I am always looking for different albums to do on the blog and we are inching our way closer to 200 albums reviewed. In fact this is album #199 for us here at Moshpits and Movies and we found a band that I have always respected for changing the scene completely and blasting in with the industrial wave. I am talking about Ministry which was made up of Al Jourgensen (Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Production), Paul Barker (Bass and Programming), William Rieflin (Drums), Mike Scaccia (Guitar), Louis Svitek (Guitar), and Michael Balch (Keys and Programming). The album I am overing by the band is their fifth studio album Psalm 69: The Way To Succeed and The Way To Suck Eggs or as it is known by it’s technical name ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ. The album marks their first release with guitarist Mike Scaccia and it’s also the album that lead the band to a more mainstream push as MTV had finally noticed the band. You’re probably wondering how the band came up with the title. Well, the title is a direct link to a chapter in one of Aleister Crowley’s books The Book Of Lies where says that exact line which is reference to the sexual act. The album was pretty successful for the band as it peaked at number 27 on The Billboard Top 200 and it went number one on the Top Heetseekers Chart as well as it went platinum by 1995.
1. N.W.O.– The Grammy nominated track kicks off the album and it kicks off just right with that double bass action and the sledgehammer guitar riffs with samples from Apocalypse Now and George H.W. Bush. The track was a protest track against then President Bush. 5/5
2. Just One Fix– An interesting track that is said that Rammstein borrowed or used the riff for their popular hit Du Hast because they do sound similar. The track uses samples from Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II as well as The Trip, Sid and Nancy, and The Man With The Golden Arm. 5/5
3. TV II– The fastest Ministry song I have heard that is great commentary on the pollution that is seen on TV. 4.5/5
4. Hero– An anti-war track that uses clips from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero cartoon, but it’s quite an amazing and cynical look at war plus the riff is bad ass. 4.5/5
5. Jesus Built My Hotrod– One of the more famous Ministry songs that features Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes. Al recounts the time sayng, “Gibby came down completely drunk off his ass to the studio we’re at in Chicago. He couldn’t even sit on a stool, let alone sing. I mean, he was wasted. He fell off the stool about ten times during the recording of that vocal. He made no sense and it was just gibberish. So I spent two weeks editing tape of what he did.” 5/5
6. Scarecrow– an interesting track that kind of takes a different look at Jesus sort of like ironic commentary on that situation. 4/5
7. Psalm 69– an epic track that could be best described as the theme song for hell if hell had one. The lyrics are pretty intense when it comes to this song (look them up). The track contains samples from Altered States, The Pit And The Pendelum, and Suspiria. 5/5
8. Corrosion– an instrumental track that features samples from The Abyss. 4/5
9. Grace– Another instrumental that ends the album, but this one is pretty epic and sounds like the world is coming to an end at times. 5/5
My Final Thoughts– This is one of three albums that I love from Ministry that I think are bad ass and very influential. The whole Nu-Metal scene owes a debt of gratitude to the band especially those with an industrial sound. This is a great album that anyone should check out. I am going to give the album 4.7 stars out of five for a final grade.
Moshpits And Movies 