NiN’s second studio album begins on a much fuzzier note than their debut, with a sound that blurs into almost an explosion of unidentifiable sound, much like the titular character “Mr. Self Destruct.” This trend continues throughout a lot of this album - many tracks have a similar staticky production, with the sound compacted together like a garbage truck crunching a bunch of cans, or maybe like voices crowding together in a troubled mind. Their debut had a more open and discrete sound, with the electronic sounds easily distinguishable even when the songs spiral into experimental territory. This album develops the industrial sound further, but this time it’s like we’re in an old factory where the robots need oil and regular people are scared to walk in even with hard hats. Like the cranky robots are about to take over, maybe.

But as with many albums, it’s the concept that makes it brilliant, and the concept is necessary to fully appreciate the work. It’s arranged as the story of a character spiraling down into a nihilistic world of self-loathing and thoughts of self-harm; it’s dark, but it’s so well written and cohesive that even the sunniest among us can appreciate the art that went into its creation.

From the roundup Jamwise #47 - Best Albums of 1994, pt. 2.