On Wednesday (Nov. 11), legendary Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen joined Loudwire Nights to reflect on the band’s legacy and discuss its final studio album, Hate to Go – Take Out or Delivery. This article covers Jourgensen’s comments on the album, Ministry’s decision to end its studio run and the band’s plans to pass the torch; listen to the full conversation in the player near the end.

Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

“I just think that these songs are the perfect summation of everything we’ve done, wrapped up into one,” Jourgensen told Loudwire Nights‘ Chuck Armstrong about the new Ministry album.

“It’s really almost like a Ministry greatest hits, without them being hits yet. If it sounds like Ministry, smells like Ministry, looks like Ministry, quacks like Ministry — it must be a duck.”

For Jourgensen, there was no back and forth about whether Hate to Go should be Ministry’s final album. He had genuinely thought that 2024’s Hopiumforthemasses would be the band’s last record.

“That’s what I thought, [but] the band said, ‘No, we’ve got one more kick left in this mule. Put on your big boy pants, Grandpa, and let’s do this.'”

Because he had already accepted the idea that Hopiumforthemasses was the end for Ministry, Jourgensen felt no pressure while making Hate to Go. He said the recording process felt liberating once the band went into the studio.

“There was only one prerequisite,” he said. “We wanted to tie up a lot of the loose ends and wrap a little present with a bow. That was making sure we did something with Paul Barker, which was instrumental in getting this off the ground, and tip our caps to him and bring back some of our characters like Josh Bradford from Revolting Cocks.”

Jourgensen said Ministry’s music has offered snapshots of society, a focus of his for the last couple of decades. Although he believes there is still plenty to say, he does not think he is the person to keep saying it.

“There’s no need to progress any further,” Jourgensen said.

“There’s no point because it would be the same thing over and over and over … I mean, good on people like Neil Young [who] are still shaking their fist at the clouds and doing something about it. But I’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s time to go.”

With Ministry happy with Hate to Go and ready to move on, Jourgensen said the band is also prepared to pass the torch to a younger generation.

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“We just played a few dates with Twin Tribes and they’re a band that interests me,” he said.

“They have a good moral compass and I hope that they don’t get trapped in the system, the recording industry system, the entertainment system. I’m one of the few people — they swallowed me whole in 1983, told me what to wear, what to do, what to write, this and that. And I was like, ‘This sucks.’ I wanted to quit right then. They swallowed me and I’ve passed through the digestive system of the record industry for 45 years, [but I] somehow managed to find my way out.”

What Else Did Ministry’s Al Jourgensen Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

Jourgensen discussed the release of Hate to Go, his decision to leave Ministry and the band’s final tour. His comments describe a settled decision to move on, rather than a dramatic split.

Jourgensen’s interview covered the album’s release, Ministry’s farewell and the demands of touring.

• Releasing the album: “That’s [It feels] like I took a 20-pound shit. I feel great, are you kidding? This is like Metamucil on steroids for me.”
• Leaving Ministry: “There’s no big drama about it or anything. I really could take it or leave it … It’s not like I’m clinging to Ministry and I keep teasing that I’m going to quit and then I come back a year later…I want to buck that trend and actually do what I say, because it’s time and we’ve come to peace with it. It’s not like I need the money. I don’t need the hassle. And I certainly don’t need to keep harping the same point over and over when nothing changes.”
• The final tour: “I’m already exhausted just thinking about it. To paraphrase [Charles] Charles Bukowski, I just get tired thinking about all the places I don’t want to go. It’s like, I’m exhausted already. I just look at the sheet in front of me, I’m going, ‘Okay, this might be tough, but we’ll pull it off.'”

Jourgensen’s comments frame the final album as a closing chapter, while his remarks about the tour acknowledge its demands and the band’s intention to follow through.

Where Can You Listen to the Full Al Jourgensen Interview?

The full Al Jourgensen interview is available in the podcast player below. Loudwire Nights replays online, airs live on weeknights at 7PM ET and is also available through the Loudwire app, local radio stations, Apple and Spotify.

The podcast player below contains the full conversation with Jourgensen.

Al Jourgensen joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, Nov. 11; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand here, as well as on Apple and Spotify.

Why Is Hate to Go Ministry’s Final Album?

Jourgensen said Ministry wanted to bring its studio run to a close after making an album that summed up the band’s work and tied up loose ends. He had previously expected Hopiumforthemasses to be the final record.

Hate to Go is the album Jourgensen identified as Ministry’s final studio release.

Which Musicians and Characters Return on Hate to Go?

Hate to Go includes a collaboration with Paul Barker and brings back characters such as Josh Bradford from Revolting Cocks. Jourgensen described those callbacks as part of the band’s effort to tie up loose ends.

The album’s callbacks connect Ministry’s final studio release with people and characters from its past.

What Did Al Jourgensen Say About Ministry’s Final Tour?

Jourgensen said he already felt tired thinking about the final tour, but believed the band would manage the dates. He compared the prospect of travel to the sentiment in a line by Charles Bukowski.

Jourgensen’s tour comments combine fatigue about travel with a commitment to complete the shows.