Ministry – Relapse
Released: March 27th, 2012
Label: AFM Records
For me, Ministry is the band that started it all. I was exposed to the music of Ministry as a young lad around the time “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste” came out in 1989. I listened to that album and “The Land of Rape and Honey” to death. For me Ministry was (and is) the top dog. Jourgensen and crew always seem to speak directly to my musical ear. So it was a sad day when, after 20 years of music as Ministry, Al Jourgensen released what was said to be Ministry’s “final” album, “The Last Sucker“, in 2007. Over many of those years, Al focused much of his musical animosity towards politics and specifically both Bush administrations. When he retired Ministry he would jokingly tout that he had nothing more to say since there wasn’t a Bush in the White House.
Luckily for us Ministry fans retirement did not stick with Jourgensen. Musically he never really retired, he just focused on other things for a few years. One of which was the recently released Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters album “Bikers Welcome! Ladies Drink For Free“. While working on that album, guitarist Mike Scaccia convinced Uncle Al to put down some tracks and return with another Ministry album. Jourgensen and crew did just that and laid down the law with “Relapse“.
If you haven’t liked the music style Ministry started with “Animositisomina” and really hit home with “Rio Grande Blood“, then “Relapse” won’t be for you. Uncle Al and friends continue on with their musical trend of heavy, fierce, aggressive music that will blast you in the face and pummel your skull. Wether it’s screaming about addiction in the lightning fast song “Freefall” or showing his support for the “Occupy” movement with “99 Percenters“, “Relapse” is full of chugging guitars, catchy hooks, blistering drums and Al’s signature angry vocals. One of the stand out tracks on Relapse is a wonderfully heavy cover of S.O.D.‘s song “United Forces“.
“Relapse” really does continue on in almost exactly the same musical vein Ministry left off with on “The Last Sucker“. That is not a bad thing at all. It seems as Al gets older he just gets more angry. As long as he keeps creating Ministry albums of this caliber, I won’t be complaining one bit.
So its the same watered down thrash crap we got on Grande Blood and Last Sucker? Lame, Double Tap sounded pretty cool too, more industrial then the last 2 records…..oh well