FURY RELEASED AT THE FORUM

Nine Inch Nails mirrors its audience's desolation and rage as no other group can in a decadent, timely show

- AUGUST BROWN

HON WING CHIU For The Times

SINGER Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails performs at the Forum on Thursday for the Peel It Back tour. The band sang its latest single, "As Alive as You Need Me to Be," from the film "Tron: Ares."

What a piquant moment for Nine Inch Nails to be back on the road playing their version of David Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans.

At the Forum on Thursday, for the first show of a final two-night stand of the electronic-rock band's Peel It Back arena tour, singer Trent Reznor didn't elaborate on the freshly resonant subtext in Bowie's song (one that Reznor remixed for the late Brit and, in its music video, played a Travis Bickle-esque creep).

But you could feel the sold-out Forum roil with new unease at that squelching industrial song, as Reznor muttered Bowie's scabrous lyrics about "No one needs anyone... Johnny wants p—and cars ... God is an American."

At this point, who isn’t a little afraid of Americans? Nine Inch Nails thrive in the murk of base human instinct and tech-driven dread. Who better to help us limn out these feelings of disgust, rage and desolation right now?

Now in their fourth decade as a group, Nine Inch Nails — the duo of Reznor and producer/keyboardist Atticus Ross along with a closely held touring band — does two difficult things extraordinarily well.