Artist: "Ministry"
Album: "Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks"
Genre: Metal
Label: Cleopatra

Reviewer: Aries
Posted: 10/6/2010

Review: Really Al? You're releasing an album on Cleopatra? Yes folks, the label that was once home to nearly every major goth band of the 90's, and subsequently degenerated into a dumping ground for hair metal acts eager for one last pillage, has graced us with a new offering from Ministry. The album certainly lives up to its title, containing re-recordings of several Ministry classics, as well as a bunch of covers. While hardcore fans may see this release as... less than essential, it's actually a pretty fun listen.

We kick off the festivities with a new metalified version of "Every Day is Halloween." While I admit it pales in comparison to the original, it would work nicely if your 2010 Halloween mix CD contains Rob Zombie, Rammstein, the Misfits etc. For those of you who like to party hard for the Pagan new year, Mr. Jourgensen has you covered. Speaking of covers, you'll find plenty of spooky renditions of well known songs. What could be more Halloween-y than "Paint It Black?" Uncle Al provides you with a punked-out version of the Stones classic perfect for Halloween headbanging...or should I say headlessbanging! OK, maybe I shouldn't. Anyhow, the party continues with a rendition of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" that makes me throw the goat sign and hoist my drink in the air! We also have a version of ZZ Top's "Sharp Dressed Man" which features Billy Gibbons himself. The most fun-filled cover on the album is Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" done over in speed metal style. Given Al's history of drug problems, it makes sense that he completely makes this song his own and it's a definite highlight of this collection, especially at the end when he chugs a beer and lets out a belch.

For those of you who like your Ministry CDs to contain some actual Ministry music, we have a newly re-recorded version of "N.W.O." which unfortunately lacks the intricate sound layering of the original. Still, it's pretty raw and makes you want to break stuff just the same. Next is "Jesus Built My Hotrod" featuring Al on vocals. It's alright, but the vocal stylings of Gibby Haynes are sorely missed. The one overhauled song that could be a reasonable substitute for the original is "Stigmata," mainly because it stays close to the familiar arrangement and features some interesting vocal effects. The album ends with a remix of "Every Day is Halloween" by Jurgen Engler of Die Krupps. It basically sounds like the original, but with the new vocals. It's not bad at all, but you might as well just use the classic version for what it's worth.

Longtime Ministry fans may raise an eyebrow at this attempt to cash in on past glories, but despite the lackluster re-recordings this is a pretty fun album for your Halloween party. In this day and age where indie cred is everything, fun should still count for something, right?

Overall rating:
(Scored on a 0.5 - 5 pickles rating: 0.5 being the worst and 5 being the best)