PHILIP ANSELMO On The 'Path Of Right And Wrong, Good And Evil'

Andrew Parks of Decibel magazine (web site) recently traveled to the New Orleans home of DOWN/ex-PANTERA vocalist Philip Anselmo to interview DOWN about the group's mindset during the songwriting process for their new album, "III – Over the Under". A few select quotes from Anselmo follow:

On his recently completed collection of "period pieces," a slapdash, stream-of-consciousness autobiography that attempts to make sense of his former highway-to-hell lifestyle and unshakeable, albeit distorted public image (you know: Phil Anselmo the spiteful, selfish ex-junkie):

"Music has always been my medium, so I'd like to expand and shed the ugly things about myself. People might call it poetry, but that's too flowery of a word for me. I just call it scraps [written] with a clear mind — a mind that's a sponge once again."

On his 2005 non-invasive surgery that left reconstructed bone fragments and a rod in place of the degenerative discs in his spine (he still has to wake up at 10 a.m. every day to stretch as a result):

"It's wonderful — the greatest thing in the world. It makes you quit drinking because there's no time for hangovers.

"When [PANTERA's] 'Far Beyond Driven' went No. 1, it was a giant celebration, yet I was in constant fear because I knew I'd have to keep playing shows and drinking entire bottles of Wild Turkey to numb the pain. There weren't too many people shaking my shoulder, asking me if I was OK, so more medication led to more medication until I was doped out to the gills."

On feeling "enlightened" since the surgery and his decision to drop his alcohol and smack diet for a steady regiment of healthy eating and Arizona iced tea:

"I'd like to liberate the minds of people somehow — those very human chains that keep people from really living. For the past year, I've been an unpaid social worker and psychiatrist for so many. I look forward to 'that phone call,' because I know I can restore order to their minds, man. You CAN'T lie to me."

On race relations:

"Caucasian people have been stripped of any right of being proud of ourselves — not the color of our skin, but our achievements. If people spent more time looking into the beauty of themselves instead of their cell phones and the herd mentality, they'd truly shine."

On religion:

"Bible class was interesting because I don't believe in that school of thought. I consider myself a free thinker, you know? God is a tough word for me to even use, because I feel like God's in everyone's heart. However, man is the only creature on this planet that has to look for something bigger than him to get him through the day, so I respect that and don't want to trample on anyone's beliefs."

Fear and death:

"I guess I was afraid of death at one time. Like many people, I had a fear of being trapped in an airplane at 30,000 feet. I'd be like, 'Oh Godddd, what a terrifying thing!' However, once you hit that ground, what do you feel? If a boxer can knock someone out cold with just his fist and a glove, you aren't gonna feel much."

"More or less, I just feel like I'm on that path of right and wrong, good and evil — whatever. It may sound cheesy, but as long as you take steps in life that feel righteous to you in your heart, you can do no wrong. Then you're living in the now. That's why I wish good will on everyone, present and past. There, I'm done now."

The October 2007 issue of Decibel magazine containing the DOWN cover story is scheduled to hit newsstands on September 6.

For more information, visit www.decibelmagazine.com.