Phil Anselmo
Encyclopedia
Philip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal
band Pantera
. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down
. He is also the owner of Housecore Records.
located in the suburb of Metairie
. His father owned and operated a restaurant in Metairie called Anselmo's, which closed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Anselmo has said in various interviews that he was very quiet and secluded as a child. He spent some time working on fishing boats as a young man. During a 2002 Ozzfest
interview with the radio show Opie and Anthony
, Anselmo shared a story that, at the age of 15, he started a fire in his home to scare his sister but accidentally burned the house down in the process.
While a teenager, Anselmo joined the band Samhain (not to be confused with Glenn Danzig
's band Samhain
). From the early to mid '80s, Anselmo was a member of the band Razor White. While they did have some original material, they played mainly Judas Priest
covers.
was an unsigned glam metal band, with three self-released albums to their name. In 1986, it was decided by the band to replace singer Terrence Lee
, who was primarily a glam metal singer, because they were heading in a different direction musically. Seeking a new frontman to continue on this heavier path, the band was led to 19-year-old Anselmo. In 1987, after several meetings, Anselmo was added to the Pantera lineup. The band was so impressed with Anselmo that they re-recorded some of Terrence Lee's vocals for their latest release. Anselmo relocated to Texas to record Power Metal
, which was released in 1988 on the band's own record label, Metal Magic Records. Following the release of Power Metal, the band dropped its glam image and adopted a more casual look. They were signed to a record label by a scout who was stranded due to a hurricane. The band saw the scout at the venue and was disheartened when he left mid-set, but it turned out that the scout had left to phone the record label and to tell them to sign Pantera as soon as possible. Pantera recorded the album Cowboys from Hell
in 1990, and a long tour began. The band documented portions of this tour on their first home video, Cowboys from Hell: The Videos
, released in 1991.
In 1992, Pantera recorded Vulgar Display of Power
. That same year, Pantera released a promo titled Hostile Mixes that contained four songs, three of which were remixes. The first two remixes were done by Justin K. Broadrick of Godflesh
and the last by J. G. Thirlwell
of Foetus. In 1994, Pantera released Far Beyond Driven
, which debuted at #1 in the U.S. In late June, Anselmo was charged with assault following an altercation with a security guard when fans were prevented from getting on stage. Anselmo was released on $5,000 bail the next day. The trial was delayed three times. In May 1995, he apologized in court, pleaded guilty to attempted assault, and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
In 1996, Pantera released their fourth studio album with Anselmo, titled The Great Southern Trendkill
. Anselmo recorded the vocal tracks for this album in New Orleans while the other members recorded in Texas. In 1997, Pantera released their first and only official live album titled Official Live: 101 Proof
. This album contained two new tracks--"I Can't Hide" and "Where You Come From." In 2000, Pantera released their final studio album, titled Reinventing the Steel
. In 2003, Pantera released a best-of album, The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!
(titled Reinventing Hell: The Best of Pantera in Europe). The album featured songs from five studio albums with Anselmo, and also included three cover tracks, "Planet Caravan
" and "Hole in the Sky," written by Black Sabbath
; and "Cat Scratch Fever
," written by Ted Nugent
. A bonus DVD was also made, containing all the band's music videos. Later that year, Pantera disbanded over communication problems and accusations that Anselmo had abandoned the band.
Following the breakup, Anselmo devoted much of his time to a longtime side project, Superjoint Ritual
. Having heard this, the Abbott brothers of Pantera (guitarist Dimebag Darrell
and drummer Vinnie Paul
) formed Damageplan
with former Halford
guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals and Bob Zilla on bass. Some fans blame Anselmo for Pantera's breakup, because of statements in the heavy metal press. Anselmo has accused journalists of twisting the facts, publishing what they think sells best. Pantera bassist Rex Brown
, widely known as being the one neutral voice in the matter, has blamed both sides for the split.
After Vinnie Paul slammed Superjoint Ritual, saying Anselmo could not even keep his eyes open, Anselmo replied, "I just hear a big and sad yellowbelly crybaby fuckin' knowing that his meal ticket is in a different fuckin' band ... You would have to know those guys to really understand where I was coming from. They're scared of their own fuckin' shadows. And, all that said, I wish them the best of fuckin' luck. I still love 'em." Anselmo had engaged in a war of words with Dimebag since the fall of Pantera, culminating in the statement "Dimebag deserves to be beaten severely" in the December 2004 edition of the UK's Metal Hammer magazine. Initially, he denied making the statement, but later changed his story in a VH1
Behind the Music
special on Pantera, claiming that the comment had been lighthearted and made off the record. However, Vinnie Paul told the press that he had heard the audio files of the interview and that Anselmo had not been misquoted.
In December 2004, Dimebag Darrell
was shot and killed while performing with Damageplan. At the request of Dimebag's family, Anselmo did not attend his funeral.
In a lengthy and emotional video posted on the website community YouTube
, Anselmo describes his regret over his previous behavior, and has written and recorded music dealing with the loss of Dimebag on the new Down
record, Down III: Over the Under
. The band has dedicated their song "Lifer" to Dimebag.
