10 Scariest Tracks In Hard Rock
3. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
After the initial stomp of Pretty Hate Machine, many fans were curious as to what direction Trent Reznor was going to go next with the project Nine Inch Nails. Once he set up his audience with the sinister Broken EP, the public knew they would be in for something much darker.
Starting as the opening single from The Downward Spiral, "Closer" is probably the least sexy song about sex that the rock genre has ever had. With a beat sampled from Iggy Pop, Reznor's minimalist production supports his vocal, as he describes his unending need for physical pleasure from his mate. As the song rolls into the chorus, the song becomes less about sex and more about power, with the vocals becoming much more aggressive and the language more vulgar.
The melancholy piano backing the track also hints at something much more spooky on the horizon. The listener isn't even given info about who Reznor is addressing in the song. It could be his audience, a carnal companion, a corpse, or all at the same time. Recorded at the same house where Sharon Tate was murdered by the Manson family, "Closer" shows Reznor channeling all the dark energy in his soul into a few minutes of sexual Hell.