Nine Inch Nails

Ghosts V: Together is the tenth studio album from Industrial band Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor was the sole member of this project since its inception until 2016 when producer Atticus Ross was brought on as the official second member of the band. The newest projects from the duo, Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts, are a continuation of the Ghosts series that began in 2008 with the record Ghosts I-IV. This series is very different from what the band is typically known for, ditching the angsty Industrial Rock for serene Dark Ambient landscapes. This series is closer to the duo’s work scoring films, making the soundtracks for David Fincher’s The Social Network and Gone Girl as well as many others. Unlike their film scores, however, these projects easily stand as their own artistic expressions and make their concepts very clear. What is most intriguing about Ghosts V and VI’s creation is that they are representative of the time period they were released in, that being the COVID-19 global pandemic. These projects are among the first to be released that accurately reflects how everyone is feeling during these times.

Together

Ghosts V: Together is a continuation of the Ghosts I-IV in name, but in execution, it is far more than that. Ghosts V creates vivid and fully realized ambient soundscapes that are far more nuanced than anything that was on Ghosts I-IV. The incredible palette of drones and chime-like synths are tied together with excellent mixing and sound design. The sounds on this album are varied and have a very clear progression to them, yet they still call back to one another as every sound helps to aid a central theme or mood.

Hope is a very big part of what this album tries to convey. NIN are very aware of the difficult times that this project was released in, and they set out to create a feeling of hope through the gorgeous lead progressions of this album. While the foreground of this album shows hope, the sinister drones in the background are the embodiment of what is being overcome.

Letting Go While Holding On is a beautiful introduction to what this record is. The deep drones immediately build an atmosphere around you as the leading synths play a simple melody that sets the tone. As the song progresses, chime-like samples come in further setting the hopeful tone of this album. The drones shift to help guide the progression along. Of course, this is still an ambient project, the progression feels a lot more natural rather than structured and the sounds are very spacious. Towards the end of the song these swelling vocal passages come in and adds tension to the track and holds your attention until it starts to fade out. The track Together opens up with a piano melody. Airy drones fade in around it as well as a breathy vocal sounds and a few other instrumental layers in the background. All these layers a juggled beautifully due to the fantastic mixing on this album. The natural progressions of the layers shift your focus to each one individually while news ones are still being added. Despite how much is going on, you never feel overwhelmed and the track is never cluttered. Each layer acts as an extension of the others, all contributing to a common goal. The payoff to the this buildup isn’t a grand climax, and it really shouldn’t be. The deep swells as the layers begin to disperse is a very natural conclusion to this build, and it creates room for the original piano melody to come back and close the track. Out in the Open focuses a lot more on synths than organic sounds. This still fits with the tone of the album and the track is much simpler than the previous. It acts as a transitional track without ever feeling like one, bringing you into the right state of mind for the darker With Faith. The sinister drones are a contrast with the cheery chime-like leads of this song. Additional drones come in and start to replace the dark opening of the track, almost making them seem friendly as they start to take over. By the midpoint, this song starts to feel like a continuation of the ideas on the opener, using similar samples. However, this track proves itself to be an entirely different endeavor with a more elaborate melody and an addition of strings. There’s a powerful build as the song goes on, and it completely surrounds the listener in its intricate atmosphere.

Apart is a turning point for this album. The eerie strings at the start is a complete tonal shift from the first half of this record. A build of these strings heighten the tension further before a piano melody, similar to the one on Together, comes in. At first, the piano seems like it is going to be an escape, but as time goes on we see this as a twisted version of a melody we thought we were familiar with. The dark ambience the drones create shift the mood of the piano into something disturbing. The strings then take over again, deepening the sinister mood of the song. Bassy synths come in and reinforce the mood further. The drones disappear for a moment, leaving you with just the strings, making you feel like the song is leading out. Then, a percussive comes in and takes control of the track until is closes out. Despite the extreme shift in tone this song is, it feels like the fruition of something you knew was coming rather than a sudden shift into darkness. Your Touch helps to lead you out of the eerie atmosphere of Apart. The song is a simple progression of layered synth tones, bassy drones, and a piano melody. It transitions you into Hope We Can Again, a more hopeful track. This song is like the journey back to the original tone of this album, coming out of the dark times that were portrayed on Apart. This journey is not an easy one, however, as it takes you through noisey and disjointed feedbacking drones that feel unrelenting as they are happening. When they finally let up, the atmosphere is barren. The original melody of the track picks up again and continues through the barren landscape, scarred yet victorious. Still Right Here is the final push through. Hopeful drones and melodies lead the beginning of this track. They start out strong but slowly lose strength. As soon as all seems lost and these layers dissipate, a distant electric guitar rebuilds momentum. It powers through and creates a grand build full of tension. The climax is a industrial electronic break that continues to build into a massive climax that folds in on itself. What’s left is the droning sounds of feedback and crackled vocal lines. The original melodies emerge, reinvigorated. They are back to where they began, a beautiful ambiance that is deeply changed by the events that happened over the course of the album.

Favorite Songs

1. Apart

2. Letting Go While Holding On

3. Together

Overall Thoughts

Ghost V: Together is a beautiful display of hope due to its incredibly well crafted ambient soundscapes. Even though a word is never spoken, this album perfectly conveys a wide range of thoughts that are very representative of the times it was released in.

Score

9/10 – Incredible