Down is an American heavy metal band formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band is a supergroup, its various lineups consisting of members and former members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Eyehategod.
Since its inception, Down has released three studio albums and has gone on hiatus twice to focus on the members' respective bands.
was a New Orleans metal band formed by Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of groove metal and hardcore punk. Bands like Venom, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Voivod, and Darkthrone have also been noted as influences. The name Superjoint Ritual comes from a lyric in the Darkthrone song, "The Pagan Winter". According to Bower, Anselmo wrote 70-80% of the group's music. During their time together they released two full length albums on Sanctuary Records, Use Once and Destroy
in 2002 and A Lethal Dose of American Hatred
in 2003.
project whose lineup is as follows: Mike Williams
(vocals; Eyehategod
), Phil Anselmo (guitar
; Pantera
, Down
, Superjoint Ritual
), Hank III
(drums
; solo, Assjack
, Superjoint Ritual
, The Unholy Three, Bedwetter), and Collinams moved into Anselmo's spare apartment. The two spent countless hours listening to Phil’s collection of early hardcore bands. They began jamming with Hank III and Collin Yeo, who were united by their desire to have a hardcore/crust punk band of their own.
s and Satanism
. The band recorded two demos and then disbanded without ever recording a full-length album. The first demo was renamed and re-released on Anselmo's own Housecore Records on October 28, 2008.
. It originally contained four songs, but was later re-released with a fifth bonus track. The band consisted of Stephanie Opal Weinstein
on vocals and guitars, Anselmo on vocals, backing vocals and guitars, "Big" Ross Karpelman (of Clearlight
) on keyboards, and Sid Montz (of Crowbar) on drums.
One rare track called "Faded" has been credited to Southern Isolation on the Manson Family Soundtrack, which is due to be released on Anselmo's Housecore label.
was a short-lived and essentially solo side project started by Anselmo in the mid-90s. The members of the band are Anselmo (under the pseudonym Anton Crowley) on guitars, bass and drums; Killjoy
on vocals; and Opal Enthroned (Stephanie Opal Weinstein) on keyboards. On their first album Unorthodox Steps of Ritual, Anselmo played every instrument and laid down his own vocals. The band never performed live.
which Anselmo participated in from 1998 to 2000. The group featured Killjoy
, Fenriz
, Satyr
, and Maniac
. The project has been put on indefinite hiatus and to date has only released a single track, Mirror Soul Jesus, which appeared on the 'Moonfog 2000: A Different Perspective' compilation in 2000. The band is on Satyr's record label 'Moonfog Productions'.
and recorded backing vocals on some of the tracks.
In 1996 Anselmo recorded guitars on two songs ("Van Full of Retards" and a cover of Manowar's "Gloves of Metal") and contributed vocals/backing vocals on 18 songs for Anal Cunt
's 40 More Reasons to Hate Us
album.
In 1996 Anselmo recorded backing vocals for tracks on Crowbar's Broken Glass album.
Also in 1996, Anselmo provided vocals on Soilent Green's album Sewn Mouth Secrets
. Although not credited, he is given thanks in the liner notes.
In 1998 Anthrax
released the album Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
. Anselmo provided backing vocals on track 8 ("Killing Box"). Also, his Pantera bandmate Dimebag Darrell played guitar solos on tracks 3 ("Inside Out") and 7 ("Born Again Idiot").
In 1998 Anselmo sang a duet ("By the River") on Vision of Disorder
's Imprint album.
In 2000 Tony Iommi
released a collaborative album
with various well known vocalists. Initially, Anselmo was going to co-create an entire album with Iommi, but due to tour schedules it never happened. Anselmo managed, however, to lay down some tracks for Iommi's album. Iommi and Anselmo wrote and recorded three tracks together, "Time Is Mine", "The Bastard", and a third unknown track. Iommi picked "Time Is Mine" for the album. "The Bastard" was never officially released, but can be found online. The third unknown track is now highly sought after by fans of both artists.
In 2001 Anselmo provided vocals for "HFFK" on Biohazard
's Uncivilization
album.
On March 6, 2006, Anselmo made an appearance along with Guns N' Roses
and Velvet Revolver
bassist Duff McKagan
and the surviving members of Alice in Chains
at a VH1
's Decades Rock Live concert, in honor of fellow Seattle musicians such as Alice in Chains' Layne Staley
, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart
, and Dimebag Darrell
.
In 2008 Anselmo recorded vocals for the Mahakali album by Jarboe
. The track is sparse musically, features a raw vocal delivery by Anselmo, and a short spoken-word segment.
(British occultist) and Anton LaVey
(Founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan
).
In 1997, Necrophagia
frontman Killjoy
reformed his band with Phil Anselmo on guitars. Using the Anton Crowley name, Anselmo appeared on the 1998 Holocausto de la Morte album, the 1999 Black Blood Vomitorium EP, and finally the 2001 Cannibal Holocaust EP, which featured Opal Enthroned (then Anselmo's wife) on keyboards.
