Nailed!

A lot of my favourite bands are returning to the public eye this year, like Oasis, New Order, etc, but honestly the band I'm most interested in seeing the return of is Nine Inch Nails. I'm less curious about the music itself (which will hopefully be good) than I am about seeing how a plantinum selling niche band led by an auteur fits in today's ultra conservative, corporate owned musical landscape. It'll be interesting to see if he can push people's buttons again, cause an artist like Trent in today's tight ass climate could be a lot of fun to watch. However, while I'm sure hoping that the music is brutal, we've had Nu Metal in between NIN albums and the level for "hard" records has been watered down significantly. And blame Trent! I truly believe he is partially responsible for Nu Metal. Instead of the so-called Industrial Revolution that was supposed to come with NIN's success, we have been treated for the last x amount of years by bands who combined metal riffs and electronics into...well...the worst shit since Hair Metal!

Anyhow, my instincts suggest Trent is more content riding under the public radar and creating music he finds satisfying than he is ruffling the feathers of corporate giants like he did on DOWNWARD SPIRAL. Hopefully there is a maturity to the music that I felt was lacking last time. Business wise, I think this is going to be just like his last album, a great first week of sales that taper off pretty quick, but another hugely successful world tour. I've heard a few of the new tracks and I've liked what I've heard thus far. It's fast, catchy and simple. It would be career suicide for the man to go and do another two CD album and I'm hoping that this new album is a short burst of extremely well produced pissed off-ness. Granted, he's gonna be 40 this year. 40!! My God, has it been 13 years since he was "26 years on my way to hell"? Incredible

I think performance is now Trent's bread and butter and he has truly morphed into his heroes Pink Floyd and David Bowie in that the only people interested in the new material is the hardcore fan base, but the general population will pay good money to see Trent perform. Unlike many top acts, NIN spends tons on their live show, and each tour is a true spectacle in which you leave having gotten your money's worth. From the first time I saw them open for Peter Murphy at the Ritz to the last time in Madison Square Garden (famous for when Ash suggested I might have had a stroke cause that was the early signs on my Bell's Palsy, thanks guy), NIN has never put on a bad show. It's funny how the industrial kids all make fun of Trent or write him off, but the second a track leaks online or tickets go onsale for a show, everyone is there en masse ready to see and hear the man in action.

I'm a loyal fan. I'll buy the album, I'll see the show (Thanks Matt), and I'll be seeing how the world reacts to it.

F