What can he said about the greatest industrial metal band of all time? I mean they started out as an alternative band until 1988 when the legendary The Land of Rape and Honey combined metal with industrial to create the benchmark for this style of music. Main man Al Jourgensen is a musical genius. Especially when we look at some of these albums. The late 80’s to ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ as well as the 2003 -2007 (Bush Jr President years) albums are their 2 best time periods I feel. It does not mean Al has still not been putting out damn fine albums. I’m a fan of all of them, although AmeriKKKant from 2018 really is just mediocre. A lot of drone and noisy stuff and many of the songs just didn’t gel.
Moral Hygiene is their 14th proper album and this album has the feel of those Bush Jr Albums, like Houses of the Mole, Rio Grande Blood and The Last Sucker. More metal and catchy industrial angst. 10 songs in 47 minutes Ministry opens with their longest song on the album “Alert Level” at over 6 minutes seems a bit of a leftover from the last album. But still better. Has a late 80’s vibe. Heavy pounding drums. Very industrial metal sounding song. More like an anthem. Al’s vocals are incredible. I can see them opening with this song. “Let’s Get Ready.. Let’s Get Ready to Die”. Some great bass guitar moments too. “Good Trouble” is next with a fast opening thrash beat. Then slowing down to a monster stomp part & bringing more of the late 80’s/early 90’s flair to the rhythm section. This song is heavy AF. The speed picks up then slows back down again.
Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedy’s fame does a wonderful vocal performance on “Sabotage Is Sex”. One of the best Ministry songs in a decade. So catchy, heavy, samples, Jello singing the entire song as some background chanting comes forth. Lyrics seem to be centered around religion and of course politics and media backlash on Law Enforcement. I love this song; the guitar riffing is awesome and samples are perfect. “Disinformation” is heavy on industrial samples and noises and really kicks serious asses. Sounds like something that could have been on Rio Grande Blood– one of the bands best albums. Again this song must be in their live set. Check out the drinking mixed with drum samples and then the song picks up speed. Ferocious song. Ministry covers The Stooges tune, “Search and Destroy”. Very cool. Heavy on the fuzzy bass.
A very heavy Ministry album would not be complete unless a TV song was added and ending with “TV Song #6 (Right Around the Corner Mix)” is the way to end this album. Brutal!!!! Get those drum sample blast beats thrown the F in, mixed with hatred, anger, piss, vinegar, beer and heaviness. This is the best song Ministry has ever ended an album with, by far.
Moral Hygiene is the best Ministry album since the scorching 2007 The Last Sucker before Al took the band on hiatus. This album killz so much it – fits right in with those 4 albums from 2003-2007. Has the industrial part/samples mixed in cohesively and the metal combined and song structures are beyond catchy and heavy. Yes Ministry return with a monster album. One of this year’s best!
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