Ministry

The latest disc from Ministry, Houses of the Molé, may be only a small step forward from 1992's thrash-industrial classic, Psalm 69, but it's a quantum leap from 1995's flaccid Filth Pig. Main Minister Al Jourgensen claims he can only write good songs when there's a Republican in the White House, and Molé supports that assertion. On his first album since splitting with longtime collaborator Paul Barker, Jourgensen sounds re-energized and recommitted. The beats are relentless, the guitars menacing, the vocals ferocious and the samples thought- and smirk-provoking. Though he's a bit formulaic and tries a little too hard at times, Jourgensen still manages to recapture the spirit of 69.You can thank none other than George W. Bush for inspiring this return to form. Whereas Poppy Bush inspired Psalm 69's"N.W.O.," Dubya provides the grist for "No W" and Molé's eight other tracks. Galvanized by the current political climate and his new material, Jourgensen has aligned Ministry's new EviL DoER tour (which also includes My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult) with Fat Mike's Punkvoter.com, an organization that hopes to register 500,000 young voters by November.