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Thursday 29 February 2024

Reviews: Ministry, Suicidal Angels, Tiger On Opium, Messiah (Reviews By Rich Piva, Matt Bladen, Paul Hutchings & Mark Young)

Ministry - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (Nuclear Blast Records) [Rich Piva]

Three bands really shaped my listening habits and ultimately changed my life when it comes to my heavy music love today. First, was hearing Slayer, Seasons In The Abyss. Next was The Misfits collection. Third, and probably the most profound experience was hearing Ministry’s In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up. Up until that point I had no idea music could be that intense, that scary, that heavy, not just in what was being played but what came with it. I have never been blown away by an album like I was by In Case

Uncle Al and I have been on a life journey together, through lots of ups and downs, (talking musically now, call my therapist for other stuff) with more ups that downs, but some serios musical bumps along the way. It would be impossible for Al to recreate the lightning in a bottle of In Case and The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste, or the huge platinum success (without ever compromising on the heavy) of Psalm 69, or even the sludgy FU of Filth Pig

So, to expect that would be unreasonable, but what I long for with a new Ministry album is something different and something unique that will stand out from the more recent good but not great output. Well, here we are in 2024, Uncle Al is still really pissed (and happily still alive) and brings us the best Ministry record in decades with HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES.

B.D.E. opens us up with a Psalm 69 leaning vibe. A heavy, slow burn with well-placed samples, and multiple vocal styles, this could have been a B-Side from 1992. Did I mention slow burn, yeah it is until we suddenly go all hardcore on your ass. B.D.E. goes in all sorts of heavy and wonderful directions. 

Goddamn White Trash reminds me of one of the better more recent Ministry tracks, with that breakneck tempo and signature Al vocals. Al has been extremely political over the past three decades and this continues here. Tread lightly if you lean a certain way. More political discourse is the theme of Just Stop Oil, which is another solid late period Ministry track that does harken back to some old school tendencies, especially during the bridge. 

Aryan Embarrassment is in Test Grand Wizard from TMIATTTT vocal style and chugs along nicely embarrassing all those Nazi assholes that are out there today. TV Song…remember TV Song and TV II from the Jesus Build My Hotrod single and Psalm 69? This is a continuation of those rippers, and I am here for it. New Religion is unfortunately not a Duran Duran cover, but it is my favourite track on HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, as we have Al, in trademarked Ministry mid-tempo form, adding harmonies to the chorus with glorious results. 

You want Ministry unplugged? Well enjoy the first half of the acoustic driven, but still with those Ministry vocals on It’s Not Pretty, before the heavy kicks in and that extremely distinct Ministry sound hits you. Did I say distinct Ministry, because there is saxophone and female vocals to accompany all the samples. Could I have done without Cult Of Suffering? Yup. Ricky’s Hand however is an 80s style synth driven surprise that closes out HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES surprising perfectly.

HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES is still a later period Ministry record, but it is for sure one of the best ones since the turn of the century. New Religion and B.D.E. alone make this some high-level Ministry material. Could this have been a bit shorter? Probably. Will the politics be too much for some? Yes, but those people should not be listening to Ministry anyway. Ministry fans should be very happy here, as HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES delivers more than we could hope for in 2024. 8/10

Suicidal Angels - Profane Prayer (Nuclear Blast) [Matt Bladen]

Started in 2001 when Nick Melissourgos (vocals/guitars) was just 16, Profane Prayer is the eighth album from Greek thrash metal band Suicidal Angels, four years since their last album Years Of Aggression they return with some more aggressive thrash metal that owes more to the Teutonic style and the second wave American one. Think Kreator, Sodom, Destruction and Exodus. Spurred on by associations and patronage by Sakis Tolis and Mille Petrozza, they have climbed the ranks to become one the Hellenic scenes most prizes metal bands. 

Profane Prayer isn't your typical thrash release though due in part to Nick's voracious appetite for books, especially the philosophy of Plato, Nietzsche and Socrates along with a healthy dollop of Edgar Allan Poe. Teaming up with Fotis Bernardo and Jens Borgen to bring in a wider range of influences that sees them base themselves in thrash on Purified By Fire, but explore melodeath on When The Lions Die, prog metal and cinematic tendencies on Deathstalker which features Sakis Tolis, Efthimis Karadimas (Nightfall) and Fotis Benardo behind the mic, though it's Nick's gruff voice that keeps the thrash alive along with his rhythm playing. 

Gus Drax's lead guitar lightning strikes are brought forth as much as possible, shredding through the metallic riffage that's the realm of Nick, Angelos Lelikakis (bass) and Orfeas Tzortzopoulos (drums), as effective on thrashers such as The Return Of The Reaper as they are on the epic last cut The Paths Of Fate. On their eighth album Suicidal Angels, display their experience but also their ability to think outside of the thrash template. 8/10

Tigers On Opium – Psychodrama (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Paul Hutchings]

When you see a band are signed to Heavy Psych Sounds, there’s not much doubt about what you’re going to get. Tigers On Opium bring ten tracks of stoner drenched psych rock that is certainly worthy of a listen if you are fan of the genre. 

