It is common knowledge or at least it should be – and I’m addressing to the uninitiated out there too, you have the duty to know what you are missing out –, that NINE INCH NAILS are first-quality stainless record producers.
Although their latest album, “Hesitation Marks”, was commonly labeled as “not innovative” and even “a bust” by many, the freshly-baked EP finds itself already making the news.
In a recent interview, Trent Reznor described it as “an unfriendly, fairly impenetrable record that we needed to make”. The choice of realizing an EP was unintended but, in the singer’s words, “that ended up being the proper length to tell that story”.
After five years of silence, “Not the Actual Events”, defined as “an unexpected left turn”, might do justice to the fans let down back in 2013.
Here comes Dave Grohl to save the day, some might say, and I add: he’s not alone.
FOO FIGHTERS mainman is not a stranger to the NIN family, having played on seven tracks off the 2005 hit “With Teeth”. Reznor himself collaborated with former NIRVANA drummer and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE leader Josh Homme in the making of “Mantra”, one of the many gems embedded in Grohl‘s rockumentary “Sound City”. We will hear him on “The Idea of You”.
On the other hand, it isn’t the first time for Dave Navarro either. The lead guitar of JANE’S ADDICTION, recently done with the recordings of Ink Master’s last season, appeared in fact on NIN‘s “Further down the spiral” twenty-one years ago and joined the band on stage in 2009. “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)” is the song blessed by his talent.
The frontman’s wife and HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS bandmate, Mariqueen Maandig, also will star on the track “She’s Gone Away”.
Noteworthy is indeed the presence of Reznor‘s right-hand man in and out of NIN, Atticus Ross, now considered officially part of the band after giving birth to the band’s last effort.
Apparently, their partnership – based on the chemistry the world admired through the results of the brilliant sound engineering of countless albums and the soundtrack recording for many movies, has from now on to be considered stainless and relentless for all intents and purposes.
“Not the Actual Events” is out now and available here.
