Nine Inch Noize
This is something I am now trying to remedy, but I've never been a big Nine Inch Nails fan. I've listened to some of the hits a lot (who doesn't like "Closer"?) but never really stuck my head into their massive discography. The one exception was the Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross soundtrack to Challengers, especially the Boys Noize remix version. I love this soundtrack and played the hell out of it throughout 2024. So when I found out they were collaborating again on a full album under the name "Nine Inch Noize", I was excited to check it out.
Nine Inch Noize is an album of remixes and alternate versions of existing songs by Nine Inch Nails and How to Destroy Angels, the band fronted by Reznor's wife Mariqueen Maandig (who also sings on this record). The collaboration puts a clubbier electronic twist on NIN's more industrial sound, which means the anguished screaming now comes with a thumping beat.
It's also one of my favourite albums of 2026. I cannot get enough of it. I want to listen to it all the time, and I want to listen to it, as Trent advised, LOUD. The optimum volume for listening to this album on headphones is "loud enough to block out the sound of my own teeth rattling in my skull". I want to feel like the bass is wearing my skin.
The optimum place to listen to Nine Inch Noize is at the blood rave from Blade, or, failing that, some other kind of nasty industrial basement with a disgusting soundsystem. Spiritually, whenever I listen to this album, that is where I am. Physically, I might be at work, or going for a nice walk in the sun, but my mind is in the basement.
It's kind of hard to separate this album from Nine Inch Noize's phenomenal Coachella set, partly because they had identical track/setlists and partly because of the crowd noise recordings that make appearances throughout the record. Some people really don't like the crowd noise. I enjoy it. It makes me feel like I am surrounded by equally sweaty people who are having just as good a time as I am listening to this music.
I could just rave for ages about how this album generally makes me feel, but instead here's some semi-coherent raving about my favourite tracks:
"Vessel"
This is a song about a futuristic super soldier being on government-mandated stimulants. There are definitely ways to write that song that don't begin with the lyric "I let you put it in my mouth", but Trent did not choose those ways. This is another thing I enjoy about this album: every track, regardless of the subject matter, feels absolutely filthy.
The drop 20 seconds into this makes me feel like I've run through a brick wall. When the vocal track distorts during "I am becoming something else, I am turning into God", the house collapses on me entirely. Sometimes I don't even get past this song because I just keep listening to it on repeat.
"Heresy"
Speaking of God: GOOOODDDDD IIIS DEAD!!! AND NOOO OOONE CARES!!!! IF THERE IS A HELL... I'LL SEEE YOUUU THERE!!!!! [commence thumping synth beat]
The beginning of this song is one of the most understated moments on the album, and then that chorus kicks in and absolutely blows my face off. Just glorious. The outrageously angsty writing here is the sort of NIN thing that might not have hit for me in its original form, but throw in those synths and I'm 100% ready to rage.
"Heresy" is one of the tracks uploaded to Coachella's YouTube channel, so you can watch it right now if you want to have a religious experience.
"Closer"
I don't care if I'm being unoriginal by picking the biggest hit. "Closer" is a filth all-timer. It belongs in filth museums. It absolutely ripped before and it absolutely rips now. OOUAUGHGHGHGHGH (that's me yellin)
Love how they tease us with that synth line at the start and then hit us with the classic beat. The whole track just sounds so good. This is probably the song on the album that makes me wonder how Trent Reznor performed this at 60. Not because of the lyrics, but because his voice is in such good condition. Also on YouTube with amazing staging.
"Memorabilia"
It makes perfect sense for a Soft Cell cover to end up on this album. The creepy, sleazy vibes are completely in alignment with everything else.
I have been repeatedly told that this is "a deep cut", but since I've been an NIN philistine until this point, that did not give me any particular excitement. I'm sorry. I'll try to become more cultured. But right now, all I know is it makes me want to jump around.
If you would also like to jump around, then you should listen to Nine Inch Noize. Push your headphones to the absolute limit and join me in the basement of the ears and mind. I promise you'll have fun.