Ricocheting off the worlds of goth rock and grunge, Nine Inch Nails has emerged as a melancholic, lyrically acute but publicity wary, self-loathing but explosively popular band--or rather, one-man band. For Trent Reznor, its singer and songwriter "is" Nine Inch Nails. From a well of previously unpublished research and uncommon access to the band's intimates, Martin Huxley has scribbled a history of this improbable hero. of photos.

Sound, throb, and a long low wail of pure, hard pain...Nine Inch Nails.

The world's most disturbing rock band is in effect one man singer and songwriter Trent Reznor. Since stealing the show during the original Lollapalooza tour in 1991, NIN has limned the hard edge of the techno revolution. In Reznor's desperate, combative persona and disarrayed melodies the musical community has finally found a band that appalls, confounds, and undeniably attracts. Horrified yet entranced, NIN's fans are like moths drawn toward the disfiguring flame of their music.

From a well of previously unpublished research, Huxley has carved out the history of this improbable hero: Reznor's rise as an Appalachian outcast to dyspeptic sex symbol; his connections to Courtney Love; and his relationship with his spasmodically fixated fans. Ricocheting wildly between goth rock and industrial grunge, Nine Inch Nails has achieved a legendary sound. Here, Martin Huxley digs hard and deep to unearth the truth beneath the ultimate noise.