PHILIP ANSELMO On The Downside Of Social Media: 'I See It As A Societal Sickness'

Former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo says that he doesn't pay attention to what people write about his music on the Internet.

"It's so easy for me to make music and not even bat an eye at what other people think, because I don't go to music sites," he told Ned of the Rock 108 radio station in a new interview (hear audio below). "I don't go. I don't know what anyone is thinking about nothing; I just go and play my shows and take it one day at a time.

"I've seen it affect people around me, for sure," he continued. "I've seen people who sit there and are just glued to those comments. It riles everyone up. And if you're readin' that shit all day, I can see the bad mood comin' from a mile away. And it's, like, you know what? You don't need to sit there and fucking read it. There's plenty to do in this life instead of [reading comments online]…

"I don't know, man. Computer world — I've just gotta take breaks often. I've never done Facebook. I know what it is, but I don't care. I do see it as a societal sickness. I think it's unhealthy."

Anselmo also addressed the fact that Internet anonymity helps people share personal feelings and enables them to disclose themselves in a way they are reluctant to do in real life.

"That's freedom of speech for you," he said. "But also I know that because people feel like they have this anonymity and they're just another username on a platform, the threats and all that type stuff, it's really cowardice, man. It's weak — it's weak shit, man. I'm not a fan. It feels petty and it just feels weak, man. So I stick to boxing web sites and football web sites. [Laughs] It's NFL season."

Anselmo has spent much of the past year performing classic PANTERA songs with his solo band, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS.

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS — now featuring Anselmo with guitarists Stephen Taylor (SUPERJOINT) and Mike DeLeon (FLESH HORDER, BEING KILLED),drummer José Manuel "Blue" Gonzalez (SUPERJOINT, WARBEAST) and newest recruit Derek Engemann (SCOUR, ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION) — released the critically acclaimed "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue" full-length last year via Anselmo's own Housecore Records. The disc was the follow-up to PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS' debut, "Walk Through Exits Only", which came out in 2013 to mostly positive reviews.