Industrial metal

Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals.<ref name="allmusic1">Template:Cite web</ref> Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Fear Factory, Rammstein, KMFDM, and Godflesh.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Industrial metal developed in the late 1980s, as industrial and metal began to fuse into a common genre.Template:Sfn Industrial metal did well in the early 1990s, particularly in North America,Template:Sfn with the success of groups such as Nine Inch Nails, but its popularity began to fade in the latter half of the 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

History

Early innovators

Though electric guitars had been used by industrial artists since the early days of the genre,Template:Sfn archetypal industrial groups such as Throbbing Gristle displayed a strong anti-rock stance.Template:Sfn British post-punk band Killing Joke pioneered the crossing over between stylesTemplate:Sfn and was an influence on major acts associated with industrial metal such as Ministry, Godflesh, and Nine Inch Nails.<ref name="decibel july 2007">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="sfgate june 2007">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Another pioneer industrial rock group, Big Black, also impacted some later groups.Template:Sfn<ref name="guardian">Template:Cite web</ref>

By the late 1980s industrial and heavy metal began to fuse into a common genre,Template:Sfn with Godflesh's self-titled EP<ref name="godflesh88">Template:Cite web</ref> and Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey at the forefront. Godflesh was founded by former Napalm Death guitarist Justin Broadrick.<ref name="decibel march 2007">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Drawing from a wide array of influences—power electronics forefathers Whitehouse,Template:Sfn noise rock band Swans,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> ambient music creator Brian Eno<ref name="decibel march 2007" /> and fellow Birmingham hard rockers Black SabbathTemplate:Sfn—the Godflesh sound was once described as "Pornography-era The Cure on Quaaludes".Template:Sfn Though not a top seller,Template:Sfn Godflesh nonetheless became an influential act, their name mentioned by Korn,Template:Sfn Metallica,Template:Sfn Danzig,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Faith No More,Template:Sfn and Fear Factory.Template:Sfn

Ministry emerged from the scene surrounding Wax Trax! Records, a Chicago indie label dedicated to industrial music.Template:Sfn Ministry's initial foray into guitar rock happened during a recording session of The Land of Rape and Honey on Southern Studios, in London.Template:Sfn The band's frontman, the Cuban-born Al Jourgensen, explained this transition:Template:Sfn

File:Rev cocks.jpg

Al Jourgensen (center) with Revolting Cocks

Jourgensen seemed particularly fond of thrash metal. After the release of Land, he recruited guitarist Mike Scaccia from Texas thrashers Rigor Mortis.<ref name="AllMusic_Scaccia">Template:Cite web</ref> On one occasion, Jourgensen told the press that Sepultura was his favorite band.Template:Sfn He also expressed the desire to produce a Metallica album.Template:Sfn Jourgensen's interest in dance-oriented electronic music did not entirely fade, however; he also formed the side-project Revolting Cocks, a more electronic body music-inflected collaboration with Richard23 of Front 242.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

German band KMFDM was another seminal industrial metal group. Although not a metal fan, KMFDM leader Sascha Konietzko's "infatuation with ripping off metal licks" stemmed from his experiments with E-mu's Emax sampler in late 1986. He told Guitar World that,Template:Sfn Template:Blockquote

A Swiss trio, The Young Gods, brushed with the style on their second album, L'Eau Rouge (1989). Prior to its release, singer Franz Treichler declared:Template:Sfn

Canadian thrash metal band Malhavoc became one of the earlier acts of the genre when they began to mix extreme metal with industrial music in the late 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pigface, formed by Martin Atkins and including Ministry drummer Bill Rieflin, emerged as an industrial metal collective of sorts, participating with many figures from the noise rock and industrial worlds.<ref name="Pigface Allmusic">Template:Cite web</ref> Nine Inch Nails, the "one-man-band" formed by Trent Reznor, brought the genre to mainstream audiences with albums such as the Grammy-winning Broken<ref name="ningrammy">Template:Cite web</ref> and the best-selling The Downward Spiral, accompanied by their groundbreaking performance at Woodstock '94. The rivethead subculture also developed at this time,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> along with the so-called "coldwave" subgenre, which encompassed Chemlab, 16 Volt, and Acumen Nation.<ref name="regenmag.com">Ilker Yücel, interview with Jared Louche, ReGen Magazine, 20 January 2008. Template:Cite web Access date: 28 December 2008.</ref> Some electro-industrial groups adopted industrial metal techniques in this period, including Skinny Puppy (on their Rabies, co-produced by Jourgensen),<ref name="Allmusic Rabies">Template:Cite web</ref> and Front Line Assembly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

