Ok, I think I’ve heard it enough times to make a sort of preliminary review of it. This is more than just a first impression since I listened to it at least 6-7 times but dont treat it as a final opinion yet.
Rio Grande Blood
Great opener. Really makes your jaw drop while not being heavier than the rest of the album and therefore not spoiling all the fun on the first track. Musically, it seems to be a combination of… The Missing and I Prefer! Seriously.
Senor Peligro
Rip-roaring, ear-bleeding thrash metal mayhem. Fast as hell. I imagine the mosh pit will be insane for this one.
Gangreen (feat Sgt. Major)
This one is supposed to be sorta funny I guess and I’m not sure if it goes well with the otherwise super-angry vibe of the album. Its also slower than the rest of the album as it stomps away a little like a Fear Factory songs. Maybe it’ll grow on me but atm its my least favorite track.
Fear (Is Big Business)
Starts slow and develops into probably the fastest thrash on this album. Really insane towards the end.
LiesLiesLies
The use of the NWO vocal melody in the verses is offputting at first but this is actually a very well written song with unusually melodic refrains and a lot of tempo/riff variations towards the end. Great track.
The Great Satan (Remix)
This track must have been hell to play by the drummer since there is fast double bass being played pretty much for its entirety. The difference between this remix and the ‘original’ is that it sounds much clearer and the corny synths seem to have been dropped.
Yellow Cake
The first track on the album that isnt straight-forward metal. Its the same sort of post-punk as Worthless and Wrong off the previous album but much better. Awesome synths in the background.
Palestina
Back to thrash-land. The tempo is slower and riffs heavier. After so many thrash tracks its hard to describe another one but I like it and its not boring.
Ass Clown (feat Jello Biafra)
I really dont hear much of Jello on this track. What I do hear is someone doing a falsetto in the refrain and it doesnt sound like Jello at all so who is it? Anyway, the track is once again great.
Khyber Pass
Very surprizing and unusual track. This is the one that the people moaning about Ministry being too derrivative on the last few albums will be happy to hear. Starts with some Arabic singing over a post-punk rhythm and evolves into a groovy metal anthem. I cant think of any other Ministry song that it sounds like but the metal part very vaguely reminds me of the band Misery Loves Co.
Bonus
I think its just the vocal track from “Gangreen” with some snare marches played in the background.
Some general notes:
It sounds really good. The production is clear yet heavy. I’m not sure if this is the final product or if they’ll master it some more but even as it is it sounds much better than the original copy of Houses I have! The average BPM on the album is well over 200 I’d imagine. The album is obviously not industrial but there are more sound manipulations on it than on any Ministry album since Dark Side Of The Spoon.
Overall, I am totally shocked at how fresh this album sounds. This is totally the sort of music that they could use to make a big commercial comeback. Job really well done!!! I’m loving the album!
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]1. In your face metal…I like it[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]2. Nu metal…good one[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]3. I hear a prong riff here. Samples (NWO) and echo vocals…a little long but okay[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]4. Heavy tune with a long into…trash sound…similar to animositisomina[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]5. Has a Houses feel with a cool prong riff, sort of a catchy chorus and a cool ending[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]6. [/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]7. Tripping drums and vocals. Has a cool old school sound to it. DSOTS mix.[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]8. Electronic drum trash tune[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]9. Jello speaks from the carnival…another tommy riff…very BIG sounding tune. I like this one. ass clown repeating[/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]10. intro: chanting sounds tribal [/size][/font]
[font “Times New Roman”][size 3]13. Major goes off!!![/size][/font]
Rio Grande Blood
Great album opener (Bush samples aside). Actually, the Bush samples on this album are funnier than the ones on Mole (his voice is manipulated to say things like “I want money…I want your money” and “I am an asshole”). I think I know what jupitreas means with the I Prefer reference - the ‘chorus’ (if you could call it that) is very similar in the way he yells "Rio Grande Blood [yeah?]!. The mix of programmed/live drums remind me of No W, but faster. One of my early favorites.
Senor Peligro
Pure melt-your-brain thrash metal, with Al getting dangerously close to sounding like Cookie Monster! I like the Spanish language samples in the song, and the tempo changes. Double-bass hell.
Gangreen (feat Sgt. Major)
A Deadguy-style beat with double-bass, some military chants (the “left” chant that goes with the beat reminds me of Psalm 69 for some reason). Al sings pretty damned high, to the point of blowing his vocal chords. A solid number, reminiscent of Filth Pig and Psalm 69.
Fear (Is Big Business)
Imagine a sequel to The Missing (it’s the orchestra stab in the background that draws the comparison), only twice as fast. Balls-out thrash with a disposable guitar solo thrown in. Al’s in good form on this one.
