Ministry - Sphinctour (Live 1996) (DVD-Audio ISO) [2002]

Sphinctour is a live CD/DVD/VHS release by the industrial metal band Ministry released in 2002. It contains various tracks recorded on their 1996 world tour in support of the album Filth Pig. The original objective of Sphinctour was as a home video release, though a CD version was also made. There are no discernible differences audio-wise from the DVD, although, like their In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up release, two tracks were omitted from the CD release.


It has often been said that Ministry, more than anyone, made industrial music safe for headbangers. Thanks to Al Jourgensen and his Chicago colleagues, many Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Judas Priest fans started listening to industrial. Some of the headbangers who were turned on to industrial by Jourgensen's outfit only became casual industrial fans; the luckiest converts, however, went on to experience the brutal pleasures of Throbbing Gristle, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, and Einstürdenze Neubauten. But while Ministry certainly opened doors, there are some industrial purists who feel that the band became too metal along the way – and those are the people who may have a hard time appreciating Sphinctour. A collection of live performances from 1996, Sphinctour emphasizes material from Filth Pig and the excellent Psalm 69. Neither of those studio albums catered to industrial purists; both are for people who like their industrial laced with a huge dose of alternative metal, and the same goes for Sphinctour. From "Scarecrow," "N.W.O.," and "Crumb" to "Just One Fix," this CD is extremely headbanger-friendly. And while that will inevitably offend some industrial purists – who would be better off sticking to classic Skinny Puppy and Throbbing Gristle recordings of the '80s – it is good news if you like industrial at its most metal-minded. Some listeners will complain about the absence of "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" and longtime fans may argue that Sphinctour, by placing so much emphasis on songs from Psalm 69 and Filth Pig, doesn't paint as well-rounded a picture of Ministry as it should. Those are valid complaints, but all things considered, Sphinctour is an exciting, if imperfect, document of Ministry's 1996 tour.
Allmusic.com


Track List:

1. "Psalm 69" (Elysée Montmartre, Paris) 5:04
2. "Crumbs" (Congress Center, Stuttgart) 3:54
3. "Reload" (Convention Center, Albuquerque) 2:33
4. "Filth Pig" (Varsity Arena, Toronto) 6:30
6. "Just One Fix" (Aragon Ballroom, Chicago) 4:38
7. "N.W.O." (Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles) 6:04
8. "Hero" (Gaswerk, Hamburg) 2:38
9. "Thieves" (Mercer Arena, Seattle) 5:14
10. "Scarecrow" (Jesolo Beach Festival, Venice) 7:56
11. "Lava" (Dour Festival, Brussels) 8:43
12. "The Fall" (Brixton Academy, London) 8:02


Rip created via DVDFab in clone mode.





Personnel


Ministry

Al Jourgensen - vocals, mandolin ("Reload"), harmonica ("Filth Pig"), guitar ("Just 1 Fix", "N.W.O."), production
Paul Barker - bass guitar, keyboard bass ("The Fall"), production
Rey Washam - drums
Louis Svitek - guitar
Duane Buford - keyboards
Zlatko Hukic - guitar



Additional personnel

Tom Baker - mastering
Paul Elledge - image and design



Video personnel

Jeffrey Kinart - television director, production, editor
Doug Freel - director, editor
Tom Tuntlend - assistant editor
Todd Darling - post production supervisor