{"id":31218,"date":"2013-08-07T06:29:23","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T11:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=31218"},"modified":"2013-08-08T06:28:31","modified_gmt":"2013-08-08T11:28:31","slug":"phil-anselmo-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/phil-anselmo-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Phil Anselmo"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Steve Patrick<\/span>
\n– Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Over the course of thirty years, Philip H. Anselmo has made an undeniable mark on the face of metal music. Anselmo\u2019s influence is most easily seen in his genre-defining work as the frontman for Pantera, but his explosive performances delivering the chaotic barrage of Superjoint Ritual or the Southern sludge of Down are equally important. <\/p>\n

Anselmo has recently released his first solo effort with the help of a hand-picked group of musicians dubbed The Illegals. The record, entitled Walk through Exits Only<\/em>, is truly unlike any of Anselmo\u2019s previous musical output, but does contain several nods to the past. Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals have also embarked on a US tour alongside Author & Punisher and their Housecore Records (owned and operated by Anselmo) labelmates Warbeast.<\/p>\n

Anselmo spoke with Hardrock Haven\u2019s Steve Patrick about his new album, playing with Rex Brown and Anthrax at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, the upcoming Housecore Horror Film Festival, and, most importantly, what message he wants fans to know about his motivations for going solo.<\/p>\n

\"PhilPhil Anselmo: Hello?<\/p>\n

HRH: Hey, is this Phil?<\/p>\n

PA: Yeah, man. <\/p>\n

HRH: How\u2019s it going?<\/p>\n

PA: What\u2019s going on? Who\u2019s this?<\/p>\n

HRH: This is Steve Patrick with HardrockHaven.net.<\/p>\n

PA: Hey brother, what\u2019s happening man?<\/p>\n

HRH: Not much. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today.<\/p>\n

PA: Definitely. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well, you\u2019ve got a great solo album. Just finished another listen before calling you. It\u2019s pretty different from some of your other work. Did you just set out to make the most brutal album possible?<\/p>\n

PA: Well, thank you man. You know, there\u2019s a lot of very good extreme music out there and I like to think that I\u2019m pretty well-versed in a lot of it. You know, I can\u2019t say all of it because that would be overstepping the boundary. I wanted to make an extreme record that could sit next to anything as far as extremity, but I always wanted it to be extremely hard to place genre-wise. Very hard to stick into a specific slot, both musically and lyrically. So, whether I\u2019ve done that or not I guess we\u2019ll find out later on, but that was my intention and now me and you are sitting here talking.<\/p>\n

HRH: Why was now the right time to do a solo project? I know you\u2019re working on another EP with Down and you seem to be a busy guy\u2026<\/p>\n

PA: Not really you know, see, that\u2019s a misconception. You know, I\u2019ve done a lot of stuff. I\u2019ve done a lot of bands and I\u2019ve been in a lot of side projects and that\u2019s really all they are\u2026 projects. But the only two things that I\u2019m really tangibly doing as far as recording, and as far as stuff that\u2019s mine, is Down and the solo band. <\/p>\n

So if you think about Down and all the counterparts, you know Jimmy (Bower) is in Eyehategod\u2026 they\u2019re in Europe right now, and Kirk (Windstein) and Pat (Bruders) are in Crowbar and they have their own calendar so to speak, so we\u2019re made up of a lot of different bands. So, for me, there is that freedom to do a solo record right now so I took the opportunity. <\/p>\n

HRH: Where did the title for the record come from? I know it\u2019s a song on the album as well, but where did the concept of \u201cWalk through Exits Only\u201d from?<\/p>\n

PA: For me, it\u2019s the type of title that could mean a hundred different things to a hundred different people. So I don\u2019t like to spoon-feed the listener too terribly much. I like for them to take\u2026for instance, you know, to look at something like the title of \u201cWalk through Exits Only\u201d and have them embrace that in their own way and make what they need of that to fit their own life. <\/p>\n

HRH: You were part of someone else\u2019s solo project when you wrote a couple songs with Tony Iommi for his solo record. Why have a true solo band and not do something like he did by having a different guest on each track?<\/p>\n

