Industrial Metal for beginners

Brutal Legend has an amazing soundtrack and covers many sub genres of metal including industrial metal, sort of. Will, it does contain industrial-eqsue bands like KMFDM, Ministry, Prong, Rob Zombie, and Marilyn Manson. With the exception of Ministry and KMFDM to some extent, these bands are not industrial metal. After all this is a game with a kick ass metal soundtrack. This is where I come in to guide you on the world of industrial metal.

Industrial metal is one of the most misunderstood metal genres. It’s the black sheep of the metal community. Often overlooked, ignored and misunderstood. Even to the point where most metal journalist and websites don’t cover it. A lot of these bands still remain somewhat underground. I’m here to shed some light on the subject. But in order to understand industrial metal we must understand industrial music as a whole. I do run an industrial music group if you like to know more. We do feature anything industrial related at least once or twice a week.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/theindustrialists

History of Industrial Music

In the 1960’s to even the early 70’s, psychedelic rock acts laid the foundation for industrial music as well as early electronic groups and artists like Kraftwerk and John Cage. Industrial music was created originally by using mechanical and electric machinery, and later advanced synthesizers, samplers and electronic percussion as the technology developed. Many groups have been cited as the precursors to industrial music such as The Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, David Bowie, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix to name a few. Musicians also cite writers such as William S. Burroughs, and philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche as influences.

Industrial music started in the mid 1970’s as a highly experimental sound often times presented as a performance art piece filled with an avant garde sounds, noise, harsh/dark ambient tones and experimental electronic soundscapes. The first wave of industrial was led by Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Cabaret Voltaire and Boyd Rice mostly. The slogan for the genre was coin by Throbbing Gristle who are often cited as the first industrial group. “Industrial music for industrial people”. This music was not for everyone.

Throbbing Gristle - Maggot's Death (from The Second Annual Report)

Anything after the 70’s is considered post industrial music considering that industrial music blew up in the 80’s and so fourth from there onward. Some artist and groups still make music today that sounds like first wave industrial music. Most of these groups now fall under the industrial sub-genre of dark ambient, death industrial or power electronics.

Industrial Metal in the 1980's - Beginnings

Industrial metal music had it’s start in the 80’s. The genre is a sub-genre of industrial music, not heavy metal. Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal music and industrial. The sound of industrial metal relies heavily on an emphasis of repeating guitar riffs with sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals that may or may not be accompianed by electric precussions. Note that not all industrial metal music includes electronic loops and sounds effects. Just because there are electronic sounds doesn’t automatically make it industiral or industrial metal.


The sub-genre had it’s start in the 80’s with one of the earliest bands, Fall of Because. Much like industrial being born within the UK, so was industrial metal. The band Fall of Because formed in 1982. This is the earliest band of the genre and predates American act Ministry by several years before releasing their first industrial metal record. Fall of Because is essentially pre-Godflesh which features the same members. The name was changed to Godflesh which we know today as pioneers within industrial metal.

Another very early group to note is Swans. Although they are classified as No Wave, they featured a lot of early experimental rock and bits of metal that would influence many bands after them in their early days. Despite not being associated with industrial metal No wave is avant garde anti-rock that experiments with noise, harsh ambiance and non-rock genres like free jazz and funk. Their self-titled EP released in 1982 attributed to this. Their debut full length album would push the boundaries even further with 1983’s Filth. In a way, this was a real authentic proto-industrial metal piece.


Canadian group Malhavoc is another band that predates Ministry’s industrial metal release The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste by a few years. If you listen to industrial metal, you should already know who they are or heard of the name. Malhavoc are a thrash metal/industrial hybrid which is amazing considering this also predates Nailbomb by almost a decade as often cited as the first thrash/industrial metal hybrid.

Around this time in the mid 80’s, bands were experimenting with heavier sounds within industrial and some incorporating harsher guitar works. Ministry was shifting sound from synth-pop to more industrial after collaborating with Richard 23 of Front 242 in the band Revolting ♥♥♥♥♥. Big Black was making their rounds within the industrial scene after emerging from the punk scene. They released their 1986 LP Atomizer. Technically industrial rock, they had some heavy tracks that bordered on heavy metal and were credited as one of the early industrial metal acts of the time by many.

By the late 80’s, industrial metal was becoming more established. In Switzerland, industrial group The Young Gods even experimented with metal with the track “Envoyé!” which gained a lot of notoriety. Even industrial music legends Skinny Puppy made some industrial metal with songs within their album Rabies. By the end of the decade, Ministry unveiled their first industrial metal record with The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste in 1989.

The Young Gods - Envoyé!

1989 was a good year for industrial metal. Ministry came out with their first industrial metal record. Skinny Puppy made a metal tracks in their new album. This was also the year that Fear Factory and Pitchshifter were formed within the US. KMFDM were touring with Ministry right before they moved to the US and shifted sound to a more industrial rock sound. The first wave of industrial metal was coming to an end and the second wave would bring a big boom within industrial as a whole and the heavy metal community entering the 90’s.

Industrial Metal in the 1990’s – The Rise

In the 90’s, the alternative music scene gave rise to various new genres such as Grunge, Nu Metal but most important of all, Industrial music. Industrial music was hitting the mainstream. It was everywhere. On the radio, Mtv, non-industrial magazines, movies to even video games. This was the height for not only industrial metal but industrial music overall

Industrial group Nine Inch Nails had a break through success with Pretty Hate Machine earlier on. They crossed into the metal scene with their hit EP Broken. Much to the disappointment within the goth/industrial scene, this hit recording took a firm grasp into the heavy metal world, thus gaining many more new fans who would normally not listen to industrial.

Politically charged and a Billboard music staple, Ministry released Psalm 69 in 1992. It’s the highest selling record from the band and the one album that launched them further into the heavy metal mainstream. After being inspired to make heavier music by thrash groups Stormtroopers of Death and Rigor Mortis, they sought out to get more aggressive with each passing album.