, a Halloween-themed attraction. Initially, it began in Jay Gracianette's backyard, but was later moved to a large warehouse outside New Orleans that has been converted into an interactive haunted house with 300+ volunteer workers. Anselmo played the role of a part-time actor when his schedule permitted. Anselmo is no longer involved with the attraction.
photo essay, 21, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. The photographer documented the lifestyles of 21-year-old Americans. Two pictures of Anselmo were included, one with a snake draped over his shoulders and the second as his head is being shaved to reveal a tattoo.
movie The Manson Family
as the voice of Satan. The soundtrack for this movie also contains music from several of Anselmo's bands.
During a Pantera concert in 1995 at the Montreal Verdun Auditorium, Anselmo gave a speech during a break in the performance. During this speech, Anselmo stated that Pantera was not a racist band, but security personnel and some people who attended the performance found parts of what Anselmo said to be racist. Following this, Anselmo released an open letter apologizing for any offense that he may have caused during this speech.
During an interview in August 2003, Anselmo stated in regards to the racist accusations, "I’m anything fucking but, I know there’s shitty people and beautiful people on both sides of the spectrum – black and white. And I know for an absolute fucking fact there’s good Middle Eastern people who live here. And I know there’s good Oriental people. But if I’m writing a song and it has to touch on the negatives of certain issues, I’m not gonna beat around the fucking bush and fence-ride – especially with Superjoint. Before, with Pantera, I had to be slightly careful. Now I don’t. And I can see from the enthusiasm in the audiences that we’re on our way to something extremely relevant – something on top of anywhere anybody thinks we might go."
. That same year they created an acoustic band called Southern Isolation
. Anselmo and Weinstein divorced in 2004.
Anselmo is currently in a relationship with Kate Richardson, who also helps with the running of his record label, Housecore Records. Anselmo currently resides in a rural property in Louisiana. He keeps a number of animals, including dogs, cats and a variety of birds. Anselmo had a pet rottweiler named Dracula that died in 2009.
. He owns hundreds of fight DVDs and used to take a boxing trainer on tour with him. He has written articles as a columnist for the Boxing Insider website. Anselmo is a New Orleans Saints
fan. Anselmo has interviewed Saints player Jeremy Shockey
and has helped to coach a youth team at the request of Saints team ambassador Michael Lewis during a visit to the teams practice facility.
due to a heroin overdose after a show. Paramedics revived Anselmo and he issued a press release four days later saying, "I, Philip H. Anselmo...injected a lethal dose of heroin into my arm, and died for four to five minutes".
According to Anselmo, he had been suffering constant pain due to a back injury dating back to the mid-1990s. To ease the pain, he drank heavily, abused painkillers and muscle relaxants, and used heroin. The medication affected his onstage performances and caused slurred speech.
Since 2005, Anselmo has stopped using hard drugs, initially so that he could be cleared for surgery on his back.
. The surgery was successful, and after several months of recuperation and rehabilitation Anselmo returned to recording and touring. Anselmo has stated that he still occasionally experiences pain due to the back injury but much less than prior to the surgery.
In early 2009, Anselmo underwent knee surgery. He made the following statement in regards to the injury:
"It was a semi-torn ACL [anterior cruciate ligament, one of the four major ligaments of the knee] and a semi-torn meniscus [a common knee injury]." Anselmo also stated: "With plans to do some jamming during the healing process, trust me, Down will return." Anselmo originally acquired the injury at a gig prior to the Monsters of Rock
festival in England in 1994, after jumping from a speaker cabinet.
, Slayer
, Hellhammer
and Venom
. He pays tribute to two of his favorite bands in the lyrics of the Pantera
song "Goddamn Electric", singing "your trust is in whiskey and weed and Black Sabbath"; in the second verse, the lyric is tweaked to "whiskey and weed and Slayer".
Anselmo states that his main vocal influence is Iron Maiden
singer, Bruce Dickinson
.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
. He is also the owner of Housecore Records.
Childhood and early life
Anselmo started life in New Orleans and attended Grace King High SchoolGrace King High School
Grace King High School is a public high school located in Metairie, unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of the Jefferson Parish Public Schools....
located in the suburb of Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
. His father owned and operated a restaurant in Metairie called Anselmo's, which closed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Anselmo has said in various interviews that he was very quiet and secluded as a child. He spent some time working on fishing boats as a young man. During a 2002 Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
interview with the radio show Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony
Opie and Anthony are the hosts of The Opie & Anthony Show, a talk radio program airing in the United States and Canada on XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Since the merger of the two satellite companies, this is now called Sirius/XM...
, Anselmo shared a story that, at the age of 15, he started a fire in his home to scare his sister but accidentally burned the house down in the process.
While a teenager, Anselmo joined the band Samhain (not to be confused with Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
's band Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
). From the early to mid '80s, Anselmo was a member of the band Razor White. While they did have some original material, they played mainly Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
covers.
Pantera
PanteraPantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
was an unsigned glam metal band, with three self-released albums to their name. In 1986, it was decided by the band to replace singer Terrence Lee
Terry Glaze
Terrence Lee Glaze is an Ohio-born and Texas raised singer who is most well known for his work in American heavy metal band Pantera during their glam metal years, and Lord Tracy....
