Trent Reznor’s ability to make beautiful noise has always impressed me. His ability to make different sounds and beats flow together has helped make Nine Inch Nails what it is today. In the past, most of Trent’s music has been harsh and brutal with a few exceptions. Most of the these exceptions would be the instrumental track that have appeared on NIN releases. So I guess it should come as no surprise that NIN’s new instrumental anthology is more beautiful then brutal.

Ghosts I-IV is something that I would have never expected from Trent but isn’t all that surprising when one thinks about Trent’s projects in the past few years. Year Zero and Niggy Tardust have both been very ambitious projects with experimental marketing and releases and Ghosts is no different. Trent’s strategy of releasing Ghosts as soon as it was announced works well with tone of the album. The recording experiment that led to Ghosts I-IV was an intense 10 week recording session where Trent set out not to over think but to just make music and when one listens to Ghosts this becomes very apparent. To call Ghosts simple gives the wrong impression but in a way it is. There is nothing to analyze about this album other then the meaning of the title (which I will do in a moment). The music does have many layers to it and the amount of musical and recording talent needed to make it is high. However, there is little reflection needed to understand these songs. Ghosts I-IV provides a NIN experience that fans haven’t had before, listen to a song, ingest it, understand it. There are no lyrics with multiple meanings, no hidden political or personal angst, there is just the music. Ghosts I-IV is a very refreshing experience for long time NIN fans.

The title of this release is very fitting with the simplicity of the release. The music lends to a feelings of loss and regret but also to anticipation and an awareness of things around you. By using a title that can lend to so many feelings and emotions, Trent manages to encompass a theme to 36 songs with no lyrics and this is impressive. The title helps to bring more cohesiveness to this records then just the familiarity of the usual NIN sounds do. As for the different volumes, the do fit together well and some share more common sounds and feelings (Ghosts III is most rocking or intense volume) but how Trent decided to group these together I do not know (this adds to the long list of things Trent does I do not understand but fully support).

Finally, I cannot review this album without mentioning the amazing artwork that comes with it. Trent and company worked with Rob Sheridan to group each song on Ghosts with an accompanying photos and they are amazing. Each photo helps to convey the emotions of the songs but they also stand alone as beautiful pieces of art. Also, the fact that these come along with digital release as an pdf file makes the experience all the greater. Ghosts I-IV is a fantastic album and great experience with the accompanying photos and is well worth whatever the cost of whatever option you choose.

If you want to listen for yourself, click below