I think the mini riffs that go on the top of the wall of noise in SENOR PELIGRO (.20 to .30 Secs Into the song ) sound very Megadeth. I’m waaaay diggin this album. I think this is Al’s strongest release since the last 2 albums it sems as though he’s gotten progressively better since Y2K (obviously not counting the 90’s stuff) I agree with the sentiments about th sergeant guy It would have been much cooler if Al Could’ve gotten Lee Ermy to do those samples. It’s sounds like he’s trying to be Ermy anyway but he’s a terrible hack
Other than that I still like the song. I think I like all the songs on this album! which hasn’t happened since TMIATTTT. Filth Pig and Paslm were close But I don’t like Brick Windows or Grace and Corrosion.
I think LIESLIESLIES ASSCLOWN SENOR PELIGRO and RIO GRAND BLOOD are among my standouts right now.
Late,
grmpysmrf
OK, so I’m hearing it for the second time…
Hmmmm. Definitely the strongest album since Filth Pig. A little too cut and paste at times and lyrically it’s a bit lacking. Riffs aren’t overly memorable. Nothing as catchy as ‘Unsung’ or ‘Lockbox’ here. But still…as brutal as all hell. Production is tight. Shits all over Houses.
Track by Track.
Rio Grande Blood - DIDN’T need those Bush samples. Bush is on the front cover. Nailed to a cross. That’s enough. But track is still very strong. Love how he screams ‘Rio Grande Blood yeah!’ Probably the best Ministry track since Al went…um…solo (well, you know what I mean). And what the hell are those sounds in the second half of the track. Crunchy electronics??? Fucking weird whatever it is. Fucking lovin’ this one.
Senor Peligro - Pretty much exactly how I thought it would sound after reading the early reviews. Love the accent in Al’s voice. Yep, this one’s a gold nugget. Heh heh heh!!!
Gangreen - Meh! What can I say that hasn’t already been said? A rather un-Ministry track if you ask me. Not terrible…but I’ll probably end up skipping this alot of the time. ‘Hardcore…Marine Corps’??? what the ???
Fear (Is Big Business) - Interesting production. Lot’s happening in this one. Once again, too many Bush samples. But I’m likin this one so far. Love how it gets faster in the second half. The programmed drums are insane.
lieslieslies - haven’t heard this one enough to make a valid judgement. It’s ok but seems a bit jokey.
Great Satan - meh! boring.
Yellow Cake - “And the beat goes on on on on…” Love it. Hard core death metal sound collage. Industrial mayhem and yada yada yada. Could’ve used a track like this on the last album. Pure g-g-genius!
Palestina - BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM. Evil sounding bastard! LOVE it to death.
Ass Clown - most evil sounding vocals in a Ministry track. Some of the lyrics are a bit iffy, but still…Love the ambient vibe at the start. Biafra is a hoot.
Khyber Pass - haven’t really gotten into this. Not terrible but kind of a come down from the last three tracks. Middle Eastern waling comes off as a bit try hard. Song never really goes anywhere. I was hoping for something alot more…I dunno…fucked up and weird. Or really dreamy. Like Dream Song. Ha!
Anyway, there ya go. Not as good as Rape and Honey and Filth but better than The Mind (not to mention the last three albums). Here’s hoping this one aint the last.
Also I tacked a few tracks on the end of the album to fill up the cd. So now I have WKYJ and Caped Crusader (from the Jello / Melvins album Sieg Howdy) rounding things off. They work perfectly here. I’d advise everyone else to do the same.
Sampling issue is money. FMJ samples were used on TMIATTT though, in Thieves as listed in the discography. “I can’t hear you!” “I still can’t hear you!” “Kill, Kill, Kill” and “You will not kill.”
Sgt. Major seems a bit weaker than R. Lee Ermey, but not sure what kind of range he was allowed. Was he allowed to shout, or was he just half assing it. Did he enjoy it, or was it for a quick buck? R. Lee would have been better, but probably would have cost more money to get than Sgt. Major. Also his work load might have made it harder. Who knows?
Overall this album is fairly impressive. The style definitely took a new twist. Not a repeat of any reall previous album. Just balls to the wall metal, with tons of samples. Sound quality rocks. Can’t wait to see some of this material done live.
