The Deal: Industrial vets release final studio album, more jabs at Bush.
The Good: Taking a cue from the success of "N.W.O." when George Bush Sr. was in office, Ministry's Al Jourgensen has spent a lot of time hating the administration. He dedicated albums to the current President George on 2004's Houses of the Mole and 2006's Rio Grande Blood. The latest is the final album in the trilogy -- and the band's career. It's what you'd expect -- samples of Bush, fast drums, guitar that's been stewed in distortion and Jourgensen's vocals that sound like he's been gargling glass. The lyrics touch on World War III, big brother, Dick Cheney, the war and more. There's even a cover of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" -- though you'd only recognize it by the lyrics.
The Bad: It doesn't match the high point of earlier albums, but it's one of their better recent efforts. If you think it's terrible or beautiful, it's still their last studio album. Nothing worse than that. With the other founding member Paul Barker gone for a few years now, some say Ministry was half-dead already. However, Jourgensen is sure to live on in new projects. He's too talented to expect less.
The Verdict: The more I listen to it, the better it gets. A fine swan song.