Ministry rock the Aztec Theater in San Antonio 3-28

Ministry finally got to put the long-awaited “Industrial Strength Tour” on the road this spring. Originally scheduled for late 2020 the tour would endure a long postponement due to you know what. After several different lineup changes, this leg of the tour would feature Melvins, and Corrosion of Conformity (CoC) as openers.

Corrosion of Conformity kicked the evening off. The heavy metal outfit from Raleigh, North Carolina wasted no time getting the party started, with songs like" Vote with a bullet" and "Albatross". The band was tight and aggressive delivering the metal to the masses.

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Up next was Melvins. Having heard their name back in my high school days, I never took the time to explore who they were or what they sounded like. To say I was a little surprised by what I saw and heard would be an understatement. A feast for the eyes and ears. The trio led by guitarist Buzz Osborne was in the zone playing songs off of their 25 studio albums, producing a great set with a lot of variety. Steven McDonald covered the low end on the bass and delivered great backing vocals and entertaining antics. , Drummer Dale Crover kept it together with aggressive, steady beats.

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Time for the main event. The chain-link fence was erected at the front of the stage, as to keep the wild animals in, or out creating a unique setting. Judging by the size of the Texas crowd this might not have been a bad idea. Anticipation filled the air as the theater patiently waits for the kings of the industrial movement to take the stage.

With a projected Ukrainian flag with a message of support in the background, the band launched into “Breathe” to a pounding of lights and sound for a complete sensory overload straight out of the gate. Ringleader Al Jourgensen paced the stage, occasionally grabbing the fence and giving it a good shake, demanding the nearly sold-out crowd's attention. Ministry came out swinging and never took their foot off the gas with a blistering set of both old and new Ministry favorites. Blinding lights and driving beats was the name of the game as the crowd moved to the groove.

Frontman, Al Jourgensen and his six-piece band, drew songs from the late ’80s/early ’90s albums “The Land of Rape and Honey,” “The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste” and “Psalm 69.”

Also making their way onto the setlist was a cover of Black Sabbath's (Supernaut) and a couple of songs from Jourgensen's short-lived project Pailhead, "Don't Stand In Line" and "Man Should Surrender" were included. Ministry closed out the evening with an incredible cover of The Stooges' “Search and Destroy”, leaving the crowd wanting more. If you have never been to a Ministry show you really should check one out. It's more than a rock show, it's an experience.