MInistry - Just One Fix (from Psalm 69)

Throughout the 90’s, one record label was always associated with industrial music more than any other. This was Wax Trax! Records and their biggest band on the label was KMFDM. After moving to the US, the band hit peak popularity. Although they shifted their music to more industrial rock out of the 80’s. It was a success as the band was featured in various films such as Bad Boys, Mortal Kombat and even the english dubbed version of Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. They even came out with much more aggressive albums with Angst in 1993, Nihil in 1995 and Xtort in 1996 which were a lot more guitar driven. This was the industrial group’s more rock/metal phase. All staples within the industrial scene and highly regarded as industrial rock/metal classics.

KMFDM – A Drug Against War (from Angst)

It’s no surprise at this time that industrial metal was making the music charts. Fear Factory was another band to make the list of rising industrial metal bands within the alternative scene. Soul of a New Machine was a hit with the extreme metal community due to the crushing death metal sounds of the record and influences from Godflesh and Napalm Death. It was with their 1995 hit Demanufacture that put them on the map. Coining the term “Cyber Metal”, they took the concept of man vs machine thanks to The Terminator films.

Due to the rise in popularity with industrial metal. A lot of industrial acts began to put out more guitar driven and heavy metal related tracks. Controlled Bleeding, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, Lords of Acid are the few among the many. Even bands like White Zombie which made the shift to industrial metal with their highly successful album Astro-Creep 2000 which got plenty of air time on Mtv. Even dark ambient/power electronics artist did at least one industrial metal track like artists from Cold Meat Industry as Sanctum, In Slaughter Natives and MZ. 412. Mortiis was on this label during the 90's which he later shifted style towards industrial metal later in his career.


In the 90’s, you couldn’t go anywhere without shocker rocker Marilyn Manson being mentioned. With the help of Dave Ogilive of Skinny Puppy, Danny Lohner of Killing Joke/Skrew and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails were among the few to help Manson with his controversial hit Antichrist Superstar which was released in 1996. Critically a hit and struck a nerve with the christian community due to the record’s anti-christian content and the musician's antics on the subject.

One of the last acts to impact the industrial metal scene in mainstream terms were Rammstein and Static-X. Rammstein were around in the mid 90’s but didn’t find international success until their break through LP Sehnsucht in 1997. This band was unlike any other industrial metal group at the time. Their sound was very different. It almost didn’t follow the standard industrial metal formula. While the metal component was there for industrial metal, the industrial component itself was more electronica based rather than industrial. This was a Neue Deutsche Härte. A subgenre that crossed over New German Wave, Alternative Metal with Groove Metal and electronic elements. Although they were not the inventors of the genre, they were the enforcers of the style. The NDH style was actually invented by Oomph! who didn’t hit success until after Rammstein despite them being more established within the industrial scene before them.

And we go finally to Static-X, possibly the last act to crossover into the mainstream mostly thanks to the rise of nu metal at the time. Despite having a more industrial metal sound rather than nu metal with the debut Wisconsin Death Trip in 1999, they were often shunned by the industrial metal community and instead found a wider audience in the growing nu metal scene. Due to finding a home with nu metal fans, this opened the doors and exposed nu metal fans to industrial metal. However, this was somewhat short lived as the industrial music scene was changing.

Static-X - Push It (from Wisconsin Death Trip)

Industrial Metal in the 2000’s – The Fall

With the 90’s boom of industrial music, the soundscape for the genre entering the 00’s was changing drastically. Many older bands were either changing styles of music, dying off or going underground. Out of the 90’s, Wax Trax! Records closed down. Metropolis Records within the US was changing and Cleopatra Records which did carry many industrial groups was shifting their business focus for more avenues while abandoning what made them great in the first place.

KMFDM broke up only to return again without their signature guitar driven KMFDM sound. White Zombie disbanded with only Rob Zombie to return solo with a much less and weaker industrial metal sound. Godflesh disbanded entirely. Static-X was shifting towards more nu metal content. Marilyn Manson was doing their last industrial metal-esque album to only return years later without the industrial sound.

Gary Numan at the time was making a come back. He released his heaviest album at the time which was Pure. Another artist that was making waves within industrial metal however despite being regarded as a well favored release, this flew under the radar within the heavy metal scene. The album was heavy, it was dark and was even compared to such acts as Nine Inch Nails only with a gothic approach.

Rammstein despite gaining international success slowly phased out their industrial metal sound with their 3rd album Mutter. Around this time Neue Deutsche Härte had given birth to many bands of the genre. Some more industrial than others while some were not. Eisbrecher were one of the many to come out of NDH. Despite being associated with Neue Deutsche Härte, this band had more of an audience with the industrial/gothic scene rather than the heavy metal scene.

Eisbrecher - Willkommen Im Nichts (from self-titled)

Another band that was making waves in the goth/industrial scene rather than metal is American industrial metal act Hanzel Und Gretyl. Upon signing up with Metropolis Records they were an instant hit with their third album Über Alles. Although the band often gets mistaken for a national socialist band due to their imagery and lyrical content, they are not as they use it as satire.

Another example of an industrial metal ban that flew under the heavy metal radar was Psyclon Nine. An EBM turned industrial black metal group which was getting a lot of notoriety among the goth scene. Their first hints of black metal was the EBM recording INRI. From there forth, they shifted their sound to a more black metal aesthetic.

As industrial music was changing with the rise of EBM groups, so was the industrial metal landscape. A lot of bands sprouted out that completely did away with the industrial metal structure and created something new. This was Cyber Metal. These bands took elements from industrial dance and even futurepop and combined it with melodic guitars rather than the repeating guitar riffs industrial metal was used too. Being a hit with the metal scene, this genre was shunned by the gothic/industrial scene. To them, this went against everything that made industrial metal industrial. It’s unknown who were the first cyber metal bands. This included such bands as Sybreed, Neurotech, Deathstars to name a few. Most of these bands belonged to major heavy metal labels while others more traditional industrial metal bands went underground which were covered by the gothic/industrial music sites and journalists while being almost completely ignored by the metal community.

