It's hard to deny the influence of
Trent Reznor
on
How to Destroy Angels
, the group featuring the
Nine Inch Nails
mastermind, his wife
Mariqueen Maandig
, and his longtime collaborator
Atticus Ross
but
HTDA
isn't quite
NIN
fronted by a female.
Maandig'
s presence isn't incidental; having her as the focal point shifts the tone considerably, giving the music a dreamy quality even when things get quite gnarled and ugly, as they do on
"Parasite."
Draped in twisted, processed guitar gunk,
"Parasite"
is recognizably
Reznor'
s, as is the electro-throb of
"Fur Lined,"
and the ominous undertow of
"BBB,"
's debut EP doesn't consist of dressed-up leftovers from
The Slip
: some of
Reznor
's obsessions remain recognizable, but having collaborators opens up the music and
Maandig
softens it, giving this EP a different feel despite some familiar sounds. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine