Hesitation Marks by Nine Inch Nails

Hesitation Marks, the eighth studio album from Nine Inch Nails, came out in 2013 on the Null Corporation, with Columbia distributing in the US, their only release through that label. It ended five years of quiet since The Slip, and Reznor produced it as usual with Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. The title is a grim one, borrowed from the term for the trial cuts someone makes with a blade before self-harm or a suicide attempt.

The sound is where it gets interesting: sleeker, twitchier, more electronic industrial rock, with the rage turned inward and the grooves pulled tight. "Came Back Haunted", "Copy of a" and "Everything" were the singles, and the digital release even came in two masters, one with a wider dynamic range for audiophiles. Critics liked the new direction, the album reached number three in the US, their best showing since Year Zero, and it earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.