Ministry
Ministry popularized industrial-metal by injecting large doses of punky, over-the-top aggression and roaring heavy metal guitar riffs that helped their music appeal to both metal and alternative audiences outside of industrial's cult fan base. That's not to say Ministry had a commercial or accessible sound: they were unremittingly intense, abrasive, pounding, and repetitive, and not always guitar-oriented (samples, synthesizers, and tape effects were a primary focus just as often as guitars and distorted vocals). However, both live and in the studio, they achieved a huge, crushing sound that put most of their contemporaries in aggressive musical genres to shame; plus, founder and frontman Al Jourgensen gave the group a greater aura of style and theater than other industrial bands, who seemed rather faceless when compared with Jourgensen's leather-clad cowboy/biker look and the edgy shock tactics of such videos as N.W.O., Jesus Built My Hotrod and Just One Fix. After 1992's Psalm 69, which represented the peak of their popularity, Ministry's recorded output dwindled, partially because of myriad side projects and partially due to heroin abuse within the band, but continued to resurface through the rest of the decade.
| Date | Time | Event | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 16-Jul-12 | 19:00 | Ministry | O2 Academy Bristol | Buy Tickets |
| Sat 21-Jul-12 | 19:30 | Ministry | Manchester Academy 1 | Buy Tickets |