Fear Factory

Fear Factory obliterated the barriers that once divided Disco dance floors from concert hall mosh pits. One of the first really heavy metal acts to combine low, detonating power chords and Industrial dance beat rigor, these L.A. "rivetheads" set an example for countless acts to follow. Often following up their releases with dance-intensive remix albums on which various Industrial artists and DJ's were invited to appear, their willingness to experiment shook up a genre that had long since calcified into formal repetitiveness and inbred influences. Though later releases found the band leaning in a more melodic direction, they always retained the deep sonic wallop and grinding beats for which they're famous.