Is Trent Reznor Trying to Tell Us Something with the New EP, Add Violence?

Add Violence, the second of a triptych of EPs from Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, is set for release tomorrow. Fans who pre-ordered the physical product have already received their copies and have noticed something odd with the artwork. Let’s go through some clues.

• The artwork on the back features this interesting question: “REMEMBER WHEN RECORDS HAD BACK COVERS? NO? MAYBE THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT.”
• Closer inspection features this seemingly random assprtment of words:Tolerance, Bias, Abort, Complexity, Absolute Conditional, D.O.F., Weak, Strong, Presence, S.A.S.C., 007516M, Structure, Function, Grasp, Sense, Oblivion, Apperception, Satisfaction, Inertia, Strive, Self-Destruct, Morale, Integrate, Isolate, Disrupt, Disorder, Evolve, Stall, Regress, Control, Monitoring World Active, Idle, Cycle, Deviation, 85122, Submission, Restrain, Release, Engage, Anxiety, Advanced Self Awareness, Amplify Chaoes [sic]
• Then there’s this cryptic phrase: EST Terminate Event: 0222

What could this possibly mean?

Brent points out that many of these words point back to Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero album in 2007. If you remember that record, it came with an incredibly complex backstory that took fans through an amazing journey through a dystopian story. Is this EP–or are all three of these EPs–somehow connected? Take a look at the Year Zero timeline. The last entry indicates that 2022 is Year Zero (0 BA). “BA” stands for when America is “born again.” (Click on the image for a better look.)

There’s more, too. Remember the weird powder and warning that came with the physical product of Not the Actual Events last December? Is there a connection?

This looks fun. Try this with streams and MP3, kids.