MINISTRY Announces 2015 Touring Lineup

Industrial metal pioneers MINISTRY have confirmed their touring lineup for next year. Joining mainman Al Jourgensen in the band's latest incarnation will be guitarists Monte Pittman (PRONG, MADONNA) and Sin Quirin, bassist Tony Campos (SOULFLY, STATIC-X),drummer Aaron Rossi and keyboardist John Bechdel.

In an interview with "The Classic Metal Show" earlier in the year, PRONG mainman Tommy Victor, who has played extensively with the Jourgensen-led combo in the past, spoke about how Al's well-documented alcohol and drug use has impeded the MINISTRY leader's ability to perform onstage and the negative impact it might have had on other bandmembers, including guitarist Mike Scaccia and bassist Paul Raven, who both passed away in recent years.

"Yeah, it's a hard situation to be in," Victor said. "When I got in there, I was running five miles a day, I was clean and sober. And then, the environment around there... by the time I got out of a couple of tours, I was smoking and drinking again. That's the decision I made. In order to fit in, you know, you've gotta do certain things. However, a guy like Sin Quirin, he was able to work with Al and keep his own identity, and I've gotta give him a lot of kudos for that, and Al respected him for that. So you can get caught up, or you don't get caught up, and that's the decision you make."

He continued: "You can't blame Al for Mike's and Raven's departure from this realm, really. Everyone's got their own personal decision to make, and choose their own lifestyle. So you can't blame anybody else."

Asked if it is solely the environment that has fueled destructive behavior in MINISTRY or if it has anything to do with the creative process within the band, Victor said: "No. I think that any kind of substance abuse and that whole thing delays and clouds the project. And I hope Al can get to that point right now. But he's always relied on that in order to believe that he's creative on the whole thing. Hopefully, when he pulls out of whatever he's going through, he can realize… Maybe he can come back and start being just a vehicle for what's out there in the universe and able to put a true record together rather than all these interferences from the attachment to whatever he thinks is going to enable his creativity. Which, I just think it's a false mentality."

MINISTRY's 13th studio album, "From Beer To Eternity", was released in September 2013 via 13th Planet Records.

MINISTRY 2015 is:

Al Jourgensen - Vocals
Monte Pittman (PRONG, MADONNA) - Guitar
Sin Quirin - Guitar
Tony Campos (SOULFLY, STATIC-X) - Bass
Aaron Rossi - Drums
John Bechdel - Keyboards