SPILL LIVE REVIEW: NINE INCH NAILS @ SCOTIABANK ARENA, TORONTO

NINE INCH NAILS

@ SCOTIABANK ARENA, TORONTO

AUGUST 23, 2025

The return of Nine Inch Nails has been a highly anticipated affair. Between their upcoming soundtrack, Tron: Ares, set to drop on September 19 via Interscope Records and marking the first album from the band in five years, and with long-time drummer, and former Fighter of Foo, Josh Freese rejoining the fold, along with stellar footage floating around from their recent European tour, the North American leg of The Peel It Back Tour was met with a fervent air of excitement, with their stop at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena a moment of true greatness.

Opening with a hypnotic DJ set from Boys Noize, a performance that gave the aesthetic of a disconcertingly droning dungeon rave, the sold-out arena was full as he went into the final build up at nine. Rather than the bass drop, in the suspense of the silence, the curtain draped around the second stage, a small stage in the centre of the floor, opposite the main stage, that fell to reveal a solo Trent Reznor at a piano. Here, Reznor would open his show with “Right Where It Belongs”, including an outro from “Somewhat Damaged”, and “Ruiner”. Both songs were rearranged for the piano with Reznor’s vocals emotionally echoing throughout a nearly silent audience. His presence, ever so commanding, was felt immediately. In a slight escalation, guitarist Robin Finck, bassist Alessandro Cortini, and Atticus Ross, on synths, would join Reznor on the stage for “Piggy”.

Following this opening segment, Reznor and company would head to the mainstage, joining Freese, kicking off with the explosive “Wish”. This was an exercise in dynamics that proved to be highly effective. As the band would fly through, including like “March Of The Pigs”, “Reptile”, and “Copy Of A”, there was an incredible sense of power coming from the band. They performed behind a sheer curtain which created a slight sense of visual distortion as they played with lighting, colour, smoke, strobes, and silhouettes as a camera crew ran around the stage capturing the raw energy of their performance. The visual chaos only served to enhance the musical animosity as waves of dissonance swept across the venue.

Reznor, Ross, and Boys Noize would return to the centre stage, now equipped with a series of drum machines and keyboards. Rather than perform overtop pre-recorded tracks, the trio composed the beats and digital melodies live, taking moments to extend sections and experiment with textures, giving the vibe of a sweaty, underground boiler room club set. Performing “Vessel”, “Came Back Haunted” and their newest song, “As Alive As You Need Me To Be”, the true highlight was “Closer” which, despite its new remixed variation, still reeked of utter depravity. From here, the band would return for a final blistering set on the main stage that included “The Perfect Drug”, featuring an effortless masterful drum and bass styled solo from Freese, David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid Of Americans”, “The Hand That Feeds”, and “Head Like A Hole”, before closing out the night with “Hurt”. Most impressively, despite performing this song nightly for over 30 years, Reznor performs the quintessential ballad with an equal amount of conviction as the original recording, perhaps even more, conjuring a level of darkness few could on stage.

The Peel It Back Tour sees Nine Inch Nails shake off their legacy status as they continue to push the envelope, extending the creative cycle into the live performance as they adapt and rearrange their work. Hits and deep cuts are performed like the record or reinvented all together, leaving a sense of risk, danger, and excitement to their performance, something almost always lacking from a band this deep into their career. Despite the production value they brought to the stage, they performed with the energy of Woodstock ’99 and Reznor sang with all the anguish, self-loathing, and despair of 10050 Cielo Drive, Los Angeles, the home of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, and the site of the Manson Murders. Capturing an unparalleled degree of intensity, the Peel It Back Tour was sonically and visually a thrillingly engaging concert experience, one which will be remembered among the greatest tours of all time.

SPILL FEATURE: BEHIND THE GALLERY: NINE INCH NAILS – A CONVERSATION WITH PHOTOGRAPHER JONATHAN RACH

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