PHILIP ANSELMO: 'My Olive Branch Is Always Extended' To VINNIE PAUL

Dave Wedge of BostonHerald.com recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

On his years fronting PANTERA:

"Those were the best days of my (expletive) life, really. I think, of course, of what could have been. A big lesson to be learned here is we were all very, very young men. I guess a lack of communication between any team or any group of people that are out to accomplish something is bound to destroy it."

On late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, who was gunned down onstage with three others at an Ohio rock club in 2004:

"I think about him so much. He was that guitar. He was that stage. He was meant to do exactly what he was doing and he did it 1,000 percent."

"Dimebag's death — the nonsensical reason of it all — that's the stuff that's really hard to come to terms with. But I'm about to do a DOWN show. We've got to take that proverbial step forward. Baggage is baggage and memories are memories."

On his "feud" with Dime's brother, PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul, who has refused to speak with Anselmo in the years following Dimebag's murder:

"My olive branch is always extended to that fellow. I love him. I feel his pain. I know his brother was his closest friend. If we were in a position to communicate and talk things out, I'd be on the first plane."

On his drug problems, which contributed to PANTERA's demise:

"I know I was very guilty. But when you're young, your path gets blurry. It should have been us, one-on-one, talking. It might have turned out different."

Read the entire article from BostonHerald.com.