Search - Superjoint Ritual :: A Lethal Dose of American Hatred

Warning: This C.D. may cause snapped necks

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 08/16/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Flash back to 2003: Pantera is officially defunct, Down is on hiatus, and Phil Anselmo has put all of his other projects on the back burner for the foreseeable future in order to be a full-time member of Superjoint Ritual. So now that he can make the kind of music he wants to 24/7 without being tied down with obligations to anybody else, is this thirty-four year old frontman content, and could he possibly start taking it easy finally? Absolutely not -- you should have known better than to think that. He's still as nasty, maniacal, and livid as ever. But, as Superjoint's sophomore effort demonstrates, he is clearly having a lot more fun than he's had in several years.



The band is comprised of a group of experienced, well-known, and talented musicians -- including Jimmy Bower (of Eyehategod and Crowbar) and country music star Hank Williams III -- so it should go without saying that "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred" is pretty awesome from a musical standpoint. The band sound a lot tighter and more realized than they did on 2002's debut, "Use Once and Destroy," and they pack these thirteen tracks with dissonant, blistering riffs, Slayer-worthy leads, meaty, pronounced bass lines, deft (and often rapid-fire) drum beats, and rock hard, skull-cracking rhythms.



For the most part, though, this is Anselmo's show. This man is a bottomless well of anger, aggression, and, uh, "hatred," and there seems to be nothing he loves more than letting the world know it. Lyrically, a variety of ultra sweet and pleasant topics are addressed here, such as friends who died from drug addiction, injuring people who disrespect Americans, hatred towards the media, the spread of AIDS, and going to war with religion. Yes, they can sometimes be inane, silly, or even stupid (see the rants against religious "cowards" and "elitists" in "Stealing a Page or Two from Armed and Radical Pagans"). But even if they're not meant to be deep or thought provoking lyrics, the power and inspiration behind them is undeniable. Plus, most of the time Phil delivers them in such a way that makes the listener not even care what he's talking about. Phil is in very fine voice here, and he turns in his best performance on the microphone since the time he recorded "The Great Southern Trendkill" with Pantera back in 1996. "A Lethal Dose" is essentially a vocal tour de force -- Phil can switch between his world-renowned bellows, ever-present "tooth pulled without novocaine" screams, and surprisingly supple croons at the drop of a hat. In addition, he flirts with weird, almost perverted moaning, vocals that have an almost grindcore-worthy intensity, and he can also dig extra deep and channel black metal influences with piercing, skin crawling shrieks.



"Waiting for the Turning Point," the surprisingly catchy and rhythmic "Dress Like a Target," and "Permanently" are but a few of the album's full-on, steamrolling thrashers that will give even the most practiced metalheads whiplash. Here, Phil gets sick on the mic over driving, inexorable, groove-based riffs while skinsman Joe Fazzio pummels away on his trapkit like he's trying to crack open oil cans. Elsewhere, "The Destruction of a Person" (which features almost deafening shrieks and a strong, snaking bass line), the old-school Sabbath-esque "The Knife Rises," and closer "Absorbed" (which has a two-minute outro consisting of one repetitive, loopy, groaning bass riff) are slower, doomy songs with tons of ominous, brutal riffs. Also of note, "Sickness" and the mosh-intensive "Stealing a Page or Two from Armed and Radical Pagans" boast catchy, sludgy, lurching grooves that sound tailor-made for getting everyone's head banging and fists pumping at one of Superjoint's shows.



Lastly, "Personal Insult" and "Never to Sit or Stand Again" are the album's two biggest highpoints. Both of these tracks crush anything on "St. Anger." The former boasts great, churning, almost buzzsaw riffs; and the latter features a career-defining vocal performance. Anselmo is just awesome the whole way through this song, and the 20 second-long, monstrous, roaring, larynx-shredding, ascending and descending bellow/shriek around the midpoint is amazing even for him!



Even though "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred" is slightly hindered from a fairly thin production job, it is still a very strong, satisfying release, and a sheer blast to listen to! So, if you need a dose of American hardcore and/or Phil Anselmo to satisfy your cravings, and you don't yet own this album...what are you waiting for?!"