Essigfabrik, Cologne, Germany 14th August 2025
Ministry - “European Tour 2025” - Special guest: Light Of Eternity
Industrial Metal legends MINISTRY were scheduled to add a dark turn to an epic summer day in Cologne. Hundreds of contemporary disciples but also a bunch of new fans turned up at the Essigfabrik to the genre-founding band live.
Light Of Eternity
The band, a “supergroup” of sorts, brings together an impressive pedigree: drummer Big Paul Ferguson (KILLING JOKE, MURDER INC.), guitarist Pauly Williams (CHAOS 8), and vocalist / bassist Fred Schreck (THE ANCIENTS, CRUSH). Formed in August 2023, LIGHT OF ETERNITY quickly found its footing, and this European tour marks their first live performances.
Check out https://lightofeternity.com for more info.
Music & Performance
Being the opening band on a summer day comes with an enormous downside: you have to convince people to switch the airy, calm outdoors environment for the dark, tropical concert hall. Turns out, LIGHT OF ETERNITY were more than up to the task. While initially, the crowd sparsely populated the area in front of the wide stage, the room gradually and noticeably filled up during their performance.
Entering the stage to an intro making use of the creepy poem ‘Boots’ (immortalized by the movie 28 Years Later), LIGHT OF ETERNITY opened their set with ‘Aftershock’ from their recently released debut album ‘Collateral’. This already contained all the ingredients, which made the music click with a large part of the audience: heavy guitar walls, wave-inspired synth riffs, and Fred’s voice, which at times had a timbre reminiscent of NICK CAVE. These were 60 minutes well-spent in the sweltering heat, and LIGHT OF ETERNITY left the stage drawing a huge applause from the audience.
Ministry
The band, led by the enigmatic Al Jourgensen, is a titan of industrial music with a long and storied history of reinvention. Found back in 1981 in Chicago, Al explored Synth Pop and New Wave initially, before evolving into the abrasive sound they are known for. The band has released nine albums over the last five decades, with the most recent ‘Hopiumforthemasses’ from 2024. Check out https://ministryband.com.
Music & Performance
The uncompromising political stance of MINISTRY became immediately clear, as - during the intro - a huge projection of Donald Trump with a crown appeared, and a caption saying that no one from the band and the crew voted for this. Then the band appeared on stage and kicked off their set with ‘Thieves’ from their ground-breaking 1989 album ‘The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste’, with which the band proved that age has done little to diminish their aggression.
The setlist was a blistering mix of fan favourites and newer, politically charged tracks. Hits like ‘N.W.O.’ and ‘Just One Fix’ from their seminal album ‘Psalm 69’ incited frenzied moshing and powerful singalongs, with the crowd roaring along to every line. The band also dug deep into their back catalogue, thrilling long-time fans with classics such as ‘Deity’ and ‘Stigmata.’ Tracks from their more recent work, including ‘Alert Level’ and ‘Goddamn White Trash,’ were delivered with equal ferocity, proving that Jourgensen's anger and political outrage are as potent as ever.
Jourgensen himself was a commanding presence, his trademark dreadlocks flying as he prowled the stage, a menacing figure in a sea of smoke and strobing lights. The live band, a well-oiled machine of heavy riffs and pounding rhythms, recreated MINISTRY’s signature sound with a brutal precision that resonated throughout the packed venue. The atmosphere was a chaotic and cathartic release, a perfect distillation of the industrial metal experience. Towards the end of the main set, this well-oiled machine hit a speed bump, as one of the guitar amps broke down, forcing them to end the encore after two songs.
In a night that felt like a powerful statement of purpose, MINISTRY demonstrated exactly why they are revered as pioneers of the genre. The Essigfabrik was not just a venue for a concert; it was turned into a factory floor for a well-oiled machine of musical destruction, and MINISTRY was at its chaotic, brilliant, and unyielding core.
Setlist
01. Thieves
02. The Missing
03. Deity
04. Rio Grande Blood
05. LiesLiesLies
06. Goddamn White Trash
07. Alert Level
08. Stigmata
09. N.W.O.
10. Just One Fix
11. Jesus Built My Hotrod
12. So What
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13. We Believe
14. Effigy (I’m Not An)
All Pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg
