After 12 long years, Superjoint were ready to rage with a full house of fans at the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan on Sunday, January 22nd. Having recently released their new album, ‘Caught Up in the Gears of Application’, Superjoint are tearing across the states with Michigan’s thrash titans, Battlecross and fellow Housecore label mates, Child Bite. This unique mixture of extreme music genres gave the crowd all they could want and more.
The two-member band, Fate of Misery opened the evening’s entertainment with a blast of corrosive metal. With only a guitar, drums, and hyper-aggressive vocals, they did a great job of firing up the crowd. Blind Haven from the plains of Lenawee country Michigan were disciples of doom. This band played crushing doom metal with unfathomable depth. This band should be on a national tour, as they were outstanding.
Child Bite kicked off the “Caught Up In The Gears” tour package with a frenzied set of music. Watching the band lunge and bounce across the stage, you could not help but be infected with their manic joy. Their set included “Born A Hog” and “Video Blood” from their ‘Negative Noise’ album, which was produced by Phil Anselmo and released on his Housecore label. The hometown crowd showed great appreciation for the band’s enthusiastic performance.
The metal road warriors of Battlecross were a late addition to the tour, but a welcome one. The Battlecross Fans United fan club was out in force as the band cranked up the intensity with blistering thrash. Battlecross’s stage performance was as fierce as their music, and incited chaos in the mosh pit. With hair-whipping fury, they played a set that touch on each of their albums including “Force Fed Lies”, “Beast” and “Not Your Slave”. Their set climaxed with “Push Pull Destroy” which was met with ardent cheers from the crowd.
With the house lights up and the crowd screaming, Superjoint took the stage for the main event of this tour de force show. Phil Anselmo welcomed the enthusiastic crowd with open arms and a vocal roar brimming with spite. Superjoint wasted no time in delivering one body blow after another with raw distortion provided by the guitars of Jimmy Bower and Kevin Bond. Drummer Joey Gonzalez and bassist Stephen Taylor added low-end punch and power to Superjoint’s rage fueled hardcore.
Superjoint hit on each of their albums in rapid succession with a desire to inflict maximum sonic ferocity. Choice cuts included “Burning the Blanket”, “Ruin You”, “Sociopathic Herd Dillusion”, “Asshole”, and the title track of the new album. The new music fit right in with classics such as “The Alcoholik”, “The Destruction of a Person”, and “Fuck Your Enemy”. In no time, Superjoint had burned through their set, delivering a punishing concert that was a big hit with the audience.
As fans jumped on the wooden floor and chanted “Superjoint!”, the band emerged for an encore. In a tag-team vocal assault, Child Bite vocalist Shawn Knight traded riffs with Phil on “It Takes No Guts” off ‘Use Once and Destroy’. They finished up with the love song “Everyone Hates Everyone”. Superjoint thanked the crowd for their support, and Phil made a point to shake hands with as many fans as possible.
All in all, this concert was a triumph of extreme music. Superjoint, Battlecross, and Child Bite provided a superb show full of focused energy and a huge dose of fun. The show was a magnificent way to start the New Year and blast away any winter blues.
Also check out our Photo Gallery of the gig here.