Michael Moore Metal
If you like your industrial metal with a side of drill sergeant speeches and political samples then Rio Grande Blood is for you. This record, the tenth studio release in three decades from a genre-bending group, is as frightening, dark and strange as the controversial topics it deals with.Rio Grande Blood, Ministry’s newest release, embodies the most hardcore thrash-metal sound the band has ever achieved. The record employs extreme vocal distortion, mach speed guitar and drum work, and heavy, pounding rhythms to match. Prong fans take note: both Tommy Victor and Paul Raven (also of Killing Joke fame) appear on nearly every song.
ame To stand out from the Slayers and the GWARs of the Metal scene, Ministry couples their wailing solos and intricate rhythms with glaring samples. They use quotes from the likes of George W. Bush and the Internet video sensation “Loose Change” which deals with the government’s possible involvement with the events of 9/11. Ministry is obviously not straying away from making their opinions clear on this record. They sacrifice obscure lyrical imagery for blatant statements that reveal how they feel about the President, the Military, and the war in Iraq amongst other political issues. Conceptually, Rio Grande Blood is Ministry’s version of the news since 9/11.
ame Rio Grande Blood’s general “anti-everything” vibe can be a bit overbearing. Ministry’s pre-packaged rhythms and riffs aren’t helped by the repetitive samples on the subject of corruption, lies and scandal. On “Lies Lies Lies”, Jello Biafra of The Dead Kennedy’s makes a cameo. Jello’s political, spoken word work with the Kennedys on tracks like “Kinky Sex (Makes the World Go Around)” basically embodies the feel of this whole record. If you want an idea of what Rio Grande Blood sounds like, listen to Static-X and Rammstein simultaneously while watching Fahrenheit 9-11.
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