One record at a time: 284. Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch

I remember that producer Gareth Jones once said he had naively assumed "reverb equalled atmosphere" and he had applied it liberally to a Depeche Mode record in search of a more ethereal sound. 

It seems that for this record, Nine Inch Nails had a similar thought but decided to apply distortion to everything to make their record "sound better" (much like Depeche Mode do today ironically). However, there's no subtilty or dynamics here - "Bad Witch" is just a wall of noise.

The first track, "Shit Mirror" is a terrible piece of nonsense - but at least it doesn't last long. Second track "Ahead of Ourselves" would seem to have some good ideas, but everything is buried in so much distortion it is impossible to discern what is going on.

More sonic saturation destroys the aimless "Play The Goddammed Part" which doesn't even have the decency to be brief. By the time I reach "God Break Down The Door" I am feeling tested and the use of saxophone just about finishes me off.

After a short break I resume with "I'm Not From This World" which is a fine piece of sound design but isn't music. There's a trace of a beat on the start of "Over and Out" and it even sounds like the distortion might have been turned down from eleven to...well, at least four. So the last song is reasonably entertaining but this record is a real low point in the NIN back catalogue for me. 1/5

One record at a time: 283. Nine Inch Nails - Add Violence

The EP "Add Violence" starts with the electronic rattling of "Less Than" which has a strong melody and immediate appeal. The first track ends unceremoniously and the percussion of "The Lovers" comes hot on its heels. This is one of those songs where the verse consists of unintelligible whispers/speech but the chorus explodes into a seductive melody revealing the true majesty of the song. "This Isn't The Place" is an atmospheric piece that is largely instrumental and completes the first side without making much impression.

"Not Anymore" relies on the dynamic between the quieter verses and the blazing chorus. Whilst this approach is partially successful, it becomes a little tiring - something the band must have been aware of as the track only last for three minutes.

The remainder of the record is taken up by an eleven minute opus titled "The Background World". Things start out well with ebbing synths pads and a solid programmed beat underpinning Trent's tale of a world "bleeding out". The song proper ends after about five minutes and the remainder of the track consists of a loop with increasing amounts of distortion applied. After a few minutes things simply become a wall of white noise. Why anyone would want to sit an listen to that nonsense for six minutes I have no idea. It's a shame the end of the record is so bad as it drags down the good stuff that came before. At least it came with a free slip mat. 3/5

One record at a time: 282. Nine Inch Nails - Not The Actual Events

"Not The Actual Events" is the first in a trilogy of E.P.s released by Nine Inch Nails between 2016 and 2018. This vinyl edition comes in a sealed bag that contains a black powder designed to leave marks during the production process which means every sleeve is effectively unique. The main music contained on this release is pressed on one side of the LP and three tracks from the "The Downward Spiral" pressed on the flip side. The trick here is that the tracks on the flip side play in reverse.

We begin with "Branches/Bones" which comes in at under two minutes in length but what it lacks in duration it makes up for in noise levels. Second track "Dear World," sees Trent talking over burbling analogue synths until the stripped back chorus injects some more substantial melody. There's more weird noises and effects on "She's Gone Away" which creeps along in the most sinister way. You'd be forgiven for thinking the record was playing at the wrong speed when the chorus kicks which makes for one of the more interesting songs on this collection.

"The Idea of You" is a stilted and traditional heavy rock song that even features Dave Grohl on drums as the final cliche. There's some thinly veiled plagiarism on "Burning Bright" which takes elements of the guitar riff from Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" and tortures us with it for nearly six minutes. 

There's nothing too offensive on here, but there's nothing that is going to set the world on fire either. Everything is middling and vaguely unimpressive. I guess this is why the band encourage us to listen to this record loud: the volume might somehow detract from the slightly mediocre content. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 281. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile: Deviations 1

You may remember that I regard "The Fragile" as something of a middling effort with only a few high points. So why would I chose to buy a four disc, horrendously expensive vinyl edition of the same album that features only instrumental version of those same mediocre songs? To be honest, I have no idea.

I think I purchased this set as it lured me in with promises of exclusive material and stating it was a "one time pressing; when its gone, its gone". Well I'm calling bullshit on this statement as this record was released seven years ago and it is still available from the band's UK web store today. Occasionally it will show as "out of stock", but it reappears a week or two later suggesting they are repressing this ad infinitum.

