Artist: Ministry
Title: From Beer To Eternity
Genre: Industrial Metal
Release Date: 6th September 2013
Label: AFM Records
Album Review
It’s not so long ago that I had a great time enjoying MINISTRY’s ‘Enjoy The Quiet: Live At Wacken 2012’ so the introduction gets particularly on a belaboured point, after all, what hasn’t been written about them before? I can stand on my head to spout something but even then it’ll hardly be anything that fans would hear out fresh. You guys already must know that yet again we’ve got here what is said to be the last album, Al Jourgensen’s been bashing the “our last one” verdict over several albums, this one is no exception, yet the difference being for ‘From Beer To Eternity’ is that Mike Scaccia’s death last December has taken its toll and Al doesn’t want to go on without his mate. Pretty understandable but we’ll have to see once grief is over our world will still be a fucking disgusting place full of wankers, who want to line their pockets with money out of blood and death, and I’m sure Al will have plenty to be pissed about and have the urge to vent the struggle of one’s psyche through this onslaught.
‘Hail To His Majesty (Peasants)’ is a great opener to ‘From Beer To Eternity’ with a typical industrial clunky soundscape which seems suspended in slow motion even in faster passages and it seems more topical for UK than for MINISTRY’s native USA, though let’s face it, even in meritocracy top cats want to lord it; the song shows Jourgensen’s ironic blade sharpened to expected levels. ‘Punch In The Face’ will satisfy with the head-bagging chugging riffs well-paced and slightly distant. ‘Perfect Storm’ reverberates in a similar vein with some freaky distorted solos woven into it on a subtle side and Jourgensen’s vocal sounding as if he’s about to swallow you and spit you out. ‘Lesson Unlearned’ and ‘Thanx But No Thanx’ sound more on an experimental side, latter can come out even as surprising, it’s got this dance even jazzy joint feel, slightly dizzying and spaced out song. They’re interesting even if they fragment the overall feel of the album.
The album is great yet doesn’t really feel like a Magnum opus. It doesn’t really throw you out of the comfort zone like ‘Psalm 69’ did yet I’d still say it’s not one to wave away as insignificant either, it certainly won’t be for a band, but not for fans either.
Tracklist
01. Hail To His Majesty (Peasants)
02. Punch In The Face
03. PermaWar
04. Perfect Storm
05. Fairly Unbalanced
06. The Horror
07. Side Fx Include Mikey's Middle Finger (TV 4)
08. Lesson Unlearned
09. Thanx But No Thanx
10. Change Of Luck
11. Enjoy The Quiet
Line-up
Al Jourgensen – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Mike Scaccia – guitar
Sin Quirin – guitar
Aaron Rossi – drums
Tony Campos – bass
Websites
http://www.thirteenthplanet.com/ministry/ / https://www.facebook.com/Ministry
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 10
Total: 9 / 10
Comments powered by CComment