50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time

Heavy Consequence Staff

July 17, 2023 at 12:00 PM·28 min read

The post 50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time appeared first on Consequence.

Consequence’s Industrial Week kicks off with a staff list of the genre’s Top 50 albums. Keep checking back throughout the week for more lists, artist-driven content, premieres, essays, and more.

While a handful of rock’s biggest acts have come out of the industrial music scene, the genre has largely remained underground since its emergence in the late 1970s. For every Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein, there are dozens of bands that never broke through to the mainstream. Yet, within the industrial universe, many of these artists are considered legendary acts.

Early pioneers like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire paved the way for an industrial revolution in the ’80s that included Ministry, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and others. Nine Inch Nails took the genre to new heights in the early ’90s, as Trent Reznor’s mix of aggression and melody resonated with millions of fans.

Over the years, industrial has taken on many forms, from dissonant noise to metal-heavy riffs to dance-club bangers, with a common thread being electronic and mechanical elements that tie them into one singular, yet hard-to-define musical category.

The greatest industrial albums represent the wide diversity that the genre has to offer, showcasing a style of music that continues to thrive, even as it predominantly remains under the radar. Take a trip through Consequence’s picks for the 50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time below.

-Spencer Kaufman
Managing Editor, Heavy Consequence

50. Front Line Assembly – Gashed Senses & Crossfire

Gashed Senses & Crossfire shows the frenetic capacity of Front Line Assembly, and is a little more eclectic than other albums in their discography. Working with Michael Balch instead of Rhys Fulber this time, Bill Leeb’s vocality was menacingly oppressive when paired with Balch’s approach to synths and percussion. Gashed Senses & Crossfire is appropriately named, as it will certainly leave you feeling like you’re being caught in the crossfires with gashed senses. — Cervanté Pope

49. Die Krupps – Stahlwerksynfonie

This German ensemble would eventually settle into a sound closer to what we would consider traditional industrial but in their earliest incarnation, Jürgen Engler, Bernward Malaka, and Ralf Dörper set loose on their instruments like furious primates. The guitars sound like they are being pulled forcibly apart while the drummer appears willing to reduce his kit to a pile of sawdust and metal filings. And is that a saxophone losing all notion of melody as it wails through this racket? You may find pure enjoyment listening to this album but you might also find that it threatens the structural integrity of your home. — Robert Ham

48. 3Teeth – Metawar

A staple in the goth rock scene in Los Angeles, 3Teeth are one of the modern bands keeping industrial alive. Metawar was produced by Sean Beavan, known for mixing Nine Inch Nails’ first two albums, among other notable releases. This LP goes deep down the industrial rock rabbit hole with dark churning beats, hooky keyboards, and scraping guitars on songs like “AMERICAN LANDFILL,” EXXXIT,” and “AFFLUENZA.” And don’t forget the band’s dark cover of “Pumped Up Kicks.” — Colette Claire

47. Front 242 – Official Version

An album that, even after 35 years, still sounds like a missive sent back to us from a dystopian future. It would give us pause for our potential demise at the hands of our AI overlords if it weren’t so damn danceable. While the arpeggios and electro beats send bodies flying into states of ecstasy, vocalists Jean-Luc De Meyer and Richard 23 bring listeners back down to Earth with visions of BDSM rituals, lethal wounds, and capitalism run amok. — R. Ham

46. Code Orange – Underneath

Underneath sees Code Orange doubling down on their penchant for industrial coatings that made them an early CoSigns artist. Glitchy prelude “(deeperthanbefore)” is a hauntingly dissonant introduction reminiscent of NIN at their most bleakly minimalistic. Later, “You and You Alone,” “A Silver,” “Autumn and Carbine,” and “The Easy Way” maintain those digitized accentuations while delving into some beautiful breakdowns. Conversely, gems such as “In Fear” and “Back Inside the Glass” ooze metalcore magic. Simply put, Underneath is a fluidly flowing amalgamation of Code Orange’s various personas, and with the help of numerous guests, it’s another ambitiously diverse and essential disc. — Jordan Blum

