Tuesday 22 November 2016

Superjoint - Caught Up In The Gears Of Application (Album Review)


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.

Links:

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