Ministry | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Until Nine Inch Nails crossed over to the mainstream, Ministry did more than any other band to popularize industrial dance music, injecting large doses of punky, over-the-top aggression and roaring heavy metal guitar riffs that helped their music find favor with metal and alternative audiences outside of industrials cult fan base. Thats not to say Ministry had a commercial or generally accessible sound: they were unremittingly intense, abrasive, pounding, and repetitive, and not always guitar-oriented (samples, synthesizers, and tape effects were a primary focus just as often as guitars and distorted vocals). However, both live and in the studio, they achieved a huge, crushing sound that put most of their contemporaries in aggressive musical genres to shame; plus, founder and frontman Al Jourgensen gave the group a greater aura of style and theater than other industrial bands, who seemed rather faceless when compared with Jourgensens leather-clad cowboy/biker look and the edgy shock tactics of such videos as "N.W.O." and "Just One Fix." After 1992s Psalm 69, which represented the peak of their popularity, Ministrys recorded output dwindled, partially because of myriad side projects and partially due to heroin abuse within the band, but the band continued to resurface throughout the rest of the decade. Ministry were formed in 1981 by Alain Jourgensen (born October 8, 1958, Havana, Cuba); he had moved to the U.S. with his mother while very young and lived in a succession of cities, eventually working as a radio DJ and joining a new wave band called Special Affect (fronted by future My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult leader Frankie Nardiello, aka Groovie Mann). Featuring drummer Stephen George, Ministry debuted with the Wax Trax! single "Cold Life," which -- typical of their early output -- was more in the synth pop/dance style of new wavers like the Human League or Thompson Twins. The album With Sympathy appeared on the major-label Arista in 1983 and followed a similar musical direction, one that Jourgensen was dissatisfied with; he returned to Wax Trax! and recorded several singles while rethinking the bands style and forming his notorious side project the Revolting Cocks. In 1985, with Jourgensen the only official member of Ministry, the Adrian Sherwood-produced Twitch was released by Sire Records; while not as aggressive as the groups later, more popular material, it found Jourgensen taking definite steps in that direction. Following a 1987 single with Skinny Puppys Kevin Ogilvie (aka Nivek Ogre) as PTP, Jourgensen once again revamped Ministry with former Blackouts bassist Paul Barker officially joining the lineup to complement Jourgensens rediscovery of the guitar; fellow ex-Blackouts William Rieflin (drums) and Mike Scaccia (guitar), as well as vocalist Chris Connelly, were heavily showcased as collaborators for the first of several times on 1988s The Land of Rape and Honey. With Jourgensen and Barker credited as Hypo Luxa and Hermes Pan, respectively, this album proved to be Ministrys stylistic breakthrough, a taut, explosive fusion of heavy metal, industrial dance beats and samples, and punk aggression. Released in 1989, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste built on its predecessors artistic success, and In Case You Didnt Feel Like Showing Up was recorded on its supporting tour, introducing other frequent Ministry contributors like drummer Martin Atkins (later of Pigface) and guitarist William Tucker (as well as featuring a guest shot from Jello Biafra). Jourgensen next embarked on a flurry of side projects, including the aforementioned Revolting Cocks (with Barker, Barkers brother Roland, Front 242 members Luc Van Acker and Richard 23, and many more), 1000 Homo DJs (with Biafra, Rieflin, and Trent Reznor), Acid Horse, Pailhead (with Ian MacKaye), and Lard (again with Biafra, Paul Barker, Rieflin, and drummer Jeff Ward). In late 1991, Ministry issued the single "Jesus Built My Hotrod," a driving rocker featuring manic nonsense vocals by co-writer Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers; its exposure on MTV helped build anticipation for the following years full-length, Psalm 69 (subtitled The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs, although the only title that appears on the album consists of a few Greek letters and symbols). The record reached the Top 30 and went platinum, producing two further MTV hits with "N.W.O." and "Just One Fix," and Ministry consolidated their following with a spot on the inaugural Lollapalooza tour that summer (joined by new guitarist Louis Svitek). However, drug and legal problems sidelined the band in the wake of its newfound popularity, resulting in the clouded Filth Pig being released in 1995, too late to capitalize on their prior success. More problems with drugs and arrests followed, and Jourgensen returned to some of his side projects, recording a new album with Lard, among others. In 1999, the new single "Bad Blood" was featured prominently in the sci-fi special-effects blockbuster film The Matrix, setting the stage for the release of Dark Side of the Spoon (the title a reference to the bands heroin problems) later that summer. Guitarist William Tucker committed suicide in May 1999. Ministry were nominated for a Grammy in 2000 for "Bad Blood," but they lost to Black Sabbath and were dropped from Warner Bros. around the same time. They were also added to the Ozzfest tour, but they were kicked off before it even began because of a management change. To compound their sorrows, Ipecac Records announced three live albums were to be released with material from the Psalm 69 tour being the main focus, but they only had a verbal agreement, and when Warner Bros. caught wind of the project, they stamped it out despite already having the CDs ready for printing. In 2001, Ministry filmed a scene for Steven Spielbergs A.I. and released their contribution to the film on a greatest-hits album, appropriately titled Greatest Fits. The song received a decent amount of promotion, but the single went nowhere and the band signed to Sanctuary Records later in the year. While recording new material, they released the Sphinctour album and DVD in the spring of 2002 to satisfy rabid fans who were disappointed by the Ipecac situation. The next spring, Animositisomina was released, advertised as a return to the Psalm 69 style of songwriting and featuring a cover of Magazines "The Light Pours Out of Me." Houses of the Molé followed in June 2004. In September 2005 Ministry celebrated their 25th anniversary with Rantology. Jourgensen remixed such past hits as "Jesus Built My Hotrod" and "N.W.O. for the set; it also included live material, rarities, and the new track "Great Satan." An extensive tour with Revolting Cocks in tow followed. The band then released Rio Grande Blood in May 2006; the second installment in what Jourgensen promised to be a George W. Bush-hating trilogy (which began with Houses of the Molé); the album earned Ministry another Grammy nomination (Best Metal Performance) for "Lies, Lies, Lies." In 2007 the bandmembers announced they would be releasing their "final" album, The Last Sucker, by the end of the year. The 2008 compilation Cover Up examined Ministrys long history of destroying other artists tunes, while the 2009 set The Last Dubber featured The Last Sucker album remixed. Jourgensen would move on to his country project Buck Satan and return to the Cocks over the next few years, but Ministry wouldnt lay dormant for long. In 2012 they returned with the very thrash, very angry studio album Relapse with the ironically titled live album Enjoy the Quiet following in 2013. The studio album From Beer to Eternity also appeared in 2013, honoring longtime Ministry guitarist Mike Scaccia, who had passed away after suffering heart failure while on-stage performing with his other band, Rigor Mortis. While Jourgensen had stated that Ministry wouldnt continue after Scaccias death, he continued writing songs, and following Donald Trumps inauguration as President of the United States, the group began recording its 14th studio album. AmeriKKKant arrived on Nuclear Blast in March of 2018, and featured guest artists such as Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), DJ Swamp, and Arabian Prince (N.W.A). | ||
