Broken [Definitive Edition] [EP/7"]

Nine Inch Nails: Trent Reznor (vocals, various instruments).
Additional personnel: Martin Atkins, Chris Vrenna (drums), Maise (background vocals).
Having caught the public's attention with his catchy, chart- topping PRETTY HATE MACHINE, Trent Reznor was free to experiment with music less accessible to the mainstream. While his more fickle fans were disappointed with BROKEN, the faithful heard in it Reznor's true genius. Dark and edgy, BROKEN cuts the silence like a dirty knife--no singalong anthems here. Only hard-hitting rhythms and no-holds-barred metal riffs flavor this sophomore effort.
In BROKEN one can hear the artist maturing and simplifying his craft; Reznor succeeds here without relying on the trappings of pop formulas. The product of a burst of creative energy, BROKEN spawned a companion release of remixes, titled FIXED. From the tight, rapid-fire succession of chords that begins "Pinion" to the beautiful and dreamy jingling guitar of "Help Me I Am in Hell," BROKEN proved that Reznor was to remain a force in the alternative music scene.