I'm certain I didn't pay the current £75 price tag seven years ago. Most of the songs on these discs are OK, but turning them into instrumentals doesn't really do much to enhance them. Some songs definitely sound clearer without the distorted vocals, but that simply doesn't justify the cost. Sometimes it's no wonder people steal or illegally share digital files. 2/5

One record at a time: 280. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks

We have to jump forward a few albums in the Nine Inch Nails discography to "Hesitation Marks" of 2013 as I don't yet own "The Slip" or "Year Zero" on vinyl. Here I am playing the standard double vinyl that was released here in the UK (by Polydor of all people).

This album was one of the first I encountered where the singles were only released digitally. "Came Back Haunted" was released first and gave me hope that the new album was going to be suitably electronic. I've read this song was created using some of the same synths as used on "Pretty Hate Machine", and whilst it may not sound exactly like something from the band's debut, it certainly harks back to a more melodic and rhythmical template.

The second single "Copy Of A" features various rhythmical elements and burbling synths that are augmented by Trent's repeated vocal phrases. Supposedly the great Pino Palladino is playing bass on this track, but I can't hear any bass guitar - maybe my tinnitus is affecting more than just high frequencies.

One of the things I like about this album is that I am not having to endure acoustic drums. "Find My Way" has some great stuttering rhythms and the slowed down funk of  "All Time Low" twists its way around a perfectly monotonous programmed beat.

"Everything" is the first song to feature guitar prominently and has vocal harmonies in the verses that sound distinctly pop. Thankfully the electronic funk of "Satellite" comes to the rescue and provides the perfect introduction for the second disc. Other favourites are "Running" and the impressive "I Would For You" which prove Reznor remains an engaging and original songwriter.

My attention begins to wain as the album approaches its conclusions and with fourteen tracks there is almost too much here. I guess I am too accustomed to ten track albums designed to fit on a single LP. Yet on this album, Trent did almost everything I wished for: he peeled back the distortion, turned down the guitars, got rid of meaningless instrumentals and largely dumped the acoustic drums. It's not "Pretty Hate Machine Part 2" but it's not a million miles away. 4/5

One record at a time: 279. Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth

Following the release of "The Fragile", Trent Reznor made significant changes in his life and returned to writing music with a new vigour. Around the same time my life began to spiral downward and this music arrived at the intersection of those changing fortunes.

Here I am playing the 2019 "Definitive Edition" on double vinyl, but CD was my format of choice back in 2005. As soon as the electronic rhythms and deep rumbling bass of opening track "Why Do You Get All The Love In The world?" began, I knew this album was going to be much more to my taste than its predecessor. When this song enters its second phase with the arrival of a kick drum and piano refrain, things begin to take off in the most satisfying way.

It seems inevitable that a ridiculously fast and noisy track has to follow, but "You Know What You Are?" is better than most of this type of song Reznor has produced before. "The Collector" has a distinctive bassline and some nice touches but is ruined by the acoustic drums (by Dave Grohl....yawn). Much more to my taste is the single "The Hand That Feeds" which seems to mix a dance beat with distorted guitars and Reznor's slick lyrics to great effect. 

"Love Is Not Enough" is a slow paced and angry song that is mixed to perfection. The distorted vocals and guitar of previous album are here, but they aren't allowed to dominate and the finer detail of the backing track is given room to breathe. Whilst "Everyday Is Exactly The Same" uses acoustic drums, the rumbling synths and soaring chorus elevate this song to a level I worried we might not hear again from Nine Inch Nails. Whilst "With Teeth" is passable, it's the next track "Only" that a blows things out of the water and takes this album to another level. The solid funk of the bassline and the beat underpin some amazing lyrics that I must have sung screamed along to a million times, "I just made you up to hurt myself, and it worked. Yes it did."

"Getting Smaller" is another angry, rapid fire track but it succeeds as the distorted guitars on the chorus remain restrained and purposeful rather than merely generating a wall of noise as they have on previous albums. There's a malevolent air to "Sunspots" but it is one of the more vanilla tracks on here. We have to endure more Dave Grohl drumming on the lacklustre "Home" and "The Line Begins To Blur" before the drone of "Beside You In Time" signals proceedings are coming to an end. There is one final song in the form of "Right Where It Belongs" whose reflective melancholy finally brings the curtain down. 4/5

One record at a time: 278. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

There was no significant promotion or build up to the release of the fourth Nine Inch Nails album here in the UK, and I wasn't really aware of it until I saw it on the shelves of my local Virgin Megastore.

