both before and after this album, the after largely through quotes with him reflecting back on it.
If there is a bit of a weakness for me, it is the sometimes excessive praise Steiner seems to heap on Reznor. It isn't so much that I disagree, but just tell me the story and let me draw those conclusions. I don't need a fanboy injecting his love into the story. That said, this is a minor irritation since I have the utmost respect for Reznor and found little to disagree with.
Highly recommended for NIN fans and those who might know about the film scores and the growing web of influence Reznor casts but have little knowledge of his early music from which most of his influence stems. I also think this book makes an argument for why albums are so sorely missed in the age of single tracks and streaming just what gets played elsewhere. Albums have less impact now and everything has become compressed into small easily digestible bits for easy consumption, minimal thinking required.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Anyone who remembers when this album first dropped probably has their own personal story about it. This is likely true whether you liked it or not. If you don't remember when it dropped, then it may well just be another album to you, again, whether you like it or not. It came to me at a time in my life when it gave me pause, offered some things to think about, and gave permission to express whatever it was I was feeling.
This is as much about Trent Reznor's life as it is a breakdown of each track. In the case of this album, there really is no other way to do it. While not truly biographical the reader will come away with a good view of his life, both before and after this album, the after largely through quotes with him reflecting back on it.
If there is a bit of a weakness for me, it is the sometimes excessive praise Steiner seems to heap on Reznor. It isn't so much that I disagree, but just tell me the story and let me draw those conclusions. I don't need a fanboy injecting his love into the story. That said, this is a minor irritation since I have the utmost respect for Reznor and found little to disagree with.
Highly recommended for NIN fans and those who might know about the film scores and the growing web of influence Reznor casts but have little knowledge of his early music from which most of his influence stems. I also think this book makes an argument for why albums are so sorely missed in the age of single tracks and streaming just what gets played elsewhere. Albums have less impact now and everything has become compressed into small easily digestible bits for easy consumption, minimal thinking required.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 8, 2022
A Fascinating Analysis Of An Iconic Album
The word "brilliant" can often be overused but I can't think of another more fitting word for this book. Adam Steiner breaks down the making of this album track-by-track with fascinating facts and backstories while weaving in observations and content that puts this iconic album into its proper perspective. "The Downward Spiral" deserves a proper analysis, and this book is just that.
The word "brilliant" can often be overused but I can't think of another more fitting word for this book. Adam Steiner breaks down the making of this album track-by-track with fascinating facts and backstories while weaving in observations and content that puts this iconic album into its proper perspective. "The Downward Spiral" deserves a proper analysis, and this book is just that.
January 10, 2025
As a huge NIN fan, I was very excited about reading this one. And while most of it was very interesting, and offered both a new and historical perspective on a 30 year old album, I felt that a lot of it read like a really long college essay.
October 20, 2020
This was a great casual and informative read into the mind of Trent during this period of time! Fans of nine Inch nails and Trent himself will really enjoy the in-depth information during this time period.
December 2, 2024
Really well-written and very in depth, but not sure I really needed a two hundred and fifty page scholarly thesis on The Downward Spiral, not matter how good the album is. But I did learn a few things - and it at least got me to actually listen to Manic Street Preachers for the first time, so I guess that's a good thing.
February 17, 2022
Overall a pretty good look at TDS and the everything around it. A lot of personal opinion not overly back up by facts in sections but also some interesting insights as well.
Good for any hardcore fan wanting a deep dive.
Good for any hardcore fan wanting a deep dive.
May 1, 2022
An excellent and well researched book on my favourite band of all time, I thought I knew alot about the band but was pleasantly surprised at how much I didn't know that was presented here, an essential read for any NIN fan or any one who is curious.
November 14, 2023
A book length album review that truly decodes and dissects The Downward Spiral. NIИE out of TEИ.
April 14, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm a big Nine Inch Nails' fan and The Downward Spiral is one of my favorite NIN albums. The Fragile is my next favorite. Trent Reznor has been through a lot in his life, and he's overcome so much, I admire him for that. I thought it was a well-written book.
January 15, 2021
An excellent study of Nine Inch Nails' epic "The Downward Spiral" album which looks at the process of creation, the creator and the impact on the larger world.
