After the two nihilistic epics The Downward Spiral (1995) and its belated follow-up The Fragile (1999), Trent Reznor's Nine Inch Nails are settling into a loud, predictable rut. The same thrashy, complex-yet-melodic industrial rock that sounded so groundbreaking on Downward Spiral is beginning to show its limitations. Though often mesmerizing in the way Reznor's inventive sonic structure and relentlessly bleak tone congeal so convincingly around the catchiest of pop melodies, the man seems to have run out of places to go. Things Falling Apart, a collection of severely remixed songs from The Fragile, adds precious little to Rezner's familiar, impossibly angry milieu. Almost all the songs fall short of their original versions, especially all three versions of "Starf***ers Inc" (though, to be fair, that may have been The Fragile's best track). There are a few previously unreleased tracks here that shine; the Fragile outtake "10 Miles High" throws a simple, pounding chorus into a swamp of washed-out ambient noise, while the Gary Numan cover "Metal" makes convincing use of Reznor's gift for pop melody. Still, it's apparent that, despite how great he is at what he does, Reznor just can't keep doing it forever. --Matthew Cooke
