Nine Inch Nails
Not The Actual Events
December 23rd, 2016
The Null Corporation
Halo 29
Nine Inch Nails’ second EP, following 1992’s Broken, is not for the casual fan. While portions of the album’s 5 tracks give glimpses of the band’s earlier days, overall the album is more subdued. It’s almost like Reznor has run out of things to take his frustrations out on musically, and that’s ok. NTAE is certainly not the heaviest material the band has released, but it’s still brilliant in its own way. Reznor’s vocals are just as clear as they were twenty years ago. The band’s music has become more melodic though. While the aggression is still there, it’s more focused and thought through. I feel it also helps that Reznor enlisted his wife, Mariqueen Mandiig for backing vocals on She’s Gone Away, Dave Grohl for drums on The Idea of You, and Dave Navarro’s guitar skills on Burning Bright (Field Of Fire).
The EP also officially lists long time collaborator and touring member Atticus Ross as an official member. I imagine NTAE as a bridge to span the gap between 2013’s Hesitation Marks’ and the band’s 2017 as-yet-unnamed release.
The EP was initially released digitally and on vinyl. The digital orders will come with a “physical component” to be shipped in January 2017. Hopefully that physical component will be in CD form.
All tracks written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Branches/Bones” | 1:47 |
| 2. | “Dear World,” | 4:07 |
| 3. | “She’s Gone Away” | 6:00 |
| 4. | “The Idea of You” | 3:27 |
| 5. | “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)” | 5:50 |
