Certainly _Rio Grande Blood_ has no shortage of aggression, and if its predecessor was a blistering critique of the Republican administration, the cleverly edited sample that heralds the start of the record sets the tone for an acid-laced diatribe that makes _Houses of the Mole_ sound like a love letter by comparison. The music is fittingly caustic. At times barreling forward with an almost thrash-like impetus, as it does on "Senor Peligro" and the Grammy-nominated "The Great Satan", you'd almost be tempted to think that Ministry has gone all Slayer on us. But while some songs may betray a fondness for _Reign in Blood_, the attitude is vintage Jourgensen; and for the duration of the record, he has both middle fingers held high, even when songs like "Fear (Is Big Business)" drop the tempo, if only temporarily, to a crawl.

From time to time, consistency is an issue however. Where _Houses of the Mole_ was virtually flawless -- at least in my mind -- there are moments where _Rio Grande Blood_ tends toward being just a little too self-indulgent for its own good. While this has arguably always been Ministry's Achilles' heel, drivel like Sgt Major's inane military rant on "Gangreen" is too juvenile for even Ministry to pull off without looking stupid. Nevertheless, _Rio Grande Blood_ is a sterling effort -- not quite the album of the year contender that its predecessor was, but a highly entertaining sequel all the same.