After four decades of industrial-metal mayhem, Al Jourgensen is officially hanging up the synths. According to Rolling Stone, Ministry will release their 17th and final album, Hate To Go (Take Out or Delivery), on October 30 via Cleopatra Records.
Jourgensen's goodbye is unfiltered: "I'm fucking done," the frontman declared. But there is genuine reflection in the statement. "I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I'm amazed at the path that it's taken, from With Sympathy to where we're at today, and all points in between." The man who helped define industrial rock is walking away complete rather than bitter.
The album preview single, "Burned Out," sets the tone. Paul Barker, a legacy member and part of Ministry's classic lineup, appears on the final track, "We're Still Here." The band brought back a piece of its DNA for the very last song.
Why This Matters Beyond the Fan Base
Ministry's retirement signals the end of an era for industrial music itself. Jourgensen has spent decades influencing everyone from Marilyn Manson to Nine Inch Nails; the genre wouldn't exist in its current form without him. When founding fathers step back, it forces the next generation to step up or fade out.
The 2027 Goodbye Europe Tour kicks off April 2 in Utrecht with Die Krupps as special guests, offering international fans the last chance to see the band live. A U.S. run follows, with dates still being finalized. American fans have a handful of 2026 dates remaining—Salt Shed in Chicago, Red Rocks in Colorado, plus festival slots at Louder Than Life and Sick New World Texas—before the window closes.
Hate To Go (Take Out or Delivery) arrives in vinyl, CD, cassette, and digital formats, with special box sets available. Pre-orders are live. Jourgensen's parting words: "It's time to herd goats." After 40 years of industrial thunder, the man has earned his peace.
