Twitch

Might be my favorite Ministry album and the title fits the music perfectly.

Exactly what I expected

This is the best album from my collection I had on tape and record. Great music and great band. Thanks

Absolutely love ministry not as good as with sympathy but still a great cd.

Fans that started out listening to Ministry by buying the group’s most well-known efforts, like 1992’s “Psalm 69” and 2004’s “Houses Of The Mole,” will be greatly surprised (and, most likely, sorely disappointed) when they get around to checking out Ministry’s early musical days. I can almost hear the voices now, yelling “where are the heavy riffs, rigid bass lines, and propulsive speed-punk tempos” once they have heard a release like the sophomoric “Twitch.” Indeed, this 1986 recording is much more melodic and electronic-based than what you are probably used to hearing. Hence, it actually falls more along the lines of “industrial music” than it does “industrial metal,” at least most of the time. Nevertheless, it is a strong album. It is filled with infectious hooks, memorable vocals, and rhythms that are sure to get dance floors everywhere swirling! The end result is an album that is good enough to be considered a standout in Ministry’s discography. “Twitch” also marks a departure in sound for Al Jourgensen and Company in that it veers away from the pop-oriented approach taken on their debut, 1983’s “With Sympathy,” in order to produce a much darker, and almost new-wavy sound. The Skinny Puppy-meets-Nine Inch Nails opener, “Just Like You,” abides by a really catchy and danceable stomp and grind, as does “We Believe,” which is furthered by spidery synth work and trippy, Trent Reznor-esque vocals. “All Day (Remix)” is a pop-inflected industrial metal number with an infectious, “heeeyyy-ayyy” sing-along refrain; but “The Angel” is an even bigger standout, as it finds Patty Jorgensen chipping in with some positively creepy and haunting female backing vocals. And later, we get two extremely trippy and dance-floor-ready (if, albeit, quite repetitious) songs in the form of “Over The Shoulder” and “My Possession,” which are laced in new-wavy synths, rubbery rhythms, and electronic beats. (And plus, in the case of the former, we are also dealt memorable clean vocal hooks.) And from there, the album concludes on a particularly strong note, dropping the extremely catchy and infectiously danceable “Where You At Now?,” a largely instrumental piece that, with its shuffling beats, twelve-minute-and-change playing time, and increasingly dense and cluttered-sounding musical arrangements, makes it the set’s epic, and what a complex and challenging epic it is, too! And this already-mentioned trio of excellent songs is then rounded out by “Over The Shoulder (12” Version),” with its very futuristic-sounding dance floor soundscape, is perhaps the record’s most accessible and traditionally-catchy inclusion; and “Isle Of Man,” an indescribably dark, foreboding, ominously doomy, and ethereal-sounding soundscape. And this track is also of note from a lyrical standpoint, as it covers topics such as pirating and cave dwelling. Again, many Ministry fans will be alienated by what they hear here, especially when they compare it to the band’s heavy, latter-day stuff. But at the same time, once you own the much more essential releases named above (i.e. “Psalm 69”), though, you’re gonna want to get around to checking out the rest of the band’s material. And once you reach that stage, “Twitch” will warrant several repeat listens -- but only if you are an objectively-minded listener.

Great!

In between styles. This is a hybrid blend of Wax Trax morphing into what followed. Many teenage days listening to the entire cassette front to back.

Perhaps the perfect example of late '80s industrial dance, Ministry's TWITCH combines dance beats with more menacing and grinding sounds than their earlier synth-pop leanings, not to mention the dystopian, anti-establishment lyrics. "Just Like You," for example, blends a classic cymbal progression with metal clangs and Jourgensen's haranguing vocals, while "We Believe" takes a dim view of the militaristic-governmental complex, with claustrophobic electronics to reflect his vocals. But far from being completely dark, there's also the oddly ethereal "The Angel," which would be the last pretty Ministry song ever. The influence of Adrian Sherwood is clearly evident on this album, especially on the funky-dubby "My Possession." But the centerpiece of the album, the dance-noise-thrash hybrid of "Where You At Now/Crash and Burn/Twitch (Version II)" clearly shows Jourgensen's growing interest in noise and aggression, something that would mark their later work. The final track, "Isle of Man," is an environmentally-friendly work, one that would wave goodbye to a kinder, gentler Ministry forever.

Questo album "d'esordio" (With Sympathy verrà rinnegato da zio Al), insieme a The land of rape and honey, segna indelebilmente l'inizio della musica industriale americana. Sicuramente più onesti e visionari dei NIN....poi con gli anni le cose si sono capovolte a favore di quest'ultimi; ma il vero industrial dance parte da quì. Venditore ottimo.