Remember all that crap about some of Trent Reznor’s fans freaking out because the guy just wanted to take a fucking break? This reaction was provoked by some people’s inability to comprehend the phrase, “for the forseeable future” and the bittersweet finality of this summer’s NIN/JA tour. Well, Reznor’s more hardcore fans, myself included, know that he would never be able to actually retire, move to some beachy locale, and consign himself as the future subject of beached-whale sightings. As a workaholic, the dude, quite simply, will never be able to stop creating and innovating, but he just needs a breather from touring to focus on other projects. Sure enough, yesterday afternoon, Trent Reznor had some shit on his mind:

This is fucking spectacular news. “YZ” is an abbreviation for Year Zero, a Nine Inch Nails album that was released in 2007, before the Ghosts I-IV and The Slip albums. Year Zero is a concept record inspired, in part, by early Public Enemy. It is an awe-inspiring, amazing record that just happens to be my very favourite Nine Inch Nails album, partially because of its cinematic feel. In fact, Trent Reznor described his work on Year Zero as such: “I wrote the soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist.”

The basic story of Year Zero is that, in the year 2022, the U.S. has transformed into a police state with many of its current freedoms now abolished. Religion and state have become one entity, and there are collective sightings of “The Presence,” which was actually first referenced back by a song called “The Wretched” from NIN’s 2000 album, The Fragile:

The clouds will part and the sky cracks open
And god himself will reach his fucking arm through
Just to push you down
Just to hold you down

In the future dystopic world created by Reznor in Year Zero, people aren’t entirely sure if The Presence is an actual phenomenon or mere “Parepin-Induced Mass Psychosis.” As a drug that the government has started putting in the public drinking water supply, Parepin supposedly keeps citizens safe from bioterrorism attacks, but some suggest otherwise. Hell, Parepin supposedly inhibits orgasm, so I’m thinking the side-effect of psychotic visions is entirely possible.

The rest of the story gets even weirder, and I have a lot to say on the topic, but I’ll save it for later. Of course, I know some of you would prefer that I post tits and ass instead of this occasional slightly serious stuff. If that’s truly the case, I can always post more nude pictures of Pete Doherty because those were a bit hit, no?

For those curious about Year Zero, the NIN Wiki is a good place to start reading about it. As far as an adaptation beyond music is concerned, in the past few years, Reznor has spoken of his negotiations for an HBO “two-season maxi-series” to tell the Year Zero story in a visual medium. He has also considered and rejected a graphic novel format, but there’ve been hints at a possible film. Any of these things would be unspeakably awesome, and, obviously, some sort of deal has been forged, but Rez isn’t giving out any more details as of yet. Until then, hit the next page for the original “teaser trailer” for the Year Zero album, which features a sighting of The Presence:

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