Ministry

In the ’80s and ’90s, Ministry helped Chicago become ground zero for the burgeoning industrial-rock movement, thanks to propulsive singles such as “Stigmata” and “Jesus Built My Hotrod”. Led by Al Jourgensen, the band formed in 1981 and initially favoured synth-pop and darkwave on their 1983 debut, With Sympathy. The following year, the goth-dance-night classic “Every Day Is Halloween” ushered in a new sonic path for Ministry, one driven by rhythms and gouging grooves. Albums such as 1988’s uncompromising The Land of Rape and Honey and 1992’s metallic-tinged Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed & the Way to Suck Eggs established the band’s industrial cred—yet Ministry refused to be pigeonholed, as proven by their ferocious 1996 cover of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay”. Although their lineup shifted across the decades, the group continued to tour and record well into the 21st century, embracing straightforward hard rock and metal on albums such as 2021’s Moral Hygiene.