May
20
20
Ministry/Meshuggah/Hemlock in Baltimore, MD
The air was as electric as the guitars on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at Rams Head Live in Baltimore, MD; a night that promised to be an historic event for the city as it would be the last time the industrial metal powerhouse of Ministry would ever perform there as part of the band's C.U. LaTouR. With their latest two releases, The Last Sucker and the recently released "party" album Cover Up, Ministry ring leader Al Jourgensen closes the book on the band as he marches headlong into fulltime production with his new label, 13th Planet Records. While this may be a bittersweet end to a band whose influence has stretched to virtually all corners of the underground music world, inspiring a whole slew of industrial rock and heavy metal bands since their landmark 1987 album The Land of Rape and Honey, Ministry are certainly doing well to make it a worthwhile exit for their legions of fans. Once part of the Chicago WaxTrax! crew in the late '80s, the band's progression over time into a more thrash-laden assault of industrialized metal has garnered them as much attention in the metal community, leading to the inclusion of Swedish technical metal group Meshuggah and opening act Hemlock on their final tour.
At least an hour before the show started, the lines outside of Rams Head were incredibly long and diverse as men and women from all walks of life stood to gain entry. Old school Ministry fans mingled with younger metalheads; a testament to the band's longevity and the scope of their influence, as well as to the innate sense of community inherent in the metal scene. Whether your preference is thrash, prog, industrial, death, or black, there was a feeling that you would be accepted into this crowd if you were into metal on any level... certainly if you were here to see any of the three bands on the bill.
Hemlock took the stage rather early, not more than a half hour after doors opened, kicking the evening off to a raucous start with their brand of heavy metal. As vocalist Chad Smith belted out his throaty growls amid the malevolent guitars of Bryan Gentry and the thunderous drums of Steve Baca, the band unleashed a furious set of hardcore metal aggression that, while not lacking in a certain sense of proficiency, ultimately reminds of the equally heavy moments of Pantera or Slayer. Smith's extensive dreadlocks put this writer in the mind of Soulfly's Max Cavalera, as well as some of the more tribal elements exhibited by Baca's drumming, although this has become a staple of many groove metal acts in recent years. In between songs, Smith addressed the audience and commended them on their sense of community and how it was that factor that kept Hemlock together for 15 years before the release of their debut album in March of this year. The audience was as receptive to Hemlock as they would be any metal show with the mosh pit in full swing, bodies thrashing, heads banging, and fists waving, though the full capacity of the venue was rather scattered. Still, Hemlock did a decent job opening for two of the more revered acts in the metal scene.
By the time Meshuggah took to the stage, the audience had already started to assemble to the front, the balconies crowded as people snugly bunched together to see the band unleash their technical metal assault. From the brutal polyrhythmic percussion of Tomas Haake to the guttural bass and guitar growls of Dick Lövgren, Mårten Hagström, and Fredrik Thordendal, and topped off by the venomous rasp of Jens Kidman, the band blasted out a powerful set made up primarily of songs from their most recent album, Obzen, the highlight of which was "Bleed," while including a number of older songs. Thordendal's jazz-inspired solos raced furiously amid the intertwining instrumental harmonies, exhibiting their trademark precision and technique. At several points during the show, some audience members could be heard remarking on Haake's proficiency on the drums, even going so far as to state, "He makes this band." While it can't be argued that as his drumming (and his lyrics) form a significant core for much of Meshuggah's music, the interplay among these five musicians should not be understated, and while many could easily pass Kidman's vocals off as little more than shouts and screams, this would not do justice to the subtle sense of rhythm and melody at work in his delivery, his tones adjusting wonderfully to each nuance in the music. Another interesting (and perhaps humorous) facet to the performance was in the audience's attempts to headbang to the music; given Meshuggah's intricate and dynamic rhythms, one would be hard-pressed to identify their time signatures at any given time as they're in a continuous state of flux. Nevertheless, the crowd could not be more enthusiastic, their cheers reaching earsplitting volume as the band played old favorites like "Rational Gaze" and "Future Breed Machine." While not the headliner, Meshuggah took the stage as proudly and as surely as if they had been.
