Ministry – "Moral Hygiene"
Angry again
With an uncanny resemblance to another classic one-man governed band – Germany's Running Wild – Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen broke up with himself from around 2009, but reformed with himself again after a couple of years and kept on releasing albums.
I haven't followed his newer releases, but judging by the reviews, I haven't been missing out on much. However, I've seen Ministry live a coupla times since their/his reformation, and the new material has sounded... well, like Ministry.
This is also the case on "Moral Hygiene", Ministry's 15th studio album, which people seem to like much more than its predecessors.
And for someone who knows the band, there should be little doubt as to how and why this is the case. Opener "Alert Level's" distorted shouting vocals, gravelly-tense string emulator theme, and crisp-dry guitar crunches all make for an unmistakably Ministry kinda atmosphere. Add to this a liberal use of samples and electronic percussive elements, and voilà.
Anyone who might've missed Ministry sounding like themselves can breathe freely: "Moral Hygiene" could have easily been released during the band's heyday in the '90s.
Anyone who might've missed Ministry sounding like themselves can breathe freely: "Moral Hygiene" could have easily been released during the band's heyday in the '90s.
... Well, at least from a musical viewpoint. Lyrically, Uncle Al is his regular gloomy and bitter self, but this time, he deals with hot topics such as COVID, climate change, and, not the least, one certain ex-president Trump who's more or less directly referenced, if not outright attacked, in at least three songs.
"Moral Hygiene" is best when it goes a couple of extra notches to stand out and kick a bit more ass. One such stand-out is the uptempo, motortruck-smoking "Sabotage is Sex" featuring legendary Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, whose signature quivering vocals complement a more serious track than I've ever heard him do before, the straightforward plowing metal evolving into a melodic cadence and lead theme. Suits him; suits the band.
It seems Al's musical purpose with this record has been primarily about getting his shit together and creating a solid collection of classic Ministry without straying too much from his beaten path.
Also, the concluding "TV Song #6" is a complete grind frenzy, more frantic and heavier than anything else on the album – and perhaps anything else Al has ever done. And I'd like to have heard some more in the same vein.
This is by no means a bad album. But in light of people's unfavorable opinions of his later efforts, it seems Al's musical purpose with this record has been primarily about getting his shit together and creating a focused, solid collection of classic Ministry without straying too much from his beaten path.
He's succeeded in doing exactly that, and not a whole lot more. (In fact, the only unnecessary track on "Moral Hygiene" is the cover of The Stooges' classic "Search and Destroy"). Hard-core fans will be delighted, and you'll have Trump-basher "Believe Me" stuck in your head after a coupla spins. However, I, for one, don't find this album as riveting as any Ministry album released from 1999 ("Animositisomina") to 2007 ("The Last Sucker").
Still, though. It's nice to know that there's an active voice out there that represents mankind's best interests, and that Ministry as an institution are back in the saddle.
Rating: 4 out of 6
Genre: Industrial metal
Release date: 1/10/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast
Producer: Michael Rozone