Uncle Al is back from the grave in 2012 – literally – with the slamming new CD entitled Relapse from his trusty MINISTRY, thrown down for one last shits and giggles one could say. Al brings his favorite co-conspirators: Mike Scaccia (RIGOR MORTIS), Tony Campos (STATIC X), Tommy Victor (PRONG) and Casey Orr (RIGOR MORTIS), along for a seriously sin-filled ride of sonic chaos to unleash perhaps Jourgensen’s most daring musical statement ever.
The opening cut “Ghouldiggers” finds Jourgensen in rare form and I just am blown away that it’s as good as it is. The listener is treated to a blazing guitar solo and Al sounds as pissed and more against the ‘bloodsuckers’ than ever. “I’m not dead yet”, the legendary vocalist sings. I mean, come on… you think he would mellow at some point, right? It’s mind boggling considering this dude has been around three decades living a much harder existence in the rock game than even Lemmy. Yes, the fact that he can still deliver at this level is nothing short of a miracle. How the hell does the man do it? He has been creating some of the most exciting rock music for as long as I can remember. I became a big fan around “Jesus Built My Hotrod”. I finally got to see him live in the mid 90’s at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, and let me say that it was a performance I have never forgotten. He is that talented. Al is the man… period – and I am just so stoked he didn’t go soft for the last album! This is some of the heaviest, most inventive stuff I’ve heard from him in years.
Some of my other favorite cuts on the record are “Kleptocracy”, a smoking hot cover of S.O.D’s “United Forces”, and the epic, all out ass-kick you into the next day rocker called “99 Percenters”. The latter track is so masterfully written with its industrial/punk tempo – it just makes you shake your head in disbelief. Al, you never let us down, brother. “I’m waiting for the end of days, I think I’m going…but I just might stay,” the fifty-three year old vocalist spits out. Hell, track eight’s “Weekend Warrior” is probably the heaviest song I have heard so far this year.
He takes shots at ‘the clowns on Capitol Hill’ on the psychedelic/thrasher “Get Up Get Out N Vote” and I simply love the Alice Cooper-esque “Bloodlust”. Great vocals, with a fat riff that you will not be able to get out of your head.
I truly hope Al and Ministry do not go away yet. Relapse proves he still has
much more ground to break.
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
MINISTRY – “Relapse” (CD)
(13th Planet Records/2012)
1. Ghouldiggers
2. Double Tap
3. Freefall
4. Kleptocracy
5. United Forces
6. 99 Percenters
7. Relapse
8. Weekend Warrior
9. Get Up Get Out N Vote
10. Bloodlust
11. Relapse Defibrillator Mix
http://www.thirteenthplanet.com/ministry/
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