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Rating: Starting this discussion, I want to first say that I feel compelled to talk about this album because, although it has already been reviewed, it seems to me that the aforementioned review gave too much weight to the political meaning of this album rather than the actual songs (the same can be said for "Houses Of The Molé"). I partially disagree with this: it's undeniable that "Rio Grande Blood" is yet another attack on the entire Bush lineage, but I believe that by listening to each song and "forgetting" for a moment about Ministry's career in the Industrial realm, one can appreciate this album, to some extent.
Let me explain. This album, much like the previous one, is characterized by a decisive shift towards a more heavy sound from Al and the gang, and this is evident in the explosive title-track that opens the album. It begins with a modified presidential speech leading to the infamous lines like "I'm a dangerous, dangerous man with dangerous, dangerous weapons" but then expresses all its destructive potential, which continues with the following "Señor Peligro," with evident thrash influences. Other notable tracks are "Fear (Is Big Business)," which after a minute and a half of nothing, accelerates fearfully, and "Lieslieslies." "Khyber Pass" is somewhat heavy (7 and a half minutes) but still good.
In summary, in this review, I tried to explain that an album can be great even if, compared to the band's other works, it presents many, too many differences. But why condemn a Ministry album outright just because it has a different style than usual? After all, Al loves to experiment with new influences for his albums, and in my opinion, this time it resulted in a record by no means contemptible, even if, I agree, not on the levels of "Psalm 69" or "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste," just to name two. At least this is my point of view, and I already know that many will disagree: so all that's left is for you to come find me to change my mind.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Señor Peligro (03:38)
Señor Peligro
Bush's alter ego
A family of danger
And that's his middle name
Invasion is imminent
Keeping down the dissidents
Killing is his business
And business is game
[Chorus]
Justification
To Cross the Border
Justification
For Law and Order
Justification
To Cross the Rio
Señor Peligro
Señor Peligro
Lost all his amigos
From Chile to Panama
And all points in between
Exploitation
To feed the Corporations
The driving force of any war
Is always based in Greed
Venezuela
Watch your Back
Señor Peligro is on the attack
[Voice Over (Isa Martinez - signed release):]
El Presidente Bush es un Asesino
No cambiaremos sangre por aceite
Gente muriendo por el amor del dinero
Soportarlo es mas gas para el fuego
Preparate para el Señor Peligro
[English translation:
The President is an assassin
We will not exchange blood for oil
People dying for the love of money
Supporting him is fuel to the fire
Prepare for Mr. Danger]
05 LiesLiesLies (05:16)
''Gentlemen we have called you together to inform you that we
are going to overthrow the United States government.
Do you still think that jet fuel brought down the World Trade Center?''
''Does anybody else see a problem here?
If the government has nothing to hide why are
they so afraid toanswer a few questions?
This story does not add up''
I'm on a mission to never forget
3,000 people that I've never met
We want some answers and all that we get
Some kind of shit about a terrorist threat
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Surpise Surprise Surprise
Lies Lies
I'm on a mission to dig up the truth
You think we're stupid and there's no proof
Well let me tell you that the time has come
To pull the trigger on the smoking gun
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Surpise Surprise Surprise
Lies Lies Lies Lies
Don't listen to me, listen to your head
Don't listen
Don't listen to anything, they've said
Don't listen
Lies Lies Lies Lies
''America has been hijacked
Not by Al Qaeda, not by Bin Laden
But by a group of tyrants
That should be of great concern to all Americans''
I'm on a mission to bring out the facts
You got your stories but they all have cracks
Misinformation, lies and deceit
What made you think that we were all asleep
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies Lies
Surpise Surprise Surprise
Lies Lies Lies Lies
Don't listen to me, listen to your head
Don't listen
Don't listen to anything, they've said
Don't listen
Lies Lies Lies Lies
Don't listen to me, listen to your head
Lies Lies Lies Lies
07 Yellow Cake (04:35)
''...and war goes on...
...and war goes on...''
There's no crisis of conscience
The truth is dressed in disguise
Feeding the hungry with Yellow Cake
Feeding the public with lies
Yellow Cake
No crimes were ever committed
No charges were ever read
Cooking the books on the Yellow Cake
Cooking a meal for the dead
Yellow Cake
''...and war goes on...
...and war goes on...''
This is no time for the righteous
Only the wicked survive
Bake up a batch of the Yellow Cake
Bake up a batch of the lies
Yellow Cake
Yellow Cake
Yellow Cake
Yellow Cake
08 Palestina (03:18)
Palestina was a very nice girl
She liked to travel and sample the world
Palestina has a first hand view of life
Palestina from a very young age
Saw the oppression, felt the rage
Palestina wants out of her cage to fight
My life will be short and sweet
Palestina told her family and friends
She'd be back, to take her revenge
Palestina made up her mind to die
Palestina had a belt of death
She had explosives strapped to her chest
Palestina is a martyr now in the sky
My life will be short and sweet
Bye
My life will be short and sweet
My life will be short and sweet
10 Khyber Pass (07:31)
Where's Bin Laden
Where's Bin Laden
He's prob'ly runnin'
Prob'ly hidin'
Some say he's livin' at the Khyber Pass
Others say he's at the Bushes ranch
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Other reviews
By RegularJoan
Ministry have lost faith in their extraordinary sound and original subversive charge, preferring to hitch onto the bandwagon of metal winners and anyone who exploits populist anti-Bush rhetoric.
Ministry, among the first to mix heavy metal and punk electronics, are copying the stuff played by the many degenerate offspring of their own music!
