Best Industrial Bands

One of the most talented music projects who evolved through the ages and had its influence throughout music history.

Every album up to "The Fragile" is filled with state of the art music productions which incorporate strangeness, roughness, sensibility, experimentation, all that in a catchy style. Trent used to be present in every step of production. But since Trent decided to focus on arrangement and made Atticus Ross enter the equation on the production side with the album "With Teeth" (he was first coming as additional production), a slow decay has been sensed by many NIN fans. For now in 2015, "Hesitations Marks" is really the least interesting accomplishment.

Choosing between Coil, Front 242, Gary Numan, Skinny Puppy and NIN is a too hard but in terms of everything NIN is the number one because you can't find a band with too many good songs and albums. NIN has this trait and Trent Reznor has had a huge influence on the other bands therefore it's my choice to be the number one. The other point is that too many band which have been mentioned in this list, can't be considered as Industrial for instance : Tool, Manson, A perfect circle and so on.

Rammstein will always be the best out of industrial bands. Tool has a lot of non-fans which shouldn't be look at a "should be number one" opinion. To me.. Tool is okay but they have not gotten as much hits as rammstein. Their music even sounds harder live and they have and play a good show. They never do a concert where they don't put on a show and trust me I have seen many YouTube videos of their concerts and participated at their concerts as well. All the money you spend for tickets to see them is worth it. Even if you don't understand a thing they say it's easy to configure the meaning of it through his reaction and it most of the time resembles a word/words in English. They were and still will be my favorite band in general. I don't know why this unwanted trash "kmfdm" is on here.. What kind of band name is that? Hello? Depeche mode has more fans than you an your name is the reason why not one of their real fans will listen to that. Oomph deserves to be at least before or after skinny puppy. And people please stuff up about what industrial is and what not get it the first word on each genre must be industrial get over it at least there is no nikki minaj in here. But rammstein will always be at the top.

I like industrial music very much, and I actually love a lot of bands from the list, so It was hard to choose. I've chosen Marilyn Manson because (in my opinion) his music nearly perfect (my favourite albums are Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals and Born Villain), plus he is far the best lyricist of all time.

Marilyn Manson has created an entire world of phantasmal freaks with just three albums. Heck, all of their albums are amazing! Love them!

5 Best Manson Albums:
Holy Wood
Anti Christ Superstar
Mechanical Animals
The High End of Low
Eat Me Drink Me

Manson's music and lyrics are hard to classify to the one music genre. In each Album MM shows us a different side of soul (ok, in the Pale Emperor it is not so good) and I think that his early albums should be taken here as his industrial face

I couldn't live without a Ministry disc in my car. No Ministry, no NIN. Tool are a great band but sure as hell don't belong anywhere near this list, nor do Bullet For My Valentine (Why they're here is an absolute mystery). Ministry, Rammstein, NIN, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, KMFDM, Stabbing Westward and Front 242 are my picks.

90s Ministry, Godflesh, Skrew, early Pitchshifter, Testify, and the only NIN 'Broken' EP - there you go when searching for the only true industrial metal music. Rammstain and copies = bull for kids who like dressing up and listening to cheap marching music with no intellectual drive behind. Sadly this 90s industrial metal has been dying, save memories when you can!

Not easy to choose between NIN, Ministry and Zombie (in his various appearances), but I give the edge to Ministry because...well, I don't know why. Is it good enough to just think they're the best?

It's simple, really. Without Skinny Puppy, there is no Nine Inch Nails or Rammstein. Skinny Puppy's level of genius and talent in this genre of music has never been reached since, and their amazing use of controversial and sometimes disturbing performance art makes them much more interesting than a lot of the bands on this list.

SP's electronic industrial along with Neubauten is what I consider the best Industrial music.
Then there's of course Throbbing Gristle etc, but they were never a favorite. Merzbow is experimental noise but in my book would count as more industrial than most of this list, and Merzbow can be amazing (listen to Bariken)! Nurse with Wound is another favorite - check out Thunder Perfect Mind!

This is a terrible list. A lot of these bands rn't industrial @ all. They've got tool as #4 which isn't industrial & static x which is just garbage @ #9... I love nin & mm but I would not put them up that high. Skinny puppy should w/o question b @ the top. 2 even put them @ number 5 is an insult. 2 anyone reading this, there is a rare, hard 2 find industrial band (as many are) called "transparent" w/an album called "bomb in the market square"- 1 of the best albums I've ever heard & I've been looking 4 them 4 months on the internet. I can't find them anywhere except on the nin tribute cd's. Y so hard 2 find?! Anyway, if you ever c it, buy it, no matter how much it costs!