My favorit at the moment, seems to be Ass Clown. The whole intro vibe, and Jello’s little rants. Nice. Khyber Pass is kind of interesting, continuing in the vain of odder / slower tempoed songs to end with. The lyrics being basic, but asking what everyone’s wanted to know for the last four fucking years.
Can’t wait to get the real deal with all the artwork included.
i’m pretty sure emery’s dead. which might’ve been a deciding factor…
and before i said the vox on track 2 sounded like workhorse movement - i actually meant track 10.
and in defense of gangreen (again!), it actually sounds like it should be on psalm 69. the production, the samples…
and al is really back on form with his vox [cool]
ok, i might be wrong about him being dead, but i could swear i read it a couple of months back… [blush][pirate]
oh, and it’s nice to hear a bit of wah wah again…
I heard he died too.
ok, i might be wrong about him being dead, but i could swear i read it a couple of months back… [blush][pirate]
oh, and it’s nice to hear a bit of wah wah again…
Yeah, Ermey’s alive. He had a show on the History Channel about a year ago, but I don’t know if it’s still on. I’m sure he’d be too cost-prohibitive to use on a Ministry album. I’m sure we’ll here Sgt. Major’s story when Al starts doing interviews for the album. I think it’s a fun song, though. AROO-WAH!
Listening to the album again, I have to say that as much as I’m digging the music, I’m not a big fan of the lyrical content this time around. I don’t have much problem with Bush-bashing (I don’t like the guy either) but it looks like Al’s graduated to a more general anti-Americanism, which I do have a problem with. I know it’s nothing new for him (“America,” “We Believe”) but it bothers me nonetheless. I wonder if Al ever asked his parents why they came here from Cuba. I doubt it was for the climate…
R. Lee Ermey is very alive and can be seen in the upcoming “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning” later this year. He rocks in Full Metal Jacket! More info about him can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000388/
I’d love to hear a version of Gangreen without Sgt. Major. I actually like the rest of the song a lot (espcially Al’s vocal effects, which sound like something off of Rape & Honey) but the I can’t take the Sgt. Major parts seriously. I mean, if some guy was trying to come off tough and told me he was going to sell me to queers and stick his dick in my nose, I’d have a hard time surpressing a chuckle.
It sounds like a Marine Corps. recruiting song, which is kind of strange in the middle of an album of anti-war, anti-Bush rants.
These reviews are interesting to me…
On one hand they’ve totally confirmed my expectation that Ministry won’t be doing anything experimental anymore.
On the other hand people seem to really dig this shit…
I can’t help but wonder if people initially dug Houses of the Mole as much as they dig this album? I remember being a member of this board when Houses of the Mole came out and I thought the reaction was pretty positive about that album and then it kind of got negative over time.
Either way I am fairly disappointed that Al has continued to stray from Industrial music but I am determined to wait until this comes out and really give it a chance before making up my mind.
In all honesty, I think that you are all incredibly sexy people and look forward to dating at least three of you in the months to come.
Oh yeah…that and I’ve just heard RGB. I like it, funnily enough, and honestly think Al is back on the path to creation. The production is like a fine, distilled vintage and the musicianship, a steak cooked medium rare. This suits my appetite. I will gorge further upon this morsel and announce my verdict.
bon appetite.
Straight out, my opinion on this album is this.
PERFECTION. THIS is the album that I’ve been waiting for. I knew Al and Co. had it in them and I was hoping that I’d hear it soon, but really, this went FAR beyond my expectations. The musical talent is outstanding. Love all the guitars and especially the solos. My god, I can’t remember when the last time I heard solos that didn’t sound structured and polished. And the vocals? DAMN is Al angry. =)
All in all, I have NO beef with this album. It’s exactly what I wanted and I can’t wait to see them in concert and let Al know (already got tickets to 2 shows, might even go to a few more).
So far my favorite tracks seem to be RGB, Senor Peligro (did he write this song for you Peligro? LOL), LiesLiesLies, The Great Satan and Palestina. The other tracks are just as great but don’t hit me quite as hard as these do.
