Just weeks after surprising fans with a four-album instrumental set, Nine Inch Nails [ tickets ] mastermind Trent Reznor has unveiled a new studio album with vocals--and has upped the ante by giving it away for free.

"Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years--this one's on me," Reznor wrote in a message announcing the new album, which is available as a free download via NIN's website.

Titled "The Slip," the collection--which comprises 11 tracks that clock in at a total of about 45 minutes--is offered in high-quality MP3 format, as well as the CD-quality FLAC lossless and M4A lossless formats, and the "better-than-CD-quality" high-definition WAVE format, according to the album's website. Fans can download any or all versions without charge.

A message posted at the site encourages fans who download "The Slip" to "remix it, share it with your friends, post it on your blog, play it on your podcast, give it to strangers, etc." (The album is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, "share alike" license.)

Embedded in each song file is the respective track's accompanying artwork and lyrics, and the album download also includes a PDF booklet with additional artwork and liner notes.

Reznor plans to release a physical version of the album on CD and vinyl in July, according to NIN's publicist.

Included on "The Slip" are the cuts "Discipline" (which Reznor released for free two weeks ago via NIN's website) and "Echoplex" (a song that surfaced a few days ago as a free MP3 download at NIN's iLike page).

Reznor wrote all of the music on "The Slip," and performed in the studio with help from drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle), returning NIN guitarist Robin Finck and keyboardist Alessandro Cortini. Atticus Ross and Alan Moulder co-produced with Reznor.

Last October, Reznor--who, throughout his career, had been famously at odds with his record labels--announced that he was no longer under contract. Since then, he has released "Y34RZ3R0R3MIX3D," an album featuring reworked cuts originally found on last April's "Year Zero"; the aforementioned gargantuan instrumental collection "Ghosts I-IV"; and "The Slip."

Reznor gave away the first volume of "Ghosts"--a total of nine tracks--and offered the full 36-track collection in a number of paid digital and physical formats.

As previously reported, Nine Inch Nails [ tickets ] will be hitting the road in late July for an extensive North American tour.