 | Album: 1 of 32 Title: With Sympathy Released: 1983-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Effigy (I’m Not An) (03:53) 2 Revenge (03:50) 3 I Wanted to Tell Her (05:31) 4 Work for Love (04:46) 5 Here We Go (03:24) 6 What He Say (04:06) 7 Say You’re Sorry (04:20) 8 Should Have Known Better (04:33) 9 She’s Got a Cause (03:33) |
| With Sympathy : Allmusic album Review : Rather than the trademark bone-munching industrial metal of later years, With Sympathy is panto-goth new wave synth-pop that sounds less like the band chewing your pancreas and more like Human Leagues surly little brother. Great stuff, then, for those who allied themselves with Ally Sheedys character in The Breakfast Club. "Here We Go" grinds all over some electronic horns, "Work for Love" stop-starts and shouts about like "Walk This Way" without all that scary rap, and the whole record becomes a secret weapon against the contrived snarls of the albums to follow. Surely, Al Jourgensen must be more insecure about his past than a superstar linebacker over childhood courses in ballet. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 32 Title: Twitch Released: 1986 Tracks: 9 Duration: 56:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Just Like You (05:00) 2 We Believe (05:56) 3 All Day (remix) (06:02) 4 The Angel (06:06) 5 Over the Shoulder (05:11) 6 My Possession (05:02) 7 Where You at Now? / Crash and Burn / Twitch (version II) (12:13) 8 Over the Shoulder (12″ version) (06:44) 9 Isle of Man (version II) (04:31) |
| Twitch : Allmusic album Review : The name Ministry brings to mind images of big, dumb guitars and arena rock sensibility. But before they created their influential third album, The Land of Rape and Honey, there was Twitch. And this album probably owes more to Front 242 than anything. The only thing remotely resembling their later music is the use of psychotic sampling that Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker will always be known for. A good example is "Like You," the first track on the album. Other differences include Patty Jourgensen singing on the song "The Angel" and Al Jourgensen actually trying to sound unaggravated at times. Its interesting though repetitive at times ("Crash and Burn"), and if you care to listen to Jourgensens rants, he really does have something to say. "Isle of Man" tells the story of the arrival of Columbus and how the persecution of the Indians will be revisited on the offenders in time. Make no mistake: this sounds nothing like any of Ministrys other albums; listeners may hear how they became what they did. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 32 Title: Twelve Inch Singles: 1981–1984 Released: 1987 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:42:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everyday Is Halloween (06:36) 2 The Nature of Love (06:58) 3 All Day (05:51) 4 Cold Life (05:12) 5 Halloween (remix) (10:25) 6 The Nature of Love (Cruelty mix B) (06:44) 7 All Day (remix B) (06:34) 8 Cold Life (dub) (06:24) 1 Same Old Madness (05:58) 2 Primental (05:14) 3 Im Falling (04:24) 4 Nature of Outtakes (08:09) 5 Im Falling (alternative mix) (04:04) 6 Overkill (04:31) 7 Hes Angry (03:54) 8 Move (original mix) (05:06) 9 Nature of Love (cruelty mix B) (06:43) |
| Twelve Inch Singles: 1981–1984 : Allmusic album Review : Included are all of their best-known hits and songs before they got signed by major-label Sire. Techno-industrial music from the early 80s. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 32 Title: The Land of Rape and Honey Released: 1988 Tracks: 9 Duration: 40:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stigmata (05:45) 2 The Missing (02:54) 3 Deity (03:23) 4 Golden Dawn (05:42) 5 Destruction (03:30) 6 The Land of Rape and Honey (05:12) 7 You Know What You Are (04:45) 8 Flashback (04:48) 9 Abortive (04:23) |
| The Land of Rape and Honey : Allmusic album Review : The Land of Rape and Honey represented Ministrys stylistic breakthrough, combining assaultive percussion, samples, synths, and (sometimes) crunching guitars with distorted, barking vocals. For all the emphasis on the groups metal/industrial fusion, its really only the first three (and best) tracks on Rape and Honey -- "Stigmata," "The Missing," and "Deity" -- that employ guitars extensively. The remainder of the album merely suggests heavy metal aggression through its electronic and sampled elements; it is far more industrial in feel, even though its just as dark. Ministry was the industrial band that, more than any other, appealed to metal fans, and it was The Land of Rape and Honey that began to lay claim to that status. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 32 Title: The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste Released: 1989-11-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 50:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Thieves (05:02) 2 Burning Inside (05:20) 3 Never Believe (04:59) 4 Cannibal Song (06:10) 5 Breathe (05:40) 6 So What (08:13) 7 Test (06:04) 8 Faith Collapsing (04:01) 9 Dream Song (04:48) |
| The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste : Allmusic album Review : In what many consider to be Ministrys peak, the band creates another wonderful album to follow The Land of Rape and Honey. Fusing thrash guitars with excellent synth and percussion work, Ministry lay the foundation for even more followers of the bands music. But what makes the album even more commendable is the unique flair and the avoidance of cliché elements that have brought down the guitar-heavy industrial-rock genre. Purists might argue that Ministry have given up these roots; but its plain to see that the roots remain, and are only revamped by the necessary progression of a band that has been around for so many years. The sound is Ministrys, most definitely. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 32 Title: In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (Live) Released: 1990-09-04 Tracks: 6 Duration: 39:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Missing (03:36) 2 Deity (03:38) 3 So What (11:29) 4 Burning Inside (06:23) 5 Thieves (05:09) 6 Stigmata (09:30) |
| In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (Live) : Allmusic album Review : By the time of A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, Ministry had amassed enough of an arsenal of gear and a hardcore coterie of fans to make the bands shows literally explosive affairs in some cases. Also released as an accompanying video, which shows more than a few audience members seemingly uncaring about potential dismemberment, In Case You Didnt Feel Like Showing Up is only six songs long, but delivers big time for each of them. The weird atmosphere of glowering goth and avant thrash metal that combined with the more direct dancefloor antics of Alain Jourgensen, Paul Barker, and company makes for a particularly potent combination live. Jourgensens hoarsely roared, wracked vocals, given just enough electronic distortion to really cause some blood to flow, suit the various reinterpretations of The Land of Rape and Honey and A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste material, three songs from each. For the most part the live takes closely resemble the studio cuts aside from length; while the galloping "Deity" sticks to the originals three-minute headcrush, "So What" turns into an extended vamp, arguably going on a little too long but generally having fun with its own horror-movie slasher theatrics, as well as kicking off with a slow burn, just creepy enough start. The whooshing swoops and siren noises that kick off "Burning Inside" show how well Ministry can rework material for maximum impact as needed. The end of the disc provides the real highlights, with absolutely brutal versions of "Thieves" and a nervous, intense "Stigmata" polishing things off; Jourgensens profane rant against anything and everything at the end in particular reaches some sort of weird apotheosis of unalloyed hatred. Occasional comments to the crowd along the lines of, "Looks like we got a little frisky bunch here!" show that for all the musical and lyrical violence, Ministry knew how to keep a sense of humor intact -- something more than a few followers forgot. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 32 Title: ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ Released: 1992-07-10 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 N.W.O. (05:30) 2 Just One Fix (05:11) 3 TV II (03:04) 4 Hero (04:13) 5 Jesus Built My Hotrod (04:52) 6 Scarecrow (08:21) 7 Psalm 69 (05:29) 8 Corrosion (04:56) 9 Grace (03:05) |
| ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ : Allmusic album Review : Easily one of the most anticipated albums from that year, especially after Nine Inch Nails had helped bring industrial metal to the mainstream with the success of the overtly Ministry-worshipping Pretty Hate Machine, Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs represented the high point of Alain Jourgensen and Paul Barkers incarnation as loud-as-hell electro-thrashers. The pump had been primed the previous year with the fierce "Jesus Built My Hot Rod," featuring Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers on vocals ranting over a galloping molten explosion of beats and feedback. Presented in a slightly edited version here, its still the high point of the album, while a reworked version of its B-side, "TV Song" (here called "TV II" and with Jourgensen on vocals instead of Chris Connelly), also makes for some good noise. Throughout, however, Ministry as a unit shows their facility for straightforward, brutal noise crossed with clinical, on-the-money arrangements, whether its the collage of crowd-riot samples bubbling throughout "N.W.O." or the chantings of Christian praise on the title track. As a role model for any number of nu-metallers down the road, Psalm 69 is often terribly underrated, but where Ministry succeeds while so many failed easily has to do with sheer vitriol only slightly tempered by the overwhelming hugeness of the songs. Consider the massive impact of the drums on "Just One Fix" as they lead into tightly wound, downward-spiral riffing or the hyper-speed clatter of "Hero" and "Corrosion." Jourgensens rasped lyrical visions of a corrupt America, drug addiction, mindless patriotism, and religious hypocrisy arent per se revelatory, but anyone who lived through the Bush years -- either father or son -- might find plenty to sympathize with. Secret highlight: "Scarecrow," which takes the massive slow pound of Led Zeppelins "When the Levee Breaks" and takes it to a strung-out, harrowing new location. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 32 Title: Box Released: 1993-11-30 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:17:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Over the Shoulder (12″ version) (06:44) 2 Isle of Man (version II) (04:31) 3 Twitch (version II) (01:59) 4 Stigmata (remix) (06:57) 5 Tonight We Murder (06:02) 1 Burning Inside (12″ remix) (06:45) 2 Thieves (12″ remix) (05:33) 3 Smothered Hope (04:58) 4 Jesus Built My Hotrod (Redline/Whiteline version) (08:13) 1 N.W.O. (extended dance mix) (08:09) 2 Fucked (05:07) 3 Just One Fix (12″ edit) (08:13) 4 Quick Fix (04:12) |
 | Album: 9 of 32 Title: Filth Pig Released: 1996-01-26 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Reload (02:25) 2 Filth Pig (06:19) 3 Lava (06:30) 4 Crumbs (04:14) 5 Useless (05:55) 6 Dead Guy (05:15) 7 Game Show (07:45) 8 The Fall (04:54) 9 Lay Lady Lay (05:44) 10 Brick Windows (05:23) |
| Filth Pig : Allmusic album Review : Distracted by drugs, arrests, and replacing nearly the entire lineup of Ministry, Al Jourgenson took nearly four years to complete Filth Pig. Instead of being a carefully constructed masterpiece, the record is a monotonous attack of relentless guitar noise. And although Jourgenson does keep his promise of reducing the number of samplers and synthesizers used on the album, the new approach sounds like a retreat into heavy metal, not a brave step forward. Slowing the songs down slightly and turning up the guitars results in a muddled quagmire. Without the blitzkrieg barrage of samples and clean metallic attack, Ministry sound strangely castrated, and it doesnt help that Jourgensons songs are neither catchy nor powerful. Psalm 69 may have been too concise for longtime Ministry fans, but at least it packed a punch. On the surface, Filth Pig is noisier, but it has no power. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 32 Title: Dark Side of the Spoon Released: 1999-06-07 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Supermanic Soul (03:13) 2 Whip and Chain (04:23) 3 Bad Blood (05:00) 4 Eureka Pile (06:22) 5 Step (04:06) 6 Nursing Home (07:02) 7 KAIF (05:25) 8 Vex & Siolence (05:24) 9 10/10 (03:53) |
| Dark Side of the Spoon : Allmusic album Review : Having struggled back to their feet, Ministry ambitiously attempts to broaden their signature sound with Dark Side of the Spoon. While it is a better record than Filth Pig, thats largely because of a few strong moments propping up a number of surprisingly bland attempts at aggression. Tunefulness was never Ministrys strong point, and several songs are built on extremely rudimentary vocal melodies. While its admirable that the group is trying new things this far into its career, it never quite settles on a definite approach. Besides, not everything theyre trying is new; a few parts are reminiscent of their earliest, synth-oriented days, while some of the dark humor that used to fill Revolting Cocks albums pops up here and there. The problem with the latter is that instead of being performed as though the band might snap at any second (as in the past), it sounds a little dopey and ineffectual. It would be a mistake to say that the album is a complete failure; "Supermanic Soul" and "Bad Blood" integrate some of the noisiness of Filth Pig with sound effects and classic Ministry riffs, while the otherwise dull "Eureka Pile" successfully works in some Eastern-tinged female vocals. But it does become apparent -- especially over the second half -- that the band simply doesnt sound as fearsome; so, Dark Side of the Spoon cant be considered the successful expansion of their sound that would bode well for the future. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 32 Title: Greatest Fits Released: 2001-06-19 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:12:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 What About Us? (05:52) 2 Stigmata (05:45) 3 The Land of Rape and Honey (05:12) 4 Thieves (05:02) 5 So What (live) (10:33) 6 N.W.O. (05:30) 7 Just One Fix (05:11) 8 Jesus Built My Hotrod (04:52) 9 Reload (long edit) (03:37) 10 Lay Lady Lay (05:44) 11 Supermanic Soul (03:13) 12 Bad Blood (05:00) 13 Supernaut (07:08) |
| Greatest Fits : Allmusic album Review : You can almost see Ministry straining against releasing a compilation, not just because its called Greatest Fits but because theyre not featured on the front and obscured on the back cover. And its also true that the selection isnt quite as lean as it could have been, and its hurt by non-chronological sequencing, opening with the AI soundtrack contribution "What About Us?" (ignored by listeners -- sadly reminiscent of the film itself -- yet one of their best singles in years), and careening through their history without any real roadmap. That does result in some unwelcome, unexpected detours, but the basic journey isnt just good, it proves that Ministrys stature as industrial giants isnt just warranted, but that few other bands could be as powerful as they were at their peak. And, in a way, the inclusion of such missteps as "Lay Lady Lay" (which really would have been better suited for a Revolting Cocks album) illustrates just how terrific "Stigmata," "The Land of Rape and Honey," "N.W.O.," "Just One Fix," and "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" are. And, for those that just want a concentrated blast of prime Ministry, this is as good as youll get. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 32 Title: Sphinctour Released: 2002-03-18 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:01:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Psalm 69 (05:03) 2 Crumbs (03:53) 3 Reload (02:33) 4 Filth Pig (06:30) 5 Just One Fix (04:38) 6 N.W.O. (06:03) 7 Hero (02:37) 8 Thieves (05:13) 9 Scarecrow (07:56) 10 Lava (08:43) 11 The Fall (08:02) |