Been the best for damn near thirty years and always will be. Zombie is king!

Rob is the God of Industrial. Love him always!

Rob Zombie always a king.

I'm baffled on how these guys are so far down. They are heavy and dark, yes, but industrial wise, they've got the core down and know what they are doing. Great music, great band, deserves more recognition.

These guys should be number 1. They've
Been around for 25+ years and have been pumping out countless gems throughout the years and they're still at it and as good as ever even with the line up changes and controversies

How is the band sitting at 36? Maybe a bit to dark and heavy not sure. But one helluva band, seen them live twice and wasnt disappointed either time.

The best industrial band of all time should rank way higher. Mushroomhead has dominated the underground for many years and deserves much better. They work very hard on what they do and are very good live they don't just have the looks they have the good sound to back it up.

The best. They are the most creative, using rap, metal, industrial and techno to create a sound that Is all their own.

Mushroomhead is easily the best industrial band, both thematically and sound wise.

Static X have taken influence from bands such as Ministry and Prong and have blended in a fuse of Korn influence, however this doesn't automatically make Static X Nu Metal. Their amazing catchy riffs (WDT) and their belly blasting guitar solos (Cannibal) are sure to knock Marilyn Manson's socks off.

So laugh out loud Rammstein fans! Classic Industrial all the way!

Static-X, you ever hear their music? God, their music should be up their next with Nine Inch Nails. They are very good with many songs, best album in my eyes is "Beneath... Between... Beyond... "

Absolute legends in industrial. Like anyone who has ever played games I got into them when I was really young and my love for them grew when I started buying their albums

That is in my opinion what Industrial Metal is all about!

Brilliant band from Switzerland. The whole Antares album is amazing.

Probably the most underrated band ever...

Discovered Filter years ago and haven't heard anything similar to their style since then. Richard Patrick is a god at songwriting, every single song so far just blew me away! Especially the first two albums short bus and title of record will make you love this band!

Filter is another band that should be on here. Richard Patrick from NIN quit and formed Filter which is an Industrial Alternative band. It should be on here and has been influential since the 90s

Filter still is second to Skinny Puppy, which means they're the second god damn best band!

Why so low on this list?

Of course they are industrial! You are concentrating on harder rock but DM were pioneers the f this sound back in the 80s and with Violater they have one of the best albums ever. So much narrow margin need comments on here and music snobbery.

Ehrm, no, you're not so knowledgeable if you call DM industrial. It would be like calling Aqua psychedelic trance.

Depeche. Mode are alternative

I love industrial music. I like it dark, and electronic. I like noise, and static.

A lot of these bands have influenced the industrial scene, whether or not they can be defined by a genre label is not for me to say. I will say that I consider most, if not all these bands industrial; some of these bands are more so industrial than others.

I found Velvet Acid Christ to be the band I feel I can relate to the most. The music is consistently, richly layered with a dark, electronic sound whilst continuing to vary and grow in each release.

The best multi-genre dark music with a lot of outlet deep emotion. VAC varies from EBM tracks to hard industrial, and down into sorrowful Darkwave and Goth style. With intellectually stimulating and often powerfully informative lyrical skills and hearful vocals, as well as the occasional perfect touch of guitar or drums... Throughout the years VAC has continued to be one of the most talented musicians to ever be considered Industrial, with the most vast landscape of sound quality that takes you on a journey and a crisp, very well produced sound. Undoubtedly the best.

Godflesh after throbbing gristle? Okay this list makes no sense at all. I am done with this poser site. Life's too short.

Agreed. Godflesh should be in the top 3. That they aren't in the top ten is just indicative.

They are really good and they deserve better. Should be top 5 or higher.

One must distinguish between early KMFDM and recent KMFDM. Prior to their temporary breakup, KMFDM truly stood apart from other industrial groups in their complete disregard of accepted musical norms (I.E., What Do You Know Deutschland), and their desire to genuinely embrace the spirit of industrial rock and counterculture. Not many bands - certainly not ANY ranked above KMFDM on this list - had the guts to do that, as shown by their overwhelming dependence on pop-like music. Other bands may be catchy, accessible, and easy to listen to, but KMFDM and Coil ought to be at the top of this list; anyone who thinks otherwise is simply a fan of pop-industrial.