45. Lingua Ignota – All Bitches Die

There isn’t always beauty in music, and that’s something that makes the harshness of this particular din what it is. In the case of Lingua Ignota (real name Kristin Hayter), the lack of beauty in All Bitches Die comes with cathartic intention — an exorcism of every type of abuse that’s cursed her. You can hear it in her voice, which is the main instrument in her productions that she “plays” discordantly well. That’s deliberate, purposefully painful for her to execute so that pain can be felt… and heard. All Bitches Die was an attempt to put to death the traumas afflicting her, and her voice was one hell of a weapon to wield. — C. Pope

44. HEALTH – Death Magic

HEALTH combine hedonism, nihilism, and destruction, repackaging industrial’s violent tendencies into syrupy pop music. They filter their noise influences through a blunt and stylized lens akin to that of Blade’s opening vampire rave scene. Their third album, Death Magic, succeeds by ramping up the tension and drama to a sensory-only experience that vocalist Jake Duzsik emulates rather than describes. He preaches, without discretion or posturing, doing drugs in the face of death as modernity unravels into a rave. While industrial music tends to pulverize, Death Magic seduces the listener. — Colin Dempsey

43. Youth Code – Commitment to Complications

Back in 2013, LA’s Youth Code were new tadpoles in the city’s large pond of musical production. They had just released their self-titled debut at a time when not many were doing the same thing, but then, the great industrial resurgence of 2016 happened. Youth Code’s sophomore album, Commitment to Complications, was one of the considerable driving forces of that movement, blending fiercely vile vocals from Sara Taylor with the grating chords from Ryan George. There’s a reason they managed to tour with Skinny Puppy so early in their infancy — because of their animalistic reinvigoration of the genre itself. — C. Pope

42. Nitzer Ebb – Showtime

Nitzer Ebb’s music made a move from the head and fists to the hips and loins on their third LP, Showtime. The duo of Bon Harris and Douglas McCarthy stayed true to the pounding house beats and changed vocals but a welcome soulfulness melted over the top of the music like a satin sheet as well as a funkiness that Parliament leader George Clinton played up in his remix of the anthemic, “Fun to Be Had.” Though they mellowed out more on future albums, it was here that they hit on a sound adaptable for both animalistic sex and sensual lovemaking. — R. Ham

41. Rammstein – Sehnsucht

Rammstein are one of the most commercially successful industrial metal bands ever, which is especially surprising considering that their lyrics are in German. Released in 1997, Sehnsucht was the band’s second studio album, but it was the first that brought them to international attention, thanks to the single “Du Hast.” Sehnsucht has a steady, consistent energy from start to finish on songs like “Engel,” “Spiel Mit Mir,” and “Alter Mann” that overlay the grittiness of the music with beautiful keyboard melodies and vocalist Till Lindemann’s dramatic baritone. Rammstein’s seemingly incongruous mix of synthetic hooks, rhythmic guitars, and catchy beats becomes what is essentially danceable thrash metal, a natural evolution from clear influences like Ministry and KMFDM. — C. Claire

40. KMFDM – Angst

A Wax Trax! Records gem, Angst makes it clear why KMFDM are pivotal to the industrial genre. Released in 1993, the opening track “Light,” builds up then bursts into a catchy-as-hell crunchy guitar riff and a high-hat-laden, quintessentially-industrial drum beat. One can’t forget about songs like “A Hole in the Wall” and “The Problem,” which showcase the more rock ‘n’ roll and pop elements. The lyrics to singles “Light,” “A Drug Against War,” and “Sucks” also perfectly showcase KMFDM’s ironic sense of humor (and puts them in the running for most lyrical uses of a band’s name on their own album). — C. Claire

39. Einstürzende Neubauten – Kollaps

Germany’s Einstürzende Neubauten helped set the foundation for the industrial music revolution with their 1981 debut, Kollaps. Even their band name screams “industrial,” as it translates to “collapsing new buildings.” Debuting with Kollaps was an appropriate feat, as it’s an album of unbridled release. From exclamations demanding pleasure, like the repetitive “gier” (meaning “lust”) in the opener “Tanz Debil,” to calls for safety from surrounding turmoil (“Lock yourself in with me/ Here we are safe” as on “Draussen ist feindlich”), Einstürzende Neubauten’s first LP remains highly influential. — C. Pope

