After reading other industrial lists by other publications it became apparent , this this had to be done. Industrial music should create an adversarial sonic force that is transgressive, confrontational with the , the message being that we are fucked, the system is corrupt and now we living in a post apocalyptic nightmare. I made sure my list reflected this. Certain artists are darlings of the critics, because the cool kids are supposed to like them. Some of these might make artful challenging cool sounding music that lacks aggression or just isn’t industrial . So lets set things straight here.
I saved this for October, despite the fact Industrial and goth are not the same thing, It is almost like comparing science fiction to horror, at times they share the same elements and cross over, industrial should be more aggressive. In making this list aggression was at the forefront when deciding what was or was not industrial music. The name itself suggests the machine-like gears of a factory pounding, which in fact are staple sounds found in the earlier works of the genre.
I gave myself a few guidelines first off only one album by each artist, though side projects stand separate in this regard. The other guideline being to consider not what album sold the most, or was supposed to be the most influential , but think of the albums that have the best songs that have stood the test of time and find me returning to the album again and again? After all that is what makes good music. So with that lets continue deeper down our list of the Top 50 Industrial Albums..
20-Electric Hellfire Club - "Kiss the Goat" 1995
The band's second album, found them fully realizing their Satanic glory in the most gloriously infernal way possible by writing some damn catchy songs. Everything thing fell perfectly into place for them with this album.
19-Front 242 - "06:21:03:11 Up Evil"
I am sure you were expecting "Tyranny For You" . That might be the band's biggest selling album, popularity does not equate with quality. Sure, it's ok, but it is not as dark or compelling as this album, which is why I am writing this list and you are just shutting up and reading it.
18-Author & Punisher -"Women & Children" 2013
He has some really great album's that followed this, but many of them expanded above and beyond industrial music, which is why I picked this album, since it has melody rather than the grittier earlier works that were the sounds of his machines crushing it.
17-Death in June-"the Guilty Have No Pride" 1983
Before you roll your eyes , this album was made in 1983, what were you making in 1983 aside from poop in your pants? My second favorite album by this band, but the more industrial than my favorite album by these guys. Granted they influenced more than half of the bands on this list
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16-the Young Gods - "TV Sky" 1992
It is highly unlikely that you are going to hear these guys at goth night unless you live in Switzerland. It is unlikely they self identified as industrial until after touring with Ministry. They bring more to the table than the militant stomp of metallic guitar that you can still dance to, they are stellar songwriters who embrace the ideals of industrial without knowing that is what they are doing.
14-Static X- "Wisconsin Death Trip" 1999
Lumped in with nu-metal, I had to give this album a few listens to remember if it belongs here. It does and it's probably more industrial than your favorite album, just based off the syncopation of the riffs alone.
13 Godflesh- "Selfless" 1994
Here is another band where they have an album( Streetcleaner) that is reviewed with such reverence that the fan base can not open their mind to objectivity , that sure it was an important album for it's time, but it was a few years later the band grew into their skin and began writing music with more atmosphere and melody, which is the case with the balance created here.
12-Gary Numan- "Sacrifice" 1994
Somewhere there is a girl hash tagging here self as goth and She thinks the song "Cars" is all there to be said when it comes to Gary Numan. Sure his work in the 80s certainly influenced industrial music, but it was not until this album that he really embraced the genre. A case of this might not be Numan's best album, but it is his best industrial album.
11- White Zombie -"Astro-Creep 2000" 1995
Rather than attempt to replicate the success of their previous album, the band added a layer of electronics over their spooky metal grooves and created something even better.
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