Ministry - AmeriKKKant

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In the last years of the 80s, a new Metal genre arose from the depths of the underground, shocking all Metal fans back then: the infamous Industrial Metal.

Today, it’s a commercial genre due bands as German RAMNSTEIN, who drove the genre into a more accessible format. But when some bands released albums on the end of the 80s or in the beginning of the 90s, Industrial Metal was the nightmare of the conformists, because it was more violent and aggressive than SLAYER, and politically incorrect in a form that would make the skin of many crawls. The name of MINISTRY caused despair to many due its anarchist speech aligned with a virulent and destructive form of music. When Al Jourgensen becomes angry with matters as the disrespect for human rights, the politicians greed for power and money that is satisfied with innocent’s blood; the lack or morals, ethics and responsibility of the govern leaders with the people, and especially about the warmongers of White House. Yes, he is truly mad again, and besides he was about to retire, he’s refueled with rage, and unleashed “AmeriKKKant”, the new MINISTRY’s work.

The same fury of the past is dripping from all the songs, keeping the acid speech and irony that Al uses. But musically, “AmeriKKKant”is preserving all MINISTRY’s Industrial bitter elements, but with the experimental heavy musical weight of all his works. It’s filled with those Groove/Thrash Metal influences, oppressive with its samples parts, and keeping the aggressive impact we all know. MINISTRY is back, with its loaded weapons aiming for conservative and alienated!

The production of “AmeriKKKant” is excellent, because to mix all the band’s musical arrangements and influences is a hard work for anyone. But everything if evident as it must be, with the right balance between a heavy and aggressive outfit, an abrasive and modern weight with an amazing sound clarity. All worked fine on this part of the work. The irony of the cover, with the Statue of Liberty on a facepalm pose is describing the actual situation of the USA government (if you pay attention on the album’s name, the KKK can be used to describe the racist view of Klu Klux Klan organization against those that are different from the W.A.S.P. paradigm, and can be a reference to the popular laugh used on internet as well).

When dealing with this band, you must have in mind that “apocalypse” is a word than can easily be used to describe this mad and chaotic form of music. Nothing’s too easy for many to understand, but always excellent. The hypnotic chaos heard on “Twilight Zone”, the abrasive Groove influences of the bitter “Victims of a Clown”, the violent impact of the Industrial/Thrash Metal hooking orientation of “We’re Tired of It” (great vocals and guitars, with the trademark sample parts of the band), the brutal and charming seductive melodies of “Wargasm”, the outrageous and aggressive impact of “Antifa”, and the Parnassian nails used on the conformism called “Game Over” and “AmeriKKKa”. By the way: Burton C. Bell (vocalist of FEAR FACTORY) and the North American rapper Arabian Prince made some vocals as guests on the album.

So we can say that MINISTRY is back, for the despair of all those who believes on conservative means against the poor. By the way: Al is not left or right. He is the embodiment of political chaos, anarchy on its true form, so don’t deal with him or his music in a political form, because he’s not a pet, but a man with strong ideas. Listen to “AmeriKKKa” as many times you need, because it’s an addiction!

Originality: 10
Songwriting: 10
Memorability: 9
Production: 10