10 Albums That End On A Cliffhanger
7. The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails
The character at the center of Nine Inch Nails' the Downward Spiral can't really be described as pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. From the first song on the record to the finish, Mr. Self Destruct may be one of the most loathsome antiheros that we've ever seen in the rock pantheon, looking to do as much damage on the world as he is to himself. Though things might get a little chaotic here and there, Hurt is where the pure pain starts to set in.
Getting further and further into his depression, the penultimate title track shows Mr. Self Destruct having a full on mental breakdown, ending with lines of threatening to shoot himself in the head. Though the ending of the track implies that he went through with his own suicide, this spare piano ballad seems to be Mr. Self Destruct carrying on his story after we were ready for it to end.
Almost sounding disconnected from reality, this entire track feels like it's taking place inside his own mind, like these are his final thoughts as he's bleeding out in his room. Then again, this could be a hopeful note, as the suicide attempt failed and Mr. Self Destruct looks to clean up his act in the future. Though neither of these situations are great to be in, maybe this kind of self destructive nature will live to fight another day.