When Trent Reznor landed a Grammy for his work on the EP "Broken," it was the beginning of a rise in popularity for industrial music artists. Nine Inch Nail's 1994 follow-up to "Broken," "The Downward Spiral" punctuated the belief by going triple platinum. Throw in Marilyn Manson's success two years later, and the industrial movement was rolling.
Apparently, it was rolling over a cliff. Since 1995, Manson headed for the glossier side of rock and Reznor disappeared from sight. The Nothing Records label wasn't the only place where industrial took a hit. Pioneers Skinny Puppy hung up their shoes following the death of band member D.R. Goettel. With the marquee industrial acts bowing out right and left, only one group was left to carry the standard.
Industrial flag bearers Ministry alone could fill several books with their history. The duo progressed from heavily synthesized tracks in the early 1980s to thundering bass lines and sarcastic lyrics of the mid-'90s. Over the band's career it has displayed little consistency, overhauling its sound on each successive CD.
Its latest release, "Dark Side of the Spoon" is Ministry's seventh studio album in 16 years, and the fifth under the lineup of frontman Alain Jourgensen and bassist Paul Barker.
"Dark Side" reflects a blend of Ministry's last five discs with a dash of new influences thrown in. The opening track, "Supermanic Soul," uses a drum beat reminiscent of the band's 1989 release, "The Land of Rape and Honey," with vocal distortion from "Just One Fix" from the 1992 album "Psalm 69."
The rest of the disc can be picked apart similarly, but the overall picture is amazing. Ministry incorporates influences long past, with its tendency to toughen its sound every three years.
The current single from the disc "Bad Blood" is a fine example of the "Dark Side"'s offerings. The driving guitar rhythms woven seamlessly with basic drum loops and Barker's hammering bass line serve as a backdrop for Jourgensen's not-quite-screaming vocals.
On "Step," a jazz drum motif creates a humorous atmosphere for sarcastic lyrics about a rock star battling alcoholism. The line, "I'd like to thank all my wonderful fans ... I wish I could take you all to the Betty Ford Clinic," is a wonderful example of Ministry's usual social commentary.
The biggest surprise on the CD is a trio of tracks that compliment each other in a strange cycle. "Eureka Pile" is a slower song, but nonetheless heavy handed. Jourgensen sings halfway between narration and preaching accompanied by mysterious background singing. Its spooky sound sets an overtone for the entire disc.
"Whip and Chain" is the second track, but likewise shows Ministry using slower paces and low frequency noise to increase the depth of its work. The chorus-"Don't wanna feel okay, baby"-would have been uncharacteristic for the band in the past, but it fits in without a hitch here.
Near the end of the CD, "Kaif" comes across as an emotional song for the anger-driven duo. The track's bass resembles rolling thunder and is coupled with the rare sound of Jourgensen singing undistorted. "Kaif" sounds much like Skinny Puppy's last songs, and with a chorus of "Where does the time go?" the song may very well be addressed to the defunct industrial group, with whom Jourgensen had occasionally performed.
Ministry has not made the usual progression between albums, opting to explore the realms it uncovered in previous works. The result is a refined sound that overshadows anything the band has done to this point. Ministry fans will enjoy the disc, because the band is both forging ahead by looking back. Some fans may claim that the deviation is commercial sounding, but a band can't sell out by copying their own work.
With "Dark Side of the Spoon," Ministry has ascended to the level of precious few hard rock bands, groups whose immense amount of creativity and thought can be heard in the music, rather than staying in the studio.
Grade: A+
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