Reznor and Queen Reveal How to Destroy Angels

When Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails announced that his 2009 tour, "Wave Goodbye", would live up to its name and become Nine Inch Nails final tour, more than a few audio fans were bit sad to see him exit the spotlight.

It had been quite a run in musical history that began in 1987 with the "Purest Feeling"demos and came to close with his 27th and final NIN release 2008's "The Slip". His first official halo, Pretty Hate Machine had been released on a record label in the days when a label was the only meaningful for a music artist to distribute his music to "The Slip" which had created and released without any record company money as an indie effort that proved that bands who had an existing brand could make money enough with an internet presence and busy touring schedule. NIN's sound had evolved constantly during that time from a synth pop to a brutally hard -edged rock act.

Reznor had devoted all those years largely without moving forward in his personal life. By 2002 he had to admit to himself that he had developed an unhealthy relationship with alcohol dependence. And at the age of 40 in 2005 he found that living alone without a steady partner in his life had been quite unfulfilling. With the marriage to Mariqueen Maandig, Reznor found a kindred soul. Someone who understood that just because he'd left the touring behind, that he couldn't give up recording and creating music. It was in his soul.

Music fans did not have to wait long. On June 1st, 2010, Reznor, Maanding, and longtime accomplice Atticus Ross released their debut EP of the brand new act, How To Destroy Angels. The intriguing band name, also the name of the first album by Coil, a band that Reznor has long admired, only titillates and suggests that this material is more than a creative effort by Reznor and Maandig. Rather, it feels like a musical phoenix that has given rebirth to a playful creative side of the pair.

How To Destroy Angels' sound has elements of the classic NIN structure that is reminiscent of the albums Year Zero and The Fragile, but it also has a refreshing new element of vulnerability and grace found in the delivery of Mariqueen Maandig's vocals. You can practically feel the love exhibited between the Reznors during the recording process. It is as if these six tracks resemble well groomed children more than songs. The songs don't strike this NIN fan as some kind of John Lennon and Yoko Ono collaboration that many NIN fans had feared. Each song has its own distinct vibe that feels genuinely new.

The album opens with "The Space In Between", a groaning song that feels like a large behemoth is finding its feet and preparing to make a trek into an auditory wilderness. The video released for the track, directed by Rupert Sanders is haunting and reveals an illuminating acting performance that shows that Maandig can more than hold her own in the shadow of the icon that is Trent Reznor. The funky groove of "Fur Lined" that descends into an incredibly funky keyboard and guitar conversation is one of the gems of this album. "BBB", which features the incredible sound of the Swarmatron, is definitely a head bobber that I totally expect to hear spun at the local goth club. It is clear that the creative juices are flowing here. The mallet work that forms much of the groove on "The Believers" sounds eerily much like the jazzy live performance interpretation of NIN's GHOSTS I-IV. If you listen carefully it sounds almost like some Space Invaders comes weaving its way through the sonic vamping.

On their Facebook page, How To Destroy Angels indicated that this EP just an embryonic phase of the band and that the sound is likely to evolve even more in the future. Said Reznor, "As stated above, this EP is a very early phase of this project. Yes, it sounds more NIN-ish than I believe it will as we progress. To me, HTDA frees me from some of the constraints I've begun to feel (primarily emotionally) in NIN."

During the exchange with fans that quickly featured over 900 questions, Reznor revealed that new NIN material is in the works, and that Year Zero, both as a television series, and the second album that should serve as a coda to the entire Year Zero mythology is still very much on the mind of Reznor.

This, plus a new LP of How To Destroy Angels figures to make 2011 a very exciting year to look forward to in terms of music.

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