Al Jourgensen – SIDE-LINE

Ministry releases new track and video for ‘Just Stop Oil’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 18:30:53 +0000

(Photo by Derick Smith) Al Jourgensen’s latest single against the system, “Just Stop Oil”, handles the themes of what he says “corporate greed. sharky politicians. climate out-of-control and questionable government interests.” The brand-new Ministry track – from their upcoming 16th studio album “Hopiumforthemasses” – is shared today alongside a video “that begs for action for the benefit of our collective future.”

“Hopiumforthemasses” will be out March 1, 2024 on Nuclear Blast Records. The album will be available in three vinyl variants, a CD jewelcase and digital/streaming platforms. The vinyl variants include: green with yellow splatter (in stores everywhere); blue with pink splatter (nuclear blast exclusive); red with white splatter (band/tour exclusive).

Below is the video for “Just Stop Oil”.

“Just Stop Oil” follows the release of earlier single “Goddamn White Trash”.

Ministry will play the new songs live on a Spring 2024 tour, kicking off February 27, supported by Gary Numan and Front Line Assembly.

February 2024

27 San Francisco, CA – The Warfield
29 Eugene, OR – McDonald Theatre

March 2024

1 Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
2 Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
3 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
5 Calgary, AB – Palace Theatre
6 Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
8 Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
9 Minneapolis, MN – The Fillmore
10 Madison, WI – The Sylvee
12 Columbus, OH – Kemba Live
13 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theater
14 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
16 Toronto, ON – History
17 Montreal, QC – MTelus
18 Boston, MA – Roadrunner
19 New York, NY – Terminal 5
20 Bethlehem, PA – Wind Creek Casino
22 Cherokee, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee
23 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
24 Tampa, FL – Jannus Landing
26 Birmingham, AL – Avondale
27 Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Casino Biloxi***
29 Houston, TX – House of Blues
30 Dallas, TX – The Factory
31 Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater

April 2024

2 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
4 Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
5 Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre

***Front Line Assembly is not appearing

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, and Ministry join forces to form new supergroup, Steel Harmony – debut single ‘Metal Lullabies’ out now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:51:53 +0000

Editor’s note: We are sorry.

We have just received confirmation that Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, and Ministry have joined forces to form a new supergroup, Steel Harmony. The band’s debut single, “Metal Lullabies”, is an unexpected blend of soothing melodies and lullaby-like tunes with a subtle industrial edge. Out now, this rather groundbreaking track is sure to catch fans off guard and redefine the genre.

“Metal Lullabies” features a fusion of genres that’s never been heard before. The track begins with delicate, ethereal synth pads, gently luring listeners in, while Trent Reznor’s whisper-like vocals set a calming tone. As the song progresses, Rammstein’s signature guttural guitars subtly sneak in, adding a layer of depth and complexity. Al Jourgensen’s experimental electronic beats provide a hypnotic pulse, seamlessly merging the industrial elements with soothing lullaby melodies. The chorus sees a surprising shift, as a children’s choir joins in, singing angelic harmonies that contrast with the gritty soundscapes created by the industrial legends.

If you don’t hear the tune, then you probably didn’t use the Infoport audio devices.

“Metal Lullabies” is a bold and unexpected statement, capturing the essence of an industrial surprise that fans will never forget. You can view the video for the single below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Ministry announces final (streaming) show of the year with full band

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 17:46:50 +0000

(Black and white photo by Derick Smith) Ministry has a livestream concert set for November 20 at 3 PM PT/5 PM CT/6 PM ET/10 PM GMT. Tickets have gone on sale now at HITKOR.com (to both stream live and watch on demand). The special streaming event will be available in more than 30 countries and was planned with European Ministry fans in mind after the band had to cancel a multi-country tour this fall due to unforeseen circumstances.

Ministry’s Al Jourgensen says: “We never intended for Cleveland with NIN to be our last show this year. Due to circumstances beyond our control we had to cancel Europe but we didn’t want to end 2022 without one last show, and this will be one for the books.”

The live set will feature the full band and possible special guests. In addition to creator and founder Al Jourgensen, Ministry’s full band will appear in the livestream show, including drummer Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour, Soulfly, Nausea), guitarists Cesar Soto (Man The Mute) and Monte Pittman (Madonna, Prong), bassist Paul D’Amour (Tool, Feersum Ennjin), and keyboardist John Bechdel (Killing Joke, Fear Factory).

The show will also feature new tracks from the latest album, “Moral Hygiene”, out now on Nuclear Blast Records.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Ministry launches video featuring Jello Biafra: ‘Sabotage Is Sex’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 11:09:47 +0000

Out now is a video for the Ministry track “Sabotage Is Sex” taken from Ministry’s 15th studio album “Moral Hygiene” (Nuclear Blast Records). Featured on the track is Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys). The two kickstarted their side project Lard in the late ‘80s, a fusion of industrial and punk, and this latest collaboration “may be a hint of things yet to come” so Al Jourgensen says.

The video features both musicians, surprising as this is the first time Biafra has ever appeared in a music video. “Jello and I have been friends and music collaborators for decades. I had no idea he’d never done a video before and I’m honored to pop that creative cherry for him on ‘Sabotage Is Sex.’ It’s crazy how tech savvy we’ve all gotten yet somehow it all seems very punk rock to shoot a video at home with just an iPhone. Who knows, maybe one day there will be a Lard video?”

