FIXED [Single, EP]

This CD contains remixes of songs from the Broken EP, but, unlike Broken, it's action from the off - Reznor chose to drop the brief but wonderful interlude-like tracks Pinion and Help Me I'm In Hell. What this creates is a fast paced album from start to finish, barely letting up in it's 40 minutes of wonderfully harsh noise.

It begins with Gave Up, a remix of the track from Broken with the same name, and it gives you a taste of what is to come throughout the maxi-single. By rearranging and cutting up the vocals from the original track, Reznor creates a very fast paced barrage of non-stop, perfectly crafted sound.

We then move onto Wish, also a remix of the track from Broken with the same name. Although this song is more subdued, even semi-calm at times, it's still decidedly NIN in it's sound. Reznor didn't stray away from the original Wish much with this one, instead he chose to play with how it plays - using a 'stuck record' effect quite often, and fusing it with a bit more electronica.

Happiness In Slavery comes next, which is, again, a remix of the Broken track of the same name. Whereas Wish stayed fairly true to the original, H.i.S. is quite different - the only lyrics that remain are Reznor's inhuman sounding shrieks of "slavery", with the occassional sequence of screams, interwoven with a great sounding beat-laden track more akin to something from The Downward Spiral than Broken. The highlight of the CD.

Throw this away has a slower, more eerie feel to it than the rest of the maxi-single, opening with a repetitive, chilling sound of who-knows-what. The beat of a distorted guitar kick in shortly afterwards, following which Trent Reznor begins to whisper his lyrics, showing his trademark signs of torment with such lines as "I am so dirty / on the inside". All the while, the music builds up, until it explodes into a flurry of wailing guitars and synth-drums towards the end. Good stuff.

Next up is Fist F**k, another remix of Gave Up. Again, Trent uses the 'stuck record' effect often - perhaps a little TOO often - and great sounding 'backwards' segments of music. Strange samples and relentless drumming fill the track, and is really something to behold.

Last, but by no means least, is Screaming Slave, another remix of Happiness In Slavery. It opens with a series of sounds that are reminiscent of the old Nintendo game F-Zero - it almost sounds as if a futuristic Formula 1 is taking place. But then, the music is interspersed with this 'noise', which is continually building up, until it all falls apart, and we hear more backwards segments of music. What we are given next is a series of severely distorted sections of the original track, all the while breaking down and sticking. Many people will just disregard this track as relentless noise - to appreciate this madness is not an easy task. Towards the end, we hear a poor Trent Reznor screaming in apparent pain, either physically or mentally, which is evidently where this track gains it's name "Screaming Slave". The noise ensues shortly after, with "slavery" being shrieked. Great stuff.

Obviously this CD does not rival The Downward Spiral, but it is an absolute ESSENTIAL for any NIN fan. However, to really appreciate this, a copy of Broken is a must.

Oh, one more thing - DO NOT listen to this CD when you are exceedingly tired and on the brink of falling asleep. That is, unless you WANT it to mess with your head!