Year Zero

"Year Zero" is the name of the new Nine Inch Nails cd coming out in a couple of weeks. I would like to give a quick history on it's come about if you will, it is quite interesting.

Trent Reznor, lead man of NIN, announced he would like to start a new album during his last tour in 2006. Reznor said that Year Zero is a concept album, "could be about the end of the world," and marked a "shift in direction" in that it "doesn't sound like With Teeth (the 2006 album). The 2006 tour merchandise designs featured overt references to the United States military, which "reflects future directions."

Fifteen original tracks were considered for inclusion on the album, which Reznor described as "Highly conceptual. Quite noisy. Fucking cool." He further wrote that when he finishes a new album, he has to "go into battle with the people whose job it is to figure out how to sell the record. The only time that didn't happen was [for] With Teeth. This time, however, [he was] expecting an epic struggle. [Year Zero] is not a particularly friendly record and it certainly doesn't sound like anything else out there right now." Reznor has expressed his dissatisfaction with current trends in rock music, especially emo music.

Trent seems to be against huge advertising just to get your money. On April 4, 2007 a high-quality leak of the promotional disc supplied to listening parties was also leaked onto peer-to-peer networks. Perhaps to counteract and discourage any piracy of the leak, the entire album was made available for free streaming on the album's official website later that afternoon.

Perhaps in another response to the leak, Trent Reznor commissioned Q101 in Chicago to play the entire album on their radio station. He seems to think if they give it to you, and you really like it, you'll buy it anyways. I will be buying it when it comes out.

Another cool part is the usb drives he left around the world leading up to today. On February 12, 2007, a USB drive was found in a bathroom stall during a NIN concert in Lisbon, Portugal. It contained a high-quality MP3 of the track "My Violent Heart," which quickly circulated the Internet. Another USB drive containing the same track was purportedly found in Madrid, Spain.
On February 19, another USB drive was found in Barcelona, Spain, containing the track "Me, I'm Not" and an MP3 of static.

An image file found on the February 25, 2007 USB in Manchester, England, titled "invitation.jpg". On February 25, a third USB drive was found in Manchester, England, containing the track "In This Twilight" and an image of the Hollywood sign apparently demolished.

Concerning the use of USB drives as a form of promotion, Reznor explains:

“ The USB drive was simply a mechanism of leaking the music and data we wanted out there. The medium of the CD is outdated and irrelevant. It's really painfully obvious what people want - DRM-free music they can do what they want with. If the greedy record industry would embrace that concept I truly think people would pay for music and consume more of it."

That's awesome.

There is a song I have listened to from the NIN page, "Me, I'm not". It's awesome. here is a link to the whole song from the NIN website, and I also posted the lyrics right below it, Excellent:

Me, I'm Not <---link


Lyrics:

well it's happening
never planned on this
you've got something I need
kind of dangerous
and I'm losing control
I'm not used to this
what you want from me
I'm not used to this

I can't shut it off
this thing I've begun
and it's hard to tell
just where it's coming from
and it's hard to see
what I'm capable of
and it's hard to believe
just, what I've become

hey, can we stop
me, I'm not
hey, can we stop
me, I'm not
hey, can we stop
me, I'm not
hey, can we stop
me, I'm not

I can swallow it down
keep it all inside
I define myself
by how well I hide
I feel it coming apart
well, at least I tried

I can win this war
by knowing not to fight
if I take it all back
someway, somehow
if I knew back then
what I know right now

hey can we stop
me, I'm not
hey can we stop
me, I'm not
hey, can we stop
me, I'm not
hey, can we stop
me, I'm not



I can't wait til it comes out, April 17th!!!!!!


- C


ps. Where should I make my car thread?

Hehe, how dare you start a topic about my favorite band? I've been listening to NIN since '94 and I have heard every single remix, B-side, whatever. Upon listening to Year Zero I feel quite happy that the old sound is coming back on a few songs. The thing that displeasures me is that Trent's lyrics have gone from completely vague to downright retarded. I liked when his lyrics were vague and you could kind of fill in the blanks to suit your one problems/pleasures. I will say that "Me I'm Not" isn't bad but a lot of the other songs lyrics are ridiculous. Meh, people are going to complain about Trent regardless of whether his music grows up or not. I think that With Teeth wasn't all that bad. Whenever someone expresses outrage at the album I just tell them to listen to Fragile again and you kind of see it coming. I have to spend some more time with Year Zero but from what I have heard so far I am not pleased. But I must say that track 5 is pretty neat, especially after Trent stops talking. Makes me think the old NIN is back.

