Fragile

Rolling Stone (10/14/99, p.120) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[Reznor's] version of Pink Floyd's THE WALL...[venting] his alienation and misery into paranoid studio hallucinations, each track crammed with overdubs until there's no breathing room....it's New Wave with its finger on the trigger..."
Spin (11/99, pp.179-80) - 9 out of 10 - "...[Reznor's] epic portrayal of the endless, aimless inner din....THE FRAGILE is a good old-fashioned strap-on-your-headphones experience....a concept album....He tries to leap into an ocean of sound, but a breakbeat throws him back on shore..."
Q Magazine (12/99, p.142) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Reznor expertly sculpts his sounds like an electro-grunge Henry Moore..."
Alternative Press (11/99, pp.118-9) - 5 out of 5 - "...relevant as ever....nothing short of astounding....THE FRAGILE is Reznor's bid to be not only successful but also Important. And I think he's made it..."
Mojo (12/99, p.110) - "...an impressively multi-textured, satisfyingly violent sonic workout..."
Entertainment Weekly (9/24/99, pp.142-3) - "...THE FRAGILE feels freshest, and most like a progression from THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL when the music struggles upward toward some sort of transcendence....hard rock simply doesn't get any smarter, harder, or more ambitious than this." - Rating: A-