Ministry have been unleashing their Industrial Metal since back in the 90’s and the fact that they are still here now is a huge tip of the hat. Now onto their 16th full-length album, the 6-time GRAMMY Award-nominated band founded and fronted by Al Jourgensen have been through it all and seen a whole lot more.
What better way to deal with all the injustice and general shit within the world than to put your opinions and viewpoints to Industrial Metal and get it all off your chest?!
It is pretty clear that some clear topics are in the crosshairs here and there are no punches pulled.
Opening with ‘B.D.E’ or ‘Big Dick Energy” you are left under no illusion about the stance on misogyny and everything that goes with it. The lyrics leave nothing to the imagination, the samples enhance that viewpoint as the guitars and strings provide a strong backing for all this to be built on.
This open and subtle a-brick approach continues as the album progresses, as we fly past ‘Goddamn White Trash’ into ‘Just Stop Oil’ which could be used for that organisation’s track.
Being so open to these topics and sharing opinions in itself may divide music fans, however, who are we to say what should or should be expressed in whatever way? Al is using his platform to bring issues to the fore, including on ‘New Religion’ causing social media the newest religion.
It is easy to get swept up in the message of each track and miss just how good the music side of things is. Not want to take away from each key message of the tracks, however, this is a music album as well and people are standing and sitting behind the mic providing some pretty banging music.
The guitars have that clear Industrial tone as they spark off the heavy riffs and the drums are the engine powering everything forward at the required pace. This is the brilliant and untouchable sound of Industrial Metal that isn’t a particularly crowded genre at present – maybe because those that do it are so good it’s tough to get a look in.
Hopiumforthemasses feels like a 43-minute protest about every topic that is hot at the minute and isn’t going to apologise for that. Musically it is good, it is very sample-heavy heavy which sometimes detracts a little however, on the whole, it’s a solid album.
Hopiumforthemasses will be released on Friday, March 1st 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.
Review: Ed Ford
Tracklist
1 – B.D.E.
2 – Goddamn White Trash
3 – Just Stop Oil
4 – Aryan Embarrassment
5 – TV Song 1/6 Edition
6 – New Religion
7 – It’s Not Pretty
8 – Cult of Suffering
9 – Ricky’s Hand
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