By Andrew Bansal
To readers of this website, the name Philip Anselmo needs absolutely no introduction. But aside from everything the man has been known for thus far in his career, he is ready to unveil another chapter of his musical journey with the start of ‘Philip Anselmo & The Illegals’, his first ever solo project. The band’s debut album ‘Walk Through Exits Only’ will be released on Philip’s own label Housecore Records on July 16th, and the first leg of North American dates has already been announced to run from July 31st through to August 20th. Earlier today, I spoke to Philip over the phone to discuss this new project and lots more in this truly in-depth interview. Enjoy the conversation below.
Firstly, I want to ask you about your new solo band. You’ve already had Down for a number of years and you also have your own label Housecore. What was the reason and the inspiration behind starting this solo band of yours?
Well, it came about very naturally and organically in my opinion, because there was nothing that set me off. When I get inspired, I have to act. So it started simply like any other record, really. Me, a guitar, an amp and recording apparatus. I wrote the songs, specially the songs that are actually on ‘Walk Through Exits Only’, really in one sitting. Not one night, but just one session of writing within myself. And then I picked what I think are under-the-radar excellent musicians that executed the songs very, very well. I’m a music fan first and foremost, and that’s what I consider myself, like anyone else. If I’m into extreme music, it’s something that I’m going to at least educate myself on and look for stuff, like I always have done. I’m an old tape-trader from back in the 80s, man. So the more music you can find about, the more you know about it and the more conscious of it you are. And honestly, I wanted to make a record that could sit next to any extreme genre out there or any other extreme album out there but I wanted to make the record very very hard to slide into a very safe slot or put into any sub-genre, really. I wanted to make a different sounding record, a different type of record. So those were my goals and that’s really how it came about.
That’s interesting. You mentioned that the writing process was pretty smooth for you and you did it in one session. But the overall process of recording and everything that’s involved, was that smooth for you? You have other things to care of too, obviously.
It was a lot of start-stop, start-stop. First of all, to teach this type of music from the ground up, specially with a drummer, that was a challenge of course. And you are correct, because at the time I was producing two other Housecore bands and also doing the last Down EP at the same time. So I was always cramming in these fucking sessions of teaching this music and singing what cohesively worked together because out of 15 or 16 different pieces of music, of course I had to pick what I thought would cohesively go together on a record. I think I did that with this record. So it was a process of different sessions, you know. A lot of teaching sessions, and of course later on down the line recording sessions, then another break, more recording, and then obviously after you do all the recording, mixing is a whole another ball-game and getting the right sound is a whole another developmental project. So, I did what I could and I did the best I could for this record, and I’m pretty happy with it.
I listened to the record, and I think you’ve expressed yourself fully in terms of your aggression. You’ve done that with other bands as well in the past, but do you think you’ve expressed yourself more on this album than what you’ve done in the past?
I don’t know about ‘more’, I just think it’s in a different light, in a different way and from a different perspective because there’s a lot of what I would call sarcasm that I have. I also have an absurd sense of humor that people don’t really know about. Everybody thinks I’m this serious guy and whatnot, but really I’m full of shit, man. I’ve got jokes, you know (laughs). I have a fucking sense of humor. I don’t like comedy in my music, that’s not what I’m getting at. But my point is, lyrically I wanted things to be simple, I wanted things to be straight to the point and very very real. I didn’t want to spoon-feed the reader saying this is exactly what it’s about. If you look at even the title track and the name of the record ‘Walk Through Exits Only’, I picked that because first of all, it was in my opinion just a strong line within a song. When I was first writing that song, that line just stuck out for me and I decided to call the song and the album that because it could mean a million different things to a million different people. I’m not going to place an absolute concrete meaning upon it. It’s something that people are going to have to take themselves and apply it to their own lives. So, I wanted to be an architect but let people finish the building, so to speak.
That’s a great way of putting it. You produced this album as well, and I feel that it goes in line with the expression of the music and the lyrics. Was it a conscious effort to keep it raw and aggressive in the production as well?
Oh, absolutely. Definitely. I did not want a glossy, perfect-sounding album, whatever that may mean to the listener. I didn’t want a mainstream sounding record at all. I wanted an ugly sounding record that was very rhythmically heavy. So yes indeed, the production was a reflection of the mood I was in. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Because of its abrasive and raw nature, do you think people will have to take time to let this album sink in? It’s not like an immediate impact thing, is it?
To me, it’s the type of record that you need to give a chance. You can’t just listen to it once or twice and have a knee-jerk reaction saying, ‘OK, this is it.’ I get it, it’s the type of record that you have to listen to a few times, may be even ten times before you start realizing that there is absolute method to the madness and there is absolute structure, solid song structure and crazy time signatures, so to speak. And also, within the lyrics I think there are big gigantic memorable hooks throughout the whole record no matter in what fashion they may come whether it be verse or chorus or a hook, whatever you want to pick out of it. But there are repeating parts that are big hooks. I guess I get that from growing up with bands like Discharge and Agnostic Front, many hardcore influences as far as how I went about doing my lyrical hooks and whatnot. So I think it is the type of record that does grow on you. Most times they end up being some of our favorite records, the ones that grow on us.
Exactly, I agree with that. But as aggressive as the album is, there’s only so much you can do in a recording studio. I believe when you get on a stage and have an audience in front of you, it will be even better. Do you think that’ll be the case when you go out on tour for this album?
Well, I would hope so! I would really hope so because we really try and play the songs to the fullest and to perfection. On that end, we’ll do the best we can do but as far as the live outfit I think the musicians are great. I think we are very tight, and I think it will create its own unique energy live. All this remains to be seen, but it’s coming up real quick so all I can be is speculative and also positive about it. I’m looking forward to playing this shit live.
