Ministry

Avoiding pleasantries, Al Jourgensen takes no prisoners with Ministry's newest, possibly final effort. From Beer to Eternity is a piece of art that openly defies the idea of an established order. The schizophrenic nature of the songs as they transition from heavy thrash riffs to a collage of spliced samples is original, refreshing and immensely chaotic. Ministry have always been known for their incredible fusion of electronic elements and thrash metal, but From Beer to Eternity achieves a perfect balance. While Al has always used politics as a major inspiration, "Unbiased News," "The Horror" and "Thanx But No Thanx" are particularly strong in their message. The opening to "Thanx but no Thanx" contains a cover of William S. Burroughs' famous Thanksgiving Prayer, an iconic spoken word piece openly confronting the damaging nature of American culture. In contrast, "The Horror" is a three-minute track comprised of various samples taken from news broadcasts regarding the Republican "legitimate rape" controversy that happened during last year's election. Regardless of your political position, Al's clever and unique use of music as a medium for satire will have you raging against the machine. Al Jourgensen has stated numerous times that this will be Ministry's final release. He's made the same claim twice previously —in 2006 and following Relapse — therefore scepticism is understandable. However, if there was ever a time for Ministry to be buried, it would be in the wake of guitarist Mike Scaccia's passing, with Beer to Eternity left standing as his tombstone. I can't think of a greater epitaph for the band that pioneered industrial metal.