Review by Jason Norwood
Rating: ****
Standout track: (of course) The Space In Between
It's the hardest thing for someone as well established as Trent Reznor to just say "to hell with it, let's form a new project". Comparisons to Nine Inch Nails are inevitable, but the story goes like this: Reznor forms three-piece band with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig. Judging from the artwork, Reznor is trying like hell to take a backseat to Maandig, but this IS a collaboration, and it shows--where Nine Inch Nails songs have a very tense, almost claustrophobic nature, How To Destroy Angels is more spacious and brooding, even in its noisier moments. Maandig's vocals also have the feel of more than just "here, you sing this one"--her mellower style makes a marked contrast from Reznor's anguished roar. I doubt that it will win over many of the people who never liked or stopped liking Nine Inch Nails (you can't escape Reznor's signature all over the EP), but if you keep an open mind, you may just be one of them. And for the record--the video for "The Space In Between" is possibly the best video I've seen in years.