PA: Well, really, I guess I could have done something like that or I could have gotten high-profile musicians to play in the band, but I felt like if I was gonna do a solo record I wanted to introduce so to speak some lesser-known musicians who have been around part of my life that are badass players and to really introduce them again to the general public. When I sat down and I wrote this stuff all out and recorded it with just me, and a guitar, and an amp, I always had my lead guitar player Marzi Montazeri in mind, you know, because he\u2019s always been first and foremost a very good friend of mine since the late 80s and always an overly exceptional player who can play unlimited amounts of styles and he creates his own textures and sonic soundscapes so to speak. So I always knew he was my guy and I wanted to play challenging, pardon me, I wanted to write challenging riffs and time signatures, but I also wanted him as a lead guitar player to put his stamp and put his fingerprints all over this thing, so for me it was important to just have a solid lineup and then go from there.<\/p>\n

HRH: What\u2019s the most annoying question that you get asked over and over?<\/p>\n

PA: Annoying\u2026 aw man, I don\u2019t get annoyed. I really don\u2019t. I\u2019m not really annoyed about anything. I\u2019m an open book and don\u2019t mind answering any kind of fucking questions at all. Even if it\u2019s the same ones over and over it\u2019s alright because I understand. You know, this is a new thing for people and I know that\u2026 sometimes there will be knee-jerk questions that everybody wants to know certain things and then other times people can get creative with their questions, but honestly I don\u2019t get annoyed with the press at all anymore because it doesn\u2019t work towards my favor, it doesn\u2019t work for the writer\u2019s favor, it doesn\u2019t work for the fan or the reader\u2019s favor at all so I\u2019m a wide open book, brother.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well, that\u2019s a great attitude to have. So where does a song title like \u201cThe Music Media is My Whore\u201d come from then? (laughs)<\/p>\n

PA: (laughs) That is a question that I do get asked a lot. But really, if you look at the lyrics, it has nothing really to do with the media at all. But it was definitely an attention grabber. And see, over the years, the media can write speculative pieces, they can write opinionated pieces, they can write positive\/negative\u2026 whatever. They have this free reign, so really it\u2019s just my tongue-in-cheek, sort of sarcastic way of ribbing certain writers, or bloggers, or whatever the fuck\u2026just ribbing them back a bit. But, there\u2019s a lot of that on this record. It\u2019s a different type of record for me, both musically and lyrically\u2026and attitude-wise because there\u2019s a lot of that tongue-in-cheek sarcasm that runs throughout the entire record really. <\/p>\n

HRH: I know you and Rex are on good terms, but did anything have to happen to get you two onstage together again with Anthrax at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards?<\/p>\n

PA: No man, me and Rex are totally cool. Me and Rex are fine. Absolutely cool with each other. <\/p>\n

HRH: How did you guys arrive at the decision to play \u201cThis Love\u201d?<\/p>\n

PA: Really, it was picked by the Anthrax guys I think. You know what, honestly, I think it was\u2026 we had an opportunity to pick one song and I think the day we got in we went over a few different songs and checked it out, but what really changed the game was\u2026 honestly I was on my way to the gig when everybody\u2019s phone started blowing up about Jeff Hanneman\u2019s death and I think right then and there all I could think is my love for Slayer and my love for Hanneman, you know? It was a perfect song, so that night we executed it. <\/p>\n

HRH: Yeah, it really came off great. Here I was expecting \u201cGoddamn Electric\u201d because of the Slayer shout-out\u2026<\/p>\n

PA: See, you know, it could have been any of those songs, but I think at the time we were all so taken aback. It was just a heavy moment for everybody and it just\u2026 I was thinking about the last tour that Pantera did ever in the United States with Slayer and Morbid Angel. Ah, I don\u2019t know, maybe in my mind I thought Hanneman was partial to \u201cThis Love\u201d because he did like the song quite a bit and I guess we made our decision on heart.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well that\u2019s never wrong.<\/p>\n