British band Pitchshifter, formed in 1989 by brothers Jon and Mark Clayden, also started as an industrial metal band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band later included elements of drum and bass.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Frontman JS mentions:<ref name="psi">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Blockquote

Industrial thrash and death metal

Template:Distinguish Industrial metal's popularity led a number of successful thrash metal groups, including Megadeth, Sepultura, and Anthrax, to request remixes by "industrial" artists.Template:Sfn Some musicians emerging from the death metal scene, such as Fear Factory, Nailbomb, Autokrator and Meathook Seed, also began to experiment with industrial. Fear Factory, from Los Angeles,<ref name="AM FF">Template:Cite web</ref> were initially influenced by the Earache roster (namely Godflesh, Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower).<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> The German band Oomph! after their second album Sperm started to play industrial metal combined with elements of death metal and groove metal until the album Plastik. Sepultura singer Max Cavalera's Nailbomb, a collaboration with Alex Newport, also practiced a combination of extreme metal and industrial production techniques.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Obituary guitarist Trevor Peres suggested drum machines for The End Complete,Template:Sfn Obituary's most successful album;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> however the other band members' refusal led him to form Meathook Seed.Template:Sfn

Industrial black metal

In the early years of the 21st century, groups from the black metal scene began to incorporate elements of industrial music. Mysticum, formed in 1991,<ref>Marty Rytkonen, Mysticum interview, Worm Gear No. 8, Template:Cite web Access date: 11 January 2009.</ref> was the first of these groups.<ref name="lom">Roel F., Interview with Treachery, Lords of Metal issue 87, December 2008. [1] Access date: 3 December 2008.</ref> DHG (Dødheimsgard), Thorns from Norway and Blut Aus Nord, N.K.V.D. and Blacklodge from France, have been acclaimed for their incorporation of industrial elements.<ref>Chris Dick, "Blut Aus Nord", Decibel, December 2006. Template:Cite web Access date: 22 July 2008.</ref> Other industrial black metal musicians include Aborym,<ref>Gothtronic. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> and ...And Oceans.<ref>Globaldomination, 26 September 2007. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> In addition, The Kovenant,<ref>Antti J. Ravelin, Nexus Polaris review, Allmusic. [[[:Template:AllMusic]]] Access date: 11 January 2009.</ref> Mortiis and Ulver emerged from the Norwegian black metal scene, but later chose to experiment with industrial music.<ref>Stefanos Zachariadis, Blood Inside review, Metal Invader, 3 May 2005. Template:Cite web Access date: 9 January 2009.</ref><ref>Mark Hensch, Some Kind of Heroin review, Thrashpit. Template:Cite web Access date: 9 January 2009.</ref>

Progressive industrial metal

Several artists with their roots in progressive music, though not often associated with industrial metal scene, also incorporated industrial textures into their music. Later-era King Crimson, whose 2000s albums were referred as "industrial art metal",<ref>Langdon Hickman, A Beginner's Guide to the epic music of King Crimson. Template:Cite web Access date: 15 September 2019.</ref> and OSI can be named as examples of progressive industrial metal. Several acts associated with extreme metal subgenres also mix progressive and avant-garde metal with industrial, those include the Hungarian experimental metal act Thy Catafalque,<ref>Thy Catafalque – Geometria Review Template:Cite web Access date: 15 September 2019.</ref> Blut aus Nord and Norwegian band Shining with their critically acclaimed Blackjazz album, which blended progressive rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> black metal, free jazz and industrial.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Canadian artist Devin Townsend, the founder of industrial thrash metal<ref>Template:AllMusic</ref> band Strapping Young Lad, later fused industrial with progressive metal during his prolific solo career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Danish band The Interbeing have also fused industrial with progressive metal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Coldwave

Coldwave is a subgenre of industrial metal originating in the 1990s. It has its roots in acts like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry. The style focuses on heavier, punk-based guitars, sampled hard rock-like guitars, synthesizer accompaniment, and acid house elements. Lyrical content is typically cyberpunk-oriented with pop music sensibilities, although it can vary.

