Someone who enjoys the darker industrial side of techno, or more accurately, the more aggressive stompy side of industrial music. The rivethead is ridiculed equally by the old school industrial fans as well as the newer cyber crowd, but is usually too busy stomping to Caustic, Feindflug or Die Krupps to give a damn. Rivetheads are commonly thought of as being supremely elitist but behind those outsized military goggles there often lies a knowing sense of humour--hell, you'd need one if you dressed for war just to go clubbing.
"You call yourself a rivethead? I invented that shit. You wanna stomp to Death Method, you owe me royalties." --Chase of Reconstriction records (he may or may not have actually said this)
by EinsturzendeSteve May 16, 2008
Get the rivethead mug.
A person who listens to industrial music. Characteristics/stereotypes of rivetheads include:

1) Anger at everything
2) That anger turning into a "More Rivet than Thou" attitude
3) A constant drive to find obscure industrial music
4) A great affection with Germany
5) A great affection with the millitary, without promoting or condoning war or violence (only violence to those lesser than you)
6) In depth knowledge of the entire history of the subculture
7) In depth knowledge of all types of industrial
8) Worship of the bands: Skinny Puppy, Throbbing Gristle, Coil, (and for the lesser rivet's) Nine Inch Nails
9) Interest in the government and what the government is up to
10) A dislike of glowsticks and ravers

Rivetheads tend to dress eaither in black, or in a millitary fashion. It is characteristic for a rivet to shave his/her head. It is also characteristic to wear goggles. The more 'industrial' in nature, the better. The industrial subculture has a vauge coherant thought, along the lines of "machines are powerful and should eaither be respected or feared."
Ich bin ein Nietkopf. Ich liebe dein schnubart.
by Anonymous August 17, 2003
Get the rivethead mug.
A person who is associated with the industrial music scene.
Rivetheads are familiar with the name Gary Numan
by mandi November 28, 2003
Get the rivethead mug.
One who listens to industrial music, yells in German, wears welding or WW2 fighter pilot goggles, and stomps on ravers. D IS FOR DEUTSCHLAND
"Be careful of that rivethead over there who is listening to Funker Vogt. He might assimilate you!"
by Robert Roboto August 11, 2003
Get the rivethead mug.
A subtype or offshoot subculture of the goth or gothic subculture; also called Rivet. Rivethead has a more militaristic or post-apocolyptic aesthetic, and is more aggresive than Goth. Industrial music forms the meat and potatoes (MRI's and muddy water) of the rivethead's musical taste.

In as much as industrial music has always been integral to the gothic subculture however, and some of the founding musical influences which inspired the Rivethead subculture were bands who's members were merely goths dressing up militaristic for their stage performance, it is contentious in the gothic community as to whether Rivethead is actually anything other than a particularily aggressive style of Goth (with a majority of goths holding the opinion that it is not). Many people who identify with the Rivethead subculture are indistinguishable from goths, even to other goths, and to make matters worse most rivethead fashion models are goths.

Just like many goths, rivetheads find inspiration in cyberpunk and dystopian science fiction. However unless that whispy cloud partially obscuring the full moon is the smoke from a burning tank, a true rivethead sees nothing more than a giant nuisance in the sky possibly revealing his position to the enemy.

Gothic cathedrals are also beautiful after a warplane crashes through the back wall destroying as many religious artifacts as possible.

Just like gothic aesthetics, rivethead aesthetics integrate the sublime. In the case of rivethead however, the imagery is more related to the horror of global war, weapons of mass destruction, genocide, apocolypse, mass graves, totalitarianism and awe in respect of imagery such as vast armies of mechanized infantry, complex machines (especially factory equipment and construction vehicles), movements and dynamics of society and economies on a global scope and undefined time scale.

Generally speaking Rivethead is less influenced by feminine aesthetics of grace, romance and beauty than typical Goth, and are more influenced by the masculine asthetics of strength, fury and revolution. However... mileage may vary and the lines are very blury.

Rivetheads do not like black lights or glow-in-the-dark accessories any more than other goths do. For glow-in-the-dark see Cybergoth.

Both goths and rivetheads like the color black.
Goth: I love your boots they are so gawth!
Rivet: Actually I consider myself a rivethead.
Goth: oh? I thought you were goth. are you sure?
Rivet: I don't like to label myself but someone told me I'm "rivet", so I guess I'm "rivet".
Goth: Hey.. excuse me.. they're playing my favorite band 'Skinny Puppy', I gotta go dance!
Rivet: that's my favorite band!
by TheDarknessVisible December 21, 2006
Get the rivethead mug.
A band based out of Dallas, TX, who's main focus is indeed the industrial/hard rock/metal/goth scene.
I was at the Stars game yesterday, and a Rivethead song came on during a line change!
by jonflow January 6, 2008
Get the rivethead mug.