Release
date: November 11th 2016. Label: Housecore Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Caught
Up In The Gears Of Application – Tracklisting
1.Today
And Tomorrow 03:24
2.Burning
The Blanket 02:33
3.Ruin
You 02:24
4.Caught
In The Gears Of Application 02:42
5.Sociopathic
Herd Delusion 02:34
6.Circling
The Drain 04:30
7.Clickbait
05:21
8.Asshole
02:37
9.Mutts
Bite Too 03:56
10.Rigging
The Fight 02:34
11.Receiving
No Answer 05:33
Band
Members:
Phil
Anselmo - Vocals/Guitar
Jimmy
Bower - Guitar
Kevin
Bond - Guitar
Joey
"Blue" Gonzalez - Drums
Stephen
Taylor - Bass
Review:
Superjoint
may have dropped the Ritual from their name since returning after
they split in 2004 but as they blast back into the metal worlds
consciousness with their storming new album Caught Up In The Gears Of
Application. It is clear they still have the same aggression and
energy as when the band first emerged but with a renewed, angry and
fierce approach to their music that their last album, the sluggish, A
Lethal Dose Of American Hatred lacked.
It
is clear that both the break and name change was needed, as they feel
like a new band (and with new members in drummer Jose Gonzalez and
bassist Steven Taylor, courtesy of Phil Anselmo's solo band The
Illegals joining the singer plus original members Jimmy Bower and
Kevin Bond. It almost is a new band) and this is reflected in the
focussed nature of the bands music.
As
soon as the feedback drenched riffs and Anselmo's commanding voice on
the opening track Today And Tomorrow kick in, it is clear that the
band are back with a vengeance and as soon as the song hits its
stride with its galloping riffs and rapid fire drumming. It feels
good to have them back and the venomous "Trust no one"
refrain at the end of the song is pure Superjoint.
Caught
Up In The Gears Of Application doesn't let up for a second after the
effective opener with the all encompassing angry groove of Burning
The Blanket (a song that features one of those classic Jimmy Bower
riffs) and the relentless hardcore energy of Ruin You brimming with
energy. That relentless energy doesn't let up and tracks like
Circling, The Drain, Clickbait, Mutts Bite Too and Rigging The Fight
fizzle with an infectious hatred while the groove of the more
downbeat and sludgey heaviness of Receiving No Answer closes the
album in fine style.
The
bands hardcore punk influence is really evident on this album with
the majority of the tracks being short sharp shocks of noise and is
reflected in the energetic songs with Poison Idea being the strongest
reference point especially on Ruin You with Anselmo channelling his
inner Jerry A to maximum effect. The likes of Discharge, Celtic Frost
and Darkthrone are all clearly still big influences on the band too
and the feeling of these classic bands resonates throughout the album
and it is a feeling that is both super angry and super heavy.
It's
good to have Superjoint back, refreshed, refocussed and firing on all
cylinders with this album and with Caught Up In The Gears Of
Application and the excellent Scour EP from earlier in the year, it's
good to see Phil Anselmo hitting another rich vein of form in his
vocal approach. He might have had a regrettable year in many ways
that has been well documented, discussed, dismissed and dissected but
musically speaking, it's been a highlight from him and this is the
pick of his musical endeavours in 2016. Superjoint are back, they're
even more pissed off and they have the songs and the attitude to
prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Words
by Gavin Brown
You
can buy Caught Up In The Gears Of Application on CD/DD/Vinyl via
Housecore Records now. Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.
