Well since Sensei has a music review thread, I thought I'd start one. To start, industrial is a genre that mixes elements of metal, punk, and electronic music into one and has many sub-genres branching from it. I myself tend to listen to the electronic side. The genres that revolve around that are known as aggrotech, harsh EBM, hellektro, dark trance, and darkwave.

These genres are all very (how should I put it?) "dark". That's kind of a given though. :P They all include elements that you'd expect from modern techno and death metal. Even though, I tend to listen to these genres the most, I'll be going more than just those.

Bands/Groups/Projects

Skinny Puppy



Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial band, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial subgenre.

Initially envisioned as an experimental side project by cEvin Key while he was in the new wave band Images In Vogue, Skinny Puppy evolved into a full-time project with the addition of vocalist Nivek Ogre. Over the course of a dozen studio albums and many live tours, Key and Ogre have been the only constant members. Other members have included Dwayne Goettel (1986–1995), Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (long-time associate, producer, and "unofficial" fourth member until 1995), Mark Walk (2003–present), and a number of guests, including Bill Leeb (1985–1986, under the pseudonym Wilhelm Schroeder), Al Jourgensen (1989), and many others.


I started with this band because it's kind of obvious. They are some of the pioneers behind electro-industrial and are still around to this day. They're music general tends to sound like softer breakcore and early house with dark lyrics. I've come to really like them since they are a bit more on the mellow side.

Source: YouTube


My rating: 8/10 - This band is amazing but tends to be too "pop-like" at times.

Agonoize

Agonoize is a German Aggrotech  band constituted of Mike Johnson (composition, programming, production & mastering), Oliver Senger (composition & programming) and Chris L (lyrics & vocals).

Established in late 2002 as a duo between Johnson and Senger, it soon became apparent that the act needed a frontman to improve their stage performance and Chris L. became lead vocalist, making Agonoize a trio.

Where to begin? This group blew my mind when I first heard them. Not only was it my first taste of German electronic music but it was also what really got me into this type of music. They're music is very catchy, bouncy, danceable, and yet, they're incredibly hate-filled. They're very unique when it comes to the aggrotech scene. The sound that they produce is not like that of other groups. They're much more fluid and trance-like.

Source: YouTube


My rating: 9/10 - Agonoize is purely amazing. My one and only problem is that they're material sometimes gets repetitive and it's like they don't change much when it comes to newer songs.

Psyclon Nine

Psyclon Nine is a musical group formed in 2000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. While their early efforts are generally categorized as aggrotech, their more recent material has incorporated a disparate set of musical and aesthetic influences, notably black metal. Psyclon Nine began in 2000 when Nero Bellum  (then using the name Marshall Carnage) and Josef Heresy began working on a guitar-oriented industrial project called "Defkon Sodomy", influenced by bands like KMFDM and Ministry. Renamed Psyclon Nine they played a small festival headlined by See Colin Slash, whose frontman, Eric Gottesman, was promptly recruited as the band's third member.

I was sitting in IT class one day when one of my friends pulled up the video for Parasitic. I had never heard this style of music. It was harsh, hateful, scared the surrounding people, and yet, it moved me. Nero Bellum has a voice that just blew me away and the heaviness of the beat gave me chills.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 10/10 - They are completely different from most of today's electro-industrial bands. They seem to lean towards electronic black metal if anything (give a listen to some of their other songs and you'll see what I mean).

Amduscia

Amduscia is an aggrotech band from Mexico consisting of Polo Amduscia (vocals, lyrics, sampling) and Edgar "Amduscia" Acevedo (synth programming, sampling, mixing). Their music has been described as aggrotech and they have cited influences from "dark ethereal, dark wave, cyberpunk, old ebm school [sic], to newer style such as synth pop and future pop."

This was the first group that I had heard from Mexico. They surprised me since when you listen to them, you can actually tell that they kinda keep a Mexican style to their music. The music itself is very close to trance. It's lively and very energetic. They're not one of my favorites but tend to make me bounce when I listen to the few songs I like by them.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 6/10 - Like I said above, not my favorite but I tend to listen to them when I want a jolt so to speak. People really enjoy them when I DJ so at least they're liked at parties. I really feel like Polo's voice is quieter than the actual music and at times is harder to hear.

