Ministry
Twitch (Sire/Rhino)
Limited Edition 2LP
Rhino is celebrating its annual Rocktober by putting out deluxe editions of two beloved albums by industrial titans Ministry. Twitch is an underrated gem; it's the band's second studio album following 1983's poppier With Sympathy.
Twitch dropped in '86, and while Ministry was finding its crunch at this point, some of the residual melody remained to the immense benefit of this record.
"The deluxe edition of Ministry's Twitch highlights their early industrial sound with tracks like 'Just Like You' and 'Over The Shoulder'," reads the press release. "It includes remixes and extended versions such as 'All Day Remix' and 'Over The Shoulder (12” Version).' This edition offers a deeper dive into the band's innovative and brooding style."
It certainly does, and those aforementioned tracks offer a glorious juxtaposition of high energy electronica light and grizzled, industrial darkness. It might be seen as a transition album by many, but the yin-yang of it is startlingly effective.
Ministry
The Land of Rape and Honey (Sire/Rhino)
Limited Edition 2LP
Two years later, by 1988's The Land of Rape and Honey, Ministry had morphed into the gnarly band that we know and love.
Songs like "Stigmata" and the title track remain crowd faves, but there's no filler here.
"Experience the raw power of Ministry's The Land of Rape and Honey in deluxe edition," reads the press release. "This definitive collection includes iconic tracks like 'Stigmata' and the haunting title track, plus exclusive remixes and extended cuts. Dive into the intense energy and industrial ferocity of this genre-defining album."
Frontman Al Jorgensen had really found his punk snarl, and many fans maintain to this day that this is their best studio effort.
Both albums have been packaged beautiful for these releases, the sleeve art looking glorious and the bonus remixes a real treat.
