Superjoint Ritual's American Heretic Tour will stop at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., Monday. Devil Driver is scheduled to open the show, which begins at 9 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and are available at local record stores or at www.ticketweb.com.

David Wells, director of operations for Crowbar, said he is elated about the show.

"We recognize the elite status of Superjoint Ritual with Phil Anselmo formerly of Pantera and Hank Williams III. Devil Driver, who is opening the show, also has a good following," he said.

Wells hopes that people realize the magnitude of this performance.

"This show is great for the community because it gives people the opportunity to see some great bands up close and personal. This is a show not to be missed," he said.

Superjoint Ritual has been in existence for over a decade and released its second album, A Lethal Dose of American Hatred, in July. The album debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

"Our first album had a lot of older songs I had written from the mid to late '80s," Anselmo said.

"Our second album has a couple of older songs, but for the most part it's brand new material. So I would say our new album is definitely fresher than the first."

Josh Wilson, an employee of Mike's Movies & Music, 1613B N. Atherton St., considers himself a fan of Pantera and Anselmo.

"My overall opinion of the [Superjoint Ritual] album is positive," Wilson said.

"We carry both Superjoint Ritual albums," he added.

"The new album has been selling and we usually sell more records after a band plays at Crowbar. I know there are a ton of people around here who love Pantera and Phil Anselmo, and I think Superjoint Ritual has a decent following. I think the show will have a decent turn-out, even on a weeknight."

Superjoint Ritual was originally a side project of Anselmo, the former lead singer of Pantera. Anselmo is now the lead vocalist of Superjoint Ritual.

"Superjoint Ritual moves faster and has a broader appeal. We have an outlook for the future and we are able to write together. I feel this project has a lot to offer and will go far," Anselmo said.

"The main difference between playing with Pantera and playing with Superjoint Ritual is the capacity in the crowd. Pantera had a huge following for years. I feel that we walked out on top. Superjoint Ritual kind of glided under the bridge and got on an independent label. Everything worked to my advantage. Superjoint Ritual is like the complete opposite of Pantera. Superjoint Ritual to me is an elite band especially in these days, musically. We are the epitome of a band with an anti-image. We let our music speak for us."

Anselmo is now devoted entirely to promoting Superjoint Ritual.

"We're better than most of the other bands out there," he said. "We have better songwriting and better delivery than other bands. We're just better."

The members of Superjoint Ritual are focused on music as opposed to up-holding a certain image.

"The most important element in heavy, extreme music is the underground. There is some confusion about what is underground and what is not," Anselmo said.

"There is a very small margin of bands, Superjoint Ritual included, that are doing something unique and not letting image come before talent. Too many bands are image-conscious today. They have to be dressed a certain way or have to look like a certain album. Their make-up is as important as their songs, but when you put on the record, they all sound the same."

Superjoint Ritual is dedicated to preserving its unique sound in order to give fans of heavy metal music a new option, Anselmo said.

"I hear a lot of influence from Pantera, Biohazard and even the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The crossover between heavy metal and rap is so bad it's embarrassing and us purists have to deal with that. I think all that white-boy rap is terrible and talentless. With our music, we are giving our audience an alternative from all the other music out there today," he said.