38. Skinny Puppy – VIVIsectVI

The creative tug of war between founding Skinny Puppy members cEvin Key and Nivek Ogre found a beautiful balance on the group’s fourth album, VIVIsectVI. By narrowing their lyrical focus to the various assaults on the human body (drug addiction, AIDS) and how those are mirrored in our indifference toward the natural world (environmental destruction, animal experimentation), the group honed its music in response. The dark synthpop of earlier efforts proved a comfortable fit for the more metallic, thudding beats and Ogre’s distorted vocal spew. — R. Ham

37. Lard – The Last Temptation of Reid

Combine two artists known for their sociopolitical lyrics — Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra and Ministry’s Al Jourgensen — and you get a collection of punk-fueled industrial songs that pull no punches with their subject matter. It’s a frenetic LP highlighted by tracks like “Forkboy” (featured on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack) and “Pineapple Face” (mocking Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega), and stands out as a highlight in the legendary careers of both Biafra and Jourgensen. — Spencer Kaufman

36. Filter – Title of Record

After exiting Nine Inch Nails just before they became the world’s leading industrial band, singer-guitarist Richard Patrick immediately launched his own band, Filter (and scored a hit with their 1995 debut Short Bus, and the popular single “Hey Man Nice Shot”). And while their sophomore effort issued four years later, Title of Record, is probably best known for the surprisingly melodic alt radio hit, “Take a Picture,” Filter were still indeed industrial rockers – as heard by the hard-hitting album opening “Sand/Welcome to the Fold,” plus “Captain Bligh,” and the very NIN-like “Jurassitol.” — Greg Prato

35. D.A.F. – Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Freundschaft

German ensemble D.A.F. may have honed their sound into something more palatable and danceable on later recordings, but their greatest influence on the industrial genre came from their 1979 debut. With vocalist Gabi Delgado-López out of the picture briefly, the remaining quartet recorded an unrelenting collection of scorched noise-punk instrumentals that fade in and out of one another like chapters in a cyberpunk nightmare. The darkness at the heart of their improvisations seeps through and would soon fill the troughs of future German industrial pioneers like Einstürzende Neubauten and Die Krupps. — R. Ham

34. Pigface – Gub

Industrial fans were salivating from the moment this project was announced: a bona fide supergroup of artists from the heaviest hitting groups of the era. The lineup is still capable of inducing jaw dropping awe. Anchored by Ministry drummers Martin Atkins and Bill Rieflin, Pigface boasts contributions from En Esch of KMDFM, Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Trent Reznor, RevCo member Chris Connelly and more. What could have been a “too many cooks” situation instead became a rhythm-centric assault on body and mind akin to jumping in a mosh pit populated by battlebots. — R. Ham

33. Ministry – The Land of Rape and Honey

Putting together two very disparate things as rape and honey make just as much sense for the name of this record as do the discordant-sounding tracks that comprise it. There’s no real rhyme or reason to it, but that’s kind of the point. Congruence falls to the wayside in exchange for overwhelming atmospheres. Take the title track, for instance: It’s Al Jourgensen at full Al Jourgensen, intensely derisive roars over the back-and-forth pitch levels of the verses. The album offers something vulgar and something sweet, which may be the roots of its title. — C. Pope

32. Stabbing Westward – Darkest Days

Stabbing Westward were one of the more mainstream-sounding industrial bands to surface in the 1990s, offering dark industrial music that was a bit more easily digestible than some of the extreme bands in the genre. The group went more pop with their 2001 self-titled release, but for the album before it, 1998’s Darkest Days, the band presented some of their heaviest material that’s most deserving of the “industrial” label. On Darkest Days, they experimented with different electronic sounds and styles and showed they weren’t afraid to take real musical risks. — Anne Erickson

31. Nine Inch Nails – The Fragile

Following Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral was always going to be difficult, yet NIN mastermind Trent Reznor and company did a phenomenal job with 1999’s The Fragile. A sequel to its predecessor, the conceptual double album tackles similarly dark subject matter with a wider, more experimental stylistic palette (including more instrumentals). For example, the symphonically disgruntled and dynamic “The Day the World Went Away” is brilliantly juxtaposed by electronic loops of “Even Deeper” and the gruff immediacy of “Into the Void.” The Fragile is easily among Reznor’s most ambitious works. — J. Blum

