We already knew that a "reinvented" version of Nine Inch Nails would be hitting the road in 2013, but the band won't just be playing its greatest hits: the tour will be in support of a new album coming this year. In a press release, NIN mastermind Trent Reznor announced that he has secretly been working on a new album alongside longtime collaborators Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder, and that "This is the real impetus and motivation behind the decision to assemble a new band and tour again."

The band also announced that it has signed with Columbia Records. The move is a notable shift for Reznor, who famously announced he was taking Nine Inch Nails independent back in 2007. NIN followed in the footsteps of Radiohead at the time, experimenting with different sales models for albums like Ghosts I-IV and The Slip, with Reznor trying a pay-as-you-like tactic for Saul Williams' The Inevitable Liberation and Rise of Niggy Tardust. Like Radiohead, however, Reznor has since stated that there were weakness to the approach, and when it came to his new band How To Destroy Angels he opted to sign with Columbia last year.

The label made an incredible impression over the past few months with the campaign behind Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, demonstrating just how effective the reach — and deep pockets — of a label can be when building hype and buzz for a record. With that as the precedent, and Nine Inch Nails already lining up international tour dates, fans of the band should expect a very exciting couple of years ahead.