Superjoint Ritual: A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Phil Anselmo of Pantera joins with Hank Williams III on bass for a Black Sabbath-y free-for-all there's not a hint of suicidal woe or rap-rock bravado to be found on the second album by Superjoint Ritual, a metal throwback led by Pantera singer Phil Anselmo and featuring Hank Williams III on bass. Hatred is old-school loud, full of big, meaty Black Sabbath guitar riffs, lightning-fast drum lines and Anselmo howling and growling in his best you-looking-at-me? voice. At its best, it's simply, well, awesome; the groovy thrash assault "Personal Insult" and its march-of-doom percussion pummel anything onSt. Anger. The only thing holding back the group from rock-god supremacy is Anselmo, whose mid-album rants against "elitist Jews" and "coward Muhammads" (on "Stealing a Page or Two from Armed and Radical Pagans") brings to mind an old Spinal Tap axiom: "There's a fine line between clever and stupid."

KIRK MILLER
(RS 930, September 4, 2003)