Metal Underground.com

Ministry received some criticism for releasing the live album "Adios...Puta Madres" recently because it only contained songs from the band's last three studio albums of original material: "Houses Of The Mole," "Rio Grande Blood," and "The Last Sucker." However, if you pick up the "Adios...Puta Madres" DVD/CD set, you will not be disappointed.

The first disc features the unique and awe-inspiring spectacle that is Ministry live. Having seen the band on the "CULaTour" run, I can say that for the most part, the DVD captures the band's live performances perfectly. The sound is great and so is the setlist, which features a variety of old and newer material, before finishing with the bands own take on "What A Wonderful World." If I had one complaint about the live DVD concert, it would be that several of the performances are from a show they did outdoors in broad daylight, which to me took away the craziness of the show.

Some people may have a problem with the band's choice to end their final tour with "What A Wonderful World," but if you watch the DVD from start to finish, it's actually quite touching. The final thing to say about the live DVD is that, although it was only filmed a year ago, it captures the atmosphere of the anti-Bush attitude in music perfectly. Although at the time I found the constant criticisms of President Bush ignorant and short-sighted, it gives an almost nostalgic feeling to see a band so angry at the man in charge, and I believe that, much like younger rock fans see now from old videos of Megadeth and Reagan Youth speaking out against President Reagan, young rock fans in the future will be able to look at this disc and see history captured perfectly.

The second DVD takes a look inside the band, as all the members share stories from the road, rehearsal rooms and beyond. Once again, band leader Al Jourgensen makes clear that Ministry will not be coming back in the future, with the other members sharing their thoughts about the band coming to an end, which is a nice touch. It's also made perfectly clear to everyone that Ministry really were not for the faint at heart, for the band as much as anyone else. Stories about having dead animals thrown at them and a stream of alcohol flowing through the studio are as humourous as they are crazy.

At just under 45 minutes, it feels a little short, and I believe that if it were around half an hour longer, it could have had a theatrical release, as bands such as Iron Maiden, Anvil and Metallica have done in recent years. It's still very entertaining however, and is good fun to watch.

Finally we come to the third disc, the live CD. As I said before, the album contains only songs from the band's last three albums, so if you want to hear the classics, stick with the DVD. Discarding the oldies doesn't make it a bad CD at all though, as there are plenty of good songs on here. For my money, "Let's Go" is one of the best songs Ministry ever wrote, so to hear it in all its glory live is a treat. It won't please everyone but it has some great songs and production and is worth at least checking out.

So there you have it - a farewell gift from one of, if not the greatest, Industrial Metal bands that ever graced the planet. It's a great addition to the collection of any Ministry fan and won't disappoint. I've been missing Ministry since the day they split up, and after watching the DVDs, it makes you remember what a truly special band they were.