April 25, 2020
In the preface to into the never about Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 album The Downward Spiral, Adam Steiner writes that to analyse music too much ‘is to strip away all of the excitement and mystery.’ I disagree: reading his book has made me excited about an album that I completely ignored when it was originally released. I had always associated Nine Inch Nails with ‘industrial music’ and, possibly simply because of the brutal imagery that the word ‘industrial’ conjures, I had steered clear of an album that millions of people have enjoyed and analysed, though surely not with the care that Steiner does in into the never.
Steiner goes into great detail about the sounds and lyrics on each song on The Downward Spiral and weaves in references to the political and social context in which it was created, Trent Reznor’s musical influences, poetry and philosophy – particularly that of Friedrich Nietszche. Steiner does not doubt that Reznor had read Nietszche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883) and challenges the view that some listeners may consider The Downward Spiral to be ‘lightweight nihilism’ – Steiner asserts that the album is ‘a naturalistic expression of and engagement with bigger philosophical ideas.’ The theme of nihilism is repeatedly mentioned throughout the book:
‘The album’s nihilistic imperative…’
‘The narrator (Reznor) is adrift in his own nihilistic sea where all is emptiness…’
‘While punks wore a kind of lipstick nihilism, Reznor seems to mean it…’
‘Lipstick nihilism’ is a wonderfully memorable put-down, and I would love to have read a more in-depth analysis of the nihilism of the punk era versus the nihilism of Trent Reznor and ‘Generation X’, who ‘unlike the punks…aspired to a better world.’ Was this really the case, given the popularity of bands such as Nine Inch Nails, whose focus was on ‘harsh introspection…where empathy became largely reserved for self-pity, failing to highlight and attack wider social concerns’? Reading the book, I have the impression that the album is almost entirely about looking inwards at an individual’s suffering. It therefore seems unlikely that it has inspired people to make the world a better place. As Steiner says, ‘(Reznor’s) therapy was our entertainment.’
Reznor was horrified to learn that his music had been used as ‘sonic torture’ in Iraq and scorned the suggestion that it caused high school shootings. Indeed, as Steiner writes, ‘no one blamed The Beatles for (Charles) Manson’s actions.’ Reznor is portrayed as a fundamentally decent human being, born and raised in an ordinary American town. However, I’m still wondering what motivated him to create such dark material. Why on earth did he decide to record The Downward Spiral at the site of the Manson murders? Steiner compares the album to The Holy Bible by the Manic Street Preachers, released in the same year. If the Manics had recorded their masterpiece in a murder victim’s house in Cardiff, would we simply acknowledge the fact?
into the never is a fascinating analysis that doesn’t preach answers. Steiner delights in interpreting each song on The Downward Spiral. His enthusiasm and intelligence will compel you to listen to this hugely successful collection of anthems for doomed youth.
Steiner goes into great detail about the sounds and lyrics on each song on The Downward Spiral and weaves in references to the political and social context in which it was created, Trent Reznor’s musical influences, poetry and philosophy – particularly that of Friedrich Nietszche. Steiner does not doubt that Reznor had read Nietszche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883) and challenges the view that some listeners may consider The Downward Spiral to be ‘lightweight nihilism’ – Steiner asserts that the album is ‘a naturalistic expression of and engagement with bigger philosophical ideas.’ The theme of nihilism is repeatedly mentioned throughout the book:
‘The album’s nihilistic imperative…’
‘The narrator (Reznor) is adrift in his own nihilistic sea where all is emptiness…’
‘While punks wore a kind of lipstick nihilism, Reznor seems to mean it…’
‘Lipstick nihilism’ is a wonderfully memorable put-down, and I would love to have read a more in-depth analysis of the nihilism of the punk era versus the nihilism of Trent Reznor and ‘Generation X’, who ‘unlike the punks…aspired to a better world.’ Was this really the case, given the popularity of bands such as Nine Inch Nails, whose focus was on ‘harsh introspection…where empathy became largely reserved for self-pity, failing to highlight and attack wider social concerns’? Reading the book, I have the impression that the album is almost entirely about looking inwards at an individual’s suffering. It therefore seems unlikely that it has inspired people to make the world a better place. As Steiner says, ‘(Reznor’s) therapy was our entertainment.’