When I reached the till to complete my purchase, the guy behind the counter said, "Oh you get this free poster with that CD," and handed me a machine numbered 12"x12" print of the sleeve. I still have that "flat" (as I believe they were called in the industry) but I have no idea why it was given to me. It seems these flats were included in the promotional triple LP, so how it became separated from the vinyl and ended up in a retail store is a mystery.

The confused and slightly muted approach to the release of this album is cited as one reasons "The Fragile" did not sell nearly as well as its predecessor. However, my hunch is that this record failed to find an audience as it fell between two camps. Neither the rock audience attracted by "The Downward Spiral" nor the electronic industrial audience of "Pretty Hate Machine" would have been satisfied with the music on this album.

Here I am listening to the ruinously expensive 2017 definitive edition which is pressed on three 180g LPs and features remastered audio. The first time I listened to this album, the bizarre acoustic guitar riff of "Somewhat Damaged" instantly turned me off and I began to worry this was gong to be another guitar driven rock album. Yet as the beat and stuttering synth noises began, my worries eased somewhat. Whilst there aren't too many lyrical or melodic hooks on this song it makes for a good introduction. 

"The World Went Away" was released as a single in some territories but not here in the UK - which is just as well as this chugging guitar track is devoid of a rhythm and is of limited interest. Reznor's distinctive piano playing features on the short instrumental "The Frail" which segues into the atmospheric "The Wretched". This song is much more like the material on "Broken" that I enjoyed so much as is a highlight of the album for me.  

The single "We're In This Together" ushers in the start of the b-side with its acoustic drums and distorted guitars. The chorus of this song is undoubtedly driving and melodic but the verses are a little tedious. The title track is fair enough but as "Just Like You Imagined" begins I realise I've never really warmed to these songs due to the acoustic drums. The final track on the first disc "Even Deeper" does benefit from drum programming and some instrumentation that isn't entirely reliant on distorted guitars, so all is not lost.

"Pilgrimage" is an instrumental that repeats a leitmotif across different arrangements and instruments without really advancing much. "No, You Don't" is a fast paced and catchy song that seems to cross metal with soft synths and somehow make it work. It's much more successful than tracks like "The World Went Away" and would have made a great single.

The instrumental "La Mer" is distinctive piece that utilises a bassline we will hear later on the record but it runs out of steam well before its five minutes are up. The first song that harks back to a more electronic sound is "The Great Below" which ebbs and flows before succumbing to the inevitable acoustic drums.

For some strange reason I went to see a film called "Final Destination" in March 2000. Whilst watching the movie I realised the brilliant song that was playing was by Nine Inch Nails and must be on their latest album. Back then I had dismissed "The Fragile" as just "noise" and I missed this magnificent return to form. This is the best song on the album by a county mile. 

I like "Where Is Everybody?" simply because it uses synths and programmed beats as a nice change from most of what has gone before. "The Mark Has Been Made" is another atmospheric but ultimately disposable instrumental that points to Reznor's future career as a soundtrack composer. "Please" blends synths, electric bass an those horrible acoustic drums, but it just ends up being too noisy to discern any meaning from what is going on. "Starfuckers Inc." has some great rhythmical elements during the verses but the chorus descends into the bland guitar nonsense we are accustomed to by this point. 

There's even more senseless noise with "Complication" and the truly dreadful "The New Flesh". As I turn over to the final side I'm beginning to feel like I've broken the back of this record and the groove on "The Big Comedown" proves to be a good reward for sticking with it this long. The stuttering and noisy "Underneath It All" is fairly short but the final instrumental "Ripe" is pretty tortuous. 

My disinterest in this album has always been driven by the fact that it is too long and overblown. I have a playlist that strips things down to the six tracks I enjoy and intersperses them with a few of the more interesting (i.e. short) instrumentals as album filler. But even this short version doesn't get played much to be honest. 3/5

One record at a time: 277. Nine Inch Nails - Quake

Back in the nineties a friend of mine would extol the virtues of gaming on a PC and tell me how good games like Doom, Duke Nukem 3-D and Dark Forces were. I didn't really have much time for playing games at this time in my life so I didn't really pay much attention when the same friend began talking about a new game called Quake. In retrospect, I can see that this was a mistake as not only was Quake a seminal moment in gaming, but the soundtrack was created by one of my favourite groups of the time Nine Inch Nails.

