Reddit reviews The Stain of Time v2: More than a Trent Reznor Biography

I found it

I haven't really looked into it before. I was curious myself so I ended up finding this one on amazon.

Even if you don't read a book on him, Trent's story is an interesting one. He signed a really crappy record deal when when his first album released. Most people believe his second album, "Broken" reflected his anger towards his record label, and it's probably his most "raw" musical outputs (this is also where some people unfamiliar with NIN get the impression that it's "heavy metal" band).

Trent did a lot of drugs in the 90s and really poured his heart out during the albums "The Downward Spiral" and "The Fragile". Most people consider "TDS" to be most representative of his work, while "Fragile" is his magnum opus (an opinion I understand but I personally don't appeal to).

Trent went into rehab and came out with the album, "With Teeth", which was palatable to the mainstream audience. At the time the album was pretty polarizing for some fans as it seemed too "safe" and didn't have the experimental qualities Trent exhibited in his early work.

A few years later, NIN released "Year Zero" which was precluded by an extensive ARG. Some people chalked it up to be a really clever marketing ploy, but for myself and other fans it was an experience, and really showed that Trent was still passionate about his craft and willing to experiment.

I believe it was his remix album to "Year Zero" that finally freed him from his long standing contract with Interscope Records. For a while he dabbled in releasing albums for free online, and invited fans to remix his music.

NIN went on hiatus for a while. Trent focused on composing music for films (mostly with director David Fincher), and started a side project "How to Destroy Angles" with his wife. He resumed his work under the NIN banner and released "Hesitation Marks" not too long ago.

Sorry for the long post... I kinda don't know when to stop once I start writing. The thing that makes many NIN fans so captivated by Trent Reznor is that he's not afraid to make very personal music. He's a very self-aware guy that speaks his mind publicly about things he doesn't agree with. His songs often reflect a deep introspection mired with tragedy... a tragedy that was once very real for Trent.

So yeah, the music is engaging, the man behind the music is captivating... and I think that makes the music even more awesome for the fans. I know this sounds like a huge NIN circlejerk (and maybe it is), but I like to think these are the reasons why NIN fans are sold for life.