Animositisomina

Ministry : Animositisomina

This is industrial band Ministry's 2003 studio release. This album took 4 years to be released (last album Dark Side Of The Spoon was released in 1999). The album is supposed to be spelled the same backwards and forwards (minus the 'y'). Al Jourgensen says this is for "...double the hatred."

Many fans rave that this album brings Ministry back to its original roots (which most feel has been long dead since Land of Rape & Honey). To me this album sounds like a cross between Psalm 69 and Dark Side Of The Spoon, but not better than either. Some fans may note that the depressing songs are not apparent (such as the song Kaif from Dark Side Of The Spoon or The Gameshow from Filth Pig). An example of this is Al's broken guitar neck which he once retired and now again uses for - as he puts it - a "natual phase effect". There is also a lot of references to their popular song Just One Fix.

The album cover (liner notes and CD itself) are covered with various religious symbols covering decayed and rotted corpses of lambs(likely from some plague). This can inspire some thoughts of blashemy in certain viewers as the star of David and Crucifix are used on the front cover to form the nose and mouth of the dead lamb, respectively. Think of the Lambs of God if you are not catching on at this point...

Track Listing:
1. Animosity
   This is the title track from the album. The song begins with a sampled, crunchy guitar riff and industrial persussive beat. This soon expands into a Just One Fix-like feel. Al Jourgensen screams throughout the song with hatred-bred angst under a thick, chorusy modulation. I find this track to be one of the better listens while driving around. This track could surely use some variation in the samples rather than relying entirely on the same loops and reversals of them throughout. This track does however bring back some of the original feelings of that classic Ministry. Rating: 8/10.
2. Unsung The second track begins with an older Tool-ish guitar riff and a basic drum beat. The verses contain a KMFDM guitar and beat (though I hate to relate the two bands). The remaining part of the song is a little more upbeat (as far as Ministry can be considered, at least. In introspection, this track doesn't really hold any catchy parts for my taste. Rating: 4/10.
3. Piss
   This is an "in your face" track. I believe it was intended to be played quite loud. There is a guitar riff dancing along the tempo perfectly while distorted drums bang the shit out of your speakers. Imagine Just One Fix mating with Nursing Home (from Dark Side Of The Spoon) and making one hell of an ugly fucking baby. This is it! Rating: 8/10.
4. Lockbox
   This track seems to be a filler, though not unwelcome by any assertion. Mostly noise mixed to a beat (like a dark Sonic Youth with industrial guitar riffs). Listen for Al screaming "Start Fucking Around!" at the beginning of this track. I do not much care for this mess, though I do know some die hard Ministry fans that do. Rating: 4/10.
5. Broken
   For some reason the guitar line in this song sounds just like Just One Fix. The chorus is very depressive. Listen for a cute, modulated guitar solo near the bridge. This is a shock on a Ministry album. I believe this song should have been placed after The Light Pours Out Of Me to ease the transition of the tracks. This song has many breaks with circus horror sounds layered. I find this to be quite catchy =) Rating: 8.5/10.
6. The Light Pours Out Of Me
   A very original track of genius. Sounds nothing like what you might expect from Ministry (though possibly very old Ministry, like Everyday Is Halloween). This song carries a common rock beat with a somewhat slowed down AC/DC riff running through. The chorus stands out like late-80's/early-90's goth songs from that certain underground breed. Quite catchy, though unexpected. This makes me wonder if this is a sign that Ministry is planning to leave its dark roots and enter a "lighter" (read track title) field... Rating: 9/10.
7. Shove
   This is probably my favorite song on the album. It is reminiscent of The Gameshow and and the title track from Filth Pig, just sped up a bit. The bass line is haunting and brooding throughout the song. The guitar section is reserved and used sparingly. The vocals are quite clear: only a hint of chorus, reverb, and delay. The lyrics (that I am able to make out) sound quite familiar to me (for personal matters at least). Rating: 9/10.
8. Impossible
   A dark interlude and fast break in the beginning mark this as another classic Ministry intrigue. The stereo panning guitar adds a sense of depth that I have missed since Filth Pig. The chorus is quite a trainwreck though. I had first thought I heard sirens outside my window at first listen to this. Rating: 7/10.
9. Stolen
   Another oddity on this album is this track. It starts out with a distorted techno synth lead. Al Jourgensen spouts out some common phrases (such as "Silence is Golden") via a fuzzy mic. I wonder if this was meant to be a B-Side, and then only included due to the lack of songs. The track quickly turns into a chaotic gothic melody close to 2.5 minutes through. The instruments conjure up some memories of Skinny Puppy's last album, The Process. Rating: 3/10.
10. Leper This nine-minute gothic opus reminds me of a mix between early Bauhaus and Skinny Puppy(during their heavy drug-use period). Around four minutes into this instrumental, the guitars and drums come in full fledge. Somewhat of a climactic feeling. I can see this musical piece being applied to a scene of some demon rising from hell at the end of a horror flick (such like that of Aphex Twin's Come to Daddy music video). The song ends in a distorted fade like early Morbid Angel instrumentals. Rating: 7/10.