This my first review I've written so sorry if its a bit s**te. This album is considered by many to Ministry's masterpiece (personally I think that "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" is better.), but even if you don't agree it is a beast of an album. The perfect blend of thrash metal and industrial grind, it manages to be heavy as f**k and still be catchy as an STD. It boast a mean production job by Hypo Luxa/Hermes Pan (Band members Al and Paul.) everything on this album sounds dirty, grime encrusted and harsh. Just buy it and you see what I mean.
Track 1 - N.W.O
What a way to kick off an album. It start of with a bass drum roll and guitars crashing in. The builds to a two chord riff. The cyclical riffing and drumming giving this relentless feel to the song. This is a response to America's involvement in the Gulf War with lines like "All the locals hide their tears of regret." and samples of George Bush Snr. saying "This is about good and evil right and wrong. A new world order." Pure rock fury. 4/5
Track 2 - Just One Fix
My favorite track on this album. It feature my favorite Ministry riff of all time. Starting of with samples of people screaming in agony and the a demented voice saying "Never trust a junkie." (I think this is Gary Oldman in "Sid & Nancy".) It really does give the idea of the hellish experience of a heroin addict desperate for another hit, the frenzied delivery of the vocals as Al screams the heavily distorted lyrics. One to mosh to. 5/5
Track 3 - TV II
A response to the amount of bulls**t that is fed to us through the idiot box. The music is like hard drum and bass for metalhead with some insanely fast Thrash metal riff over the top. The vocals are delivered with venomous fury. This track is one of the least catchy of the lot but is personally one of my favorites. 5/5
Track 4 - Hero
Another song refering to the Gulf war, with lyrics like "We'll take the gas that we need, and pump the blood on the ground." It talks of how the polititians who send the soldiers to war talk about how just they are in doing so, but their is always another agenda and how it is the people who fight in the war are the ones that bear the cost. A catchy as hell riff that wouldn't sound out of place on an Anthrax album. 5/5
Track 5 - Jesus Built My Hotrod
Words can't describe, gibberish lyrics, awesome riff in a weird time signature, really fast Gibby Haines of the Butthole Surfers on vocals. A beautiful mess, but not for everyone. 4/5
Track 6 - Scarecrow
Not really sure what to say about this one, a slow doomy number, like an indusrtial equivalent to "Black Sabbath". A long slow burning number about a person who has no hope with Al snarling lyrics like "Eyeless stares invite this whole damnation, laughter fills the sky instead of rain." Really cool song and cool imagery in the lyrics, probably what the end of the world souns like. I like it.
Track 7 - Psalm 69
The title track is probably the weakest song on here, its just a little cheesy, with the choir of voices over a march like beat. Its still cool though especially when the main riff comes in during the verses with a 6/8 rhythym like some sort of demented ho-down and breaks down at the end. The lyrics are a blatant inditement of how religion tries to dominate peoples lives eg. "The body of Christ omes on to me, a preacher with God in his hands. He wants you to suck on the holy ghost, and swallow the sins of man. 4/5
Track 8 - Corrosion
The first of two instrumentals,starting of with a slowed down voice repeated over and over again this has sirens, punishing programmed beats
and lots of weird samples, noises etc. Really cool but not for everyone, more for fans of Aphex Twin than Slayer. 4/5
Track 9 - Grace
A noise collage really no real structure to it, very Godflesh. Has a repetive voice saying "Doomsday the final battle. Doomsday apocalypse." Its intersting but doesn't make for easy listening, masochist music. 3/5
Well I hop you like the review and I hope it makes you go out and buy the album because it rules. Thanks for reading.
