The Last Sucker

iTunes Review

Al Jourgensen says Ministry is calling it a day with 2007’s The Last Sucker, the final installment of his anti-Bush trilogy that began with 2004’s Houses of the Mole and continued with 2006’s Rio Grande Blood. Now, Ministry has always been Jourgensen’s project, so the “retirement” could be purely in name only, as Al is pretty wedded to his grinding, industrial rhythms and scorching guitars that pummel and wah-wah into the night. He’s always envisioned humanity as a bleak condition and his political views are strong and uncompromising throughout. He uses President Bush’s own words against him and keeps up the intensity with beats that run a murderous course. “Watch Yourself,” “Life is Good,” “No Glory” and “Death and Destruction” travel the high-speed Ministry rail. Curiously, the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues” is thrown into the tree shredder, essentially so Jourgensen can sink his teeth into the “The Future’s uncertain but the end is always near” line. Jourgensen doesn’t offer many surprises here, but he does offer his usual mix of hard, uncompromising rock and cathartic release. He’s off the White House Christmas card list for good.