Reznor was horrified to learn that his music had been used as ‘sonic torture’ in Iraq and scorned the suggestion that it caused high school shootings. Indeed, as Steiner writes, ‘no one blamed The Beatles for (Charles) Manson’s actions.’ Reznor is portrayed as a fundamentally decent human being, born and raised in an ordinary American town. However, I’m still wondering what motivated him to create such dark material. Why on earth did he decide to record The Downward Spiral at the site of the Manson murders? Steiner compares the album to The Holy Bible by the Manic Street Preachers, released in the same year. If the Manics had recorded their masterpiece in a murder victim’s house in Cardiff, would we simply acknowledge the fact?
into the never is a fascinating analysis that doesn’t preach answers. Steiner delights in interpreting each song on The Downward Spiral. His enthusiasm and intelligence will compel you to listen to this hugely successful collection of anthems for doomed youth.
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July 17, 2025Why not spend some more time on this after 4+1 Nailed episodes?
May 11, 2021
This is, quite frankly, a superb and brilliantly constructed biography of one of my all-time favourite albums, NIN's 'The Downward Spiral'.
Superbly written, this is at all times presents astute, insightful analysis examining the recording process, biographical events, socio-political contexts and philosophical and psychoanalytical theory. Other cultural texts and artefacts are likewise explored and connections effortless drawn with the album. There’s a brilliant comparative analysis, for example, of Manic Street Preachers’s ‘The Holy Bible’ (another favourite album of mine) and ‘Spiral’ at one point, simultaneously examining the artistic modus operandi of both Reznor and Edwards and the thematic and lyrical content of both outputs.
There are some superb nuggets of information in there, too (I particularly found fascinating the identification of the various movie samples that were used on the album), and I found myself reaching for the album and listening to each track, in a different way, as they were discussed in the book.
It seemed fitting, too, that one of the longest sections of analysis was concerning the shortest song on the album, ‘Big Man With a Gun’, but the discussions of toxic masculinity and gun violence (without treading old ground with regard to these debates) really shone a new light on a track that can sometimes seem a little crass and too ‘obvious’.
The book concludes, artfully, with a retrospective of Reznor’s soundtrack work and later albums, but never losing sight of the main subject matter, ‘Spiral’, carefully examining the personal and artistic journey that led from this brutal, devastating and ground-breaking album of 1994 to the Oscar-winning creator of movie soundtracks.
Overall, I gobbled this up (as fast as I could, with a light-sleeping toddler) and I know it will be a book that will end up well-thumbed and dog-eared as I continue in the future to dip into it and refresh myself with its on-point analysis.
Superbly written, this is at all times presents astute, insightful analysis examining the recording process, biographical events, socio-political contexts and philosophical and psychoanalytical theory. Other cultural texts and artefacts are likewise explored and connections effortless drawn with the album. There’s a brilliant comparative analysis, for example, of Manic Street Preachers’s ‘The Holy Bible’ (another favourite album of mine) and ‘Spiral’ at one point, simultaneously examining the artistic modus operandi of both Reznor and Edwards and the thematic and lyrical content of both outputs.
There are some superb nuggets of information in there, too (I particularly found fascinating the identification of the various movie samples that were used on the album), and I found myself reaching for the album and listening to each track, in a different way, as they were discussed in the book.
It seemed fitting, too, that one of the longest sections of analysis was concerning the shortest song on the album, ‘Big Man With a Gun’, but the discussions of toxic masculinity and gun violence (without treading old ground with regard to these debates) really shone a new light on a track that can sometimes seem a little crass and too ‘obvious’.
The book concludes, artfully, with a retrospective of Reznor’s soundtrack work and later albums, but never losing sight of the main subject matter, ‘Spiral’, carefully examining the personal and artistic journey that led from this brutal, devastating and ground-breaking album of 1994 to the Oscar-winning creator of movie soundtracks.
Overall, I gobbled this up (as fast as I could, with a light-sleeping toddler) and I know it will be a book that will end up well-thumbed and dog-eared as I continue in the future to dip into it and refresh myself with its on-point analysis.
November 29, 2021
Adam Steiner’s Into The Never: Nine Inch Nails and The Creation of The Downward Spiral is an admirably obsessive examination of The Downward Spiral through, well, just about every angle possible. Now, for me, all I think anyone has to know to fully “get” The Downward Spiral is that it was recorded in the doomed address 10050 Cielo Drive or, as Trent Reznor called it, “Le Pig.” It’s hard not to interpret The Downward Spiral’s violence, mob mentality, nihilism, and all those piggies through the lens of the murders that typify America’s descent into its ongoing death trip. Whether or not it was intentional, the house–and its legacy–seeped in.
