E' ovvio essere nostalgici delle pietre miliari dei più grandi artisti. Ma non ritengo giusto rimanere ancorati ai ricordi. Ogni album di un artista che scrive musica per oltre 20 anni è giusto sia figlio del suo tempo. Così "The Downward Spyral" e "The Fragile" erano lo specchio delle inquietudini reznoriane degli anni '90, ed erano stupendi perchè erano album precursori di uno stile da Reznor stesso creato. L'industrial metal. Se è vero che il concetto di arte è personale, forse chi meglio l'ha descritto sono stati David Bowie e Kubrick. Ed entrambe sostenevano che l'espressione di un artista doveva plasmarsi al suo animus ed al cambiare dei tempi, non rimanere monotematica. Concordo personalmente, e per questo motivo preferisco gli artisti e le band che osano cambiare genere di album in album piuttosto che riproporre sempre la stessa musica in maniera monotematica. Trent Reznor con "With Teeth" e ancora di più con questo "Year Zero" si è avventurato in un mondo nuovo per lui. Quello delle melodie. Se vogliamo con un certo ritorno al rock, alla batteria e agli assoli di chitarra che non sono certo una "innovazione" ma piuttosto un remake. Se vogliamo con un approccio a volte un pò troppo "Radio Edit". Ma il risultato che ai più potrà sembrare troppo commerciale, è in realtà lo sdoganamento verso platee più ampie di sonorità e testi un tempo solo per pochi eletti alternativi, e quindi di nicchia. E' questo un peccato mortale per un artista che da vent'anni scrive pagine di storia della musica alternative? E' giusto crocefiggerlo se oggi chiede più notorietà? Credo sarebbe giusto farlo se il prodotto fosse scadente. Trattandosi invece di un gran bell'album, allora forse siamo di fronte ad un polistrumentista-genio che ha deciso a 40 anni di gettare la maschera, e di far conoscere una parte della sua anima fino ad oggi volutamente nascosta. Quella più pop, più rock ma non meno cattiva. Solo più orecchiabile. Questo e' un album a mio avviso molto più bello del precedente. Più completo, più maturo e dannatamente tecnico.

Voto: 7+

Elenco tracce testi e video

01   HYPERPOWER! (01:42)

[Instrumental]

02   The Beginning of the End (02:47)

03   Survivalism (04:24)

I should have listened to her, so hard to keep control
We kept on eating but our bloated belly's still not full
She gave us all she had but we went and took some more
Can't seem to shut her legs, our mother nature is a whore

I got my propaganda, I got revisionism
I got my violence in hi-def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist, I got my plan, I got survivalism

Hypnotic sound of sirens echoing through the street
The cocking of the rifles, the marching of the feet
You see your world on fire, don't try to act surprised
We did just what you told us, lost our faith along the way and found ourselves believing your lies

I got my propaganda, I got revisionism
I got my violence in hi-def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist, I got my plan, I got survivalism

All bruised and broken, bleeding
She asked to take my hand
I turned, just keep on walking
But you'd do the same thing in the circumstance I'm sure you'll understand

I got my propaganda, I got revisionism
I got my violence in hi-def ultra-realism
All a part of this great nation
I got my fist, I got my plan, I got survivalism

You got your pacifism, I got survivalism (repeat)

04   The Good Soldier (03:23)

05   Vessel (04:53)

I let you put it in my mouth
I let it get under my skin
I let you pump it through my veins
I let you take me from within
They tell us what we can and cannot do
Same thing we've heard a hundred times before
When I put you inside of me
None of that matters anymore

My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here
My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here

I am you and you are me
We will never be alone
I have finally found my place in everything
I have finally found my home
I can leave all of the flesh behind
I can see right through the whole façade
I am becoming something else, yeah
I am a turning into God

My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here
My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here
My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here
My God
Can it go any faster?
Oh, my God
I don't think I can last here

06   Me, I'm Not (04:52)

07   Capital G (03:50)

I pushed a button and elected him to office and uh
He pushed a button and he dropped the bomb
You pushed a button and can watch it on the television
Those mother fuckers didn't last too long, huh huh
I'm sick of hearing about the haves and the have nots
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we've been doing things is
The more we let you have the less that I'll be keeping for me

Well I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Trading in my God for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

Don't give a shit about the temperature in Guatemala
Don't really see what all the fuss is about
Ain't gonna worry 'bout no future generations and uh
I'm sure somebody gonna figure it out
Don't try to tell me that some power can corrupt a person
You haven't had enough to know what it's like
You're only angry cause you wish you were in my position
Now nod your head because you know that I'm right
Alright

Well I used to stand for something
But forgot what that could be
There's a lot of me inside you
Maybe you're afraid to see
Well I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Trading in my God for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

Well I used to stand for something
But forgot what that could be
There's a lot of me inside you
Maybe you're afraid to see
Well I used to stand for something
Now I'm on my hands and knees
Trading in my God for this one
And he signs his name with a capital G

