Phil Anselmo
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| Phil Anselmo | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Philip Hansen Anselmo | |
| Born | June 30, 1968 | |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| Genre(s) | Heavy metal | |
| Occupation(s) | Vocals, Guitarist, Producer, Musician | |
| Associated acts |
Pantera Necrophagia Down Arson Anthem Viking Crown Southern Isolation Superjoint Ritual Christ Inversion Tapeworm |
|
| Website | http://www.PhilAnselmo.com/ | |
Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a heavy metal vocalist and musician, currently performing with Down. He is best known as a vocalist and lyricist and co-composer for Pantera, but has been involved with numerous other musical projects in heavy metal.
Contents |
[edit] Early Life
Much of Anselmo's early life remains undocumented at this time, with only hints towards what it may have been like is showing up in songs like "25 Years," "Becoming" and sporadic pieces popping up in interviews. What is known is that Anselmo grew up in the inner city of New Orleans to an abusive alcoholic father who operated several bars in the area, and currently operating a restaurant in Metairie, LA called Anselmo's. He played in a few teenage bands who played tribute to rock n' roll songs. His most recognized band was Razor White. He was an avid hardcore punk, metal, and thrash fan citing Venom, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Slayer as major influences. Anselmo pays tribute to these two bands in the lyrics of Pantera song "Goddamn Electric", singing "your trust is in whisky and weed and Black Sabbath/Slayer".
Anselmo has said in various interviews that in reflection upon his childhood he was, overall, a leader and that many kids would respect him and look to him to see what to do next. He also said that he was a very quiet, secluded kid.
During a 2002 Ozzfest astonished interview with an exclusive radioshow called Opie and Anthony, Anselmo stated 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. During this time Anselmo lived on his own with the help of his friends, and would take food from the refrigerators of his friends' parents when they would leave for work each day. With no education or family Anselmo committed his life to music. He was involved with the New Orleans heavy metal scene in the early to mid-80s, playing several gigs with Razor White (primarily a metal cover band that specialized in Judas Priest) prior to joining Pantera in 1987.
It has also been a little known fact that Phil Anselmo has a brother, named Jerry Anselmo. Jerry is currently residing in New Orleans and owns a venue named Jerry's. He also has a known half-sister named Rebecca. She has been credited as a backup singer on the Southern Isolation EP, a project which Anselmo and then wife Stephanie Opal Weinstein collaborated on.
[edit] Pantera
- Main article: Pantera
Anselmo was discovered in his hometown by Pantera, who needed a vocalist following the departure of Terry Glaze. Anselmo joined the band and re-recorded some vocals on some Glaze tracks for Power Metal (1988).
While on tour in the summer of 1996, Anselmo nearly went into cardiac arrest from a heroin overdose after a show. He subsequently discussed his problem in interviews but his drug use would still be a point of contention within the band. Anselmo would remain as frontman until disbandment in 2003. Over the course of five studio albums, one live record and a greatest hits compilation, Anselmo and Pantera were twice nominated for a best metal performance Grammy, in 1995 and 2001.
Shortly after Pantera split, he organized Superjoint Ritual. Having heard this, the Abbott brothers (Dimebag & Vinnie) knew they had to continue with music so they formed Damageplan with former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and Bob Zilla on bass. Some fans blame Anselmo for the break-up of Pantera, because of statements in the heavy metal press. Phil himself has stated that some journalists publish what they think sells magazines best. Damageplan managed to release one album entiled New Found Power and most likely would have continued. But in December of 2004, while promoting their new album in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag Darrell Abbott was shot and killed by Nathan Gale, an ex-marine suffering from schizophrenia. It is said that he had delusions about Pantera stealing lyrics from him, and others say that he was mad about Pantera splitting up.
In 2002, Anselmo decided to clean up his act, and began using methadone to overcome his heroin addiction. He has been clean since that year.
Anselmo had engaged in a war of words with Abbott since the fall of Pantera, culminating in the statement "Dimebag deserves to be severely beaten" 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 VH-1 Behind The Music special on Pantera, claiming that the comment had been light-hearted and made after the interview was finished. However, Vinnie Paul told the press that he had heard the audio files of the interview and that Anselmo had not been coerced by the Metal Hammer journalist into making the statement, and nor had he been misquoted. Anselmo has fallen quiet on the matter since then, focusing on Down and his other projects.
[edit] Singing Style
Phil Anselmo has a distinctive and very influential voice, which has been emulated by many of his contemporaries. During his early Pantera days, Anselmo used falsetto vocals in many of the songs from Cowboys From Hell, such as "Shattered". He also used clean melodic singing, as seen in Cemetary Gates and Hollow (from Vulgar Display of Power). As time went on, his vocals became more harsh and aggressive, which is particularly shown on Far Beyond Driven. When it came to The Great Southern Trendkill, Phil's voice focused on being extremely harsh for the most part, with a few exceptions such as "10's" and "Suicide Note Pt. I", with the aggressiveness in evidence in songs such as "War Nerve" and "Suicide Note Pt. 2".
[edit] Recent Activities
In a recent article in Revolver Magazine, Phil Anselmo and several of the guitarists from Down (band) and Superjoint Ritual rented out a club in New Orleans, LA. They were there to hold a sort of youth group: they were teaching the children how to play jazz guitar. It was part of Phil's effort to help revitalize the ravished New Orleans' music scene.
On Sunday March 11, 2007 Phil and the rest of the members of Down kicked off the Heaven & Hell tour in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Down will play 11 shows across Canada during the month of March. However during their March 13th show in Edmonton Alberta and March 14th show in Calgary Alberta, due to Phil having a throat infection Down did not play.
[edit] Discography
All appearances are as a vocalist, unless mentioned otherwise.
[edit] External links
| Pantera |
| Members |
|---|
| Phil Anselmo | Dimebag Darrell | Rex Brown | Vinnie Paul |
| Terry Glaze |
| Discography |
| Albums: Metal Magic | Projects in the Jungle | I Am the Night | Power Metal | Cowboys from Hell | Vulgar Display of Power | Far Beyond Driven | The Great Southern Trendkill | Reinventing the Steel |
| Live and compilation albums: Official Live: 101 Proof | The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits! |
| Songs |
| "Cowboys from Hell" | "Cemetery Gates" | "Walk" | "This Love" | "Hollow" | "Becoming" | "5 Minutes Alone" | "I'm Broken" | "Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks" | "Slaughtered" | "War Nerve" | "Drag the Waters" | "Suicide Note Pt. I" | "Floods" | "Revolution Is My Name" |
