Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 24, 2008

In Europe they are referred to as one of the pioneers of industrial rock together with Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and Front 242. In America, they are an underground monster whose vision of music has left its mark on countless bands, from Fear Factory to Marilyn Manson. They are Nine Inch Nails.

Founded in 1988 in Cleveland, Ohio by the eccentric writer, producer, and singer Trent Raznor Nine Inch Nails started out as an experimental project where everyone was free to contribute with unique ideas. Electronica, crossover, heavy-metal, industrial, and a number of other genres quickly became an inseparable part of what people would embrace simply as NIN. By the early 90s the ambitious group from Cleveland and their enigmatic leadman where already a force to be reckoned with. Fame quickly followed up and in 2004 Rolling Stone Magazine concluded that Nine Inch Nails had become one of the most influential rock bands of all time.

Since the release of their debut album Pretty Hate Machine, however, a lot has changed. Reznor is the only member from the original NIN lineup and nowadays the band is almost entirely driven by his vision of what industrial rock should sound like. For better or worse, NIN have also inspired a number of copycat-bands whose work, as well as stage shows, has been just as impressive.

Filmed during the band’s “Live: With Teeth” tour (2006), NIN Live: Beside You In Time offers a heart-stopping show with mesmerizing stage visuals. Sporting a new haircut, Trent Reznor and Co. bring to life some of NIN’s past hits as well as songs from their latest album. The energy, as expected, is top-notch and the crowd certainly responds with the adequate amount of admiration. Undoubtedly, what one sees during the gig is what NIN have always been known for – great music complimented by a terrific stage show.

From a purely technical point of view, all of the songs sound as one would hear them via a studio recording. They are flawlessly performed and impeccably arranged. Unlike other bands that often find it difficult to replicate studio sound on stage, NIN deliver exactly what the fans desire – perfection. The actual stage on the other hand consists of massive LED screens as well as mobile industrial decors which are routinely updated with visuals complimenting the songs. The interaction between the band and their fans is never disrupted and as you will notice during the course of the show there is a great deal of headbanging going on culminating in exalted fans assisted out of the rowdy crowd.

Of course, the big question here is: Would anyone who isn’t familiar with the music of NIN feel compelled by the above description to dive head-on into the band's dazzling world of stunning visuals and edgy tunes? With the risk of being questioned about my positive attitude towards Trent Reznor and Co. I must urge you to do so as soon as possible. Whether or not you like rock- music, or to be precise, heavy industrial rock driven by racy lyrics, NIN will certainly make an impact on you, take my words for granted. They are still as fresh, loud, and capable of staging a terrific show as they were some fifteen years ago.

Track list:
1. Love Is Not Enough
2. You Know What You Are?
3. Terrible Lie
4. The Line Begins To Blur
5. March of the Pigs
6. Something I Can Never Have
7. Closer
8. Burn
9. Gave Up
10. Eraser
11. Right Where It Belongs
12. Beside You in Time
13. With Teeth
14. Wish
15. Only
16. The Big Come Down
17. Hurt
18. The Hand That Feeds
19. Head Like a Hole

Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and complimented by a stunning 1080p transfer, Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time may well be one of the best looking shows available on BD thus far. Filmed entirely with HD cameras, this transfer, courtesy of Interscope, practically gives you firsthand evidence why high-definition must be the preferred format for live recordings (as if to make a point the producers of the disc have specifically included an interesting bonus program allowing you to optimize the video). From the spotless, crystal clear video, to the unbelievably lush sound quality, this presentation is undoubtedly quite a treat. The futuristic stage decors are absolutely stunning adding an entirely new dimension to the "live" experience. One truly feels as if one is in the middle of a great concert where every small details is captured flawlessly. I definitely must give major props to Rob Sheridan for his impeccable eye for detail. To put it simply folks, this is as good of a live show as you will see captured on BD; take my word on it – it does not get any better.

Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Boasting an impeccably mixed Dolby TrueHD track as well as Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 soundtracks, this disc certainly shows why there is absolutely no credible basis for comparison between BD and SDVD when it comes to live content treatment. The Dolby TrueHD track is bombastic, stunningly clear and with rich obertones allowing the listener to hear even the tiniest of sound effects. Once into the show everything becomes even more unreal – the sound is perfectly well balanced as if mixed in a studio. In fact, I could not detect any unevenness between the bass, drums, and Trent's voice which we typically expect to hear from live recordings. With all of this in mind, I feel fairly comfortable in stating that aside from the few operas I have reviewed on this site, this is the first disc with live music to come my way where such incredible sound treatment has been achieved. To top everything off, Interscope, the company producer, has also added up an "audio optimization" testing program, which one could access from the main menu. As a major bonus on this disc, the producers have also added closed captioning and English subtitles.

Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from a basic stills gallery, this BD also offers five songs from the summer leg of the Beside You In Time. These are "Somewhat Damaged", "Closer", "Help Me I Am In Hell", "Non-Entity", and "Only". All of these songs are presented in 1080p but are notably less impressive in the video department. In addition, there are also live recordings from rehearsal sessions for "The Collector," "Every Day Is Exactly The Same," and "Love Is Not Enough", which are not in 1080p. Finally, the producers of the disc have added up the pilot-videos for "The Hand That Feeds" and "Only". As a hidden bonus there is an interesting advanced feature which provides an alternate viewing option (a portion of the giant screen NIN use on the stage is captured by the cameras from a different angle) for the following songs: "Eraser," "Right Where It Belongs" and "Beside You in Time".

Nine Inch Nails: Beside You in Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Regardless of whether or not you approve of the current NIN lineup and its ability to continue to be as innovative and original as those who assisted Trent Raznor some fifteen years ago I think that with such impeccable treatment as the one this BD boasts you will be hard-pressed not to consider adding NIN Live: Beside You In Time to your collections. Everything here has been given an utmost attention that will surely meet the demands of even the most pretentious of audio- videophilles