Ministry & Alien Weaponry

Article and Photos by: E. Jourdain, Jr.

Minneapolis, Minnesota – Ministry released AmeriKKKant in March of 2018 and hit the road for a Spring tour celebrating the release of their first album in five years. The band took a summer break but packed up and hit the road again for a Fall tour, this time bringing out Alien Weaponry and Carpenter Brut. Carpenter Brut were not at this event, as they were unable to make the first five dates due to Visa issues.

Alien Weaponry are a young thrash trio from New Zealand. They open with an extended intro to “PC Bro” which features a brief Māori Haka that is performed by the band. Alien Weaponry continuously encourage moshing during their songs but at this particular venue it’s a little tough to do. The concrete floor is a constant incline from the stage to the back as it is an old theatre. Despite the lack of a mosh pit, the thrashing groove riffs with the stomping drums are a perfect combo to headbang along with. This is Alien Weaponry’s first ever North American tour; they have made a name for themselves in their homeland, and in their young career they’ve left a good impression in the States thus far. Give these young gentlemen a listen and if you’re able to catch them on this tour, do it.

Official Alien Weaponry Website

Ministry has quite the live action chemistry as they are a supergroup comprised of well-known veteran musicians. Joining Jourgensen on stage are Sin Quirin – guitar, Tony Campos – bass, Cesar Soto – guitar, John Bechdel – keys, and Derek Abrams on drums. The bands main man Al Jourgensen frequently plays guitar throughout the set.

Ministry has been on the road quite often this year to promote the new album. AmeriKKKant is a nine-track LP. The band starts off the show with the intro from the new album and goes non-stop covering its entirety in what would be the first portion of the set. The performance of the new album is well received. As you can probably tell from the its title, AmeriKKKant is politically charged in classic Ministry fashion.

After rocking the new songs, the band dives into the classic of classics from the Ministry catalogue. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Ministry’s influential album The Land of Rape and Honey. The entire second half of the set featured songs from this album, Psalm: 69 and The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste.

Ministry had an energetic performance; this was my second time ever catching them live and both times they were very impressive. The band’s chemistry and enduring energy on stage made for a great showcase for the new album, and — as an added bonus — the audience got to hear some of their oldest/greatest classics.

This tour goes on until the end of December. Carpenter Brute has made it to the States now, be sure to get out to see this show if you can! Find all remaining tour dates here on the Official Ministry website.