Filth Pig

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title: "Filth Pig" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1996-albums", "ministry-(band)-albums", "albums-produced-by-al-jourgensen", "warner-records-albums", "sludge-metal-albums", "heavy-metal-albums-by-american-artists"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filth_Pig" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

Field	Value
name	Filth Pig
type	studio
artist	Ministry
cover	Filth Pig Ministry.jpg
alt	A young man holding an American flag with raw meat dripping on his head and a badge on his chest that reads, "Don't blame me."
released
recorded	1994–1995
genre	{{flatlist
*sludge metal{{cite web	url
length	54:24
label	Warner Bros.
producer	{{flatlist
prev_title	ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ
prev_year	1992
next_title	Dark Side of the Spoon
next_year	1999
misc	{{Singles
name	Filth Pig
type	studio
single1	The Fall
single1date	December 1995
single2	Lay Lady Lay
single2date	February 1996
single3	Reload
single3date	July 1996
single4	Brick Windows
single4date	January 1997
::

| name = Filth Pig | type = studio | artist = Ministry | cover = Filth Pig Ministry.jpg | alt = A young man holding an American flag with raw meat dripping on his head and a badge on his chest that reads, "Don't blame me." | released = | recorded = 1994–1995 | studio = | genre = {{flatlist|

• Industrial metal
• sludge metal | length = 54:24 | label = Warner Bros. | producer = {{flatlist|
• Hypo Luxa
• Hermes Pan | prev_title = ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = Dark Side of the Spoon | next_year = 1999 | misc = {{Singles | name = Filth Pig | type = studio | single1 = The Fall | single1date = December 1995 | single2 = Lay Lady Lay | single2date = February 1996 | single3 = Reload | single3date = July 1996 | single4 = Brick Windows | single4date = January 1997 | noprose = yes | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = |rev2 = Cash Box |rev2Score = favourable | rev3 = Christgau's Consumer Guide | rev3Score = C |rev4 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal |rev4score = 5/10 |rev5= Encyclopedia of Popular Music |rev5Score = | rev6 = NME | rev6Score = 7/10 | rev7 = Rolling Stone | rev7Score = | rev8 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide | rev8score = | rev9 = Spin | rev9Score = 6/10 | rev10 = Wall of Sound | rev10Score = 79/100 Filth Pig is the sixth studio album by American industrial metal band Ministry, released on January 30, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records. The title was allegedly derived from a statement made in the British Houses of Parliament, in which the band's leader Al Jourgensen was described as a "filthy pig" for his onstage theatrics by MP Teddy Taylor.

Despite being the band's highest-charting album in the US, it was negatively received by reviewers, sharply divided the band's fanbase, and did not live up to the platinum-selling success of Psalm 69. Despite poor sales, the album entered several charts, peaking at the highest positions Ministry has ever achieved. This would be the last Ministry album with Mike Scaccia on guitar until 2004's Houses of the Molé.

Background

Filth Pig marked a major shift artistically for the band from their previous album. Jourgensen said everyone around him wanted him to continue making music similar to Psalm 69. However, he wanted to move away from using samples and focus on a slower, heavier sound. Jourgensen rejected any songs that sounded like their previous work.

The 2002 live album Sphinctour was generally well received by critics.

Track listing

| title1 = Reload | writer1 = Al Jourgensen, Paul Barker | length1 = 2:26 | title2 = Filth Pig | writer2 = Jourgensen, Barker | length2 = 6:20 | title3 = Lava | writer3 = Jourgensen, Barker | length3 = 6:30 | title4 = Crumbs | writer4 = Jourgensen, Barker, Mike Scaccia, Louis Svitek, Rey Washam | length4 = 4:15 | title5 = Useless | writer5 = Jourgensen, Barker, William Rieflin, Scaccia | length5 = 5:55 | title6 = Dead Guy | writer6 = Jourgensen, Barker, Washam | length6 = 5:15 | title7 = Game Show | writer7 = Jourgensen, Barker, Scaccia, Svitek, Washam | length7 = 7:46 | title8 = The Fall | writer8 = Jourgensen, Michael Balch | length8 = 4:55 | title9 = Lay Lady Lay | writer9 = Bob Dylan | note9 = Bob Dylan cover | length9 = 5:44 | title10 = Brick Windows | writer10 = Jourgensen, Barker | length10 = 5:23 | total_length = 54:24

