Ministry

Over three decades, Ministry has charted a unique course in music history. Starting in the early ’80s as yet another danceable synth-pop outfit, the band added aggression and grit album by album until arriving at an abrasive, guttural, and original fusion of its synth-pop origins with elements of heavy metal with The Land Of Rape And Honey and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste. From there, the band essentially went full metal, abandoning most of the synthesizers and samplers for a more straightforward take on brutality, with just the occasional nod to its past. Over the course of this evolution, Ministry has amassed a dozen studio albums plus a handful of live collections, covers albums, and uncounted remixes, not to mention a fervent, if aging, fan base. Its latest album, the newRelapse, is about as original and inspired as the name suggests, but the live show should still be worth it for longtime fans, if only to hear “Thieves” live one more time.

Updated 06/06/2012