After a long absence from the stage, Nine Inch Nails have returned in full force this year. The legendary industrial rock band, led by Trent Reznor, has released new music under its own name for the first time in four years, embarked on a global tour after more than three years off the road, and announced a one-of-a-kind festival that brings together some of the most influential composers working in film and television today.
On July 17, Nine Inch Nails released “As Alive as You Need Me to Be”, a dark, immersive track featured on the soundtrack for Tron: Ares, the latest installment in Disney’s sci-fi saga. The single marks the band’s official return to the studio since Ghosts V–VI (2020), and notably, this is the first time Reznor and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross have credited a film score to Nine Inch Nails instead of using their individual names.
Tron: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning, is set for theatrical release on October 10, 2025, and stars Jared Leto as Ares, a program who crosses into the human world. The film also features Greta Lee (Past Lives) as the scientist who enables his transition, along with Evan Peters (Dahmer, American Horror Story), Jodie Turner-Smith, Sarah Desjardins, and veteran actor Jeff Bridges, reprising his role as Kevin Flynn. The full soundtrack, composed by Reznor and Ross, will be released on September 19 via Interscope Records.
The band’s return to recording has been matched by their first international tour since 2022. The Peel It Back Tour kicked off on June 15 in Dublin, featuring over 40 dates across Europe, the U.S., and Canada. On July 10, Nine Inch Nails delivered a blistering set at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, performing their most iconic hits.
Looking beyond the stage, Reznor and Ross have announced the launch of Future Ruins, an innovative music festival dedicated to composers who are reshaping how sound and storytelling intersect in visual media. Taking place on November 8 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, the event will feature John Carpenter, Danny Elfman, Goblin, Questlove, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Cliff Martinez, a posthumous audio-visual tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto, and of course, Nine Inch Nails themselves. In a bold move, the festival will have no headliners — each performance will carry equal artistic weight.
With this surge of activity — new music, a full-scale tour, and a bold new cultural initiative — Nine Inch Nails prove that their legacy isn’t just intact: it’s evolving. The band remains a restless, visionary force, shaping the future of sound as fiercely as ever.
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