Ministry Information

Ministry has been bringing their sound to the mainstream for over 20 years. Formed out of Chicago, Illinois, Ministry grew to fame in the '80s and continues to draw audiences everywhere they go.

Alain Jourgensen brought himself and Stephen George together for the beginnings of Ministry. In the beginning, Ministry's sound was synth-pop and very melodic. Ministry released Twelve Inch Singles. Their first full-length album, With Sympathy, was released through Arista Records in 1983 and sales were slow.

Jourgensen broke up with both the record label and George by the mid-'80s. Ministry was suddenly a one-man show and Twitch was released in 1986. Twitch didn't sell well either. Soon after that, Jourgensen picked up the electric guitar and brought in Paul Baker to play the electric bass. William Rieflin was added as a drummer, and The Land of Rape and Honey was released in 1988. The album was a success in the underground music scene, and is regarded as one of the most important albums in the "industrial metal" genre. Some feel as though it is the best example of Ministry's sound, complete with jackhammering drum machines, synthesizers, and unconventional electronic processing.

The follow up, The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste was possibly even more critically acclaimed than The Land of Rape and Honey. It wasn't until 1991 that Ministry really broke into the mainstream with "Jesus Built My Hotrod." The video was popular on MTV, and the band was invited to perform at Lollapalooza.

Filth Pig was released in 1996, and featured an almost synthesizer-less sound. Their final album for Warner Brothers would be 1999's Dark Side of the Spoon, which was dedicated to former guitarist William Tucker, who committed suicide earlier that year. The single "Bad Blood" was featured in The Matrix and nominated for a Grammy Award. Warner Brothers issued a Greatest Hits for the band in 2001.

Animositisomina was released in 2003, and featured heavy metal and voice effects. Barker left Ministry in 2003, and Jourgensen continued on with a number of notable musicians. No W was released in 2004 and was an attack on President George W. Bush; 2006's Rio Grande Blood carried much of the same sentiment.

Plans for another but final Ministry release are in the works.

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