Revolting Cocks Cocked and Loaded

Not far from our house, there’s a continuation school for kids in the ninth and tenth grade. They’re good kids who want to spend time in nature and do exercise - it’s one of those healthy schools, y’know. Now, the thing is, this school is sort of in between towns, so if the pupils want to go to buy sweets or crisps, they have to take a bus or get on the bike. Alternatively, they hike, and that’s were I come into the picture. When I don’t drive home from work too late, I some times pick some of these kids up because I go just past the school. Yesterday I picked up three girls who were probably fourteen, and I happened to be listening to “Cocked and Loaded”.  

“Cool music”, one of the girls said spontaneously, and I immediately went on to explain that this was a side project by Ministry main man Al Jourgensen. Somewhat unexpectedly, this girl claims that she quite familiar with Ministry and that she knows who Al Jourgensen is. Can you believe it?!?  

Since I first heard and was deeply fascinated by Ministry’s “The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste” back in 1989, I have considered Ministry a cult band. In my head, this sort of music would never draw to it more than a handful of fans, even if “Psalm 69” (1992) was sublime in its pairing of metal and industrial, but, fuck me, I must have been wrong.  

As I mentioned, Al and I go back some time, and during all that time, I’ve seen right through the guy. Behind the frantic machine noise and chasing of post-industrial ghosts, there is a rock’n’roll romantic who likes a good riff. “Cocked and Loaded” is full of riffs that want to boogie, and mixed with e.g. the sneering punk attitudes of Jello Biafra and the artificialness of the industrial rhythm section, the album becomes an eerie ride through the sound that Jourgensen and his cohorts created. It’s taunting, annoying and yet as fascinating as only Jourgensen can make it. Ministry fans (and there are more than I think out there!) should love this.  

Try it out.