Top 10 EBM albums of all time

Here is my list of the top 10 EBM albums ever. Well, up until October 2009, at least. Putting together this list wasn’t easy. There were a lot of good bands who got left off (Haujobb, S.I.T.D., Klinik, Cesium 137). There were a lot of really good albums who didn’t squeeze in because they didn’t fit a (fairly strict) definition of EBM, like Mentallo and the Fixer’s “Revelations 23” or NCC’s “Seven Steps of Nervousness”. Anyway here it is.

10. Front 242: Front by Front (1988)
This classic is worthy for inclusion just by virtue of having “Headhunter” on the tracklisting, probably the most famous and popular industrial song ever recorded. The album starts off a little slow with “Unto Death Do Us Part” but ramps up the energy and doesn’t stop. This is pure, simple and dynamic EBM by the people who invented the genre and the term. The 1992 reissue includes some solid bonus tracks, especially the awesome “Never Stop”.
9. Nitzer Ebb: That Total Age (1987)
This British group certainly attracted attention with this debut. They produced EBM that was stripped down to bare essentials, with a startling aggression, speed and youthful energy. Join in the Chant may be their best known song, but there are plenty of other solid tracks here. Nitzer Ebb are still touring and astonishingly have lost none of their energy.
8. Front Line Assembly: Caustic Grip (1990)
What? Not Tactical Neural Implant? No! This album demolishes it’s much better known younger brother. This is Bill Leeb’s most direct and aggressive work, and the one most closely matching the style of the EBM pioneers Front 242, Nitzer Ebb and the Klinik. There may have been only half a dozen drum samples used on the whole record, but who cares when it sounds so good? Highlights are Provision and Iceolate.
7. Leather Strip: Solitary Confinement (1992)
An enormously influential album, this disc went on to spawn entire genres of music. When this came out it hit the industrial music scene like a bombshell; nobody had heard anything as dark and angry as this. The production quality and composition surpassed any of Claus Larsen’s previous works (and subsequent, many would say). A true milestone.
6. Seabound: Double-Crosser (2006)
Picking one Seabound album was extremely difficult. They have put out three and they are all excellent. The first however was probably more on the synthpop side of the fence rather than EBM (it can be a fine line). Beyond Flatline was a little darker, and Double Crosser more so. Seabound craft very clever and emotional songs like few people on the planet can, and their production skills are second to none. Domination stands out, but the closer Breathe is just jawdropping.
5. Mind.In.A.Box: Crossroads (2007)
As someone who tries their hand at music production, listening to this Austrian duo would be demoralising and frustrating, if it wasn’t the best music being made in the world today, since their skill embarrasses just about everybody else around. Crossroads doesn’t quite have the consistency of Dreamweb, but it has some standout tracks that are about the best thing in this style ever recorded, including the opening intro, which has to be heard to be believed.
4. Neuroticfish: Les Chanson de Neurotiques (2002)
Some may think of this band as a bit cheesy who had a few catchy club hits like Velocity. This is however a genuinely excellent album, solid from start to finish, with great vocals and lyrics, brilliant songwriting and a wide range of emotional content. The only downside is following what should have been a brilliant album closer, Need, with a feeble and misplaced remix of Velocity. Apart from that, this is a flawless album and essential listening.
3. Covenant: Sequencer (1996)
Many may be surprised not to see this album even higher, given its critical reception and cult status. And it is a classic; the opening track, Feedback, hits the listener like a blast of icy wind, with snarling synths and frozen commanding vocals. The whole album clocks in at only eight tracks (though varying depending on which of the many reprints you might have), but is just superb. The only downside is the predictable “club / dancefloor” track Stalker. The rest is solid gold.
2. Zero Defects: Non-Recyclable (1994)
Everyone (or at least all of the crusty old industrial fans, like me) know this band only for their 90s club hit, Duracell. Yes, the cool one with the Duracell battery ad samples. But this album has 10 tracks, all absolutely killer, every single one. This is EBM at its very best; cold, yet emotional; precise, yet human; dark, yet uplifting. I’ve listened to this album literally hundreds of times, and not only am I not sick of it, it gets better every time I hear it.
1. Mind.In.A.Box: Dreamweb (2005)
Two entries in the top 10 (top 5 even) gives you an idea how good this band is. Not only is every track perfect, but they all fit together into a seamless whole, an unfolding story. Synths, vocals, even occasionally guitars weave in and out of each other effortlessly. Emotions from hope, fear, love, despair and everything in between are traversed. The production quality isn’t quite as good as on Crossroads, and there may not be many “club tracks” here, but who cares? It’s EBM in my books and the best thing anyone’s ever done, and maybe ever will do.