| Sphinctour : Allmusic album Review : It has often been said that Ministry, more than anyone, made industrial music safe for headbangers. Thanks to Al Jourgensen and his Chicago colleagues, many Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Judas Priest fans started listening to industrial. Some of the headbangers who were turned on to industrial by Jourgensens outfit only became casual industrial fans; the luckiest converts, however, went on to experience the brutal pleasures of Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and Einstürdenze Neubauten. But while Ministry certainly opened doors, there are some industrial purists who feel that the band became too metal along the way -- and those are the people who may have a hard time appreciating Sphinctour. A collection of live performances from 1996, Sphinctour emphasizes material from Filth Pig and the excellent Psalm 69. Neither of those studio albums catered to industrial purists; both are for people who like their industrial laced with a huge dose of alternative metal, and the same goes for Sphinctour. From "Scarecrow," "N.W.O.," and "Crumb" to "Just One Fix," this CD is extremely headbanger-friendly. And while that will inevitably offend some industrial purists -- who would be better off sticking to classic Skinny Puppy and Throbbing Gristle recordings of the 80s -- it is good news if you like industrial at its most metal-minded. Some listeners will complain about the absence of "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" and longtime fans may argue that Sphinctour, by placing so much emphasis on songs from Psalm 69 and Filth Pig, doesnt paint as well-rounded a picture of Ministry as it should. Those are valid complaints, but all things considered, Sphinctour is an exciting, if imperfect, document of Ministrys 1996 tour. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 32 Title: Animositisomina Released: 2003-02-18 Tracks: 10 Duration: 53:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Animosity (04:36) 2 Unsung (03:11) 3 Piss (05:10) 4 Lockbox (04:45) 5 Broken (04:52) 6 The Light Pours Out of Me (04:26) 7 Shove (05:53) 8 Impossible (07:43) 9 Stolen (04:09) 10 Leper (09:05) |
| Animositisomina : Allmusic album Review : Ministry strode the alternative music world like a colossus during the late 80s and early 90s, placing one huge foot in the domain of industrial music, then another in the domain of heavy metal, dwarfing the aggressive capabilities of its contemporaries and sounding surprisingly tuneful while doing it. After 1992s Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs, though, the band disintegrated around leader Alain Jourgensen, and Ministry limped through the rest of the 90s with a pair of desultory, deliberately difficult records, Filth Pig and The Dark Side of the Spoon. Nearly a decade after Ministrys peak, 2003s Animositisomina returned the group to the quality of its Wax Trax prime, with an opener (the title track) that ranks up there with classics like "Burning Inside" and "Just One Fix." Ministry is still hell-bent on the kind of rigid, hooky thrash metal that fewer groups were interested in with the rise of nu-metal and rap-metal, but the bandmembers prove their chops; they may look like lords of drug-addled doom and gloom, but theyre a great band with energy left to burn. Animositisomina nods to the groups new wave past with a cover of Magazines "The Light Pours out of Me," and occasionally inspires vocal and melodic comparisons to Janes Addiction, the bands rivals (and polar opposites) in the alternative metal scene of the late 80s. Still dour and humorless, but pruned of its experimental tendencies, Ministry delivered its first solid record in a decade. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 32 Title: Houses of the Molé Released: 2004-06-18 Tracks: 69 Duration: 59:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No W (02:53) 2 Waiting (05:02) 3 Worthless (04:09) 4 Wrong (04:54) 5 Warp City (04:01) 6 WTV (04:25) 7 World (05:13) 8 WKYJ (05:14) 9 Worm (09:10) 10 [silence] (00:04) 11 [silence] (00:04) 12 [silence] (00:04) 13 Bloodlines (07:15) 14 [silence] (00:04) 15 [silence] (00:04) 16 [silence] (00:04) 17 [silence] (00:04) 18 [silence] (00:04) 19 [silence] (00:04) 20 [silence] (00:04) 21 [silence] (00:04) 22 [silence] (00:04) 23 [silence] (00:04) 24 [silence] (00:04) 25 [silence] (00:04) 26 [silence] (00:04) 27 [silence] (00:04) 28 [silence] (00:04) 29 [silence] (00:04) 30 [silence] (00:04) 31 [silence] (00:04) 32 [silence] (00:04) 33 [silence] (00:04) 34 [silence] (00:04) 35 [silence] (00:04) 36 [silence] (00:04) 37 [silence] (00:04) 38 [silence] (00:04) 39 [silence] (00:04) 40 [silence] (00:04) 41 [silence] (00:04) 42 [silence] (00:04) 43 [silence] (00:04) 44 [silence] (00:04) 45 [silence] (00:04) 46 [silence] (00:04) 47 [silence] (00:04) 48 [silence] (00:04) 49 [silence] (00:04) 50 [silence] (00:04) 51 [silence] (00:04) 52 [silence] (00:04) 53 [silence] (00:04) 54 [silence] (00:04) 55 [silence] (00:04) 56 [silence] (00:04) 57 [silence] (00:04) 58 [silence] (00:04) 59 [silence] (00:04) 60 [silence] (00:04) 61 [silence] (00:04) 62 [silence] (00:04) 63 [silence] (00:04) 64 [silence] (00:04) 65 [silence] (00:04) 66 [silence] (00:04) 67 [silence] (00:04) 68 [silence] (00:04) 69 Walrus (02:45) |
| Houses of the Molé : Allmusic album Review : Released in 2003, Animositisomina mightve brought Ministry back from the dead, but its Houses of the Molé that fully resurrects everyones favorite ghoul. Guv-hating Al Jourgensen is back, and hes siphoned the gas from Jesus hotrod for a new squadron of industro-thrash devil machines. In music and platform, Molé is like a rebroadcast from the year 1992, and thats exactly Jourgensens point. Hate the new boss, same as the old boss. Where once there was "N.O.W.," there is now "No W," and a new batch of soundbites to paint the Prez as a spooky Orwellian snake trader. Jourgensens words are a blunt-edged rant. "Ask me why you feel deceived/And stripped of all your liberties/It doesnt take a genius to explain that today." His cynicism is bolted to rabid programmed beats and Mike Scaccias roaring guitar; in the background nihilism sharpens its teeth with a Rambo knife. In this way Molé carries through nine official tracks. They all start with "W"; theyre all stripped of everything but stuttering, unforgiving percussion, tuneless blasts of guitar, and Jourgensens acid spit. Psalm 69 was a similar screed, but it had arrangements and even some biting sarcasm. Theres just corrosion 12 years later, as any levitys scraped, melted, and reshaped into ammunition for a new fight. With Molé, Jourgensen has mobilized the fatalism and fury that always rumbled through industrial and thrash music, and left everything else in the staging area. There are detours, but theyre to places no "good" citizens go. "Warp City" teems in its own twisted amorality, while "WTV" is the Ludovico technique turned in on itself, a numbing tumble of media snippets beaming through shards of industrial waste. (The Law & Order drop-in is notable and telling.) "World" breaks the albums relentless thrashing pace, and hopes for a planet "where people arent afraid," but its still guided by an undercurrent of pessimism. Instead of empty wishes, Ministry offers buckets of clenching bile. There are no melodies here, no innovation. Creativity has hardened into apathy; its gone into hiding until the culture war ends. Houses of the Molé isnt really music, its hard tack -- sustenance for wartime. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 32 Title: Early Trax Released: 2004-10-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:13:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Every Day Is Halloween (06:26) 2 Halloween (remix) (10:25) 3 All Day (05:51) 4 All Day (remix B) (06:34) 5 The Nature of Love (06:58) 6 The Nature of Love (Cruelty mix B) (06:44) 7 Nature of Outtakes (08:08) 8 He’s Angry (03:54) 9 Move (05:06) 10 I’m Falling (alternate mix) (04:24) 11 I’m Falling (04:04) 12 Overkill (04:33) |
