Frontman Al Jourgensen Celebrates 60th Birthday On October 9; The Land Of Rape And Honey Album Turns 30

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It’s a feat few thought could happen, perhaps most shocking to Al Jourgensen himself. The industrial godfather and founder of noise provocateurs MINISTRY turns 60 years old on October 9, surviving 12 American presidents, 37 years in the music industry and a whole lot of well-documented raucous behavior in between.

The landmark birthday comes just two days before another MINISTRY milestone-the 30th anniversary of the band’s pioneering album, The Land Of Rape And Honey, which was originally released on October 11, 1988 and produced the hit single “Stigmata”. It went on to be certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1996 and remains one of the band’s best selling albums.

A stylistic breakthrough for MINISTRY, Land Of Rape And Honey took a steep departure from the synthpop elements of the band’s previous albums, 1983’s With Sympathy and 1986’s Twitch, and incorporated heavier, more aggressive sounds showcasing Jourgensen’s studio prowess that married metal-inspired guitar riffs with heavy sampling, as well as chugging bass lines from then new member Paul Barker. The album is considered as setting the precedent of the industrial music genre and influenced a number of bands that would come out of the scene thereafter.

See a visual collage of the album’s finest moments, created by Ben Garcia, below.

“Really, 30 years ago? It was the half-way point of my life, and as much as I like this record, it’s kind of a shame that some of the same topics I was railing about then (fascism) are still pertinent now,” says Jourgensen. “Time flies, but nothing changes.”

Hear Jourgensen talk more about the anniversary on an upcoming radio appearance on Dave Navarro’s Dark Matter Radio—his first interview as a 60-year-old! The program airs October 17 from 9-11 pm PST. Listen live on DashRadio.Com ALT-X station

MINISTRY continues to remain active in 2018, with the release of its latest album AmeriKKKant in March, decrying the current state of America’s political system and its mad man in charge. "This album provides FEMA-type relief for the devastation 'Hurricane Cheeto' has brought upon us,” says Jourgensen. MINISTRY will embark on the second leg of its North American tour beginning November 21 and continuing through December 21 with support from CARPENTER BRUT. Confirmed tour dates include:

• 11/21/2018 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
• 11/23/2018 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
• 11/24/2018 - Denver, CO - Fillmore
• 11/27/2018 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
• 11/29/2018 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
• 11/30/2018 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
• 12/01/2018 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater
• 12/02/2018 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
• 12/04/2018 - Rochester, NY - Anthology
• 12/05/2018 - Washington, DC - Fillmore
• 12/06/2018 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
• 12/07/2018 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
• 12/08/2018 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
• 12/10/2018 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
• 12/11/2018 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
• 12/12/2018 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
• 12/13/2018 - Houston, TX - House of Blues Houston
• 12/14/2018 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
• 12/16/2018 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
• 12/18/2018 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues San Diego
• 12/20/2018 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda
• 12/21/2018 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda