Nine Inch Nails unveil new album 'Bad Witch'
Nine Inch Nail's much-awaited new album 'Bad Witch' is out today (June 22). The album marks the third and final installment in a series of releases that kicked off in 2016 with 'Not the Actual Events' and continued in July 2017 with 'Add Violence.'
Originally meant to be released as an EP, Trent Reznor's industrial rock project finally decided to release it as an "album", although the six-track effort clocks in at just 30 minutes. Last month, Reznor addressed the issue on NIN's fan forums, saying: “EPs show up with singles in Spotify and other streaming services = they get lost easier. EPs feel less important in today’s music-isn’t-as-important-as-it-once-was world. Why make it easier to ignore?” It looks like Reznor is not alone in the approach. Recently, the three albums that Kanye West produced and released through his label G.O.O.D. Music -- Pusha-T's 'DAYTONA', Kid Cudi's 'Kids See Ghosts' and Kanye's 'ye' -- were all 7-track efforts well short of the 30-minute mark at times and still released as full-length albums.
Call it an EP, LP, album or whatever you like, the fact remains that 'Bad Witch' is a short and crisp masterpiece from the industrial rockers, clearly inspired by Trent Reznor’s bleak outlook in regards to American culture and politics, the likes of which he’s discussed in a number of different recent interviews.
Speaking on how 'Bad Witch‘s themes relate to the previous releases in the trilogy, Reznor told The Guardian, “We aren’t these enlightened beings, here to take care of each other and think about our benevolent role in the universe as protectors and creators – we’re just a fucking mutation and an accident,” he says of the thoughts that inspired these new songs. “I think you’re seeing the fall of the empire of America in real time, before your eyes; the internet has eroded the fabric of decency in our civilization.”
Reznor doubled down on his views, this time more directly aimed at Donald Trump, in another interview with The New York Times. “What Donald Trump is doing is concerning and infuriating — and it’s not the conservative agenda, it’s not a question of religious preference, it’s not a question of should the government be big or small," Reznor said. "I don’t have any problem with those topics. But the disregard for decency and truth and civility is what’s really disheartening,” he added. He also went on to take shots at pop culture icons like Taylor Swift and Kanye West for not using their voice against the political turmoil of the times and praised Donald Glover for doing just that through his instant-hit music video for 'This is America'.
The new album's haunting, uneasy sound echoes Reznor's views of political dissidence and was previewed by two tracks - the jittery 'Ahead of Ourselves' and the David Bowie's 'Blackstar'-inspired 'God Break Down The Door'.
In addition to a slew of festival dates this summer, Nine Inch Nails have also announced an expansive North American tour. Kicking off in September, the “Cold and Black and Infinite” tour features The Jesus and Mary Chain in a supporting role, as well as guest spots from the likes of The Soft Moon, Tobacco, and Kite Base. See the full list of dates below and grab tickets here.
Nine Inch Nails 2018 Tour Dates:
06/22 – London, UK @ Meltdown Festival
06/24 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall *
06/25 – Paris, FR @ L’Olympia
06/27 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live
06/29 – St. Gallen, CH @ Open Air St. Gallen
06/30 – Prague, CZ @ Aerodrome Festival
07/02 – Berlin, DE @ Zitadelle
07/04 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/06 – Belfort, FR @ Les Eurockeennes
07/08 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/09 – Montreaux, CH @ Montreaux Jazz Festival
07/12 – Lisbon, PT @ NOS Alive Festival
07/14 – Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival
08/14 – Bangkok, TH @ Moonstar Studio
08/17 – Tokyo, JP @ Sonic Mania
08/19 – Osaka, JP @ Summer Sonic Festival
09/13 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre ^#
09/14 – Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre ^#
09/18 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks ^#
09/19 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks ^#
09/22 – San Antonio, TX @ River City Rock Fest
09/24 – Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theater ^#
09/26 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre ^#
09/27 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre ^#
09/29 – Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater ^#
09/30 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival
10/09 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^@
10/13 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^@
10/14 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^!
10/16 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^!
10/17 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall ^!
10/19 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center ^!
10/20 – Boston, MA @ Boch Center ^!
10/22 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater ^%
10/23 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater ^%
10/25 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom ^%
10/26 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom ^$
11/17-18 – Mexico City, MX @ Corona Capital
11/23 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre ^@
11/24 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre ^@
11/25 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre ^!
11/27 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^!
11/28 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory ^!
12/03 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^+
12/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^+
12/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^$
12/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^$
12/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^+
12/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^+
12/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^&
12/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium ^&
* = w/ Black Moth Super Rainbow
^ = w/ The Jesus and Mary Chain
# = w/ Tobacco
@ = w/ Kite Base
! = w/ Daniel Avery
% = w/ Gabe Gurnsey (Factory Floor)
$ = w/ Death in Vegas
+ = w/ HMLTD
& = w/ The Soft Moon