The first industrial band was England's Throbbing Gristle - and isn't that an awesome name? The description was related to the industrial sounds from which they derived their rhythms, if one can call them that. Not yet related to heavy metal in any way, Throbbing Gristle used tape loops, analog synthesizers, and various "found sounds" to create a nasty soundscape to their lyrical explorations of death, dismemberment, and almost total alienation.
As industrial developed, one band that took it to a logical extreme, adding heavily distorted guitars and turning them up past the point of clarity was Ministry. Combining punk, metal, and synth-pop danceability, in much the same way as Nine Inch Nails would later, Ministry changed and grew over time, with the one constant being founder/leader Al Jourgensen's uncompromising vision. By turns near-blasphemous, politically radical, and socially offensive, Ministry did have one constant - they were always extremely LOUD.
"Psalm 69" - do I need to explain this one?
This isn't very nice . . . not even the t-shirt. . . "No W"
Ministry did an entire release of covers. Trying to find my favorite is difficult, but this little take on "Wonderful World" makes the point well.
