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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not so innovative, but still excellent., 15 April 2001
By A Customer
Ministry have spent the last fifteen years defining Industrial metal, and as such, this album comes as a slight disappointment. Not that it isn't good - it is - but lacking something of the 'out there' quality that Ministry have displayed in the past; the original, cutting-edge sound that surpasses that which has gone before and changes the boundaries for everything that comes after. This is still Ministry, but it's a repetition of Filthpig, and although more of the same can only be a good thing, a little of something new could have been astounding. Dark, heavy, yet still melodious, 'The Dark side of the Spoon' moves away from the industrial archetype through the increased incorporation of guitars and fewer samples, becoming more mainstream in the search for this 'contemporary' sound. As such, this album, good though it may be, is likely to date in a way that 'The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste' and 'The Land of Rape and Honey' never will. With an abundance of raw feeling contained in this polished production, 'The Dark Side of the Spoon' stands above most other current releases, if only through it's obvious perception and intelligence. This album is dark, aggressive and angry, but still ironic, still tongue-in-cheek. The inlay art alone is proof of that, as is track five, 'Step', which would perhaps have been more comfortable on a Lard or Revolting Cocks album than released under the Ministry banner. The bonus track, however, sounds uncannily like something one might find as a bonus on a Lemonheads album, and is 'hidden' in that it is track sixty nine, preceded by fifty nine silent tracks of around three seconds each. Doesn't this sound familiar? It's a disappointing day when Ministry, who used to be so innovative, are borrowing from ten-year-old Nine Inch Nails. This album is definitely worth owning, but it still seems that this release stands not on it's own merits, but on the significant legacy of Ministry's past. And yet 'Dark side of the Spoon' is still a decent album. It is perhaps only a reflection on Ministry's usual brilliance that even they themselves are finding their past releases a hard act to follow. For anyone who likes Ministry already, this album is essential (in fact, you know you're going to have it anyway, so why are you even reading this?), but for Ministry virgins, I'd recommend their older releases over this one.
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