Chemlab's 1993 album Burn Out at the Hydrogen Bar is often considered the album that defined the coldwave style.<ref name="optionmag95">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="mixmagazine">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="musicsound">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="newyorkrock">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="downwardspiralbook">Template:Cite book</ref>

Artists like the aforementioned Chemlab, 16 Volt and Acumen Nation exemplified this genre.<ref name="regenmag.com"/>

The coldwave style began to wane rapidly when industrial music in general started to lose popularity in the latter half of the 1990s-early 2000's. Many artists within the genre moved on to different styles that included Hard rock, heavy metal, nu metal, cyber metal, synth-metal, synth-rock, and synth-pop among other genres.

Coldwave today is a small, niche scene within industrial music. Very few bands today describe themselves or are described as coldwave. Bands like Cyanotic and Medicant Downline are perhaps the exception.

Despite sharing the same name as the French genre, it is otherwise unrelated.

Cyber metal

Template:Infobox music genre Cyber metal is a subgenre of industrial metal which incorporates numerous elements found predominantly in EBM and aggrotech, including the use of more melodic and less repetitive riffs, in opposition to mostly metallic and mechanical sound of industrial music, first coined by Fear Factory in the mid-90s.<ref>BlabberMouth</ref> The Kovenant<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was the first band to develop cyber metal with some of its more well-known aspects: harsh vocals, extreme guitar melodies, and symphonic keyboards. A wave of other bands described as cyber metal would follow, including Deathstars,<ref>DEATHSTARS – Termination Bliss</ref> Mnemic,<ref>Mnemic – Shock-Injected</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sybreed,<ref>SYBREED interviewed. – PlanetMosh</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Turmion Kätilöt,<ref>Turmion Kätilöt Cyber Metal (Finland) has just released Omen X</ref> Illidiance,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cypecore,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Mechina,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Dark Halo,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Neurotech.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Commercial rise

File:NIN2009torontoVFEST.png

Nine Inch Nails in concert, 2009

File:Rammstein Live at Madison Square Garden.jpg

Rammstein Live at Madison Square Garden

Industrial metal blossomed in the early 1990s, particularly in North America,Template:Sfn where it would eventually sell close to 35 million units.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="riaa">Template:Cite web</ref> It first became a commercial force in 1992 when Nine Inch Nails' Broken and Ministry's Psalm 69 went platinum in America, though the latter took three years to reach that status.<ref name="riaa"/> Both groups were nominated for the Best Metal Performance in the 1992 Grammy Awards, with Nine Inch Nails winning.<ref name="ningrammy" /> Two years later, Nine Inch Nails released The Downward Spiral, which debuted at No. 2,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and would eventually go quadruple-platinum.<ref name="riaa"/> This record is considered by AllMusic as "one of the bleakest multi-platinum albums ever".<ref name="allnin">Template:Cite web</ref>

Following Nine Inch Nails' success, Marilyn Manson, led by a protégé of Reznor's,<ref>Staff. (10 May 2000) Manson, Reznor mend fences Template:Webarchive MTV. Retrieved 1 March 2009.</ref> came to prominence.<ref name="Stephen Thomas Erlewine">Template:Cite web</ref> The group's live performance and its transgressive appeal was often more commented on than their music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Industrial metal reached its commercial zenith in the latter half of the 1990s – according to the RIAA databases, its top-selling artists sold around 17.5 million units combined.<ref name="riaa"/><ref name="indgroups">Groups such as Fear Factory, Filter, Marilyn Manson, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Orgy, Rammstein, Stabbing Westward, Static-X and White Zombie, plus Rob Zombie's solo career.</ref> Records by major industrial metal artists routinely debuted on the top spots of the Billboard 200 chart: Rob Zombie's Hellbilly Deluxe (No. 5),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar (No. 3),<ref>[[[:Template:AllMusic]] Antichrist Superstar Allmusic Billboard charts & awards]. Allmusic.com. Retrieved 30 November 2010.</ref> and Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile (No. 1).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A number of industrial metal albums performed well on Billboard's Heatseekers chart: Filter's Short Bus (No. 3),<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Stabbing Westward's Wither Blister Burn + Peel (No. 1),<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Rammstein's Sehnsucht (No. 2),<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Orgy's Candyass (No. 1),<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> and Static-X's Wisconsin Death Trip (No. 1).<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