Created by director Joel Smith of Mad Minute Productions, the black-and-white video focuses on the corruption of the powers that be, racial injustice and the infringement on the rights of Americans.

You can see the video for “Sabotage Is Sex” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Al Jourgensen discusses inspiration for ‘Search And Destroy’ cover in new video interview

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 08:29:17 +0000

(Photo by Derick Smith) Ministry has released the music video for the new track “Search And Destroy” from the upcoming Ministry album “Moral Hygiene”, out October 1 via Nuclear Blast Records. The inspiration for the song, a take on The Stooges’ hit, is explained by Jourgensen in a new video featuring Billy Morrison (Billy Idol, Royal Machines) who worked on the cover.

Hear Al Jourgensen discuss “Search And Destroy” in detail in the new interview video right below. And you can see the music video for “Search And Destroy” (directed by Dean Karr) right after this.

“Moral Hygiene” was recorded with engineer Michael Rozon (also behind the boards on AmeriKKKant) at Scheisse Dog Studio, Jourgensen’s self-built home studio and creative lab. As with all Ministry albums, all songs are written and performed by Al Jourgensen. Additional contributions come from Billy Morrison (Billy Idol, Royal Machines), Cesar Soto (Man The Mute), John Bechdel (Killing Joke, Fear Factory), Roy Mayorga (Stonesour, Soulfly, Nausea), Paul D’Amour (Tool, Feersum Ennjin), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and sitar player Flash.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

William S. Burroughs & Brion Gysin see 1982 live readings and more released on vinyl

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:09:19 +0000

Here’s something for the readers amongst you. “William S. Burroughs & Brion Gysin” is brand new vinyl release on Cold Spring Records holding rare recordings of beat/cut-up writers and artists William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin. The release comprises the complete recording of Burroughs reading live in Liverpool in 1982, plus performances by Gysin of a selection of his poems, as well as home recordings made by the pair in Paris in 1970.

All recordings present on this release are taken from original tapes in the British Library collection. The release is officially licensed from the British Library, The Estate of William S Burroughs, and The Estate of Brion Gysin.

About William S. Burroughs

William Seward Burroughs II as he was really named, (1914 – 1997) was an American writer and visual artist, credited as a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature. Burroughs wrote eighteen novels and novellas, six collections of short stories and four collections of essays. A further five books have been published of his interviews and correspondences.

He also collaborated on projects and recordings with numerous performers and musicians and made many appearances in films. He was also briefly known by the pen name William Lee. Burroughs created and exhibited thousands of paintings and other visual artworks, including his celebrated ‘Shotgun Art’. Burroughs’ last filmed performance was in the music video for “Last Night on Earth” by U2, filmed in Kansas City, Missouri, directed by Richie Smyth and also featuring Sophie Dahl.

Despite being a fan of a right-wing columnist, many in his entourage such as Genesis P-Orridge and Al Jourgensen are notable for far-left, anti-capitalist, and anti-fascist politics. He was also a fan of the left-wing Dadaist movement. His overall views can generally be seen as anti-establishment, anti-conditioning, and anti-control.

For the rest Burroughs led a turbulent life to say the least…

About Brion Gysin

Brion Gysin (1916 – 1986) was a painter, writer, sound poet, performance artist and inventor of experimental devices born in Taplow, Buckinghamshire.

He is best known for his use of the cut-up technique, alongside his close friend, the novelist William S. Burroughs. With the engineer Ian Sommerville he also invented the Dreamachine, a flicker device designed as an art object to be viewed with the eyes closed. It was in painting and drawing, however, that Gysin devoted his greatest efforts, creating calligraphic works inspired by cursive Japanese “grass” script and Arabic script.

Burroughs later stated that “Brion Gysin was the only man I ever respected.”

Also Gysin had a life full of experiences including being expelled from the Surrealist Group by André Breton.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Ministry releases Unity Mix of ‘Good Trouble’ to honor John Lewis

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 11:39:21 +0000

Congressman John Lewis’ death on July 17, 2020 had a profound impact on Ministry’s Al Jourgensen and inspired the new song “Good Trouble”. In honor of one year since his passing, Ministry has released the new “Unity Mix” of the song that features N.W.A.’s Arabian Prince and guitarist Cesar Soto.

You can check out the track below.

John Robert Lewis was an American statesman and civil rights activist and was also the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966. Lewis was one of the “Big Six” leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington to end legalized racial segregation in the United States.

Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 and served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Due to his length of service, he became the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation.

On July 17, 2020, Lewis died at the age of 80. Then President Donald Trump ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff in response to Lewis’s death.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Helmet and Front Line Assembley join Ministry during the Industrial Strength tour

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 15:14:23 +0000

(Photo by Derick Smith) Ministry is going on a 23-date strong US tour starting from October 3 and this to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ministry and the 30th anniversary of “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste” He will be joined by special guests Helmet and Front Line Assembly.

In addition to Ministry creator and frontman Al Jourgensen (vocals, guitar), the band will include Roy Mayorga (drums), Paul D’Amour (bass), Cesar Soto (guitar), Monte Pittman (guitar) and John Bechdel (keyboards).

