Ministry
The Last Sucker
4/5
Who It’s For: Metal heads, Iraq war protestors, and industrial freaks
Sounds Like: A grinding tirade against George W. Bush and the war in Iraq
Ministry’s latest incantation of noise, The Last Sucker, proves that it’s better to go out with a bang than to merely fizzle away like oh so many of the metal-industrial greats have. Loaded with heavy guitar riffs and brilliant – if not satiric – audio samples, this is Ministry’s final ‘fuck you’ to the Man, fiercely punctuated with Al Jourgensen’s deep and throaty lyrics of protest, rage, and disgust.
Opening with “Let’s Go,” The Last Sucker makes no qualms with showing you what the boys of Ministry are thinking. Talking of insanity and chaos, the lyrics suddenly gut punch you with blatant honesty on the state of the United States and their leader: let’s go for a government based on greed/let’s go for the final attack/let’s go for a war in Iraq/let’s go for the starting of World War III. Kind of makes you shudder, or at least it will when you realize good old Al may not be exaggerating.
Following the opening track, the vast majority of songs follow the same premise with the extra humor of clips of President Bush gloriously edited to highlight the title of another track, “Death and Destruction.” While all the political and social angst can become a little tiresome, Ministry knows when to lighten the mood – which they do with the heavy (and surprising) cover of The Doors “Roadhouse Blues.” All in all, while this may be Ministry’s final donation to the world of industrial-metal, it’s also one that won’t get dull anytime soon.
One sad, final note must be made here: “The Last Sucker” was released September 18, 2007 – a happy day for Ministry considering what the album consists of. Almost a month to the day later, on October 20, 2007, Ministry’s bass player, Paul Raven, was pronounced dead due to a heart attack. RIP.
Track Listing:
1. Let’s Go
2. Watch Yourself
3. Life is Good
4 The Dick Song
5 The Last Sucker
6 No Glory
7 Death & Destruction
8 Roadhouse Blues
9 Die in a Crash
10 End of Days (Part 1)
11 End of Days (Part 2)
- Renee Johnson
