Josh Freese Makes Triumphant Return to NIN After One of His Toughest Choices

Talented drummer Josh Freese is a man of many music genres. He can beat the drums with Devo, play with the Foo Fighters, or pound the percussion for Nine Inch Nails (NIN). He even played with hard rockers Guns N’ Roses! Freese joined NIN, the Trent Reznor-fronted band, in 2005 and was with them until late 2008.

Josh Freese and NIN (the First Time)

Meeting through industry people, Freese and Trent Reznor hit it off and Freese drumming for NIN for a little over three years. He spoke fondly of his time in NIN:

NIN was a band that left me walking off stage every single night thinking, ‘That was incredible. We absolutely crushed it.’ And it wasn’t just a feeling, it was a certainty. That level of intensity, pride, and satisfaction after each show is something I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else.

 

That’s high praise coming from a drummer of Freese’s caliber! Freese has much session work under his belt, and has toured with many artists to include Dweezil Zappa, Weezer, and Sublime with Rome, to name a few. Freese has played with A Perfect Circle for the longest amount of time.

Josh Freese’s Departure from NIN

Looking back, Freese recalled his time leaving the band NIN after only a few years. He said:

[It was] one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,

He further went on to explain that he and his wife were expecting another child at the time; he stepped away due to personal and family obligations.

NIN Rotation of Drummers

Nine Inch Nails is primarily known as the creation of multi-instrumentalist and producer Trent Reznor. NIN formed in 1988 and the only new member since then is Atticus Ross. Ross officially joined in 2016. There have been different musicians who will help with production through keyboards, bass, and drums.

After Josh exited NIN, a young drummer named Ilan Rubin came aboard. Before that point, he was best known as the drummer for Welsh band Lostprophets. Not even 21 yet, Rubin replaced drummer and Lostprophets founding member Mike Chiplin as their long-term drummer. In a strange twist, Lostprophets had been using Freese as their session drummer!

The Switch to a Different Beat

Or is it march? Whether it’s switching or marching, it looks as though Rubin and Freese have traded places. Josh Freese had just recently been booted out of Foo Fighters. He had been with the Foos for several years, replacing their late drummer Taylor Hawkins. In May of this year, Josh was unceremoniously dumped by the band. Later, Josh humorously posted on his Instagram page a “top 10” list of reasons why he was booted out of the band.

In a twist, or a trade, or twisted trade, Freese and Rubin have done a switcheroo. Foo Fighters recently welcomed a new drummer – by the name of Ilan Rubin! Josh Freese was announced to be on tour with (wait for it…) NIN. Seems as though these two drummers have been in each other’s orbits for a while. Oh – and they both have played for Danny Elfman.

Last but not least, after his drummer-dump from the Foo Fighters, Josh Freese isn’t one to rest on his laurels. He had been on tour with A Perfect Circle. Josh posted that his touring bandmates made him feel better by leaving a list in his dressing room that said “10 Reasons Why We Want Josh Freese on Tour Forever.” How nice!