It’s weird. It’s like modern ministry doing DSOTS pt. 2. I kinda like it…
My sentiments almost exactly[:P]
I’ve given the album a full listen and it is by far the best album since Houses. Victims of a Clown is the best Ministry Song since Khyber Pass.
It isn’t a masterpiece and won’t gain a ton of new listeners, but as a long time fan, I’m pleased.
Yes, that Victim Of A Clown track is really something…gotta say when I saw the video for Twilight Zone, I was really impressed…thought it was so good, I could see it along with VOAC charting pretty high on like the Top 40 or at least the college & Alternative charts [:)][:P]
I’m just not feeling it. Listened to it three times now and every time it devolves into a lump of white-hot background noise. I’ll keep at it - I’m a diehard - but right now I’m highly disappointed.
I’ve listened to it twice now, and I think it’s pretty good. Unfortunately, it benefits from Low Bar Syndrome, but I like most of the songs.
“Antifa” is the worst song on this one.
I’ve finally listened all the way through and I definitely like it…in fact,I am curious to see how some who gave it mixed/negative reviews will feel about it down the road after repeated listens…I get the feeling some might feel different about it…I believe it will have some growing power…its certainly more experimental and varied than most of the stuff we have heard over the last decade or so…sure is a lot going on production wise…I dig it and look forward to more spins…
i tend to think the reason it sounds so different is because there’s no Mike Scaccia.
I have accepted that I simply cannot adapt to new Ministry any longer. Whatever magic that existed when I put on a new Ministry record - it’s just not there anymore. I will just gladly cling on to the past and listen to what used to be enjoyable, interesting music.
Victim of A Clown is at least listenable. Twilight Zone sounds like a slightly faster “Filth Pig”…but maybe that’s the appeal for many. Otherwise, I can barely stomach listening to anything with Trump’s voice on it, and am tired of the lazy lyrics and news bytes. I REALLY don’t want to hear Fox News or CNN in Ministry songs anymore, it’s so played out. The record scratching sounds out of place. It may work for Halloween, but not these songs. The album art sucks, but that’s nothing new. The album title is cringe-worthy, and unoriginal.
As a whole, the new one is better than that turd released in 2013, and the majority of Relapse. In hindsight, “Double Tap” is probably the only salvageable best-of song from the past 10 years.
Sad to say, I barely noticed or cared when Ministry had a tour stop here last year. The last time I saw them live, Al was saying goodbye with balloons and ZZ Top and Louis Armstrong encores.
1002
I don’t think the scratching feels out of place at all…in fact,I was amazed at how well it worked with the material…and the cello was a welcome addition for sure…
Anyone expecting A mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste part 2 should probably abandon all hope of that ever happening…at least Al didn’t continue down the line of the Bush trilogy musically(CNN samples, sound bites and the one song aside)…
I don’t know man,its Al trying some different stuff with the ministry name…I find it refreshing…there is still no getting around the cliche artwork and title but really at the end of the day I don’t give that much of a shit…
Diggin’ the fuck outta this one. Best thing put out since Houses.
Favorite track currently Amerikkka…great arrangement. Love the two guitar solos and that fuckin’ brass. Game Show v2. Antifa sounds OK but it is the weakest track. It suffers from Test Syndrome…the underlying music is cool but change the crappy video to be a bunch of black and white footage from 20s-30s Europe, no spooky black muppet Al, make the lyrics more ambiguous, and it probably wouldn’t be hated so much.
Negatives are actually hard to come by here, I didn’t think there were any bad tracks (I’m looking at you Relapse, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8…oh Git Up Get Out 'N go fuck yourself). It’d be nice if the videos weren’t such dog shit these days…and I could’ve gone for one more quick, thrashy track somewhere in there.
But overall, it feels like Filth Pig, DSOTS, and Animositisomina called each other up and said, “Hey, let’s get together for old times sake and fuck.”
[reply]Its good enough for Justin on the latest Godflesh as well…
Details…?[/reply]
Just joking a bit…no outright stealing,I just hear some Killing Joke and PIL influence on the new one…
I downloaded it today and gave it several listens on repeat.
Sounds like someone binge-watched James Bond movies and recycled parts of their back catalog because they were fresh out of new ideas.
With that said, I’ve been busy printing merch.
With that said, I’ve been busy printing merch.
Good to know.
Sounds like someone binge-watched James Bond movies and recycled parts of their back catalog because they were fresh out of new ideas.
Huh?
Ummmmm yeah…
This feels like the veering away from thrash and back to experimental Industrial metal that fans have been waiting for.
