It’s been five years since the last Halo release (Ghosts VI), and seven since the last physical Nine Inch Nails effort – 2018’s Bad Witch EP – so, it is somewhat inevitable that the release of the Tron Ares soundtrack under the NIN banner would cause no small amount of anticipation. However, while you could argue that Ghosts set something of a precedent for the band’s more ambient side, branding Tron Ares as a NIN album feels like something of an overstatement. With the majority of the 24-tracks that make up this album more in line with the admittedly excellent work Trent and Atticus have done under their own names, the result is a slightly uneven release that basically serves as a film score with a handful of NIN tracks included for good measure.
Adding to the feeling that this isn’t exactly a NIN release is the woeful packaging – pretty much the first time Trent has ever dropped the ball in this regard – with the CD housed in a simple card slip case, and only a simple, 2-page insert bearing liner notes. Contrast this with the stunning art and design for the likes of Broken, TDS, The Fragile, and Year Zero, and it’s difficult to see this as being a release firmly in Reznor’s sights. Nevertheless, with NIN having charted an uneven course in terms of releases post-Hesitation Marks, any new material from the band is to be welcomed, and there is much to enjoy on the Tron Ares soundtrack, providing you manage your expectations.
Broadly, you can divide the tracks on the record into three types. The first of these are the NIN songs proper. These feature vocals, strong rhythms and melodies, and could easily have been separated off into a NIN EP had the powers that be so desired. The second set of tracks can be described as industrial instrumentals – slightly heavier takes on the soundtrack work Trent and Atticus have undertaken elsewhere – with The Social Network proving to be the most obvious forebear. The third set have a retro feel to them, reminiscent of Wendy Carlos’ work on both A Clockwork Orange and The Shining. Better still, one could simply call these pieces Kubrick-esque.
As you might imagine, the soundtrack shifts between these various sonic touchpoints but, and this is surprising considering Trent’s excellent work stitching the Natural Born Killers’ soundtrack together, a number of fade outs emerge to ruin the overall flow, which is a shame because a little more thought to the editing could so easily have made this album a far more immersive experience.
With regard the most obviously NIN-esque tracks, these are spread throughout the release. The first of these is the recently released single As Alive As You Need Me To Be, an excellent and addictive track that could easily sit on With Teeth. Next up, I Know You Can Feel It, is a darker, trip-hop-influenced track that pairs skittering rhythms and throbbing bass in a manner reminiscent of Year Zero. A dark, dynamic mood piece, it just keeps building, as Trent and Atticus add layer after layer of vocals and guitars to the mix, before it finally collapses under its own weight, segueing into the eerie Permanence as it goes.
Rather more surprising is Who Wants To Live Forever– a dreamy track that has much in common with the work of Blur / Gorrillaz frontman Daman Albarn. Indeed, close your eyes, and you could easily be listening to an offcut from the 13 sessions, especially in the way Trent uses his voice. With Spanish singer Judeline adding her mellifluous vocals to proceedings, it’s a haunting, beautiful song that captures a very different side to NIN.
The final track of the record, the initially woozy Shadow Over Me, finds Trent and Atticus collaborating with Boys Noize (recently seen on the Peel It Back tour), and the results are as electrifying as you might imagine. Built around a thumping kick drum pattern, it’s a hard-edged reimagining of Closer for the TikTok generation, and it shows that NIN can still pack the dance floor when the mood so takes them, even if it is a dance floor grown slippery with the blood from shattered bodies.
Overall, Tron Ares is a welcome addition to any Nine Inch Nails collection but it’s far from essential. Fans who have enjoyed collecting the soundtrack work of Trent and Atticus will definitely enjoy this slightly harder-edged take on their work. Casual NIN fans looking for something more in line with previous albums, on the other hand, may find less to enjoy here. Varied, dynamic and, of course, beautifully produced, Tron Ares is a decent soundtrack, but a fairly average NIN release. 7/10