| Early Trax : Allmusic album Review : Hardly as ambitious as the side project rounding-up Side Trax release, Rykos Early Trax basically puts the old Twelve Inch Singles (1981-1984) back in print and adds some bonus tracks that are worth hearing for Twitch-era fans. "Every Day Is Halloween" is right up there with "Bela Lugosis Dead" for some, and "All Day" is nearly as good, but you really have to consider how many dated mixes of the two you can stand before purchasing this. The track order of the original Twelve Inch Singles made much more sense than this since it separated the remixes more from the originals. Nice to have them available again -- and nice to remember Ministry used to use a popping bassline once in a while -- but its the unreleased bonuses youre here for, isnt it? Despite some horrible lyrics, "Hes Angry" is fascinating since it bridges the gap between "Every Day" and Twitch, while "Im Falling" is shocking because of its unapologetic swiping of Sisters of Mercys detached delivery. You cant blame Ryko for Ministrys scant output from these early days; the band was going through label problems and style readjustment. While theres not enough unique material for the merely curious, fanatics should upgrade, and those without a copy of "Every Day Is Halloween" should have their black lipstick taken away. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 32 Title: Side Trax Released: 2004-10-12 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:19:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Man Should Surrender (03:45) 2 Anthem (04:46) 3 Dont Stand in Line (03:47) 4 Ballad (03:53) 5 I Will Refuse (04:17) 6 No Bunny (05:00) 7 Apathy (04:34) 8 Better Ways (05:23) 9 Supernaut (06:29) 10 Hey Asshole (08:07) 11 Rubber Glove Seduction (05:24) 12 My Favorite Things (04:29) 13 Show Me Your Spine (04:57) 14 No Name, No Slogan (produced by Hypo Luxa & Hermes Pan) (05:55) 15 No Name, No Slogan (produced by Cabaret Voltaire) (09:05) |
| Side Trax : Allmusic album Review : Back when EPs were all the rage and Wax Trax were defining industrial dance music, Ministry mainman Al Jourgensen got to release any whim or half-baked idea he had and, boy, was it fun. Rykos Side Trax collects all the important side projects from back in the day and captures a time when Jourgensen hadnt become a total headbanger. First up, and best of the lot, is Pailhead and their great Trait EP plus some 12"s. Pailhead approach being a "band" more than the other larks here, with Fugazis Ian MacKaye offering real lyrics to real songs rather than chants over experiments. It would be a shame if you missed the great "Dont Stand in Line" or the near-Killing Joke "I Will Refuse," and the brash "No Bunny" is still silly fun 15 years later. 1000 Homo DJs (Jourgesen and his usual crew augmented with Jello Biafra or an uncredited Trent Reznor) are next, and their four-song 1991 EP will forever be remembered for its over-the-top, full-speed-ahead version of Black Sabbaths "Supernaut." PTP (stands for "Programming the Psychodrill") havent aged nearly as well, showing too much of a school-boy crush for cheap samplers, but Skinny Puppys Ogre is on vocals for "Show Me Your Spine," which should at least make you curious. Acid Horse is the oddball teaming of Ministry and Cabaret Voltaire, whose contribution seems to be one stab of synth and a bit of vocoder. That Ryko collected these forgotten EPs is a blessing to any early-90s industrial nut, but if some liner notes would have been included, that would have been great. How in the world the Texas-talking, -spitting, and -grinning Jourgensen hooked up with those cerebral Cabs is a story that should be told. Regardless, Ministry newcomers dont have to scour the Net for these buried treasures, and longtime fans can put the turntable away. Thanks Ryko, now give us that unmixed version of Twitch weve all heard about, would ya? | ||
 | Album: 17 of 32 Title: Rantology Released: 2005-09-26 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:16:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 No W (redux) (04:13) 2 The Great Satan (03:13) 3 Wrong (update mix) (05:20) 4 N.W.O. (update mix) (05:05) 5 Stigmata (update mix) (05:09) 6 Waiting (05:02) 7 Warp City (alternate mix) (04:01) 8 Jesus Built My Hotrod (update mix) (05:52) 9 Bad Blood (alternate mix) (05:25) 10 Animosity (04:36) 11 Unsung (alternate mix) (03:43) 12 Bloodlines (06:34) 13 Psalm 69 (05:03) 14 Thieves (05:13) 15 The Fall (08:02) |
| Rantology : Allmusic album Review : Released in 2004, Houses of the Molé was a monster built from "N.O.W."s genetic material. The album didnt couch its cynical nihilism in sarcastic thrash acid, as Ministry did with Psalm 69. Instead it was a bruising antiestablishment spokesthing that hammered away at George W. Bushs America lyric by lyric, song by song. Al Jourgensen stays on message with 2005s Rantology. Using a mishmash of remixed classics, live material, and one new song, "Great Satan" (one guess who he thinks that is), Jourgensen has created a shrill blast of aural protest art with one enemy in mind. There are so many W soundbites on Rantology, the president should probably get a credit as a collaborator. All of them are contextualized to embarrass, to vilify, to indict Bush in the court of Uncle Al. The famous "Im George W. Bush, and I approved this message" campaign tag opens the set, matched to a remix of Molés "No W"; later hes heard to recite Psalm 23 over a swirling Wagnerian chorus and steadily building tension. The original "N.O.W." is remixed here, too, updated to include both President Bushes over the jagged percussion and Jourgensens proto-metal yawp. "Stigmata" and "Jesus Built My Hotrod" are revisited on Rantology, too, but Jourgensen doesnt alter them that much. Thats probably a good thing: they were dirty and vicious enough already. In contrast, selections from weaker Ministry efforts, like Dark Side of the Spoons "Bad Blood," add little to the set. Since he retooled Ministry as a culture war battering ram, its been Jourgensens angriest words and beats that resonate most; Rant couldve used more of that industrialized anger alongside its manipulated Bushisms. The collection might have also found different, unreleased live material to include. Still, the three selections from 2002s Sphinctour are sufficiently loud and more than a little creepy. "I feel like my heart is being touched by Christ," a little girl whispers over "Psalm 69"s slamming guitar and mechanized blast beats, and she sounds like a zombie. "Thieves" is also strong, where Jourgensen seems possessed by anger. In fact, he seems possessed by anger throughout Rantology. World changers, bad livers, and progressive punks rejoice: Ministrys pissed-off stamina hasnt abated. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 32 Title: Rio Grande Blood Released: 2006-05-02 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:00:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rio Grande Blood (04:24) 2 Señor Peligro (03:38) 3 Gangreen (06:00) 4 Fear (Is Big Business) (04:51) 5 LiesLiesLies (05:16) 6 The Great Satan (remix) (03:09) 7 Yellow Cake (04:35) 8 Palestina (03:18) 9 Ass Clown (06:42) 10 Khyber Pass (07:31) 11 Lieslieslies (Jungle Remixxx) (09:34) 12 [silence] (00:06) 13 Sgt. Major Redux (01:45) |