The Industrial Strength Tour kicks off October 3, 2021 in Albuquerque and will run through November 3, 2021 in Seattle. with many dates quickly selling out. Show dates will also include brand-new material from Ministry’s upcoming 15th studio album, with news to be announced soon about its release.

Tourdates

*** indicates a date where Helmet will not be appearing

October 2021

3 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
4 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre SOLD OUT
6 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue SOLD OUT
8 Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo Riverworks
9 Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
10 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre SOLD OUT
11 Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
14 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
15 Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
16 Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
17 Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
19 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
20 Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
21 Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
23 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!***
24 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
25 San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theater
28 Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
29 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues SOLD OUT
30 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues SOLD OUT
31 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre

November 2021

2 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater SOLD OUT
3 Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo SOLD OUT

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Stabbing Westward drops covers EP “Hallowed Hymns” with covers of The Cure, Ministry and Echo & The Bunnymen

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:00:38 +0000

Stabbing Westward has released the covers EP “Hallowed Hymns” with covers of The Cure, Ministry and Echo & The Bunnymen.

“Hallowed Hymns”, released on COP International Records, features 4 tracks that were instrumental to the industrial band’s beginnings. It includes original takes on “Burn” from The Cure (famously featured on the soundtrack to “The Crow”), the classic “(Every Day Is) Halloween” by Ministry and Echo And The Bunnymen’s hit “The Killing Moon”.

There is also a special “Devil’s Night Mix” version of Stabbing Westward’s “Burn” cover to round out this surprise release.

Hallowed Hymns by Stabbing Westward

The Stabbing Westward line-up for this release includes original founding members Christopher Hall (vocals/guitar) and Walter Flakus (keyboards/programming) as well as longtime bandmate Carlton Bost (bass) and newest member Bobby Amaro (drums). They originally released their cover of “Burn” for the Cold Waves Festival compilation album in September.

Says frontman Christopher Hall about this special surprise release: “2020 has been a shit year. We were supposed to release our new album and tour the U.S. to support it. But clearly that’s not happening. We know Halloween is different this year with no parties and no Trick or Treating so we wanted to give fans something special …. something that will help tie you over until we can release some new music.

We picked these three tracks because, for us, they represent the feeling of Halloween and they were very important songs during our early musical stages. If there were ever two bands that I would say most influenced Walter and I to form Stabbing Westward it would be Ministry and The Cure. From the earliest days of Ministry’s With Sympathy through the evolution of Twitch, they were the band that opened our minds and hearts to industrial music. To be able to reimagine these songs as Stabbing Westward while still trying to pay homage to the brilliance of the original versions was a terrifyingly fun adventure.

We have been working on the album so hard for so long that it was really a joy to take a break and explore all these tracks had to offer. As often as you listen to your favorite songs it’s a totally different experience to take one apart and see how it was built. It gave me such an immense appreciation for what these amazing artists created—especially the Ministry track knowing how primitive the gear was that Al Jourgensen had to work with back then with none of the modern tools we take for granted today. He literally created new techniques in the studio that we still use today. He was light years ahead of his time. We hope you enjoy listening to these tracks as much as we have enjoyed recording them.”

Stabbing Westward recently reunited for the first time in decades, releasing the “Dead And Gone” EP with new material in January 2020 and announcing a new record deal with indie label COP International to release the band’s upcoming fifth studio album “Wasteland” — their first new LP in 20 years — set for 2021.

To recapture the early chemistry, the band has again recruited their original producer, John Fryer, for the upcoming “Wasteland” release.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Static-X release official music video for ‘Dead Souls’ feat. Ministry’s Al Jorgensen and late Wayne Static on vocals

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:30:56 +0000

Static-X have released a new music video for the song “Dead Souls” taken from their 7th studio album, “Project Regeneration Volume 1”, out now. The video was directed by Wombatfire and the song features guest vocals from Ministry’s Al Jorgensen but also the late Wayne Static. You can watch the video below.

Tony Campos: “This song has become one of my favorite tracks on the record. We had no intention on doing a video for it initially, but it came out so good, we had to do it. I’m so grateful to Al Jourgensen for singing on the track with Wayne. Ministry was a big influence on us, and I know Wayne would’ve been just as stoked as I am to have Al sing on one of our records. I think the video fits the song really well. It’s dark, creepy, with just a touch of humor.”

Static died in his sleep on November 1, 2014 in Landers, California, three days before his 49th birthday. An autopsy later confirmed that Static had died of multiple prescription drug toxicity, consisting of the painkillers oxycodone, hydromorphone, and the anti-anxiety medication alprazolam combined with alcohol, though the report also noted that years of past “chronic prescription drug and alcohol abuse” was a contributing factor.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

‘Click Interview’ with Die Krupps: ‘We Never Played By The Rules Of The Industry’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:00:01 +0000

Die Krupps is considered as one of the Godfathers of EBM. The German band from Düsseldorf (Germany) was set up in 1980 and experimented with much more styles than only EBM. Fourty years after their set up the band is still active and are actually promoting their newest album “Vision 2020 Vision” released by the end of 2019 on SPV GmbH / Oblivion & Metropolis Records. The album is driven by a furious mix of industrial/metal guitar play and EBM. Front man Jürgen Engler kindly accepted to answer a few questions about this new opus.

