AmeriKKKant But Ministry Will And You Should Too

MINISTRY

MINISTRY play HOB/Anaheim Mar. 22 and Majestic Theater Mar. 23; photo Phil Parmet

Ministry kicks off 2018 with an all-star lineup for the politically charged AmeriKKKant tour where “P.T.-Barnum-meets-Rage-Against-The-Machine” ringmaster, Al Jourgensen and long-time band members guitarists Sin Quirin and Cesar Soto, will be joined by vocalist Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory), drummer Joey Jordison (Slipknot, VIMIC), and live scratcher DJ Swamp (Beck, the Crystal Method), Tony Campos (Fear Factory, Static-X) on bass, and keyboardist John Bechdel (Killing Joke, Fear Factory).

When asked how the current line-up of Ministry evolved Quirin replied, “Well, we were all at this Turkish bath house (by chance) and at one point we all got up to grab the same bath towel. That is how we all met.”

MINISTRY-Al Jourgensen; photo Phil Parmet

MINISTRY-Al Jourgensen; photo Phil Parmet

Quirin went on to explain that all the current members of Ministry have known each other for many years and that reforming the band was simply a matter of checking schedules and availability. Ministry technically reformed in 2006 which is also the year Quirin joined the band. He has been involved in all the song writing since, up to and including the new album AmeriKKKant. The other members had some years that followed where their involvement was on and off due to their other bands.

Ministry founder, “Uncle Al” Jourgensen had a farewell tour in 2008 due to health issues but then Quirin pointed out that Jourgensen “started to feel better, started to feel great and wanted to do Ministry again. His spirit to do such a thing was back in it.” Then the band had another set-back that was “truly devastating for Al and the rest of us.” Mike Scaccia, the other guitarist, died of a heart attack in 2012.

“The band was in the studio recording the album From Here To Eternity and literally two days after completing that, Mikey had passed,” Quirin recalled. “And that is why it had taken so long to get that record out.”

Scaccia had worked very hard on the album and it was his final offering of course. With that sentiment in mind, the band went on tour once again and has continued through the present.

ministry

Ministry “Amerikkkant” CD cover

AmeriKKKant is a more political in-your-face expression of Jourgensen’s upset over the current ills in this “Land Of Rape And Honey”. It expresses the bands’ disdain for our current American leader whom they refer to as “Hurricane Cheeto”.

But the album is not just about that. It’s also stock-full of protest against racism and the recent unveiling of the uber-sexist and predatory Hollywood that the media has made the whole world well aware of.

Quirin expressed that since he has been involved with the band it has always been political to some degree. However, he doesn’t think that the latest album will change what people already feel about Ministry.

“There are those that listen to Ministry that pay strict attention to the lyrics and the music,” Quirin noted. “And then there are those that just listen to Ministry for the sound, for the music only.”

MINISTRY-Al Jourgensen; photo Phil Parmet

MINISTRY-Al Jourgensen; photo Phil Parmet

Fans of Ministry know that quite a few of their albums are of a protesting spirit in nature. AmeriKKKant is no different and seems to have even more of that protest-in-the-streets kind of feeling. Sometimes music can be a powerful tool for “waking people up”.

“I don’t know if it’s the most powerful thing,” Quirin mused. “But it is definitely a very powerful tool across the board with everything. I believe that music has healing powers. I am sure you have heard of that thing where someone says that a particular song or piece of music helped them get through a tough time. Music can create an instant positive change in someone. It is a universal language.”

Experience Ministry and AmeriKKKant live at the House of Blues Anaheim on Mar. 22 and The Majestic Theater Mar. 23. Chelsea Wolfe will be the opening act during this tour.