I discovered Nine Inch Nails around a decade ago, during the "edgy teen" phase of my life (we’ve all had one). As the years elapsed and my tastes expanded, I became the outlier who prefers the ambient Ghosts releases and 2016-18 trilogy — the last "proper" material Nine Inch Nails have put out — over, for instance, the 1988 debut Pretty Hate Machine. This is to say that the more mature output of Trent Reznor, enhanced by co-conspirator Atticus Ross, often resonates with me more than the sometimes-juvenile poetry of old.

So I imagined that Peel It Back, their first tour in years, would be a fine way to pop my Nine Inch Cherry. No, this wouldn’t be fucked-up, old-school Rez and crew circa 1994. These are the Nails of the gent who is damn near EGOT status — an elder statesonuvabitch who, in many ways, I admire more than the tortured soul of the ‘90s.

The opening act for this tour is Boys Noize, of the techno/house variety. Reznor has been hyping up Mr. Noize lately, having him collaborate on his and Ross’ recent score for Challengers as well as the hotly-anticipated Tron: Ares soundtrack. 

Like the last concert I reviewed for TND, NIN has a two-stage setup for the tour. The band pivot from a b-stage to the main stage in "Unpeeled" format before about-facing and teaming up with Boys Noize back on the b-stage. They then conclude by performing on the main stage, now "Peeled."

I sat through just about all of Boys Noize. If I sat any closer and had tooth fillings, I’d be afraid of them rattling out. Mr. Noize was bopping his head, seemingly oblivious to the low-frequency terrorism emanating from his set. Let’s just say that I was lacking the drugs necessary to give this portion a higher review.

The curtains around the b-stage dropped instantly when Boys Noize hit his final low note. Overhead lights illuminated Trent, sitting at a piano. Talk about a 180! I’ve never seen such a sudden shift from opener to headliner.

The show turned up a notch when Reznor sneered "It’s funny how everything you swore would never change is different now," a line from "Somewhat Damaged" that popped up in the outro of opening number "Right Where It Belongs". Yep: I was watching NIN.

My favorite cut of the night had to be a radically re-imagined "Ruiner", which saw additional band members join Trent as the piano-driven intro entered its closing half. Time to up the octane.

As "Piggy" came to an end, Josh Freese (who just swapped places with Ilan Rubin) appeared via giant projection. It was time for some main stage action, starting with all-time banger "Wish".

While I was sitting in quite a nosebleed-y seat, my predicament did, at least, allow me to appreciate the intricate light show which seemed to drive the proceedings. During "Copy of A", a rather clever effect lit up the main stage: Reznor’s image danced around him. He was, indeed, just a copy.

Bass-slinging opening act Boys Noize joined the b-stage for Act III. Time for a remix or two – a vocoder-assisted "She’s Gone Away", for starters. A cheer went up as the synth for "Closer" beamed in, all chopped up and dizzy thanks to Noize. While the remixes weren’t my favorite part of the night, I do have to admire them for saving me from another dose of the same old shit. Yes, it felt a bit odd seeing a 60-year-old belt over gritty techno, but new Tron: Ares cut “As Alive As You Need Me to Be” felt very strong.

As the band returned to the peeled (read: curtains raised) main stage for the final act, "Somewhat Damaged" came back to hit us in full. The tune had a power that had me head-banging all the way on the opposite end of the arena. "Where the fuck were you?!" the song concludes. Far away, Trent, but still feeling the shockwave.

(Quick shout-out to Freese burning down the house with his drum break in "The Perfect Drug". More like "The Perfect Drum"!)

The whole arena got on their feet for penultimate ripper "Head Like a Hole" – who wouldn't for a song with two choruses? – before we came back down to Earth with (what else?) "Hurt". There you have it. Another Nails show down.

As a whole, the night was relentless, with zero breaks and split-second transitions. This aspect gave the proceedings an air of consummate professionalism and careful execution. Even if it didn’t always speak to me, this was definitive NIN, delivered by pros. Robin Finck, Alessandro Cortini, Josh Freese, Atticus Ross, and Trent Reznor know how to bring an all-encompassing heat.

Near the end of the night, Reznor told us (slightly paraphrasing here): "I woke up and had a dark fucking cloud over my head. This is what I needed. Thank you."

Of course, Trent. Thank you.