Oh yeah… And my absolute favorite track on this album is without doubt Ass Clown. Fuckin’ GREAT. Love Jello’s rants in there and everything else that’s said. Hell, look at me new sig/tag line. =)
Anyways… Peace out.
Can’t wait to buy the album proper.
Oh yeah… And give the new RevCo another chance guys… Listen to it and then listen to RGB. It’s a good contrast, so I think it won’t be nearly as bad to hear live as we all think, especially with the smattering of older stuff that’ll be thrown in… And who cares anyways? The only thing I can think is that the last time Revco/Ministry toured together it was damn near Armaggedon on Earth. Hope it’s just as raunchy and violent and fun as that last stint.
Krowe
Straight out, my opinion on this album is this.
PERFECTION. THIS is the album that I’ve been waiting for. I knew Al and Co. had it in them and I was hoping that I’d hear it soon, but really, this went FAR beyond my expectations.
Really? Granted it is good…or should I say ‘BETTER’…but it pretty much delivers on what they’d been promising for ages. It is politically motivated thrash metal. Nothing more or less. What you’d expect really.
The musical talent is outstanding.
Oh, come on.
And the vocals? DAMN is Al angry. =)
Yeah but angry is easy. Anyone can do angry. If you want a good example of how effectively anger can be channelled, then check out the new Whitehouse album.
Lyrically this album is a bore. It quite often borders on juvenile (check ‘lieslieslies’, which you seem particularly taken with) with Al constantly spouting shit like "we’re on a mission to dig up the truth…some kinda shit about a terrorist threat’. I don’t mind if someone has a different opinion than my own, but I do expect a certain amount of maturity above and beyond that of a pissed off teenager. His rantings are often ill informed and just plain stupid, making broad, sweeping generalisations about a subject he seems to know little about. He has absolutely no creedence to his claims of Bush being an evil dictator, instead making idiotic claims along the lines of “I was never frightened of Saddam Hussein”. The irony being that Jourgenson lives in a society where he is free to speak his mind, unlike the regime of Saddam, where people were often murdered for that very act. I guess you were never ‘fightened’ of Saddam, Al, seeing as you were never a ‘guest’ at one of his torture chambers.
Funny how the Iraqi people cheered as statues of their former oppressive leader were brought down and smashed. You never hear THAT in a Ministry lyric.
All in all, I have NO beef with this album.
Well, apart from the above mentioned, I guess my only beef would be the silly Sgt Major samples on ‘Gangreen’ , the dopiness of ‘lieslieslies’ and ‘Khyber Pass’ which, although not a terrible song per se, is a bit of a fizzer as last songs go. It never really goes anywhere and once again, the lyrics kinda let it down.
It’s exactly what I wanted and I can’t wait to see them in concert and let Al know (already got tickets to 2 shows, might even go to a few more).
Fair enough.
So far my favorite tracks seem to be RGB, Senor Peligro (did he write this song for you Peligro? LOL), LiesLiesLies, The Great Satan and Palestina. The other tracks are just as great but don’t hit me quite as hard as these do.
Rio Grande Blood is a winner for sure. Agreed. Didn’t need the Bush samples though. Senor Peligro is kinda good also. Palestina, Ass Clown and Yellow Cake are pretty much the best tracks here. Ass Clown in particular.
Oh yeah… And my absolute favorite track on this album is without doubt Ass Clown. Fuckin’ GREAT. Love Jello’s rants in there and everything else that’s said.
agreed
Really? Granted it is good…or should I say ‘BETTER’…but it pretty much delivers on what they’d been promising for ages. It is politically motivated thrash metal. Nothing more or less. What you’d expect really.
Well, to each their own. Yes it pretty mucg goes on the same lines and is what they’ve been doing as of late but this is exactly what --== I ==-- wanted.
The musical talent is outstanding.
Oh, come on.
No I won’t. It’s got better drumwork than I’ve heard on a Ministry album in over a decade. The guitars are much more effective and much more technical than they’ve been on recent albums (actually on almost any other album they’ve done). The bass is much more focused. It’s not sparse or choppy and it sure as hell doesn’t do the same thing for eons in every song (as was the curse of Paul). And no more cheesy synths! =)
Sorry man. I’m a straight out metal head and this is really what I was wanting to hear. It may not be anything special or great in yours or other peoples eyes but I really dig it. =)
Yeah but angry is easy. Anyone can do angry. If you want a good example of how effectively anger can be channelled, then check out the new Whitehouse album.
