411 Music VIDEO Interview - Burton C Bell and John Bechdel of Ministry

Posted by Michael Melchor on 04.28.2008

The guest vocalist and keyboardist of Ministry are joined by a few surprise guests as they discuss the Ascension Of The Watchers as well as the history - and the end - of Ministry.

When I had originally set this up and confirmed this nearly 60 days ago, I was originally scheduled to interview none other than Uncle Al himself for this very feature. A dream was right in my grasp - I was going to finally talk face-to-face to Al Jourgensen after a seven-year quest for an interview I'd have died for.

And it couldn't have happened at a better time, as Jourgensen has announced that, at the end of the current "C U LaTour", that the Ministry machine was rolling into the shop to stay, closing its doors for good. History was being made, as one of the most influential industrial.metal groups of a generation was calling it quite and out on its last ride.

All was set to go - until about a week before the April 22 stop of Ministry's "C U LaTour" at the House Of Blues in Orlando, FL. The e-mail I'd received from Ministry's people had crushed that hope once and for all:

First, Al is not available for interviews.

Since before the tour, Al has been doing 20 hour days preparing for the road – he fell victim to that awful flu that just doesn't seem to leave graciously and was told by his doctor to rest his voice for two weeks. Now, Al's set with the boys is anywhere from 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours and he's been doing the set, then just resting up for the next show.

We just found out that he has bronchitis and a respiratory infection, so we have had to cancel all interviews for possibly the remainder of the tour.

Dammit, dammit, dammit, DAMMIT~!!

Imagine being kicked in the genitals. With a spiked boot. By a 6' 5", 330 lb. MMA fighter. On steroids. Who just caught you fucking his wife. That's about how reading that felt.

However, all was not lost yet...an interview WOULD happen yet. What follows below is an excellent fill-in job by not only members of Ministry and Ascension Of The Watchers but, as it turns out, members of a commune...of a common goal...of an idea to take the music industry back to a familiar place it once thrived in and, should the 13th Planet Label take off like it deserves to.

Enough of my prattling - join us now from the road as Burton C Bell (guest vocalist), John Bechdel (keyboardist) and a surprise guest or two talk about some of the history of heavy music, how Ministry has affected them...and what awaits all of these gentlemen once Ministry has officially come to an end.