Trent Reznor, Tool & The Upward Spiral | The Existential List #9

There’s always that one kid who listens to The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails, decides to be an edgy pessimistic nihilist, and abandons the pursuit of a meaningful life for a bit.

And then there's Trent Reznor, the musical genius behind Nine Inch Nails. He expressed his existential angst beautifully through all those iconic and commercially successful records, scored The Social Network, and got royalties from Old Town Road. In other words, Trent used his music to create the life he wanted. That's a pro move.

An appreciation of irony in art can be very healthy and life affirming.

As Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree says in The Sound of Muzak:

"The music of rebellion makes you want to rage...

But it's made by millionaires who are nearly twice your age."

Now I love that lyric, and it's biting self-aware cynicism, but I think there's a more soulful kind of irony that lies beyond Wilson’s observation. This comes from observing the existential journey of the musicians who attempt to express their negative emotions through art.

Keeping an eye on what the trajectory of purpose is in an artist’s life is useful, especially if you are a bit too fixated on just your interpretation of their art.

“The birth of the reader is ransomed by the death of the author”, Roland Barthes proclaims. “All you know about me is what I've sold you” gnarls Maynard James Keenan. This may be so. But what about the full life-cycle of the author that lies beyond the reader’s immediate grasp?

What's the meta-narrative journey behind their art? is a good question to ask. For most of my favorite bands, including NIN (NIИ), the meta-narrative is their journey away from existential nihilism in their early years to meaningfulness in their later years. Dispatches of raw ugliness from within the void transforming over time into a sincere appreciation for the beauty of being alive.

No one shows and tells this journey better than Tool in their maturation from the disintegrating angst of Undertow and Aenima to the transcendent sincerity found in Lateralus and 10,000 Days.

Think Bottom where Maynard is:

Dead inside, dead inside
Nameless now, shameless now
Nothing now, no one now

…to Parabola where he implores us to:

Recognize this (existence) as a holy gift and
Celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing
A chance to be alive and breathing

This is the meta-narrative that matters most to me - not just the angsty young artist baring the darkness in their soul (which I do love), but their longer journey towards the light. Now that’s the kind of art that is able to teach us about existential vitality without preaching, and I’m so grateful for the artists who took us on that journey with them.

That’s all. Maybe I should have just written "I'm old and I love Nine Inch Nails, Porcupine Tree and Tool" and called it a day. But where's the fun in that.

Love,

Yepi

P.S. Did you hear that I’ve restarted one-on-one existential consultations? Feel free check out the details and book a free 30 minute session at this link.

Also, new YepiStore merch is here!