First the positive:

The new Nine Inch Nails album is out. That’s right, the second one THIS YEAR! Not only did he put out a full 2-disk, 4-volume instrumental album, but he also put out another album called The Slip. Not only is it the second album out this year, but he is GIVING IT AWAY! No, not like Ghosts where you could download Ghosts I and then purchase Ghosts II-IV, but, rather, the FULL FLIPPING ALBUM. He does state that there will be a CD pressed later which can be purchased, but you can get the whole album, including album art, for free! Personally, one of my favorite things about actually buying the album is that you get album art. I just like that kind of stuff. I would buy records if I had a turntable.

So anyway… long and short is you can get the full album for free. Trent said he is doing this as a way to thank his fans for their continuing support. I appreciate that. I have been listening to his stuff since I was in high school and though I know he isn’t talking specifically to me, I appreciate that he appreciates me, as well as his other fans. This is good stuff.

Now the negative:

You kind of get what you pay for. The album is good, but I don’t think it is great. I feel that this release was preemptive. He should have taken some time and scrapped a couple of the weaker tunes and come up with stronger ones. This album kind of comes across as a Year Zero part II… Like a B-sides for the album. His genius up to this point has come from knowing what to scrap and what to keep. I don’t think he did that this time, but then again, he was planning on giving it away anyway. Honestly, though, I can’t fault Trent for giving away a b-sides record. If there was something that should be given away, that would be it. All the same, I am not complaining. Free is free, and Trent is Trent, and something that Trent poured time into and then chose to give away is mighty big of him anyway.