Personnel

Ministry

• Al Jourgensen – vocals, keyboards, mandolin, harmonica, pedal steel, piano, production
• Paul Barker – bass, vocals (5), programming, production

Additional personnel

• Rey Washam, William Rieflin – drums
• Louis Svitek, Mike Scaccia – guitars
• Esther Nevarez, Stella Katsoudas – backing vocals (5)
• Duane Buford – programming (uncredited)
• Michael Balch – programming (8, uncredited)

Technicial personnel

• Zlatko Hukic – engineer
• Brad Kopplin – engineer
• Bill Garcelon – assistant engineer
• Jamie Duffy – assistant engineer
• Matt Gibson – assistant engineer
• Ed Tinley – assistant engineer
• Whitney O'Keefe – assistant engineer
• Paul Elledge – art & design

Chart positions

;Album ::data[format=table] | Chart (1996) | Peak position | Australian Albums (ARIA) | Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan0 | Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | UK Albums (OCC) | US Billboard 200 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 47 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 38 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 50 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 43 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

;Singles ::data[format=table] | Year | Song | US Dance | SWE | UK | "The Fall" | "Lay Lady Lay" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1995 | 18 | 46 | 53 | | | | | 1996 | — | — | 128 | | | | ::

References

References

1. Ruggieri, Melissa. (February 7, 1996). "Rants, Rage And Regrets: Ministry - Filth Pig". [[Sun-Sentinel]].
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Filth Pig - Ministry". [[All Media Network]].
3. Baltin, Steve. (February 10, 1996). "Ministry: ''Filth Pig'' (Warner Bros. 45838-2)".
4. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Ministry". RobertChristgau.com.
5. (2007). "The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties". [[Collector's Guide Publishing]].
6. (1998). "[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]". Muse UK Ltd.
7. ''NME'' (1/27/96, p.43)
8. Wiederhorn, Jon. (February 2, 1998). "Ministry: Filth Pig : Music Reviews".
9. Cross, Charles R.. (2004). "[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide". [[Simon & Schuster]].
10. Norris, Chris. (February 1996). "Ministry, ''Filth Pig'', Sire/Warner Bros.".
11. Graff, Gary. "Wall of Sound Review: Filth Pig".
12. Jenkins, Mark. (May 22, 1996). "The Bloody Pulpit". [[SF Weekly]].
13. Andrew. (January 19, 2011). "Justify Your Shitty Taste: Ministry's 'Filth Pig'".
14. O'Hagar, Sammy. (May 30, 2014). "Album of the Day: Ministry's Filth Pig".
15. (September 28, 2007). "The Piss Army :: View topic - I come bearing a gift: Ministry's official soundscan numbers".
16. (2013). "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen". Da Capo Press.
17. . (May 22, 1996). ["The Bloody Pulpit"](https://www.sfweekly.com/music/the-bloody-pulpit/). *[[SF Weekly]]*.
18. (2013). "Ministry: The Lost Gospels According To Al Jourgensen". Da Capo Press.
19. "Ministry - Sphinctour (CD)".
20. "Ministry - Sphinctour".
21. "Australian chart positions". australian-charts.com.
22. "Austrian chart positions". austriancharts.at.
23. "Finnish chart positions". finnishcharts.com.
24. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de.
25. "New Zealand chart positions". charts.nz.
26. "Norwegian chart positions". norwegiancharts.com.
27. "Swedish chart positions". swedishcharts.com.
28. "Swiss chart positions". hitparade.ch.
29. "Chart Log UK: M - My Vitriol". Zobbel.
30. "Ministry Chart History (Billboard 200)". [[Billboard (magazine).
31. "Ministry Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard.

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