{"id":24978,"date":"2018-03-09T09:02:18","date_gmt":"2018-03-09T15:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=24978"},"modified":"2018-03-09T11:48:40","modified_gmt":"2018-03-09T17:48:40","slug":"album-review-chicagos-own-al-jourgensen-returns-with-fresh-all-new-material-ministry-album-amerikkkant-complete-breakdown-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=24978","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Chicago’s Own Al Jourgensen Returns With Fresh, All New Material Ministry Album, AmeriKKKant – Complete Breakdown Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ministry: AmeriKKKant<\/em> – Track by Track – (Release date March 9, 2018)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Preface:<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s own, Al Jourgensen, surprised us all by announcing a new Ministry<\/strong> album late last year. It was a surprise because just a short time back (2013), he had said Ministry<\/strong> was done and that \u201cFrom Beer To Eternity<\/em>\u201d was to be the final Ministry<\/strong> studio album. He said this because he lost his long time music collaborator and friend Mike Scaccia. Sadly, Scaccia died in 2012 and Jourgensen made several statements he was calling it quits. Thankfully he rethought that, took a short break, gathered his thoughts and regrouped. And that rejuvenated energy has be spewing out ever since.<\/p>\n

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In that time, he recorded and released a totally new album of music under a totally new moniker, Surgical Meth Machine<\/strong>. Then, just months after that release, announced he was in the works of completing a new Ministry record of all new material, \u201cAmeriKKKant<\/em>\u201d. Well, rejoice Ministry fans because today, that album reaches the light of day.<\/p>\n

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“Amerikkkant<\/em>” (the first new album of new material in over 5 years) keeps some of the traditional Ministry<\/strong> sounds, but isn\u2019t stale by any means. In fact, this is what true Jourgensen does. He redevelops and incorporates new sounds and on this release, those include cello\u2019s, instruments like turntables and DJ scratching and new songwriting style while still maintaining a Ministry core. This 9 track album brings in elements from as far back as 1992’s “Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs<\/i>” through “From Beer To Eternity<\/em>” as well as moving on with new sounds, recording techniques and direction.<\/p>\n

Jourgensen brings in some of his longtime bandmates of course like John Bechdel (keys) Sin Quirin (guitars) and Tony Campos (bass) but there\u2019s new blood in the mix like Cesar Soto (guitar) DJ Swamp (turntables), Derek Abrams (drums) rounding out the core group of the band, but special guest have also made there mark on this record. We get appearances from Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory<\/strong>) (spoken word & vocals), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.<\/strong>) (scratching and vocals) and So-Cal flea market marvel \u2013 Lord of the Cello (cello).<\/p>\n

So what does this mean for Ministry<\/strong> as a band? I’d say a renewed sense of life. Dystopian or not, Ministry<\/strong> lives on. Watch out world leaders, presidents and evil doer’s. No one is safe from the wrath of Al Jourgensen and company.<\/p>\n

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You might remember ITLM premiered a live performance of first single release “Antifa” in the fall of last year when Ministry<\/strong> played Riot Fest. Here is that video.<\/p>\n