Nine Inch Nails fans all over the world are rejoicing because at 12:01 a.m. on May 5th they were given a brand new album from NIN…for free. The album was put up for download on the bands site with a message from frontman Trent Reznor saying “Thanks for your continued and loyal support over the years – this one’s on me.” The album, called “The Slip”, is 10 tracks and can be downloaded in a bunch of different formats including MP3 and high-quality on http://www.nin.com. The best part is that all of the formats are digital rights management free. All you have to do to get your download of “The Slip” is provide an e-mail address that will have a link sent to it with access to the format options which all include a PDF with lyrics and artwork.

We understand that this is a great publicity move, especially because NIN is currently selling concert tickets and plans to release “The Slip” on CD and Vinyl in July. However, something about the message Reznor left on the site makes it seem like the free music is more than part of a marketing plan and that the band actually gives a shit about their fans. My download is on the way, you should all go check it out and let me know what you think. Even if you don’t like NIN, free music is good music.