Listening to it now, it does feel like a kind of modern DSOTS vibe with the cello and sampling kind of echoing the saxophone, mandolin etc. of that album.
The drums and big fat spacial mix are enjoyable, moreso than the tinny drum machine thrash that we got at times on recent releases. Mix-wise it is again like ‘Filth Pig’ or ‘Dark Side of the Spoon’ with lots of fat low end but more crisp and modern feeling.
Compared to ‘Filth Pig’ I don’t think ‘Amerikkkant’ is as well written musically or lyrically, but it is in a way more enjoyable because it’s a little less dense and claustrophobically dark/depressing.
This one sounds like Al venting with a purpose whereas ‘Filth Pig’ and ‘DSOTS’ are borderline suicidal and can be more of a downer.
Out of all the political records, I like this or ‘Houses of the Mole’ the best, and I like that ‘AmeriKKKant’ is more broad in theme vs singularly Trump-obsessed, which would feel tired after the Bush Trilogy. (Even moreso because Bush’s reign now seems innocuous compared with the idiocracy represented by Trump)
I’m happy to be touring with them for this record. I hope they play the whole thing live like Al said. I think that might alienate a bunch of ppl, but he seems to not give a damn.
The reviews are very polarized on iTunes for instance it’s either one star or 5, which is a sign that he’s taking risks and on to something I feel. I felt the same way with ‘From Beer to Eternity’ which I need to give another chance…it seemed like he first began embracing experimentation and sound design over riffs again with that record.
I think “Antifa” as the first single was misleading but maybe it did the trick of generating a lot of attention, even if it was kind of negative from all sides. It does fit in better in the context of the full album I enjoy it and it’s not a bad song.
I hope longtime fans will overcome the weirdness of the “Antifa” thing and actually listen because it is a comeback of sorts I feel, or at least a “return to form” if you yearn for the sludgy years.
The videos really don’t do the album justice. Listening to “Wargasm” or any of the tracks without the their music videos playing, they are much better than they occurred to me within the videos.
I’m liking how it all blends together like a Pink Floyd album or something, which is a first for Ministry as far as I’m aware…traditionally each song has been pretty much start stop or a fade out before the next one. This feels more cinematic as a whole, and has more of a “band” vibe for sure.
I wonder if Al released “Antifa” as a single because he was hoping they’d actually take it up as an anthem? If that was the plan, it wasn’t a good one.
Does anyone know if the cello and scratching will be part of the touring lineup? It’d be interesting to see if they use those elements in the older songs to mix it up a bit.
I’m happy to be touring with them for this record. I hope they play the whole thing live like Al said. I think that might alienate a bunch of ppl, but he seems to not give a damn.
Did he say this for the new album? I’d LOVE for him to do that (saying this even though I’ve not heard it). I’m all for something different and the more change to the tired setlists of the past, the better.
But he said the same thing about FBTE (said he’d do the whole album as a tribute to Mikey). He didn’t, of course, and instead only pulled out the 3 or 4 of the LAMEST tracks (“Permawar”, “Perfect Storm”, and whatever that one about Fox TV was . . . uggh) to do and ignored all of the best ones (“Change of Luck”, “Thanx But No Thanx”, etc.)
I doubt he’d do a “full album” or even almost a full, but I’m excited for ANYTHING new.
I like the idea of him choosing to put ANTIFA out, knowing that it would get a bunch of morons riled up and banking on free viral negative press . . . . but I really don’t think it was thought out at such a higher level. I think he just stumbled into a shitstorm ignorantly and now 98% of the dipshits that hear the song and poop their pants prove not only that America is retarded, but that the Ministry fan base, as a whole, is pretty fucking stupid too. It’s pretty embarrassing, really.
Anyway, I look forward to kicking off this tour next week and seeing VOIDY and MINISTRY again . . . . and catching some Pokemons during Chelsea Wolfe.
I’m pretty sure he said DJ Swamp was on the tour with them.
Nothing about the cello guy though.
Yeah, confirming what ACID said . . . DJ Swamp, yes. I don’t expect any cellos or other curveballs on stage. If that stuff was integral to the song I suspect they’ll just play prerecorded samples for it.
[reply]Sounds like someone binge-watched James Bond movies and recycled parts of their back catalog because they were fresh out of new ideas.
Huh?[/reply]
I’m guessing there’s music that sounds like James Bond movies on the album. Other than the one 60’s guitar song and the Duran Duran song “View To A Kill” I wouldn’t know what to reference since I’ve never watched a James Bond movie.
That said, I’m busy making coofin guitars.