Challenging the mainstream while conquering it, Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral is a masterpiece that left its mark on an entire generation. If this is the kind of legacy Reznor has left with his words alone, then musically "The Downward Spiral" is a tour de force of creativity, ingenuity and innovation, and an outstretched middle finger against anyone who views electronics in heavy music with blinders on. More than 20 years after its initial release on March 8, 1994, The Downward Spiral was so far ahead of its time that it still feels relevant. The album's colors and textures - from jolting, unsettling keys and synths to industrial, fuzzy and heavy distortion to moments of pure tranquility (as in the divine "A Warm Place") - are a veritable assault on the senses: The Spiral has it all. The depth of this masterpiece is such that even upgrading your headphones can provide a whole new listening experience, not to mention the sensory overload offered by the album's remastered vinyl reissue.