30. White Zombie – Astro Creep: 2000

Were they industrial? Metal? Horror rock? Towards the end of their career, White Zombie were an amalgamation of multiple genres – as evidenced by their final studio album (before singer Rob Zombie set sail on a highly successful solo career), Astro Creep: 2000. Although the best-known tune was the MTV favorite “More Human Than Human,” you have to give the band extra props for some of the best song titles ever (“Grease Paint and Monkey Brains,” “El Phantasmo and the Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama,” and “Where the Sidewalk Ends, the Bug Parade Begins”). — G. Prato

29. Pharmakon – Abandon

The disquiet of Abandon, the 2013 release from Pharmakon, is right there on the cover: a shot of the artist with hands and crotch covered in maggots. It only gets worse when the music kicks off with a strained scream that turns into a sustained, piercing drone joined by machinery clatter and her voice strangling through digital processes. The future of this genre doesn’t depend on the continued work of artists like Nine Inch Nails and Jonathan Davis, and a more realistic path is being forcibly carved out by the truly terrifying soundscapes, flashes of noise, lumbering rhythms, and death-dealing shrieks heard throughout this incredible work. — R. Ham

28. Death Grips – The Money Store

Although Death Grips’ later work would eclipse The Money Store’s raw power, their 2012 release has aged wonderfully. It doesn’t hit as hard as it once did, but that allows its other aspects to shine as time moves forward, like the production that slammed Music from Saharan Cell Phones samples alongside commuter trains, plus MC Ride’s charisma and precision. That the group is no longer treated as a hodgepodge of memes and styles and instead as an institution may be self-fulfilling, but The Money Store led that shift in thought. — C. Dempsey

27. Cabaret Voltaire – Red Mecca

The third studio album by Sheffield trio Cabaret Voltaire was a pivot point. The vestiges of the band’s challenging, grating early work were still audible, but cutting through the waves of metal shavings and frayed wires were the first blushes of their more accessible and funkier future. Slap bass burbles up in “Sly Doubt” and “A Thousand Ways,” and pop hooks fight for room amid the ever-tightening squeeze of drones and beats from a barely functional drum machine. They even dare to cover a Mancini film theme. In this quagmire of beautiful ugliness is the blueprint for Nine Inch Nails and the nastier corners of Aphex Twin’s discography. — R. Ham

26. Strapping Young Lad – City

City, from its opening seconds, sounds like a magnum opus. Strapping Young Lad’s dystopian desecration of Los Angeles is a maximalist album largely due to mastermind Devin Townsend’s production which asserts every instrument to the forefront of the mix while giving them a distinct role. This approach births some of the most beautiful moments in ’90s metal (“All Hail the New Flesh”), some of its most cathartic (the bridge on “Detox”), and one of the most intimidating climaxes on “Spirituality,” a microcosm of Townsend’s awe-inducing ambition.— C. Dempsey

25. Revolting Cocks – Beers, Steers + Queers

Al Jourgensen’s non-Ministry discography is quite impressive in its own right. And his outfit Revolting Cocks’ second album, Beers, Steers + Queers, is one of the industrial king’s greatest works. The LP injected a sense of humor into the songwriting, complete with pop-culture samples, and even features a cover of Olivia Newton John’s “(Let’s Get) Physical.” Fellow Ministry cohorts Chris Connelly, Paul Barker, and William Rieflin played key roles in the RevCo lineup, with Connelly handling vocals on six of the album’s eight tracks. — S. Kaufman

24. My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult – Sexplosion!

If you took 1970s funk,1960s free love, and put it into a wood chipper with industrial and synth pop music, you would get Sexplosion! Released in 1991 on legendary industrial label Wax Trax!, this album is an unpredictable journey from start to finish that takes the listener from the swing of the opener “The International Sin Set,” to the disco beat and sultry female vocals of “Leathersex,” to the James Bond-inspired “Mood No. 6.” The synth-pop sensibilities of the title track and the industrial pop anthem “Sex on Wheelz” help tie the whole trip together. — C. Claire

23. Static-X – Wisconsin Death Trip

Static-X stood out in the industrial metal world with their penchant for mixing pulsating electronic music with heavy thrash metal. The band’s seminal debut, 1998’s Wisconsin Death Trip, put them on the map, bringing together Koichi Fukuda’s imaginative guitar playing and Wayne Static’s fast, growling vocals. The combination proved successful, as Wisconsin Death Trip eventually went platinum and jump-started a lengthy career for Static-X that’s even continuing years after Wayne Static’s tragic death. — A. Erickson