Industrial Metal in the 2010’s – The Revival

With industrial music changing over the decade of the new millennium, the scene was shifting once again. With certain fans being burnt out on the new wave of industrial music and the over saturation of EBM groups, change was coming. Industrial music as a whole was gaining a wider variety of newer acts like it once did. Industrial metal was making a bit of a come back as well as the entire industrial music scene.

Godflesh made a come back and begin touring by 2010. They released their overall seventh album titled A World Lit Only a Fire. The industrial metal legends were back. This was the first record since 2001’s Hymns.

Out of the 90’s, artist Skold who formerly played with not only KMFDM and Marilyn Manson was back with another solo album since 1996. Heavier than ever, Skold continues to make new music with 2011’s Anomie and again in 2016 with The Undoing.

In 2013 3Teeth was formed. Out of the gates, this band was really getting noticed and fast. How? Thanks to metal band Tool, they are big fans of them. They invited them on their tour and that’s how 3Teeth got noticed much more quickly. Borrowing influences from White Zombie, older KMFDM and the old sounds of Wax Trax! Records, this band is not one to miss out on.

3Teeth - Nihil (from self-titled)

Mortiis was mostly involved in the gothic/industrial community during the 00’s, despite releasing a great industrial metal album during that time. In the 2010’s, he was getting noticed by the heavy metal scene. In 2016, he was praised for The Great Deceiver. This is his harshest work yet.

Author & Punisher is another band that is recently getting noticed by the metal scene despite making industrial metal music since 2005. Tristan Stone is the mastermind behind the one man industrial doom metal band. No guitars, all power electronics emulating the doom metal sound as this artist is hooked up to these types of machinery. This is what true industrial metal looks like.

Author & Punisher in the studio

This decade not only brought back so many returning bands from back in the day from Skrew to Soulstorm, Godflesh but also new faces. A lot of new industrial metal/rock acts like Corrections House, Street Sects and Aborym shifting to a much more fresher industrial metal sound.

Industrial Metal in the 2020's - Stronger than Ever

Since the 2010's Industrial Revival era we have seen the genre shift out of the cyber age and into what made industrial, industrial. Only the first few years and we are seeing so many returning acts from decades gone by, bands from the 2010's becoming more popular within this decade. But more importantly so many brand new group popping up and within currently metal labels no less. Whether it be from Relapse Records, Season of Mist or Sentient Ruin. It's good to see new bands being promoted again by big label.

Two of the bigger bands currently are Author & Punisher who is continuing strong within not only the industrial scene but is a fan favorite within the metal community. The band is currently signed to Relapse Records at the time of this writing and has diversifed his sound. Fange is the other who was mostly known as a sludge metal/crust punk group. Ever since their 2020 album Pudeur, the band played with some outside elements. This was industrial metal and noise. They continued this trend with the 2021 follow up Panotocrator implementing death industrial and electro-industrial. This has been their most popular album and is even a fan favorite among people that don't normally listen to industrial metal. Honorable mention, there is another up and coming group that is becoming more popular is Primitive Knot with their Ministry influenced-like sound with their own unique take.


Dome Runner - Fuji Cracks (from Conflict State Design)

We have more newer acts popping up every other month and it's great. From Uranium, Dome Runner, 8 Hour Animal, Cromlech, Madre and so many, many more. Industrial metal is just getting stronger. It hasn't been this strong since the the by gone era of the 1990's and it feels great if you are a fan of the genre.

Industrial Rock

I know, not industrial metal but if you listen to industrial metal, you are bound to listen to industrial rock too. Industrial Rock essentially has the same origins as industrial metal but instead of Fall of Because being a sort of catalyst to influence the movement, it was instead focused on 1960’s group Cromagnon as the “pre-industrial” rock group at the time. This led to other acts that would influence the industrial rock movement such as Swans, Killing Joke, Big Black and to some extend, The Young Gods and David Bowie. These bands were discussed in the industrial metal segment of the 80’s. The sound of industrial rock is the since principle as industrial metal, just without the heavy metal component.

In the 90’s when industrial music has a boom in bands reaching the mainstream, The biggest industrial rock bands to flourish from early on in the decade was top Billboard hit Nine Inch Nails for The Downward Spiral. By far the best album from the band to this day. The 90’s was also accompanied by none other than Wax Trax! Records hit group KMFDM. Which was mentioned in the 90’s era of industrial metal. Although KMFDM are not an industrial metal act, they have enough heavier songs to crossover to the metal scene and back again.

Other notable acts were Orgy who had a brief moment of success with their New Order cover Blue Monday. The end half of the decade was also had such bands making it to the mainstream and having air time on Mtv as Filter, Gravity Kills and even Stabbing Westward. Stabbing Westward has plenty of air time well into the early 00’s as Mtv used a great share of sound clips from their music into reality shows.

What really helped industrial rock reach a wide audience was visual media like television and films. Often times, these films would produce soundtracks. Soundtracks as Mortal Kombat, The Matrix, Escape from L.A., Spawn and even Hackers despite being electronica gave industrial music a wide exposure. It was even used in video games as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Duke Nukem: Time To Kill.

Stabbing Westward - The Thing I Hate (from Darkest Days)

Much like industrial metal, industrial rock entering the 00’s too died off completely within the mainstream. Those surviving bands went underground. In the 2010's, KMFDM despite losing their signature guitar sound are still going strong. During the industrial revival, some bands made a come back such as Filter and even Powerman 5000 which released an album that was a lot closer to the industrial rock than any of their previous works. Even commercial successful industrial rock group Nine Inch Nails came back and with another project which belonged to Trent Reznor's wife How to Destroy Angels. Along with the industrial revival was also Gary Numan who has gained a more massive following after his shift to industrial and has released his strongest work yet Savage: Songs from a Broken World.

