Trent Reznor releases two versions of new album "Hesitation Marks"

On September 3rd, Nine Inch Nails will release it's first effort since 2008 entitled "Hesitation Marks".  This new album marks the first major label release by the group since 2007's "Year Zero".  If you don't know who or what this band is, here's a link to get you more accustomed with this band and what they're really all about (shame, shame on you).  Any way, Trent Reznor has been at the forefront of the music industry since he first garnered mainstream attention back in the mid 90's.  Back then it was his use of samples and his use of the "new" digital technology that made others refer to him as a  genius of the new movement of music.  He has always been at the forefront of technology and how it can be used to further the art form.  It wasn't until recently that he was able to innovate in other areas of the music industry, most notably, distribution.  In 2005 he released his final album for Interscope, "With Teeth".  After he finally fulfilled his contract with Interscope, he decided to explore the different avenues of distribution that were available at the time.  The internet was taking over and Reznor knew it.  He recorded his next album, "Year Zero", entirely on his Macbook using Native Instruments, Reason, and ProTools exclusively.  Reznor then released this album to the public mainly via the internet.  He decided to explore the medium by actually intertwining the distribution with the concept of his new album, which was set in a future, dystopian world.  After seeing one of his contemporary's, Radiohead, distribute their newest album through their website through a pay as you go model, he decided to one up them and give his next two albums away for free through his website.  These two albums, although freely distributed, ended up being fairly critically and commercially successful.  He launched a massive tour in support of both albums, and eventually retired in late 2009.  We all know what he's been up to since then...

Oscar winnin' Mother fucker

 So, amazingly enough, he decided to come back and make music with Nine Inch Nails and announced it earlier this year.  To fanboys like me this was the greatest news ever. 

Nine Inch Nails waved Good bye already.  

So, of course with his newest album, he decided to shake things up again.  Was he going to give it away for free, hell no that's been done.  Would he let you name a price... Go fuck yourself.

This time he decided to take on the loudness wars!!!!  How was he going to do this you ask?  Well, of course he'd release two separate versions, one "loud" version for the sheep who use iTunes and buy CD's, and one "audiophile" version, for us dorks.

Get in my van and listen to my audiophile

 The audiophile version (not kidding, it's actually called that) was mastered in a different, more dynamic way than current music is. The loud version is apparently mastered just like that, loud.  It should compete with everything everyone always hears, and should reproduce itself nicely on most systems and speakers that people listen to on nowadays (I'm fucking looking at your Dr. Dre).  The "audiophile" version will be noticeably different on higher end systems, and is offered for free with purchase of any other version of the new album, "Hesitation Marks".  You can get more info on it here, and you could still listen to the album for free at iTunes until it's released on September 3rd.  When that day comes, it's all up to you I guess.