(Picture credits: Franz Schepers / Interview courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Die Krupps this year celebrates its 40th anniversary! What does it evoke to you and how much of the early Die Krupps and the ‘younger’ Jürgen Engler do you recognize in the new album “Vision 2020 Vision”?

Jürgen: The band went through many different phases, the noise-industrial phase of the early year, the pre-EBM electro style, the industrial-metal phase and so on. This new album picks up where we left it off in the 90s, but obviously with a modern twist and production. The songs still have the same spirit musically like “To The Hilt” and also lyrically, like “Fatherland”, the lyrics being political for most part of the album and verbalizing what is going on in these extremely troubling times.

So back to your question, I would say a lot of the original motivation is still intact, we still have something to say and you better count on Die Krupps, there’s no end in sight!

Q: Let’s talk about “Vision 2020 Vision”, which has been introduced as a dystopian vision of the world we’re living in. I get the feeling it’s not a dystopian-, but a rather realistic vision and maybe the most ‘engaged’ and ‘political’ album to date! Tell us a bit more about the content and the sources of inspiration?

Jürgen: I absolutely agree, it is not a dystopian vision, but rather it has become reality. We are moving towards exactly what the album lyrics prophetically suggested may happen. In my house the news are on from the second I get up to the moment I go to sleep. I have almost no doors in my house, so even when I’m working in the studio I can hear the TV somewhere in the background, so all the information that I absorb during the day or night will find its way into my lyrics and music. That is a very important part of my work and I could not have done the album without. This may very well be the most engaged and political album to date, but it’s no wonder given the political nightmares we are facing on a daily basis. Never did we have a more erratic madman controlling the button of the nuclear arsenal. It’s beyond crazy!

Q: The Trump administration is clearly not getting your support! But how do we have to understand Trump will probably reelected? What does it mean to you dealing with this theme and how do you transpose it into the song writing?

Jürgen: The problem lies in the American system, a so-called democracy which is not, where the power of the people doesn’t matter, and the popular vote doesn’t matter. What kind of democracy makes it possible for a non-politician with nothing, but money to run the world’s greatest country? A country that doesn’t know the difference between socialism and communism, where the pure thought of socialism scares 2/3 of the population away from the voting booth. This is not a democracy, the voting system is from the middle ages, and it’s run by a wanna be king! How fucked up is that?

Q: How did the composition of the album happened? Were there some basic ideas about ‘sound’ and ‘production’ properly speaking? Did you handle specific criteria and/or do you have explicit references to know a song/album is accomplished or not?

Jürgen: I wrote all my songs here in my studio in Austin (USA), Marcel and Nils contributed some songs or ideas, and Ralf and I shared the lyric writing. We didn’t meet until all songs were written, all basics recorded and when it was time to do the final recordings, vocals and guitars, and mixing the album, which was done in Hamburg Germany in our new drummer’s, Paul Keller’s, studio, who also engineered the mixes. The idea behind this production was to have an album that is like a snapshot of what the band is about at this very moment. The production did not last for two years or more, but rather three months max, so it really sums up best what Die Krupps 2020 is all about.

Q: You last year started with the “Vision 2020 Vision”-tour, which unfortunately was interrupted due to Marcel’s injury. How do you look back on the tour so far? And can you tell us a bit more about the preparation process of such a tour?

Jürgen: The European tour for the album was one of the best that I can remember. The audience response was amazing and in parts better than any other shows we’ve played in the past! We have a very loyal following and it’s amazing to see how younger generations and older generations, long-haired and shorthaired of both sexes and in-between, all come out to see us play. The audience ranges from the 20s to the 50s, and the shows usually end up with people dancing from the front to the very last row, and occasionally with 50 or more people dancing on stage, as happened in Budapest on the last day of the tour! It’s been a blast, and I cannot wait to play here in the U.S. later this year!

Q: I’ve always experienced Die Krupps as a band without real compromises and especially when it comes to ‘sound’ although you set up Die Robo Sapiens, which is pure electronic and should I dare to say ‘getting back to the EBM roots of Die Krupps ’? Can we expect new work from this side-project and do you’ve other projects/releases in the pipeline?

Jürgen: That is also true, I hate to compromise, we never played by the rules of the industry, we always did what we thought was right and best. A new EP will soon be released for the Robo Sapiens project. I’m still working on the rest of the tracks for the album, which should also see the light of day hopefully in late spring or summer. I’m also still playing and recording with my first band, which was Germany’s first Punk band from 1976, and we are still doing shows in May. Other projects are all Cleopatra Records related, because that is my main job! I’m one of their in-house producers and have been for over 10 years now, and a lot of their releases have my touch. It’s very diverse and interesting, and definitely my dream job! Who gets to work with William Shatner, David Hasselhoff, Al Jourgensen, Iggy Pop, Nik Turner and hundreds more? I can’t complain (lol).

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: The Story Of Wax Trax! Records (DVD – Wax Trax! Records)

Filip Wildhoney — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 07:43:23 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock, EBM

Background/Info: The famous Wax Trax! Records label was originally much into new wave and punk music and was founded by Jim Nash and his partner Dannie Flesher in Denver in 1975. In 1978 the independent label moved to Chicago and became the most important record label and store/boutique for industrial music in the US that served as the headquarters of underground electronic and industrial bands in the eighties and nineties. The strong brand Wax Trax! offered record deals to the artists they liked (as fans) and also licensed European artists in America. The very impressive Wax Trax! catalogue featured well-known bands like Ministry, Front 242, Revolting Cocks, KMFDM, Front Line Assembly, Coil, Chris & Cosey and more!