22. Swans – Filth

It doesn’t get much heavier than this. Responding to the urban decay and danger around seemingly every corner in early ’80s New York, Swans leader Michael Gira brought about a sound that felt like the sustained ramming of one’s head against the inside of a walk-in freezer. The percussion — live drums augmented by Roli Mosimann smacking things with a leather strap — and Norman Westberg’s sheets of guitar create a compacting squeeze that is mercifully relieved once each side of the LP ends. — R. Ham

21. Coil – Horse Rotorvator

As explained by John Balance, one-half of Coil, a horse rotorvator is a device made from the jawbones of the steeds ridden by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ready to “plough up the waiting world.” That’s as good a descriptor as any for this album’s power and devastating beauty. Calling upon friends like Marc Almond, J.G. Thirlwell, and BBC radio presenter Paul Vaughan, Balance and Peter Christopherson tear open a pathway to the id. There, the seamiest of desires are unveiled, a funeral procession for Pier Paolo Pasolini rolls slowly by, and the soundtrack is a squelching, corroded take on folk and soul. — R. Ham

20. Fear Factory – Demanufacture

The most metallic and metronomically perfect industrial band of the ‘90s was quite possibly Fear Factory. Led by screamer Burton C. Bell and riffer Dino Cazares, Fear Factory’s brutal and extreme style reached its apex on their sophomore studio offering, 1995’s Demanufacture. Supposedly a concept album with a storyline similar to the Terminator film franchise (but good luck trying to figure out exactly what the heck Mr. Bell is saying most of the time without the aid of a lyric sheet), Demanufacture spawned such Factory favorites as the album-opening title track and “Self Bias Resistor” (the latter of which is a fine example of the Bell’s trademark yelled-verse/sung-chorus style). — G. Prato

19. Lords of Acid – Voodoo-U

While still full of the same sexual bravado, Lords of Acid’s second album, Voodoo-U, took a distinctly industrial turn musically compared to their debut Lust. Lead single “The Crablouse” explores the darker side of sex, warning listeners about pubic lice with an undeniably hooky keyboard riff and pounding beat. Another standout is the drug fueled adrenaline rush “Out Comes the Evil,” with its commanding female vocal hooks in the chorus, demented nursery rhyme verses, underlying but notable distorted guitars, and heavy beat. Not to be defined by any genre though, songs like “Mister Machoman” and “Marijuana in Your Brain” throw in some elements of reggae just to keep you guessing. — C. Claire

18. KMFDM – Nihil

One of KMFDM’s most notable releases, Nihil blends pulsing beats and punches with poetically unveiled political commentary that digs into the critical thinking parts of the brain. The instrumentation offsets the depressive lyrics, though their summation makes the album so great in the first place. Dance with impulse and wild abandon, or freeze with existential dread once you realize that everything is actually nihil. Even when there is nothing KMFDM is still giving us something, and that’s one hell of an album. — C. Pope

17. Foetus – Nail

The fourth album by J.G. Thirlwell’s Foetus (credited to Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel) is a pocket history of industrial music’s tumultuous first decade. Every side of the die is represented: ’60s-inspired swing and snarl (“The Throne of Agony”), feral rock (“Pigswill”), neo-classical (“The Overture from Pigdom Come”), pure noise (“Private War”), and even a bit of club-friendly fodder. The connective tissue is Thirlwell’s white knuckle grip on the control panel as he sends little sonic details flying through the stereo field and drops in references to Grieg and Shakespeare for the pure hell of it. — R. Ham

16. Rammstein – Mutter

Rammstein’s third LP, Mutter, is generally considered their magnum opus. It’s not difficult to hear why, as it’s remarkably captivating and adventurous. Opener “Mein Herz brennt” alone is fascinatingly sophisticated, coming across like an orchestrally gothic take on early Tool. Elsewhere, its emotionally rich foundation is exemplified by the simultaneously aggressive and serene “Sonne,” the decorative “Spieluhr,” and of course, the earnest title track. There’s not a single wasted moment on Mutter, with each track adding to the marvelously sundry journey. — J. Blum