, who was primarily a glam metal singer, because they were heading in a different direction musically. Seeking a new frontman to continue on this heavier path, the band was led to 19-year-old Anselmo. In 1987, after several meetings, Anselmo was added to the Pantera lineup. The band was so impressed with Anselmo that they re-recorded some of Terrence Lee's vocals for their latest release. Anselmo relocated to Texas to record Power Metal
Power Metal (album)
Power Metal is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera, released in 1988 through Metal Magic Records. It is the first album to feature Phil Anselmo on vocals, as part of a line-up which would last until the band's split in 2003.-Background:...
, which was released in 1988 on the band's own record label, Metal Magic Records. Following the release of Power Metal, the band dropped its glam image and adopted a more casual look. They were signed to a record label by a scout who was stranded due to a hurricane. The band saw the scout at the venue and was disheartened when he left mid-set, but it turned out that the scout had left to phone the record label and to tell them to sign Pantera as soon as possible. Pantera recorded the album Cowboys from Hell
Cowboys from Hell
Cowboys from Hell is Pantera's fifth album and their first Atco Records album, recorded at The Dallas Sound Lab in Irving, TX and released on July 24, 1990. This was their first commercially successful album, exposing the band's groove metal style to mainstream audiences...
in 1990, and a long tour began. The band documented portions of this tour on their first home video, Cowboys from Hell: The Videos
Cowboys from Hell: The Videos
Cowboys from Hell: The Videos is the first home-video by the Texas heavy metal band Pantera.-Album information:It contains music videos and general band footage of the band in the early 90's...
, released in 1991.
In 1992, Pantera recorded Vulgar Display of Power
Vulgar Display of Power
Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera. It was released through Atco Records, on February 25, 1992. It is the last album where Darrell Abbott is credited as "Diamond Darrell". One of the most influential groove metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of...
. That same year, Pantera released a promo titled Hostile Mixes that contained four songs, three of which were remixes. The first two remixes were done by Justin K. Broadrick of Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
and the last by J. G. Thirlwell
J. G. Thirlwell
James George Thirlwell , aka Clint Ruin, aka Frank Want, aka Foetus, is an Australian vocalist, composer and record producer...
of Foetus. In 1994, Pantera released Far Beyond Driven
Far Beyond Driven
Far Beyond Driven is the seventh album by American groove metal band Pantera. It was released on March 22, 1994 through East West Records. Upon its release, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200...
, which debuted at #1 in the U.S. In late June, Anselmo was charged with assault following an altercation with a security guard when fans were prevented from getting on stage. Anselmo was released on $5,000 bail the next day. The trial was delayed three times. In May 1995, he apologized in court, pleaded guilty to attempted assault, and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
In 1996, Pantera released their fourth studio album with Anselmo, titled The Great Southern Trendkill
The Great Southern Trendkill
-Credits:* Philip Anselmo – lead vocals* Dimebag Darrell – guitar, backing vocals, 12 string acoustic guitar on "Suicide Note Pt. I"* Rex Brown – bass, backing vocals* Vinnie Paul – drums* Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Terry Date and Vinnie Paul...
. Anselmo recorded the vocal tracks for this album in New Orleans while the other members recorded in Texas. In 1997, Pantera released their first and only official live album titled Official Live: 101 Proof
Official Live: 101 Proof
-Credits:*Phil Anselmo – vocals*Dimebag Darrell – guitar*Rex Brown – bass guitar*Vinnie Paul – drums-Chart positions:...
. This album contained two new tracks--"I Can't Hide" and "Where You Come From." In 2000, Pantera released their final studio album, titled Reinventing the Steel
Reinventing the Steel
-Credits:*Phil Anselmo – lead vocals*Dimebag Darrell – guitar, backing vocals*Rex Brown – bass, backing vocals*Vinnie Paul – drums*Produced, Engineered, & Mixed by Sterling Winfield, Dimebag Darrell, and Vinnie Paul....
. In 2003, Pantera released a best-of album, The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!
The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!
The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits! is a compilation album by the heavy metal band Pantera, released on September 23, 2003...
(titled Reinventing Hell: The Best of Pantera in Europe). The album featured songs from five studio albums with Anselmo, and also included three cover tracks, "Planet Caravan
Planet Caravan
"Planet Caravan" is a psychedelic song by Black Sabbath. The song's lyrics and mellow music create a dreamy atmosphere.Geezer Butler has stated that the song's meaning is floating through the universe with your lover. The song appears on their 1970 breakthrough album, Paranoid...
" and "Hole in the Sky," written by Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
; and "Cat Scratch Fever
Cat Scratch Fever
Cat Scratch Fever is an album by Ted Nugent released in 1977, as well as the name of the album's title song. "Death By Misadventure" recounts the death of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Guitarist Derek St. Holmes came back during this album after he left...
," written by Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent
Theodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
. A bonus DVD was also made, containing all the band's music videos. Later that year, Pantera disbanded over communication problems and accusations that Anselmo had abandoned the band.
Following the breakup, Anselmo devoted much of his time to a longtime side project, Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual was an American heavy metal band formed by Phil Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of Pantera's style of groove metal and hardcore punk. A small trace of black metal...