I've gotta say, I was never really a NIN/Reznor fan. I was always more into Nirvana, Soundgarden, and the other grunge bands of the period... I realize they were popular and radio friendly, but I'm just a consumer whore, I suppose.

This sort of expresses how I feel about the band: http://reznormix.ytmnd.com/

A friend just told me the cd itself is coated with "thermal-chrome lacquer" or some crap. The cd changes color permanantly when it is exposed to the heat of a cd player. Is this possible, how will they stay cool until the stores get them? If this is true, its awesome. Trent wins again, I'm buying six copies. So much for not trying to get my money, Trent knows that hardcore NIN fans are now going to buy multiple copies of his album. What a jerk!

Can't say NIN is one of my favorite bands ever, but they're still a nice listen. Aenima and Eulogy are some personal favorites, and I would say Hurt but I'm actually fonder of Cash's cover. Otherwise, sounds interestin'.

Manji said:

Can't say NIN is one of my favorite bands ever, but they're still a nice listen. Aenima and Eulogy are some personal favorites, and I would say Hurt but I'm actually fonder of Cash's cover. Otherwise, sounds interestin'.

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LOL! I think you're confusing NIN with Tool, but 10 points for making me laugh! That was cute.

handsome rakshas said:

LOL! I think you're confusing NIN with Tool, but 10 points for making me laugh! That was cute.

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*slaps head* That's what I get for having too much tonight. Glad you had a nice laugh. Now that I'm a little clearer, Closer, Hand that Feeds and Downward Spiral. I had to just double check myself that Cash and NIN were correct.

I haven't heard it yet but I think NIN was getting bad.. Hope this is t3h shitz0r.

I used to be a big NIN fan, but With Teeth really disappointed me. What I've heard off of Year Zero sounds much better then With Teeth, but it still doesn't even compare to his older stuff like Downward Spiral and the Fragile. That was NIN in it's prime. Quite frankly, I would probably be more excited for Year Zero, but I've burned out on the way Trent sings and his lyrics are still basically the same.

I read this before I had signed up on the forums, but I figured I'd leave a reply now anyway!
Thanks a lot for posting that history, I totally had it in mind when I went looking for the song myself. I won't claim to be a long time fan of NIN, I'm more of a recent one.

I love just about every song on this album except like 2 (and even then I still think they're good songs)
My personal favorites are The Good Soldier, Me I'm not, The Great Destroyer, Zero Sum, In This Twilight, My Violent Heart... okay yeah I'll stop right there. *cough* But those are my faves!

I got it a few weeks ago, and I like it. Mostly the different "characters" on the album, since they really let Reznor open up with his lyrics. It's not just the same, tired, angsty whining With Teeth was. My favorites so far are "Me, I'm not," "Capital G," and "God Given."

You are quite welcome spineylamb.

I enjoy this album very much myself. My favorites are "Me, I'm not", and "The Warning". I love the music of The Warning. It starts off technoish, then slowly the guitar gets blended in, then when the pace of the song changes the guitar gets louder and a faster. Excellent.



- C

I quit following Trent's work after the Fragile, am still a great fan of PHM and even the DS, but this whole concept album thing is just tiresome, as if he woke up post in a post millenium madness world and realised that "it iz happening", 2012, boling a live frog etc. which is sort of old since almost every NIN clone already chewed the idea, not to speak of Christian Death who organized friggin cave shelters and a society to advocate the Millenium events etc., kinda felt silly after y2k, so now it's back on pornography and anti church propaganda.
The album is mature, but I hate to think of the story behind it while I'm listening to it.
Makes me feel...old.

Well, it's not for everyone obviously. I enjoy it mainly while on the interstate. When I am cruising around town I usually have the stereo real low or off so I can hear my growling exhaust, oh yeah.


- C

I like NIN a lot, but the song me, I'm not reminds me of depeche mode...