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Writer's pictureFred

The Difference Between a 14 Year Old Gas Huffer and Me?

Updated: Oct 3, 2021


Apparently nothing.


 

Last night I was checking out the new Ghostemane song Fed Up.



In my head, Ghostemane should be the most popular rock artist out there today. He's dangerous, new, and speaks to the next generation. There also appears to be a disdain for him by older musicians. Good, that's what Rock is supposed to be about, the next generation consuming the old. I asked my 16 year if Ghostemane is popular at his high school. He said no, but then he continued, "Ghostemane is popular with Middle School students who huff gasoline in their parents' garage."



<sigh>


I remember falling in love with Ministry starting with their live album In Case You Didn't Feel like Showing Up. Ministry could do no wrong from 1988's Land of Rape and Honey to 2003's

last album with Paul Barker, Animositisomina. But after the loss of Barker, Ministry soldiered on, with mixed results. You could tell that Ministry was out of balance.


Why bring up Ministry in relation to Ghostmane? Ministry, too, released a new video this weekend.



It's alright, but nothing special. Standard post-W Ministry. Which video, artistically speaking, did I prefer? Oh, the Ghostemane video. Before this weekend, I scrolled through my YouTube history and this was the last Ministry video that I watched (listened to):



My son also went on to say that most kids in his school listened to pop, rap, or country. What are my kids listening to? Mostly Alternative or Pop Punk from the 90's and 00's...


 

You say this article is going nowhere fast? That's a fair criticism. After reviewing more and more of my work, it seems more circular than direct, and that's the case again here.


I don't like Cleveland's Rock and Roll Museum. I believe that Rock Music should be alive and that museum is a tomb, like visiting a dead relative.


Ghostemane blurs the lines between Rap, Industrial, and Noise, but his roots are in music that has come before. It is hard to categorize where he belongs in today's formats. Ghostemane is exciting.


At first I didn't believe rappers belonged in the Rock Hall, but after re-thinking my stance, many have a direct lineage to James Brown.....


You know what? I don't feel very good. I'm going to go take some more cold medicine and lay down.


 

Editor's Note: Added 1 day later.


About a decade ago, a band out of Norway called Shining released a classic metal album called BlackJazz. Since then, their lead singer Jørgen Munkeby, not unlike Al Jourgensen, chased away all his band mates but kept the band name on the album covers.


Unlike Ministry, it took about 5 years for Munkeby to turn his band into straight garbage. Piles and piles of steaming poo. Munkeby wants you to check out his band's new single, Slaughter, also out this weekend.


I suggest you DON'T and as soon as I hit the Publish Button on this addendum, I am unfollowing the Shining.






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