When I heard that Ministry was dissolving and this was to be their last tour - I knew I had to obtain a ticket. Then I saw the tour’s banner and the words “Special Guest - Meshuggah.” By that point I was positive this was one of the best tours to see this year. I was not let down.

The opening band, Hemlock, hit the stage 30 minutes past eight at Sunset Boulevard’s House of Blues. They seem like genuinely nice guys who just really love heavy metal. They mentioned onstage that they have been together for 15 years and have only recently been signed to a record label. The singer said that no matter how hard it its to get signed as a band, you have to keep going strong and believe in what your band has to say. By the end of the show, my respect for them grew because I saw they were truly hard workers. They hang out with their fans at the end of the show and the singer even handles the merchandise. They’re cool metal dudes who show much love to their fans. I was even able to shake the singer’s hand at the end of their set.

After a half an hour set from Hemlock and a 25 minute set change, the lights went completely dark and silence filled the stage. Then – the towering boys from Meshuggah took the stage. Their aura was mysterious and I liked how they had a very dark and primitive vibe onstage. Their 45 minute show was a behemoth of a set and I have never heard a band sound so heavy live. And not only that, everything was crystal clear as I heard every single instrument come to life. My eyes circled the stage as I watched all the members of Meshuggah play their songs effortlessly and meticulously. Their sound was truly immense. The ambient parts of songs definitely stood out too as I watched Frederik Thordendal and Marten Hagstrom switch off leads and insane rhythm sections. Dick Lovgren’s sound was definitely thundering and the bass effect was glorious. Jens Kidman gave his all – shredding his throat to the point where in between songs his voice would start to get raspy. And lastly, Thomas Haake was unstoppable. He is one of my favorite drummers because of all the off-time rhythms he creates and he pulled it off absolutely perfectly. At the end of their set, Thomas gave me one of the sticks he used and I’m truly thankful.

Ministry’s choice of props for their stage that night was great. There was a chain-link fence separating the audience from the band which gave the show a very industrial atmosphere. They came out blasting with “Let’s Go” off their latest and final album “The Last Sucker” and tore down the stage for two and a half hours. All the songs they played before their encore came from their Anti-Bush Trilogy Albums: Houses of the Mole, Rio Grande Blood and The Last Sucker. Wayne Static came out during the first encore to sing along beside Al Jourgensen on “So What.” When Wayne Static left, Burton Bell, of Fear Factory fame, took the stage with Ministry until the end of the show on a few old favorites and an unexpected all-covers second encore. They played twisted versions of “Roadhouse Blues” by the Doors, “Just Got Paid” by ZZ Top and “Under my Thumb” by the Rolling Stones. Ministry coming to an end is a sad loss, but it was amazing to see them leave on such a high note – as vile and evil as they can be.

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