During this era, Trent Reznor was chosen by Time as one of the most influential Americans of 1997.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The genre's popularity was such that established glam metal groups, including Guns N' Roses and Mötley Crüe, began to dabble in the style.<ref>New GNR.com [2] Template:Webarchive Access date: 4 August 2008.</ref><ref>Dave De Sylvia, Generation Swine review, [3] Access date: 4 August 2008.</ref> Figures from the hip hop scene also began to seek out collaborations with and remixes from industrial metal musicians.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Nin Chan, Rap Reviews, 25 January 2005 Template:Cite web Access date: 22 July 2008</ref><ref>Dave Maher, Pitchforkmedia news, 16 February 2007 Template:Cite web Access date: 22 July 2008</ref>

When industrial metal climbed the charts of the late 1990s, its sudden popularity was met with negative reactions from the early innovators of industrial music. Peter Christopherson told The Wire that he no longer felt any kinship with the industrial scene: "this is not me, this is not what I'm about".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lustmord, a prominent early industrial musician,<ref>John Bush, Lustmord, Allmusic bio. [[[:Template:AllMusic]]] Access date: 21 February 2009.</ref> declared that "Ministry just doesn't interest [him]" and "[he has] no time for all this rock and roll shit they're doing now."Template:Sfn Skinny Puppy frontman Nivek Ogre dismissed Nine Inch Nails as "cock rock"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but have since patched things up and have even performed on stage together.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Industrial metal suffered a critical backlash at the turn of the millennium. In an April 2000 review for the Chicago Sun Times, Jim DeRogatis dismissed Nine Inch Nails' new music as a "generic brand of industrial thrash" and accused Ministry of repeating an act that "was old by 1992".<ref name="jdr2000">Template:Cite web Archived at The NIN Hotline Template:Webarchive.</ref> Although The Fragile reached the top spot of the Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and went on to earn double platinum status,<ref name="riaa"/> DeRogatis considered it a "flop" nonetheless.<ref name="jdr2000"/> Around this time, veteran industrial metal artists (Ministry,Template:Sfn Godflesh,Template:Sfn and White ZombieTemplate:Sfn) began to repudiate the industrial label. Sales remained high throughout 2000–2005; at least 10 million records were sold during that time frame.<ref name="riaa"/><ref name="indgroups"/> Many groups began to take influence from hip hop and electronic music, in addition to industrial metal. As a result, acts like Powerman 5000 are often described as industrial metal as well as nu metal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Film and video

Several industrial metal groups have produced eye-catching videos. These include Godflesh's collaboration with Andres Serrano,<ref>Jay W. Babcock, "In Godflesh We Trust", RIP Magazine, December 2006. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> Aidan Hughes's graphics for KMFDM,<ref>Aidan Hughes, Interview by Liberation Iannillo, Trigger Magazine, 5 August 2005. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> Nine Inch Nails' work with Mark Romanek,<ref>Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine, 5 September 2005. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> Rob Zombie's visual work for White Zombie (for which he received the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hard Rock Video),<ref name="jorgl">Stephen Jorgl, "Rob Zombie on Making Films and Records", Audiohead.net, 2006. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> and Marilyn Manson's output with Richard Kern<ref>Kurt B. Reighley, Marilyn Manson, chapter 6, Macmillan, 1998, p. 73.</ref> and Floria Sigismondi.<ref>Mark Dillon, "Gothic Goddess", American Cinematographer, August 1998, p. 60-70. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> NIN later collaborated with Bill Viola for live accompaniment.<ref>Bill Viola artist biography. Template:Cite web Access date: 4 January 2009.</ref> Trent Reznor also produced the soundtracks for the films Natural Born Killers and Lost Highway, and served as "musical consultant" for Man on Fire.<ref>David Browne, "'Killer' Riffs," Entertainment Weekly, 23 September 1994. Template:Cite magazine Access date: 10 January 2009.</ref><ref>"Death to Hootie!: Trent Reznor Makes a Case for Danger," Rolling Stone, 6 March 1997.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rob Zombie has directed three films.<ref name=jorgl/> In 2009, Marilyn Manson was in the process of directing Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll. The movie has since languished in development hell.<ref>Wax, Alyse. Marilyn Manson Freaks Us Out at the Scream Awards, FEARnet, 20 October 2008 at FEARnet.com Template:Webarchive. Last Retrieved 22 October 2008.</ref> Other films that have included prominent contributions from industrial metal artists include The Crow, Johnny Mnemonic, Hideaway, (Mortal Kombat/1997 sequel), The Matrix, Blair Witch and A.I. Artificial Intelligence.<ref>Charles Aaron, Entertainment Weekly, 1 April 1994. Template:Cite magazine Access date: 10 January 2009.</ref>Template:Sfn<ref name=okeefe/><ref>Marc Weingarten, Entertainment Weekly, 7 May 1999. Template:Cite magazine Access date: 9 January 2009.</ref><ref>David Basham, MTV News, 19 April 2001. Template:Cite web Access date: 9 January 2009.</ref>

