Superjoint Ritual

The early 21st century saw Pantera singer Phil Anselmo launch several side projects, including Necrophagia, Viking Crown, Christ Inversion, Southern Isolation, and Superjoint Ritual. The latter group is comprised of guitarists Jim Bower and Kevin Bond, drummer Joseph Fazzio, with none other than Hank Williams III on bass (Anselmo handled both vocal and bass duties for the group's recordings, but opted to concentrate solely on vocals for the group's live shows). According to Bower, the members of Superjoint Ritual approached the writing and recording of their debut with "the perfect 15-year-old mentality of having everything loud, everything on 10, getting loaded, and letting whatever happens, happen." Recorded at a rehearsal space turned recording studio in Anselmo's backyard, the sessions were produced by former Ugly Kid Joe member Dave Fortman (who has turned into quite a producer of ultra heavy bands — Eyehategod, Soilent Green, etc.). May of 2002 saw the release of the quintet's debut, Use Once and Destroy, an album that reflected such influences as Black Flag, Righteous Pigs, Celtic Frost, and Voivod, among others. Superjoint Ritual supported the album with a summer tour the same year.