MINISTRY „Rio Grande Blood”

Music: Industrial / Thrash Metal
website: www.ministrymusic.org
Country: USA
Duration: 49:51
Cool Songs: Rio Grande Blood, Senor Peligro, Lieslieslies

Ministry has consistently gotten heavier and heavier over the last decade and their new release on 13th Planet Records, “Rio Grande Blood”, is their heaviest yet. I've been a Ministry fan for over twenty years and although they've gone through countless changes in styles and sounds, I've loved every one of them. Al Jourgensen has gone through good times and very bad times, but it's great to see him back on top of his game. This is a heavy ass, kick butt album, filled with awesome samples and programming keeping it Industrial, but with the rest of the band line up, it's Metal brutality.

The title track starts this massacre and kicks your ass from the onset, starting with some George Bush voice samples changed around a bit, then pounds your head with a driving rhythm and heavy ass speed. The speed picks up even more on the second track, “Senor Peligro” without even taking a breath. This is my favorite track and is a brutal ass kicker. Heavy, heavy rhythm and speed. Ministry style. Heavy, fast and extremely tight. “Gangreen” gives us that familiar voice of Lee Ermey barking out military jargon. It's a slower, heavy pounder. Good headbangin' melody with a little speed mixed in here and there. “Fear (Is Big Business)” is another slower pounding song with some industrial programming set in, but then blasts in some good chopping speed to kick your ass. Some seering leads as well. The single from the album “LiesLiesLies” is a heavy rhythm stomper, barking out Al's political views as always, but he has always done it right, ranting politically, but not ruining the substance of the song. His music has never been compromised to fit his politics. This entire album exercises exactly that. Politics…but not over the musical content. “The Great Satan” is a driving, drum kicking slaughter with seering leads and fast, but tight, rhythm. “Yellow Cake” and “Palestina” are classic Ministry heavy, stomping headbangin' brutal songs. “Ass Clown” brings the familiar voice of Jello Biafra to the Jourgensen entourage and keeps the slaughter going with another heavy pounding Industrialized metal rhythm laced with seering guitar leads and help from Jello. “Khyber Pass” ends the massacre with a more eerie styled Ministry industrial sound featuring vocals from Liz Constantine.

If you like the way Ministry has progressed from their electronic days, to a more Metal sound, then you'll love this cd. It's Ministry at their most brutal form to date. Heavy, fast, tight. Loud and stomping, but still enough programming and sampling from Al to keep the industrial fans on board. These guys are all veterans and know how to kick ass and they surely do on this cd.

note: 8/10

Tracklist

01. Rio Grande Blood
02. Senor Peligro
03. Gangreen
04. Fear (Is Big Business)
05. Lieslieslies
06. The Great Satan
07. Yellow Cake
08. Palestina
09. Ass Clown
10. Khyber Pass

Line-up

Al Jourgensen (vocals, guitars, programming, harmonica)
Mike Scaccia (guitars),
Joey Jordison (drums)
Paul Raven (bass)
Tommy Victor (guitars)