PA: I hope not.<\/p>\n

\"Philip<\/p>\n

HRH: What can fans expect from this solo tour? I know you released a video of the band practicing a bit of \u201cDeath Rattle\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

PA: Oooh. You caught it, huh? <\/p>\n

HRH: I did, I did. (laughs)<\/p>\n

PA: You sneaky, sneaky devil. We\u2019re coming prepared with some blasts from the past, but you know what, not one single night will be exactly like the previous or the one coming next. I like every show to have its own personality and its own memories and what not. So, I think that we have, aside from the entire Walk through Exits Only record and plus the two songs that we did on the split with Warbeast, I think that we have some interesting blasts from the past. Not your average what you would hear\u2026I know \u201cWalk\u201d is always a favorite song for other bands to cover and stuff like that, so honestly as far as back catalog stuff I\u2019ve been in several bands that people know and have heard before, so we\u2019ve kind of covered a little bit of ground for all of them. So it\u2019s like whenever this spontaneous\u2026feeling, I guess, happens\u2026when the mood strikes, we have enough to deliver something special. <\/p>\n

HRH: What was it about \u201cDeath Rattle\u201d that made you choose it for this tour?<\/p>\n

PA: Shit, Pantera never played it live. Ever.<\/p>\n

HRH: So will Blue (Jose Gonzales) be doing double duty on this tour since he\u2019s Warbeast\u2019s drummer too?<\/p>\n

PA: No he isn\u2019t. Nah, Warbeast got a fill-in drummer. <\/p>\n

HRH: Ah, okay. I guess I just sort of assumed he was. <\/p>\n

PA: We\u2026 we kind of felt that way too. We were thinking originally that he could pull off both sets, but that\u2019s pretty demanding\u2026 a three week tour, that can be kind of grinding. Especially on a youngster. But yeah, they got a fill-in drummer for this tour and I think that was a smart decision. <\/p>\n

HRH: Absolutely. I saw Gene Hoglan on the recent Testament\/Anthrax tour and he had to pull double duty on several dates. It definitely looked like a lot of work.<\/p>\n

PA: Yeah man, Gene\u2019s a beast though man. He\u2019s a fucking\u2026 one of the best players out there today, so make no mistake. If anybody could do it, Gene could. <\/p>\n

HRH: What stage are you guys in for the new Down EP? <\/p>\n

PA: See, Down\u2026 we have been the most consistently inconsistent bunch of assholes when it comes to predicting when our next release is going to come out, but the most encouraging thing is that we do have riffs ready to go, parts that we\u2019re pretty damn familiar with for this upcoming EP so I think in September we\u2019re gonna put our nose to the grindstone and try to knock out as much of it, if not all of it, in that month. So, I would expect\u2026shit, I would think by early next year, within the first 3-4 months man, that new Down could be finished. Ready to go. <\/p>\n

HRH: Are you going to keep up the whole color theme since this last one is the Purple EP?<\/p>\n

PA: Aw see, that\u2019s y\u2019all. That\u2019s on y\u2019all. Hell yeah, we didn\u2019t name that thing a damn thing. I knew once somebody said it, it would create its own little life there. The \u201cPurple EP\u201d, that\u2019s fine by me. I don\u2019t know, whether this one has a name or not, I might like you experts name it again. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well, I thought it kind of had a bit of a Zeppelin vibe\u2026 like their unnamed album is the \u201cRunes\u201d album or \u201cZoSo\u201d.<\/p>\n

PA: I guess it does. I never really thought of it like that, but I guess it does.<\/p>\n

HRH: Will Far Beyond Driven<\/em> get the deluxe reissue treatment like Cowboys<\/em> and Vulgar<\/em> have recently?<\/p>\n

PA: Well, I know it\u2019s in the works. I know that it\u2019s been talked about and it\u2019s definitely gonna happen. And as far as content inside of the record, I\u2019m not positive of that yet because I think it\u2019s still being kicked around, but there is some very cool stuff that\u2019s being talked about and it\u2019s definitely gonna happen for sure. <\/p>\n

HRH: Good, that\u2019s a nice thing to keep going. I\u2019m sure a whole new generation are buying these reissues and getting introduced to Pantera.<\/p>\n