Content: Industrial Accident has contributions of Al Jourgensen (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Paul Barker (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Chris Connelly (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Luc Van Acker (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Richard23 (Front 242/Revolting Cocks), Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly), Groovie Mann (Thrill Kill Kult), David J. Haskins (Bauhaus), Sascha Konietzko (KMFDM), En Esch (KMFDM), Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Steve Albini (Big Black), Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle), Ian MacKaye (Minor Threat, Fugazi) and more. It explains the rise and fall of an important musical movement as well as the details and artifacts of this entire Wax Trax! Records history that was nearly lost forever.

A lot of hilarious anecdotes are explained by the contributing artists which makes it fun to watch! Al Jourgensen: “I played in Divine’s band by the way, playing guitar for Divine was … bizarre!”. Luc Van Acker, when speaking about Laibach: “How provocative can you be? It takes intelligent people to understand that! Wax Trax! created a space where we could do whatever we wanted!”. Unfortunately the label without business model (operating on trust, without contracts with their artists) declared bankruptcy in 1992 and Jim and Danny sold it to TVT Records. Jim Nash passed away on October 10, 1995 and Dannie Flesher deceased on January 10th, 2010.

+ + + : This 94 minutes (+ 75 extra minutes bonus material) documentary was directed by Julia Nash (daughter of Jim Nash) and won awards on the Santa Cruz Film Festival and Chicago Underground Film Festival. It is also available on Blu-Ray and as download on AppleTV, Amazon Prime and Google Play/YouTube Streaming.

– – – : Just one minor point: to make the circle complete, maybe an interview with some licensed European bands that were released by Wax Trax! (The Neon Judgement, The Young Gods, A Split Second, Laibach and more) would have been interesting, to hear their point of view.

Conclusion: Although it’s a huge story to tell the complete Wax Trax! history, this documentary gives a pretty good overview of what happened in the old days. Jim and Dannie “accidentally” built up the industrial scene in the US due to their passion and love for this music and bands and will never be forgotten!

Label: www.waxtraxchicago.com / www.facebook.com/WaxTraxRecords.Chicago/

Ministry – Prescripture: The Visual History (Book – Melodic Virtue)

Filip Wildhoney — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 21:22:17 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock

Background/Info: Al Jourgensen is the charismatic pioneer, musical genius, innovator and iconic founder of the industrial-metal genre (the fusion of repeating metal guitar riffs, samples, keyboards and distorted vocals on a danceable beat). This fully authorized visual history with 248 pages of rare and unseen photos, artwork, and other stuff that spans Ministry’s entire career, shows how the band (that everyone wanted to sound like) evolved from ’80s synth-pop, over EBM/industrial to trash-metal. Ministry has been nominated six times for a Grammy award and is definitely a band you must have seen live at least once in your life!

Content: The four-pages introduction is done by Al’s good old friend Jello Biafra, explaining some hilarious anecdotes. Then this limited 9″ x 9″ casebound book is divided into six chronological chapters starting from the early Wax Trax! era (1981) until the latest release “AmeriKKKant”. We get to see lots of nice rare (promo and live) pictures, cut-outs, artwork, flyers and posters. On almost every page there are interesting quotes or anecdotes from befriended artists like Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails), Moby, Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Gary Numan, Perry Ferrell (Jane’s Addiction), Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Phildo Owen (Skatenigs), Jeordie White (Marilyn Manson), Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubauten), David J (Bauhaus), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Paul D’Amour (Tool), Page Hamilton (Helmet), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Franz Treichler (The Young Gods), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers), Sean Yseult (White Zombie), Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Till Lindemann (Rammstein), Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks) and many more. Just like the music of Ministry changed from soft to very hard, it is clearly shown how Al’s style has changed all over the years ending up with dreadlocks, tattoos and piercings. The author of the book is Aaron Tanner (who also created a visual history for Pixies) and features artwork from Brian Shanley and Paul Elledge.

+ + + : We get an exclusive look at Uncle Al’s personal collection of behind-the-scenes pictures together with contributions from band members past and present.

– – – : Although many well-known artists are featured in this book, some (expected ones) are missing …

Conclusion: There’s only one thing we can conclude: Ministry has had a huge influence on many artists and Al is still going strong after all these years! This book is definitely a must have for the fans!

Artist: www.ministryband.com / www.facebook.com/WeAreMinistry
Label: www.melodicvirtue.com / www.facebook.com/melodicvirtue

Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel Story (DVD – Furnace Records)

Filip Wildhoney — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 21:06:05 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, industrial-rock

Background/Info: John Bechdel is an American keyboard-player, known for his work with the industrial-metal acts Ministry, Prong, Fear Factory, Killing Joke, Murder Inc, Ascension Of The Watchers and False Icons.

