Ever since I can remember, Trent Reznor has been very anti-corporate music, and he celebrated in grand style when Nine Inch Nails finally split from Interscope records in 2007. In the aftermath, Reznor became legendary for giving away his own music (and continued the trend last year by providing a free download of the EP from his new band, How to Destroy Angels). In 2009, sh-t got even more real when Interscope forbade him from recording and distributing a DVD of the last NIN tour, so Reznor countered by allowing all of his attendees to bring their own cameras and record their own live footage. Then, he gathered up several hard drives full of the raw footage and made it available as a free download, which resulted in a fan-made DVD that has made the internet rounds several times over and back again. Now, Interscope has dared to anger the Reznor once more by repackaging an old (i.e., the unremastered version) and holding it out to fans as if it was a new product. The Reznor — he is not happy:

Trent Reznor has urged fans not to buy the new Nine Inch Nails release.

The “Head Like a Hole” hitmaker – who scooped an Oscar earlier this year for his soundtrack for The Social Network – has blasted the “bulls**t” repackaging of his group’s 1989 album Pretty Hate Machine which has just been released in the US.

He tweeted: “NIN fans, don’t waste your money on this version of PHM that was just released. a record label bullshit move repackaging the old version. Ignore please.”

Trent – who last year released his own repackaged version of the album, remastering the record and adding a cover of Queen’s Get Down, Make Love – has previously clashed with his record company.

During a tour of Australia in 2007, he noticed the group’s album Year Zero was priced unusually high and persuaded Interscope records to lower the cost of the records.

Last year, Trent announced Nine Inch Nails – of which he is the sole permanent member – would be going on indefinite hiatus but revealed in March he is planning to resurrect the band, as well as recording with his current group How To Destroy Angels.

He said: “The three columns of things I’m currently funnelling music into – HTDA, NIN and film work – I believe will start to make more sense to you (and me) as everything unfolds. By having a few different outlets for my work I’m finding more inspiration within each one. No, Nine Inch Nails is not dead and I plan to focus on that next.”

[From Contact Music]

So not only has Trent stood up once again to protect NIN fans from Interscope’s sketchy practices, but now he’s also danging a very shiny carrot in front of us by alluding to possible future music from NIN as well. Although I’m not sure how he’ll make the time, for he’s been an exceedingly busy man of late; his most recent work can be witnessed within the new trailers for the Americanized version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In addition, life has drastically changed for the Reznor over the past few years. Now, he’s a husband and father as well as an Oscar winner (along with co-conspirator Atticus Ross) too for his scoring on last year’s The Social Network, which brings me to my final though … exactly how absurd does the Reznor look while standing next to Nicole Kidman?

Photos courtesy of WENN and Fame