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User
Reviews 8
Approval 100%
Soundoffs 1
Album Ratings 669
Objectivity 72%
Last Active 02-17-12 12:27 am
Joined 02-15-12
Review Comments 91
| Raaaaaaanked: Ministry
Another subjective ranking list! This time for Ministry, a band which I have a love/hate relationship with. | | 12 |  | Ministry
With Sympathy
In a way, it's almost too harsh to judge this as Ministry's worst offering because, well, it isn't really Ministry. Whether Al Jourgensen was coerced by studio management to create what essentially resembles a pop album or whether he was simply yet to plug an electric guitar into an amp will remain a mystery. Regardless, this sounds like The Human League oppose to traditional Ministry. No top 3 here. | | 11 |  | Ministry
Relapse
So, Ministry split up in 2008 only to reform in 2011 and produce this dismal effort. I've tried hard to appreciate Relapse as much as the 'Bush Trilogy' (which usually isn't a whole lot more) but it just sounds empty, some of the songs are practically indistinguishable and the political ranting is now plain dull. Even the artwork and title are both god awful. Some songs are half-decent, but for the most, this is a bore. My top 3 from Relapse (this was hard) - 1. Double Tap 2. 99 Percenters 3. Ghouldiggers | | 10 |  | Ministry
Twitch
Apparently some of the ideas on Twitch were floating around Al's head when he was allegedly being forced to dabble with nothing but synths on 'With Sympathy'. This album is definitely a whole lot darker than that album but the traditional Ministry sound is still underdeveloped. The vocals on 'Over The Shoulder' are hilarious too. My top 3 from Twitch - 1. Just Like You 2. The Angel 3. We Believe | | 9 |  | Ministry
The Last Sucker
Compared to 'Relapse', this is a whole lot better, but that's not to say that The Last Sucker is any masterpiece - for the most part, it sucks (no pun). It may have a lot more variety than 'Relapse' and some songs (especially the ferocious opener, 'Let's Go') at least pack some kind of punch, but compared to Ministry at their best, this album simply pales. The worst of the 'Bush Trilogy'. My top 3 from The Last Sucker - 1. Let's Go 2. End Of Days (part one) 3. The Dick Song | | 8 |  | Ministry
Houses Of The Mole
At the time, I imagine this album would have sounded like the band revitalised with an unrelentingly aggressive, thrash orientated approach and a direct political focus. But in retrospect, this album was the start of Ministry's decline of inventiveness and innovation (largely due to Paul Barker's departure). Houses Of The Mole is a consistent metal album and nothing more. My top 3 from Houses Of The Mole - 1. World 2. Psalm 23 3. Wrong | | 7 |  | Ministry
The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste
Now, this is probably a controversial positioning but TMIATTTT just seems like a filtered and less interesting version of 'The Land Of Rape And Honey'. I do appreciate the album as it continued the ongoing development of Ministry and increased the guitar parts, but aside from 'Thieves', this album has never stood out to me. I guess you may have had to hear this back in '89 for the full force of it. My top 3 from The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste ' 1. Thieves 2. Burning Inside 3. So What | | 6 |  | Ministry
Rio Grande Blood
I understand the travesty of ranking a part of the 'Bush Trilogy' higher than 'TMIATTTT' but this is most definitely the high point of those three albums. I rank this higher simply because have listened to it more and because I think that 'Khyber Pass' is genuinely phenomenal (until the vocals kick in). Rio Grande Blood is Ministry's last half-decent album, albeit being a continuation of their generic thrash formula. My top 3 from Rio Grande Blood - 1, Khyber Pass 2. Lieslieslies 3. Gangreen | | 5 |  | Ministry
The Land Of Rape And Honey
