PHILIP ANSELMO Has 'No Problems' With How He Was Portrayed In REX BROWN's Book

Former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo recently spoke to Jo Schüftan of Horns Up Rocks! about ex-PANTERA bassist Rex Brown's memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera", and Anselmo's forthcoming autobiography, tentatively titled "Mouth For War: Pantera, Pain, & Pride - Heavy Metal Highs, Drugged Out Lows, & The Battle For My Life".

"First and firemost, I did read Rex's book," Anselmo said (hear audio below). "It's his opinion.

"I have no problems at all with how I was portrayed in the book; it does not faze me at all.

"There are things in the book that I really wouldn't have talked about. But once again, it's Rex's book and it's his opinion, you know…

"In my book… Honestly, it's not just a PANTERA book. It's a book about my life. And a lot really happened before I was in PANTERA and a lot has happened since.

"Don't get me wrong — PANTERA is a gigantic part of my life, and I'm sure people wanna get my take on things, and I'm gonna be brutally honest… The fucking truth is the fucking truth.

"It takes four guys to break up a band, you know; it really does. So there's four sides to every story, and [late PANTERA guitarist] Dimebag [Darrell Abbott] cannot tell his side of the story.

"You know, it's a thing where everyone has an opinion, but unless you are in the actual band — the circle of guys in the band — your opinion is just an opinion, just another… they're stepping onto one side of the fence or the other. But truth be told, nobody knows the true intricacies and whatnot of the breakup of PANTERA or anything with that except for the guys in the band. And for me, PANTERA is a whole lot more than just our breakup. For me, there is a lot of oncredibly great times, fun times, educational times… It's just a…

"[There are] very positive things to be said about PANTERA. Anybody can go the negative route; that's the easy thing to do. But I look at things from a different perspective. And we'll see… It's one of those things [where] we've gotta wait and see. But right now, I guess the book is scheduled to come out about this time next year. There is still a ton of work to be done, so… It's one of those things, man. [We've] gotta wait and see."

Anselmo and BloodyDisgusting.com writer Corey Mitchell last year secured a deal with Jeremie Ruby-Strauss, senior editor at Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books imprint, for Anselmo's autobiography. Corey will co-author the book, which is described as "a no-holds-barred look inside of Philip's brain, his history with PANTERA, the loss of his best-friend, Dimebag Darrell, and an unflinching examination into the downward spiral of pain and drug addiction that nearly cost him his life." A 2014 release is expected.

In a recent interview with MetalSucks, Anselmo was asked for his opinion of "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera".

"Honestly, [Rex's] assessment of me [in the book] — I don't care," Anselmo said. "Egotistical, self-centered, everything is always about me. Y'know what? I'm a lead singer and he's a bass player. That's his perception. So I'm fine with it. I don't hold any fucking grudges. But I think he did take some angry swipes and I don't need to be specific. There is a great deal of mythology when it comes to his 'quitting' DOWN. That particular chapter is a little disturbing."

Anselmo also commented on the fact that former PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott was at times painted in a very negative light in Rex's book.

"I'm not sure that type of beating [on Vince] was necessary," Anselmo said. "Vince is a difficult guy and was always a different type of guy. But did he deserve that type of beating? I don't think so. When I do my book, I want it to be known that it's not just a PANTERA book. And I'm not in a pissing contest with Rex. It's a shame."

He continued: "Rex has many faults, just like anyone else. But it sure seems like he wants to put fault on other people to take away from his humanity. We're all full of faults. Maybe it's easier for some of us to admit."