The audio for the soundtrack was included on the CD-ROM of the game but it wasn't made available as a stand-alone album until this vinyl was released in 2020. The music on this record consists of ten tracks of ambient soundscapes that Reznor himself describes as, "not music, it's textures and ambiences and whirling machine noises and stuff."

I think the completist side of me decided to buy this record, but neither the music fan in me or my bank balance have thanked me for it. So maybe it was actually a blessing that I didn't pay any attention to my friend talking about Quake back in the day as it delayed the disappointment of hearing the soundtrack by at least twenty four years. 1/5

One record at a time: 276. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

If Nine Inch Nails debut album put them on the map, then "The Downward Spiral" moved them into the mainstream. For whatever reason, this album seems to get all the love amongst fans and sold in its millions. Personally, I think this album is OK, but I really can't see what all the fuss is about.

I read somewhere that there is some form of story that pins these tracks together; but I find it impossible to discern any narrative here. One of the things that disappoints me about this album is its lyrics. Unlike previous records, these songs are neither subtle nor clever; everything seems crude and puerile. Whereas lyrics on previous albums would amuse or titillate, they simply induce an involuntary eye roll here. 

"Mr Self Destruct" is a strange track that switches between rapid-fire verses and a barely audible middle section. There's definitely some merit in this track, but it isn't an auspicious opening. It feels like all of the focussed anger from "Broken" has begun spilling out and landed in a sticky mess on the floor.

Things get back on track with "Piggy" which has enough ideas and crazy drumming to entertain. There's very little electronics going on in this song, but the traditional instruments on display are mangled and abused enough to make them sound interesting. When you have finished listening to this album it's likely this is the song you find yourself humming. "Heresy" gives our first sign of a more synth driven track but its lyrics are straight out of a teenage diary: "You God is dead and no one cares. If there is a hell, I'll see you there". Oh please.

I bought both CDs singles and the 9" vinyl of "March of the Pigs" when they were released but I wasn't really that impressed by any of them. For me this song is just too fast, too noisy and only offers a brief nod to melody. Whilst I have always assumed this song must somehow relate to the second track on the album, I could never figure out how.

"Closer" is a rather infamous song with less than subtle lyrics and a relentless beat. When it was first released as a single, the groove in this song really impressed me and gave me hope that Trent hadn't completely abandoned the use of synthesizers. Yet when I hear it today, the music isn't enough to save this song from its boorish and vulgar lyrics. Maybe I'm just getting too old.

"Ruiner" sounds OK but it has a bizarre Jimi Hendrix style guitar solo juxtaposed with a driving beat that just doesn't work for me. I'm really not a fan of the samples of screaming people that are used in "The Becoming" but the lyrics are much improved. One of the best songs on the record is "I Do Not Want This" which moves between delicate verses and a raging chorus. Next up is a short song called "Big Man With A Gun" which begins and ends without making much impression. "A Warm Place" is a dream-like instrumental that sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to a film. There's an indistinguishable wall of noise in the form of "Eraser" before the slightly improved "Reptile" raises our hopes that we will encounter a melody before the end of the record. The title track is a lazy screaming rehash of the end theme from "Closer" that is drawn out for four whole minutes. Today, it's impossible to divorce the final track "Hurt" from the version recorded by Johnny Cash, but this original recording has a different feel that provides the perfect end to the album.

This 2017 definitive edition features remastered audio spread across two 180g records and is housed in a gatefold sleeve. The records are beautifully presented but, whilst there are some good points, the sound is just too rock for me. The synthesizers have been buried in the mix and everything sounds like an overtly masculine, axe wielding cliche. This might be Trent's biggest selling album and a fan favourite, but I'm not an admirer. 2/5

One record at a time: 275. Nine Inch Nails - Broken

I bought the CD of "Broken" by Nine Inch Nails the day it was released in 1992. When I got home and loaded the CD into my Sony MHC-1600 mini hi-fi, I assumed this album would be similar to the dark electronic music of debut "Pretty Hate Machine". Boy, was I in for a surprise.

