PHILIP ANSELMO Talks About Forthcoming Solo Album (Video)

Video footage of former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo talking to Artisan News about his forthcoming solo album, "Walk Through Exits Only", can be seen below.

In a recent interview with the Flint, Michigan radio station Banana 101.5 Rocks, Anselmo stated his solo CD, "[It's] basically done. It needs probably one more mix. And I'd like to have that sucker out by the end of the year, and if that's not gonna happen, maybe early next year. I have written over a dozen very extreme songs that I basically put a lot of thought into as far as genres go. Because extreme music comes in all genres in one way or another, but, of course, my heart is in heavy metal, hardcore, etc. I've done hardcore before, I've done heavy metal before, I've done American-branded black metal before. I've done the genre stuff before. I wanted to create something that, in my mind, is fresh and different, and can't be just slid into a slot. So it is an extremely extreme listen, but it's also, in my opinion, a very different listen. So I'm gonna leave where it belongs, genre-wise, up to all the media experts and all the kids out there and all the people out there that might be buying this record just out of curiosity, or if you're a fan and you wanna check it out. But I'll warn you once again: it is an extreme listen with a lot of involvement. I wrote every note of music on this thing. I did get a fantastic guitar player [Maziar 'Marzi' Montazeri, formerly of SUPERJOINT RITUAL] who executes to a tee, and he's a fantastic lead player. Really, man, I couldn't be happier with it, so far."

DOWN entered the studio last October to begin recording the first in a series of four EPs, to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs),each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound.

The first six-song EP, which heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL, will be released "late summer," according to guitarist Kirk Windstein. "[It's] kind of a throwback to what we were doing at the very beginning, on the 'Nola' record [DOWN's 1995 debut]," he said. "I think the fans are going to love it."

Anselmo recently described DOWN's new EP as "very stripped down. Nothing flashy. Straight to the point… really just DOWN music. If you liked the first record, the demos… something like that… This record, we're pretty dead straight and honest and on the money as far as making it as simple and direct as possible and I think we did that. . . It has that practice-room vibe to it. We didn't really try and fucking slick it out and anything. We went the more raw route, as far as an approach."for yourselves and you guys will be better judges than myself at this point."