Steiner delves into this, but the book goes much deeper, a spiraling, dizzying, and, at times, exhausting read that manages to trace a similar descent as the narrator on the album. All of which has the effect of getting closer and closer to the album’s central articulated theme. The book ultimately serves as a wonderful reminder of just why The Downward Spiral is so essential for those of us who love self-erasing descents into the void.
Steiner delves into this, but the book goes much deeper, a spiraling, dizzying, and, at times, exhausting read that manages to trace a similar descent as the narrator on the album. All of which has the effect of getting closer and closer to the album’s central articulated theme. The book ultimately serves as a wonderful reminder of just why The Downward Spiral is so essential for those of us who love self-erasing descents into the void.
June 14, 2020
Into the Never is an excellent, detailed study of not only The Downward Spiral’s creation, but also its themes, larger concepts, and the man behind it. Steiner gives us thoughtful insight about the album paying special attention to its cultural significance, its influence, and the huge role it played in Reznor’s life. He also presents the album in a different light by looking at it through a philosophical lens. It’s an engaging read packed with so much information clearly put together by a rabid fan. It really gives you a newfound appreciation of the record and shows how its transgressive themes and groundbreaking sound have stood the test of time.
Read the entire review here: https://genreisdead.com/book-review-i...
Read the entire review here: https://genreisdead.com/book-review-i...
November 13, 2021
Into the Never is a fantastic and detailed journey into The Downward Spiral- Steiner manages to convey the complexity and emotion of NIN's pivotal work with a dense and thoughtful analysis. A must for fans of NIN or just those who love music writing, this book is fascinating and intricately woven
December 26, 2021
Great book, author very well prepared, I can tell that he did very good research
March 6, 2023
When I was a teenager, the Nine Inch Nails logo was a common sight to see on drawn on my classmate’s notebooks and this was during the mid 90’s when their popularity took off due to the release of the band’s magnum opus The Downward Spiral. As I was into Britpop, I was only aware of the band.
I first heard The Downward Spiral in the late 90’s when the band’s third album The Fragile was released and I was impressed. Here was a big monolithic slab of clattering synths and angst of the bleakest variety. Yet lead singer Trent Reznor had an ear for melody and that’s what brought me back to this album. Even to this day I still discover something new.
Adam Steiner’s analysis of The Downward Spiral is everything a music fan could want. It’s not only and in depth look at the making of the record and a meticulous track by track deep dive, but it goes into topics ranging from cybernetics, Bowie’s influence on Reznor to mental health. On top of that there’s a lot of mentions of novels and films. Clearly there’s a love for the subject and one can feel Adam Steiner’s passion when writing about this topic and the reader can’t help being carried along with his enthusiasm.
A lot of articles tend to dwell on Reznor’s state of mind while he was making the album and while it was true that he was unleashing his demons, the media tends to go overboard, Adam Steiner balances everything out making Reznor a studio wizard, perfectionist and a focused individual.
So what is The Downward Spiral? a piece of modern composition? an album as a confession? a masterpiece a over the top theatrical recording? the answer is all of these, In fact Steiner makes parallels to Manic Street Preachers Holy Bible, also released in the same year as TDS, uses a similar font to NIN and focuses on a band ready to unleash their anger on the world using samples and heavily disguised melodies. I never thought of this and it’s true. Good music writing can make parallels that can surprise the reader.
While writing this review, I have the album in the background and it is bringing out some new dimensions which escaped, even though I have listened to TDS many times. It is worth noting that even a NIN newbie can pick up this book and not be baffled as there is adequate background knowledge of TDS roots.
And yes we can all agree Big man with a Gun is not a very good track.
I first heard The Downward Spiral in the late 90’s when the band’s third album The Fragile was released and I was impressed. Here was a big monolithic slab of clattering synths and angst of the bleakest variety. Yet lead singer Trent Reznor had an ear for melody and that’s what brought me back to this album. Even to this day I still discover something new.
Adam Steiner’s analysis of The Downward Spiral is everything a music fan could want. It’s not only and in depth look at the making of the record and a meticulous track by track deep dive, but it goes into topics ranging from cybernetics, Bowie’s influence on Reznor to mental health. On top of that there’s a lot of mentions of novels and films. Clearly there’s a love for the subject and one can feel Adam Steiner’s passion when writing about this topic and the reader can’t help being carried along with his enthusiasm.
