Industrial metal pioneers MINISTRY have released the official music video for their cover version of THE STOOGES‘ 1973 classic “Search And Destroy”. The track, which features guitar virtuoso Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL, ROYAL MACHINES), is taken from the band’s 15th studio album, “Moral Hygiene”, which is due on October 1 via Nuclear Blast Records.
MINISTRY frontman Al Jourgensen told Rolling Stone about the Dean Karr-directed clip: “He picked out this desert airplane graveyard run rampant with rattlesnakes. I was in 35 pounds of gear learning how to use an antiquated weapon that weighs about 210-215 pounds at eight in the morning and all and all the video was actually the smoothest shoot I’ve ever done over the course of 15-20 videos I’ve done in my career. It’s one of the memories I’ll take to my grave.”
In a recent interview with Australia’s Heavy, Jourgensen stated about the new LP’s musical direction: “Same old stuff. Just a progression of the MINISTRY sound that’s been refined for the last 30 [or] 40 years. And I think we hit a good one this time. There’s a couple that I wish I could have back, and there’s a couple that I’m really gung-ho about. But this one’s in the ‘gung-ho’ category. This one makes a lot of sense for the times that we’re living in.”
As for the lyrical themes covered on “Moral Hygiene”, Jourgensen said: “We cover everything — from the actual pandemic to climate change to the political climate now. And I don’t mean so much the politicians as much as the rise of fascist tendencies all over the world and in various countries. And a lot of life topics like that.”
The album’s first single, “Good Trouble”, was released in early July. The song, inspired by the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and the activist work of the late congressman John Lewis, was accompanied by a video that includes sampling from last year’s demonstrations in Los Angeles as captured by Jourgensen and his partner Liz Walton. “Moral Hygiene” also includes the previously released “Alert Level” that sounded the alarms about our collective dissonance towards the pandemic, climate change and the man formerly in the White House, bolstered by the song’s overarching question posed to listeners: “How concerned are you?” The new album also adds perspective to the countless lives that were tragically lost to the COVID-19 pandemic on the haunting track “Death Toll” while “Disinformation” describes the too frequent willingness to accept everything — even mistruths — as fact.
Other musical jewels on the upcoming release include a collaboration with Jello Biafra (Jourgensen‘s cohort in side project LARD) on “Sabotage Is Sex”.
“Moral Hygiene” was recorded with engineer Michael Rozon (also behind the boards on “AmeriKKKant”) at Scheisse Dog Studio, Jourgensen‘s self-built home studio and creative lab. As with all MINISTRY albums, all songs are written and performed by Jourgensen. Additional contributions come from Morrison, Cesar Soto (MAN THE MUTE), John Bechdel (KILLING JOKE, FEAR FACTORY), Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR, SOULFLY, NAUSEA), Paul D’Amour (TOOL, FEERSUM ENNJIN), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.), Jello Biafra (DEAD KENNEDYS) and sitar player Flash.
“Moral Hygiene” will be available in CD, vinyl and digital download formats.