As the music played I couldn't quite work out what was going on. Was this heavy metal or rock music of some kind? Was this an E.P. or an album? Why were there ninety tracks of silence? Even the fold out packaging seemed deliberately obtuse and contained barbed remarks aimed at record executives. 

The 2017 definitive edition I am playing here opens with the quietly sinister "Pinion" which soon cedes to the aggression and seemingly limitless anger of "Wish". Whilst the imaginative synth textures and samples of "Pretty Hate Machine" are still evident, guitars are much more prominent and the 'extra real' drums add another layer to the frenzied cacophony. This track is everything I don't like in music; and I love it.

The opening guitar riff on "Last" is an immaculate slice of noise that induces an immediate, almost visceral reaction. Everything on this record oozes anger and Trent seems to scream lyrics like, "Still stings these shattered nerves, pigs we get what pigs deserve" with a depth of feeling I haven't really heard anywhere else. As we move through the various sections of the song you begin to appreciate the intricacy and detail that is underpinning the wall of noise. For me "Last" is the highlight of this record and sits comfortably in the top ten of best Nine Inch Nails tracks.

"Help Me I an in Hell" is one of those short and menacing instrumentals that isn't too exciting when heard in isolation but definitely adds to the overall atmosphere of the record. The promotional single "Happiness in Slavery" comes next with its distorted vocals and frenetic guitars which are counterbalanced by some great synth elements. Any notion that Trent's anger may be receding is soon dismissed when the chorus of "Gave Up" drills into our cranium. Whilst I like this song, it isn't one of my favourites as there is less use of electronics in the mix. 

After the four songs and two interludes we've reached the end of side one and the mini album/EP. The original CD went on to play ninety tracks of silence before 'hidden' cover versions of Adam and the Ant's "Physical" and Pigface's "Suck" erupted. On this vinyl edition, the extra tracks are contained on a separate 7" single so there's no doubt the intention was to present these tracks as being distinct from the original content. Both additional tracks are well realised, but the chugging monotony of "Physical" has the edge for me. 4/5

One record at a time: 274. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

One day in November 1991, as I stood in the queue for the till at HMV, the guy in front of me said to his friend, "I really like that song at number 35 called "Sin'". It's really electronic". Upon hearing this I decided to leave the queue to investigate further. I'd never heard of Nine Inch Nails, but the sleek black digipak and gloss printed artwork of the single intrigued me. So, "Sin" came home with me and I've been a fan of Trent Reznor ever since.

Here I am going to be playing the 2010 remastered double vinyl of Trent's debut album which includes the b-side "Get Down Make Love". I also own the Halo I-IV box set from 2015 which includes a single disc version of the original master of the album. 

Having only heard one track when I bought the CD back in 1991, I wasn't sure what to expect from the rest of the album. However, opening track "Head Like a Hole" soon allayed any fears that "Sin" might have just been a flash in the pan. There's something about the lyrics on this song that have always fascinated me and the couplet "Bow down before the one you serve, You're going to get what you deserve" always appealed to my teenage angst. I can still remember finding the 10" and 12" singles of this in Our Price and being captivated by the artwork and different remixes they contained.

After the guitars and aggressive noise of the first track, we segue into the sparse metallic rhythms of "Terrible Lie". As the song progresses we hear various synth patches and samples that are cleverly woven around Trent's suitably angry vocal by producer Flood. The next song is actually a remix called "Down In It (Skin)" that builds on Trent's much sparser demo that was originally scheduled to be included on the album. Whilst "Sanctified" is probably the most dated track on this record it is such an atmospheric composition that it is able to transcend its slightly anachronistic execution. 

Things slow down for "Something I Can Never Have" which is a brooding piece driven by piano and Trent's amazing lyrics. My only slight gripe with this song is that there isn't quite enough going on to justify a six minute run time, but it is still an amazing piece of work. There's a slightly mischievous air to "Kinda I Want To" but it remains unclear what the protagonist wants to do or to whom. I read recently that Trent remains unsatisfied with this song and it is one of his least favourite creations. Next up is the excellent "Sin" but the version on the album is a better mix than the Adrian Sherwood version on the CD single.