Gary Numan - My Name is Ruin (from Savage: Songs from a Broken World)

Industrial Black Metal

Much like most genres of music there are bound to be off shoot sub-genres. It’s no different when it comes to industrial metal. One of these would be known as Industrial Black Metal. The first band to be cited was Mysticum. However this was mostly pure accident. In the early days of the band when they formed as Sabazios in 1992, they became industrial. How? Their drummer quit and was replaced with a drum machine which in result laid the foundation of industrial black metal due to the mechanical sound when they played. Thus the first industrial black metal band was born. They soon changed the band name to Mysticum and decided to experiment further with the drum machine while incorporating psychedelic distorted riffs and voice samplings. The industrial sound was simple but effective with their debut In the Streams of Inferno in 1996. They laid the ground work for future bands to follow.

Following in Mysticum’s footsteps was Dødheimsgard, also known as DHG. Primarily as an avant-garde black metal project, they begun to use samplings in their EP, Satanic Art. Experimental but not quite industrial metal. However they didn’t make the full shift in sound until 1999 with their follow up 666 International. This was the full changed that ditched most of their previous black metal efforts in favor for a more avant garde approach to industrial metal.

Released in 1999, Thorns took it a step further with their split Thorns vs Emperor. Released by Moonfog Productions, they gave Thorns to make their own full length album which was released in 2001. The self titled debut is a perfect example on how to execute industrial metal within black metal. The cold mechanical atmosphere, the chaotic guitar riffs of black metal. It sounded like the LP was recorded in a steel mill from hell. This record highten the bar.

Thorn - Shifting Channels (from self-titled)

1999 was the year of industrial black metal. Another band that released an industrial piece was The Kovenant. Formerly known as Covenant, they had to change their name due to an existing Swedish EBM group with the same name. While Dødheimsgard to an avant garde approach to industrial black metal, The Kovenant took the more symphonic route with Animatronic.

That same year while it didn’t sound much metal or black metal in fact, this was still another important release. Samael ditched more of their metal sound while it was somewhat there, instead it was coated with industrialized darkwave melodies and space-like sounds with their 1999 release Eternal. Samael are important because they laid the foundation to Space Black Metal.

Space Black Metal is an oddity within the black metal community. While some bands use space/or dark ambiance in their music, some bands use more industrialize sounds to capture the atmosphere for added effect. It’s hard to categorized space black metal as part of industrial metal due to the nature that some bands don’t use the industrialize sounds while others do. One of these bands to push the sub-genre was Darkspace. Whether they are part of industrial, that is up to you.

Much like entering the 00’s when the landscape of industrial music was changing, so did other genres. When the 00’s gave the rise to cyber metal, a lot of these electro-black metal bands started to pop up. While in the spirit of black metal, they incorporated more EBM-esque aspects. These were bands like Diablerie, Nyne or T3CHN0PH0B1A to name a few. And much like cyber metal, these bands often featured more melodic guitar riffs rather than traditional black metal or industrial metal riffs.

Nyne - Necropolis (from 2005 Demo)

Aside from electro-black metal, there was one band that climbed the ranks. However they were more well known by the gothic/industrial scene rather than the metal scene. This was Psyclon Nine in the mid 00's. After making a couple of industrial black metal records, they disbanded due to problems within the bandmates themselves. In the 2010's, industrial black metla would have a new face. This was Dawn of Ashes who came directly from the EBM scene and shifted their music towards metal. While being a melodic black/death metal hybrid, they still retained a lot of their previous industrial sound that carried on future albums to this day.

Industrial Death Metal

It’s hard to pinpoint which is the first industrial death metal act given both Fear Factory and Pitchishifter formed in 1989. Both bands took a page from Godflesh and combined it with the aggressive sounds of death metal. Both bands were even going to release their debut the same year of 1991. Except with Fear Factory, they were unhappy with the record deal and shelved their proposed debut Concrete which was later released it in 2002 through Roadrunner Records. Soul of a New Machine was instead their debut which was released in 1992. This album contained half of the tracks from the suppose Concrete re-recorded.

Pitchishifter released their debut in 1991 titled Industrial. It had a hollow cold machine-like atmosphere, aggressive death metal guitars and distorted harsh vocals. Despite being a perfect example of industrialize death metal, Fear Factory’s debut over shadowed the band. To get notice, unfortunately the band slowly did away with their previous death metal sound with each passing release. It was until 1998 when the band found mainstream success with their 4th LP. This was around the time nu metal became popular and thus the band shifted to a more nu metal appeal. Not to say Fear Factory had their brief nu metal period. While both bands did find success, Pitchshifter fizzled entering the 00’s as Fear Factory reutrned to their more aggressive industrial metal sound.

Pitchishifter - Deconstruction (from Submit)

Some of the earlier industrial death metal acts were also Dead World, Bleed, Soulstorm and most notably Meathook Seed which was formed as an industrial metal side project made up of members from Obituary and Napalm Death.

Another important band that contributed to industrial death metal was Skin Chamber. Made as a metal side project from early industrial members of Controlled Bleeding, this was their avenue to pursue heavy metal music. Skin Chamber was influenced by extreme metal and grindcore with guitar works were similar to that of early Swans which was another influence for the band.

By fusing grindcore within industrial led to the birth of industrial grindcore or as some people know it as cybergrind. The Berzerker was the first band to play with this newly found sound. It was unlike anything that was heard before in not only industrial metal but also death metal.

In the 00’s, a lot of cyber metal acts borrowed melodies from death metal more than black metal. It was more palatable for the masses. While more traditional sounding industrial death metal bands were around during the 00’s, they were quickly over shadowed by the growing cyber metal acts.

