Ministry are a big and influential Industrial Metal group who formed originally as a New Wave duo in the mid 80s, but found themselves quickly gearing towards the EBM & Industrial sound. This could be their most important album as it introduced the metallic rhythm guitar to their sound, a move that has had a resounding effect in Industrial Metal. I've been exploring their music after purchasing there first 5 industrial albums in a cheap package that proved to be an absolute bargain! I chose to write about this album for its significance and my personal gravitation towards it.
"The Land Of Rape And Honey" is a noisy, grisly beast of a record, creating dark, cold, devastating industrial soundscapes that take many shapes and forms across the 10 tracks. Songs like "Stigmata" & "Deity" have great rock sensibility with big riffs, catchy hooks and iconic lyrics "My favorite weapon, is the look in your eyes". Others like "Destruction" & "Flashback" forge unforgiving, industrious sound scapes that build tension and dread. A couple of tracks focus more on the EBM aspect of their sound, for example the title track and "Abortive". The variety and ability for the band to shift between the different elements that build their sound gives this album depth and plenty of replay value.
For the dark and Industrual sound Ministry forge, they also have an unsettling, eerie sound about them too. The synthesizers sound disenchanted, gritty and erroneous in texture and form, along with some processed vocals on particular tracks Ministry create a unique eeriness that i could only refer to Japanese cyber-punk movie "Tetsuo" as a similar vibe. Along with these unusual sounds, the mechanical groove of the drum machine and pulsating base lines give the oddities much needed structure and form that makes the album approachable. The guitars appearance on this album, despite its importance, is not missed on the tracks its not featured on. The ones it does are certainly classic but its a testament to their song writing abilities that all the tracks on this album offer something, regardless of what kits, sounds and guitars are used. Thoroughly enjoyable album, must of been something real special in 88, still sounds fantastic today.
Favorite Songs: Golden Dawn, Destruction, The Land Of Rape And Honey, You Know What You Are, I Pefer
Rating: 8/10