NIN | JA EP

I got an email today that pointed me to the NINJA tour website. For those who might not know what that is, it is the upcoming tour featuring Nine Inch Nails and Jane's Addiction as well as a new band called Street Sweeper.

The link was to download a tour EP that has two new songs from each artist on the tour, and being a child of the nineties, I couldn't not download this thing.

The verdict is exactly as I expected: decent. None of the bands are breaking new ground here, but it is still good to hear Trent Reznor's signature sound, Perry Farrell's howl and Tom Morello's jacked-up guitar riffs.

If you were ever a fan of any of these bands, you won't be let down, however, if you are looking for a revival, look elsewhere. These songs don't live up to the past hits from the glory days of 90's alterna-rock, but they do breathe life into the otherwise stale genre of alternative music.

Design: Even though this is a free EP given out via the NIN website, Trent Reznor never half-does anything including artwork. The artwork, though simple, is really well done. It relies heavily on a futuristic-style typeface that has an ominous feeling of the end of days. It is dark without being cheesy, and it embodies each band without leaning too much in one way or another. I give it an A- for effort and execution.