We’ve known since last week that Christmas would be coming two days early for Nine Inch Nails fans, as Trent Reznor delivered on his promise from a year ago that there would be new music from the band in 2016. He and his frequent co-collaborator Atticus Ross (now a full-on member of NIN) had spent much of the year on soundtracks, but Reznor revealed that a new EP, Not the Actual Events, would come out on December 23rd (or tomorrow) via the band’s web site. However, not only is the EP out one day early, you can also hear a piece of it now via “Burning Bright (Field on Fire).”
“Burning Bright…” is, in short, a woozy soundscape. Anchored by a riff that sounds like it could be a cross between Godflesh and Type O Negative, this isn’t easy listening. Lots of reverb, echo and industrial white noise, it quiets down enough for the chorus. The first time you listen, you’ll be intrigued, and by the second time, you’ll want to hear it a third time.
