Ministry’s long career has been marked by countless important albums, some of which (even today) represent a sort of dividing line. First the magnificent double “The Land Of Rape And Honey” (1988) and “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste” (1989), then the following decade branded by the industrial charge of “Psalm 69” (1992) and the its more reasoned counterpart (“Filth Pig”, released four years later, is an album to be re-evaluated), awaiting the overflowing closing of the circle, that “Rio Grande Blood” (2006) capable of pushing the boundaries of thrash metal thanks to a lineup of the highest caliber (for the occasion, Al Jourgensen was joined by the late Paul Raven of Killing Joke and Tommy Victor of Prong).
Over the course of over forty years, Ministry have created other more or less interesting works, until they hit rock bottom with their latest releases: from the superfluous “AmeriKKKant” to the more bearable “Moral Hygiene”, there is little to be happy about. The same goes for this “Hopiumforthemasses”, yet another hole in the water for a musician who is now far from any form of innovation in the industrial sector and surrounding areas.
Anger against George Bush’s policies has dissipated junior and that of Donald Trump, Al Jourgensen today continues his battle against capitalism undaunted, despite the fact that at his concerts the merch official has reached jewelery prices. But somehow you have to make a living, perhaps even on the backs of diehard fans.
Let’s say it right away: the best piece of the album is a cover of Fad Gadget (the final “Ricky’s Hand”), a song that would not have disfigured even among the Ebm derivatives of the valid “Twich” (1986). However, this is a flash in the pan, considering the medium-low level of the other compositions, starting with the anti-misogynistic anthem “BDE” (acronym for big dick energy) or from the industrial-metal ride of “Goddamn White Trash”, two passages where not even the craft can save the day.
“Just Stop Oil” navigates around sufficiency, complete with an out-of-time ecological message (perhaps there was still hope when the alarm was raised, more than thirty years ago, by the various Nuclear Assault, Sacred Reich and so on) . Then the ax falls against the Nazis (“Aryan Embarrassment”), against religion (the title of the album itself is a rather overused quote) and against a series of very current issues that the preacher Al Jourgensen is now taking to the extreme , in a sort of white-on-black personal war. But fighting one ideology with another ideology ends up flattening the discourse, nullifying it and making it practically harmless. Especially when the megaphone of protest is entrusted to songs bordering on embarrassment (“Cult Of Suffering”). Dear Al, are we at a loss?
05/21/2024
