MINISTRY

Break it all down, build it back up, assess the relevance of the band's impact on the history of rock music, and psychoanalyze Al Jourgensen six ways from Sunday; the only thing that matters here is that the album that was never supposed to happen is on the whole a good one. It is also MINISTRY at its most metallic. And ain't a damn thing wrong with that. Sometimes clearing the brush of nostalgia and cutting down the trees of star struck sensationalism is necessary in order to gain a clear view of the matter at hand. Mission now accomplished, a reiteration with added qualification is in order. On "Relapse" MINISTRY puts the metal thrashing madness (the "madness" part rather important here) on equal footing with Jourgensen's wholly entertaining sociopolitical diatribes and cracked rearview commentaries, while only sprinkles of the electronic and the manic propulsion of the industrial remain.

On the first new studio album since 2007's "The Last Sucker", after which MINISTRY was supposedly euthanized, Jourgensen catapults from his near-death experience into an album on which Tommy Victor's (PRONG) and Mike Scaccia (RIGOR MORTIS) lead the way through the cluttered, decaying world seen through the eyes of Al. And if every song hit like the ton of bricks characterized by openers "Ghouldiggers" and "Double Tap", we might be talking in terms of a MINISTRY metal masterpiece. "Ghouldiggers" builds with a hilarious (and oh so relevant) phone conversation bit between a dejected Jourgensen and his eternally elusive manager's gatekeeper secretary who passes along that the best time to call back would be sometime subsequent to Al's death. At least that way Jourgensen could be solid in "pieces". Frantic and ballsy, the song serves as a grand eight-minute opening to an album evenly divided into highs and mediums. Osama Bin Laden ode "Double Tap" is just plain classic (post-electronica) MINISTRY, not far removed from the "Psalm 69" era. The title track is right up there with both cuts, the Jourgensen drug-laced commentary about his relapse and "your" laughter that is interspersed throughout is endearingly, comically Al. The special limited edition bonus "Defibrillator Mix" of the title track is a hoot as well, this one peppered with the not-exactly-subliminal "smoke more marijuana" line. The fattened swagger of "Bloodlust" rounds out the highlights. It also stands apart for its more pronounced atmospherics and a delivery that isn't quite as in-your-face as the rest of the album.

As alluded to above, there is no "bad news" to offset that good news, as tracks like "Weekend Warrior", "99 Percent" (me, you, and Al included, you know) and "Git Up Get Out 'n Vote" are fine MINISTRY chuggers. They're just more powerful lyrically than musically, not quite matching the intensity and sonic mania of the aforementioned ace cuts. Somewhat surprisingly, the MINISTRY makeover of S.O.D.'s "United Forces" works fairly well, though its placement in the middle of the album is a bit odd. No matter the track in question, the constants are riffs and solos that burn to third-degree levels.

In nutshell terms, "Relapse" is welcome return for MINISTRY and an album that fans should have little hesitation about purchasing. That of course assumes that you like generous amounts of metal in your MINISTRY. "Relapse" bashes, burns, and informs. It's the bearer of all the news that fits into Al Jourgensen's head and is delivered to your door with amphetamine urgency. Sounds like MINISTRY to me.