Yes, it's true CDNOW doesn't normally review singles, but "The Day the World Went Away" is no ordinary single. It is the first glimpse fans are getting into The Fragile, the long-awaited upcoming album from Nine Inch Nails, and as such, it is a musical event.

Most fans have been waiting five agonizingly long years, since 1994's The Downward Spiral, for a new album from Trent Reznor. And after being teased repeatedly over the last three years, with the record being reported as near completion, only to have it yanked, the debut of "The Day the World Went Away" lets fans get their hopes up, if only slightly, that there is a new NIN disc near.

This three-song single offers two versions of "The Day…," fast and quiet renditions, as well as "Starfucker," the kind of loud, in-your-face anthem fans have come to expect from Reznor. The quiet version of "The Day…," with its rising crescendo and whispered vocals, will remind fans of the melancholy "Hurt."

None of these three tracks rank with the best individual NIN songs, but the passion, aggression and integrity that come through still give NIN fans a lot to look forward to this fall.

Steve Baltin

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