Likening a night out in his hometown El Paso, Texas with a Tuesday night in Adelaide, MINISTRY frontman AL JOURGENSEN is on no sleep and on the promo trial with JAMES STAFFORD, attempting to explain why this latest effort The Last Sucker will be their last.

With a history spanning well over two decades and nearly 20 studio albums, pioneering industrial metal powerhouse act Ministry are calling it quits and it’s no coincidence that George W’s exit is due to coincide.

“As of next year, we won’t have an idiot in office to keep making records about. ‘Cause this guy Bush was easy man, him and Cheney and the rest of the lot are just complete fucking blithering idiots. So good riddance, but I just thought it was time to cut off Ministry at that point,” explains Jourgensen.

Having had both generations of the Bush dynasty to use as fodder in his career, Uncle Al balks at the suggestion that it’s getting repetitive.

“No, I’m not repeating myself, on the last three albums I’m really pissed. These idiots have been in office for far too long, they should be in jail or in front of a firing squad. We’re just sick of it.”

Before the band is put to rest, there’s work to be done yet. While The Last Sucker is Ministry’s last studio album, there’s a seven-month tour and a covers album yet to come.

“As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I’m partying besides it’s my birthday is that we just got done with a covers album called Cover Up. It’ll be out in April. It’s called Ministry and Co-conspirators cause we have Robin Zander of Cheap Trick singing, Wayne and Tony from Static X, Tommy from Prong and Burton C. Bell from Fear Factory and Ascension Of The Watchers. It’s just a bunch of people sat around drunk in a studio doing a bunch of cover songs from the ‘70s, and it’s awesome.”

While Ministry and the quirky side project Revolting Cocks may be finishing up, Jourgensen’s career is anything but over. In addition to scoring a film titled Wicked Lake, his label the 13th Planet has been running for a couple of years, and will be a focus for the wild man in the years to come.

“There are a lot of really good artists that want something that isn’t so top-heavy that have a voice now. We decided we could do it better ourselves, starting with Ministry and Cocks and later adding other bands like Prong, Ascension Of The Watches, Mob Research and False Icons.

“Matter of fact I see myself doing more shit over the next few years than I ever have in my life because, like I said, I can hit hard and light, in combat fatigues; a lot of shit will be coming out through 13th Planet in the next few years.”

When quizzed about an elusive tour down-under, Jourgensen doesn’t hold back.

“We’re touring all over the place and if you fuckin’ Aussies ponied up to get us enough money to get our equipment down there we’d actually play down there. We love playing down there, we had a gas last time, but no one’s ponied up with the money yet. I mean it costs 20 or 30 grand just to get your shit down there.”

Having seen them at the Big Day Out in ’95, I for one will be passing around the hat.

THE LAST SUCKER is out now through Stomp

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