REVIEW: Ministry, Dark Side of the Spoon (Warner Bros.)
- Andrew Duncan
Al Jourgenson, alias Hypo Luxa, is a name that will forever be a part of industrial rock history. The man was responsible for creating bands like Revolting Cocks and 1,000 Homo DJs, while collaborating with Jello Biafra in Lard and Skinny Puppy on Rabies, one of their most recognized efforts.
Jourgenson, along with Paul Barker (alias Hermes Pan), have been known to create some intense deconstructive compositions -- "Stigmata," from their 1989 release Land of Rape and Honey, has been referenced more times in movies and TV than other songs.
"Stigmata" was also a transformation for the band. That song sold their soul from disco-heavy new wave ("Everyday is Halloween") to heavy metal-induced, guitar-weighted nightmares, filled with samples of media and machinery.
In 1989, the band introduced Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, and the new industrial revolution began. Their stage presence was awesome, with the band influencing many (including one skinny Trent Reznor) to scream "Head Like A Hole."
The band was on a roll, later releasing the more enraged 1992 platinum-selling Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs.
But what happened to the purveyors of industrial sludge? They released the devastating Filth Pig and it's been downhill from there.
With Dark Side of the Spoon, the band continues the downward spiral with mediocre songs from what is noted as Ministry's last album for Warner Brothers. Rumor had it that the band was due to call it quits and were set to continue other projects that had more promise than another Ministry album. Instead, they went back into the recording studio for what seems more like a contract obligation than trying to rebound from a creative slump.
On Dark Side, there are some songs worthy of note: "Eureka Pile," "10/10." But the bad outweighs the good: "Step," "Kaif" and "Nursing Home," just to name a few.
Why listen to "Nursing Home," when you have "Scarecrow" from Psalm 69? Why jam to "Supermanic Soul," when there is "Deity" from Mind? Isn't it about time to hang up the power tools and move on to something else?