Content: A bit later than expected (but better late than never) we finally present this review. Director/producer Darryl Hell was so kind to send us 3 dvd’s with not only the 2 hours documentary but also 4 hours (!) of extra interviews (including a 50 minutes talk with Al Jourgensen of Ministry), raw footage and pictures. “Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” features more exclusive interviews with Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), Alison Bechdel (FUN HOME / award winning writer), Greta Brinkman (L7, Pigface, Debbie Harry, Moby), Charlie Clouser (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), Martin Atkins (Public Image Limited, Killing Joke), Sean Roberts (Wax Trax! / TVT Records) and others. There’s also a lot of backstage footage in the venue (The Fillmore, Washington DC) and on the tourbus, meet & greets with fans, interviews with John in his home studio and we also get to see the other Ministry members Sin Quirin, AAron Rossi, Tony Campos and Cesar Soto. Everyone knows John in their own special way, some for more than 30 years! Those connections are explained clearly without any scrupules.

+ + + : The Director’s Cut features 3 dvd’s and contains a lot of extra footage to watch. Going behind the scenes is always fun and shows another side of the artist. The documentary is also available as digital download (video on demand) on Vimeo.

– – – : Just because of the overload of footage it takes a lot of time to watch all the stuff so one might lose the track a bit.

Conclusion: This documentary shows a clear image of John Bechdel as artist but also as a father, family-man and friend. It is definitely not the usual tour-story that you expect!

Label: www.s6k.com

Ministry releases ‘Prescripture: The Visual History’ book

Filip Wildhoney — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:33:33 +0000

Today the American industrial-metal pioneers Ministry released their authorized 248 pages book ‘Ministry – Prescripture: The Visual History’ via Melodic Virtue. It is a collection of rare and unseen photos from the very beginning in 1981 until today, behind the scene pictures of Al Jourgensen’s personal collection and stuff coming from past and present members of the band.

The author of the book is Aaron Tanner (who also created a visual history for Pixies) and features artwork from Brian Shanley and Paul Elledge. The book opens with an introduction by Jello Biafra. Many exclusive quotes are featured from members of Smashing Pumpkins, ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, NWA, Ramones, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Megadeth, AFI, Slayer, Jane’s Addiction, Rammstein, The Flaming Lips, Devo, Butthole Surfers, Static-X, Anthrax, White Zombie, Death Grips, Bauhaus, Killing Joke, High on Fire, GWAR, Einstürzende Neubauten, Revolting Cocks, and many more!

This exclusive book is limited to 2000 copies and also has a deluxe edition (500 copies only) including a t-shirt and vinyl single. Definitely a must have for the fans! You can order the book here.

‘The history of industrial music: The Chicago way’ documentary launches kickstarter for final phase of funding for 2020 release

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 13:11:30 +0000

A documentary film exploring the birth, rise, fall and moderate rebirth of American industrial music is nearing completion. This film explores the mid-to-late 1980’s birth of a form of aggressive dance music that incorporated: sampled noises, synthesizers, howling vocals and big dance beats.

Launched now is a Kickstarter for 60 days to deliver the final round of funding. The trailer for the film is available below.

What is the film about?

The film talks to the players who were then and there: Al Jourgensen (Ministry/RevCo), Joe Shanahan (Metro/Smart Bar), Jim Marcus (producer/Die Warzau), Marston Daley (aka Buzz McCoy of Thrill Kill Kult), Jason Novak (Acumen/Cold Waves Festival), Reid Hyams (Chicago Trax) and Martin Atkins (Pigface/Killing Joke) just to name a few.

The movie also talks with music historians, musicians who watched in awe from afar and others whose lives were forever-changed by the music, fashion, and way of life.

This movie has been a labor of love for director Chris Harris who started production almost 10 years ago: “This story is so fascinating, so original – the players such characters – the story had to be told.” To make the documentary Harris has assembled a team of production veterans who have worked on music docu-series and for networks such as HGTV, Discovery and more.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

“Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” documentary coming soon!

Filip Wildhoney — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 07:54:27 +0000

John Bechdel is known as “the invisible man on the keys” for many bands, mainly industrial-metal acts, like Ministry, Prong, Fear Factory, Killing Joke, Murder Inc, Ascension Of The Watchers and False Icons.

Framed as a “day-in-the-life” of 36-hours on tour in Ministry from the meet & greet before playing The Fillmore in D.C. to leaving New York City after playing Irving Plaza, this documentary is a thrill ride through the life of John, those in and connected to his life and career; the world travelers and those behind the scenes.

“Killing The Joke: The John Bechdel story” features also exclusive personal interviews with Al Jourgensen [Ministry, Revolting Cocks], Burton C. Bell [Fear Factory], Alison Bechdel [FUN HOME / award winning writer], Greta Brinkman [L7, Pigface, Debbie Harry, Moby], Charlie Clouser [Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson], Martin Atkins [Public Image Limited, Killing Joke], Sean Roberts [Wax Trax! / TVT Records] and others.

The dvd is directed and produced by Darryl Hell for s6k Media and Furnace Records and can be ordered here soon! The digital download will be available on May 19, 2018. A special issue 3-dvd set will be released on August 23, 2018 as well.

Ministry – AmeriKKKant (CD Album – Nuclear Blast Records)

Filip Wildhoney — Sat, 03 Mar 2018 21:24:54 +0000

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal

Background/Info: Studio album number 14 for the pioneer of industrial-metal mastermind Al Jourgensen, an artist who doesn’t need an introduction. The first album since long without any riffs from Mike Scaccia (RIP) on it.

