Album Review: How to Destroy Angels Release Their Inner Omen On New EP

By: Kayla-Jane Barrie –

The mysterious and eerie sound of Trent Reznor’s side project, How to Destroy Angels, is back with a glimpse into the world of a hostile omen.

The groups’ latest album, An omen EP_, was released world wide today. Reznor is known for creating soundscapes that leave our ears with something peculiar, beautiful and unconventional.

“Keep it Together” couldn’t have been a better choice for the first track on the album. The lyrics and beat combine to make a smooth ethereal yet seductive song with a solemn reminder that things fall apart for a reason but no one says they can’t be fixed; a perfect opening for this sinisterly beautiful album.

As the opening track fades out into the abyss, “Ice Age” comes in with a graceful guitar melody and the harmonious voice of Reznor’s wife Mariqueen Maandig who acted as the former vocalist for L.A.-based band West Indian Girl. This song shows the band’s softer side, stepping away from gritty sound creations. This track verifies that How to Destroy Angels thrives having Maandig as their lead singer. If Reznor were the lead singer for this project, it would sound like just another NIN track.

The electric tones played throughout “The Loop Closes” leaves bass to pour out of the speakers with a slow beginning followed by a gradual pick up with the lyrics reminding us what goes around comes around, “The beginning is the end, keeps coming around again.”

The final song, “Speaking in Tongues” is a reminder of “The Day The World Went Away” off of NIN’s 1999 album, The Fragile. Slow drum beating paired with scattered tones and rings leaves one to feel like they are slowly falling away from time.

Reznor and company create pure musical genius once again. When you’re not lost in the words of Maandig, the vibes of these songs rattle right through your skin leaving you to believe you’re amongst the stars in space.

Essential Tracks: “Keep it Together,” and “Ice Age.”