Featured review by:
UG Team, on july 09, 2009
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Sound: With Ministry declaring that it was heading out on a farewell tour in 2008, it certainly seemed to be the end of an era for industrial music. And after nearly 30 years together, the Chicago band opted to finish during a time that was easily its most political. The anti-Bush sentiment prevalent on Ministry’s last three releases was ever-present on their final “C U LaTour,” and if you didn’t happen to see the band in those last onstage moments, you’ll now get your chance. The setlist heard on the new live DVD/CD Adios…Puta Madres keeps is focused primarily on newer material, but it still captures the spirit of a Ministry show. If you didn’t care for newer tracks like “Let’s Go” or “Watch Yourself,” be prepared to feel not quite as captivated as you might have a few years back. However, the bonus DVD Fuchi Requiem, chronicling the preparation and eventual execution of the tour, is a worthwhile viewing experience – particularly if you enjoy the idea of Al Jourgensen hitting his bandmates with roadkill.
The main DVD is dedicated to the 15-track live set, which although does primarily consist of material off the anti-Bush trilogy, does feature a few older songs like “N.W.O” and “Just One Fix.” In terms of the audio, it almost sounds like it is a studio recording. It’s possible that there could have been some overdubbing going on after the fact, but whatever they did worked to their advantage. Frontman and Ministry legend Jourgensen is now about 50 and doesn’t quite have the energy/charisma that he once did, but he does have plenty of facial expressions to make up for the lack of movement. Prong’s Tommy Victor handles the guitar duties effectively on such songs as “Lieslieslies” and “Worthless,” and he often becomes the focal point of the entire show.
If you’re a Ministry fan you’ll be able to appreciate the musical content on both the main DVD and accompanying CD (which features a few different live recordings that are not included on the DVD), but it’s actually the bonus disk Fuchi Requiem that is the most entertaining portion of the release. Each band member is interviewed about the final tour experience, and there are quite a few candid thoughts about Jourgensen’s perfectionist qualities. Apparently the vocalist has a rather odd sense of humor as well, given the fact that he felt the need to throw dead skunks at Tommy Victor’s head to relieve boredom. You won’t get your average, boring behind-the-scenes material on Fuchi Requiem, and it makes for a nice balance with the generally serious approach to the concert itself. // 7
Content: Between the two DVDs and one audio CD, there is plenty of content included on Adios…Puta Madres. While the musical portion might not have the “classic Ministry” vibe that some old school fans might enjoy, it certainly is a representative look at the Bush era, for better or worse. As was mentioned earlier, it’s the documentary that is the most interesting aspect, and the filmmakers did a nice job of relaying just how much time and focus went into putting on the final tour. // 8
Production Quality: The concert footage doesn’t necessarily have the best quality, but that’s only because you have to stand it up against all of the Hi-Def DVDs out on the shelves today. It does get a passing grade, however, and you can certainly tell that the filmmakers spent time covering all of the camera angles. The primary drawback is the editing style, which is insanely frantic. Yes, it probably fits the tempo and feel of industrial music, but it simply gets distracting at times. // 7
Impression: The audio on Adios…Puta Madres is outstanding, which becomes even more obvious when you’re listening to the accompanying CD. From what one can gather in the documentary, Jourgensen had no intention of making the audio quality onstage any less impressive than what you might hear in the studio. Mission accomplished. It’s a solid audio performance, which makes up for the moments when it seems to get a little boring onstage. The camera style and editing are usually the biggest issues, but that will likely be something that can be overlooked by fans who just want to hear Ministry play a memorable last show. // 8
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