. Having heard this, the Abbott brothers of Pantera (guitarist Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
and drummer Vinnie Paul
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
) formed Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
with former Halford
Halford (band)
Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...
guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals and Bob Zilla on bass. Some fans blame Anselmo for Pantera's breakup, because of statements in the heavy metal press. Anselmo has accused journalists of twisting the facts, publishing what they think sells best. Pantera bassist Rex Brown
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown is an American heavy metal bassist. A former member of Down, he is most famous as the longtime bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling band Pantera.-Pantera:...
, widely known as being the one neutral voice in the matter, has blamed both sides for the split.
After Vinnie Paul slammed Superjoint Ritual, saying Anselmo could not even keep his eyes open, Anselmo replied, "I just hear a big and sad yellowbelly crybaby fuckin' knowing that his meal ticket is in a different fuckin' band ... You would have to know those guys to really understand where I was coming from. They're scared of their own fuckin' shadows. And, all that said, I wish them the best of fuckin' luck. I still love 'em." Anselmo had engaged in a war of words with Dimebag since the fall of Pantera, culminating in the statement "Dimebag deserves to be beaten severely" in the December 2004 edition of the UK's Metal Hammer magazine. Initially, he denied making the statement, but later changed his story in a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
special on Pantera, claiming that the comment had been lighthearted and made off the record. However, Vinnie Paul told the press that he had heard the audio files of the interview and that Anselmo had not been misquoted.
In December 2004, Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
was shot and killed while performing with Damageplan. At the request of Dimebag's family, Anselmo did not attend his funeral.
In a lengthy and emotional video posted on the website community YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, Anselmo describes his regret over his previous behavior, and has written and recorded music dealing with the loss of Dimebag on the new Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
record, Down III: Over the Under
Down III: Over the Under
-Notes:*Track 13 is a bonus track included with the UK version of the album. On the packaging of the UK album, however, the song is not mentioned, and is thus effectively a hidden track. It was also available on the Japanese pressing through Roadrunner Records Japan....
. The band has dedicated their song "Lifer" to Dimebag.
Down
Down has been Anselmo's main recording and touring band since 2006.Down is an American heavy metal band formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band is a supergroup, its various lineups consisting of members and former members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Eyehategod.
Since its inception, Down has released three studio albums and has gone on hiatus twice to focus on the members' respective bands.
Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint RitualSuperjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual was an American heavy metal band formed by Phil Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of Pantera's style of groove metal and hardcore punk. A small trace of black metal...
was a New Orleans metal band formed by Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of groove metal and hardcore punk. Bands like Venom, Slayer, Celtic Frost, Voivod, and Darkthrone have also been noted as influences. The name Superjoint Ritual comes from a lyric in the Darkthrone song, "The Pagan Winter". According to Bower, Anselmo wrote 70-80% of the group's music. During their time together they released two full length albums on Sanctuary Records, Use Once and Destroy
Use Once and Destroy
Use Once and Destroy is the first release from heavy metal band Superjoint Ritual.It was recorded in lead singer Phil Anselmo's barn turned recording studio in Louisiana. The guitar and bass work was done by Phil Anselmo and Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower. Drumming was performed by Joe Fazzio. For...
in 2002 and A Lethal Dose of American Hatred
A Lethal Dose of American Hatred
A Lethal Dose of American Hatred is the second album by heavy metal band Superjoint Ritual. Former "touring only" bassist Hank Williams III played on this album. Nearly every song begins with a count-in by Phil Anselmo...
in 2003.
Arson Anthem
Arson Anthem is a Southern hardcore punkHardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
project whose lineup is as follows: Mike Williams
Mike Williams (singer)
Mike IX Williams is the singer for Eyehategod and former associate editor for Metal Maniacs. He has also worked on other projects.-Eyehategod:Mike was invited to join Eyehategod by Jimmy Bower in 1988...
(vocals; Eyehategod
Eyehategod
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans who formed in 1988. They have become one of the most well known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene...
), Phil Anselmo (guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
; Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Down
Down (band)
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
, Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual was an American heavy metal band formed by Phil Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of Pantera's style of groove metal and hardcore punk. A small trace of black metal...
), Hank III
Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
; solo, Assjack
Assjack
Assjack is an American punk metal band led by Hank Williams III and Garrett Bremer . Assjack is one of the three features of Williams's live show, and they started off playing psychobilly material throughout 2008 to 2010, until they evolved into a strictly metal/punk band.-Career:For Assjack's long...
, Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual
Superjoint Ritual was an American heavy metal band formed by Phil Anselmo, Joe Fazzio, and Jimmy Bower in the early 1990s, later to be joined by Hank Williams III, and Kevin Bond. Their style can be considered a mix of Pantera's style of groove metal and hardcore punk. A small trace of black metal...
, The Unholy Three, Bedwetter), and Collinams moved into Anselmo's spare apartment. The two spent countless hours listening to Phil’s collection of early hardcore bands. They began jamming with Hank III and Collin Yeo, who were united by their desire to have a hardcore/crust punk band of their own.
Christ Inversion
Christ Inversion was formed in 1994. The group was a short-lived blackened death metal project formed by Anselmo. Most of their lyrics were based on horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s and Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
. The band recorded two demos and then disbanded without ever recording a full-length album. The first demo was renamed and re-released on Anselmo's own Housecore Records on October 28, 2008.
