Though NIN continued to tour throughout the late 1990’s - notably playing at the
Woodstock music festival, and on a nationwide circuit with
David Bowie - the band did not produce new material for five years as Reznor was dealing with depression and drug addiction. Nine Inch Nails finally released their third album,
The Fragile, on
Interscope via Reznor’s
Nothing imprint in 1999; though not as commercially successful as
The Downward Spiral (moving only about one million copies as opposed to the latter’s four),
The Fragile nonetheless received critical acclaim for its more restrained and ambient tone, evident in tracks like
"Starsuckers, Inc." and
"Into the Void".
NIN once more went into a sort of hiatus after
The Fragile, with Reznor again falling victim to depression and substance abuse. After entering rehab and sobering up in 2004, Reznor pleasantly surprised fans and critics alike with the April 27th release of his fourth full-length album,
With Teeth. Unlike
The Fragile,
With Teeth was more straightforward and rock-oriented, with singles
"The Hand that Feeds" and
"Only" receiving considerable rotation on modern rock stations. Filled with newfound artistic vigor, Trent released NIN’s fifth album
Year Zero (
"Survivalism",
"Capital G") two years later in 2007 amidst heavy touring; the album fulfilled the band’s contract with Interscope, and is NIN’s last major label release to date.
As of 2008, things have been looking bright for Nine Inch Nails. While still maintaining an aggressive concert schedule, NIN has released two albums in 2008,
Ghosts I-IV and
The Slip. Free from contractual obligations with major labels, both albums have been released independently on the band’s website weeks before their availability in compact disc, vinyl, and digital download form. Standout tracks from NIN’s recent albums include
"Discipline" and
"33 Ghosts IV".