PHILIP ANSELMO Signs Deal To Pen Autobiography

DOWN/ex-PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo has signed a contract with MetalSucks.net writer and acclaimed true crime author Corey Mitchell to help pen the singer's autobiography. An official press release on the matter is expected next week.

Anselmo was recently interviewed for the 200th issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, which coincided with the five-year anniversary of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) passing. When asked if he feels he's been portrayed fairly in the wake of PANTERA's break-up, Anselmo said, "If someone's formed an opinion about me, it's a vicarious opinion and they don't know me personally, so I always say that you can't form an opinion about somebody through the black-and-white words in glossy, overpriced magazines.

"I think that anyone who knows me or has spent time with me wil llet you know that they got my back. They know I'm a good man. I know I'm a good man and life can be cruel and life can be hard, but it shows character, so I think with that character, everything's been just OK."

Regarding how he has changed in the five years since Dimebag's tragic passing, Anselmo said, "I guess back surgery would be one of the big things.

"Once you have titanium in your body, especially the way I do, a triple fusion... I destroyed three discs, jumping all over the stage, into the crowd, off PA speakers, off Vinnie Paul's [PANTERA] drum set...

"I crushed my back for the cause, for the music. I bled every night for the music.

"I was very young. I didn't know what else to do.

"I definitely have an addictive personality but it's apparent that painkillers and drugs and whatnot are addictive. You take a look around at today's youth and you take a look... it's a plague, especially in America. It's a fucking plague. People of all ages, man, not just the youth. So I fell into that trap. Either way, I came out of that trap.

"Once you have hardware in your body, you have to respect every moment. Every morning I wake up, there's regimens. There is no time for me to get smashed drunk anymore. I can't afford hangovers. I can't afford my muscles to be dehydrated. I hurts. It only makes my day worse.

"I have to do a 30-minute stretch-out regimen every morning before I do anything. So there's a lot of discipline in my life.

"I've... I guess it's a common thing for people who have truly overcome in their minds, to reach out and help other people who are struggling.

"I gave a talk at a local college last year... or when I was rehabbing... it was earlier this year [2009], maybe March, something like that. Anyway, I did a talk at Loyola University to about 300 music majors [see first of seven video clips below]. They had had a classmate overdose and die and it had affected everybody in the class. I was asked to come and talk to these people and I did and it was a great experience.

"Other than that, I've reached out and I've helped several motherfuckers with battling addictions. I've fought tooth and nail for their lives...

"Put it this way, I guess I got about a 80/20 success ratio as far as that goes. Some people are just not ready. Some people need to learn for themselves. They need to hit rock bottom. As much as we all try to help... and I remember clearly, people telling me, 'Phil! Phil! There's something wrong,' and 'You've got to do this, you've got to do that,' and I was sitting there thinking I was the most important fucking person on Earth because my back was hurting and I'd be like, 'There's no fucking way I'm quitting drugs...' It's a very common thread among motherfuckers. Denial and anger and resentment at people fighting for your life, so I've been going through a lot of that lately, helping motherfuckers out.

"You know, my house is open to those people who really want to succeed. I've had people come out to my woods and get their heads on straight. And when you help someone else out, it only reinforces your strength. It really does. It really does."