The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
The Spill Magazine The Spill Magazine
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
16
new
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CALLUM PITT – IN THE BALANCE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LAURA WOLF – SHELF LIFE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RORY McBRIDE – SONIC LULLABY
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NIALL CONNOLLY – THE PATIENCE OF TREES
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEVE FORBERT – STREETS OF THIS TOWN: REVISITED
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GLORYHAMMER – RETURN TO THE KINGDOM OF FIFE
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HALF MOON RUN – SALT
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEN FOLDS – WHAT MATTERS MOST
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEACH FOSSILS – BUNNY
SPILL NEWS: BLUE ÖYSTER CULT RETURNS TO FRONTIERS MUSIC SRL | SPECIAL 50th ANNIVERSARY MUSIC PACKAGES SET FOR RELEASE STARTING LATER THIS YEAR
SPILL NEW MUSIC: HANNAH GEORGAS ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM DETAILS
SPILL NEWS: SPEEDY ORTIZ ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM ‘RABBIT RABBIT’ & SHARE NEW SINGLE/VIDEO FOR “YOU S02” | TOUR DATES
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: THE BLUES EMERGENCY – “A LOVE REVOLUTION”
SPILL FEATURE: FIRST MOVEMENT – A CONVERSATION WITH MISTER JOSHOOA
SPILL VIDEO PREMIERE: ROB CROW & KRAMER – “KEROSENE”
SPILL NEW MUSIC: GISUN – “VEO VEO”
  • Reviews
    • Album Reviews
    • Features
    • Live Reviews
    • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • Headlines
    • News
    • Contests
    • Events
    • Entertainment Headlines
    • Concert Listings
    • Toronto Concert Venues
  • New Music
    • Premieres
    • Track Of The Day
  • Track Of The Month
  • Books + Movies
  • About
  • Spill Menu
    • Reviews
      • Album Reviews
      • Features
      • Live Reviews
      • Festivals
    • Portraits
    • Headlines
      • News
      • Contests
      • Events
      • Entertainment Headlines
      • Concert Listings
      • Toronto Concert Venues
    • New Music
      • Premieres
      • Track Of The Day
    • Track Of The Month
    • Books + Movies
    • About
Album Reviews
1
1091
previous article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: ONEIDA - ROMANCE
next article
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MYLES KENNEDY - YEAR OF THE TIGER

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MINISTRY – AMERIKKKANT

Ministry

Ministry
AmeriKKKant
Nuclear Blast

To say that America has been in a sense of disarray since the election of their current president, Trump, is an understatement. Every day or so seems to offer a new fiasco, ranging from taunting North Korea with war to appearing as a sputtering mess during press conferences, and the public backlash has been both livid and constant; yet the rock world has been relatively quiet. While hip-hop sensations of the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Run The Jewels have been consistently political in this period, few rock bands have carried on the tradition of protest music that was an inseparable part of the genre’s origins and legacy. In this manner, Ministry’s first record since 2013’s From Beer to Eternity — a record that was thought to be the final record from the band following the passing of long-time guitarist Mike Scaccia — AmeriKKKant is incredibly refreshing.

“I Know Words” opens with the sound of Trump’s voice, sampled and manipulated, as he spouts phrases synonymous with his political platform, most notably, “We will make America great again.” The song serves as an instrumental prelude driven by electronic textures and the incredibly rich tone of a cello. The following track, “Twilight Zone,” picks up exactly where “I Know Words” concluded and builds into a much more bombastic and explosive song. One of the most interesting traits of AmeriKKKant is how each song bleeds into the next, and while they are separated by individual song titles, the record can be viewed as one lengthy song that follows a narrative of questioning and challenging authority. The concept itself is quite ambitious; to my recollection, it has only been successfully done on Prince’s 1988 release, Lovesexy. However, Ministry’s take on this format creates a deep-rooted sense of coherence that only adds to the power of the lyrical content. In many ways, this is almost a protest to the often-disposable means and attitudes by which people consume music, as to hear only a part of this record, separate from the rest, is to listen to something that is incomplete. AmeriKKKant may not beg for your attention, but it certainly will demand it.

As the album develops, a number of short tracks mainly consisting of sampled audio introduce thematic information for the upcoming song. The amount of these tracks, while powerful in the sample selection, feels a bit too much, cutting the music of the album a bit shorter than one would expect. That being said, they communicate a message, giving the album an extra layer of depth. Musically, however, AmeriKKKant is among Ministry’s most exciting records in decades. “We’re Tired of It” leans heavy on modern thrash metal, while “Wargasm” is much more in line with current industrial work from the likes of Filter and Nine Inch Nails. The best tracks, however, are near the end of the record. The lead single “Antifa” is a modern industrial masterpiece, while the following two tracks, “Game Over” and “AmeriKKKa,” (which features the unexpected use of horns and a lengthy guitar solo) are just as heavy and intense; ultimately ending the record at its strongest.

When I spoke to Al Jourgensen — the mastermind and sole founding member of Ministry — he reaffirmed that AmeriKKKant was simply a reflection of what he was seeing socially, culturally, and politically under Trump’s reign. AmeriKKKant paints a bleak portrait of an America that is on the brink on implosion. This is a record that sounds like a dystopia. It’s desolate, aggressive, and disheartening. This is where the heart of the record lies and gains its momentum from as a tool for revolution and reform. Ministry pulls no punches on AmeriKKKant, a record that successfully sets the musical tone for America of today, while also serving as a strong comeback for the industrial rock pioneers.



