Share the post "Album review: MINISTRY – Bad Blood, The Mayan Albums, 2002-2005 (4 CDs)"
Cherry Red [release date: 17.12.21]
There are Industrial Metal bands and there is Ministry.
After the breakthrough in 1983, Al Jourgensen’s minimalist metal-in-extremis became the benchmark for the genre pretty rapidly.
You could argue that this 4 CD snapshot, originally on the Sanctuary imprint, was in itself an abbreviated sound and vision version of the band’s 5 decade journey.
In fact, everything that made Ministry great is especially evident on the set’s first CD, the live recording, Sphinctour (2002).
It’s the recipe as before. Surging, hulking riffs turned up to 11, metronomic rhythms with emphatic beats, delivered like a series of underwater detonations.
Jourgensen’s vocals add dramatic heft to the action. In every excoriating lyric, in every political polemic, the isolating psyche of the musician yearning to perfect his art shines through.
It was released against the ever present background of label v label machinations, and captured some of the best material from the band’s mid nineties’ ‘Psalm 69′ and ‘Filth Pig’ albums, arguably where the band reached its creative Industrial / Alt Metal peak.
A year later they released the underappreciated Animositisomina (easy for me to say). It’s easily one of the band’s most confounding recordings. It’s a resurrection of sorts when we consider they had again been written off. Once more they push the boundaries of structure and tone to the outer edges of the genre.
The electrifying title track is as good a piece of writing and recording as ‘Jesus Built My Hotrod’ and ‘Stigmata’. You can feel the spark ignite in your bloodstream.
2004′s Houses Of The Mole saw the band dive down the Thrash Metal rabbit hole in pursuit of George Bush and his ultra conservative, militaristic tendencies.
It’s a tough album to love. When the songs are filled with corrosive, laser guided lyics, squarely aimed at US foreign policy in the mid 2000s, we’re unlikely to see a rush for the dancefloor.
It has a freeform sensation at times. Of chaos just about marshalled, with the music providing the dark notes and industrial clamour needed to frame Jourgensen’s typically dark and dangerous imagery. ‘WTV’ and ‘No W’ are outstanding tracks … two walls of noise occasionally penetrated by random words. The message is in the medium.
Rantology (2005) is a collection of remixes, cherry picked from some of the band’s better known songwriting and performing peaks. All the songs you would expect are here. ‘Bad Blood’ (alternate mix) and ‘Warp City’ (alternate mix) are probably the picks. In each case the insidious weight and heft of a densely constructed bedrock base is already in position. The accusatory fury and the raw, dirty edges of the mixes cut through quickly, leaving only blood, bruises and exhaustion behind. Ministry in the raw. ****
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Latest session: Sunday 14 April
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 14 April 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 9 April 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 29 April 2024
BRIGITTE PURDY Sugar Fried Candy (Dirtshack Records)
ATTIC THEORY The Legacy (indie)
THE HOWLERS I Need Your Love (indie)
VELVETEEN QUEEN Bad Reputation (indie)
WILLS AND THE WILLING Scuffed Knees (Smash & Grab Music Ltd)
READY THE PRINCE Still Believe (indie)
Featured Albums w/c 29 April 2024
09:00-12:00 PRAYING MANTIS Defiance (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023
To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to an X (Twitter) account
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: MINISTRY – Bad Blood, The Mayan Albums, 2002-2005 (4 CDs)"
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
