Track Listing
1. pinion
2. wish
3. last
4. help me i am in hell
5. happiness in slavery
6. gave up
7 - 97 :: Nothing
98. physical
99. suck
Released in 1992, Nine Inch Nails' second major release is just over one half hour long. Wish, last, and gave up were coproduced with Flood. The tracks for Broken were recorded in various studios, all without the knowledge or permission of Trent Reznor's former label, TVT Records. (Reznor sued to be released from TVT Records because they didn't support him artistically or financially. A deal was negotiated between Interscope and TVT Records, and Nine Inch Nails got its own label: Nothing.)
Broken is an album about Reznor's feelings of captivity to his label. From pinion to gave up, Reznor makes it quite clear that he is entirely unhappy with the binding restraints forced upon him by TVT Records. This record is not as focused as some of Nine Inch Nails' other works, but still worth a listen.
There is an unreleased movie that was meant to go with the album. It contained clips from what appears to be a snuff film and the music videos to the first six tracks of Broken. Many of the videos were released independently, including pinion and happiness in slavery, the latter featuring a man being sexually tortured by a machine before ultimately being ground into human chuck.
Perhaps the most disturbing portion of the movie is the video for gave up. Herewithin is what appears to be the climax of the snuff film clips, where a man, previously kidnapped, is cut, torn, and ripped open, laying bare all of his vital organs for the torturer to cup in his hands and bring to his mouth. Truly the most twisted, disturbing experience I have ever subjected myself to.