Two ubiquitous 90s rock acts, Nine Inch Nails and The Foo Fighters, have reportedly pulled a confusing move as they have traded their respective drummers. As per The Hollywood Reporter, this comes after news that longtime Nine Inch Nails member Josh Freese would stop playing with the Foos. For those unaware, he stepped in for late drummer Taylor Hawkins who died tragically in 2022. To fill his shoes, The Foo Fighters announced that they would be tapping Nine Inch Nails again for their current drummer (until now) Ilan Rubin.

In response to this, a rep for Nine Inch Nails confirmed that Freese will be reprising his role for the band which was celebrated jubilantly on the band official Instagram account. Foo Fighters have not confirmed whether Rubin is joining the band as a full time drummer or merely taking up the mantle for a few tour dates but it does seem odd that he would choose to leave the band just weeks before they embark on a headlining tour of North America. With this in mind it does make sense that the band would decide to play with someone who already has written and recorded with them but it seems more than coincidental that there would be a switch off for a second time between the two disparate acts in this capacity.

According to an Instagram post by Freese about his departure from The Foo Fighters he seems as surprised by the lineup change as anyone else but luckily he has managed to find a home in a band he already knows and loves. Whether this is the product of a backroom deal between Trent Reznor and Dave Grohl, some shady label execs or merely a case of simple happenstance remains to be seen.