Industrial metal | |
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Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Mid-1980s; United States, Germany, and United Kingdom |
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Fusion genres | |
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Other topics | |
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial dance music,thrash metal and hardcore punk, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry,Godflesh, and KMFDM.
Industrial metal developed in the late 1980s, as industrial and heavy metal began to fuse into a common genre. In the early years of the 21st century, groups from the black metal scene began to incorporate elements of industrial music. Industrial metal did well in the early 1990s, particularly in North America, with the success of groups such as Nine Inch Nails. The industrial metal movement began to fade in the latter half of the 1990s.
Though electric guitars had been used by industrial artists since the early days of the genre, archetypal industrial groups such as Throbbing Gristle displayed a strong anti-rock stance. British post-punk band Killing Joke pioneered the crossing over between styles, and was an influence on major industrial metal bands such as Ministry, Godflesh, and Nine Inch Nails. Another pioneer industrial rock group, Big Black, also impacted some later groups.
By the late 1980s industrial and heavy metal began to fuse into a common genre, with Godflesh's self-titled EP and Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey at the forefront. Godflesh was founded by former Napalm Death guitarist Justin Broadrick. Drawing from a wide array of influences — power electronics forefathers Whitehouse,noise rock band Swans,ambient music creator Brian Eno and fellow Birmingham hard rockers Black Sabbath—the Godflesh sound was once described as "Pornography-era Cure on Quaaludes". Though not a top-seller, Godflesh nonetheless became an influential act, their name mentioned by Korn,Metallica,Danzig,Faith No More, and Fear Factory.