Cyber Metal

A subgenre of industrial metal. Note that a lot of industrialist do not count cyber metal as part of industrial metal due to the subgenre heavily borrowing IDM elements or other electronic based music blended in with guitars similar to melodic death metal riffs. Cyber metal mainly uses more melodic and less repetitive riffs rather than mechanical-like sounds that of industrial metal. The music is often but not limited to including symphonic pieces arranged into the song structures. However this mostly described the industrial metal acts of the 00's. Cyber metal in the 90's was more of a concept rather than a sound.

The term cyber metal was first coined by the industrial metal group Fear Factory which was mostly based off their lyrical content. Their lyrics often included references to sci-fi classic Terminator as well as Dune or Bladerunner. Their music influenced such bands as Strapping Young Lad, Static-X and Pain to name a few with their cyber punk themes. This is where the roots of cyber metal came from.

In the early 2000 we saw a change in the industrial world. EBM groups begun using more IDM-like or techno based elements and the industrial club scene was shifting to more groups like Neotek, Assemblage 23 or Covenant for example. A new cyber age of industrial was born. Industrial was also seeing a lot of these modern EBM groups sprouting up. The heavy metal world was doing the same with industrial metal. The industrial metal wasn't as popular going into the 00's and a lot of groups either went underground or disbanded while the new modern "industrial metal" bands emerged. Bands like Oblivion Machine, Blood Stain Child to Deathstars took their place. These new industrial metal groups were often referred to as cyber metal by fans due to sound.

These bands were more melodic in style, used IDM and other heavy electronic elements. Most industrial fans argued they are too metal to be industrial while some metal fans said they are too electronic to be metal and most were stuck in this gray area. But this niche genre did find fans. Cyber metal was one of those odd ball genres that many times bordered on the fringes of industrial metal. Some even had nothing to do with industrial at all and only borrowed electronic elements for added effect. Often times some of these bands wouldn't be considered industrial or vise versa because of their music structure. It went against everything that made industrial metal industrial. Like it or not, cyber metal is here to stay and is part of industrial metal history.

Oblivion Machine - Shield Mode (from Zero Gravity)

Neue Deutsche Härte

Neue Deutsche Härte when translated is “New German Hardness”. What is it? It's somewhat of another oddball of the industrial music world aside from cyber metal. Note that this subgenre is often shunned by industrialist while being embraced by metalheads. It's essentially a crossover style of alternative metal and groove metal that combines elements of industrial and electronic music. More electronic rather than industrial most of the times. Depending on what band you listen to with this style can either divert away from industrial, move closer to it or remove it altogether. Whether it is “real” industrial music, that is up to the listener to decide. It is part of industrial music history nonetheless.

The first Neue Deutsche Härte band to appear was the fore feather of the genre, Oomph!. Formed in 1989, in Germany by Dero Goi, Andreas Crap and Robert Flux. It wasn't until in 1992 when they released their debut self-titled album under Machinery Records which was an industrial sub-label from record company Noise Records. Their second album, Sperm in 1994 was a big departure from their first. This is the band's second release and from there on the band would change their sound to the Neue Deutsche Härte style. It was a more guitar driven metal sound while keeping in touch with their EBM roots. This was the origins of the NDH sound but it changed with one particular band, Rammstein.

Blood - Vudu (from Seppuku)

Rammstein later came into the scene. They are not the originators of the genre but they did reinforced the genre's sound with their debut album released in 1995. They also added a militant style guitar riff to the Neue Deutsche Härte sound that is used by a lot of these bands today. Not only that, but the band used more IDM elements rather than EBM. This is where most NHD bands follow Rammstein's structure rather than Oomph!'s. This is the band that influenced many bands on the scene like Megaherz, Eisbrecher, Blood and many more.

Why did the NDH sound change? Herzeleid was a huge success to the band and even gained the attention of Trent Reznor who used two of their songs in the soundtrack he was producing at the time to David Lynch's Lost Highway. This was the first exposure of the band. Rammstein's second album Sehnsucht was a massive success, an international success. It overshadowed Oomph!'s structred sound of NDH and bands followed Rammstein's sound structure instead as a foundation to NDH.

One of the first NDH bands to break the Rammstein music structure was Eisbrecher. While at a time when most NDH bands were in the metal scene, Eisbrecher emerged from the gothic/industrial scene. This was one of the bands to follow the Oomph! music structure and put the industrial back in NDH.

Industrial Doom Metal

The first of these bands to play with doom metal elements would be Godflesh. However not once have they been categorized as industrial doom metal, they sure do use enough doom metal to be influential to other acts to follow.

One of the first of these bands to take the industrial doom metal tag was Canadian group Zaraza. An experimental/industrial funeral doom metal band which formed in 1993. Aside from Zaraza, P.H.O.B.O.S. is another band that has been noticed. From France, they have been in contact with avant garde/industrial/black metal group Blut Aus Nord. When not making black metal, their industrial records are very doom-ish as you can often hear the influences from Godflesh mixed with post metal guitar riffs.

There are not many bands within industrial that carry the doom metal tag, currently the most popular one is Author & Punisher which have been praised during the industrial metal revival.

P.H.O.B.O.S. - Transonic Mahasamadhi (from Atonal Hypermnesia)

While industrial doom metal is very niche, there are an unknown number of bands that still remind undiscovered.

F.A.Q.

Now often times I’m always asked what metal bands are industrial and which are not. These are the frequently asked questions:

Is Rammstein industrial metal? To a point, maybe. It’s debatable depending who you are talking too. They are not the fathers of Neue Deutsche Härte. However they are the first to enforce the sound. Neue Deutsche Härte comes from industrial metal but often times strays from the industrial as well as the industrial metal formula and becomes it’s own thing.

