I remember I used to really like alot of "industrial rock" back in the very early '00s (like 2001ish), like Nine Inch Nails, Velvet Acid Christ, Godhead, KMFDM...now it's another form of music that's disappeared almost from the radar. I suppose in a way it goes along with the techno movement of the '90s.

I remember I used to really like alot of "industrial rock" back in the very early '00s (like 2001ish), like Nine Inch Nails, Velvet Acid Christ, Godhead, KMFDM...now it's another form of music that's disappeared almost from the radar. I suppose in a way it goes along with the techno movement of the '90s.


I think of the evolution of industrial as having three running threads.  I'll loosely term 'em as running a continuim from "ambient/noise" (Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, etc), "EBM / Electronic Body Music" (Front 242, early Front Line Assembly, arguably early Ministry, NIN and KMFDM), and "industrial rock" (Later FLA, Ministry, NIN, KFMDM, basically "stuff with both keyboards/samplers *and* guitars".)

For me (who enjoyed most of it but preferred the EBM/keyboard sound), the high-water-mark was probably 1990-1994, around the transition from EBM to the guitar-based stuff.  From that point forward, there was a movement in the "rock" side to see just how "metal" it could sound.

If you liked the keyboard-driven sound, try Cyber-Tec Project or Birmingham 6.  Vocals by Front 242's Jean-Luc deMeyer,  sounding very much like what Front 242 would sound like if they'd gone just a *little* more aggressive - but had never picked up a guitar.

Current KMFDM stands on its own as solid stuff.  They've spent the past 15 years riding that edge between "guitar/metal" and "keyboard/industrial", and have almost eked out their own niche.  They know what they're good at and what they like to hear, and they keep playing it.