Trent Reznor returned to form with Year Zero, a dark album with all the industrial sounds mixed with a pop-song melody that Reznor perfected on Pretty Hate Machine. Year Zero has made up for the disappointing releases in between.
This album is a concept album of sorts that Reznor decided to create buzz for by using his concerts and different websites in a guerrilla marketing campaign worthy of the best in the business. But if you ignore all that, what you are left with is a stellar release that gives you reason to listen to him again. The subject is the year 2022, after the U.S. has become a totalitarian state not so different from Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World. A war between government and religion ensues and Reznor is there to bring us through the fight with all the venom he can muster.
Not as good as Pretty Hate Machine, Year Zero is still worthy of the Nine Inch Nail moniker and when was the last time you could say that?
