The term squirrely can mean someone trying to hide something and boy is this applicable to Al Jourgensen and Ministry’s early to mid 80’s output.
Al’s hatred of the band’s early days is legendary, particularly his dissatisfaction with the Arista record deal. He’s since come to terms with it, the reception to Ministry’s With Sympathy/Twitch-dominated set at 2024’s Cruel World further convincing him it was time to give the tracks a makeover. The band’s line-up for the album is the returning John Bechdel (Prong, Fear Factory, Ascension of The Watchers) – keyboards, Monte Pittman (ex Prong, Madonna) – Guitar, Cesar Soto – Guitar, Pepe Clarke Magaña (Kyng)– Drums and Paul D’Amour (ex- Tool) on Bass. Excited? You should be…
The With Sympathy tracks commence with “Work For Love” and thankfully the English Vocal affectations of yesteryear are gone. The track beautifully retains the New-Wavey Funk of the original but melded with the band’s heavier, Metallic post-Psalm 69 output. There’s also a sample thrown in for good measure, a promising start. “Here We Go” mixes the original’s Depeche Mode Synth-Pop vibes and as with “Work For Love”, Guitars are employed though thankfully not the overdriven Thrash variety that has dominated Ministry’s output for the past two decades. The song even swings in parts and that’s hardly something that could be said about From Beer to Eternity for example, another winner. “Revenge” was always an earworm, and its no different here.
In fact the sparkling Synths meeting crunchy Dave Mustaine style Guitars is Pop-metal but without the embarrassing cliches associated with Def Leppard and their contemporaries, a brilliantly constructed piece. “I’m Not An Effigy” with its much slower pace and sludgier sound wouldn’t have sounded out of place on 1995’s criminally overlooked Filth Pig, impressive.
The next five tracks are a series of non-album singles, the first of which is “All Day”. There’s not a massive amount of reworking, the Darkwave feel of the original is evident, recalling early Human League before that bands descent into the creative mire. Evidentially a number that Jourgensen isn’t quite as ashamed of. One of Ministry’s most beloved tracks “Everyday is Halloween” is something of a Goth anthem that can easily be danced along to. Again the use of Guitars are tastefully utilized and never threaten to overwhelm the track, superb. “I’m Falling” (b/w “Cold Life”) was the band’s first ever release and saw them influenced by the then thriving Post-Punk scene ala Joy Division and The Cure. The addition of Cold Wave vibes make it sound like it could have been inspired by any number of Artoffact Records artists. “Same Old Madness” is a slab of Electro-Punk and Proto-Industrial Rock Killing Joke goodness and I’ll Do Anything For You is tasty New Order-esque New Wave as well as the aforementioned Cure, especially they started to go down a Poppier, experimental route around the time of Japanese Whispers and Head on the Door.
Those who pick up the CD copy of the record are treated to three bonus Twitch era tracks; “Just Like You”, “We Believe” and “Over The Shoulder”. This was an era that saw Ministry adopt a harder edged sound and was a foreshadow of what they’d eventually morph into (The Land of Rape and Honey). Rhythmic, punishing anthems that will have EBM fans salivating, Cabaret Voltaire and Front 242 fans take note.
The Squirrely Years is an intelligent and creative ‘reimagining’ of a criminally overlooked period of Ministry’s history. Its hopeful that it may even encourage fans accustomed to the band’s latter day albums to check out the originals in all their glory, their best record in years.
Buy the album here:
https://cleorecs.com/search?q=ministry+squirrely+years+revisited
9 / 10
REZA MILLS
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