On paper, the collaboration between Jello Biafra and Ministry seems like a match made in industrial punk heaven, and thankfully the first release from Lard lives up to these expectations. Both parties seemed to have taught the other side a thing or two: Jello Biafra is more focused than usual, while Alain Jourgensen and Paul Barker from Ministry sound a lot more punky and loose. The percussion, courtesy of Bill Rieflin and the late Jeff Ward, is firmly in an industrial style, though — all mechanized metallic thrashing, but it works just fine with the material. The standout track is “Forkboy,” the album’s opener, a frantic guitar workout with Biafra’s righteous anger coming through loud and clear. The rest of the album isn’t quite as strong, but it’s still better than anything Biafra and Ministry have done in later years. – Jim Harper