I listen to almost all the bands listed here. The first industrial band I listened to was Marilyn Manson, although he isn't a strictly industrial artist. I have never been a big fan of Nine Inch Nails. The band that got me started in industrial music was Rammstein, even though they are far from being the best.

Rammstein is one of my favorites, but I have to give props to KMFDM. KMFDM has been around for 10 years longer than Rammstein and has an impressive history. They have released 17 studio albums! In comparison, Rammstein has released only 6. On top of that, KMFDM has released numerous singles and other songs, spanning more than 200 songs altogether.

KMFDM offers some of the greatest variety of all time. They also have some really cool album art. The ability to stick with a style for as long as they have, and to release so much content, is an accomplishment in itself. Their album artwork has almost become synonymous with the band, and their style is both impressive and creative.

KMFDM also features songs not only in their native tongue of German, but in English and Spanish as well. Yes, I know Rammstein has done the same, but KMFDM was one of the first to do so. Unlike Rammstein, KMFDM sticks with Spanish or English throughout the entire song.

I am a die-hard grindcore and death metal fan, and KMFDM has some guitar riffs that are among the heaviest things I've heard. The whole concept behind the band embodies the rock ethos of not giving in to the man. With their motto Rip the System, along with their propaganda-style artwork and lyrics, they stand as a model industrial band.

Gravity Kills is the only industrial band besides Tool and Ministry I can really get into, so I might not be qualified to say that they're the best one ever. Even so, the songs "Drown", "Alive", and "Guilty" had a very profound effect on me when I was a little kid, not least because two of them were in Test Drive Offroad 2 and I played the ... out of that game. Gravity Kills kills it.

Gravity Kills is one hell of a band with a raw sound and they rock it hard by pouring their blood sweat and tears into their music! Perversion was an incredible experimental album with provocative themes and growling guitar and bad ass keyboards and Superstarved was an amazing ride as well. Gravity Kills needed to comeback to the scene YESTERDAY! *Ladyaslan

While each NIN album is a listening experience like no other, Gravity Kills will not challenge a listener, but they do have this genre down pat.
Their first debut album was quite a sucess reaching number 1 on Heatseekers Chart and hitting No.89 on the Billboard 200 in 1996. "Guilty" is one of the best songs out of their discography. "

As much as I LOVE Rammstein, Combichrist has sort of surpassed them in the favorite industrial bands thing. But I still love Rammstein and I always will! Even though I haven't seen them live yet, I see just from watching concert footage of Combichrist just how awesome they are! Their music is just epic. No other industrial band gets my blood pumping like Combi does!

Absolutely, the most underrated industrial band I have ever heard. Their music is an 'audio energy pill! "
Its difficult to run or workout to this music without feeling so 'amped, ' that I could either run a 5 minute mile, or end up in the emergency room!

Best live band. They made the rest of the festival look like garbage by comparison.

An all-round amazing band. Great lyrics, great sound, great art, great energy. I love the sci-fi theme too. Definitely one of my all time favorites.

Fantastic Band. Definitely top ten for me.

Swans aren't specifically an industrial band, but if you look into their output in the 80s with albums like Filth, Cop, Greed, and Holy Money, you can definitely hear those Industrial sounds that would later be cited as influence by bands like Tool, Godflesh, Earth, Sunn O))), and Neurosis. Incredibly influential, and definitely deserves a higher rating.

Oh... All you sad people who have never heard of Celldweller. I feel very sorry for you. As someone who has put "Industrial" to a whole new level that nobody ever got close to, Celldweller should be right up there with Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. Oh, and what is Bullet for my Valentine doing on this list?

Just a truly great band I mean this is a list of truly amazing bands but I gotta vote for celldweller over these huge bands in just some small attempt to get at least one person to look them up. There truly a great band and klayton is a terrific vocalist with some great lyrics worth any ones time to listen to them cannot recommend this band enough.

Celldweller should be higher on the list. Klayton has consistently put out amazing material during his entire career. He is not the "new kid on the block" in terms of industrial music as he began with his project Circle of Dust in the early 90's.

Talented group from Toronto. Chibi has a beautiful and ethereal voice, but I wouldn't consider TBM insustrial. Excellent they are, industrial they are not. They're goth if you want an easy label to describe them with.