The transitions of "That's What I Get" don't work for me and the song sounds a bit of a mess until we hit the raucous, and repetitive coda. "The Only Time" is probably my least favourite track on the album but it does feature the immortal line: "the devil wants to f**k me in the back of his car" that used to cause so much amusement to my teenage friends. One of my favourite tracks is the closing song "Ringfinger". Things initially sound almost like a synth-pop anthem (all be it a rather sinister one) before the twisted chorus turns things on their head. After about four minutes there's an injection of pace that ensures the main album goes out on a high of rattling synths, distorted guitars and samples. The 2010 version then plays Trent's cover version of "Get Down Make Love" that was originally the b-side to "Sin". Personally I'm not totally enamoured with this track and regard it as superfluous to the main album. 4/5

Watch out

I have liked Nine Inch Nails ever since I heard "Sin" in a record shop sometime in 1991. I've bought everything Trent et al have released and been to see them in concert. Whilst I love NIN, I am less enamoured with side projects such as How To Destroy Angels or their soundtrack work. As a consequence, when I heard that Trent and Atticus were recording the score for an HBO series of Watchmen my primary response was: "Meh".

Then one night, the Youtube algorithms did their thing and recommended I listen to the new Watchmen soundtrack. Five seconds after clinking play I was scouring the Internet looking for a place to order the vinyl and apologising to Trent for ever doubting him under my breath.

Once the TV series started, I watched it to hear more of the music. Before I knew it I was actually enjoying a geeky series about superheroes. That's quite an achievement as I hate superhero stuff usually.

Anyway, fast forward to the day the vinyl arrives. I ignore all of the weird 'in universe' artwork and nonsense and pull out the slab of wax. The first thing that I notice are a few hairline scratches on this new vinyl. "Maybe it was a trick of the light," I say to myself. Then I queue up the record and drop the needle. OK a couple of pops, I can handle that, static and dust from a new LP is not uncommon. But the clicks and pops keep coming. I begin to ponder if it's noise added intentionally. I stop the turntable to have another look at the record more closely.

WTF?.....

This brand new vinyl, straight out of the cellophane, looks like a dogs dinner. I try the other side and it's just as bad. I soon deduced that there is nothing wrong with the mastering or the lacquer used for the pressing; it just looks like it has been handled badly during the manufacturing process. It is covered in scratches.

I decided to go online to find out what is happening. Having ignored the troll telling me I need a better turntable and speakers as there is nothing wrong with his copy (guess my amp must be OK - even though the cretin has no idea of what I'm using) I realise I am not alone in receiving a crappy vinyl; some people even have fingerprints accompanying their scratches. Luckily the NIN fulfilment guys are exchanging my copy. Let's hope its second time lucky for Sons of Pale Horse. So if you're listening to your copy of the Watchemn soundtrack thinking, "When did my turntable turn into a Crosley suitcase?" I can assure you that you are not alone.

Emo heaven is on the way

So, with releases by both Nine Inch Nails and Gary Numan to look forward to this autumn, the Emo and industrial-loving side of me has much to look forward to.

Reznor's free mp3 "Copy of A" sounds fresh and really rather excellent (especially as it's free). The single "Came back haunted" is also a brilliant teaser that leaves me optimistic that "Hesitation Marks" will be a great album. The "How to Destroy Angels" project left me a little underwhelmed, so I'm looking forward to the resurrection of the NIN moniker.

Numan has so far given nothing away regarding his latest effort but, unfortunately, the press release for "Splinter (Songs from a broken mind)" sounds nothing short of desperate.  

 
"Sounding both cutting-edge and classic Numan, it marks his best work since the late 70s, early 80s heyday"

Surely there is nothing worse than stating a well established artist's new work is both cutting edge and classic? Similarly the suggestion that this new album is Numan's "best work" since his chart heyday is dismissive of a large body of his work and frankly sounds, well......desperate.

Numan's last album "Dead Rising Son" only had about three plays in this house. It sounded like a set of left over demo recordings and unfinished songs. Wait.......ohhhh....it was you say? Yes, it sounded like it. "Splinter" simply has to be better.

However, both albums have one thing in common: brilliant artwork Lets hope the music lives up to the visuals.

Ningear on eBay

Well it's not often you see a band auctioning their unwanted instruments on eBay. Yet Trent Reznor of “Nine Inch Nails” fame is auctioning a number of instruments at the moment.

Amongst the more interesting items are an MPG-80 Super Jupiter programmer, a Novation Supernova II rack and a Waldorf Microwave XT rack. There is also a number of unimpressive guitars, drums and amps, all of which are gaining bids that place them over and above their actual value. Auctions Here