Finally, Ministry took the stage, boasting an all-star lineup of musicians that could easily put the likes of Pigface to shame. Al Jourgensen appeared ready to release his industrial metal fury, decked out in a black suit complete with shades and a rather cool top hat, his mic stand bearing his trademark crossbones. Despite battling a case of bronchitis, Jourgensen gave the performance his all, screeching out his gravelly voice with remarkable fervor. The set concentrated primarily on songs from the more recent albums - the anti-Bush trilogy of Houses of the Molé, Rio Grande Blood, and especially The Last Sucker - beginning with "Let's Go," which revved the audience up perfectly as the mosh pit began thrashing about almost instantly. The set continued with more choice tracks from the later albums, including Al's diatribe against the Patriot Act titled "Watch Yourself," to the character attacks on our commander-in-chief of "The Last Sucker" and "N.O.W.," and the call to arms for those awaiting a change in a dysfunctional system "Still Waiting." Joining Al on stage was the twin guitar onslaught of Prong's Tommy Victor and Sin Quirin of the Revolting Cocks. Chugging out a powerful array of riffs and machine gun solos, their stage presence recalled all the best moments of Ministry's past from guitarists like Mike Scaccia and the late William Tucker, only with an updated sheen. In lieu of bassist Paul Raven's untimely passing late last year, Tony Campos of Static-X filled the void on the low end more than adequately, and in conjunction with Prong's Aaron Rossi on drums, made for a vicious rhythm section. Filling out the lineup was John Bechdel on keyboards. As Jourgensen did well to point out, the man's resume is rather extensive, lending his skills to such groups as Ascension of the Watchers, False Icons, Prong, and Killing Joke to name a few... or as Jourgensen put it, "Who hasn't this guy worked with?" Also joining the band from Ascension of the Watchers was Burton C. Bell, best known as the vocalist for Fear Factory and who also lent his inimitable voice to "End of Days" on The Last Sucker, although his appearance on the stage would not be until the encores. Regardless of the band's tight performance and ferocious energy, there was a modicum of tension as many were aching to hear some of the band's hits. At one point (or perhaps several), an obviously drunk patron shouted, "Fuck this new shit! Play old school!" It wasn't until the first encore that his hopes and those of many longtime fans in attendance were answered as Ministry thrust down the audience's proverbial throat what is perhaps their biggest hit, "N.W.O.," followed by "So What?" and "Thieves." While the mechanized rhythms of the original versions were not abandoned, the live experience of this well-oiled industrial metal machine is truly the best way to hear these songs performed. And just when you thought it was over, the band returns on stage for one final encore. Mirroring the release of Cover Up several months after The Last Sucker, their renditions of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" showed the band letting it all hang loose with no more intentions other than end the night with one hell of a party vibe.
As the show comes to a close, the feeling is beyond bittersweet, even downright tragic, for once Ministry left the stage... thus closed the curtain on a band that has endured many pitfalls over the years, and has managed to maintain an aggressively loyal following. To see Ministry perform live is to see industrial metal at its finest, a band that without which, we would never have seen the coldwave movement of the '90s, nor the industrial rock that took over the mainstream for a short time as groups like Nine Inch Nails, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, and Filter became a prominent fixture for the scene. Without Ministry, we would perhaps not see the recent wave of heavy metal acts incorporating electronic and industrial textures and mechanical rhythms to augment their more traditional guitar/bass/drum format as seen in bands like Society 1 and Dope, or even earlier bands like Godflesh, and Fear Factory. Al Jourgensen may be entering into a new phase with his label and production house of 13th Planet Records, but it's with no small amount of sadness, adulation, and reverence that Baltimore bade a loud and raucous farewell to Ministry.
At least an hour before the show started, the lines outside of Rams Head were incredibly long and diverse as men and women from all walks of life stood to gain entry. Old school Ministry fans mingled with younger metalheads; a testament to the band's longevity and the scope of their influence, as well as to the innate sense of community inherent in the metal scene. Whether your preference is thrash, prog, industrial, death, or black, there was a feeling that you would be accepted into this crowd if you were into metal on any level... certainly if you were here to see any of the three bands on the bill.
Hemlock took the stage rather early, not more than a half hour after doors opened, kicking the evening off to a raucous start with their brand of heavy metal. As vocalist Chad Smith belted out his throaty growls amid the malevolent guitars of Bryan Gentry and the thunderous drums of Steve Baca, the band unleashed a furious set of hardcore metal aggression that, while not lacking in a certain sense of proficiency, ultimately reminds of the equally heavy moments of Pantera or Slayer. Smith's extensive dreadlocks put this writer in the mind of Soulfly's Max Cavalera, as well as some of the more tribal elements exhibited by Baca's drumming, although this has become a staple of many groove metal acts in recent years. In between songs, Smith addressed the audience and commended them on their sense of community and how it was that factor that kept Hemlock together for 15 years before the release of their debut album in March of this year. The audience was as receptive to Hemlock as they would be any metal show with the mosh pit in full swing, bodies thrashing, heads banging, and fists waving, though the full capacity of the venue was rather scattered. Still, Hemlock did a decent job opening for two of the more revered acts in the metal scene.