Now this is where the band became a force to be reckoned with because of two major factors - Paul Barker becoming a band member and because Al picked up a guitar. Though I believe it now sounds a little dated, you can't deny the trippy, dystopian atmosphere it still conjures up and the over-excessive sampling is actually pretty effective. The Land Of Rape And Honey is most definitely one of the most influential metal albums of all time. My top 3 from The Land Of Rape And Honey - 1. You Know What You Are 2. Deity 3. Stigmata | | 4 |  | Ministry
Animositisomina
For this 2003 release, Ministry decided to go for a more streamlined, metallic approach that abandoned most of the bands experimentation. Strangely, it paid off and proved that the band were still effective when they pulled out the stops. Arguably, Animositisomina signalled what was to come with the later pure thrash releases, but this is the band doing straight-up metal properly. Most definitely Ministry's last essential release so it's unsurprising that it was the last album featuring Paul Barker. Pummelling, relentless and awesome. My top 3 from Animositisomina - 1. Shove 2. Broken 3. Unsung | | 3 |  | Ministry
Psalm 69
Another eyebrow raising ranking! Everyone would expect this to be #1, but truth be told, it isn't the be all and end all of Ministry. I think the album itself is patchy but the strength of the singles, 'Scare Crow' and the title track still make this an incendiary mix of phenomenal tracks. This is the audio equivalent of napalm. My top 3 from Psalm 69 - 1. Jesus Built My Hot Rod 2. Just One Fix 3. Psalm 69 | | 2 |  | Ministry
Dark Side Of The Spoon
After my first listen, only 'Bad Blood' stood out. On the second listen, everything stood out. This is often dismissed as a self-parodying low point of the bands career but this is truly a gem in Ministry's heterogeneous discography and further proof that Barker was a vital part of the band. Fusing crumbling, greasy soundscapes with saxophones, sinister synths and other esoteric sounds, Dark Side Of The Spoon is Ministry's most innovative album and remains criminally overlooked. My top 3 from Dark Side Of The Spoon - 1. Bad Blood 2. Vex & Siolence 3. Nursing Home | | 1 |  | Ministry
Filth Pig
I probably lost all credibility long ago but Filth Pig is definitely my favourite Ministry album. To this day, it still doesn't sit right with fans of the band because it's the polar opposite of 'Psalm 69'; it's a hell of a lot slower. Through the dragging riffs, rumbling doom and sludge though, is an absolute masterpiece. The menacing title track, the mellow industrial reworking of 'Lay Lady Lay' and the psychedelic doom monolith, 'The Fall' are all simply incredible. Filth Pig gets my number one spot as it introduced me to REALLY heavy music and it sits well within my top 5 albums of all time. My top 3 from Filth Pig - 1. Lay Lady Lay 2. The Fall 3. Filth Pig | |
YUJOS
03.25.13 | Props for number one! | omnipanzer
03.25.13 | 1 cannot be 1... if that were the case the universe would implode. | demigod!
03.25.13 | I've been meaning to check out Ministry for a while, where should I start? | omnipanzer
03.25.13 | 7
5
3
1
10
don't care about the rest. | omnipanzer
03.25.13 | Demigod
3, 5, or 7 imho. | YankeeDudel
03.25.13 | just listen to 3 5 and 7 demi.
edit omni ya | demigod!
03.25.13 | I'll start with 3, i've heard a fair amount of buzz about it from friends and such. thanks | omnipanzer
03.25.13 | I'f you like those Demi check out "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up" the live album.
Better if you can find the video, used to have it on VHS. ;-P | Liam8VIII
03.25.13 | glad some people agree with my #1 choice! Yeah, 3 is probably the best way to start but don't go expecting FP and DSOTP to be anything similar. Those two albums should be the first two or last two albums you should check out because they are polarizing | frankblack
04.18.18 | So true about Filth Pig being a fantastic, underrated album. It needed some time and separation from Psalm 69. But I'm having a great time diving back into the album 20 years later. Filth Pig is a classic. | DoofusWainwright
04.18.18 | Filth Pig has flipped right back around to overrated.
Anyone who rates ‘Terrible Thing’ 7th deserves a painful death tbh |
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