A7ie

After being evolved under the influence of Electro/Industrial music, the French project A7ie has been established in the year 2002 under the name Aseptie. Initially it was intended, to built an instrumental music project, which experiments with harsh and distorted beats supported by dark and melodic background sounds. The first track under the usage of vocals has been launched in 2005 and has entered a slot on the compilation ”In This Cold Terrific Room 2”, released by the label La Chambre Froide (France).

I just discovered this project (was very hard to find). The music itself is a bit hard to explain. I really enjoy listening to this project but they seem to sound very similar to other groups. They music just kinda makes me want to sawy and head bob at the same time.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 7/10 - They're still new to me so I'll have to listen a bit more before I can give an honest rating. So far I really enjoy them but they're a tad generic.

X-Fusion

X-Fusion is the name of a solo electronic music project by German Musician, Producer & DJ, Jan L. He began releasing acid house tracks in 1988, and by 2000, the project had become an aggrotech project. To this date, X-Fusion has released 14 albums.

In 1988, Jan L. began producing music on a Commodore 64, in combination with organ sequences. Soon he upgraded to better equipment, suitable for producing high-quality music.

In 1991 his first demo tape, called “Syndromic Noise“, was produced. It, and his next demo tape, are usually classified as hard trance. Soon he began performing live at techno parties. This earned him exposure in local techno-trance scenes.

His music after this point was darker, and soon evolved to aggrotech. This music caught the attention of independent label DARK DIMENSIONS/SCANNER, who signed him in 2003. This was the beginning of X-FUSION as it exists today.

X-Fusion is a very unique project. He is one of the older electro-industrial producers out there with a very different sound. The music sounds like earlier trance with an evil side that makes me want to bounce. It's a very retro sound.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 8/10 - X-Fusion is loved at parties and great after a few bowls. I'm usually head bobbing or foot tapping when listening to him. His remixes of other groups are very well done too.

Nurzery [Rhymes]

“Nurzery Rhymes” was started back in 2000 and originally inspired by frontman Christian Riemer’s foray into DJing. Joined in live performances by Franco Del Prete, NR began lighting up stages locally around Frankfurt, Germany as well as across the European industrial music scene. The name Nurzery Rhymes incites a juxtaposition of a childlike innocence and sense of naive security with utter terror.

This is a very aggressive group. They seem to use many elements pertaining to death and Gothic. I really like this group when I'm feeling angry or want to get pumped for whatever reason.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 6/10 - It was hard to rate this group. I like them it's just they seem to generic and at times get old fast.

Grendel

Grendel is a harsh ebm artist from Netherlands. They started out in 1997 under a different name, but due to the band splitting up the name was changed into the current one. VLRK continued under the name Grendel, which originates from a character from the old Anglo-Saxon tale ‘Beowulf’.

One of the more popular electro-industrial groups in the world. They're music can be compared to that of slow, dark trance. This group is seen a lot especially when it comes to remix compilation CDs. I don't want to say this group is unique but they are a bit different. They're music is a bit more complex compared to others'.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 8/10 - They're not entirely original but like I stated above, do produce a more complex sound.

Alien Vampires

Alien Vampires - A.V. was formed in 1998 by Nysrok Infernalien (Aborym, Bloodline) with the precise intention to unleash industrial EBM trance with the spirit of black metal. Several tracks were recorded at the time but the new entity was kept in the dark owing to Nysrok’s commitment to Aborym.

A very different group compared to some of the above ones. They're songs are a bit more fast paced and newer releases are closer to metal with a touch of the electronic sound. I really like them though for this reason though.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 9/10 - Very different yet I love this group. Most of the songs that are produced are different from each other and tend to make me bob my head. (They seem to have an obsession with nuns. :P)

Combichrist

Combichrist was formed in 2003 by Norwegian Andy LaPlegua (founder of the band Icon of Coil) as an aggrotech project. The first material LaPlegua wrote was a few powernoise/techno crossover tracks under the moniker DRIVE. The band name was later changed to Combichrist before the debut album The Joy Of Gunz was released on the German record label Out of Line. The name Combichrist originates from a hardcore fanzine LaPlegua made during the late 90s, with JR Ewing  guitarist Håkon Mella. A few years after the band's conception, LaPlegua departed Norway for the United States, which is now the current homebase for Combichrist and his other projects, Scandy and Panzer AG.

