Nine Inch Nails - 'Bad Witch'

8/10

When 'Bad Witch' was first announced, it was intended to be the final instalment of a trilogy of EPs, including 2016's 'Not The Actual Events' and last year's 'Add Violence'. But after Trent Reznor and co. began to feel that they were falling into a pattern of subdued obsolesce, they decided to reevaluate the tone of 'Bad Witch' and instead release it as a 6-track album, which from the start sees them revisit a lot of inspiration from their initial career.

While their last two EPs may not have been totally what their loyal fans would have expected, 'Bad Witch' is a grizzled and experimental joy to listen to. Calling back to the venomous pace and anger of their 'Pretty Hate Machine' days, the new record sees the band as a reinvigorated entity that looks keen to push the pretence aside and deliver the most bite we have seen from them in years. Tracks like 'God Break Down The Door' and 'Ahead Of Ourselves' are stark reminders of just how captivating they are capable of being and show that with just six singles, they are far from running low on ideas.

While they have said that this will be their last material as Nine Inch Nails, it certainly seems like a fire may have been reignited in them once again. If 'Bad Witch' does turn out to be their final outing, then this is one hell of a way to leave us.

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