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MINISTRY
HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
Nuclear Blast Records
www.ministryband.com

HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES is the sixteenth full-length album by Industrial Metal linchpins MINISTRY. Led by thought-provoking frontman Al Jourgensen, MINISTRY has seen its share of band members come and go over the years, and at times was a solo project.

However with HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, the final product is a true band effort. Jourgensen is backed by the same musicians that appeared on MINISTRY's prior release Moral Hygiene (2021); John Bechdel on keys, Cesar Soto on guitar, Paul D'Amour (ex-TOOL) on bass, Roy Mayorga (ex-STONE SOUR) on drums, with guitarist Monte Pittman added to the group for this album.

MINISTRY kicks things off with the marching beat of "B.D.E." (Big Dick Energy). Jourgensen calls out the misogynists and women haters in society. "God Damn White Trash" isn't a condemnation of any one particular type of people in society, but more of an observation of what society is being turned into. Jourgensen laments we are taking our eyes off of what the government is really doing behind our backs, while we focus on the non-issues they feed us.

Driving rhythms and piercing guitar riffage set the tone for "Just Stop OIl". The chorus delivers outrage as well as thunderous drum work. This hard-charging Metal track is loaded with audio samples from the environmental protests around the world. There's something sinister and dark about the music of "Aryan Embarrassment". Jourgensen is delivering his vocals almost in spoken tones.

MINISTRY goes Punk on "TV Song", with intense drums, thrash-y guitars, and spitfire vocals. "New Religion" delves into society's obsession with social media. Jourgensen believes we'd rather rack up our likes than count our blessings. The track is set to a classic, mid-tempo, dirty Industrial sound.

"It's Not Pretty" is a surprising acoustic guitar-laden number with echoed vocal tones. By the two minute mark, MINISTRY hits you with a wall of distortion, screeching vocals, and some unique percussion elements. "Cult of Suffering" lowers the electronics and resorts to a Classic Rock blues/soul swagger. Heavy synths meet orchestral elements on the closing track "Ricky's Hand". The song gives off DEVO vibes in its delivery.

MINISTRY delivers a sobering view of the dumpster fire that is the current world around us on HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES. Jourgensen has always had a flair for taking on society, politics, and human behavior, and setting it to killer Instrustal Metal compositions. Even after 40+ years, and in the day and age of 'cancel culture', MINISTRY shows no signs of backing off from calling it how they see it.

3.9 Out Of 5.0