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Big Four of Industrial Metal?


Vorpal Sword

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I think that list would go a little something like this- Nine Inch Nails' date=' KMFDM, Ministry, and Godflesh. I based this on my knowledge of these groups as well as their popularity in this circle.(Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor being like the Metallica of the 4 based on success and crossover appeal)[/quote'] You're probably right, but calling NiN and KMFDM industrial "metal" is a bit dubious, as there is little metal to be found in either band's sound. That's why I think that the industrial metal thread has such little activity, most bands don't produce a solid fusion of industrial and metal like Ministry or Godflesh, and rather add a few industrial elements to more extreme metal, or add more distortion to the guitars in gothic/industrial rock. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
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Yeah I'd have to agree that NIN and KMFDM don't really qualify as Industrial Metal as most of their music could arguably even be classed as Alternative Dance music. I like both bands and I don't mean that in an insulting way, it's just that they use metal elements in their music like a sampled guitar riff but that seems to be where most similarities end. And that both bands have darker images and themes. I tend to look at Industrial music as a whole, including the mechanical post punk/gothic rock industrial music like Killing Joke, weird experimentalism of Throbbing Gristle and the cold yet danceable EBM of Front 242. Also Electric Hellfire Club are well worth checking out if you like Industrial Rock. Die Krupps and Front Line Assembly are also good. As far as Industrial Metal goes I love Fear Factory. I haven't listen to these bands in a while but I used to like Strapping Young Lad, Nailbomb and Prong.

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Ministry and Godflesh - yes. NIN and KMFDM - nah. Fear Factory should definitely get a mention for their infusion of death metal and industrial styles as far back as 1992. A good 6 or 7 years before anybody else caught up with the idea. I suppose Rammestein could fall into the category also - they were brilliant live when i saw them in the early 00's.

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The idea of a big four is to group the four best selling artists in that genre together. I know nothing about industrial and plan to keep it that way but at a guess I'd say Rammstein, Ministry, Fear Factory and Godflesh would be the best selling artists in the genre given they are the four I know of.

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I would definitely go with Ministry, KMFDM, and Rammstein. The problem with Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy is defining where industrial rock ends and industrial metal begins. I'm also uncertain about Godflesh because although they're an amazing band, I almost wonder if they might be slightly too fringe to be one of the "big four" - after all, big fours are really all about popularity, influence, and significance, NOT quality... the big four of thrash are evidence of this.

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On 2/4/2017 at 3:45 PM, Amebix said:

I would definitely go with Ministry, KMFDM, and Rammstein. The problem with Nine Inch Nails and Skinny Puppy is defining where industrial rock ends and industrial metal begins. I'm also uncertain about Godflesh because although they're an amazing band, I almost wonder if they might be slightly too fringe to be one of the "big four" - after all, big fours are really all about popularity, influence, and significance, NOT quality... the big four of thrash are evidence of this.

I'm gonna change my mind on Godflesh, actually. Streetcleaner is too much of a monster to ignore.

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