I don't think for one minute that they do anything mind-blowing, but they certainly do what they do well. With a settled line-up, the band now comprise founders Juan Carlos Caceres (producer / Vocalist /Guitarist), drummer / multi-instrumentalist Nare Wright, and more recently guitarist Jeanot-Lewis Rolland and bassist Charlie Hodge.
 
The tracks roll along in four-minute blasts, the rolling vibes maintaining trippy and engaging sound that keeps the interest. Three songs of similar style quickly bring the album to the boil, the opening Ride Or DieBlack Mass and Diabolique all heavy on the riff. It’s intoxicating stuff, catchy and full of groove that gets the head nodding and the feet taping.
 
Things slow down a lit on the psychedelic trip that is Retrovertigo. A calmer, gentle meander through time, it’s a track that works as effectively as the three that precede it. Intricate and melancholic, it’s the perfect foil for what follows, the rampant drive of Sky Below My Feet, which is propelled forward by Hodge’s bass

At times you can lose yourself within this album. The powerful vibe of Paradise Lost is followed by the album’s most interesting song, Radioactive. At over seven-minutes in length, it’s the longest track here, and exudes a real retro flavour. There’s a nod to Zeppelin as the song slows before a single guitar takes the track to its conclusion. 

There’s another spiritual journey before the end as well. The psychedelic Separation Of The Mind clocks in just shy of seven-minutes, and it’s another fine trip to enjoy as the album comes to an end with a reprise of the opening song Ride Of Die.
 
I’ll be honest, this didn’t set my world on fire. It did, however, make for a fine hour of listening, and playing it several times to spend a bit of time with it wasn’t a chore. It’s an album that I think will get better on repeated plays, and I’d certainly recommend a visit to make up your own mind. 7/10

Messiah - Christus Hypercubus (High Roller Records) [Mark Young]

Switzerland! Home to Heidi, Neutrality, incredible chocolate, and extreme music that would stop a (Swiss) clock. Ahem.

Messiah have been active since 1984 which puts them right at the start of the fledgling extreme scene that included Hellhammer and later became Celtic Frost. They went on hiatus after 1994’s Underground saw them reform in 2018. A new album, Fracmont came along in 2020 before OG vocalist Andy Kaina left in late 2021, leaving them to regroup and refocus, taking on new singer Marcus Seebach to move forward once more.

For my sins, I knew nothing about them before this album, which is something I’m about to put right now. And it’s a bit of all right, Sikhote Alin exploding with an absolute belter of a riff that has that old school flavour to it as it, the musical battery is front and centre, right up to the demanded solo break which is delivered in a tasteful and restrained way. The riff is king here and it is on point, possessing that authenticity that comes from having been there and done that.

Christus Hypercubus takes the baton and runs with it, offering a speedier run via those trem-picking verse moments. The main riff itself is an exercise in simplicity, it's not complicated but does exactly what it needs to which is to give space for the more instrumental middle moments. That space is key, giving the song the necessary room to be engaging and show that they are certainly not stuck in the past with ideas and execution.

A frantic opening solo kicks Once Upon A Time…Nothing Off, with that high pace running through it. It has that early death metal build to it, and it is a welcome blast from a band having fun, which bleeds through the speakers. Speedsucker Romance, sorry it didn’t vibe with me. Next.

They are back on track with Centipede Bite, It is rapid, with some more top-level riffology plus quality solo and they there again maintaining that high level of songcraft that has been on display here and with Soul Observatory, its main riff sounding like the Munsters with added triplets. It's raucous and a real blast.

Acid Fish is another one that combines different riff structures to great effect, moving constantly and never settling in one lane. It's another display from a band who know how to put things together and are not afraid to take from their past to move forward now. The Venus Baroness I and The Venus Baroness II close out, with part 1 just going for it, extended solos, heads down fast moments, and of course prime riffs but could probably been trimmed a little. Part 2 heads down a more mid-tempo route, which throws in some melodic flourishes as it makes its way to the end.

This is a strong, strong outing from them. Students of extreme metal will know about them, but others like me probably won’t do. This is a perfect introduction to a band that has rediscovered it’s love for the music and now want to share that with you. It works on almost every song; I won’t lie I just didn’t dig Speedsucker Romance due to it not sitting well with the other songs. Each one has that quality build to it; riffs are everywhere and there is some real magic when they opt to pull back with gentler moments in the run-up to solo breaks such as in Soul Observatory

It’s a welcome addition to metal in 2024. In terms of a score, it is a difficult one because overall it’s a good listen. Some of the songs probably run a little too long if I’m being totally honest despite those class riffs. Despite that, I think that fans of the band will welcome this with open arms. For the uninitiated, give them a spin!! 7/10

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