Trent Reznor has paid an emotional tribute to The Cure during a speech where he inducted the band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The Nine Inch Nails frontman spoke about how the music of The Cure gave him a sense of belonging at a time when he felt none; he also went on to praise the band’s creativity.

• Read More: Just Like Heaven – The Cure’s 10 Best Songs

Reznor said: “Immediately this band struck a chord. The first album I heard was ‘The Head on the Door.’ I hadn’t heard anything like it before. I felt a lot of the darkness that I felt in my head coming back at me through the speakers, and it blew my mind.

“It was like this music was written just for me. I struggled my whole life feeling that I don’t fit in or belong anywhere — kind of like right now. Hearing this, suddenly I felt connected, no longer quite so alone.”

Trent Reznor at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

He added: “It wasn’t just the sound, the words, the presentation, all of it was anchored by the most exquisite of instruments, Robert Smith’s voice. That voice had such range of emotion — from rage, and sorrow and despair to beauty, frailty and joy.

“It might sound naïve, but until I heard The Head on the Door, I didn’t realize that it’s possible to have such difficult and profound ideas in the context of accessible songs that might even get played on the radio, challenging norms on the inside.

“Their dedication to pushing sonic and artistic boundaries while making music for the ages wasn’t always rewarded with glowing reviews in the press. But they never failed to attract a passionate, intelligent and loyal fanbase who always knew the truth: The Cure are one of the most unique, most brilliant, most heartbreakingly excellent rock bands the world has ever known.”

You can watch the speech in full here:

Recently, Smith confirmed that The Cure have finished recording their new album. The record, which is as-yet-untitled and has no release date, will be the band’s first studio release in over 10 years and their 14th studio album.

Speaking on The John Maytham Show on Cape Town radio station Cape Talk, Smith said of their recent shows: “We’ve enjoyed it and we’ve just recorded a new album for the first time in 10 years.”

He added that he was “still doing this for the right reasons” and that, while the group might cover different styles of music, but “because it’s us doing it, it sounds us.” 

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