Nine Inch Nails have dropped two new albums for free digital download, out of nowhere.
With the coronavirus quarantine giving musicians a captive audience hungry for distraction, many artists have started looking for new ways to reach their fans. While many have chosen to livestream shows and song creation, others have gone the same route as Hollywood and simply released what they're currently working on ahead of schedule and with full digital access. Now, industrial legends Nine Inch Nails have gone one step further, surprise-dropping a double album -- for free.
The album comes in two parts, Ghosts V: Together and Ghosts VI: Locusts, which can both be accessed and downloaded for free from the band's website. Combined, the two records feature 23 tracks, and a glance at the running time shows that NIN are going long-form here, with most songs breaking the five-minute mark and many going for over 10. Much of the music is ambient, stretching moments of distortion and unsettling piano over long periods of time and giving an eerie meaning to the releases' titles.
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"Anybody out there?" tweeted Trent Reznor, announcing the albums. "New Nine Inch Nails out now. Ghosts V – VI. Hours and hours of music. Free. Some of it kind of happy, some not so much."
2020 was already shaping up to be a big year for Nine Inch Nails, with the band having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
“A sincere thank you goes out to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame voting body, it always feels great to be recognised for your artistic efforts and I am honoured,” said Trent of the band's inclusion in this year's class. “Many congratulations to this year’s fellow inductees – see you back in Cleveland where it all began for me.
“Thanks to everyone who has been a part of Nine Inch Nails’ remarkable career!”
Unfortunately, Trent and Atticus will have to wait a bit to celebrate the honor, as the Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony had to be postponed to November.
“Our first concern is to the health and safety of our attendees and artists and we are complying to the direction of the local and state authorities and common sense," said Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame President Joel Peresman. "We look forward to rescheduling the ceremony and will make that announcement at the earliest convenience.”
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