The Ministry Of Archers is the newest installment from Ronnie Martin, and the fourth album in his Legacy series. Martin continues to show dedication to his music and makes some big changes on this new album.

The album begins with a short track titled "A Family Of Archers," and transitions into the title track, "The Ministry Of Archers." There is a notable difference from previous albums, as there seems to be heavier percussive beats. However, the beats seem to be too noticeable and become a bit distracting.

"The Most Terrible Archer" is the next track, which is far less distracting, and offers some really nice synthesized beats. In classic Joy Electric form, this song sounds like something that belongs on an old Super Mario Brothers videogame. It is very nicely done, the only thing that sounds off is Ronnie's voice in the duration of the chorus.

"Become As Murderers" slows things down, and features a beautiful synth line throughout the song. "A Hatchet, A Hatchet" follows and picks up the pace, and unfortunately uses too much percussion, with the exception of the chorus. However, it's the percussion that makes it faster. Without it, the song would have been slower, and in my opinion, would have sounded better.

"Hornets Horns" is an instrumental that features a variety of synth sounds. "Quite Quieter Than Spiders" follows with a solid beat, and has a slight dark feel to it. "Rickety Trickery" is a solid transition from the previous song. Both songs have a classic Joy Electric feel to them, which will leave longtime fans happy.

"In Intricacies" is another slow-paced instrumental. "Can You Refrain" closes out the album, offering more of a dark feel. With a variety of synth sounds that are like noises in the night, there is an eerie sound throughout the entire song. Ronnie's soft vocals only add to the effect, making it one of the best songs on the album. After the vocals are finished, the noises continue until the album's completion.

Overall, this is a great album, and is a must for all Joy Electric fans. As mentioned, some songs don't sound the best due to some excessive beats. This is the most percussive album in Joy Electric history, so it is more experimental. However, only a few songs are distracting, but it's enough to make you cringe. This is where the album fails, but as a whole, is still very nicely done.

- Review date: 9/4/05, written by Brett Wier