“Fossil fuel combustion has increased at an exponential rate over the last 100 years” reads the first line of a report with the subject line, “Release of Fossil CO2 and the Possibility of Catastrophic Climate Change.” This was known in the Carter administration. Governmental reports have existed in every administration since then with compelling warnings about what is coming, what is causing it, and what to do about it. And largely ignored. James Gustav Speth recently spoke about the government’s complicity regarding climate change on a radio show, This Is Hell! https://thisishell.com/interviews/1382-james-gustave-speth
Under this backdrop and never shy to excoriate politicians, Ministry released its 15th studio album, Moral Hygiene, this week. Frontman Alan Jourgensen addresses important issues of today, including climate change, fake news, and COVID-19. Moral Hygiene is not thrash metal like the magisterial Bush Trilogy (Houses of the Molé, Rio Grande Blood, and The Last Sucker), does not sludge like Filth Pig, and does not suck like Relapse. Moral Hygiene, like so many Ministry albums, displays programming and deprogramming, slicing and chopping, audio sampling, and Jourgensen’s ranting voice.
The first track, “Alert Level,” addresses climate change. Lyrics include “How concerned are you?” “We have a problem” and the “future looks bleak.” I believe Jourgensen included sound clips of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenager/climate activist/TIME’s 2019 “Person of the Year.” The next track also focused on climate change: “Are you depressed?” Then arrives Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys and co-founder of Lard with Jourgensen) on “Sabotage is Sex.” Jello has never shied from controversial topics either. “A traffic ticket leads to bang, bang, bang.” His lyrics also seek freedom from pollution, disease, and uranium. So good to hear Jello’s voice (Lard: PLEASE tour!).
“Seek and Destroy” is a rare song cover by Ministry. Yes, this is the Stooge’s 1973 burner, albeit a slower pace. This was the first video released by the band in support of MH, which I saw several weeks ago. I was not impressed. The record finally approached Trump on “Believe Me.” My world improved, having not heard the voice of the Orange Oompa Loompa for some time. Fortunately, Jourgensen, a mad scientist in the studio, refrained from too many Trump clips… we all know about his lies and deception… just a reminder of the “infodemic” as in an earlier track, “Disinformation.”
Three of the next four tracks did not ding my dong. The final track, “TV Song,” also displays Jourgensen’s studio talents. The last line of Moral Hygiene? “Donald J. Trump, the enemy of the people.” Being a rabid Ministry fan, I’m gonna level with you; Moral Hygiene has few guitar riffs that get me grooving, sounds more atmospheric than industrial, and falls into Ministry’s third tier.