One guy who also deserves credit for this is your guitar player Marzi Montazeri. I think he’s done some cool work on this album. He’s a guy who has worked with you in the past, so how did you end up reuniting with him for this band?
You know, this is the type of project Marzi and I have always wanted to do together. I’ve know Marzi since the late 80s. Actually, he was introduced to me by Dimebag. Dimebag back in the day was very very tough. At the time, I guess in the late 80s the popular extreme metal movement was thrash. He was very hard on thrash lead guitar players because he came from the school of Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen style, very tasteful leads and what not. So Marzi was one of the first guys about whom I’ve heard Dimebag say, ‘This guy is a fucking great guitar player!’ So with Marzi, this is something we’ve always wanted to do and Marzi has always had a very, very unique style where he builds soundscapes and atmosphere. He layers things so clever, that I really wanted him to shine on this record as a player and as an inventor and innovator. So it’s great for me and a great opportunity for him. I’m very glad that he got the opportunity to play on this fucking record and put his fingerprints all over this fucking record, man. I want people to realize just how great of a guitar player he really is. I think he did a fucking awesome job, man.
Since you mentioned the older days, I want to ask you this. What you started in Pantera in terms of your style of frontmanship was unique back then, but over the years a lot of people have copied your style of performance. What do you feel about that? Do you feel honored in a way or does it piss you off at all?
You know, I guess when I was younger it might have bothered me a little, but these days it’s like, as they say, imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Truth be told, there’s only one of me, there really is. I can influence as many people as possible and they can imitate me all they really want, but truth be told, whether this younger generation or younger audience fucking knows it or not, there’s only one of me. So it doesn’t bother me anymore. It doesn’t bug me at all.
That’s interesting! So, you also said in the beginning of this interview that you’ve always been a music lover. I’ve seen you do a lot of jam-type things. You jammed with the band Danava on a Black Sabbath song when that band toured with Down four years ago. You’ve done Metal Masters gigs in New York and Hollywood as well. So I guess you’re still enjoying playing the songs that have influenced you, right?
I love it! This makes me think about the past European tour I did with Down. It was unbelievable how many bands approached me to come up on stage and jam with them, bands that definitely helped shape my entire life and changed my life, bands like Accept, Agnostic Front, fucking Slayer for God’s sakes, Voivod, and all these bands asked me to come out and sing with them. It’s such a fucking honor, man. I’m a musician first, but really I’m a music fan first-first, or forefirst, whatever that is (laughs). Without these bands I could have ended up being a different person, a different style of musician. I love all these bands. You said it first, I’m a music lover. I’m a music fan, and I make it my business to know what’s out there. I love to know what’s in the underground because it lets me know that music has a fucking pulse, still. I don’t really care about the mainstream at all. I don’t give a fuck about popularity contests or anything like that. I’m in it for the fun, man. I’ve seen success, of course, but within that success if you look into my track record specially with Pantera, it was me who wanted to bring out Soilent Green, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Neurosis, Satyricon and Morbid Angel to expose them to these bigger audiences, and also because I wanted to watch these bands play every night, man (laughs). It’s fun for me. Heavy metal has been so good to me man, that all I can do is give back and it just feels natural.
Yeah, exactly! You talked earlier about your sense of sarcasm in everything that you do. You like the fun aspect as well. The most fun band around these days who have successfully infused comedy into their music is Steel Panther, in my opinion. Have you ever jammed with them at all?
Ah, actually you know what, I think I have jammed with them before! They are fucking great and hilarious. They’re funny as shit, and they’re fucking talented on top of that. Honestly, I don’t like comedy so much with my extreme music, but I also do have enough of a sense of humor to laugh at something when it’s actually funny. But yeah, believe it or not, I think before they were called Steel Panther they were called Metal Skool and I actually got up and sang a couple of songs with them some four or five years ago. So I know those guys, they are fucking hilarious.
That’s cool, man. So I’ll end this interview with a question about one of your favorite bands, a band that has influenced you a lot, Iron Maiden. Have you had a chance to see them in concert recently?
Actually, no. I’ve not seen them, but I’ve seen video footage of some of their recent shows or in the last 2-3 years worth of shows and it seems like they are more rejuvenated and stronger than ever. Bruce Dickinson is in great shape, he sounds great, has great energy and I think it’s fantastic.
I think they’re an inspiration to every band out there. Everybody can learn something from them.
I agree, I agree. They’ve always been innovative. You can look at may be where they came from in the early days and cite Judas Priest as an inspiration. But Iron Maiden is the type of band that took a formula and made it their own with originally, with a standout bass player, and always with a great drummer. I love both Paul Di’Anno and Bruce Dickinson alike. I’ve always been a fan, man.
Phil, it was a pleasure talking to you. Thanks for your time and hopefully the second leg of your tour will be on the US West Coast, so I’ll wait for that and see you then.
I think the plan is to do a West Coast run in the fall, so that’s what we’re looking at and hopefully I’ll meet you out there!
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Philip Anselmo & The Illegals ‘Technicians Of Distortion’ tour dates with Warbeast and Author & Punisher:
7/31 Cain’s Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
8/2 Wooly’s, Des Moines, IA
8/3 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
8/4 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
8/6 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
8/7 The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI
8/9 Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, MI
8/10 Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ONT Canada
8/11 Heavy MTL Festival, Montreal, QC Canada
8/13 The Palladium, Worcester, MA
8/14 Upstate Concert Hall, Clifton Park, NY
8/16 Best Buy Theatre, New York, NY
8/17 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
8/18 The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
8/20 The Masquerade – Heaven Stage, Atlanta, GA
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