Ministry

From attaining critical and commercial success with albums like The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste and Psalm 69 to problems with drug abuse and a shifting lineup, Ministry has been through its share of typically rock ‘n’ roll peaks and valleys — including, of course, a less-than-permanent retirement. A mere five years after frontman Al Jourgensen announced the band’s demise, Ministry are back in action with a new LP and a supporting tour designed to pummel audiences with the aggressive blend of mechanized beats, metal guitars, and political agitation that branded them the godfathers of Chicago’s celebrated industrial scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Picking up from the trilogy of anti-George W. Bush albums issued between 2004 and 2006 (Houses of the Molé, Rio Grande Blood, The Last Sucker), Jourgensen and company lead their latest release Relapse with the pro-Occupy themed single, “99 Percenters.” (Appearing at The Vic on June 28 & 29) –text: Mark Calaguas