Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
85
The Antlers![]()
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound![]()
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness![]()
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan![]()
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star![]()
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali![]()
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile![]()
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash![]()
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis![]()
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System![]()
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele![]()
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge![]()
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
88
Destroyer![]()
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons![]()
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert![]()
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt![]()
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna![]()
85
Manic Street Preachers![]()
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie![]()
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana![]()
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen![]()
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans![]()
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon![]()
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound![]()
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela![]()
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand![]()
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees![]()
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants![]()
67
Third Eye Blind
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts![]()
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx![]()
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band![]()
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Year Zero

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 28 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 179 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Nothing
Release Date: 17 April 2007
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock
Summary
Trent Reznor offers his vision of a bleak future (the year 2022, to be exact) on this 16-track concept album.
Also By This Artist: Ghosts I-IV The Slip With Teeth
Also On The Web: nin @ MySpace Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Los Angeles Times
"Year Zero" is a total marriage of the pop and gamer aesthetics that unlocks the rusty cages of the music industry and solves some key problems facing rock music as its cultural dominance dissolves into dust. It's easy for even Reznor appreciators to overlook this accomplishment, because "Year Zero" also works as pure pop.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
Reznor sets his machinery on "kill" and points it toward authority and herd mentality. [Jun 2007, p.158]
Stylus Magazine
This is one of the most forward-thinking “rock” albums to come down the pike in some time, playing with the genre in both form and function while showing off Reznor’s ridiculous resevoir of ideas in fine fashion.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
Listened to as a journey from beginning to end, this is a genuine attempt to progress to pastures new after With Teeth.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
Year Zero is the finest Nine Inch Nails recording since Downward Spiral. Its songs are memorable, beautifully constructed and articulated.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Amid its carefully calibrated sonic assaults, Year Zero has a number of tracks that will stop you in yours.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe
It's classic Nine Inch Nails with a few extra-disturbing flourishes.
Read Full Review >Blender
THe music is scarily gripping... his best computer blues since 1994's The Downward Spiral. [May 2007, p.108]
Hartford Courant
It's dark and harrowing, but "Year Zero" is the most compelling and fully realized album Reznor has made since "Pretty Hate Machine."
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
On Year Zero, Reznor doesn't exactly sound like he's having fun -- does he ever? But he runs out of disc space before he runs out of ideas, and it's the first time that's happened in quite a while.
Read Full Review >Sputnikmusic
Make no mistake this is NIN as usual, but [it is] an effortless, inspired, and unaffected Trent Reznor the likes of which we may not have had the pleasure of knowing for almost a decade and a half.
Read Full Review >Filter
It's the post-apocalyptic sonics, the industrial-strength bombast and buzzing bondage-core that mightily sustains its frightening 16-track, one-hour run-time.
Read Full Review >Prefix Magazine
Applaud Reznor for attempting something that doesn't read like school graffiti; shake your little fist at him for doing it anyway.
Read Full Review >Billboard
It's fun to hear Trent Reznor play other roles and fire holes into the technology he's been so vital in employing. [21 Apr 2007]
The New York Times
“Year Zero” is much more seductive than “With Teeth,” partly because of all the so-called noise.... If all these sounds often distract listeners from Mr. Reznor’s lyrics, well, so much the better.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Year Zero doesn't just fall short of the promo campaign; it doesn't even rank among NIN's most adventurous efforts.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
Besides a batch of solid singles – electro-punk death march "Survivalism," fiendishly swinging "Capital G" – every so often Year Zero devolves into a feverish barrage of squelches and squalls that comes off as mood music for especially amorous androids.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Low on anthemic hooks and heavy on riotous noise breaks, Year Zero finds Reznor waving his digital hardcore flag high.
Read Full Review >Slant Magazine
Reznor seems to eschew depth for surface explosions and instant gratification, and the result is a finished product that, while decent on an individual track, doesn't hold up as Year Zero progresses.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
Hearing new material from this old warhorse at a time when it’s most needed is damn reassuring; however, it cannot be said, in all honesty, that the music on Year Zero is good.
Read Full Review >Uncut
Nothing sounds more dated than an ageing futurist, and it's only when Trent cuts loose... that we get a glimpse of the world-beater we know he can be. [May 2007, p.103]
NOW Magazine
Thematically it's overboard and at 16 tracks over 60 minutes repetitious and ham-fisted. But musically, Year Zero offers moments of industrial brilliance.
Read Full Review >Hot Press
A number of tracks here follow a similar, frustrating formula. For three minutes they showcase Reznor’s worst tendencies; the boorish plod of the choruses, the hoarse moan of the vocals. On the remainder of each of these songs Reznor does what he’s good at – i.e. creating delicious layers of chaotic industrial noise.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
Year Zero massively benefits from lowered expectations. Reznor channels his anger, focuses it and takes a much-needed breather from his tried-and-true formula of nihilism and the question of self-destruction, but at its core the album has very little to teach us or anything original to say.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
This is just one long squelchy fart of a soundscape that Reznor himself admits is probably too long. It's certainly too unremitting.
Read Full Review >Spin
The songs drag in the middle, choruses become interchangeable, and too many tracks end with the same electronic stuttering. [May 2007, p.84]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.9 (out of 10) based on 179 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Craig C. gave it a10:
THE best NIN album thus far!
Jacob S. gave it a9:
Very close to being perfect! Excellent composition on almost every track, and i always seem to notice more details on each listen. Reznor's voice fits the tone of the album perfectly, and especially Vessel, Survivalism, M, I'm Not and The Warning shows and excellent artist on the top of his game. Amazing.
Owen M. gave it an8:
Great effort from Trent. Very catchy album that has tracks both new fans and old fans can enjoy. He creates greats a great story with this album, those who followed the ARG online before the albums release will of course enjoy and understand it more.
Amurabi M. gave it a6:
With this effort, Mr. Trent Reznor (once a genius) tried to stay in the focus of media. With liberal propaganda, a conceptual album and some "smart" social commentary, Mr. Reznor tries to sound contemporary not invoking his inner demons. Right now, he tries to give some actual opinions on politics, religion and dystopias. But musically this is more of the same. Boring music with some sonic twists and turns that sounds original but not fresh (in the musical agenda of NIN). With two memorable songs ("Gog Given" and "Survivalism"), this album feels like some kind of filler of a great career. But no more.
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Amazing.. May be the album of the year.
Ringo Dingo gave it a0:
Terrible. I guess I bought the non-concept version because mine sucks. No immagery, no hooks, very forgetable. I listed to it twice, tried to make it a third time through but got bored. I then popped in 90's NIN, cried a little, because like Nirvana that music will not be created anymore. Trent isnt dead, just his ideas. You can post masterpiece on a canvas smeared with fecal matter and people will buy it. I guess Trent smeared fecal matter on a mixing console and you all bought it.
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Words cannot describe how much I love this album. If a single day goes by where I have not listened to at least ONE track from this album, something is probably wrong, or I was away from home with a dead iPod... Lyrically, it's genius; musically, it's a masterpiece. I REALLY hope Trent keeps this pattern: Shifts from angry to satirical to self-questioning and more, all about something relevant in today's world. Easily my favorite NIN album ever, and I really want to see something like this continue in the future. I don't know how these so-called "professionals" are rating it so low, to be honest. It's a genius concept album which details what the world really might be like one day if nothing is done to protect freedoms that are being taken from people with or without their consent. It's a musical masterpiece and a lyrical work that has no comparrison. If they don't like it because they don't like the music, then just say so, don't try to knock the whole idea because of one thing... The only other reason I can possibly see for such low ratings is if they actually LIKE what Year Zero is against...
