Ministry — Rio Grande Blood
The title track begins the album in a style not far removed from No W on Houses of the Mole. Sampled bits of speeches from president Bush cut up and rearranged to make him say, hmm less favourable things about himself. This humorous backdrop is played off against a thrashing metal riff and programmed drums all from the man Jourgensen himself.
Gangreen is a slower chugging song that has some classic Ministry role playing ala Jesus built my hotrod, this time using a drill instructor like voice that leads imaginary marines through a brutal metal assault on unarmed listeners. "I’m the ministry of death!!, I’m part of a brotherhood, no hackers allowed"
It’s a standout track simply for being one of the few non speed metal tracks on the album.
Lies Lies Lies is the most revered anti Bush song available here. Dipping into world trade centre conspiracy theories, with various interview samples, the music however is pretty much the same formula as all the other speedy track on the album. The chorus simply shouting "Lies, don’t listen to me listen to your head".
The start of Yellow cake sounds almost exactly like Psalm 69 and has lots of programmed beats and looping riffs to an extent not seen since The mind is a terrible thing to taste or even The land of rape and honey. Ass clown is notable not for it’s daft title but for the presence of Jello Biafra who delivers a brilliant intro acting like a tour guide around Washington DC pointing out the home of the ass clown "where white collar terrorists develop ways of drowning black people". The song descends into shrieking riffscapes and electronic noise with Jorgensen’s distorted vocals centre stage. Final track Khyber Pass is an excellent instrumental featuring distorted Arabic chanting and some more restrained build up and dynamics.
In all it’s really just same old same old with this Ministry album, there is little difference in the tracks aside from choice of samples and vocals. The slower or instrumental tracks stand out for this reason alone. If you liked Houses of the Mole you will like this. Simple as that really.