Ministry, Revolting Cocks

The last time I caught up with Ministry mastermind Al Jourgensen -- just before the 2004 election, when he was opening shows by beating and simulating anal rape on a guy in a George W. Bush mask -- the nearing-50 industrial-rock icon laid out his future plans: one or two more Ministry albums, another disc from his dormant Revolting Cocks, and then retirement from the music business in favor of a university teaching job (Jourgensen holds a master's degree in history). So if the end of RevCo and Ministry -- which marks a quarter-century of existence this year, and will soon release Rio Grande Blood -- is nigh, both bands are going out with a bang on their current "MasterBaTour." The Cocks, which feature seven members backing Uncle Al, will open and play songs from their new Cocked and Loaded, then give way to Ministry, whose latest powerhouse lineup, six men strong, includes Tommy Victor (Prong) on guitar, Paul Raven (Killing Joke) on bass, and Joey Jordison (Slipknot) on drums. Be warned (or thrilled): This latest era of Ministry is its heaviest, thrashiest, most brutal yet; a far cry from the group's synth-pop beginnings and dancey industro-goth midpoint. As Jourgensen put it, "Instead of getting all artsy-fartsy up there, we just lay our balls out on the table and hit 'em with a fuckin' hammer."