Artist Links

website_flat_2016 facebook_flat_2016 twitter_flat_2016 instagram_flat_2016

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Item Reviewed

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MINISTRY – AMERIKKKANT

Author

Gerrod Harris

Here's what we think...
Spill Rating
Fan Rating
Rate Here
New Criteria
10
8.4
8.0
Total Spill Rating
8.4
Total Fan Rating
8 ratings
You have rated this
Album Reviews
album reviewsamericaamerikkkantantifachelsea wolfedonald trumpministrynuclear blastpledgemusicusa
album reviews, america, amerikkkant, antifa, chelsea wolfe, donald trump, ministry, nuclear blast, pledgemusic, usa
About the Author
Gerrod Harris
A passion for music has always been a part of Gerrod’s life. As a young boy, he was raised on a steady diet of the music from The Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, The Stones, Prince, and others from his mum. Raised in the GTA, Gerrod continued to foster his love for music by attending a wide range of concerts and learning the drums. His unapologetic passion for music has no bounds and has spread to a wide variety of styles, whether it be the 90’s rock that sound tracked his teenage years, the jazz he studied in university, or his newfound love for hip-hop. He recently received his bachelors in music and education from York University and is passionate about writing and reviewing good (and less than good) music. Gerrod is also the drummer and songwriter for a Toronto based rock & roll band, One In The Chamber.
RELATED ARTICLES
album reviewsamericaamerikkkant
 
8.0
Callum Pitt
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CALLUM PITT – IN THE BALANCE

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on June 2, 2023
Callum Pitt In The Balance Kaleidoscope Music Very often, it is quite a challenge for artists releasing a debut album, not only to come up with right music, but also with a title that would describe that music the best. Newcastle, England [...]
 
9.0
Laura Wolf

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LAURA WOLF – SHELF LIFE

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on June 2, 2023
Laura Wolf Shelf Life Whatever’s Clever Back in the late 90s folktronica was all the rage. But somehow, and for whatever reason, the whole shebang seemed to have been lost, with or without translation, with most of the artists going one [...]
 
8.0
Rory McBride

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RORY McBRIDE – SONIC LULLABY

by Ljubinko Zivkovic on June 2, 2023
Rory McBride Sonic Lullaby Independent Keeping things short and sweet just might be a perfect way for an artist to introduce themself and their music to the world. That is exactly the route 29-yr-old American singer/songwriter/poet Rory Mc Bride [...]
 
9.0
Niall Connolly
10

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NIALL CONNOLLY – THE PATIENCE OF TREES

by Aaron Badgley on June 2, 2023
Niall Connolly The Patience Of Trees C.U. Records Niall Connolly was born in the suburbs of Cork, Ireland but is now based in New York City. Over the years he has made a career as a folk-rock artist. He is back with a new studio album, The [...]
 
8.0
Steve Forbert

SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEVE FORBERT – STREETS OF THIS TOWN: REVISITED

by Aaron Badgley on June 2, 2023
Steve Forbert Streets Of This Town: Revisited Blue Rose Music Steve Forbert has been making records for a very long time, and in the 1970s, he shifted from his folk roots and incorporated more of a pop sound. He was once given the label ‘The New [...]

Latest Album Reviews
View All
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CALLUM PITT – IN THE BALANCE
8.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: LAURA WOLF – SHELF LIFE
9.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RORY McBRIDE – SONIC LULLABY
8.0
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: NIALL CONNOLLY – THE PATIENCE OF TREES
9.0
10
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEVE FORBERT – STREETS OF THIS TOWN: REV...
8.0

STAY UP-TO-DATE
WITH OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER!

* Mandatory Field

Check your inbox or spam folder now (just in case!) to confirm your subscription.

Tweets by @spillmagazine

SPILL MAGAZINE MENU
  • Home | The Spill Magazine
  • Premieres
  • Track Of The Month
  • Album Reviews
  • Books + Movies
  • Features
  • Live Reviews
  • Festivals
  • Portraits
  • News
  • Events
  • Entertainment Headlines
  • Concert Listings
  • Toronto Concert Venues
  • About Us
  • Contests
  • New Music
  • Contributors
  • TOTD
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Scene Unseen
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 | The Spill Magazine
All Rights Reserved.

TRENDING RIGHT NOW
   
 
SPILL NEWS: RINGO STARR AND HIS ALL STARR BAND ADD DATES TO SPRING 2023 TOUR
7842
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: METALLICA – 72 SEASONS
3653
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JETHRO TULL – RÖKFLÖTE
1536
 
SPILL FEATURE: LOVE THAT WE WERE LIVING – A CONVERSATION WITH JUSTIN HAYWARD OF THE MOODY BLUES
1385
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DELERIUM – SIGNS
1230
 
SPILL NEW MUSIC: EMMA ARMSTRONG – “MAYBE PROBABLY NEVER”
1187
 
SPILL FEATURE: RECOLLECTION IN TRANQUILITY – A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN FOXX
846
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE KINKS – THE JOURNEY – PART 1
727
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE WHO – THE WHO WITH ORCHESTRA: LIVE AT WEMBLEY
705
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE DAMNED – DARKADELIC
640
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: GLORYHAMMER – RETURN TO THE KINGDOM OF FIFE
589
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: HALF MOON RUN – SALT
528
 
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: CROWN LANDS – FEARLESS
517
ENTERTAINMENT HEADLINES