PA: What\u2019s funny is I heard\u2026 I read a percentage from our management, from Pantera management, the other day that the most t-shirt sales and product sales are 52% between the ages of 15 and 25, so that in itself is friggin\u2019 amazing and definitely points to a brand new generation of people getting into Pantera, so that\u2019s amazing man. It really is amazing. <\/p>\n

HRH: Is it ever surreal for you to be becoming somewhat of an elder statesman in the metal community?<\/p>\n

PA: Yeah man, it is surreal. It is. It\u2019s very surreal. You know, in my wildest imagination as a young man I would have never thought that we\u2019d be having this conversation today in 2013. It\u2019s always surreal and it\u2019s always\u2026it feels like a blessing. It\u2019s something that makes you feel very grateful. And I\u2019ve said it before, and I know any band can say this about their fan base, but I still gotta go out on a limb here\u2026and the limb is pretty sturdy\u2026when I say that Pantera has the greatest fans on this friggin\u2019 planet, man. I gotta point to one thing, I think that the mere fact that 15 year olds today are getting into Pantera\u2026 you gotta give that over to great parenting. C\u2019mon, let\u2019s hear it for the parents out there.<\/p>\n

HRH: I\u2019m a horror fan myself, so can you tell us what you have in store for those attending the Housecore Horror Film Festival in October?<\/p>\n

PA: Well, you know, it speaks for itself really. You know, we got great bands, and fantastic films to show, and great, great special guests, Coffin Joe from Brazil, Jim VanBebber from here in the States, and J\u00f6rg Buttgereit of Nekromantik fame coming down and that\u2019s incredible, and of course we have Goblin coming to North America for the first time and playing the festival and that\u2019s like a first round knockout right there. Like wow! It\u2019s a statement. Either way, it\u2019s a great deal of work to get this thing together and also a dream come true. And really, one of the more exciting aspects for me, as a guy who has no ambition at all to be a horror director or an actor or anything like that, I just like watching the fucking movies. You know, we receive all these submissions from lesser-known directors and honestly man there are a lot of people out there that are really pushing the envelope. They have submitted some great stuff for the film festival, so it\u2019s honestly like turning on a group of friends to your favorite new album or your favorite new band. It\u2019s like I get to show this entire audience that\u2019s never seen these films before\u2026turn them on to these new directors, man, and for me it\u2019s always exciting. So, it\u2019s something I\u2019m looking forward to a great deal. I\u2019m very reluctant to use the world \u201cannual\u201d as of yet because\u2026let me get this one year under my fat gut and we\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n

HRH: I wish I lived closer so I could make it. I\u2019m in Columbus, OH\u2026 maybe you guys can take this on the road at some point?<\/p>\n

PA: Yeah, well that is something that we\u2019ve talked about too. You know, doing it in a different city each year if it becomes an annual thing, but we\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n

HRH: Well, like I said I\u2019m from Columbus, OH and obviously that\u2019s where the whole Dime tragedy went down. I just want to thank you for playing shows in Columbus after that happened\u2026 I think the earliest was when Down opened for Metallica\u2026 but I know that meant a great deal to a lot of local metal fans that you didn\u2019t blame the whole town for what happened.<\/p>\n

\"PhilPA: Well man, listen\u2026 the act of one crazy person does not reflect on a town or entire community\u2026 and I know this. The entire Ohio area was instrumental in Pantera\u2019s growth when we were just starting out and everywhere from Dayton to obviously Columbus\u2026 and all the surrounding\u2026 Cleveland and all these places. It was very, very\u2026 incredible audiences and great, great, I guess one of the first audiences that really clicked and got what we were doing. Because when we first came out in 1990 and toured the US and stuff, we got a lot of folded arms and cold, long stares. People not really sure what they were looking at, but once again Ohio was one of the first states that really opened their arms to us. That won\u2019t go forgotten and, once again, one guy\u2026one bad apple cannot ruin this particular bunch. It\u2019s uh\u2026(sighs) it makes my heart hurt to even be addressing this, but really I want the people of Columbus to know that I hold no grudge against them at all, man. Not at all. It was one crazy fucker and that\u2019s understood. <\/p>\n