Is Marilyn Manson industrial metal? Manson is mostly a straight up rock band. Marilyn Manson has only ever done 3 industrial metal releases. Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals and The Golden Age of Grotesque. He does use some industrial music-like traces in other albums but it is too insignificant to warrant it as industrial metal. Another question I am often ask, no, Marilyn Manson is not goth.

Is Nine Inch Nails industrial metal? No. Nine Inch Nails’ only industrial metal release was the Broken EP. For those that argue that The Downward Spiral is a metal album, no it’s not. Listen to it again. It has some heavy songs but heaviest doesn't equal metal. Other genres can be heavy in their own way.

Is White Zombie and Rob Zombie industrial metal? No and no. White Zombie only ever did one industrial metal record and that was Astro-Creep: 2000. Everything before it was either groove metal or noise rock. Rob Zombie was never industrial metal. He may use some movie samplings here and there like most industrial groups at the time but that is it. Rob Zombie is more groove metal.

Is Crematory industrial metal? I would say no but that is very debatable. The band uses more electronic sounds that are mostly used within EBM groups rather than industrial metal. EBM is an off shoot of industrial music. However if you strip the metal sound from Crematory, they end up sounding like any other EBM band.

Is Motionless in White industrial metal? No. It's just metalcore with very slight electronic touches. Doesn't make you industrial because of that. Just because you have a few electronic loops and sound effects doesn’t automatically make you industrial metal.

Is Anaal Nathrakh industrial metal? No. They do use some industrial influences but it’s too insignificant to be called industrial metal. Much like Shade Empire, Prong or Engel.

Is Samael industrial metal? No. The most industrial they ever gotten was Eternal and Era One. Everything else after Passage in 1996 mostly fell under the obscure extreme metal tag.

Is Static-X nu metal or industrial metal? Their first two albums are industrial metal but later spirals into nu metal with slight hints of industrial to a point were it’s barely there. The same is said about Dope but despite using industrial metal riffs, they are barely industrial metal.

Is Strapping Young Lad industrial metal? Only the first 2 albums. Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing and City.

Is Voivod industrial metal? No, definitely not. Some how Voivod almost makes it to some industrial metal list of some sort. I know why. The band is not just any thrash band, they use a lot of progressive metal in their music and experiment in sound. They have cited Pink Floyd as an inspiration which is one of the bands that inspired industrial music itself. Not to mention Voivod have also cited Killing Joke and industrial group Einstürzende Neubauten as an influence.

Is Tool industrial metal? No. Tool has never been industrial metal. The closest they ever gotten to playing with industrial elements was their album Ænima. And the industrial elements were used only and only in their interludes. Never again have they went back to using industrial within their music.

Top 10 Essential Industrial Metal Albums

These are the top 10 essential industrial metal albums to own. While not only somewhat easier to obtain than other industrial metal releases but albums that had a lasting impact on the sub-genre and were highly influential. Note that Nine Inch Nail’s Broken cannot be added since it’s an EP and not a full length album. This list is for albums ONLY! So in no particular order –

Godflesh – Streetcleaner
Heavy as hell and bone crushing as ♥♥♥♥. This debut was unlike anything heard before. This record has been cited by many bands, even to some outside the industrial genre. While heavy, doom-ish and at times extreme, this was also a blue print for those that would make industrial death metal.


Ministry – Psalm 69 (ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ)
While The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste was great and was a lot more aggressive and guitar driven than The Land of Rape and Honey, it wasn’t as refined. Psalm 69 took it a step further. This album also propelled Ministry into the music Billboard charts which opened the door for future industrial acts to make it on the charts.

Fear Factory – Demanufacture
While most industrial metal bands comes from industrial rather than metal, this was the other way around. And at the time Fear Factory was a sound that was unheard of in the genre. By bringing in Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly, he industrialized this metal album further than what was heard in Soul of a New Machine. This album also brought in groove metal elements into industrial metal.

Strapping Young Lad – City
Although in the industrial metal scene for a brief time, City brought a more extreme sound to industrial metal and pushed the boundaries further in terms of industrial metal. This LP is an extreme metal record industrialized, coated in death and thrash metal riffs.


Oomph! – Sperm
Moving away from their heavy synth-based debut, Oomph! brought something new to industrial metal. It brought in new elements and established the genre which would be later known as Neue Deutsche Härte.



KMFDM – Nihil
While not their first heavy industrial release, it was a more refined industrial rock album with lots of heavy metal tunes. Better drum work than previous albums and much more guitar driven tracks. All while keeping the industrial feel of the LP throughout.


Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
Not as industrial metal sounding like previous releases within the genre but it has this dark, dirty, gritty industrial metal aesthetic. As dark as Skinny Puppy and as violent as a modern day Alice Cooper. This LP brought something completely new to industrial metal and helped shaped alternative metal further.


Nailbomb – Point Blank
While thrash/industrial was done before with Malhavoc, Nailbomb brought it to the forefront to the metal scene. It was an industrial metal gateway record for thrash enthusiast. It was heavy, it was brutal, more metal than any other industrial metal release at the time. It also brought in a new audience that would normally not listen to this type of music.

Rammstein – Sehnsucht
While Oomph! Brought fourth the building blocks for NDH, they didn’t hit international success like Rammstein did. The sophomore release break new ground and further enforced the NDH sound that is used by most bands of the sub-genre today.


Thorns – self-titled
Mysticum made industrial black metal but Thorns took it as refined it to perfection. It combined both black metal and industrial metal perfectly into one mold. Both the brutality of black metal and the mechanical sounds of industrial. This is one big album in the list that influenced many in the sub-genre despite only making one album.

Other Industrial Metal releases to add to your collection

Everything on the list is industrial metal. Some noted in parentheses on the style. This is just a small list of suggested albums to give you the listener, a better idea of what releases to listen too.

