856 Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (Psalm 69) (1992)

 856 Ministry - ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (Psalm 69) (1992)

Studio Album - Industrial Metal




About the Act:

Ministry are an American band from Chicago. They stated out in 1981 as a synth-pop band but turned to metal as their hair grew out. They are considered to be pioneers of industrial metal. The one constant member has bee Al Jourgensen. They had a gap between 2008 and 2011, but are back in business. They have created 14 studio albums.


About the Album:

This album's official title is ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ, but it is often known as Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs. The album is probably named after chapter 69 in Alistair Crowley's book "The Book of Lies" which has the same title. It was their most successful album commercially. Because of the success of their previous studio album, the label gave the band an outrageous advance. By the time they had spent it all (mostly on drugs) they had produced one song, and demanded more money. The recording was beset with fighting between two factions in the band.


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

I am definitely variable in my application of objections to albums, I'm sorry about that dear listener. I am not rock-solid the same in my attitudes all the way through, I guess. There is plenty to do with this band and this album that I might object to. It has references to drugs, the religious stuff is quite strongly anti-Christian and designed to shock, and the lifestyle of the band while making the album was objectionable. Despite these things, I enjoyed the album.

I'm not opposed to metal, in fact I like a good bit of metal. A lot of the metal I listen to is prog metal, which leans towards the complicated. This is a lot simpler than a lot of that. The thing that I like about it is the energy, and the feel of it. Mostly, it's kind of crossed-over with sampling/electronica, almost dance metal. There is a lot of use of little samples of speech and noises done in a way that is reminiscent of early 90s stuff, like rave music, or if you remember Sigue Sigue Sputnik or Paul Hardcastle. Lots of studio work. It has the driving feel of ZZ Top, but is definitely in the metal genre. This makes it some of the most accessible metal I have heard in many ways, it's head-bobbing music (not quite head-banging from me) - good driving music. There are different grooves thrown in, and the last track is more industrial and dark and sound-effecty, the successful single from it (Jesus Built My Hot-Rod) is like metal and Rockabilly mixed. Elsewhere there is the harmonic content that is now typical in metal, with strange leaps and semitones. A lot of it is quite fast, some of it is very fast.

The lyrics are sometimes just the vox samples, sometimes there is throaty shouting that has been distorted, and at least one track has the distinctive grunting that makes death metal these days. Some of it is pretty hard to understand, and some of it is possibly just as well.

The whole thing is somehow a blend of bouncy and dark, and while it is definitely metal, and therefore of limited public interest, it's that dance-like energy that actually makes is a good listen. It doesn't feel like an album beset with difficulties, it feels very well-produced (and the production really is the star here) and I guess the fact that they got to choose the best 9 out of the 30 tracks they recorded didn't hurt.


8/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2wz3P1w89gQd3iXdmF1IA5

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=747xyHsIU_E

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_69:_The_Way_to_Succeed_and_the_Way_to_Suck_Eggs



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots ...
Read more

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop ...
Read more

843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967)

Image
 843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Soul About the Act: The Chambers Brothers are an American Psychedelic Soul band from LA, who were formed in 1954 and are still going. They were at heart four brothers, but I think they have now all left the band.  About the Album: This was their debut album (12 years on from forming as a band), and it spawned their most successful single Time Has Come Today. My History with this Album: None. I had never heard of the Chambers Brothers before this list. Review: I am not an American, nor a Social Historian, but I think I can accurately claim that in 1960s America there was a certain separation between the Black community and other communities. As a result of this, and for marketing reasons, the idea of music that was created with a Black audience in mind was an actual thing. I'm not sure if today we would be quite so sure about what constitutes "Black Music", but then, I think, they were generally q...
Read more