Ministry to Salute Standout Album for 30th Anniversary This Fall

Industrial metal pioneers Ministry have booked the second leg of its AmeriKKKant tour, which will follow frontman Al Jourgensen's 60th Anniversary and the 30th celebration of the band's landmark album The Land of Rape and Honey.

The tour launches Nov. 21 in San Francisco and runs through Dec. 21 in Los Angeles. While Ministry will likely play Rape and Honey songs like "Stigmata" and possibly "Deity," the majority of concerts will probably feature the band's more recent material.

Even so, it's well worth recognizing The Land of Rape and Honey, which was released on Oct. 11, 1988, as the point where Ministry diverged from its synth-pop and industrial dance roots and started focusing on dense, distorted guitar riffs, thrashy beats and caustic vocals. The Land of Rape and Honey was certified Gold by RIAA in 1996.

Commenting on the album's anniversary, Jourgensen, who has never dwelled on his past accomplishment, seemed surprised that the record has been around for three decades and that the more things change the more they stay the same.

"Really, 30 years ago?" he said in a statement. "It was the halfway 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. Time flies, but nothing changes.”

Regarding, AmeriKKant, which dropped March 9, Jourgensen stands behind the corrosive, but contemporary beats and the inflammatory political messages. "This album provides FEMA-type relief for the devastation 'Hurricane Cheeto' has brought upon us,” he said.

Ministry 2018 Tour Dates

Nov. 21 - San Francisco, Calif. @ The Warfield
Nov. 23 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Depot
Nov. 24 - Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore
Nov. 27 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ Skyway Theatre
Nov. 29 - Joliet, Ill. @ The Forge
Nov. 30 - Cleveland, Ohio 2 Agora Theatre
Dec. 01 - Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theater
Dec. 02 - Toronto, Ontario @ Rebel
Dec. 04 - Rochester, N.Y. @ Anthology
Dec. 05 - Washington, D.C. @ Fillmore
Dec. 06 - New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza
Dec. 07 - New York, N.Y. @ Irving Plaza
Dec. 08 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Electric Factory
Dec. 10 - Asheville, N.C. @ Orange Peel
Dec. 11 - Memphis, Tenn. @ New Daisy Theater
Dec. 12 - Dallas, Texas @ Gas Monkey
Dec. 13 - Houston, Texas @ House of Blues Houston
Dec. 14 - San Antonio, Texas @ Aztec Theater
Dec. 16 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ Marquee
Dec. 18 - San Diego, Calif. @ House of Blues San Diego
Dec. 20 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Fonda
Dec. 21 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Fonda