PHILIP ANSELMO Promises New DOWN Music This Year

Johnny Firecloud of CraveOnline.com recently conducted an interview with Philip Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA, ARSON ANTHEM, SUPERJOINT RITUAL). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

CraveOnline.com: There's a hot-button issue that's been messing with my head that I'd like to get your thoughts on. In the wake of this Arizona shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of all those people, Rush Limbaugh went out and said that the shooter's insane, and it's clear because he listens to heavy metal, among other things.

Anselmo: If Rush Limbaugh said something about the idea that someone murdered someone or is crazy because they listen to heavy metal, that's a kneejerk reaction. And from me especially, because motherfucker I create heavy metal and I don't have a murderous fuckin' bone in my body. Nothing that's gonna fuckin' take me somewhere and take the coward's way out. He's out of his mind. I think that's about the most shallow view you could possibly take. I think you really need to take a look at what ignited some stupid motherfucker to do something like this. Obviously it's a lot more than heavy metal. I don't know what the guy was listening to, but it wouldn't matter if he was listening to tapes of Osama Bin Laden preaching the goddamn jihad. Look at the guy first, don't look at the music. He's out of his fuckin' mind. Fuck Rush Limbaugh.

CraveOnline.com: Looking through the history of damnation of heavy metal music or rock music in general, it falls in line with Marilyn Manson being blamed for Columbine and so many more incidents that preceded it...

Anselmo: Even before that it was kids committing suicide and it getting blamed on JUDAS PRIEST, and Ozzy Osbourne's been through this whole thing too. As a matter of fact, there's been some isolated PANTERA fuckin' events where kids have done certain things and they were caught and they were wearing PANTERA shirts. People were alarmed and what-not, but I mentioned Ozzy and Rob Halford from JUDAS PRIEST actually went to court and spoke in an extremely sane way — he took the stand on behalf of all of us, before any of us had been blamed. At least ten years before all that blame really took off. But Rob Halford almost singlehandedly enlightened the court system to the fact that you cannot tie insanity, murder or anything into music people listen to. So Rob Halford definitely deserves a pat on the back for that one.

CraveOnline.com: Fans have been eager for news on "Down IV", but I hear there's not been a lot of time for that....

Anselmo: Yeah. Man, there will be a time for DOWN. Matter of fact we had a meeting this past week, and I know Jimmy's [Bower, drums] gotta go do an EYEHATEGOD tour in February. But after that, I think we're looking to do some shows starting in March. Maybe local around here, maybe even some Mardi Gras gigs. But yeah, last week we sat around and they played me some new stuff they're working on, and it sounds good. Sounds like it's got a lot of promise, and really they just need me in the fuckin' practice room. So all this is going to happen this year. It has to happen. I know there's a responsibility here. DOWN has a fan base and they are very, very, very loyal. So I don't want to let those people down. They deserve some new music, we have it. We've demoed other songs, there's songs that haven't even been released that people have never heard, so there's always DOWN there. For all you people out there, don't you stress. We got the DOWN coming.

Read the entire interview from CraveOnline.com.