Thank You Trent Reznor

I have been a big fan of Nine Inch Nails for a number of years now, not just for the rock club floor filling stomp of Closer or Head Like a Hole but more for Reznor's less accessible works, like The Wretched or Me, I'm Not. Of course, NIN's appeal is obvious; a somewhat dark and twisted outlook on life married to an undeniable pop sensibility and the ability to write some damn fine pieces of music has lead to critical acclaim for Trent Reznor. But after the release of Year Zero, an excellent concept album about the collapse of a dystopian future, I was worried that we would have to wait another year or so for new NIN material, especially since I'd just begun to collect the EPs, remix albums and extensive back catalogue, and since I'd been lucky enough to unwittingly choose the 2nd show of his double header in Glasgow, where they played the less popular but arguably better material such as Heresy, Burn, Eraser and Help Me I Am In Hell.

And yet, Reznor will never let down his fans, more of the viral marketing that I found so appealing about Year Zero crept in and we have two new albums worth of material from Reznor this year alone, Ghosts I-IV and The Slip. Both originally offered as free digital downloads for fans, Ghosts has been released on a double CD format and vinyl, and soon The Slip will see the same release. Ghosts was recorded in a 10 week period in 2007 after the end of NIN's record deal, and was critically acclaimed for the way it was released: no advertising, no promotion, and released in such a format where anyone can remix and re-interpret the songs as long as they don't use it for commercial value. The Slip was preempted by a new song being released through the official NIN site, with a comment in the mp3 details saying May 5th. Subsequently, the album was released in a fully free downloadable form on Monday, and it is excellent. Makes you wonder why bands can take years between records when Reznor can create two full albums in little over 8 months. Admittedly Ghosts is all instrumental but that is arguably how NIN's music can be best appreciated. We know that Trent's lyrics of anguish and self destruction made him a poster boy for disaffection but his attention to detail in his music is second to none. Instrumentally, you can pick up subtle nuances in his work, sounds that you would never notice under vocals, moods, atmospheres, that affect songs in a way you can't understand, but in a way you know is good.

So thank you Trent Reznor, I appreciate all that you have ever done for rock and industrial, and I hope this new found productivity continues and you keep making music the way you do, because in this day of identikit metal bands, it's good to have a true maverick and genius among our ranks. Meet your master indeed...