Word of a Ministry Cover Up

"We don't just bitch about Bush and global oligarchies. We're still a rock band and Cover Up is THE Ministry party album," said Ministry's Al Jourgensen about Cover Up, recorded by Ministry & Co-Conspirators and set for an April Fools Day (April 1) release.

Cover Up sees Jourgensen and Co-Conspirators paying tribute to some of the most memorable PAR-TEE rock songs, mostly from the 8-track era, and to those artists who first laid them down - Deep Purple, T-Rex, ZZ Top, The Doors, Mountain, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and more.

Playing on the Cover Up title, Jourgensen has injected himself into various conspiracy theory photographs throughout the release's artwork.

In addition to fellow Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin (Revolting Cocks), Jourgensen enlisted an impressive group of Co-Conspirators for Cover Up - Fear Factory front man Burton C. Bell (also Ascension of The Watchers) sings on the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb," Revolting Cocks' Josh Bradford provides vocals for Golden Earring's "Radar Love," and Prong vocalist Thomas Victor lends his pipes to Deep Purple's "Space Truckin'" and Ran Jam's "Black Betty," which also features the Hell Paso Mosh Choir. Additional Co-Conspirators include the late Paul Raven (Ministry/Killing Joke), Tony Campos and Wayne Static (Static X), Edu Mussi (Echoes and Shadows) and Plastilina Mosh.

Cover Up will also include Ministry's cover of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" (the version can also be found on Ministry's September 2007 release, The Last Sucker), and Deep Purple's "Space Truckin," all tracks culminating in Jourgensen's personal punk rock rendition of Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World."

"'Under My Thumb,' like The Doors' cover 'Roadhouse Blues,' was about my not understanding the dichotomies involved," says Jourgensen. "If you listen to the lyrics to 'Under My Thumb,' it's the most misogynistic song ever made. I never understood that dichotomy so I always wanted to tackle it. Same with 'Roadhouse,' it's a blues-based song, yet the lyrics are about driving your car into a wall at full speed, drunk, and not giving a fuck. It's so much an Anarchist anthem, it should've been a Sex Pistols song. So, I wanted to approach both tracks with the spirit of the original lyrical intent."

The April Fools Day release of Cover Up coincides with the launch of Ministry's final world tour - C U LaTouR - which kicks off March 25 in Spokane, WA. The 36-plus market limited engagement C U LaTouR features Special Guests Meshuggah and opening act Hemlock, ending the North American leg mid-May with multiple-nights in Ministry front man Al Jourgensen's home town of Chicago. Ministry then heads off to play the principal European festivals as well as choice club dates, kicking off in London at the end of May, stretching through to July to end the tour in Dublin, Ireland - that itinerary will be announced shortly.

The "C U LaTouR" touring line-up features Ministry's founder Al Jourgensen (vocals, guitars) being joined onstage by guitarists Tommy Victor (Prong) and Sin Quirin (Revolting Cocks), keyboardist John Bechdel (Fear Factory, False Icons), and drummer AAron Rossi (Prong/John 5). Static X's Tony Campos has recently stepped in to fulfill bass on behalf of the recently departed Ministry/Killing Joke bassist Paul Raven. Joining the Ministry clan as Special Featured Artist will be Fear Factory/Ascension of The Watchers vocalist Burton C. Bell.

After 10 albums and 28 years (including a 2006 Grammy nomination for "Lieslieslies" from the Rio Grande Blood album), and a Grammy nod in 2005 for "The Great Satan," from Rantology, Jourgensen has decided that the Ministry garage is ready to close its doors, but the revolving 13th Planet Studio doors remain open for Jourgensen's collaborations and also for upcoming 2008 releases on his 13th Planet imprint, including Ascension of The Watchers, False Icons, The Revolting Cocks, and the Wicked Lake soundtrack, as well as remixes of Ministry's The Last Sucker and Prong's Power of The Damager.

For its two-and-a-half-hour "C U LaTouR" set, Ministry will perform tracks from their provocative 28-year musical history. Archival Ministry videos plus other visual elements of alchemy, Christianity, politics and other topics aligned with Ministry will be incorporated into a special video presentation, produced by "Wicked Lake" director Zach Passero (with whom Jourgensen is collaborating on the soundtrack for the feature film) that will change night to night. And, as is expected from a Ministry show, you just never know what surprise guests will jump on stage for a song or two.

"A Ministry tour is a traveling circus," states Jourgensen. "When we roll into town, everyone hides their daughters, but the freaks roll out the red carpet and a friend or two pops up on stage to add some spice and mayhem to the show. We never know who's gonna walk through the dressing room door at sound check. We rehearse a bunch of 'extra' songs just in case so-and-so shows up..."

Catch Ministry on Tour.