3Teeth – 3Teeth
3Teeth – Shutdown.exe
13 Mg. – Trust and Obey
16 Volt – Wisdom
Aborym – Shifting.Negative
Acritarch - The Dark that Stains Us All
Acumen Nation – Transmissions from Eville
Alien Deviant Circus – Ev To Παν Oμεγασ (black)
Alien Deviant Circus – Satanic Djihad (black)
Amnestic - Real Bad Day
And Christ Wept – Destroy Existence (death)
...And Oceans – Cypher (cyber)
Author & Punisher – Beastland
Author & Punisher – Melk En Honing (doom)
Author & Punisher – Women & Children (doom)
The Axis of Perdition – Deleted Scenes from the Transition Hospital (black)
Balance Interruption - Door 218 (black)
The Berzerker – Dissimulate (grindcore)
Bile – Suckpump
Bile – Teknowhore
Birmingham 6 – Mindhallucination (rock)
Black Magnet - Hallucination Scene
Blacklodge - SolarKult (black)
Bleed – Womb (death)
Bliss Signal - Bliss Signal (blackened shoegaze)
Blood from the Soul – To Spite the Gland that Bleeds (hardcore)
Bloodstar – Anytime - Anywhere
Blut Aus Nord – 777 (any of the 777 trilogy of albums)(black/post metal)
The Body – No One Deserves Happiness (experimental/sludge)
Cable Regime – Life in the House of the Enemy
Catasexual Urge Motivation – Death to Pigs (grindcore)
Catasexual Urge Motivation – Nekronicle Continues - A Journey Into the Morbid Mind of Serial Murderers Vol. 4 - Nekrotronica (grindcore)
Chaos Cascade – Grotesque Inflections of Infernal Agony (grindcore/power electronics)
Chemlab – Burn Out At the Hydrogen Bar (rock)
Chemlab – East Side Militia
Christdriver – Everything Burns
Christwvrks - Teeth Fall from the Open Eye (black/noise)
Circle of Dust – Brainchild
Clawerfield – Engine of Creation (cyber/groove)
Conflict – Transform into a Human (cyber)
Corrections House - Last City Zero (sludge)
Crawl – Earth (death)
C r o w n - Psychurgy (sludge/doom)
Cssaba - Underground Lo-Fi Songs (black)
Cubanate – Cyberia (rock)
Cyanotic – The Medication Generation
Dawn of Ashes – Theophany (black)
Dawn of Ashes – The Antinomian (electro)
Dawn of Ashes – Scars of the Broken (electro/gothic)
Dead World – Thanatos Descends (death)
December Wolves – Blasterpiece Theatre (death)
Decree – Fateless
Depressor – The Book of the Dead EP (death)
Devil-M - Astharat
DieKlute - Planet Fear
Die Krupps – II: The Final Option
Disconnect – The Sum of Our Parts (doom)
Disconnect – Subsistence (doom)
Dominion III – Life Has Ended Here (symphonic)
Drown – Hold on to the Hollow
Drug Honkey – Ghost in the Fire (doom)
Dying of the Light – Monolithium EP (doom)
DyNAbyte – Extreme Mental Piercing
Eisbrecher – Eisbrecher
The Electric Hellfire Club – Electronomicon (black)
The Electric Hellfire Club - Witness the Millennium (black)
Emperor vs Thorns (black)
Fear Factory – Archetype
Fear Factory – Mechanize
Fear Factory – Soul of a New Machine (death)
Filth Pig – Youthful Nihilism
Front Line Assembly – Millennium
Funeral Revolt – The Perfect Sin (death)
Gary Numan – Dead Son Rising (gothic)
Gary Numan – Pure (gothic)
Gnaw – Cutting Pieces (noise)
Godflesh – Hymns
Godflesh – Pure
Godflesh – Selfless
Godhead – Power Tool Stigmata (rock)
Godkiller – Deliverance
Gothminister - Empire of Dark Salvation (gothic)
Gorgonea Prima - Black Coal Depression (black)
Gravity Kills – perversion (rock)
Greymachine – Disconnected
Halo in Reverse – Halo in Reverse (rock)
Hanzel und Gretyl – Scheissmessiah
Hanzel und Gretyl – Zwanzig Zwolf
Hate Dept. – Meat.Your.Maker
Havoc Unit – H.iv
Helel - The French Industrial Cursed Tape (black)
Hogwasche - MBM
Hold Me Down - Hold Me Down
Intervoid - Weaponized (progressive death)
Iperyt - Totalitarian Love Pulse (black/death)
Ironhand – Aggronomicon (black/gothic)
Ironhand – Essential Blasphemy Music (black/gothic)
It Is I – Evolve
Jesu – Heart Ache & Dethroned
Jesus and the Gurus – Blood, Sweat and Tears (gothic)
Jesus and the Gurus – King ov Salò (neofolk)
Khost – Corrosive Shroud (doom)
Khost – Governance (doom)
Kill the Thrill – Tellurique (post metal)
Killing Joke – Pandemonium
KMFDM – Angst (rock)
KMFDM – Symbols
KMFDM – Xtort (rock)
The Kovenant – Animatronic (symphonic black)
The Kovenant – In Times Before the Light reissue (symphonic black)
The Kovenant – S.E.T.I. (symphonic/cyber)
Kryoburn - Enigmatic Existence
Landfill – Assassins (death)
Landfill – Extinction is Mandatory (death)
Lard – The Last Temptation of Reid
Legion of Andromeda – Iron Scorn (grindcore)
Luminous Vault - Animate the Emptiness (black)
Machines of Loving Grace – Concentration (rock)
Malhavoc – The Release
Marilyn Manson – Mechanical Animals
Mechina – Progenitor (symphonic death/cyber)
Melt – Emissions of Hypocrisy
Ministry – Filth Pig
Ministry – Rio Grande Blood (thrash)
Ministry – The Last Sucker
Misery Loves Co. - Misery Loves Co.
Morbid Angel – Laibach Remixes (death)
Mortiis – The Great Deceiver
Mortiis – The Grudge
Mysticum – In the Streams of Inferno (black)
Necrorder – Slave & ♥♥♥♥♥♥ (cyber)
Neo Inferno 262 – Hacking the Holy Code (black)
Neon Synthesis – Alchemy of Rebirth (cyber/gothic)
Nihil – Drown
Nine Inch Nails – Broken EP
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (rock)
N.K.V.D. – Hakmarrja
Numb – Death on the Installment Plain
Nyne - Nyne (black/cyber)
Of – Machina Ex Deo (funeral doom)
O.L.D. (Old Lady Drivers) - Lo Flux Tube (avant garde)
Oomph! - Defekt
o.O.o. (Out of Order) – S.T.N. Nuclear Generation demo (black)
Optimum Wound Profile – Lowest Common Dominator
Out Out - Nisus
OVO – Creatura (drone/noise)
Pain – Pain
Pain – Rebirth
Reaktor 4 - Reaktor 4 (experimental/black)
Phobonoid – Phobonoid (black/doom)
P.H.O.B.O.S. – Atonal Hypermnesia (doom)
P.H.O.B.O.S. – Tectonics (doom)
Pig – Pigmata
Pig – Sinsation
Pitbull Daycare – Unclean
Pitchshiter – Desensitized
Pitchshifter – Industrial (death)
Pop. 1280 – The Horror (rock)
Pore – Dorsale
Psychopomps – Six Six Six Nights in Hell (rock)
Psyclon Nine – Crwn Thy Frnicatr (black)
Psyclon Nine – [Order of the Shadow: Act 1] (dark/extreme)
Psyclon Nine – We the Fallen (electro black)
Punishment Systems² - Neo Punishment Systems (black)
Rammstein – Mutter (NDH)
Razed in Black – Sacrificed (gothic)
Realized - Demolition
Reaver – The Nightside of Eden (electro)
Reclusa – The Anticonscience (death doom/power electronics)
Red Harvest – Cold Dark Matter (extreme)
Red Harvest – Internal Punishment Programs (extreme)
Revolting ♥♥♥♥ – Beers, Steers + Queers
Ride for Revenge – Ride for Revenge (black)
Ritual Æsthetic - Wound Garden
Rvbber VVitch - Mastvrbations malveillantes MMXVII (black)
Scorn – Vae Solis
Seraphim System - Luciferium (electro)
Sewer Goddess - Painlust (doom)
Shotgun Messiah – Violent New Breed
The Silence Industry – The Teeth of Tomorrow (gothic/post metal)
Sister Machine Gun – Burn (rock)
Skatenigs – Stupid People Shouldn’t Breed
Skin Chamber – Trial
Skin Chamber – Wound
Skinny Puppy – The Process
Skold – Anomie
Skrew – Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame
Society.Burning – Entropy Lingua
Sonic Violence – Transfixion
Soulstorm – Darkness Visible (death)
Soulstorm – Fall of the Rebel Angels (death)
Spektr – The Art to Disappear (black)
Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days (rock)
Static-X – Machine
Steril -Egoism (rock)
Sterilizer - Sterilizer
Street Sects - The Kicking Mule (rock)
Swamp Terrorist – Wreck
Swans – Filth (no wave)
Thy Disease - Costumes of Technocracy (cyber)
Treponem Pal – Treponem Pal
Turmion Kätilöt – U.S.C.H. (NDH)
Uniform – Wake in Fright
Valley of Fear – Valley of Fear (black/noise)
Whalesong - Disorder (sludge)
White Zombie – Astro-Creep: 2000 (groove)
The Witch was Right - The Stone (metalcore)
Wolfpack 44 – The Scourge (black)
Zaraza – No Paradise to Lost (death/funeral doom)
Zaraza – Slavic Blasphemy (death/funeral doom)
Zavod - Industrial City
Zeromancer – Clone Your Lover (rock)
Zeromancer – Eurotrash (rock)
Zyklon – Aeon (death)
Zylum – Prayer for Nothing EP (doom)

