Actually, it’s all part of the elaborate (and somewhat terrifying) concept behind Nine Inch Nails’ upcoming Year Zero album (due April 17), details of which are currently being disseminated through a series of increasingly spooky — and downright odd — Web sites.

Strangely enough, the story actually began on the back of a T-shirt sold on NIN’s current European tour. Dates and cities are listed, with certain letters highlighted. When those letters were arranged, they spelled out the phrase “I am trying to believe,” which most saw as just another statement of shattered hope from NIN mastermind Trent Reznor … that was, until one particularly, uh, “enterprising” individual decided to Google the phrase.

What was revealed was a rather unsettling site (IAmTryingToBelieve.com) dedicated to information on “Parepin,” a drug allegedly added to the water supply by the federal government at some unknown date to protect citizens from bioterror attacks. While all appears to be normal, the author of the site — who is not identified — paints a different picture, referring to Parepin as “bioterrorism” being waged on U.S. citizens without their knowledge, designed to placate them.

The concept album Year Zero comes out April 17th and takes place 15 years in the future.

(via The Engine and VH1)