Breaking the tradition of a five-year gap between albums, Trent Reznor has released the new Nine Inch Nails album "Year Zero" (2007) a mere two years after "With Teeth" (2005). Reznor attributes the long periods between albums in the past on alcohol and drug excess that comes from touring. Sober now for the last several years, focused and confident, Reznor's "Year Zero" is perhaps the best album of his career.

"Highly conceptual. Quite noisy. F@!#ing cool" is how Reznor describes "Year Zero," which I think, really hits the (pardon the pun) nail on the head. Stepping outside himself and eschewing NIN's usual self-involved angry and depressive themes, "Year Zero" portrays a bleak picture of (presumably) American society sometime in the not too distant future. Conflict abounds, militarily and between classes, which is the major theme of the album. Different songs offer different perspectives of this futuristic world--from soldiers ("the good solider,") to greedy industrialists ("capital G") to extra-terrestrials; the listener sees this corrupt society from different vantage points.

While Reznor took a more rock oriented, organic, almost live sounding approach with "With Teeth," "Year Zero" sounds more like old-school NIN in that it is more "industrial" sounding, with less live drumming. And whereas when listening to most past NIN albums, one gets a sense of what the singles will be, with "Year Zero," this is not so obvious. While some of the songs have an infectious hook, it's hard to imagine most of these songs as radio-staples, as the album is kind of "out there." And while with many albums one can listen to individual tracks and enjoy the songs, separate from the album they are part of, "Year Zero" definitely sounds best when listened to in its entirety--as the listener can appreciate the songs more fully when the album is heard as a unit. Like any NIN of course, there are a lot of textures, often with a lot of instrumentals and effects going on at once; so while this album sounds good with just one listen, it just gets better and better with repeated plays. And while "Year Zero" is "quite noisy," the album doesn't hit you over the head the way "The Downward Spiral" does. "Year Zero," while at times chaotic, is more restrained, but no less powerful.

The short chaotic instrumental "Hyperpower," in its urgency, sets the pace of the album. "The Beginning of the End," with lyrics like "watch what you say they can read your mind," paints the future in Orwellian terms. Tuneful and straightforward, "The Beginning of the End" is somewhat similar to the styling of "With Teeth" era NIN. The rocking "Survivalism," already a radio hit, while not terribly challenging or one of the album's strongest songs, is effective and good enough. The somewhat subdued "The Good Solider," is taken from the perspective of a soldier, who is seriously questioning why he is fighting. The chimes towards the end of the song are especially effective. The bizarre, totally off-beat "Vessel," sounds "big" but also spacey. When I listen to it I visualize a Tyrannosaurus Rex romping through some prehistoric jungle. I interpret the song to be about some kind of drug/mind control devise. The meaning behind the eerie, sluggish "Me, I'm Not" is ambiguous. A cool song, this one needs to grow on you. The industrial anthem "capital G" is perhaps one of the strongest songs on the album. From the perspective of "the machine," the shakers and the movers behind business interests and the military-industrial-complex, "capital G" depicts the ruthlessness of those who hold the real power. "My Violent Heart," which goes back-and-forth between a restrained verse and loud, frenzied chorus, is quite captivating. The meaning of the song is somewhat vague--with the clear message that actions have consequences, as Reznor proclaims:

"you have set something in motion

much greater than you've ever known

standing there in all your grand naivety

about to reap what you have sown"

Another very off-beat but cool song, "The Warning," describes the world from the perspective of some kind of alien life-form, perhaps "the presence," the four fingered being that appears on the cover of the album. The religiously themed "God Given" has a real danceable beat to it, and could probably get a few spins in the clubs. "Meet Your Master," both thematically and musically, sounds like a cross between "Head Like a Hole" and "Burn," but is more three-dimensional and intricate. The instrumental "The Greater Good," a medley of several different instruments is very low-key, creepy, and effective. The melodic and dark "The Great Destroyer" moves the album along nicely. One of Reznor's finest instrumental compositions, "Another Version of the Truth" is hauntingly beautiful and melancholy in its' understated elegance. The low-key "In this Twilight," describing one's emotions on the eve of Armageddon, is stunning. The submissive finale "Year Zero," is the perfect closer, leaving a lasting impression that sums up many of the albums themes:

