PHILIP ANSELMO Says REX BROWN 'Needs To Address Some Personal Things In His Life'

DOWN, the acclaimed New Orleans band which features in its ranks CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist),bassist Patrick Bruders (CROWBAR),guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR),and vocalist Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ex-PANTERA) took part in a press conference on Friday (June 10) at this year's edition of the Sweden Rock Festival in Slvesborg in southern Sweden. You can now watch video footage of the question-and-answer session below.

On the status of bassist Rex Brown (formerly of PANTERA) in DOWN:

Anselmo: "Rex is Just to put it kindly, he needs to address some personal things in his life and when he has to address these personal things, the extremity of them, it's gonna take him away from music and touring and stuff like that. We all support him, we love him, we're still very close with him, speak with him all the time. I suggest everyone in the room, everyone that has any emotion at all about Rex, just give some good thoughts to him he needs it and we still support him. We wish the best for him."

On Rex Brown's replacement, CROWBAR bassist Patrick Bruders:

Anselmo: "Pat is an underrated player and I think, to me I saw him play with CROWBAR and I thought to myself, 'This motherfucker's tight. This motherfucker plays tight.' And honestly, DOWN has never had a bass player that played with just his fingers. He's great feel, he's solid as a rock, and goddamn, he's pretty as a girl pretty as a teen idol. Pretty as a Swedish girl. Look at him."

On the possibility of a reunion of Anselmo's SUPERJOINT RITUAL project:

Anselmo: "Absolutely a hundred percent no fucking way. I know some people like that band, but there's too many sour feelings, too much bad business and I don't take steps backwards anymore, I'm fucking running forward. You hear me? Good."

Speaking to The Delaware County Daily Times, Pepper stated about Brown, "Rex is not gonna be with us [on the road for the upcoming shows]. He's got things he needs to deal with, and we gave him an ultimatum and he's trying to work things out. We've got Pat from CROWBAR playing bass, and he's ass-kickin' in the same way. He plays with his fingers which is really cool; he's got the whole Geezer Butler thing going on."

When asked if Rex was still considered a part of DOWN, Pepper replied, "I don't know what to really say on that; he's not out of the band, but he's not playing with us live."

During a recent interview with the "Focus In The Mix With Denise Ames" TV show, Brown was asked if he still speaks to his former PANTERA and current DOWN bandmate Philip Anselmo. "We're having a little marital spat, so I'll just leave it at that. I'm in the doghouse," he replied.

DOWN performing "Lifer" at Sweden Rock Festival: