Band: Nine Inch Nails
Album: The Slip
Label: The Null Corporation
Length: 43:47
Rating: 4/5
By: Stuart Paterson
Date: May 06, 2008

Trent Reznor is definitely on a roll. Now free of his ties to a major record label, he can produce as much music as often as he wants, and that seems to be exactly what he’s doing. His previous release, Ghosts, was a wonderfully experimental two-disc set of short instrumental pieces that combined his old knack for distinctive melodies with new progressions, both in structure and in the actual instruments and sounds he used. Now, without warning, he drops The Slipon his ecstatic fans: a free album that’s only available through his website.

It’s the complete opposite of the relatively mellow Ghosts, in terms of its overall sound. Generally speaking, the production is very raw and often abrasive, as in the case of “1,000,000” and “Letting You,” both of which have a strong industrial punk-rock feel like he’s never attempted before. In some places they even call to mind Atari Teenage Riot or Atticus Ross’ side project Error.

The graphics that accompany the release in a .PDF file hint that this is a continuation of his Year Zero concept, but the music on this album sounds almost nothing like its predecessor. There are noteworthy elements from other albums in the past, though, specifically Broken (for the noisier tracks) and With Teeth (for the starkness of the production). “Discipline,” the first single, released just days before the album itself, harkens back to “Only,” but with a more advanced arrangement, including a beautiful piano backdrop that enters in the latter half of the song. Another favourite, “Head Down,” features one of the most original choruses he’s written in years under a layer of distorted drums.

Despite the harsh overtones, the album is still very eclectic. “Lights in the Sky,” “Corona Radiata” and “The Four Of Us Are Dying,” which appear on the album in that order, play with his softer, more instrumental side, which he explored more thoroughly on Ghosts. “Lights In The Sky” might just be one of the most intimate songs he’s ever recorded, with quiet singing over striking piano chords, providing a sudden contrast to the more aggressive songs before it.

“Corona Radiata” explores new territory, as it’s essentially dark ambient drone music, layering all manner of textures and deep programmed drums until the tension builds to the conclusion. “The Four of us are Dying” features some of the most interesting programming ever to appear on a NIN album. Although having two fairly long instrumentals back to back feels slightly heavy-handed, since up until that point the album had been mostly the aforementioned noisy industrial rock, they serve as excellent counter-points to that style and compliment “Lights in the Sky” perfectly. Had the entire album been full of the raw sound, it could have gotten tiresome before the forty-three-minute running time expired.

The album ends with “Demon Seed,” which seems to nicely incorporate all the various elements that came before it into one final piece. It’s got great programming, harsh guitars, and those quirky, filtered “yeah, yeah, yeah’s” to make it the perfect closer.

This is an album that demands repeat listens. On first glance, it doesn’t seem quite as choc-full of fresh classics as most of his previous work -- perhaps because there are less tracks and it has a relatively short running time -- but there are enough subtleties and intricacies amongst the stark production to require closer examination after the initial complete run-through. And that’s another important point: this album works best when listened to from beginning to end. Since it’s an extension of the Year Zero concept, it too tells a story, both through the lyrics and the music.

The fact that it was a free gift from Trent to his fans says a lot about his current frame of mind, and that he is once again at a peak of creativity. It is, without a doubt, much appreciated by all of his fans worldwide and will stand as a hallmark in his discography because of it.