LiesLiesLies
The chorus sounds like you’d imagine, Al chanting “Lies” about 7 times with a distortion effect. This is slower than the thrash numbers (pretty much an uptempo straight rocker), and up to this point the most ‘melodic’ track on the album. Good guitars on this one (hell, the whole album).
The Great Satan (Remix)
This version sounds drier (re-recorded drums and vox?). I’ll have to play the Rantology version again to be sure, but I think the tempo is slightly slower here. I like this version much better.
Yellow Cake
This one starts off like a potential Killing Joke song, then goes into a “Worthless”-style drum track with similar vocals and effects from Al. The guitars remind me of Wrong at times. This is definitely the most Mole-sounding song on the album. I dug Worthless, so I’m down with this one.
Palestina
More up-tempo thrash with metal guitar riffs. Al’s vox are effected/mixed well on this one. The effects remind me of 1000 Homo DJs-meets-TV Song. Cool drum track (sounds like programmed double-bass).
Ass Clown (feat Jello Biafra)
Jello’s circus-intro is pretty hilarious (sounds like he’s on a cheap county fair microphone). An up-tempo rocker like Lieslieslies. The verses are bass-and-toms mostly with chunky guitar riffs, then the bridges/choruses are back to the up-tempo jam. Cool dissonant guitar noises during the verses. Another great vocal performance by Al. More ‘Ministry’, than ‘metal’, if that makes sense. Another one of my favorites.
Khyber Pass
Remember the female vocal chants at the end of Impossible? You get lots of that (with cool effects), and a post-punk tribal beat with swirling guitar noise to start things off. About 3 minutes in, the song changes into a Zeppelin-like slow-grinding rocker with some dragging vocals by Al (“Where’s Bin Laden? He’s probably runnin’, he’s probably hidin’”). Ok, forget the lyrics, musically this will please the DSOTS/Animositisomina fans. It clocks in at 7:32, but fades out at 6:30-ish. Cool closer.
Bonus
What jupitreas said.
Final thoughts:
If the early thrash numbers put you off, you might want to give the album a fighting chance and spin it a few times. This album is defnintely not Houses 2, it feels like fresh new detour, even though it’s familiar territory. The thrash approach really works (not really mindless thrash, either). The musicianship is great, and the guitars never seem to be too overwhelming.
The drums are mixed very well on this album. I listened all the way through without cringing once from the mix. No ‘tinny’ highs or hollow snares. The mix of live/programmed drums is seamless, too. Al is on fire with his vocals, and the overall mix of vox and effects is impressive. The songs themselves are probably not ‘immediate’ Ministry classics (there may be a couple of candidates down the road), but there really isn’t a bad one in the bunch (like Warp City from Houses). Hell, I’m even liking The Great Satan now. There’s definintely a ‘fresh’ feeling to this album, and I think it’s because this isn’t a carbon copy of Houses. Some will still hate it, I’m sure, but I think many of you will be pleasantly surprised. I’m finding that it gets better with repeated listens. I’ll have no problem paying for this one when it comes out.
I have to admit, I was worried after hearing the original Great Satan, but not anymore. It’s an impressive follow-up (not sure yet if I like it better than Houses, time will tell), and the mosh pits are going to be insane on this tour.
Wow, I never thought I’d hear Ministry doing all out thrash music and keeping it up for pretty much an entire album. I guess this is the payoff for the direction Al has been trying to go in since Animositisomina (god I hate typing that word). Hopefully this album will at least somewhat turn down the volume on the argument Ministry are not progressing anymore. This is definitely a musical evolution for Al. Whether or not you like it is based on taste, but the guy isn’t standing still. Maybe now is the time to start referring to this new sound as “Slayistry”.
This album will be a milestone for future generations, like Slayer’s Reign In Blood. I still have a slack jaw after listening it twice. It’s the most wicked Ministry album ever. Like mentioned before, I’m already sore from the pit too!
I am so excited for this. I have been pumped since I first heard it was going to be a thrash fest.
I can’t wait for the pit at the show in June! Gotta shine up the boots.
Please please please let this be on soulseek when I get home…
This album is getting better and better. It’s almost completely unrelentingly fast and angry. The few exceptions are Gangreen, Lies, Lies, Lies, and Khyber Pass, and those are aggressive in their own way (though slower). I think the most impressive thing about this album is the overall quality - there’s a lot going on, and it’s all mixed very well. It’s not just a wall of noise. I definintely like it better than Animositisomina…the energy alone is infectious.
Trust me on the drums, they’re not overprocessed, thin, or weak (Animositisomina comes to mind). For me, there’s so much going on that the lyrics are an afterthought. I’ve caught on to some of the words, but this record is more about execution than intellectual substance. Al’s bitching about Bush, no doubt, but it’s not ‘in-your-face’ lyrically. The lyrics aren’t as ‘preachy’ as suggested by Houses. Here, it’s more like, “look at what you’ve done Bush, way to fuck things up”. Someone’s going to lose a good set of speakers to this album. It’s just a great one to crank. This is the kind of album that’ll make you want to drive really fast, so beware. I think I’m enjoying the energy of this album more than anything. It makes you not care about the Bush-bashing, seriously.
After, oh, a dozen listens, I’m liking Rio Grande Blood, Fear, and Palestina the best, but it’s turning out to be a solid effort from start-to-finish. Can’t believe I’m saying this, but The Great Satan is actually good (less prone to skipping, anyway) now that it’s been re-worked for the LP. The stupid Condoleeza Rice sample is still there in the beginning, but the tempo, vocals, and overall mix are vastly-improved.
I realize it’s easy to fire up the hype machine when a new release comes out, and I’m certainly not going to call it Ministry’s best album but it is what it is - a well-executed thrash fest.
I’m really rather fond of Lieslieslies, Yellow Cake, and Rio Grande Blood. It seems like Ministry, for at least the last five releases, have always led off an album with a damn killer track - Supermanic Soul, Animosity, and now Rio Grande…come to mind.
Anyway, just to appease all you bitches, I will be sharing this on Soulseek for THE NEXT WEEK ONLY. In case you missed any of my last 70 or so posts, my name on there is the same as on here - Christonabun. I’m always glad to share with a fan (especially you guys, who have been more than helpful in getting me even more Ministry rarities than I imaginied were even around), but seriously, a lot of those fuckers on Soulseek are most likely from the Piss Army. It’s kind of a policy with me to share what I have, especially when I know the person I’m sharing with is going to love what I’m sending (how many of you have I sent stuff to in email’s now? It’s gotta be at least 20!). Anyway, I’m more than happy to share this for a bit, but really, I don’t want it getting out of hand. Someone made a point about those that wouldn’t purchase it once they had the MP3’s, and I cannot let that happen on my account. So yeah, I’ll be sharing it (and all my other Ministry goodies) on Soulseek as Christonabun for perhaps the next week - if you miss out, so solly cholly. It’ll probably be widely available on the “etherweb” by then, anyway.
Enjoy.
[reply] The album is obviously not industrial but there are more sound manipulations on it than on any Ministry album since Dark Side Of The Spoon.
Like what exactly? Vocal effects? Electronic effects?reverb? phasing? Is it cleverly done or are they just running sounds through distortion pedals?
I’m not going to download this one. Like the new Morrissey album, I’m going to savour the flavour of release day.
The album reviews here sound great.[/reply]
I was gonna do that too, until I realized it’s not coming out for something like three months. I’m still going to buy it on the sale-date, but I can’t wait that long to listen.
Downloading now…
I’m really rather fond of Lieslieslies, Yellow Cake, and Rio Grande Blood. It seems like Ministry, for at least the last five releases, have always led off an album with a damn killer track - Supermanic Soul, Animosity, and now Rio Grande…come to mind.
Anyway, just to appease all you bitches, I will be sharing this on Soulseek for THE NEXT WEEK ONLY. In case you missed any of my last 70 or so posts, my name on there is the same as on here - Christonabun. I’m always glad to share with a fan (especially you guys, who have been more than helpful in getting me even more Ministry rarities than I imaginied were even around), but seriously, a lot of those fuckers on Soulseek are most likely from the Piss Army. It’s kind of a policy with me to share what I have, especially when I know the person I’m sharing with is going to love what I’m sending (how many of you have I sent stuff to in email’s now? It’s gotta be at least 20!). Anyway, I’m more than happy to share this for a bit, but really, I don’t want it getting out of hand. Someone made a point about those that wouldn’t purchase it once they had the MP3’s, and I cannot let that happen on my account. So yeah, I’ll be sharing it (and all my other Ministry goodies) on Soulseek as Christonabun for perhaps the next week - if you miss out, so solly cholly. It’ll probably be widely available on the “etherweb” by then, anyway.
Enjoy.
I’m trying to browse your files, but I get an error. I haven’t used Soul Seek in ages. Any advice?
Yeah, I’m having problems with it for some reason - I think maybe too many people are downloading it at the same time or something. I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying to snub them! I’m off to work now, but please keep trying back. If for some reason it just won’t work, I understand that a few of us are now sharing it on Soulseek. Everyone will get it, eventually. I’ll even be nice (like I ususally am) and email it out one song at a time, if I have to. But that would be strictly to members of this board, and then only if they can’t get the yousendit or soulseek thing to work. Just let me know - I’ll be home around 11 tonight.