Nine Inch Nails – Add Violence
Released July 21st, 2017
Following on from last year’s Not The Actual Events, Nine Inch Nails return with Add Violence. The second in an apparent trilogy of EPs, it continues the thread of new NIN really rather nicely and proves Trent Reznor (with often collaborator Atticus Ross) still have plenty left in the tank. Musically, there’s nothing here that’s too out of left field for hardened fans. The sounds, the chord progressions, melodies, and lyrics all tick the boxes for Trent Reznor creations, but Reznor knows how to tweak his formula just enough to tread that line between enjoyable utopia and “it all sounds the fucking same” oblivion. What connects these EP’s remains a bit of mystery: “The narrative arc of linking the three records begins to emerge through the disassociated lyrics and provocative and clue-filled cover artwork,” say the press materials. So I guess we have to wait for the next to have the fully painted picture on that front.
4.5 of 5 stars
