At the end of 2015, Trent Reznor thrilled fans when he announced that there would be new Nine Inch Nails on the way in 2016 — the first since the release of Hesitation Marks in 2013. Busy with several other projects (including the score for The Patriot and an original eight-minute soundtrack for NASA’s short film about the Juno mission, “Visions of Harmony”) he kept fans in suspense almost the entire year, finally reminding everyone in October that 2016 wasn’t over yet. During an interview with Rolling Stone magazine on December 16, when asked about the lack of any new releases, Reznor was quoted joking that “those words did come out of my mouth, didn’t they? Oh, yeah, it’s December, isn’t it? Just wait and see what happens.” Soon after, Not The Actual Events was officially announced and preorders became available on the NIN website in only two formats: the one-sided vinyl of the EP (which includes a HD digital copy), and a package including the digital copy as well as a “physical component,” with the explanation that “the intention of this record is for it to exist in the physical world, just like you.” This mystery item will be sent out sometime this month for those who purchased the package to “deal with,” as written in the product description. Neither the website nor Reznor himself have revealed what this component is exactly, but images have leaked online of a black envelope containing what appears to be press info documents covered in some kind of black powder.
The album was officially released on Dec. 23 of 2016, and though the band has always involved some degree of collaboration — one man can’t play every instrument when performing live — this is the first NIN album released with Trent Reznor no longer solo — Atticus Ross, who has been working with him for quite some time (including on the projects previously mentioned, and notably their Oscar-winning score for the 2011 film, The Social Network), has been made the first other official member of the band.
Not The Actual Events consists of five tracks, all of varying length, from 1:40 to six minutes. Reznor explained the decision to make it an EP — only the second for NIN since 1992’s Broken — saying that “it’s an EP because that ended up being the proper length to tell that story.”
Right from the opener “Branches / Bones,” Not The Actual Events contains so much intensity that it’s practically full to bursting — the kind of pent-up energy and emotion that gets your blood pumping along with the beat and makes you want to start singing out loud. A hard, steady tempo pulses in your ears, tension building during the verses until the explosive chorus, where Reznor’s slightly distorted voice screams: “Feels like I’ve been here before / Yeah, I don’t know anymore / And I don’t care anymore / I think I recognize.” The song reaches a fever pitch before abruptly cutting off to the next track.
Flowing, electronic vibes follow in “Dear World,” which offers some social commentary on the digitial age of the internet and social media, and how it can help connect us while at the same time also being able to make us feel more isolated and alienated than ever before. The verses play like poetry set to music, the lyrics spoken softly by Reznor; so softly at times that it’s intentionally doubtful you’ll catch every line on first listen. The chorus is much more melodic, with Reznor singing in a smooth, forlorn voice: “I’m trapped inside here, have to stay / With people who aren’t here, all the way / Pictures and faces on display / Of people who aren’t here all the way.” The track opens and finishes with an eerie, automated voice saying: “Yes, everyone seems to be asleep.”
“She’s Gone Away” marks a more notable throwback to the ‘90s industrial metal and noise rock NIN sound, with a tribal-like, slow, heavy drumbeat that is almost hypnotic. Visceral, raw emotion reverberates in a way that feels both similar to older NIN offerings while at the same time also akin to the more recent work of Reznor and Ross outside of the band, keeping it familiar but fresh. Reznor’s wife and fellow How to Destroy Angels band member, Mariqueen Maandig is also featured doing backup vocals on this haunting track.
The album then smoothly transitions to the faster-paced “The Idea of You,” featuring the legendary Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) slaying on the drums, reminiscent of his work with Reznor on the 2005 NIN album, With Teeth. Creepy piano and dark, poignant wordplay weaves throughout, with a somewhat bemused sounding Reznor’s pondering, and urging to “Just go back to the idea of me.”
Closing out the album, “Burning Bright (Field on Fire)” combines a harsh, grainy aesthetic with plenty of synthesizers and screaming cacophonies. Reznor’s love of layering creates a varied soundscape of rhythms, vocals, and angry distortion. Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro adds to the epic chaos, contributing killer guitar playing. The track brings the album to a close with the kind of ending that almost hurts, makes you anticipate it being over, but then when the silence hits heavy, you find your finger reaching for the replay button.
Many fans have lauded this EP as a welcome return to the harder, grittier industrial rock NIN was known for in the ‘90s. Though Not The Actual Events is a fantastic EP that I believe the majority of NIN fans will love, I’m not sure it’s necessarily one I would recommend for a first-time listener. Newer fans who are not as familiar with NIN’s earlier material and / or not already fans of the industrial genre may find the EP to be a bit on the abrasive side. As Reznor explained, “This was an unfriendly, fairly impenetrable record that we needed to make,” and which is “made to be played loud.” As a hardcore fan of Reznor’s music past and present, I appreciate the full spectrum of his work, but also recognize how this unique, somewhat harsher sound can be a bit of an acquired taste and harder for some to appreciate on first listen.
Reznor once gave a description of Broken that also fits Not The Actual Events well: “[this record is] an abrasive, hard-to-listen-to thing… I wanted to make a record that the first time you hear it you don’t like it, but you might want to hear it again, but by the third time it’s pretty cool. By the fifth time, you really like it and possibly by the tenth time you’re not sick of it and now it all makes sense.” Well, after listening to the record over 30 times by this point, I still love this EP, and highly anticipate the promised release of more NIN coming later this year.