By the time Meshuggah took to the stage, the audience had already started to assemble to the front, the balconies crowded as people snugly bunched together to see the band unleash their technical metal assault. From the brutal polyrhythmic percussion of Tomas Haake to the guttural bass and guitar growls of Dick Lövgren, Mårten Hagström, and Fredrik Thordendal, and topped off by the venomous rasp of Jens Kidman, the band blasted out a powerful set made up primarily of songs from their most recent album, Obzen, the highlight of which was "Bleed," while including a number of older songs. Thordendal's jazz-inspired solos raced furiously amid the intertwining instrumental harmonies, exhibiting their trademark precision and technique. At several points during the show, some audience members could be heard remarking on Haake's proficiency on the drums, even going so far as to state, "He makes this band." While it can't be argued that as his drumming (and his lyrics) form a significant core for much of Meshuggah's music, the interplay among these five musicians should not be understated, and while many could easily pass Kidman's vocals off as little more than shouts and screams, this would not do justice to the subtle sense of rhythm and melody at work in his delivery, his tones adjusting wonderfully to each nuance in the music. Another interesting (and perhaps humorous) facet to the performance was in the audience's attempts to headbang to the music; given Meshuggah's intricate and dynamic rhythms, one would be hard-pressed to identify their time signatures at any given time as they're in a continuous state of flux. Nevertheless, the crowd could not be more enthusiastic, their cheers reaching earsplitting volume as the band played old favorites like "Rational Gaze" and "Future Breed Machine." While not the headliner, Meshuggah took the stage as proudly and as surely as if they had been.
Finally, Ministry took the stage, boasting an all-star lineup of musicians that could easily put the likes of Pigface to shame. Al Jourgensen appeared ready to release his industrial metal fury, decked out in a black suit complete with shades and a rather cool top hat, his mic stand bearing his trademark crossbones. Despite battling a case of bronchitis, Jourgensen gave the performance his all, screeching out his gravelly voice with remarkable fervor. The set concentrated primarily on songs from the more recent albums - the anti-Bush trilogy of Houses of the Molé, Rio Grande Blood, and especially The Last Sucker - beginning with "Let's Go," which revved the audience up perfectly as the mosh pit began thrashing about almost instantly. The set continued with more choice tracks from the later albums, including Al's diatribe against the Patriot Act titled "Watch Yourself," to the character attacks on our commander-in-chief of "The Last Sucker" and "N.O.W.," and the call to arms for those awaiting a change in a dysfunctional system "Still Waiting." Joining Al on stage was the twin guitar onslaught of Prong's Tommy Victor and Sin Quirin of the Revolting Cocks. Chugging out a powerful array of riffs and machine gun solos, their stage presence recalled all the best moments of Ministry's past from guitarists like Mike Scaccia and the late William Tucker, only with an updated sheen. In lieu of bassist Paul Raven's untimely passing late last year, Tony Campos of Static-X filled the void on the low end more than adequately, and in conjunction with Prong's Aaron Rossi on drums, made for a vicious rhythm section. Filling out the lineup was John Bechdel on keyboards. As Jourgensen did well to point out, the man's resume is rather extensive, lending his skills to such groups as Ascension of the Watchers, False Icons, Prong, and Killing Joke to name a few... or as Jourgensen put it, "Who hasn't this guy worked with?" Also joining the band from Ascension of the Watchers was Burton C. Bell, best known as the vocalist for Fear Factory and who also lent his inimitable voice to "End of Days" on The Last Sucker, although his appearance on the stage would not be until the encores. Regardless of the band's tight performance and ferocious energy, there was a modicum of tension as many were aching to hear some of the band's hits. At one point (or perhaps several), an obviously drunk patron shouted, "Fuck this new shit! Play old school!" It wasn't until the first encore that his hopes and those of many longtime fans in attendance were answered as Ministry thrust down the audience's proverbial throat what is perhaps their biggest hit, "N.W.O.," followed by "So What?" and "Thieves." While the mechanized rhythms of the original versions were not abandoned, the live experience of this well-oiled industrial metal machine is truly the best way to hear these songs performed. And just when you thought it was over, the band returns on stage for one final encore. Mirroring the release of Cover Up several months after The Last Sucker, their renditions of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid" showed the band letting it all hang loose with no more intentions other than end the night with one hell of a party vibe.
As the show comes to a close, the feeling is beyond bittersweet, even downright tragic, for once Ministry left the stage... thus closed the curtain on a band that has endured many pitfalls over the years, and has managed to maintain an aggressively loyal following. To see Ministry perform live is to see industrial metal at its finest, a band that without which, we would never have seen the coldwave movement of the '90s, nor the industrial rock that took over the mainstream for a short time as groups like Nine Inch Nails, Gravity Kills, Stabbing Westward, and Filter became a prominent fixture for the scene. Without Ministry, we would perhaps not see the recent wave of heavy metal acts incorporating electronic and industrial textures and mechanical rhythms to augment their more traditional guitar/bass/drum format as seen in bands like Society 1 and Dope, or even earlier bands like Godflesh, and Fear Factory. Al Jourgensen may be entering into a new phase with his label and production house of 13th Planet Records, but it's with no small amount of sadness, adulation, and reverence that Baltimore bade a loud and raucous farewell to Ministry.
Ministry, Baltimore, MD, April 26, 2008
Meshuggah, Baltimore, MD, April 26, 2008
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