As the world continues hanging on by a thread through pandemics, wildfires, climate change, social-political chaos, and social media-fueled conspiracy theories, at least there’s Ministry to get us through. Industrial provocateur Al Jourgensen is ready to unleash his latest missives with Ministry’s groundbreaking 16th album, Hopiumforthemasses, slated for release on March 1, 2024, via Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the six-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum act gives the first taste of the new material with the official release of “Goddamn White Trash,” featuring Pepper Keenan (C.O.C.), a song that made its debut on Ministry’s headline tour earlier this year. See the video for “Goddamn White Trash,” directed by Dean Karr, here:
Pre-order the album here:
https://ministry.bfan.link/hftm
Over the course of 9 tracks, Jourgensen is righteously cantankerous as ever about a f***ed up world ripe for a boot up its ass. Like always, he’s merely looking around at the same dumpster fire we all are, but he’s got a microphone and uses it well to rage on about the state of the world.
“Just like you or anybody else, I’m simply a passenger in this lifetime,” says Jourgensen. “I’m watching social changes, political changes, and economic changes, and I comment on them because I do have a First Amendment right. A lot of people say artists and athletes should shut up and play ball. No, I’m on this trip too. If I see something, I say something. That reflects on where each album goes. Instead of staying sedentary and singing about broken relationships, inner turmoil, or whatever is hurting this week, I comment on what’s going on from the perspective of a fellow passenger.”
Joined by Ministry’s current frontline of musicians – John Bechdel (keyboards), Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto (guitars), Roy Mayorga (drums) and Paul D’Amour (bass) – HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES also has a slew of special guest contributors including Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, long-time collaborator and Lard companion Jello Biafra and Corrosion of Conformity frontman Pepper Keenan.
Hopiumforthemasses will be available in three vinyl variants, a CD jewelcase and digital/streaming platforms. The vinyl variants include: green with yellow splatter (in stores everywhere); blue with pink splatter (nuclear blast exclusive); red with white splatter (band/tour exclusive).
The release of Hopiumforthemasses follows Ministry’s acclaimed 2021 album Moral Hygiene kickstarted another era for the band. The critically acclaimed LP wound up on year-end lists from the likes of Consequence of Sound and Loudwire, as the band continued to sell out venues coast-to-coast on the Industrial Strength tour.
Tracklist for Hopiumforthemasses:
B.D.E.
Goddamn White Trash***
Just Stop Oil
Aryan Embarrassment**
TV Song 1/6 Edition
New Religion
It’s Not Pretty
Cult of Suffering*
Ricky’s Hand
*Featuring Eugene Hütz (Gogol Bordello)
**Featuring Jello Biafra
***Featuring Pepper Keenan
Beginning August 24, Ministry will embark on the Freaks On Parade Tour, supporting Rob Zombie and Alice Coope, with Filter.
FREAKS ON PARADE TOUR
With Ministry Opening For Rob Zombie & Alice Cooper
August 2023
24 Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
26 Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
27 West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
29 Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
30 Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
September 2023
1 Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
2 Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena
5 Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
6 Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
8 Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
9 Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
10 Hartford, CT @ XFINITY Theatre
12 Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
13 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
15 Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater
16 Englewood, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
19 Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
20 Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
22 Concord, CA @ Concord Pavillion
23 Anaheim, CA @ HONDA Center
24 Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion
For tickets and more information, visit www.ministryband.com/tour
(Photo by Derick Smith)
ABOUT MINISTRY
Born in 1981 in Chicago, Ministry has been the lifetime passion project of founder Al Jourgensen, considered to be the pioneer of industrial music. In its early days, Ministry was identifiable by its heavy synth-pop material in line with the new sounds and technology that were being developed in the ‘80s. Ministry’s output began with four 12” singles on Wax Trax! Records in 1981 before the first LP With Sympathy in 1983 via Arista Records. As time progressed however, so did Ministry, quickly developing a harsher, and more stylized sound that the band soon became infamous for on seminal albums Twitch (1986), The Land of Rape and Honey (1988), and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (1989). With the release of Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and The Way to Suck Eggs (1992), Ministry hit an all-time high in the mainstream musical realm and received its first Grammy nomination. In total, Ministry has been nominated for a Grammy award six times. Eight more albums would follow before an indefinite break in 2013, only to be unearthed again in 2018 with AmeriKKKant, continuing to reflect Jourgensen’s views on the frightening state of society and politics. The 2021 album Moral Hygiene marked a new creative era of Jourgensen and the band. Ministry’s 16th studio album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, will be released in early 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records.
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