Courtesy: UDR/13th Planet Records
Ministry is done. This is according to the band’s founder Al Jourgensen. While Jourgensen may have called it a career (at least with Ministry), fans have been rewarded for their loyalty once more with another new live recording in the form of Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris—Live 2012. This new release follows up last year’s release of Enjoy the Quiet: Live at Wacken 2012. Anyone that missed that release will be pleasantly surprised to find much the same performance as is presented in this latest recording. That is the most important factor in the overall success of this release. Of equal importance is that once again, the concert presentation includes both an audio and visual presentation. The overall quality of the audio and video of the recording is the last but hardly least important part of the whole worth noting. All these factors together make Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris—Live 2012 a lasting memory for fans of one of hard rock’s most important acts.
Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris—Live 2012 is Ministry’s follow-up to its live 2013 recording, Enjoy The Quiet: Live at Wacken 2012. Audiences that might not have had the chance to pick up the earlier release will be happy to know that Last Tangle in Paris boasts largely the same set list as the band’s Wacken recording. It is largely the same because both recordings were part of the same tour. It boasts such hits as: ‘No W,’ ‘Psalm 69,’ ‘LiesLiesLies,’ and ‘Khyber Pass’ among so many others. The audio portion of the recording totals twenty-seven songs and nearly two hours of material. The recording’s DVD side comes in at nearly an hour and a half. That brings the total run time of the package in whole to nearly three and a half hours. So it goes without saying that audiences will be thoroughly entertained with so much material in one package.
The similarity of Last Tangle in Paris’ set list to that of Ministry’s Live at Wacken recording is just part of what makes Last Tangle in Paris another welcome recording for Ministry’s fans. Audiences will note in the recording’s visual portion (its DVD half) that they get more than just a concert. Audiences are actually treated to some behind-the-scenes extras. Audiences are treated to interviews with Jourgensen before and after the concert as well as one of his band mates. That interview includes a tribute of sorts to late band member Mike Scaccia who had passed away. Those extra interviews give audiences the chance to see another side of Jourgensen that they might not have otherwise gotten to see. Together with the concert footage, it makes the concert experience in whole even more complete.
Jourgensen and company impress on Last Tangle in Paris thanks in part to the similarity of this recording’s set list to that of the band’s performance at Wacken from earlier in the year. Making the recording even more entertaining is the bonus DVD included in the set. It includes not only a concert recording, but also bonus behind-the-scenes interviews of sorts as additional material. All of this together makes this recording well worth checking out for any Ministry fan. There is still one piece of the recording that must be examined before passing judgment on the package in whole. That final piece is the concert’s audio and video mix. Whether it be the double-disc CD side of the recording or the companion DVD, the audio and video in whole are balanced rather well. That is especially a feat for a band as intense as Ministry. At no point is Jourgensen covered by the guitars and drums or vice versa. Each part compliments the other from start to finish throughout both portions of the recording. The end result of this is an increased enjoyment of the recording’s songs on both sides of the set and an even deeper appreciation for what may be one of the last live recordings from one of the titans of the hard rock and metal community.
Ministry: Last Tangle in Paris—Live 2012 is available now in stores and online. To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.
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