Watch the video for the latest single from the band, “Good Trouble” inspired by late Congressman John Lewis the BLM protests.
Industrial pioneers Ministry have announced their long-awaited 15th studio album, Moral Hygiene, and have set October 1st as the album’s arrival date. The effort serves as the follow up to biting social commentary of Al Jourgensen’s lauded 2018 release, AmeriKKKant.
Taking stock of the cultural climate the accompanied the events of 2020, Jourgensen got to work drafting yet another collection of tracks that captured the angst and uncertainty of one of history’s most turbulent eras. The result was the 10 track assertion in Moral Hygiene.
“The good thing about literally taking a year off from any social activity or touring is that you really get to sit back and get an overview of things as they are happening, as opposed to being caught up in the moment. And what I saw with how we handled several public crises – from the pandemic to racial injustice to who we vote in to lead our country – is that times are changing, and society needed to change to get away from the idea that has permeated us of take care of yourself, fuck everything else. Now more than ever we need moral hygiene,” says Jourgensen of the new LP.
“It consumed me as I wrote this album. It’s not some pious term. It’s what we have to return to in order to function as the human species on this planet. And I’m proud to have had such great guests on this album to help cement that message like Billy Morrison, Jello Biafra and Arabian Prince.”
Coupled with the announcement of the album is the introduction of Ministry’s latest offering, “Good Trouble”. Taking inspirational cues from the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement that led to international unrest following the tragic losses of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the track channels the sentiment and the life-long mission of late Congressman John Lewis. The visual for “Good Trouble” includes footage from last year’s demonstrations in Los Angeles as captured by Jourgensen himself and his partner Liz Walton.
Jourgensen further detailed the importance of the single, “I was watching the coverage last July around Lewis’ death and was in awe the next day when this entire letter from him was published in the New York Times. How suss was that to want to keep making progress after his death by thinking about the legacy he left? I was struck by the reflectiveness of his speech, knowing he was dying and making sure it was released because he saw trouble ahead. That is the moral hygiene of this album – we have to do something to change and I really hope we continue to act and live up to the idea of getting into good trouble for the benefit of society.”
Ministry will be debuting songs from Moral Hygiene as well as marking the 30th anniversary of seminal album The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste for the upcoming Industrial Strength Tour. The trek will commence on October 3rd, for a 23-dates run. The tour will include special guests Helmet and Front Line Assembly. Dates can be found below.
As with all Ministry albums, all the songs on Moral Hygiene were written and performed by Al Jourgensen. Contributors on the album come from Billy Morrison (Billy Idol, Royal Machines), Cesar Soto (Man The Mute), John Bechdel (Killing Joke, Fear Factory), Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour, Soulfly, Nausea), Paul D’Amour (Tool, Feersum Ennjin), Arabian Prince (N.W.A.), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) and sitar player Flash. The album arrives October 1st via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-orders are available – HERE
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