I may be in the minority, but I didn’t think that much of the last Ministry album, 2018’s Amerikkkant. Some of Ministry’s best and most vicious records were inspired by the George W Bush era, and I expected more of the same from the Trump era. To me, Amerikkkant was rehashed, tedious and uninspired. Lowered expectations might have helped, but Moral Hygiene feels like a bit of a return to form.
Musically, it hits the sweet spot between The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989) and Psalm 69 (1992). In other words, Moral Hygiene is industrial metal at its finest. That is to say, mainman Al Jourgensen hits the right balance between industrial and metal. The lyrics also seem more on the mark.
Opener “Alert Level” sets the stage with its throwback refrain of “Are you ready to die?”. The accelerated pace of “Good Trouble” will make old school fans happy. “Sabotage is Sex” reunites Uncle Al with his old friend and Lard bandmate Jello Biafra. Jello’s unique voice always adds a sense of menace. Iggy and the Stooges’ “Search and Destroy” might seem like an odd choice for a cover, but Ministry make it their own with a cool arrangement. “Broken System” confronts climate change, while “Death Toll” takes on the mishandling of the pandemic.Closer “TV Song #6” continues the string of fan favorites.