Lyrically this album is a bore. It quite often borders on juvenile (check ‘lieslieslies’, which you seem particularly taken with) with Al constantly spouting shit like "we’re on a mission to dig up the truth…some kinda shit about a terrorist threat’. I don’t mind if someone has a different opinion than my own, but I do expect a certain amount of maturity above and beyond that of a pissed off teenager. His rantings are often ill informed and just plain stupid, making broad, sweeping generalisations about a subject he seems to know little about. He has absolutely no creedence to his claims of Bush being an evil dictator, instead making idiotic claims along the lines of “I was never frightened of Saddam Hussein”. The irony being that Jourgenson lives in a society where he is free to speak his mind, unlike the regime of Saddam, where people were often murdered for that very act. I guess you were never ‘fightened’ of Saddam, Al, seeing as you were never a ‘guest’ at one of his torture chambers.
Funny how the Iraqi people cheered as statues of their former oppressive leader were brought down and smashed. You never hear THAT in a Ministry lyric.
Yeah, anger is easy but this is the most aggressive and focused anger I’ve seen out of Al and co. in YEARS. How can I NOT be happy with that? And yeah, ok. I agree. The Bush samples and idiosyncracities are a bit lame and old but who cares? That’s what Ministry does. They bash Bush. Ok, no surprise there so who cares? I just like how it the lyrics and vocals all fall together. They aren’t the important part of the album. They almost take a backseat to everything else which is great. Al has never been strong lyrically so should I expect more from him now? No. I should be happy that he’s given us something that isn’t some sappy crap they would play on TRL.
Well, apart from the above mentioned, I guess my only beef would be the silly Sgt Major samples on ‘Gangreen’ , the dopiness of ‘lieslieslies’ and ‘Khyber Pass’ which, although not a terrible song per se, is a bit of a fizzer as last songs go. It never really goes anywhere and once again, the lyrics kinda let it down.
Agreed. Completely. I’m not particualrly taken with lieslieslies but it’s not a bad song. Just a good rock song. Gangreen is probably the only song on the album that I know I’ll constantly skip over. It’s just… dumb for lack of a better word. Reminds me of Dead Guy after huffing gasoline for 2 years. Not great but not bad but nowhere near anything that I WANT to hear. And yeah, Khyber is a bit of a let down as far as end songs go but it’s not horrible.
It’s exactly what I wanted and I can’t wait to see them in concert and let Al know (already got tickets to 2 shows, might even go to a few more).
Fair enough.
Actually I’m buying tickets to the Birmingham, AL show right now so that definately makes 3 shows. Might even make it to a few more if I can. =)
Rio Grande Blood is a winner for sure. Agreed. Didn’t need the Bush samples though. Senor Peligro is kinda good also. Palestina, Ass Clown and Yellow Cake are pretty much the best tracks here. Ass Clown in particular.
[reply]
Glad to know whe don’t completely differ on opinions. =)
Peace!
Krowe
Yeah but angry is easy. Anyone can do angry. If you want a good example of how effectively anger can be channelled, then check out the new Whitehouse album.
Lyrically this album is a bore. It quite often borders on juvenile (check ‘lieslieslies’, which you seem particularly taken with) with Al constantly spouting shit like "we’re on a mission to dig up the truth…some kinda shit about a terrorist threat’. I don’t mind if someone has a different opinion than my own, but I do expect a certain amount of maturity above and beyond that of a pissed off teenager. His rantings are often ill informed and just plain stupid, making broad, sweeping generalisations about a subject he seems to know little about. He has absolutely no creedence to his claims of Bush being an evil dictator, instead making idiotic claims along the lines of “I was never frightened of Saddam Hussein”. The irony being that Jourgenson lives in a society where he is free to speak his mind, unlike the regime of Saddam, where people were often murdered for that very act. I guess you were never ‘fightened’ of Saddam, Al, seeing as you were never a ‘guest’ at one of his torture chambers.
