Al Jourgensen and Tommy Victor of Heavy Metal Band, Ministry the Special Guests on New Episode of Dave Navarro’s Spread TV

On an all new maniaTV.com episode of Dave Navarro's Spread TV, Dave and Todd spend time with Al Jourgensen and Tommy Victor of the heavy metal band, Ministry to talk drug addiction, music, movie scores, and politics. Ministry found mainstream success in 1992 with its most successful album "Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs" and by touring as part of the Lollapalooza festival. The band just recently retired after 27 years of producing and performing hard hitting heavy metal.

Subsequent to the show's opening introduction between Dave, Todd, Tommy, and Al, the show moves its focus exclusively to Dave and Jourgensen for an eye-brow raising discussion about their well known history of overcoming heroin addiction. Both musicians discuss the trial and tribulations of being six years clean, and talk about what it's like to see themselves high years later while watching Jourgensen's upcoming documentary, "Fixed".

Following their candid conversation about the highs and lows of heroin addiction, the two legendary musicians move on to chat lightly about Ministry's decision to retire, Jourgensen's new score for the upcoming horror movie "Wicked Lake", and why Senator Obama and Cindy McCain make a perfect political ticket. Tommy Victor, former guitarist for Ministry, also gives viewers an exclusive update about his band, Prong, an American groove metal/industrial metal band he founded in 1986.

This new episode of Spread TV can be seen now on maniatv.com.

About Ministry

Until Nine Inch Nails crossed over to the mainstream, Ministry did more than any other band to popularize industrial dance music, injecting large doses of punky, over-the-top aggression and roaring heavy metal guitar riffs that helped their music find favor with metal and alternative audiences outside of industrial's cult fan base. That's not to say Ministry had a commercial or generally accessible sound: they were unremittingly intense, abrasive, pounding, and repetitive, and not always guitar-oriented (samples, synthesizers, and tape effects were a primary focus just as often as guitars and distorted vocals). However, both live and in the studio, they achieved a huge, crushing sound that put most of their contemporaries in aggressive musical genres to shame; plus, founder and frontman Al Jourgensen gave the group a greater aura of style and theater than other industrial bands, who seemed rather faceless when compared with Jourgensen's leather-clad cowboy/biker look and the edgy shock tactics of such videos as "N.W.O." and "Just One Fix." After 1992's Psalm 69, which represented the peak of their popularity, Ministry's recorded output dwindled, partially because of myriad side projects and partially due to heroin abuse within the band, but the band continued to resurface through the rest of the decade.

About Prong

Rising out of the expansive early '90s thrash metal landscape, New York's Prong carved a niche all their own with their minimalist urban take on the genre. After years working as a soundman at New York's CBGB's Tommy Victor (vocals/guitars) drafted doorman Mike Kirkland (bass) and ex-Swans drummer Ted Parsons to form Prong in the mid 80s. The trio's early independent releases -- Primitive Origins and Force Fed -- were extremely raw and betrayed their hardcore roots. By the time the group signed with Epic for 1990's Beg to Differ though, Victor and company had transformed into a highly-technical thrash metal outfit, shelling out clinical staccato riffs and start-stop rhythms peppered with subtle melodies and occasional bursts of speed. The album's title track was a minor hit, helping to put the band on the map once it received regular exposure on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.

About Spread TV

Dave Navarro's Spread TV is a weekly web television show focusing on arts and the human condition. Executive Produced by Navarro and co-hosted by Todd Newman, Spread TV was created as the first of its kind, avant-garde talk show that includes special performances and intimate conversations with intellectuals, celebrities, and artists in an unpretentious setting. Spread TV is filmed on location at the maniaTV studios in Los Angeles, CA. To see past episodes with guests such as Gene Simmons, Margaret Cho, Ben Lee, Moby, Elvira, Whitley Streiber, Janice Dickenson, Angie Everhart, David Faustino, Sasha Grey, Matt Zane, and many more, go to Spread TV. 

About maniaTV
The maniaTV Network launched in 2004 as the world's first Internet TV network. The company produces, sells and distributes made for internet programming targeting the 18 to 34 year old audience while delivering innovative branded entertainment opportunities to leading brands and advertisers. With a state-of-the-art production studio in Hollywood, maniaTV produces groundbreaking, award-winning programming for 8+ million viewers each month. maniaTV's programming slate ranges from music and comedy, to drama, video gaming, and action sports. Leading shows include Dave Navarro's Spread Entertainment, Tom Green Live, National Lampoon's Lemmings, Arcade, and Backstage Pass. maniaTV delivers unique brand experiences within each show and has served over 50 of Advertising Age's Top 100. Through its visionary market leadership and focus on premium content and distribution partnerships, maniaTV is redefining television for the 21st Century. We like to call it "Television 2.0".

Contact: Jason Damata 917-279-8706 jason (at) fabricmedia.net