15. Big Black – Songs About Fucking

When an album as abrasive and punishing as the final studio effort from Big Black is capable of winning over Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, there’s no denying its power. The aim of Songs About Fucking seems to be to test the patience of anyone within its blast radius. The guitars of Steve Albini and Santiago Durango sound like a swarm of hornets and the dials on their beloved drum machine Roland are set to stupefy. You don’t so much listen to this album as you survive it like a plunge into the rapids or a particularly harrowing traffic accident. — R. Ham

14. Nitzer Ebb – That Total Age

Unsurprisingly, a key feature of EBM (electronic body music) is how it affects one’s BPM. For a debut, Nitzer Ebb took this statute to heart, infusing That Total Age with relentlessly pulsing clamor that ebbs (no pun intended) and flows at all the right moments. “Join the Chant” is an obvious standout, becoming an industrial anthem with its repetitious militant bark, “Muscle and hate!” As a whole, That Total Age was indeed a marker of a developing age in music, one where forcefully hypnotic noise is delightfully all-consuming. — C. Pope

13. Nurse With Wound – Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table of a Sewing Machine and an Umbrella

One of industrial music’s urtexts. Three lengthy tracks of skin-crawling noise, percussive rattling, unbound guitar, and what sounds like the death throes of a four foot tall synthesizer. Improvised in a marathon six-hour recording session, the work was then edited and assembled into a collage-like soundtrack of unsettling experimentation. The album also provided a roadmap for future musicians and crate diggers by including a sheet with the names of the many artists that inspired its creation — the legendary Nurse with Wound list. Be forewarned: Both the album and list will leave a crater within your mind and bank account. — R. Ham

12. Front Line Assembly – Tactical Neural Implant

Perhaps one of the most important collections of noise ever in existence, Tactical Neural Implant set a high standard for what EBM really is. Each song is aggressively individual — confluent as a whole but possessing singular soundscapes that blend heavy electronics in any way Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber see fit. Sometimes it’s a little more mellow like on “Remorse,” at other times it’s a bit of a surprise like the Eric B. & Rakim sample on “Outcast.” That’s the beauty of it really — you never really know what you’re going to get. — C. Pope

11. Godflesh – Streetcleaner

Though not the first industrial metal album, Godflesh’s debut accomplished a feat similar to what Death’s Scream Bloody Gore did for death metal — it instantly defined it. Streetcleaner is joyless and inhuman, and it espouses those characteristics as simply as possible. It recontextualized guitar, bass, and drums as the main rock music task force, contorting each instrument’s purpose. The guitar is shunted to window-dressing and the drums are devoid of affection, but it’s the unending, surgical, and unfeeling bass that drives Streetcleaner. Godflesh implemented them out to convey a world you’d never want to visit. — C. Dempsey

10. Ministry – The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste

Industrial had existed before the close of the ‘80s. But it wasn’t until the arrival of Ministry’s fourth studio album overall, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste (whose title was a twist on a phrase used in commercials for the United Negro College Fund: “The mind is a terrible thing to waste”), that it truly became heavy – to the point that both the mullets and the mohawks could finally agree on a band. And it was a brutal, intense, and relentless listen from the get-go, kicking off with one of the genre’s all-time great tunes, “Thieves” (and its outstanding robotic riff and metronome-perfect beats). — G. Prato

09. Front 242 – Front by Front

Front 242’s seminal 1988 work Front by Front has become a lesson in the genre — Industrial 101, if you will. A true Wax Trax! Records classic. The mass appeal of “Headhunter” from the club scene to the goth scene is something that shouldn’t be discounted, but the rest of the album’s tracks hold just as much weight. From the perfectly synced syncopation of the bass and the drum machine in “Terminal State” to the religious condemnation of “Welcome to Paradise,” this became a key industrial blueprint. — C. Pope

08. Killing Joke – Killing Joke

As a pioneer of the style, Killing Joke set the standard – and their own benchmark – with their self-titled 1980 debut collection. Coldly prophetic yet infectiously catchy, it radiates their distinctive blend of post-punk and industrial rock from start to finish, with melodic opener “Requiem,” the rhythmically hypnotic “Bloodsport,” the funky “Complications,” and the poppy “Primitive” standing out. Throw in the proto-grunge of “Tomorrow’s World” and you have a monumentally significant statement that incorporated – and even foresaw – aspects of ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s rock. It’s no wonder why Foo Fighters, Metallica, and Helmet (among other artists) cite it as an influence. — J. Blum

07. Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral

Though The Downward Spiral is a transcendent work of art that outlives its context, that context is a blast to discuss. The way it coalesces nearly a dozen genres into a unified vision, its release in the midst of grunge yet never sounding performative in its angst, and the authority it holds over music to this day are all worthwhile. But most importantly, it fundamentally understands depression, its multifaceted expressions and contradictory thought patterns, and offers arguably the condition’s most accurate portrayal. It’s achingly human on a personal scale when so much industrial music fixates on escapism or macro-level premises. — C. Dempsey

06. Laibach – Opus Dei

Slovenian ensemble Laibach broke into the international consciousness with Opus Dei, the group’s third full-length. It didn’t hurt that they donned ironically militaristic garb and played music that sounded like an armed regiment stomping on the skulls of their vanquished. Breaking beyond cult status was a matter of the group embracing pop culture. On Opus Dei, Laibach turned Queen’s “One Vision” into a terrifying call-to-arms, made hay of another European pop hit (Opus’ “Live Is Life”), and produced some memorable music videos that got some airplay on MTV. Getting swept up in the group’s percussive assault felt so inevitable it’s a wonder Laibach aren’t global superstars. — R. Ham

05. Skinny Puppy – Too Dark Park

Skinny Puppy could basically do whatever they want and it would be welcomed with open ears. And they did — Too Dark Park employed some pretty funky bass and energy that wasn’t characteristic of their discography thus far, but made for a perfect entry. The record is about the noise — the sounds between the sounds, the lyrical aftershocks that follow explosive works. Take “Spasmolytic” for example, and how the pendulum swings from double-time to half-time so quickly that it shocks the senses. It’s impossible to listen passively. — C. Pope

04. Einstürzende Neubauten – Halber Mensch

Notoriously known for their intense and often dangerous live performances, German ensemble Einstürzende Neubauten tempered their approach somewhat by the time of their third full-length, Halber Mensch. Touches of synthpop, hooky melodies, and an a cappella chorus found their way into the punishing mix and Blixa Bargeld dared to croon. Those more palatable elements help bring curious listeners into the group’s orbit before assaulting them with clattering, clashing space junk and banshee-like squeals. — R. Ham

03. Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats

It looks like an album of gospel favorites peeking out of a $1 bin. But the cozy seaside idyll on the front was really a popular spot in England for people to take their own lives. And the music within contains neither spiritual uplift nor anything resembling the genres in its title. Even the nearest thing to funk — the Moroder-like throb of “Hot on the Heels of Love” — is undone by what sounds like a cat-o’-nine-tails whipping a willing body. These early post-punk experiments with synth wobbles, desaturated samples, and knowing menace set the blueprint for the next 35 years of industrial artists. Follow the thread from any of the other LPs on this list and you’ll find your way back to 20 Jazz Funk Greats. — R. Ham

02. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine

Similar to Ministry’s The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine was one of the first industrial LP’s to appeal not only to alt-rockers, but also, metalheads. While not their heaviest release (their next few albums would up the ante), the LP contains one of the genre’s great all-time anthems, “Head Like a Hole,” as well as such NIN classics as “Terrible Lie” “Down in It,” and “Sin.” And with a show-stealing performance (in broad daylight) on the first-ever Lollapalooza tour, Trent Reznor and co. would soon become the industrial band of the ‘90s, if not the biggest of all time. — G. Prato

01. Ministry – Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs

When Psalm 69 was released in 1992, the heavily influential album cemented Ministry’s legacy as industrial metal pioneers. It’s the total package: well constructed, heavy thrash-inspired songs; fuzzy distorted guitars coupled with guttural vocals and eerie samples; a great name with creepy, grainy cover art, and equally disturbing and grainy accompanying music videos; and last but certainly not least, politically charged, revolutionary, and dark lyrics. Singles “N.W.O.,” “Just One Fix,” and “Jesus Built my Hotrod” were the frenetic gateway drugs to the rest of the album with songs like the angry “TV II” and the violent dirge of the title track. All in all, it embodies what many think of when they think of industrial music: churning, metallic, misanthropic, electronic brutality. — C. Claire

50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time
Heavy Consequence Staff

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