MINISTRY — From Beer to Eternity (review)

MINISTRY — From Beer to Eternity album cover Album · 2013 · Industrial Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"From Beer to Eternity" is the 13th full-length studio album featuring original material by US industrial metal act Ministry. The album was released through 13th Planet Records in September 2013. The rough tracks for the 11 track, 54:43 minutes long album and 7 additional tracks were recorded by the band in December 2012 at Al Jourgensen´s 13th Planet Records compound in El Paso, Texas. Only a few days after the band finished recording the tracks, guitarist Mike Scaccia died on stage of a heart attack, while playing with his other band Rigor Mortis. Scaccia had been a part of the Ministry lineup for the period 1989 - 1996 and again from 2003 until his death, and his influence on the band´s sound should not be underestimated. The loss of his friend and bandmate has resulted in Al Jourgensen stating that "From Beer to Eternity" will be the final Ministry album. He said the same about "The Last Sucker (2007)" but reformed the band again in 2011. From the comments he has made in various interviews and statements, he appears truly devastated about the death of Mike Scaccia though and another reformation is probably unlikely to happen.

If "From Beer to Eternity" is indeed the final Ministry, they fortunately go out with a bang. A harsh, varied and adventurous release, which features Ministry´s trademark industrial metal sound but also features a couple of surprises like "Hail to His Majesty", "Lesson Unlearned" and "Thanx But No Thanx". Especially the latter which opens with 3 minutes of Sgt. Major (who was also featured on "Rio Grande Blood (2006)") reciting the William S. Burroughs poem "A Thanksgiving Prayer", is a very unique sounding Ministry track. And a great one too. The chaotic sampled hell of "Side FX Include Mikey's Middle Finger (T.V.4)" deserves a mention too and also the fast and pounding "Punch in the Face".

The material is well written and varied throughout though and as "From Beer to Eternity" also features a professional, detailed and powerful sound production, this is all in all a very strong release. The thrashy repetitive guitar riffs, the pounding programmed drums, the distorted vocals (and occasional clean ones) and all the atmospheric voice and sound samples together make up a distinct sound that only Ministry can create. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.
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