Conclusion

Industrial metal is one of the most misunderstood genres in metal. I hope this guide helps with that to give you a clearer answer of the world of industrial metal. If you are interested and want to know more, join our Industrial group. We feature industrial related post once or twice a week on bands, news, albums from the past to present.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/theindustrialists
Industrial Machine Music https://discord.gg/vMc2Y9xBFZ

[\//\|>0R₩/\\/€ Sasha サー]

No clue what you are talking about, Both bands are on the recommendation lists and come up again throughout this entire reading. Look again.

[Noob Herder]

Complete disservice to leave out the earlier NIN releases that were exemplary of the industrial genre and the god tier first Static-X album out of your recommended list.

[Valenteeen]

Because of the wonderfully put together article, I have given a handful of genres, that I never really cared for, a try, and I am grateful, thank you kindly

[BoricuaArkouda]

Very much appreciated

[Spike Rose]

God DAMN this is a good article. I knew a number of these but it felt good to branch out and expand my library thanks to this. Serious props for the recommendations.

[tatobrevi]

I found your post in the Brutal Legend forum and I can assure it's the best article about industrial metal/rock I've ever read. Now I wanna follow you on Spotify and create a decent industrial metal/rock playlist. Thanks a lot for your effort with this article, it is 10/10

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

Incredible post dude

[Riegelstriegel]

Went to the store today and bought Mysticum/In the Streams of Inferno and two more Godflesh Albums. Thank you kind Metal Sir!

Regarding Aborym, I would rather recommend earier albums like With No Human Intervention. Shifting.negative was already far away from their original sound.
Otherwise great Guide with much more music to discover. I will drop by a few more times for sure.

[@]

metal!

[Liquid_Cesspool]

Thanks for the write up. I love the core industrial metal bands, but could never find good recommendations... till now