Mixtape: Best of Industrial Vol. 2

Hey everyone and welcome to another Mixtape! Two in two weeks, they're coming like buses! Over seven years ago I did my first "Best of Industrial" Mixtape. You can find that link here. At the time I was struggling to create that Mixtape, reason being that while I love the genre, there weren't that many bands that I knew and loved beyond the obvious. Choosing around 20 artists of this genre isn't easy, certainly those of good quality. Yet the sound in its pure form is just beautiful. It's hard to put into words.

Anyway, doing this Part 2, seven years later was so much easier. I can't again explain why either. Perhaps my palette has increased for the genre? But it was always there and I've always loved it. As I said it's hard to explain!

Not familiar with the term Industrial? I'll copy and past what I put down in my Volume 1 because I explained it relatively well then.

The roots of Industrial music started in the seventies and with the Industrial Records company, but they weren't really successful, nor was the sound. But it inspired the "Post-Industrial" genre, what we now know as Industrial music. So if you're an Industrial purist, you could say that the list below is not Industrial music, but Post-Industrial music. I will continue to consider this Mixtape and the songs and sound as Industrial music, but let's not be ignorant to the original genre of the seventies. There's so many influences that helped made the genre, and there are so many influences from Industrial music that helped shape music today.

So what have I defined as Industrial below? Well, after the seventies Industrial Records scene, Industrial (or Post-Industrial) roots back to the early eighties. Arguably the first Post-Industrial band was Skinny Puppy, but of course, there were bands that influenced Skinny Puppy to make the sound they made, and there were a few bands around that time that while aren't Industrial as a sole genre, they also helped to the rise. Bands like Killing Joke, Bauhaus, Ministry, KMFDM and Kraftwerk are all bands that in some way, shape or form, helped Industrial music to become what it has been in the eighties, nineties and naughties.

But, and you can argue I'm biased in saying this, but to me, the band that pioneered Industrial music is Nine Inch Nails. A lot of the 1980s Industrial lacked melody, it sounded great but it was repetitive and became almost brainless music. But Nine Inch Nails added melody, added quality vocals and also started using ground breaking electronic metal music to add to the machinery sound that was Industrial music. As I said, I could be biased, as Nine Inch Nails are my favourite band.

Not familiar with my Mixtapes? Here are the rules.

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! 

This list you'll see below isn't just Industrial music. It's a celebration of the sound, and the sounds that have been influenced by Industrial music. Industrial music has been used in so many genres since the boring machine sound of the eighties, it's used in dance music, techno, alternative rock, indie, metal and most recently, dubstep. You name the genre, chances are Industrial had an assist in there for making the genre what it is today. So there's a lot of bands here that aren't Industrial. But I've selected certain songs by those bands, that have roots from the Industrial genre, and have them showcase how good the sound can be when done perfectly. I have some eighties industrial, nineties industrial, some electronic dance music and some heavy industrial metal.

Enjoy my second homage to Industrial music!

1. Mr Self Destruct - Nine Inch Nails
2. Hooker With a Penis - Tool
3. Death - Skinny Puppy
4. Flesh is the Law - Genitorturers
5. Shut Me Up - Mindless Self Indulgence
6. More and Faster (243) - KMFDM
7. Electric Head Pt 2 - White Zombie
8. Hey Man, Nice Shot - Filter
9. Do What I Say - Clawfinger
10. QWERTY - Mushroomhead
11. Rammstein - Rammstein
12. My Wall (feat Excision and Downlink) - KoRn
13. Bombshell - Powerman 5000
14. Verta Ja Lihaa - Turmion Katilot
15. BBB - How to Destroy Angels
16. Angel With the Scabbed Wings - Marilyn Manson
17. Just One Fix - Ministry
18. Sucked In - Jerk
19. Linchpin - Fear Factory
20. Get to the Gone - Static-X
21. Rock and Roll (In a Black Hole) - Rob Zombie

Don't like some of these? Give these five a try...

1. Zerospace - Kidneythieves
2. Guilty - Gravity Kills
3. Fukken Uber Death Party - Hanzel und Gretel
4. Eye - Smashing Pumpkins
5. Golgotha Tenement Blues - Machines of Loving Grace

To listen to the playlist on YouTube click here!

So I hope you enjoy this list. As I said, some of these bands are not Industrial, but I hope you understand their inclusion in the list. They have roots from the genre, and like to implement it into their modern sounds.

Until next time, take care!

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