| Rio Grande Blood : Allmusic album Review : Outraged, out of control, and a little bit out of ideas, Ministry unleashes their second attack on President George W. Bush with Rio Grande Blood, number two in Al Jourgensens promised Bush-hating trilogy, which when finished will bring his Ministry project to a close. The manipulated Bush samples and hate-filled revolution lyrics utilized on 2004s great Houses of the Molé are back, and if theres an easy way to differentiate that album from what is essentially Molé, Pt. 2, its the contribution Prong guitarist Tommy Victor makes to this edition of Ministry, giving Rio Grande Blood a tauter crunch, a sharper thrash. Victors influence extends past the tracks he appears on, as evidenced by the opening title track, which finds Jourgensen creating a Prong-ish juggernaut on his lonesome. While lumbering numbers like "Fear (Is Big Business)" and "Yellow Cake" will do little to attract new fans -- and the reappearance of the Rantology compilations "The Great Satan" feels like a cheat -- theres plenty of that smart, topical bile thats uniquely Jourgensen to steady the album. Vicious thrash-punk of the highest order, "Lieslieslies" isnt afraid to question the "truth" about 9/11 and the way "Gangreen" parodies the Marines cry of "Ooh-rah!" makes it a charming moment for pipe-bomb revolutionaries. If they happened to skip the last full-length, Ministry fanatics would do well to start here and then work their way up to the superior Houses of the Molé. Save a couple brilliant tracks, this is just the usual "satisfying follow-up." | ||
 | Album: 19 of 32 Title: The Last Sucker Released: 2007-09-08 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:01:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Go (04:53) 2 Watch Yourself (05:29) 3 Life Is Good (04:15) 4 The Dick Song (05:50) 5 The Last Sucker (05:59) 6 No Glory (03:42) 7 Death & Destruction (03:31) 8 Roadhouse Blues (04:26) 9 Die in a Crash (04:03) 10 End of Days, Part 1 (03:22) 11 End of Days, Part 2 (10:25) 12 [silence] (00:04) 13 [silence] (00:04) 14 [silence] (00:04) 15 [silence] (00:04) 16 [silence] (00:04) 17 [silence] (00:04) 18 [silence] (00:04) 19 [silence] (00:04) 20 [silence] (00:04) 21 [silence] (00:04) 22 [silence] (00:04) 23 Death & Destruction (remix) (05:09) |
| The Last Sucker : Allmusic album Review : With The Last Sucker Al Jourgensen not only brings his anti-Bush Jr trilogy of albums to a close, but he also shutters the Ministry band/project/death machine for good. Of course Ministry has always been a free-flowing thing -- a dark synth pop outfit that eventually morphed into an aggressive, guitar-heavy beast with a few genre jumps in-between. Jourgensens side project Revolting Cocks could have been mistaken for Ministry on their 2006 album Cocked and Loaded so theres a good chance that whatever this crazed Texan throws his name on might as well be Ministry, barring any future side projects that are as far out as Acid Horse or Lard. Ministry fans are really Jourgensen fans, but its the name recognition that gives the announcement some weight, especially in the U.S., the country that re-elected "that guy." With that in mind, The Last Sucker is a jettisoning of all that was big and in-your-face-American about Ministry with little of the hot rod worship or unabashed gluttony of earlier albums. They still sound huge, they still sound like Jourgenson on a rampage, but gone is the ironic redneck idiocy -- too close to home, maybe -- and even the balls out cover of "Roadhouse Blues" is announced with "All I wanna do is get my kicks before this whole sh*thouse goes up in flames." Jourgensens covers are usually all-party time, but this album holds no hope for and finds no joy in America and expresses it brilliantly. Samples lifted from Bush Jr speeches had been a staple for seven years by the time The Last Sucker rolled around, but "Death and Destruction" takes a cackle from the President and sonically manipulates it into one of the most unsettling laughs on record. Many more effective moments come from the lyrics and their delivery as Jourgenson screams out tales of young men dying for nothing ("No Glory") and a President out of touch with not only the average Americans experience, but also the human experience ("The Last Sucker"). Book ending this pummeling set of bleak songs are two of the best Ministry efforts to date. First is "Lets Go" which is "Jesus Built My Hotrod" remarkably amped-up with Jourgensen absolutely shredding on guitar. At the end is the epic "End of Days, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" featuring Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell along with a lengthy sample of President Dwight D. Eisenhowers farewell speech -- the "Military-Industrial Complex" one. Jourgensen is exiting with his greatest idea ever and the most layered Ministry moment on record, but thinking about the loss of the band is nearly impossible when listening to this world unto its own. Within these walls theres only mourning for the better America Jourgenson sees as just about gone. It may slowly be stolen by corporate, Bush-supporting thieves in the night, but with The Last Sucker, Ministry goes out in a blaze of glory. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 32 Title: Cover Up Released: 2008-04-01 Tracks: 69 Duration: 1:09:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Under My Thumb (03:57) 2 Bang a Gong (04:48) 3 Radar Love (05:21) 4 Space Truckin (03:51) 5 Black Betty (03:29) 6 Mississippi Queen (03:14) 7 Just Got Paid (03:13) 8 Roadhouse Blues (04:26) 9 Supernaut (07:08) 10 Shes So Heavy/I Want You (04:43) 11 Lay Lady Lay (05:44) 12 What a Wonderful World (07:01) 13 [silence] (00:04) 14 [silence] (00:04) 15 [silence] (00:04) 16 [silence] (00:04) 17 [silence] (00:04) 18 [silence] (00:04) 19 [silence] (00:04) 20 [silence] (00:04) 21 [silence] (00:04) 22 [silence] (00:04) 23 What a Wonderful World (short slow version) (04:17) 24 [silence] (00:04) 25 [silence] (00:04) 26 [silence] (00:04) 27 [silence] (00:04) 28 [silence] (00:04) 29 [silence] (00:04) 30 [silence] (00:04) 31 [silence] (00:04) 32 [silence] (00:04) 33 [silence] (00:04) 34 [silence] (00:04) 35 [silence] (00:04) 36 [silence] (00:04) 37 [silence] (00:04) 38 [silence] (00:04) 39 [silence] (00:04) 40 [silence] (00:04) 41 [silence] (00:04) 42 [silence] (00:04) 43 [silence] (00:04) 44 What a Wonderful World (short fast version) (03:35) 45 [silence] (00:04) 46 [silence] (00:04) 47 [silence] (00:04) 48 [silence] (00:04) 49 [silence] (00:04) 50 [silence] (00:04) 51 [silence] (00:04) 52 [silence] (00:04) 53 [silence] (00:04) 54 [silence] (00:04) 55 [silence] (00:04) 56 [silence] (00:04) 57 [silence] (00:04) 58 [silence] (00:04) 59 [silence] (00:04) 60 [silence] (00:04) 61 [silence] (00:04) 62 [silence] (00:04) 63 [silence] (00:04) 64 [silence] (00:04) 65 [silence] (00:04) 66 [silence] (00:04) 67 [silence] (00:04) 68 [silence] (00:04) 69 Stigmatized (01:04) |
| Cover Up : Allmusic album Review : After spending four acidic years croaking out songs that damned George W. Bush and his administration, Al Jourgensen put his Ministry project to rest with the new album The Last Sucker plus this compilation of cover tunes, which was fittingly released on April Fools Day. If Sucker was the yin then Cover Up is the yang, with the reverence-free Ministry blazing through a set of classic rock favorites -- save the hilarious choice of "What a Wonderful World" -- in full-on destruction mode. Those familiar with the bands signature sound -- steely, gritty guitars, screaming vocals, and relentless drums/drum machines -- and aware of the original tunes have already heard the album in their imaginations. Save the repurposing of "What a Wonderful World" as an ironic epic, this is an absolutely surprise-free release and a welcome one because of it. As expected, the driving "Radar Love" threatens to come off the tracks when Ministry play it in thrash style, while a thunderous version of Deep Purples "Space Truckin" proves that cowbells really do have their place in industrial metal. The "Black Betty," "Mississippi Queen," and "Just Got Paid" trilogy adds up to a three-headed monster and leads into a set of tracks that longtime fans will know by heart. The main reason for the "Co-Conspirators" credit, "Supernaut" is an old chestnut from Jourgensens 1000 Homo DJs project, and if "Lay Lady Lay" sounds a wee bit thinner than anything else here its because it comes from 1995 and Ministrys album Filth Pig. Strange that the cover of "(Lets Get) Physical" from the Revolting Cocks side project is missing, but this is an otherwise perfect execution of a great idea and the best possible party record for those who are hellbound and loving it. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 32 Title: Adios… Puta Madres Released: 2009-03-20 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:07:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Go (05:09) 2 Watch Yourself (05:15) 3 Life Is Good (04:20) 4 The Dick Song (05:43) 5 The Last Sucker (06:31) 6 No W (03:02) 7 Waiting (05:12) 8 Worthless (04:18) 9 Wrong (05:14) 10 Rio Grande Blood (04:34) 11 Señor Peligro (03:51) 12 LiesLiesLies (05:21) 13 Khyber Pass (08:46) |
