Superjoint Ritual
Use Once And Destroy

THE REVIEW

As a great admirer of the New Orleans metal/hardcore scene, I couldn't resist the opportunity to talk about this, call it a project or whatever you want, by Phil Anselmo.

Assisted by the one who built the sludge core, brick by brick, Jimmy Bower (EyeHateGod, Down, Coc, Mystick Krewe of Clearlight, etc.), the good Phil shares the role of axeman in the recordings of "Use Once And Destroy" from 2002, preceded by demos of pure underground origin dating back to 1996/1997 with all the tracks that we will hear on the aforementioned CD and others on the following "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred". In this first chapter of SJR, Anselmo serves us his passion for old school punk/hardcore on a silver platter, the aggressiveness of simple, raw, and direct riffs and with (once again) a great lineup behind him, Hank Williams III on bass and Joe Fazzio on drums, offering us an honest punch in the stomach.

Paranoid melodies and doomy slowdowns, hardcore outbursts bordering on black, more rhythmic parts, all backing the incredible screaming of the massive singer who delivers an inhuman performance. Those looking for some resemblance to Pantera or Down (which have existed since '92 or before, so don't call them P. Anselmo's new band!) are mistaken, plus it's interesting that the album came out right when tons of cookie-cutter mainstream metal and hardcore bands were sprouting like mushrooms... The Superjoint with no pretensions, did dig into their roots, but created something absolutely personal, in sound, etc., while maintaining the unchanged underground spirit. The album flows, carrying with it angst, violence, drugs, blood, delirium, and abuse that will be the soundtrack of this SUPERJOINT RITUAL.

It starts with the bone-crushing intro "Oblivious Maximus", going through songs that will become classics like "The Alcoholik" and "Fuck Your Enemy", the band's impressive impetuosity is striking. "4 Songs" increases our desire for destruction, here all the devastating components typical of their offering come out, leaving the listener stunned by hardcore outbursts, Sabbath-like riffs, and others more "sick". The album could very well end here, but no, it continues with three songs "Messages", "All Of Our Lives Will Get Tried" and the bomb "Antifaith"; the acidic and sharp guitars with Anselmo's lyrics daze us more and more... it's time for the dark "Ozena", with its bluesy and thrashy pace, the artistic pinnacle of this CD.

The group's energy, as if it were a live performance, doesn't wane, so the last part of the album kicks off with "Drug Your Love", "Haunted Hated", "Stupid Stupid Man", "Creepy Crawl" already known for its version in the soundtrack of the film The Manson Family and the anxious and paranoid "Superjoint Ritual"... and still, there's room for bonus tracks, utterly rough demo versions of some songs that will be part of "A Lethal Dose Of....".