Today marks the arrival of Nine Inch Nails’ highly anticipated soundtrack for Tron: Ares, and for many fans it’s safe to say the music has been generating even more excitement than the Jared Leto-led film itself.
The 24-track album is now streaming and available on the band’s official YouTube channel, and Disney dropped a new featurette to go along with it.
The featurette highlights the franchise’s incredible musical lineage. Tron has always been a playground for groundbreaking sound, starting with Wendy Carlos’ pioneering work on the 1982 original and Daft Punk’s legendary score for Tron: Legacy.
Now, with Tron: Ares, the torch is being carried by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. And nobody summed it up better than returning star Jeff Bridges, who in true Dude fashion simply said: “Nine Inch Nails, man.”
Bridges’ enthusiasm matches that of co-stars Leto and Greta Lee, both praising what Reznor and Ross bring to the Grid with their unmistakable industrial rock style. Director Joachim Rønning was equally locked in, admitting he would listen to the score while working on the film: “I often felt like I was levitating out of my chair.”
The press release calls attention to the duo’s impressive awards history, from their two Oscars and three Golden Globes to multiple Grammys and an Emmy. But beyond accolades, this album feels like a living, breathing extension of Nine Inch Nails’ sound.
Fans will catch echoes of Ghosts, Hesitation Marks, and Bad Witch, with heavy synths, atmospheric layers, and bursts of raw, booming energy.
While mostly instrumental, three tracks feature vocals, giving the album a balance between cinematic soundscapes and classic NIN intensity. It’s music that could pump you up, and at one hour and seven minutes, this thing absolutely delivers.
Much like the band’s iconic work on Bethesda’s Quake soundtrack back in 1996, this album stands on its own as a fully realized Nine Inch Nails release.
Fans won’t have to wait long to hear this music paired with the visuals of the Grid. Tron: Ares hits theaters October 10, but until then, the soundtrack alone is more than enough to transport you.
