Ministry
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
11.01.17
It has been several years since Al Jourgensen and the industrial metal juggernauts of Ministry have been through Seattle, so Showbox SoDo was packed with fans there to witness the rare treat. After a few-year hiatus Ministry was now on the cusp of a new release and back on the road.
The stage set was pretty minimalist, minus a giant video screen behind the band and two giant inflatable roosters to either side that mocked Donald Trump with a “no Nazi” symbol across its chest.
The band hit the stage swinging with “Let’s Go” from their 2007 release The Last Sucker and then played straight into “Punch In the Face,” from their latest From Beer To Eternity, with Jourgensen dedicating the song to Trump. There was no doubt where he stood on the current US administration.
Constantly pacing back and forth across the stage, Jourgensen was a commanding presence that never slowed down or stood still as he spewed his message to the adoring crowd. With 13 albums to the band’s credit, their set list was pretty much a “best of.” Guitarists Sin Quirin and Cesar Soto traded licks back and forth, driving the groove with bassist Tony Campos into classics like “Just One Fix” and “So What.” Drummer Derek Abrams and longtime keyboardist John Bechdel rounded out the band.
The band was on fire. “N.W.O – New World Order” had even more power with Jourgensen also playing guitar for a triple axe attack. From the soon to be released AmeriKKKant, they even tried out several new songs song like the driving “Antifa” and “Wargasm,” a great preview of what is to come.
The evening’s performance closed out with a Devo Cover from Jourgensen’s other band Surgical Meth Machine, and they broke into “Graves Of Steel.” With a dynamic mic drop, Jourgensen exited the stage leaving the crowd chanting for more.
I am really looking forward to AmeriKKKant, as the new songs sounded familiar and powerful. Overall, the show was what any Ministry fan has come to love about them live: a heavy mix of genres that skillfully combines industrial, new wave, danceable electronic, and thrashing metal. Ministry is back and this was just the beginning of a new fix!
Review and photos by Neil Lim Sang
Ministry