A lot of articles tend to dwell on Reznor’s state of mind while he was making the album and while it was true that he was unleashing his demons, the media tends to go overboard, Adam Steiner balances everything out making Reznor a studio wizard, perfectionist and a focused individual.
So what is The Downward Spiral? a piece of modern composition? an album as a confession? a masterpiece a over the top theatrical recording? the answer is all of these, In fact Steiner makes parallels to Manic Street Preachers Holy Bible, also released in the same year as TDS, uses a similar font to NIN and focuses on a band ready to unleash their anger on the world using samples and heavily disguised melodies. I never thought of this and it’s true. Good music writing can make parallels that can surprise the reader.
While writing this review, I have the album in the background and it is bringing out some new dimensions which escaped, even though I have listened to TDS many times. It is worth noting that even a NIN newbie can pick up this book and not be baffled as there is adequate background knowledge of TDS roots.
And yes we can all agree Big man with a Gun is not a very good track.
May 26, 2021
This is a fantastic read! I would consider myself a NIN superfan but I still learnt SO much from this book - the writing style and structure of the book is so engaging and interesting and is thoroughly researched.
The author discusses social and political issues such as gun culture and police brutality and places The Downward Spiral in the context of these events which I found extremely interesting. His enthusiasm for the band is infectious and makes the book relatable and the way he acknowledges the cultural significance of TDS in a respectful and philosophical way was a joy to read as someone who is a huge fan myself.
Would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the origins of NIN and how this ground breaking album came to be!
The author discusses social and political issues such as gun culture and police brutality and places The Downward Spiral in the context of these events which I found extremely interesting. His enthusiasm for the band is infectious and makes the book relatable and the way he acknowledges the cultural significance of TDS in a respectful and philosophical way was a joy to read as someone who is a huge fan myself.
Would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the origins of NIN and how this ground breaking album came to be!
October 29, 2020
Adam Striker's Into the Never: Nine Inch Nails and the Creation of the Downward Spiral is a deep cut biography of a work that changed not only the music scene, at the time, but as referenced in the book, lives as well.
Into the Never encompasses not only the music, but the state of the entertainment industry, the feeling of the 90's and the state of its composer Trent Result himself. The book also offers behind the scene stories, biographies of other musicians, both major and minor, and technical studio and recording information.
One strange aspect is the numerous mentions of the British band Manic Street Preachers. After awhile it becomes almost a game how they might be mentioned next.
A interesting book for both a serious NIN fan or for a cultural explorer attempting to understand the influences and influence of this recording.
Into the Never encompasses not only the music, but the state of the entertainment industry, the feeling of the 90's and the state of its composer Trent Result himself. The book also offers behind the scene stories, biographies of other musicians, both major and minor, and technical studio and recording information.
One strange aspect is the numerous mentions of the British band Manic Street Preachers. After awhile it becomes almost a game how they might be mentioned next.
A interesting book for both a serious NIN fan or for a cultural explorer attempting to understand the influences and influence of this recording.
October 16, 2020
I'm not a Trent Reznor fan, but LOVED,LOVED, LOVED the Album Downward Spiral- so dark, angry... Still my go to on bad days and I'm in my 60's now! I remember him as an Exotic Bird and seeing them play around town way back in the day... I hear he's doing soundtracks for movies from my younger friends. Anyway, interesting read about a fascinating man. Die hard fans will likely get into the book far more than I did. I think it could have used a bit of editing and maybe been a tad shorter.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
no-way-no-how
January 13, 2021I love Nine Inch Nails.
I adore Downward Spiral.
I cannot read this. It is so, so, so, so, so painfully dry, as well as all over the place. I can see what the author is going for, but jumping between the songs, the lyrics, the instrumentals, the history, Trent's history, back to the song, then the instrumentals, then hey, Charles Manson, then the next song. It's hurting my brain.
I thought my slump was the reason I couldn't do this, but the writing style is too dry for my very atrophied reading brain.
I adore Downward Spiral.
I cannot read this. It is so, so, so, so, so painfully dry, as well as all over the place. I can see what the author is going for, but jumping between the songs, the lyrics, the instrumentals, the history, Trent's history, back to the song, then the instrumentals, then hey, Charles Manson, then the next song. It's hurting my brain.
I thought my slump was the reason I couldn't do this, but the writing style is too dry for my very atrophied reading brain.
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