Prick

During the period surrounding The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor made his bid to be the Phil Spector of industrial rock. Among the many projects he developed at the time (including the original incarnation of Marilyn Manson) was Kevin McMahon's Prick. McMahon was an old friend of Reznor's and one of the first signings to Nothing, so industrial fans could not help be disappointed at the bizarre album that Prick is. McMahon uses the basic production style of industrial metal, but twists it into a mix of Bowie glam rock and Gary Numan new wave. His swaggering Alex Chilton-esque voice and unique lyrics were very different from the glum noise that Reznor and his protégés were producing, and Prick quickly dropped away. Strangely enough, time has been very kind to this album. Anyone wondering where Marilyn Manson got the Dope Show persona needs not to look any further. This is a blustering, angry album that works despite its tendencies to drag. Songs like "No Fair Fights," "Communiqué," and "Other People" build into heavy, slamming efforts that are original and oddly enjoyable. Although the album as a whole does have moments where McMahon gets overbearing, this is a record that never quite got its due upon its original release and deserves a second chance. ~ Bradley Torreano, Rovi