Industrial rock

Industrial rock is a musical genre which is a fusion of industrial music and rock music.

Industrial rock is similar to industrial metal. By convention, all industrial metal artists may be more vaguely described as industrial rock, but not all industrial rock artists are properly described as industrial metal.

Musical stylings

Industrial rock augments the guitar-based music and songwriting structure of rock with the electronic instruments and noisy production techniques of industrial. Though superficially abrasive and often aggressive, industrial rock is generally more listener-friendly than traditional industrial.

Typical instrumentation for industrial rock bands centers on heavily-distorted or otherwise-effected guitars and synthesizers. Bass guitars and drums may be played live, or they may be replaced by sequencers and drum machines. Many groups also make extensive use of samplers.

Origins

The term "industrial rock" most likely had its genesis in the mid-1990s as a reaction to such crossover bands being referred to as simply "industrial." The industrial rock designation called attention to the fundamental similarities with rock, as opposed to industrial. However, casual listeners still often use "industrial" to refer to the more accessible industrial rock style.

Bands at the forefront of the genre

There were early influences on the genre (such as KMFDM, Foetus and Big Black), but the archetypal industrial rock band is arguably Nine Inch Nails (NIN).

NIN combined many influences, from mainstream rock (David Bowie, Queen, and Kiss), noisy industrial groups (Skinny Puppy and Coil), and industrial metal acts (Ministry), but running it all through Trent Reznor's vision to produce "industrial-flavored" music that enjoyed massive mainstream success. Indeed, industrial rock's general popularity came largely in the wake of Nine Inch Nails' multi-platinum The Downward Spiral (1994), as record companies promoted bands with similar aesthetics. Filter, Stabbing Westward, Gravity Kills and NIN-protégé Marilyn Manson,

Established acts: Experimented with the genre

Established bands who formed long before Industrial rock existed, have later gone on to experiment with the genres stylings; Glam rock musicians such as, David Bowie during the albums Earthling and Outside, as well as Alice Cooper during Dragontown and Brutal Planet are prime examples of this. Bowie also toured with NIN in 1995. Another example is ex-Misfits legend Glenn Danzig, who experimenter with Industrial rock on his infamous album Blackacidevil.

Other examples of this are W.A.S.P. with their 1997 album Kill Fuck Die and the later/current works of Synthpop icon Gary Numan.

Decline

As the 1990s drew to a close, industrial rock's mainstream popularity waned. The genre still remains alive, however, with groups like Pig and KMFDM maintaining considerable grassroots followings. The influence of industrial rock has been acknowledged in the popularization of nu-metal.

Artists

List of industrial rock bands

Labels

Rock music genres | Industrial music

Industrial Rock | Tanzmetal | Rock industrialny | Industrirock