The Hand That [Continues To] Feed

When it rains it pours for Trent Reznor. And it is only appropriate that the god of industrial music has become an album pumping machine as of late. After giving away the first part of Ghosts earlier this year, Reznor surprised us last week by offering a free download of a damn good song called "Discipline." Little did his legions of fans realize that this was just the beginning. In a move that has seemingly one-upped Radiohead's generosity, Reznor turned the music world on its head earlier this week by not only announcing that he had completed his most recent project, The Slip, but announcing that is was immediately available for free download on the official Nine Inch Nails site. Furthermore, the album is being offered in a multitude of formats, encouraging audiophiles to get their fix and remixers to get to work. Reznor in response, posted the message, "thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me."

And for those Nine Inch Nails fans who were a little skeptical about the two-disc, all instrumental Ghosts compilation Reznor released last month (it only debuted at 14 on the Billboard charts), this album will surely tide them over. Because what we are essentially given is a classic Nails record. Whether or not intended to be continuation of Ghosts, the album begins with the now token ominous instrumental track "999,999" before blasting into the pounding, appropriately titled "1,000,000" -- a song that could have very well been an a-side on the underrated With Teeth. The album's single, "Discipline," is equally astonishing, providing a powerful industrial beat NIN patented on Pretty Hate Machine and the convincing chorus, "Once I stop, I can't control myself." Perhaps this is a nod his newfound prolific nature.

Reznor, renown for his experimentation, contrasts the ambitiously cacophonous "Letting You," with an intimate piano ballad, "Lights In The Sky." The most impressive song on this album, however, is "Echoplex", a song that features complex, layered guitars mixed with an unfamiliar beat. The Slip continues with the ambient "Corona Radiata" before concluding with the aggressive, synthesizer-heavy "Demon Seed." At 44 minutes, this ten song collection is definitely worth the space it will take up on your iPod. If people thought NIN was going soft, they were gravely mistaken. And even if this is no Downward Spiral, Reznor is immediately forgiven because he continues to prove that he knows what's up. In an era of piracy, file-sharing, and mash-ups, he not only encourages fans to freely take his music, but also challenges them to make it better. Rather than alienating those have supported him for so long, he is one of the few people in the industry to actually knows how to preserve that connection.

My Rating: 8.0/10