Hesitation Marks is the eighth studio album by the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on August 30, 2013, by The Null Corporation and distributed by Columbia Records in the United States and Polydor Records elsewhere. It was the band’s first release in five years, following The Slip (2008), as well as their only release on Columbia. Like previous albums, the album was produced by frontman Trent Reznor alongside longtime collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder. To date, this is the most recent Nine Inch Nails album to be co-produced by Moulder.
The album’s title is derived from the term “hesitation marks”, which is used to describe marks that are produced by testing a bladed weapon before attempting suicide or self-harming. The cover art also varies for each edition of the album. The record was promoted with three singles: “Came Back Haunted“, “Copy of a“, and “Everything“, as well as the Twenty Thirteen Tour and two accompanying extended plays, Live 2013 EP and Remix 2014 EP. The digital version of the album was made available in two different masters: a standard version and one with extended dynamic range to cater to audiophiles.
Hesitation Marks received positive reviews from critics, with the new sound attracting praise, which some found to be a natural evolution from their previous work. The album reached number three in the US, their highest-charting album since Year Zero, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
Tracklist:
- The Eater of Dreams
- Copy of a
- Came Back Haunted
- Find My Way
- All Time Low
- Disappointed
- Everything
- Satellite
- Various Methods of Escape
- Running
- I Would for You
- In Two
- While I’m Still Here
- Black Noise
Credits:
Trent Reznor: vocals, electronics, guitar (tracks 2–14), percussion (tracks 2–10, 12, 13), bass (tracks 3–13), wurlitzer (track 5), dulcitone (track 9), wheelharp (track 10), piano (track 11), saxophone (track 13), production
Additional musicians
Alessandro Cortini: electronics (tracks 1, 3)
Pino Palladino: bass (tracks 2, 5, 9, 13)
Ilan Rubin: toms (tracks 2, 3), live drums (track 11)
Lindsey Buckingham: guitars (tracks 2, 12, 13)
Adrian Belew: guitars (tracks 4, 5, 9, 12), electronics (track 7), backing vocals (tracks 7, 11)
Eugene Goreshter: strings (track 6), electronics (tracks 6, 11, 12), violin (track 11), bass (track 12)
Daniel Rowland: electronics, guitar, additional sound design (track 7)
Joshua Eustis: backing vocals (track 11)
Technical
Atticus Ross: production, engineering
Alan Moulder: production, mixing, engineering
Tom Baker: mastering
Russell Mills: artwork
Rob Sheridan: art direction
Jun Murakawa: engineering
Dustin Mosley: engineering
Ghian Wright: engineering
Michael Patterson: engineering, mixing (track 1)
Joe Barresi: drum recording
Mike Fasano: drum technician