08   My Violent Heart (04:14)

09   The Warning (03:39)

Some say it was a warning
Some say it was a sign
I was standing right there
When it came down from the sky
The way it spoke to us
You felt it from inside
Said it was up to us
Up to us to decide
"You've become a virus
Killing off its host
We been watching you with all of our eyes
And what you seem to value most
So much potential
Or so we used to say
Your greed, self-importance and your arrogance
You piss it all away
We heard her cry
We've come to intervene
You will change your ways and you will make amends
Or we will wipe this place clean"

Your time is ticking away

10   God Given (03:51)

11   Meet Your Master (04:09)

Bow down in position
Against the polished steel
This is something different
You like the way this feels
No time for asking questions
No time for wondering
We've had enough of you now
You've heard everything

You want to play a new game
You put on this blindfold
You do what we tell you
You do as you're told
Used to be the leader but
Now comes the time to serve
Maybe we'll show some mercy
Maybe you'll get what you deserve

Countdown to the end, gonna make it go faster
Right around the bend
Is a coming disaster
Countdown to the end, can I get a little faster
Come on down, my friend
It's time to meet your master

You've left quite a mess here
Under your stewardship
You thought you'd figured it out but
You'll find your place in this
You think its so convincing
You think you see the truth
Give us so many things now
We've got in store for you

Countdown to the end, gonna make it go faster
Right around the bend
Is a coming disaster
Countdown to the end, can I get a little faster
Come on down, my friend
It's time to meet your master

Come on down

12   The Greater Good (04:52)

Breathe us in
Slowly, slowly

Everything you do
Everywhere you go
Anything we want
Anything

Breathe
Breathe us in
Slowly, slowly

Persuasion

Coercion
Submission
Assimilation
Persuasion
Coercion
Submission
Assimilation
Persuasion
Coercion
Submission
Assimilation

Breathe us in
Slowly, slowly

13   The Great Destroyer (03:17)

14   Another Version of the Truth (04:09)

15   In This Twilight (03:34)

watch the sun, as it crawls across a final time
and it feels like, like it was a friend
it is watching us, and the world we set on fire
do you wonder if it feels the same?

and the sky is filled with light, can you see it?
all the black is really white, if you believe it
as your time is running out, let me take away your doubt
you can find a better place in this twilight

from dust to dust, ashes in your hair remind me
what it feels like and i won't feel again
night descends, could I have been a better person?
if i could only do it all again

but the sky is filled with light, do you see it?
all the black is really white if you believe it
and the longing that you feel, you know none of this is real
you will find a better place in this twilight

16   Zero-Sum (06:15)

they're starting to open up the sky
they're starting to reach down through
and it feels like we're living in that split-second
of a car crash
and time is slowing down
and if we only had a little more time
and this time
is all there is
do you remember the time we
and all the times we
and should have
and were going to
i know
and i know you remember
how we could justify it all
and we knew better
in our hearts we knew better
and we told ourselves it didn't matter
and we chose to continue
and none of that matters anymore
in the hour of our twilight
and soon it will be all said and done
and we will all be back together as one
if we will continue at all

shame on us, doomed from the start
may god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
shame on us, for all we've done
and all we ever were, just zeros and ones

and you never get away
and you never get to take the easy way
and all of this is a consequence
brought on by our own hand
if you believe in that sort of thing
and did you ever really find
when you closed your eyes
any place that was still
and at peace
and i guess i just wanted to tell you
as the light starts to fade
that you are the reason
that i am not afraid
and i guess i just wanted to mention
as the heavens will fall
we will be together soon if we
will be anything at all

shame on us, doomed from the start
may god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
shame on us, for all we've done
and all we ever were, just zeros and ones

shame on us (shame on us), doomed from the start
may god have mercy on our dirty little hearts
shame on us (shame on us), for all we've done
and all we ever were, (just) just zeros and ones

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Altre recensioni

Di  Enkriko

 Questo album è la conferma che il nostro stimato Trent Reznor in realtà è sempre stato uno scrittore di pop music mascherato.

 Il singolo "Survivalism" è un pezzone innocuo che vorrebbe trasudare energia e "angst" ma lascia abbastanza indifferenti già al secondo ascolto.


Di  Brahms

 "Un disco come 'Year Zero' è un'opera scopertamente politica e diretta, ma capace di superare i limiti di ciò che viene dichiarato nei suoni e nei testi."

 "L'assolutezza di questa musica è tale da condurre l'ascoltatore verso un'interpretazione più vasta di ciò che gli verrebbe suggerito in apparenza."


Di  Omega Kid

 Finalmente ho trovato il degno successore di The Downward Spiral.

 Un rock-pop-industrial da ascolto in cravatta, mentre ripensate alle vostre scorribande giovanili.