FIREBALL MINISTRY – The Second Great Awakening

Why don’t more bands sound like the Ozzy version of Black Sabbath? There are a lot of bands out there that say, “Black Sabbath is our father!” But for the most part, it seems like it’s the Ronnie James Dio version. Well guess what, Fireball Ministry is a blatant homage to Ozzy Sabbath, mixed with a sense of humor and a devout desire to play metal the way it was meant to be heard. Even though MTV2’s Ian Robinson gave them “mad props,” as his show-biz ass is wont to do, they are still worthy. So don’t believe the hype; believe what you hear, and wallow in their talent.

Fireball Ministry is a 4-piece band — ½ male, ½ female — that completely and utterly rules the roost, so to speak. Rev. James A. Rota II is the guitarist and vocalist, and if Sharon Osbourne had her harpy-like ways, she’d be suing his vocal cords for residuals. So what if he has the utterly clean and brilliant delivery of Sir Ozzy Osbourne; it’s about freakin’ time someone paid homage to one of metals’ all-time greatest vocalists.

Starting with the song “King,” you are going to get a thrumming, heavy, thumping song that is straight out of Ozzy’s latest releases. And who cares? Fireball Ministry is not a pure mimic though; they make the music atmospheric and deliberate enough to name claim to their homestead. “King” is one of those songs you think you’ve heard before, but you probably haven’t.

They have a few songs that are a smidge dark. Take “The Sinner,” for instance. “And I call on the father, spread disease among men, and I’m cast at the sinner, savior til the end.” OK, those lyrics might not be 100 percent correct, but you get the gist. They have a certain vibe, a specific grind, something so goddamn catchy that you can’t define with words. Just listen, and enjoy.

Along that Ozzy vibe, the song “Master of None,” actually has a Black Label Society ambiance to it. Now, if you know a guy that can sing like Zakk and Ozzy, wouldn’t you wanna buy this for that mere fact?

This review could go song by song, line by line, but it’d be a waste of your time. All you have to know is that Fireball Ministry is worth your money, and then some. Buy them, listen to them, buy their t-shirts, g-strings, dental floss. Get a Fireball Ministry tattoo. Divorce your wife because she listens to Yanni (ok, that’s just this reviewers take on life.) Anyhoo, you can’t go wrong with this release. We need to support METAL this good, or we’ll be stuck with crud like Nightwish. And who the hell wants that?