Nine Inch Nails – Not the Actual Events (EP) – (The Null Corporation, 2016)
Nine Inch Nails’ Not the Actual Events has industrial electro rock sounds. It is a dark, mysterious collection of electro and gritty rock tracks—definitely not something you’ll hear playing on Top 40. Just one listen to its opening track, “Branches/Bones” can turn your mood into an electro rage. “Dear World” is the track to play at an after-hour rave, as it seems appropriate to fill the dark hours of the night with its sound. It has less rock rhythms than the EP’s other tracks and more of a high-energy, linear techno beat. “She’s Gone Away” begins with the sound of heavy breathing through a telephone along with spooky wind noises. It is the gloomiest track on the album—the deep voices and fearsome sounds are spine-chilling. “The Idea of You” begins with heavy, rock guitar riffs with deep, indistinguishable, whispering voices, which make it all the more baffling. Not The Actual Events has a unique dark electro rock flavour that deserves a listen.
7/10
Trial Track: “Branches/Bones”