Possibly one of the most popular aggrotech groups out today. I've talked to people that have never even heard of the genre and yet have heard of this group. They're music is very powerful and moving yet makes me want to dance. Andy LaPlegua is an excellent producer. I've listened to his other project Panzer AG and was very pleased. Combichrist, however, is very different in that it is more electronic while PAG is more Indie rock with an electronic touch.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 8/10 - This group is sometimes bland and makes me want to find something else that doesn't sound like banging on metal. I love them however since they're not the stereotypical aggrotech group.

Suicide Commando

For over twenty years, Johan Van Roy, aka Suicide Commando, has carried the dark electro heritage of acts like Klinik, Front 242 and Skinny Puppy  in his heart and musical soul. Bearing these influences on his sleeve, Van Roy has turned these inspirations into superb high-octane, highly aggressive, danceable, EBM-industrial / dark electro aimed straight at club dance floors.

Suicide Commando's music is, like stated above, very danceable. It's very fluid. I enjoy listening to it a lot and the remixes that other groups produce. This group has been around for a while, being another Pioneer in the electro-industrial scene.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 7/10 - I really enjoy listening to this group but some of their older work is just bland. The lyrics are very interesting however. Usually about death or other morbid things.

Dawn of Ashes

Since DAWN OF ASHES (DoA) formed in 2001, the band has made transitions in line-ups and sound to create their ideal artistic outlet. DoA did so by adding additional members and placing the element of live guitars and drums into the music, taking the group from the Industrial scene into the Extreme Metal scene. With DoA’s new, solid line-up, the next installment from the group will summon new sights and sounds among the world with a blackened melodic-death metal sound.

This group is like the Slipknot of the aggrotech scene (you can probably tell why). Granted, they may look like Slipknot, they're music is far from it. It's like death metal meets morbid electronica.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 9/10 - I love this band for it's violence and elements of death and hatred. It's electronic music is also very horrid and tends to be filled with terror.

Distorted Memory


Formed in 1999 by Jeremy Pillipow, Distorted Memory blends blasphemous Hard Electro EBM with the futuristic sounds of epic Hard Techno and Trance to form a style of industrial more intense, dark, and danceable than the average modern industrial clones.

The music of Distorted Memory is fresh, inventive and breathes new life into the tired, repetetive industrial music scene.

My first response to this guy was "holy poo poo, I want more". Sadly, only one album has been officially released and his 2002 demo is incredibly rare. It took me ages to find his actual public album. Pillipow also does side projects that involve breakcore and DnB so his industrial project tends to have elements from those that make Distorted Memory a one of a kind.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 10/10 - A very rare and unique sight in the industrial scene. The vocal distortion portrays a demonic aspect and most of the songs are blasphemous. The music itself moves me greatly and always makes me play it on a loop.

Nine Inch Nails

Nine Inch Nails was formed in Cleveland, Ohio, United States in 1988 by Trent Reznor, the only constant member of the band. He is generally credited for popularizing the genre known as “industrial rock”.

I feel like I kinda have to review this band. Reznor has done amazing work over the years and to be frank, he entertains me a lot when I'm high. His music just sets the mood after a nice bowl. It feels great to just lie back, close my eyes, then feel the sensation of floating. Onto the music rating...NIN is considered another pioneer (I guess). Starting back in the 80s, he helped set the path for industrial rock. The music itself is quite mellow but covers many personal things using metaphors.

Source: YouTube


My Rating: 6/10 - I'm kinda "meh" when it comes to this group. The music is deep and meaningful and I love that about it but it doesn't pull me in enough.



All information about the groups posted is either from Wiki or Last.fm.

lol industrial is obviously quite different then I thought. NIN was always the first thing that came to mind. :p

Rezonor's work is considered to be industrial, but it's more like electronic rock. I'm going to post more reviews soon. Just kinda brain fried at the moment.

finally. ive been waiting for you to give me a list of bands to listen to besides DoA for like 3 months now...

your new signature makes sense now.

Ogre is from Skinny Puppy.

Trademark: Heh, I didn't know you wanted more.