Trent Reznor's 'Welcome Oblivion' review: Icy instrumentals

The title track of How to Destroy Angels' debut album, "Welcome Oblivion" (Columbia), comes tantalizingly close to the return to industrial dance pop that fans of Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor have sought for years. Massive and thudding at the low end, pretty and synthy at the top, with Mrs. Reznor, Mariqueen Maandig, handling the vocals, "Welcome Oblivion" shows how much Reznor influenced EDM and how easily he could take it over. He won't, of course, following that song with "Ice Age," which sounds like "Hurt" revisited by a demented Mumford & Sons, and lots of sweeping, icy instrumentals. The guessing continues.

HOW TO DESTROY ANGELS

"Welcome Oblivion"

THE GRADE B

BOTTOM LINE Trent Reznor builds new industrial side project