lambchops's Full Review: Rantology [PA] by Ministry
Rantology is not your usual greatest hits collection. It does indeed collect many of Ministry’s best known songs from throughout their 25-year career, but these are not the versions you know. Rather in lieu of their quarter-century of service, Ministry has collected alternate versions, updated mixes, live tracks, and previously unreleased songs. Two of the fifteen songs are new and the rest are industrial favorites.
Al Jourgensen formed Ministry in 1981. His vision has always been the centerpiece of the band despite frequent collaborations and various members. Many of the albums they released did get minor chart action, but the most popular to date have been 1992’s Psalm 69 and 1996’s tumultuous Filth Pig. In 2000 Ministry also got nominated for a Grammy for the song Bad Blood. Despite all of Jougensen’s successes, Ministry is a band that’s never really broken through to the mainstream like contemporary Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails.
Ministry’s sound is best described as loud. Jourgensen blends industrial metal with dance music to create an aggressive, abrasive, and atmospheric product. Had it not been for the aforementioned Reznor project, Ministry may not have gone “big time.” NIN made it okay to be disaffected and dejected while yelling over the top of guitars, synthesizers, and a kicky beat. The early 1990s were the right time for the band to appeal to a wider audience without having to sacrifice creativity.
Rantology is very politically charged. Ministry often incorporates samples from Bush’s speeches regarding war, strife, policy and superimposes them with Jourgensen’s angry vocals. Clearly he is not happy about the direction America is headed and on this album he’s found an outlet for his ideas using his own, established music. It is an interesting approach that helps to make the album cohesive in both sound and thought. This will certainly dissuade some listeners from listening to this disc, but it certainly fascinates this liberal gal. Industrial metal mixed with political rants works for me. My only complaint is that I do like some of the original songs slightly better (like N.W.O., Wrong, and Bad Blood), but that is not unusual for me on these kinds of collections of remixes, live songs, and rarities.
Little thought is required when coming to understand this album’s intent. Beginning with the driving redux of No W which is quite clearly a lament against the current present there is little denying the intent of this disc. The Great Satan with Jourgensen unintelligibly screaming his disillusion with the administration is apparently representative of Ministry’s forthcoming album with incredibly fast paced beats and guitars. The songs on Rantology were hand picked by Jourgensen. As he says in a press release he didn’t want to rip off the kids—there is already an official “Greatest Hits” available.
Wrong is easily one of the most compelling songs. It’s loud, abrasive, and pointedly anti-Bush. N.W.O. (a.k.a. New World Order) is a fitting inclusion especially when bolstered by the many samples of the President speaking of his new world order and adherence to the Marshall Plan. It’s a fiery, pointed, and wild and helps to further show his disillusionment with our current administration. Jourgensen remixed songs Stigmata and Jesus Built My Hotrod in an attempt to better reflect this album. So far as Jesus Built My Hotrod I was very, very keen on the original and have always enjoyed the energy, lyrics, and drive. This version is much more muddled and more electric-guitar heavy. It’s still good and I love the electronic industrial feel but miss Gibby Haynes' (Butthole Surfers) vocal delivery. This is probably my least favorite mix of the bunch.
Bad Blood was an outstanding song originally, but I do really enjoy the thick and grinding remix that brings the instrument slightly forward while leaving Jourgensen’s voice in the middle of the fray. There are only two songs that were left untouched. The man behind this production though both Waiting and Animosity reflected the theme and were perfect as is. The final three songs were all culled from Ministry’s 1996 Sphinctour. Jourgensen did so apparently not because he needed filler, but because he particularly liked how the recordings turned out. While I am as a rule unimpressed by the production and crowd noise of live songs I must admit that The Fall, recorded live in London, has a nice ambience. It is moody, dark, and epic and is the perfect choice to wind down this collection.
Fans of Ministry will certainly be pleased that save for two songs everything here is new, redone, rare or live. There are lots of interesting facets to Rantology and I appreciate the political honesty. I can though understand that there will be people who will dislike Jourgensen’s political stance or will find that this isn’t the proper setting for such ideas. Regardless of the politics, it is impossible not to admit that Ministry has made great music in the past. This collection reflects that fact. This is a must-own album for fans.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. No W (redux)
02. The Great Satan (new song)
03. Wrong (update mix)
04. N.W.O. (update mix)
05. Stigmata (update mix)
06. Waiting
07. Warp City (alternative mix)
08. Jesus Built My Hotrod (update mix)
09. Bad Blood (alternate mix)
10. Animosity
11. Unsung (alternate mix)
12. Bloodlines (from Activision game Vampires: The Bloodlines)
13. Psalm 69 (live in Paris)
14. Thieves (live in Seattle)
15. The Fall (live in London)
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Rantology [PA] by Ministry](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/48/23/02/2004555810-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.