Ministry – Cold Life

"Cold Life" is a nice slice of funky new wave, with some nice reverbed drums and popping bass. It's legit. "I'm Falling" is less credible and sounds like a stale artifact of that era. "Primental" is even worse. It's not even half baked; it's a couple of ideas in search of a decent tune, and it comes up empty handed. "Cold Life Dub" is the palate cleanser you need.

Nothing else quite like "Cold Life" in the Ministry catalog, and in 2022 it still sounds great. Here, it gets all the stars.

This is the Wax Trax rerelease of the Cold Life 12". The original had a red sleeve and a different catalog number. The rerelased it in the much more common blue sleeve with Cold Life Dub added and the catalog number changed to WAX 003 to fit the Wax Trax numbering scheme. Cold Life Dub is available on the 12" Singles compilation and its many rereleases. I'm Falling and Primental (an early instrumental version of I Wanted To Tell Her) were both released on CD and digitally on the Trax Box RSD release from 2015. This version of Cold Life (the song) is an extended one, and is the same as the other 12" versions, and has strangely never been pressed on CD or released digitally.

I attended most of the ministry shows around chicago, including their first show.
Al was totally into the synth pop scene,and all the promotional hype surrounding them.At the time they were totally fun live, nothing to be ashamed of.
Plus Dan and Jim did not force him to come up with the sound, that's is ridiculous and insulting to them...

The songs on this vinyl originally came out before the "With Sympathy" LP whose new-wave sound Al claims he was forced into by his record label. "I'm Falling" is edgey, but "Cold Life" wouldn't be out of place on "With Sympathy" and "Primental" is an instrumental version of "I Wanted To Tell Her" from his first LP. Plus these songs were released on Wax Trax! where I understand the artists apparently had complete control over what was released. All of which in my opinion deflates Al's claim that "With Sympathy"'s floppy new-waveyness was not his idea. I think he's just embarrassed by his new wave beginnings given what Ministry has become and is trying to excuse the band's perhaps less than impressive first album.