| Adios… Puta Madres : Allmusic album Review : Ministrys long goodbye continued with Adios...Putas Madres, a live album that followed a remix collection, a covers comp, and even a charity single for the Chicago Blackhawks, all of which were released after leader Al Jourgensen announced he was dismantling the band for good. But if you ever think Ministry could be among those who milk their retirement announcement for all its worth, this is far from being a cheap cash-in. If you go by their fickle Internet forums, it may not even be a gift to the fans, at least not the ones who only covet the middle sliver of the bands long discog. The material here is pulled from Ministrys last three albums, a hitless George W. Bush-hating concept trilogy that alienated some longtime fan club members -- known as the Piss Army -- while still yielding a high amount of prime material. Adios contains arguably the best songs from the three, pumped up to maximum volume with both the guitar crunch and percussion blasts raging harder than before. Its exactly the formula used on their last live album, Sphinctour, and those familiar know it works, as long as you love both the source material and relentless pummeling that would make most tap out early. Even if theres no consoling the fans who wanted a career-spanning kiss-off or one more go with the mid-period hits, Adios is a worthy fringe release, worth the attention of anyone who thought final studio album The Last Sucker absolutely destroyed. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 32 Title: Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks Released: 2010-09-10 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:05:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Every Day Is Halloween (2010 Evil version) (04:29) 2 N.W.O. (05:29) 3 Jesus Built My Hotrod (04:54) 4 Stigmata (05:51) 5 Paint It Black (04:02) 6 Khyber Pass (06:51) 7 Stranglehold (04:09) 8 Iron Man (06:01) 9 Thunderstruck (04:20) 10 Purple Haze (04:10) 11 Sharp Dressed Man (04:01) 12 Rehab (04:48) 13 Every Day Is Halloween (Retro Electro mix) (06:03) |
 | Album: 23 of 32 Title: Undercover Released: 2010-12-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Iron Man (06:00) 2 Stranglehold (04:09) 3 N.W.O. (05:40) 4 Stigmata (04:51) 5 Purple Haze (04:10) 6 Paranoid (03:56) 7 Thunderstruck (04:20) 8 Sharp Dressed Man (04:01) 9 Jesus Built My Hotrod (03:59) 10 Rehab (04:48) 11 Every Day Is Halloween (04:29) 12 Paint It Black (04:02) 13 Khyber Pass (06:50) |
 | Album: 24 of 32 Title: Original Album Series Released: 2011-10-10 Tracks: 44 Duration: 3:58:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Just Like You (05:00) 2 We Believe (05:56) 3 All Day (remix) (06:02) 4 The Angel (06:06) 5 Over the Shoulder (05:11) 6 My Possession (05:02) 7 Where You at Now? / Crash and Burn / Twitch (version II) (12:13) 8 Over the Shoulder (12″ version) (06:44) 9 Isle of Man (version II) (04:31) 1 Stigmata (05:45) 2 The Missing (02:54) 3 Deity (03:23) 4 Golden Dawn (05:42) 5 Destruction (03:30) 6 Hizbollah (03:59) 7 The Land of Rape and Honey (05:12) 8 You Know What You Are (04:45) 9 I Prefer (02:16) 10 Flashback (04:48) 11 Abortive (04:23) 1 Thieves (05:02) 2 Burning Inside (05:20) 3 Never Believe (04:59) 4 Cannibal Song (06:10) 5 Breathe (05:40) 6 So What (08:13) 7 Test (06:04) 8 Faith Collapsing (04:01) 9 Dream Song (04:48) 1 The Missing (03:36) 2 Deity (03:38) 3 So What (11:29) 4 Burning Inside (06:23) 5 Thieves (05:09) 6 Stigmata (09:30) 1 N.W.O. (05:30) 2 Just One Fix (05:11) 3 TV II (03:04) 4 Hero (04:13) 5 Jesus Built My Hotrod (04:52) 6 Scarecrow (08:21) 7 Psalm 69 (05:29) 8 Corrosion (04:56) 9 Grace (03:05) |
 | Album: 25 of 32 Title: Relapse Released: 2012-03-23 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ghouldiggers (07:41) 2 Double Tap (04:06) 3 Freefall (04:36) 4 Kleptocracy (03:54) 5 United Forces (04:53) 6 99 Percenters (03:53) 7 Relapse (05:49) 8 Weekend Warrior (05:43) 9 Git Up Get Out ’n Vote (03:59) 10 Bloodlust (05:37) |
| Relapse : Allmusic album Review : And, were back. Four years after leader Al Jourgensen put Ministry to rest, supposedly for good, Relapse crawls out of the sewer. Recovery from a serious illness, and thinking the Occupy movement needed an angrier soundtrack are two of the reasons for the rebirth, but the validation is Relapse itself. This is a harder and faster-than-usual album from the group, and yet theres also a heavier element of control throughout, as Jourgensen holds the reigns tighter, guiding this industrial-thrash monster down a speedy track without going over the edge. Now, the messages come through loud and clear, something left over from the previous, Bush Jr.-hating trilogy albums that preceded Relapse, where the choruses are simple, shouted slogans and verses fill in the viewpoint. If you havent pulled a lever in years, the sincere and furious about it "Git Up Get Out N Vote" will sound like your political science teacher nagging you with some Static X, Prong, and Rigor Mortis members backing them up, and if you dont care much for musicians bitching about the music business, the opening epic "Ghouldiggers" will seem like a ten-page op-ed piece turned up to 11. Embrace, or even tolerate, these viewpoints and Relapse becomes a top-shelf Ministry album on the level of The Land of Rape and Honey, although its too insider to convert, with common ground only playing a part in the party-hardy "Weekend Warrior," the simple and effective "99 Percenters," plus the blistering cover of S.O.D.s "United Forces." "It doesnt matter how you wear your hair/Its whats inside your head" is how that last one begins in classic protest style, but Jourgensen prefers a never forget/never forgive attack when it comes to lyric-writing with some self-insertion in the mix. Take that into consideration then declare the album a classic or a supreme thrash tank with a leftist blowhard at the wheel. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 32 Title: Enjoy the Quiet: Live at Wacken 2012 Released: 2013-08-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ghouldiggers (?) 2 No W (?) 3 Rio Grande Blood (?) 4 LiesLiesLies (?) 5 99 Percenters (?) 6 Life Is Good (?) 7 Waiting (?) 8 Relapse (?) 9 N.W.O. (?) 10 Just One Fix (?) 11 Thieves (?) |
| Enjoy the Quiet: Live at Wacken 2012 : Allmusic album Review : Recorded during their Relapse tour, Enjoy the Quiet: Live at Wacken 2012 captures Ministry performing in front of a huge, 75k audience, and with four live albums already in their discography (the last being the 2009 "farewell" live album Adios...Puta Madres), this one justifies its existence mostly on size, but also on heartfelt sentimentality. The latter comes from the fact that this is one of the bands last performances with guitarist Michael Scaccia, who died five months later on-stage of a heart attack while playing with his other band, Rigor Mortis. Scaccia was a huge influence on leader Al Jourgensen in the bands later years, influencing Al to re-form and revive the group, and put the project to rest once again after the guitarist passed. As such, Enjoy the Quiet is the metal-fueled Ministry at full power, hating on Republicans with thrashtacular political protests like "No W" and "N.W.O." The angst-injected anticipation number "Waiting" ups the thrash dose in this performance, with Scaccia letting out his inner Slayer as Jourgensen sneers and simmers, and even if many of these cuts have shown up on previous Ministry live albums, the performances here are generally tighter, tenser, and yet still held in check by the most skilled set of musicians to ever join Als army. Whether or not fans enjoy the heavy, heavy metal "feel" of this lineup depends on what era of the band they cherish the most, and those who cant make up their minds get some help on the limited edition, which adds a bonus disc of the group captured at Wacken in 2006. | ||