Content: We are definitely not used to hear scratching (by DJ Swamp and Arabian Prince) and beautiful strings (by Lord Of The Cello) in a cinematic style on a Ministry album, which is the case for opener “I Know Words”, a sarcastic ode to President Donald Trump. Because of the length and the downtempo speed “Twilight Zone” (including Al on harmonica) should have been fitting well as one of the last tracks. It reminded me a bit on “Khyber Pass” from the “Rio Grande” album. It’s only at the outro of track 3, “Victims Of A Clown”, that Ministry finally pulls up the speed as we are used to hear from them on their last albums. “TV5/4Chan” is in the same style as “WTV” (from “Houses Of The Molé”), a mixture of guitar riffs and chaotic samples including shocking stuff like “… all you got to be is white in America and you get whatever you want!”. And then it’s finally time for some headbanging on the uptempo trash-metal of “We’re Tired Of It”, with Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory) on vocals followed by “Wargasm”, which reminded me vocally a bit of “Lay Lady Lay” (from “Filth Pig”). “Antifa” was the first released single and videoclip about the antifascist movement while “Game Over” is just like “Twilight Zone” a downtempo song with a repeating guitar-hook and middle-eastern style melody. On the last song “AmeriKKKa”, the singing style of Al reminded me a bit of Marilyn Manson.

+ + + : The violins on the first track accentuate in a nice way the sadness of the current (Trump-)era we’re living in. The sampling done by Al & Liz is amazing and the (additional) vocals of Burton C. Bell are definitely a positive thing!

– – – : Not much uptempo stuff this time and no less than 3 compelling songs are longer than 8 minutes which might be just a bit too long for some people.

Conclusion: This album is full of impressive sampling and is very well produced! Definitely an album you have to listen to more than once before you start to appreciate the songs, although not much new is presented. Respect for Al that he keeps protesting in his way against the current government.

Best songs: “We’re Tired Of It”, “Wargasm”, “Antifa”, “AmeriKKKa”.

Rate: (8) WH.

Band: www.ministryband.com / www.facebook.com/weareministry

Label: www.nuclearblast.de / www.facebook.com/nuclearblasteurope

New Ministry video and album details!

Filip Wildhoney — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:57:13 +0000

“AmeriKKKant”, industrial-metal pioneers Ministry’s 14th album, will be released on March 9, 2018 for the first time via Nuclear Blast Records. The album will include guest appearances from Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, former N.W.A. member Arabian Prince, DJ Swamp and Lord of the Cello. It contains 9 songs in total of which 3 of them are longer than 8 minutes!

The new album will also be released on vinyl and can be ordered here.
Special release-packages can be ordered here.

Today the video for the first single, “Antifa”, a protest song against the current political chaos in America, was released.

Tracklist

1. I Know Words
2. Twilight Zone
3. Victims of a Clown
4. TV5/4Chan
5. We’re Tired of It
6. Wargasm
7. Antifa
8. Game Over
9. AmeriKKKa

Tourdates

March 22 – Anaheim, Calif. @ House of Blues
March 23 – Ventura, Calif. @ Ventura Theatre
March 24 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Brooklyn Bowl
March 26 – Sacramento, Calif. @ Ace of Spades
March 28 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theatre
March 29 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Vogue Theatre
March 31 – Edmonton, Alberta @ Union Hall
April 01 – Calgary, Alberta @ Palace Theatre
April 03 – Missoula, Mont. @ Wilma Theatre
April 05 – Lincoln, Nebr. @ Boubon Theatre
April 07 – Chicago, Ill. @ Riviera Theatre
April 08 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Turner Hall Ballroom
April 10 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ Bogart’s
April 11 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ 20 Monroe Live
April 12 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Egyptian Room
April 14 – Toronto, Ontario @ Opera House
April 15 – Montreal, Quebec @ MTelus
April 17 – Boston, Mass. @ Royale
April 18 – Portland, Maine @ Aura
April 19 – Huntington, N.Y. @ Paramount Theatre
April 21 – Montclair, N.J. @ Wellmont Theatre
April 22 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ Town Ballroom
April 23 – Baltimore, Md. @ Rams Head Live
April 25 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Center Stage
April 26 – Orlando, Fla. @ Hard Rock Live
April 28 – Austin, Tex. @ Levitation Festival
August 10 – Kortrijk, Belgium @ Alcatraz Metal Festival

Ministry announces 14th album ‘AmeriKKKant’ + tour!

Filip Wildhoney — Tue, 30 May 2017 18:05:10 +0000

Industrial-metal pioneer Al Jourgensen recently announced that Ministry will release another new album in fall 2017. The album will be called “AmeriKKKant” and will be released on vinyl as well, beginning 2018. The album will include guest-artist performances of DJ Swamp (Beck), Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), Arabian Prince (NWA) and Lord of the Cello.

The current line-up of the band exists of Al Jourgensen, Sin Quirin, Cesar Soto, John Bechdel, Jason Christopher and Thomas Holtgreve.

Check the Ministry backcatalogue right here.