Controversy

Its emphasis on transgressive themes has made a few industrial metal groups vulnerable to attack from American social conservatives. For example, Sen. Bob Dole, then head of the Republican Party, sharply criticized Time Warner after a meeting between Michael J. Fuchs (head of the Warner Music Group), William Bennett, and C. Delores Tucker, at which Tucker and Bennett demanded that Fuchs read lyrics from NIN's "Big Man with a Gun".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> A year later, Bennett, Tucker, and Joseph Lieberman launched a similar campaign against MCA Records for their distribution of Marilyn Manson's music.<ref name="blame">Template:Cite web</ref> Many of his concerts were cancelled by authorities after this uproar.<ref name="okeefe">Paula O' Keefe, "The History of Marilyn Manson, 1997 Update Part 2 of 2", at Spookhouse.net Template:Webarchive Access date: 10 January 2009.</ref> In addition, Dennis Cooper cited Ministry's video for "Just One Fix", which featured footage of William S. Burroughs, as an early example of heroin chic.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Rp Some initial reports claimed that Columbine High School shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were Marilyn Manson fans.<ref>Cullen, Dave. Inside the Columbine High investigation Template:Webarchive. Salon News, 23 September 1999.</ref> In fact, they preferred KMFDM and Rammstein.<ref name="cullen">Template:Cite news</ref> Asa Coon, another school shooter, was a Manson fan.<ref>School Shooting Template:Webarchive</ref> Manson, a former journalist, published a detailed response to the controversy following the Columbine shootings in an article published in Rolling Stone. It concluded:<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Template:Blockquote Sascha Konietzko reported that KMFDM was "sick and appalled" by the shootings, issuing a statement the following day saying:<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> Template:Blockquote

Rammstein stated that they "have no lyrical content or political beliefs that could have possibly influenced such behavior".<ref>"KMFDM And Rammstein Speak Out About Columbine," MTV News, 23 April 1999. Template:Cite web Access date: 27 February 2009.</ref> Rammstein have also been controversial for their use of Nazi imagery, including footage shot by Leni Riefenstahl for Olympia in their video for "Stripped".<ref name="london">London Records press release, "Nazis? Hell No!" [4] Access date: 27 February 2009. Template:Webarchive</ref> Alec Empire, a German digital hardcore musician, declared that "[Rammstein is] successful for all the wrong reasons. I think they're not a fascist band at all, but I think in Germany there's a lot of misunderstanding and that's why they sell records and I think that's dangerous."<ref>"Atari Teenage Riot's Alec Empire Questions Rammstein's Sincerity." MTV News, 9 November 1998. Template:Cite web Access date: 27 February 2009.</ref> In response to the controversy, Rammstein stated that "We are not Nazis, Neo-Nazis, or any other kind of Nazi. We are against racism, bigotry or any other type of discrimination."<ref name=london/> The band went on to create the song "Links 2-3-4", released in 2001, which responded to the Nazi allegations by insinuating that they reside left on the political spectrum.Template:Sfn

See also

• List of industrial metal bands
• Heavy metal music
• List of industrial music festivals
• List of heavy metal festivals

References

Bibliography

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