Never one to court controversy, the shy and retiring figure of Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen remains as quiet and unassuming as ever, keeping a wide berth of any issue which could be construed as even remotely contentious. Refusing point blank to highlight corruption at the highest level, or to take unnecessary jabs at certain political figures, the calm, and even-tempered frontman is nothing, if not the very pinnacle of tact and diplomacy.
Having emerged from the other side of an extremely painful, and emotionally draining year, trailblazing Metal pioneer and full-time Master of the Riffs Tony Iommi returns to do what he does best on a fittingly titled solo album, From the Dark (BMG).
Back in the day, it was common practice for bands to release an album every year. Some were even known to release more than one. Over time, however, the space between records has grown, sometimes to the point where a decade can pass without new material.