 | Album: 27 of 32 Title: From Beer to Eternity Released: 2013-09-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 54:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Hail to His Majesty (Peasants) (05:17) 2 Punch in the Face (05:00) 3 PermaWar (04:56) 4 Perfect Storm (04:56) 5 Fairly Unbalanced (03:57) 6 The Horror (03:50) 7 Side F/X Include Mikey’s Middle Finger (TV4) (05:14) 8 Lesson Unlearned (03:16) 9 Thanx but No Thanx (08:21) 10 Change of Luck (07:16) 11 Enjoy the Quiet (02:39) |
| From Beer to Eternity : Allmusic album Review : And, were back, again. Al Jourgensen supposedly put his Ministry project to rest with the 2012 album Relapse (which came five years after the other "final" studio album, The Last Sucker, and three years after the "goodbye" live album Adios...Puta Madres) so when the announcement came that there would be one more album from the group -- and that it really would be the last effort ever -- even some of the hardcore fans got rankled. Fans of the Who could relate, but the reason to believe, this time, is that Jourgensens reasons for reviving the group after Relapse are as sincere as life and death. The life part comes from a near death, on-stage experience the group leader suffered on-stage in Paris. The sad death part comes from the untimely loss of longtime Jourgensen-project guitarist and constant inspiration Mike Scaccia, who suffered heart failure on-stage while performing with his other band, Rigor Mortis. The eclectic and ultra-angry From Beer to Eternity was pulled together from the last bits of tape Jourgensen and Scaccia recorded, and while it could have easily been a Revolting Cocks release or tagged with some other side projects name, putting Ministry on the cover is a sentimental and respectable move, and not far off, either. The heavily processed, sample-happy record recalls Ministry moments as early 1986s Adrian Sherwood-produced album Twitch, while the hate-filled songs directed at Republicans recall the "Bush Trilogy" of 2004 - 2007 (Houses of the Molé, Rio Grande Blood, and The Last Sucker). The Fox News Channel-bashing industrial-guitar monster "Fairly Unbalanced" flows into the sound bite-sampling, industrial-metal grinder "The Horror" for a suite that spews hate while demonstrating how "Ministry" the album actually is, and then theres the chugging guitar, head banger "Punch in the Face," which recalls the groups great 1989 effort A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste, and the "metal years" that surrounded it. The strange, zombie funk opener "Hail to His Majesty (Peasants)" and the slow, slick manifesto called "Permawar" point to a new, sludgy group that was evolving, while the final cut is a true curveball, and maybe a suggestion not to take the Ministry name as holy. If this is truly the end, its a suitable one, linking most of Ministrys eras together for one-last kiss-off, while paying tribute to Scaccia and all the man brought to the table. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 32 Title: Last Tangle In Paris - Live 2012 DeFiBrilLaTouR Released: 2014-07-04 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:46:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ghouldiggers (07:53) 2 No W (02:58) 3 Señor Peligro (03:49) 4 Rio Grande Blood (04:34) 5 LiesLiesLies (05:22) 6 99 Percenters (03:54) 7 Life Is Good (04:21) 8 Relapse (05:49) 9 The Last Sucker (06:40) 1 Psalm 69 (05:12) 2 New World Order (NWO) (05:54) 3 Just One Fix (04:11) 4 Thieves (05:20) 5 Khyber Pass (10:44) 6 Fear Is Big Business (06:45) 7 Lets Go (05:09) 8 Watch Yourself (05:17) 9 So What (12:27) |
 | Album: 29 of 32 Title: Toronto 1986 (live) Released: 2015-12-04 Tracks: 9 Duration: 54:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Over the Shoulder (live) (07:08) 2 My Possession (live) (05:18) 3 We Believe (live) (06:16) 4 No Devotion (live) (09:41) 5 Isle of Man (live) (05:30) 6 Where You at Now? (live) (02:50) 7 All Day (live) (05:27) 8 Every Day Is Halloween (live) (07:02) 9 Just Like You (live) (05:36) |
 | Album: 30 of 32 Title: Live Necronomicon Released: 2017-07-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:27:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Breathe (08:37) 2 The Missing (03:37) 3 The Deity (03:29) 4 Man Should Surrender (03:54) 5 No Bunny (06:15) 6 Smothered Hope (05:11) 7 So What (11:19) 1 Burning Inside (06:38) 2 Thieves (05:10) 3 Stigmata (09:52) 4 Public Image (02:48) 5 The Power of Lard (08:12) 6 Hellfudge (07:03) 7 The Land of Rape & Honey (05:36) |
 | Album: 31 of 32 Title: AmeriKKKant Released: 2018-03-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 47:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Know Words (03:15) 2 Twilight Zone (08:03) 3 Victims of a Clown (08:18) 4 TV5/4Chan (00:49) 5 We’re Tired of It (02:48) 6 Wargasm (06:19) 7 Antifa (04:56) 8 Game Over (05:01) 9 AmeriKKKa (08:30) |
| AmeriKKKant : Allmusic album Review : Considering the fact that Ministry spent the entirety of George W. Bushs presidency making albums expressing extreme hatred toward the commander in chief, followed by several albums and tours which they insisted would be their last, their re-emergence after the election of Donald Trump practically seems right on schedule. Sure enough, AmeriKKKant finds the industrial metal juggernauts railing against the alt-right, racist Internet trolls, fake news, and everything else to do with the aftermath of the 2016 election. While some of the Bush-era albums found the group reinvigorated after the lackluster Filth Pig and Dark Side of the Spoon, AmeriKKKant is just a depressing slog through and through, perfectly summed up by its Statue of Liberty faceplant cover art. Al Jourgensen had previously stated that Ministry would no longer exist after the death of longtime guitarist Mike Scaccia in 2012, and the sharp-fanged bite of his guitar work is sorely missed here, instead replaced by clichéd metal riffage filled with pompous squealing noises. To Ministrys credit, they experiment with a diverse array of sounds and textures here, focusing less on thrash metal and incorporating cinematic strings and a whole lot of turntablism, courtesy of DJ Swamp and former N.W.A member Arabian Prince. The album is also stuffed with glitched-out television soundbites and vintage film clips, ending up with some of the most detailed, overwhelming sample manipulation the group has attempted in a while. However, hearing Trumps election-era catch phrases digitally shredded and scratched up on a turntable becomes grating pretty much as soon as the album begins, and it continues throughout the entire program. "Victims of a Clown" makes extensive usage of Charlie Chaplins iconic speech from The Great Dictator, which is admirable, and provides an element of hope missing from the rest of the album. But "Wargasm," with boneheaded taunts such as "Violence! We love it!" and a sardonic "war is sexy" rant by Fear Factorys Burton C. Bell, tries too hard to make fun of its subject. The following "Antifa" takes the opposite political perspective, but with samples spelling out the concept of the Antifa and lyrics such as "Were not snowflakes, we are the Antifa!," the effect is practically the same. At 48 minutes, the album is too long by any measure, but wouldnt it have made more sense if it had been cut down to exactly 45? | ||
 | Album: 32 of 32 Title: Chicago 1982 Released: 2019-05-13 Tracks: 6 Duration: 30:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Same Old Madness (05:41) 2 Revenge (06:13) 3 Effegy (05:00) 4 Primental (04:33) 5 I’m Falling (03:44) 6 Overkill (05:03) |