Tourdates:

JUN 1 THU Piraeus Academy 117 Athens, Greece
JUN 2 FRI Principal Club Theatre Thessaloníki, Greece
JUN 4 SUN Barutana Belgrade, Rs
JUN 6 TUE Alcatraz Milan, Italy
JUN 7 WED Tvornica kulture Zagreb, Croatia
JUN 9 FRI Sweden Rock Sölvesborg, Sweden
JUN 11 SUN Download Festival Derby, United Kingdom
JUN 13 TUE Tivoli Vredenburg Utrecht, Netherlands
JUN 15 THU den Atelier Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
JUN 16 FRI HELLFEST Clisson, France
JUN 17 SAT Graspop Metal Meeting Dessel, Belgium
JUN 18 SUN Markthalle Hamburg (Altstadt), Germany
JUN 20 TUE Ole Bull Scene Bergen, Norway
JUN 21 WED Rockefeller Oslo, Norway
JUN 22 THU COPENHELL Copenhagen, Denmark
JUN 24 SAT Download Festival Madrid, Spain
SEP 14 THU Douglas Park Chicago, IL
SEP 15 FRI RIOT FEST CHICAGO 2017 Chicago, IL
SEP 20 WED The Foundry Bar Christchurch, New Zealand
SEP 22 FRI The Studio, Auckland Auckland, New Zealand
SEP 25 MON Astor Theatre Perth, Australia
SEP 26 TUE The Gov Hindmarsh, Australia
SEP 27 WED Metro Theatre Sydney, Australia
SEP 30 SAT Forum Melbourne Melbourne, Australia
OCT 1 SUN The Tivoli Brisbane, Australia

Ministry sees ‘Trax! Rarities’ released on a ltd ed. double vinyl album – full details here

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 19:00:59 +0000

Out by the end of December (but available right here to order already) is the special limited edition double clear vinyl LP pressing “Trax! Rarities” by Ministry. “Trax! Rarities” is a collection of early tracks and versions from Al Jourgensen’s Ministry and various side projects.

Good to know, it includes the super rare RevCo track “Drums Along The Carbide” next to various demos from the early 80s. You’ll also find material from Jourgensen’s side-projects PTP, Pailhead and 1000 Homo DJs.

Below is the complete tracklist. Make sure to get your copy now as this will sell out quickly.

SIDE A

Ministry – Never Asked For Nothing (Detroit 7.10.82)
Ministry – Love Change (Detroit 7.10.82)
Ministry – What Is The Reason (Detroit 7.10.82)
Ministry – America (Detroit 7.10.82)

SIDE B

Ministry – Same Old Madness (1982 Demo)
Ministry – Game Is Over (1983 Demo)
Ministry – Let’s Be Happy (1983 Demo)
Ministry – Same Old Scene (1983 Demo)
Ministry – Wait (1983 Demo)

SIDE C

Ministry – I See Red
Ministry – Self Annoyed
Revolting Cocks – Fish In Cold Water
Revolting Cocks – (Let’s Get) Physical (Banned Version)

SIDE D

PTP – Show Me Your Spine
Pailhead – Don’t Stand In Line (Dub Mix)
Revolting Cocks – Drums Along The Carbide
1000 Homo DJs – Supernaut (Dub Remix)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

ex-Revolting Cocks members reunite for 6 USA dates as The Cocks

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:52:34 +0000

Celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the Wax Trax! release “Big Sexy Land”, several ex-Revolting Cocks members will reunite under the The Cocks flag to start a very short tour through 6 US-cities. The Cocks are Front 242’s Richard 23, Luc Van Acker, Chris Connelly and Paul Barker. Barker played bass, keyboards and did programming for Revolting Cocks between 1987 and 1993.

“Big Sexy Land” was originally released in 1986 and was the band’s first major release. At that time Revolting Cocks were Luc Van Acker, Richard 23 and Alain Jorgensen. Make sure to check these other Revolting Cocks related releases.

The band will play the following 6 dates in the USA:

September 16 New York – Stimulate
September 17 Houston – Numbers
September 18 San Fran – DNA
September 20 Tampa – Orpheum
September 21 Baltimore – Ottobar
September 24 Chicago – Metro/CWV

Revolting Cocks was founded by Richard 23 and Luc Van Acker with Al Jourgensen as their producer. Their first release was “No Devotion” on Wax Trax records in 1985. The single was quickly followed by an album, “Big Sexy Land” (1986), featuring a mix of Wax Trax-industrial, hard rock, and EBM with dominating sampling and strong synthesized beats. Richard 23 quit in 1986 due to creative differences, but joined the band on stage on April 17 2011 during the “Wax Trax! Records Retrospectacle: 33 1/3 Year Anniversary”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com

Al Jourgensen’s Surgical Meth Machine to release debut album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 13 Feb 2016 16:37:24 +0000

(Via DJ Wildhoney) The newest release of Al Jourgensen, mastermind of Ministry and Revolting Cocks, will take place on 15th of April 2016. Surgical Meth Machine is the industrial (speed) metal project of Al and longtime engineer Sam D’Ambruoso.

According to Jourgensen, the songs of Surgical Meth Machine have an average speed of 220bpm and “are not for the faint of heart”. The release of the “fastest music in the history of music” will be available on CD and on vinyl. You can order your format right here on Amazon UK.

Tracklist:
01. I’m Sensitive
02. Tragic Alert
03. I Want More
04. Rich People Problems
05. I Don’t Wanna
06. Smash And Grab
07. Unlistenable
08. Gates Of Steel
09. Spudnik
10. Just Go Home
11. Just Keep Going
12. I’m Invisible

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

side-line.com