"shame on us

doomed from the start

may god have mercy

on our dirty little hearts

shame on us

for all we've done

and all we ever were

just zeros and ones"

While I loved "With Teeth," there is no doubt in my mind that this is a superior album. Even though I'm a huge NIN fan and tried my best to be objective while reviewing this album, there really isn't a negative thing I can say about it. "Year Zero" is a total triumph, musically and thematically. With the state of the world the way it is, living in George W. Bush's America, an album like "Year Zero" needed to be made. Not offering any simplistic solutions and without preaching, Reznor has made the definitive album of this decade--an album encompassing the feelings of anxiety and despair one feels living in the `00s, while taking NIN's music to new heights. Reznor's "Year Zero" is an undisputed masterpiece that is essential listening.

I'm not one of those guys who says that the newest work from an artist is their best. Did I like "With Teeth"? Of course. Was it better than "The Fragile"? Not really. Ignoring personal taste, I think it's fair to say that "The Downward Spiral" is the music-changing masterpiece of Nine Inch Nails. It was a fusion of the electronica of "Pretty Hate Machine" and the raw guitar of "Broken" and Reznor has done nothing like it since (unless you want to count the track "Burn" which came out shortly after "TDS"). "Year Zero" picks up sonically where "TDS" left off and politically where "With Teeth" left off. All of which is to say that I think this may be the best thing he's ever done. Again, this is my personal taste of preferring a lot of electronic noise (I always wanted a whole album of material like "The Becoming" and boy, did I get it!), but the bigger proof may come from the fact that Reznor has never recorded or written anything as quickly as he has "Year Zero." Anyone who understands a creative mind will understand that if it spews out of you and you don't mess with it, that's your subconscious working, which is where genius lives. It's loud, it's angry, and the future's not bright. I can't wait to hear what Part Two is like.

("Year Zero" by Nine Inch Nails)

I'm sure that by now you've been reading about the elaborate "viral marketing" scheme Trent Reznor has concocted for his new concept album, "Year Zero." Numerous mysterious web sites with names like IAmTryingToBelieve and AnotherVersionOfTheTruth help tell the hyperlinked story of a future America (2022, now reset to just 0000) in which a Christian theocracy has seized power, setup a Draconian Department of Morality, keeping the nation in a perpetual state of war and fear, and is dumping mind control drugs into the water, etc. etc. ad nauseum. This is all very appealing if, say, you're still crushed by "The X-Files" no longer being in production or obsessively haunt "Lost" related sites searching for clues. However, if you're just a plain old music fan, you'll tend to ignore the crypto-hype and just ask if this is an actual album worth losing part of your hearing to. Well, friends and neighbors, I'm happy to report that not only is this a great album, but it's also NIN's best music since

way back in 1994.

Don't get me wrong, I liked

and

, but "Year Zero" returns Reznor's work to the more experimental edginesss that gave "Spiral" such a spark of brilliance. Ignoring current trends in music, YZ often goes full throttle into left-field electronica. After an opening salvo of noisy rock (and BTW, most of the album is pretty noisy) with a heavy but raw drum sound, songs like "Vessel" and "Me, I'm Not" are a successful mashup of punk and Autechre-style glitch, while "Capital G" seems to be Reznor's angry version of the U.K. grime scene. "Survivalism," the first single, is in many ways classic NIN: gritty electro/metal/punk along the lines of older songs like "Mr. Self Destruct," only with a more dingy, lo-fi element that makes it hurt that much better. The closing track, "zero-Sum," is particularly amazing, a subdued anthem cut through with all manner of clicks, hiss and pops--think maybe of Tom Waits gone digital and you're halfway there. The overall effect of the album is often jarring, but if you're into the noisy likes of, say, Chrome, "Year Zero" is like taking a comforting acid bath.

