WOA 25: Ministry

Ministry are the forefathers of industrial metal – a band that emerged from the synth-pop beginnings of the early 80s to create a sound so brutal and mechanical that it influenced entire genres. Al Jourgensen, the walking enfant terrible, transformed electronic beats into thunderous walls of guitar, paving the way for acts such as Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and Fear Factory. Classics such as ‘Stigmata’ and ‘Jesus Built My Hotrod’ were disturbing and fascinating at the same time – a mixture of punk rage, metal heaviness and technoid rhythms. Ministry shows are assaults on the senses: bright lights, booming bass, distorted vocals and an apocalyptic atmosphere that is second to none. After ten years, they return to the Wacken field to celebrate their industrial life one last time – a unique spectacle for anyone who wants to feel the pulse of the machine age.