Southern Isolation
The band released one EP called Southern IsolationSouthern Isolation
Southern Isolation was a Southern rock group from Louisiana, USA, formed in 1995 by Phil Anselmo and then wife Stephanie Opal Weinstein. The band released one self-titled EP before disbanding following the pair's divorce...
. It originally contained four songs, but was later re-released with a fifth bonus track. The band consisted of Stephanie Opal Weinstein
Stephanie Opal Weinstein
Stephanie Opal Weinstein AKA 'Opal Enthroned' is an American musician. She is the ex-wife of Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo. They were married on the 31st of October 2001, on Philip's property in Louisiana. That same year they created an acoustic band called Southern Isolation, releasing a...
on vocals and guitars, Anselmo on vocals, backing vocals and guitars, "Big" Ross Karpelman (of Clearlight
Clearlight (band)
Clearlight is an instrumental heavy metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana. They are also known as The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight due to other bands using the same original name.-History:...
) on keyboards, and Sid Montz (of Crowbar) on drums.
One rare track called "Faded" has been credited to Southern Isolation on the Manson Family Soundtrack, which is due to be released on Anselmo's Housecore label.
Viking Crown
Viking CrownViking Crown
Viking Crown was a side project started by Phil Anselmo in the mid 90's. The first Viking Crown release was an EP recorded in 1994 titled Unorthodox Steps of Ritual which featured Phil, credited as Anton Crowley, on guitar, bass, drums and vocals. The two later Viking Crown releases would feature...
was a short-lived and essentially solo side project started by Anselmo in the mid-90s. The members of the band are Anselmo (under the pseudonym Anton Crowley) on guitars, bass and drums; Killjoy
Killjoy (musician)
Killjoy, born Frank Pucci is the lead vocalist for the death metal band Necrophagia, and he is the only remaining original member of the group. He had his own solo band named Killjoy, which released one album, Compelled By Fear, in 1990. He was vocalist for Viking Crown, a black metal project...
on vocals; and Opal Enthroned (Stephanie Opal Weinstein) on keyboards. On their first album Unorthodox Steps of Ritual, Anselmo played every instrument and laid down his own vocals. The band never performed live.
Eibon
Eibon was a very short-lived supergroupSupergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
which Anselmo participated in from 1998 to 2000. The group featured Killjoy
Killjoy (musician)
Killjoy, born Frank Pucci is the lead vocalist for the death metal band Necrophagia, and he is the only remaining original member of the group. He had his own solo band named Killjoy, which released one album, Compelled By Fear, in 1990. He was vocalist for Viking Crown, a black metal project...
, Fenriz
Fenriz
Leif Gylve Nagell , better known as Fenriz, is the drummer and lyricist of the Norwegian black metal duo Darkthrone...
, Satyr
Sigurd Wongraven
Satyr is the vocalist, lead and rhythm guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Norwegian black metal band Satyricon. He was a founding member of Satyricon and have so far released 7 albums, 2 demos and a live DVD...
, and Maniac
Sven Erik Kristiansen
Sven Erik Kristiansen is a Norwegian musician. He is best known as the former vocalist in the black metal band Mayhem under the stage name Maniac.-Personal life:...
. The project has been put on indefinite hiatus and to date has only released a single track, Mirror Soul Jesus, which appeared on the 'Moonfog 2000: A Different Perspective' compilation in 2000. The band is on Satyr's record label 'Moonfog Productions'.
Guest appearances
In 1993 Anselmo produced Crowbar's self titled albumCrowbar (album)
Crowbar was recorded in New Orleans in 1992 by Crowbar. The album went on to sell 100,000 copies on the independent label Pavement Music . The singles "All I Had " and "Existence Is Punishment" propelled the band on MTV and achieved international attention...
and recorded backing vocals on some of the tracks.
In 1996 Anselmo recorded guitars on two songs ("Van Full of Retards" and a cover of Manowar's "Gloves of Metal") and contributed vocals/backing vocals on 18 songs for Anal Cunt
Anal Cunt
Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts in 1988. Since its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes. Known for its grindcore musical style and controversial lyrics, Anal Cunt released eight full-length studio...
's 40 More Reasons to Hate Us
40 More Reasons to Hate Us
40 More Reasons to Hate Us is the third album by Anal Cunt, recorded after their Japanese Tour in June 1995 and released on March 26, 1996 by Earache Records...
album.
In 1996 Anselmo recorded backing vocals for tracks on Crowbar's Broken Glass album.
Also in 1996, Anselmo provided vocals on Soilent Green's album Sewn Mouth Secrets
Sewn Mouth Secrets
Sewn Mouth Secrets is the second full-length album from Louisiana-based heavy metal band Soilent Green. It was released on September 22, 1998.-History:...
. Although not credited, he is given thanks in the liner notes.
In 1998 Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
released the album Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Volume 8: The Threat is Real is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in July 1998 by Ignition Records. The band and Paul Crook produced the album, which includes the single "Inside Out". Other singles released were "Crush", "P & V" and "Born Again...
. Anselmo provided backing vocals on track 8 ("Killing Box"). Also, his Pantera bandmate Dimebag Darrell played guitar solos on tracks 3 ("Inside Out") and 7 ("Born Again Idiot").
