Ministry

Aside from being an obvious squeeze at Ministry’s 25th Anniversary cash-cow’s teat, RaNtologY is a reminder of the band’s iconic status. Al Jourgensen presents 14 retakes on some classic tracks and, for the most part, each remix maintains the original’s spirit with a distinct influence by the group’s modern, harsher sound. There was never really a need to tweak the originals however and a "best of” disc would have been equally effective. For example, "Stigmata (Update Mix)” loses the minimalist appeal of the original, with newly sung vocals mixed into the background that prove you can’t improve upon perfection. "Jesus Built My Hotrod (Update Mix)” is pretty close to the original with the exception of a new, less in-your-face introduction by Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes and a few unnecessary samples. For what it’s worth, the disc also features live versions of "Psalm 69,” "Thieves” and "The Fall.” There is also a new track called "The Great Satan,” which continues their Bush-bashing campaign in a melee of break-neck guitar and furious vocals — a hopeful indication towards the quality of their upcoming 2006 release and a little something extra for their die-hard fans.