Al Jourgensen is pissed off with Donald Trump. Really pissed off. So pissed off that he’s dragged the latest incarnation of mighty industrial metal originators Ministry back into the studio for the first time since 2012’s Relapse to produce an album made up solely of songs of resistance against the 45th President of the USA and his alt-right junta. Ministry’s signature monster guitar riffs, jackhammer beats, spoken-word samples and Uncle Al’s unmistakable roar are all given a fresh airing to unleash a tropical storm of revolutionary rock with one very definite target. Make no mistake though, AmeriKKKant is magnificent stuff and far exceeds any reasonable expectations of the 14th studio album of a band that have been around (on and off) since 1981.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, Al Jourgensen was a colossus that bestrode industrial metal while beating a path for more commercially successful imitators like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson to follow. Recording under a plethora of guises such as Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, Acid Horse and Lard (with ex-Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra) to name only a few, he churned out album after album without any noticeable loss of quality. However, if the volume of new material has slowed somewhat since those heady days, the quality has certainly not. In fact, from the almost Arabic violins of “I Know Words” to the depth-charge heavy, state-of-the-nation address, “AmeriKKKa” via the earth-shaking beats and muscular riffs of “Twilight Zone” and the political speed metal of “We’re Tired of It”, Jourgensen doesn’t drop the ball once on a disc which is totally devoid of filler.
By using so many Trump samples, however, Jourgensen could almost be forgiven for crediting the White House Clown as guest vocalist on AmeriKKKant, which might be a little off-putting. But never has hearing someone take enough rope to eventually hang themselves been so entertaining.