HRH: That\u2019s good to hear. Yeah, I actually had the misfortune of being at the Alrosa Villa that night, so you coming back to play shows here meant a lot. Just had to thank you since I had you on the phone here. <\/p>\n

PA: Aw man. No big deal, man. No big deal at all. <\/p>\n

HRH: Following Dime\u2019s murder there were quite a few tribute songs that came out from bands like Black Label Society and Machine Head. Did you ever think one in particular really did Dime justice?<\/p>\n

PA: (sighs) I guess at the time I was going through so much of my own inner searching and stuff like that, you know, and I guess dedicating my time to Down and our third record that I was really kind of too wrapped up in my own healing process to really notice what else was out there going on around me. Also there are certain songs written about Dimebag by myself, so I guess I didn\u2019t\u2026 I wasn\u2019t aware. I wasn\u2019t aware of all these songs. But I believe it. The guys in Machine Head and\u2026 who else did you mention?<\/p>\n

HRH: Black Label.<\/p>\n

PA: Oh, Black Label! Black Label. Gimme a break, yeah\u2026 Zakk\u2019s always been super-solid people, man. And his love for Darrell is well documented. And the Machine Head boys have always been fucking excellent people and super cool, so I wouldn\u2019t doubt it and I believe you. Maybe I need to do some searching there myself. <\/p>\n

HRH: Definitely. Well you mentioned songs that you\u2019ve written about Dime\u2026 “Mourn\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

PA: \u201cMourn\u201d, \u201cI Scream\u201d\u2026 there\u2019s a lot of songs, man.<\/p>\n

HRH: I read somewhere that you actually recorded more tracks with The Illegals than what made it to the record. Will those extra tracks be released soon?<\/p>\n

PA: Uh\u2026 yes as a matter of fact. In October, I think we have another EP\u2026 a two-song EP coming out that\u2019s also in the extreme vein, but also very different. Very, very different from Walk through Exits. Just another facet to the game, so to speak. And right now it\u2019s still in the works, I\u2019ve got some singing to do on the second track. We have one song that\u2019s finished and, like I said, I\u2019ve got to wrap up the second one. Of course there\u2019s always the joyous task of mixing. Ugh. And then just getting it mastered and then naming the sucker, so we will see. You know, it\u2019s all in the future, but I would expect that in October\u2026mainly, I would think, for the Horror Fest. Like a limited edition for the Horror Fest.<\/p>\n

HRH: Last question here for you Phil, this current bunch of dates was advertised as the 1st Leg. Will there be a 2nd batch of solo tour dates?<\/p>\n

PA: What we\u2019re looking at is a fall run on the West Coast. Nothing is etched in stone as far as that goes, but that\u2019s what we are looking at. And then I know Europe is really, really keen on having us over, so there\u2019s a lot of thought that\u2019s going to have to go behind it. <\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s one thing, before I let you go because I got to do another friggin\u2019 interview. My manager\u2019s sitting over here waving her hands all over the fucking place. I just want to let people know that Pantera is a sacred entity and never, never, never, don\u2019t ever confuse my motives and that I don\u2019t want\u2026 I did not create this solo band to be another Pantera, so to speak. That\u2019s ridiculous. Everything I do is absolutely different than something I\u2019ve done in the past and I think that Pantera\u2019s a completely different sounding band sonically than The Illegals, so just realize that I, myself, am leaving the Pantera legacy a sacred, untouchable thing\u2026 and as it should be. <\/p>\n

HRH: Well said. Phil, thank you so much for your time. It\u2019s been a real pleasure.<\/p>\n

PA: Alright big brother. Alright man. Thanks a lot, brother. Write a great one or do whatever you gotta do and, if you ever want to talk to the old man again, you know where to call.<\/p>\n

HRH: Sounds good man. Hope the next interview goes quickly for you.<\/p>\n

PA: (laughs) Alright man, take it easy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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