In 1998 Anselmo sang a duet ("By the River") on Vision of Disorder
Vision of Disorder
Vision of Disorder is a hardcore punk band from Long Island, New York, US. Vision of Disorder disbanded in 2002, but reunited from time to time over the next six years. In October 2008, they announced that they would record a new studio album...
's Imprint album.
In 2000 Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
released a collaborative album
Iommi (album)
Iommi is a heavy metal album by Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi and myriad guest musicians and vocalists, including:*Henry Rollins of Black Flag and Rollins Band*Skin of Skunk Anansie*Brian May of Queen*Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters...
with various well known vocalists. Initially, Anselmo was going to co-create an entire album with Iommi, but due to tour schedules it never happened. Anselmo managed, however, to lay down some tracks for Iommi's album. Iommi and Anselmo wrote and recorded three tracks together, "Time Is Mine", "The Bastard", and a third unknown track. Iommi picked "Time Is Mine" for the album. "The Bastard" was never officially released, but can be found online. The third unknown track is now highly sought after by fans of both artists.
In 2001 Anselmo provided vocals for "HFFK" on Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
's Uncivilization
Uncivilization
Uncivilization is the sixth studio album by American band Biohazard. Uncivilization has sold 114,000+ copies.-Track listing:#"Sellout" – 3:31#"Uncivilization" – 4:08#"Wide Awake" – 3:46#"Get Away" – 3:47...
album.
On March 6, 2006, Anselmo made an appearance along with Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
and Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
bassist Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and the surviving members of Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
at a VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Decades Rock Live concert, in honor of fellow Seattle musicians such as Alice in Chains' Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
, Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart
Heart (band)
Heart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, and Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
.
In 2008 Anselmo recorded vocals for the Mahakali album by Jarboe
Jarboe
Jarboe is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist.Jarboe is a solo artist who came to prominence in the mid-1980s with the New York City based group Swans. With founder Michael Gira, the duo was the core of Swans until the group broke up in 1998...
. The track is sparse musically, features a raw vocal delivery by Anselmo, and a short spoken-word segment.
Further reading
Anton Crowley persona
In the mid-90s, Anselmo began to record for several side projects under the pseudonym Anton Crowley, most notably with Viking Crown. The name Anton Crowley is taken from Aleister CrowleyAleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
(British occultist) and Anton LaVey
Anton LaVey
Anton Szandor LaVey , born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician...
(Founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan
Church of Satan
The Church of Satan is an organization dedicated to the acceptance of the carnal self, as articulated in The Satanic Bible, written in 1969 by Anton Szandor LaVey.- History :...
).
In 1997, Necrophagia
Necrophagia
Necrophagia is an American death metal band. The group was assembled in Wellsville, Ohio in 1983 and are credited as being one of the very first musical groups to be classified within the death metal genre. The group was founded by Frank Pucci...
frontman Killjoy
Killjoy (musician)
Killjoy, born Frank Pucci is the lead vocalist for the death metal band Necrophagia, and he is the only remaining original member of the group. He had his own solo band named Killjoy, which released one album, Compelled By Fear, in 1990. He was vocalist for Viking Crown, a black metal project...
reformed his band with Phil Anselmo on guitars. Using the Anton Crowley name, Anselmo appeared on the 1998 Holocausto de la Morte album, the 1999 Black Blood Vomitorium EP, and finally the 2001 Cannibal Holocaust EP, which featured Opal Enthroned (then Anselmo's wife) on keyboards.
Housecore Records
Anselmo started his own record label called Housecore Records, to release material by his many side projects and from other bands he supported. For a time Housecore was merged with Baphomet Records, owned by Philip's friend and ex-bandmate Killjoy of Necrophagia, to form Baphomet/Housecore Records. They have since split.House of Shock
Anselmo, together with Steve Joseph, Ross Karpelman and Jay Gracianette, started the House of ShockHouse of Shock
Founded by Pantera's Frontman Phil Anselmo and friends Ross Karpelman and Jay Gracinette, the House Of Shock is a seasonal haunted house attraction located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Every year, the House Of Shock is open on weekends in October. The House Of Shock is known for its satanic themes...
, a Halloween-themed attraction. Initially, it began in Jay Gracianette's backyard, but was later moved to a large warehouse outside New Orleans that has been converted into an interactive haunted house with 300+ volunteer workers. Anselmo played the role of a part-time actor when his schedule permitted. Anselmo is no longer involved with the attraction.
John Kaplan photo essay
Anselmo was featured in the John KaplanJohn Kaplan
John Kaplan is an American photographer who won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography "for his photographs depicting the diverse lifestyles of seven 21-year-olds across the United States"....
photo essay, 21, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. The photographer documented the lifestyles of 21-year-old Americans. Two pictures of Anselmo were included, one with a snake draped over his shoulders and the second as his head is being shaved to reveal a tattoo.
