Filter returns with new album "The Algorithm"

Flashback: Filter was the brainchild of Richard Patrick, former guitarist for Nine Inch Nails.

• The band found success in 1995 with its debut album "Short Bus" and the single "Hey Man, Nice Shot," which reached the top 20 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

The intrigue: Patrick's one-off reunion show with his former bandmates from Nine Inch Nails at Blossom Music Center in September laid the groundwork for Filter's resurgence.

• He released "For the Beaten" — the lead single from "The Algorithm" — the following week.

State of play: The piercing industrial rock of "For the Beaten" is representative of "The Algorithm's" overall aesthetic of hard-hitting guitars and athematic choruses, before a more melodic second half kicks in.

💭 Troy's thought bubble: This is Filter's best album since its first two releases in the 1990s.

• The angst is still there, but you can feel Patrick channeling it into more complex song structures and lyrical themes about humanity and technology that are relatable.