Adios… Puta Madres / Adios... Puta Madres

Ministry's long goodbye continued with Adios...Putas Madres, a live album that followed a remix collection, a covers comp, and even a charity single for the Chicago Blackhawks, all of which were released after leader Al Jourgensen announced he was dismantling the band for good. But if you ever think Ministry could be among those who milk their retirement announcement for all it's worth, this is far from being a cheap cash-in. If you go by their fickle Internet forums, it may not even be a gift to the fans, at least not the ones who only covet the middle sliver of the band's long discog. The material here is pulled from Ministry's last three albums, a hitless George W. Bush-hating concept trilogy that alienated some longtime fan club members — known as the Piss Army — while still yielding a high amount of prime material. Adios contains arguably the best songs from the three, pumped up to maximum volume with both the guitar crunch and percussion blasts raging harder than before. It's exactly the formula used on their last live album, Sphinctour, and those familiar know it works, as long as you love both the source material and relentless pummeling that would make most tap out early. Even if there's no consoling the fans who wanted a career-spanning kiss-off or one more go with the mid-period hits, Adios is a worthy fringe release, worth the attention of anyone who thought final studio album The Last Sucker absolutely destroyed.