The Manson Family movie
Anselmo can be heard in the Jim Van BebberJim Van Bebber
Jim Van Bebber is an American film director. Van Bebber attended Wright State University where he studied cinema. Instead of using a bank loan to pay for a second year of college, he used the money to finance Deadbeat at Dawn, and founded the indie film company Asmodeus Productions with several...
movie The Manson Family
The Manson Family (film)
The Manson Family is a 2003 American crime drama film. The film covers the lives of Charles Manson and his "family" of followers.-Overview:...
as the voice of Satan. The soundtrack for this movie also contains music from several of Anselmo's bands.
Accusations of racism
Since the mid-90s Anselmo has occasionally been accused of being racist, an accusation that he has denied on numerous occasions.During a Pantera concert in 1995 at the Montreal Verdun Auditorium, Anselmo gave a speech during a break in the performance. During this speech, Anselmo stated that Pantera was not a racist band, but security personnel and some people who attended the performance found parts of what Anselmo said to be racist. Following this, Anselmo released an open letter apologizing for any offense that he may have caused during this speech.
During an interview in August 2003, Anselmo stated in regards to the racist accusations, "I’m anything fucking but, I know there’s shitty people and beautiful people on both sides of the spectrum – black and white. And I know for an absolute fucking fact there’s good Middle Eastern people who live here. And I know there’s good Oriental people. But if I’m writing a song and it has to touch on the negatives of certain issues, I’m not gonna beat around the fucking bush and fence-ride – especially with Superjoint. Before, with Pantera, I had to be slightly careful. Now I don’t. And I can see from the enthusiasm in the audiences that we’re on our way to something extremely relevant – something on top of anywhere anybody thinks we might go."
Personal life
On October 31, 2001, Anselmo married his longtime girlfriend Stephanie Opal WeinsteinStephanie Opal Weinstein
Stephanie Opal Weinstein AKA 'Opal Enthroned' is an American musician. She is the ex-wife of Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo. They were married on the 31st of October 2001, on Philip's property in Louisiana. That same year they created an acoustic band called Southern Isolation, releasing a...
. That same year they created an acoustic band called Southern Isolation
Southern Isolation
Southern Isolation was a Southern rock group from Louisiana, USA, formed in 1995 by Phil Anselmo and then wife Stephanie Opal Weinstein. The band released one self-titled EP before disbanding following the pair's divorce...
. Anselmo and Weinstein divorced in 2004.
Anselmo is currently in a relationship with Kate Richardson, who also helps with the running of his record label, Housecore Records. Anselmo currently resides in a rural property in Louisiana. He keeps a number of animals, including dogs, cats and a variety of birds. Anselmo had a pet rottweiler named Dracula that died in 2009.
Interests
Anselmo owns an extensive collection of several thousand horror films and possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of horror films and horror culture. Anselmo has an interest in the sport of boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He owns hundreds of fight DVDs and used to take a boxing trainer on tour with him. He has written articles as a columnist for the Boxing Insider website. Anselmo is a New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
fan. Anselmo has interviewed Saints player Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
and has helped to coach a youth team at the request of Saints team ambassador Michael Lewis during a visit to the teams practice facility.
Drug abuse
On July 13, 1996, at the 'Coca-Cola Starplex' in Dallas Texas, Anselmo went into cardiac arrestCardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
due to a heroin overdose after a show. Paramedics revived Anselmo and he issued a press release four days later saying, "I, Philip H. Anselmo...injected a lethal dose of heroin into my arm, and died for four to five minutes".
According to Anselmo, he had been suffering constant pain due to a back injury dating back to the mid-1990s. To ease the pain, he drank heavily, abused painkillers and muscle relaxants, and used heroin. The medication affected his onstage performances and caused slurred speech.
Since 2005, Anselmo has stopped using hard drugs, initially so that he could be cleared for surgery on his back.
Surgery
On November 21, 2005, Anselmo underwent surgery to repair severe damage to his back caused by degenerative disc diseaseDegenerative disc disease
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc, often called "degenerative disc disease" of the spine, is a condition that can be painful and can greatly affect the quality of one's life...
. The surgery was successful, and after several months of recuperation and rehabilitation Anselmo returned to recording and touring. Anselmo has stated that he still occasionally experiences pain due to the back injury but much less than prior to the surgery.
In early 2009, Anselmo underwent knee surgery. He made the following statement in regards to the injury:
"It was a semi-torn ACL [anterior cruciate ligament, one of the four major ligaments of the knee] and a semi-torn meniscus [a common knee injury]." Anselmo also stated: "With plans to do some jamming during the healing process, trust me, Down will return." Anselmo originally acquired the injury at a gig prior to the Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was an annual music festival held in England, then moved in other locations like The Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile.The Last show was in 2008....
festival in England in 1994, after jumping from a speaker cabinet.
Influences
Anselmo was mainly influenced by Judas PriestJudas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Hellhammer
Hellhammer
Hellhammer was an influential extreme metal band from Switzerland, active during 1982–1984. They are regarded as being one of the first extreme metal bands and are a key influence on later black metal and death metal bands.-Biography:...
and Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
. He pays tribute to two of his favorite bands in the lyrics of the Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
song "Goddamn Electric", singing "your trust is in whiskey and weed and Black Sabbath"; in the second verse, the lyric is tweaked to "whiskey and weed and Slayer".
Anselmo states that his main vocal influence is Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
singer, Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
.