In a day and age where ego and ’emphasis on looks’ usually far exceeds actual talent, it’s truly refreshing to know someone like Sin Quirin, a hard-working guitar player from Los Angeles who reminds us all that good guys do win in the end. Having exercised a stint with the shock rock metal act Society 1, Sin departed the group and hit it big when he toured as guitarist for the Revolting Cocks on 2006 MasturbaTour, after which he was asked to join the legendary and always controversial Ministry band founded by the one and only Al Jourgensen. Sin is now fully recognized as a permanent Ministry member and is featured throughout the act’s final studio record, The Last Sucker, released September 18th, 2007 by 13th Planet Records. The album, a middle finger held up at the corrupt Bush administration, was produced and recorded by Jourgensen at his 13th Planet compound in El Paso, TX, with Prong’s Thomas Victor on guitars, Paul Raven (KILLING JOKE, PRONG) on bass. Not holding back, they enlisted Fear Factory’s Burton C. Bell for guest vocals on “Die In A Crash”, including the album’s final tracks, “End of Days” parts 1 & 2.
Rocket: What was the experience like working on the final Ministry album The Last Sucker?
Sin: It was unbelievable working with Al. It was a dream come true for me. It was an amazing experience. I’m sitting there in the studio and he’s asking me my opinion on things, a guy that I looked up to for years, who influenced my style of play, my writing. It was just an unbelievable experience, by far the best recording experience I’ve ever had.
Rocket: You and Al just played recently with Cheap Trick, right? What was that all about?
Sin: Al got asked to perform a song at The Hollywood Bowl with Cheap Trick for “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 40th anniversary and asked me to come along back on August 10-11, both nights, totally sold out with 18,000 people each night. We did a rendition of “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. It was such an amazing experience, man. The guys in Cheap Trick are the coolest fucking guys I have ever met. Total pros, no egoes. They played amazing!
Rocket: So when does the touring for The Last Sucker begin?
Sin: The touring will hit in the next week or two. It’s already been routed. We just haven’t posted the dates yet.
Rocket: How involved were you with the writing on this album?
Sin: Very involved with the writing. I actually wrote almost half of the album with Al. There’s eleven songs on it, all originals except for one… umm… which is a cover of “Roadhouse Blues”. So I was very involved with Al on the writing of this album. It means so much to me. I am so proud of it. I mean, with Al’s help and his guidance I think it just made me that much of a better player. I got lucky enough to play guitar on most of it as well. I’m totally psych’d about it.
Rocket: I can only imagine, bro. That is awesome. Now what’s going on with the new Revolting Cocks album?
Sin: We haven’t even touched on that one yet. We’ve got Ministry’s “Cover Up” album, a soon-to-be-released collection of some of Al‘s personal favorite songs recorded by Ministry.
Rocket: You don’t have to sell me on that one. Ha! I’ll be first in line!
Sin: It’s got covers of “Space Trucking”, “Under My Thumb” by The Rolling Stones, “She’s So Heavy” by The Beatles… umm… “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain. It’s all done fucking Ministry style, you know, sounds pretty fuckin’ barn burning.
Rocket: I remember seeing Ministry perform the cover “Lay Lady Lay” at Shoreline Amphitheatre many moons back and it was one of those times where you get goosebumps cause the musical vibe is so intense.
Sin: Nice. Actually, that one’s on the cover album too.
Rocket: Killer. Let me please say for the record here that I have always felt Al was one of the most unique musical geniuses ever. Highly underestimated. And let me further add that I have listened to ‘The Last Sucker’ in its entirety and it simply smokes. The best work he’s ever done. Positively incredible from start to finish. Listen, I can’t thank you enough for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to do this with me. The album officially dropped on September 18th and I know everyone in the world is trying to talk to you right now. Best of luck with it all. Everyone needs to buy this album! I’ll definitely see you out at one of the upcoming Ministry shows. Was there anything else you wanted to add that I missed? Anyone you’d like to thank?
Sin: Dude, you know what? I mean, first and foremost, I want to thank you and The Metal Den. I mean, for fuckin’ being there. You’ve been there since…
Rocket: – Them ole Society 1 days. Haha. Way back!
Sin: That’s right and all the way up to the present. You know, I’ve watched it all fucking grow into this bad ass thing you’ve got now. You know, I’m fuckin’ thrilled for you. I appreciate you and everything you do for the metal community, man.
Rocket: Thank you. I guess we can end the interview on that note, unless you wanted to say “Hi” to your mom or anything.
Sin: Haha. No, you know what? I’ll call my mom later!
Rocket: Haha. Fair enough.
2 thoughts on “ROCKET Interviews Sin Quirin Of MINISTRY/REVOLTING COCKS”
Comments are closed.