Dude, are you Bill OReilly's wife or something? You are missing the whole point. Al and a whole lot of imformed people know that Saddam was a wicked (evil) man, and that he did a bunch of terrible things. But, we still had no right to invade Iraq becuase they where NO threat to the good old U.S.A. Unless of course you think Saddam was a threat to your gas prices. People are getting killed, and fucked up in god-awful ways, because WE are over there. We are happily continuing Saddam's torture in his prisons (we are soooo rightious) and enriching the V.P.'s bumbling buddies at Halliberton with no- bid contracts. That alone should piss you off because you (and me and those poor fucks in Iraq) are the one that is paying this bill. Shit, now I'm getting fucking mad.
Funny how the Iraqi people cheered as statues of their former oppressive leader were brought down and smashed. You never hear THAT in a Ministry lyric.
Please, do us a favor by doing a little research. Those "Iraqi people" were a just a handful of men. The news media said something like - hey if you tip this thing (statue of Saddam) over you will be on T.V.!! They were being protected by U.S. troops as their fellow citizens were looting priceless artifacts out of (unprotected) museums. Oh, you are snoozing again.......WAKE UP!Too bad whitehouse is a terrible band. Maybe i could get into that type of music if I overanalyzed music and peoples posts on message boards.
Lets stick to reviewing RGB in this thread and move the political discussions somewhere else…
I am still enjoying this album a lot. I’m not a metalhead but I do enjoy listening to some metal (especially thrash) every now and again because it is so easy to get caught up in this music form’s contagious energy and really vent whatever anger I might have built up inside me. I dont really care about the lyrics in thrash records since to me the music is much more about attitude than anything else. What is important to me is that the lyrics are sang/screamed with a lot of conviction and expression and this is precisely how they are on this Ministry record… As far as I am concered, as long as Al shouts about a topic that he is genuinely angry about, I am happy. It makes the music seem more genuine and allows me to vent my own anger accordingly.
I really recommend this kind of approach to a lot of Ministry’s music. After all, the majority of their best stuff is just thumping, jackhammer industrial metal. Its not meant to be about a deeper reflection on some philosophical issue. Its meant to be a cathartic expression of anger and a release of energy. Slayer does it, Napalm Death does it, Kreator does it, Sodom does it, Ministry does it… This is why I listen to these bands!
And Whitehouse rules 
But they are in a completely different category of music and require an entirely different approach. There is no point in comparing their latest album with RGB…
That’s what ministry does. They bash Bush.
no, that’s what Al does after fornicatour. ok, they did nwo about bush, but whole 2 albums dedicated to that? sometimes it makes me wonder, what’s worse - musician that says “i’m off the drugs, and now i make really angry music” or musician that goes ‘political’. yes yes, drugs are bad, bush issue is important, but still… 99% chance that the albums after such happenings are going to suck balls.
After all, the majority of their best stuff is just thumping, jackhammer industrial metal.
well… yes. sad but true.
Slayer does it, Napalm Death does it, Kreator does it, Sodom does it, Ministry does it…
yes, and sadly, these dudes play thrash/death metal that is much better than rgb.
dont get me wrong, rgb is a good cd overall. it’s just nothing new.
the times when ministry “pushed boundaries” (what a cheesy phrase) or “evolved” stopped with animositisomina. which could work as great final album cuz it has all the trademark ministry stuff.
after that, well, it’s just metal… with samples. i wish al released it as another project but i guess he couldnt abandon such known name as ministry.
i think the same way about the new revco cd.
i don’t know why. but hotm, rgb and cocked feels like a totally different band. don’t care that ministry and revco were always “revolving doors”, at least the core was stable. or something like that. this new stuff is way way different for me. especially revco.
for some reason, i’d better have another DSOTS/FilthPig album than HOTM/RGB and C&L combined…
His rantings are often ill informed and just plain stupid, making broad, sweeping generalisations about a subject he seems to know little about.
Hey, I agree with Senor Peligro. How about that?
I don’t like Bush. I think he did two good things in his Presidency so far (and I can’t remember what one of them was). But I DON’T think there was some sort of vast conspiracy behind 9/11 or hurricane Katrina to kill American citizens, as Al seems to, or that Bush is the most evil man on the planet.