Trent Reznor has clearly been in restless mood since the dissolution of Nine Inch Nails last year (of course, there are those of us who'll point out that NIN were plenty dissolute already, but how and ever). The answer to his hunger for new creative territory is How To Destroy Angels, a collaboration with Reznor's wife, Mariqueen Maandig and long-term NIN collaborator Atticus Ross.
Named after a Coil song, there is in HTDA's music considerable echoes of the unsettling ambience in which the industrial pioneers specialised (Reznor has hinted that Coil's Peter Christopherson will collaborate with his new group at some point). Tracks such as 'Fur Lined' and 'A Drowning' merge ambient drone rhythms with Maandig's eerie, hypnotic vocals, but while the group succeed in creating a menacing atmosphere, the album overall is a little one-paced, crying out for a vintage slice of industrial death disco a la 'Only' or 'Closer'.
Nonetheless, Reznor's attention to detail remains – the grim video for 'The Space In Between' is wonderfully twisted, and the cover of this record is classic piece of sci-fi surrealism in the vein of legendary design outfit Hipgnosis (of which the aforementioned Christopherson was once a member). Hopefully next time out, the music will be more eclectic, and the package will be complete.