Oh yeah, and that whole concept album thing. The "story," such as it is, never intrudes upon the music like rock operas of the past. There are no overtures or between-song skits. While there are definitely some moments of piano-laced beauty, the album is mostly straight ahead (but bleeding edge) electro rock. Reznor's lyrical inspiration isn't hard to decipher, even if he never utters the word "Bush." Actually, it's amazing that for such a horrible president, Dubya has inspired any number of strong political statements, bot direct (Green Day's

) and indirect (My Chemical Romance's

). Trent Reznor in particular might want to thank the man perssonally for inspiring the most vital and relevant album of his career. And they say irony is dead.

Although I hadn't followed the extremely elaborate and horrifyingly creative marketing behind this album, when I heard that Trent was going to put out a new album in such a short amount of time after the release of "With Teeth" (well, short by NIN standards), I immediately got excited. I've been a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails for a long time and Reznor had never disappointed me. Even though I didn't think "With Teeth" was his best effort, I had a feeling it was leading up to something even bigger than the fans and even Reznor could have ever imagined. And that is this supreme entity that is "Year Zero." I cannot tell you how many times I've listened to this entire album, as I have lost count. Trust me, I'm sure it's in the hundreds somewhere.

"Year Zero" being a conceptual album tells the story of a very bleak and ultimately hopeless America in the future where power and greed has overtaken the country, the government is in control of everyone and everything, and not only that, a sort of "presence" from another world, another universe has given us a stern warning to change our ways or face our terrible annihilation. While the album does tell a story, gives us different perspectives and such, it still works as a full length album that's enjoyable to listen to all the way through even if you don't pick up on all of that from the start.

It's really hard to put in words what an impression this album has left on me, but I'll do my best. After hearing this album, it now becomes clear and it seems like all the other past albums were leading up to this moment. I think Trent knew all along he would make this album, it was just a question of time. The music and the lyrics are hypnotically stunning and Reznor's still got it as far as vocals are concerned. There are verses and choruses that will stay with you and refuse to get out of your head, especially the last haunting chorus in "zero-sum."

This is really an album that you want to listen to all the way through every single time. Sure, there are songs that are my favorites, but the experience comes from listening to the entire thing. It's rare when I want to do that, and also listen to it in the exact order that it's presented. My favorites are "the beginning of the end," "survivalism," "the good soldier," "capital g," "the warning," "in this twilight," and "zero-sum." Again, I love the entire album, but those are my favorites.

Just keep this in mind, if you're expecting another "Downward Spiral," you will be disappointed. Know why? Because "Year Zero" sounds like "Year Zero." It's a different entity from the other past efforts. Also, this is one that requires multiple listens as you'll pick up something new each time. So, make sure you listen to it a bunch of times all the way through before you make your decision. It's not meant to be an instant hit, although it was for me. Instant hits get forgotten quickly. "Year Zero" will go down as one of those classic albums that everybody talks about, and I truly believe in that. Mellow, loud, noisy, quiet and shockingly deep, Reznor has put out a superb masterpiece, and after many listens I can safely say that "Year Zero" is by far my favorite Nine Inch Nails album. -Michael Crane

It's hard when an established artist releases a new album, as many of the reviews are compared to their previous albums. I will avoid talking about this album in relation to the Fragile and With Teeth, and soley judge this album by itself. This album, is a dark journey through of music, with a smart and layered sonic sound. The nuances of this album are so subtle as to require mutliple listens to get them all. This is not an album with the intent of a tons of hit singles, but one built on making one cohesive album (though I forsee a few hit singles). The album really should be heard as a whole to get the whole picture. The nihilistic landscape is painted by the grim voice of Trent Rezonr, acting as both star and storyteller. The album is amazing. I highly recomend a listen.