By: Jesse Striewski

I can remember it vividly; my hip, older cousin and her girlfriend coming up to me shortly after we both watched Ministry play at the House of Blues in Orlando circa 2008 (on their “C-U-Lay Tour”) and proclaiming, “I hardly even knew any of those songs!” While I may have been privy to a few more tracks than my innocent cos may have been that night, I too was fairly lost via the angry, anti-Bush set list at the time, and longing for the more carefree, agenda-less days of the band.

Thankfully after all these years, Al Jourgensen has finally realized there is still an audience – and a usefulness – for the music he created early on in his career, and has re-recorded many of those early ’80s songs of his (albeit with a heavier/more modern sound) here with The Squirrely Years Revisited.

I knew as soon as I heard fan favorite “Everyday is Halloween” I could finally get into Ministry again. So many brilliant songs are finally unearthed and shown the light of day here once again. Tracks like “All Day,” “Same Old Madness,” and one of my personal favorites, “Revenge,” are all suddenly worthwhile again.

I honestly have not been able to listen to much of the near-communist rhetoric that passes for new music from the band these days, and I don’t foresee having much interest in a so-called “final” upcoming studio album from them, either. You can keep that version of the band for yourself, while I keep mine (to each their own I suppose).

Rating: 3/5 Stars