Ministry is the brainchild of Al Jourgensen. Beginning in 1981, playing synth-pop with a strong disco influence, they released their first 12" on undefined, before being signed to undefined and releasing their debut "With Sympathy," in 1983. After a falling out with the label and the direction of the project, Jourgensen returned to undefined to release a series of 12" Singles, including "All Day / Everyday (Is Halloween)," which became an instant club favorite and would go on to become one of the band's most popular songs.
Jourgensen then signed to undefined/undefined in 1985. Ministry's second album "Twitch," was produced by Adrian Sherwood, and had a more menacing sound reflecting Jourgensen's interest in the international EBM (electronic body music) scene of the time. Ministry's third album, "The Land Of Rape And Honey," (1988), was both a natural evolution of their aesthetic and a sharp break with previous pop tendencies and, with the arrival of Paul Barker and other new members, Ministry's sound developed into a crossover between EBM, industrial, and heavy metal. Their experimentation with heavy metal was then continued with the following "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste," (1989), where the guitar began to take on much more importance to their sound. Ministry's breakthrough album, "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ," (1992), was a very dark, powerful, and violent album, that saw the band moving further into thrash metal while still retaining elements of industrial music and noise. The following records "Filth Pig," (1996), and "Dark Side Of The Spoon," (1999), showcased a much more straightforward heavy metal sound, to lower sales than previous records. The band released their first best of collection entitled "Greatest Fits," (2001), and were then dropped by undefined.
In 2003, the band then moved to undefined and released "Animositisomina,". Paul Barker left the band in January 2004, leaving Jourgensen to put together a new line-up for "Houses Of The Molé." After the 2004 "Evil Doer Tour," there was yet another change in personnel with Prong founder Tommy Victor on guitar and Paul Raven (who had also played in Prong and in Killing Joke) on bass. In May, 2006, Ministry released "Rio Grande Blood," which was quickly followed by what was announced as their final album, "The Last Sucker," in 2007, and a collection of covers entitled "Cover Up," in 2008.
Despite Jourgensen's claim that the band was over, 2010 saw another collection, mixing covers and remixes, entitled "Undercover." Following a serious illness, Al Jourgensen decided to re-start the band with Mike Scaccia and two new Ministry albums followed, "Relapse," in 2012 and "From Beer To Eternity," in 2013. Scaccia's death in 2012 had apparently brought a final, definite end to the band with the 2013 album, until early 2017 when Jourgensen began working on a new album, tentatively titled "AmeriKKKant."
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
The Van Buren, Phoenix, Arizona, United States Of America
Ministry
Revel Entertainment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Of America
Ministry
Revel Entertainment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
Emo's Austin, Austin, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
House of Blues Houston, Houston, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry
The Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry w/ Nitzer Ebb
The Eastern-GA, Atlanta, Georgia, United States Of America
Ministry
Riviera Theatre- IL, Chicago, Illinois, United States Of America
Ministry
Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic Temple - Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Of America
Ministry w/ My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
Franklin Music Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Of America
Ministry
Roadrunner-Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Of America
Saint Vitus Presents Ministry
Brooklyn Paramount, Brooklyn, New York, United States Of America
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
MTELUS, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
History, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ministry - (18 & Over)
Palace Theatre-MN, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States Of America
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
The Palace Theatre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Ministry with My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Die Krupps
Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2025
2024
2023
Nuclear Blast
File, FLAC, 24-
2023
2021
HNE Recordings Ltd
CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, RE + CD, Album, RE + CD
2021
2021
2020
2020
2019
Warner Music Group, X5 Music Group
25xFile, AAC, Comp, 256
2019
2019
2019
2018
Nuclear Blast
File, MP3, Single, 320
2018
Decadent Records
12", W/Lbl
2018
2017
Cleopatra Records
File, AAC, Single, 256
2017
2017
2017
2016
2015
2015
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
11xFile, MP3, Album, 320
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
10xFile, MP3, Album, 320
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
13xFile, FLAC
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
File, MP3, 320
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
File, MP3, 320
2014
Not On Label (Ministry Self-released)
2xLP
2014
Cleopatra
CD, Comp, Dlx, Ltd, Promo
2014
2013
UDR, EMI
Blu-ray, Dol
2013
2013
2012
AFM Records, 13th Planet Records
DVD-V
2012
13th Planet Records
3xFile, MP3, Single, VBR
2012
13th Planet Records
File, MP3, Single
2012
2012
2011
CHP Recordings Ltd.
File, MP3, 320
2011
2011
2010
Cleopatra
6xFile, MP3, Single, VBR
2010
2010
2010
2010
2010
2009
13th Planet Records
File, MP3, 320
2009
2009
2008
13th Planet Records
File, AAC, Single, 256
2008
13th Planet Records
CD, Single
2008
Not On Label
CDr, Promo, Smplr
2008
2007
Mathematics Recordings
12", S/Sided, EP, Ltd
2007
13th Planet Records, Megaforce Records
CDr, Advance, Single, Promo
2007
13th Planet Records, Megaforce Records
CDr, Single, Promo
2007
2007
2006
13th Planet Records
CD, Promo, Smplr
2006
2005
2004
Mayan Records
CD, Single, Promo
2004
Victor
CDr, Album + CDr, Album + Comp, Promo
2004
2004
2004
2004
2003
Tigersushi, Tigersushi
12", Smplr
2003
Sanctuary
CD, Promo, Smplr
2003
2002
Sanctuary
CDr, Smplr
2001
Vanderquest
VHS, Promo, PAL
2001
2001
2000
2000
2000
1999
1999
1997
Warner Bros. Records, Sire
CD, Album + CD, Album + Comp
1996
1995
Warner Bros. Records
CD, Promo, Smplr
1995
WEA Records, Warner Bros. Records
CDr, Single, Promo
1995
1995
1995
1993
1992
1992
1992
1991
Warner Bros. Records, Sire
Cass, Promo, Smplr, Cr0
1991
Warner Bros. Records
Umatic, Promo, 3/4
1991
1990
Reflex Magazine
Flexi, 7", S/Sided
1990
1990
1989
Sire, Sire, Warner Bros. Records, Warner Bros. Records
12", Maxi
1989
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Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
The Van Buren, Phoenix, Arizona, United States Of America
Ministry
Revel Entertainment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Of America
Ministry
Revel Entertainment Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
Emo's Austin, Austin, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
House of Blues Houston, Houston, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry
The Factory in Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas, United States Of America
Ministry w/ Nitzer Ebb
The Eastern-GA, Atlanta, Georgia, United States Of America
Ministry
Riviera Theatre- IL, Chicago, Illinois, United States Of America
Ministry
Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic Temple - Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, United States Of America
Ministry with Special Guests Nitzer Ebb and Die Krupps
Baltimore Soundstage, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Of America