Despite announcing a hiatus in 2009, Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor hasn’t exactly been idle of late. There was that How to Destroy Angels album with his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and the soundtrack work he did for The Social Network and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Hell, it’s not like Nine Inch Nails had a particularly drab existence up to that point, either, with albums released in 2005 (With Teeth), 2007 (Year Zero) and 2008 (Ghosts I-IV and The Slip). Still, it’s difficult to listen to, “Come Back Haunted,” the first single from the band’s new album, Hesitation Marks (9.3 Columbia), and not come away convinced that this is a newly focused Nine Inch Nails.

The beats and bleeps on “Came Back Haunted,” sound fresh, as if Reznor’s studio has been the subject of a massive tech upgrade. There’s a small cinematic whoosh which hits at the chorus, showing his soundtrack side to be fully incorporated into his day job. And, because this is Nine Inch Nails, there’s still an abundance of snarl, both in Reznor’s voice and his array of electric noise makers. This is a band and a man primed to shred again.

As mentioned in the title, Reznor will be bringing his Nine Inch Nails to the Wolstein Center on October 5th with Explosions in the Sky. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 14th. More dates here.