REX BROWN Says 'There's No Animosity' Between Him And His Former DOWN Bandmates

Former DOWN/PANTERA and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown was one of the guests on this past weekend's episode of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show".

Commenting on his departure from DOWN, Brown said, "There's no animosity there whatsoever; I talk to Philip [Anselmo, DOWN/ex-PANTERA singer] all the time. It was [time for a] change, man. I met the KILL DEVIL HILL] guys and it was time for a change for me, musically. And that's the way it down."

Brown, who in 2009 was diagnosed with pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment, stated about his current health status, "It took them about five years to figure out what was going on. I had polyps on my pancreas, and what they did is they had to open me up. And I've never felt better in the last five years. . . I was in constant pain."

During an April 2011 interview with High Times, Anselmo said that that since he underwent surgery in 2005 to repair several damaged disks in his back, he's helped many friends get clean and that he has about a 50 precent success rate in getting them sober. One person that he said he couldn't seem to help was Brown. "That's the only rift between me and Rex; other than that, we're fucking best friends," Anselmo said. "He just can't stop fucking drinking."

He added, "I've tried. I gave it my all and I love Rex Brown with all of my fucking heart and soul. But, goddamnit, he will not put down that fucking bottle for any of us. He is, and has been told, he is going to die. I'm gonna tell you this: He's not gonna die on my time, because he ain't drinking around 'The Kid.' Straight up. And that means he can't be around right now, 'cause he's fucking drinking. And that's that. That's that fucking story in a nutshell."

Brown's replacement in DOWN is Patrick Bruders, who is also a member of the New Orleans sludge metal legends CROWBAR alongside DOWN guitarist Kirk Windstein.

Rex in October signed a deal with Da Capo Press to write a memoir. Due in the fall of 2012, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera" is described as a "starkly honest and revealing" book about Rex's time in one of the most influential and enduringly popular bands in heavy metal history, offering Brown's shocking personal insight into a band that had swapped the grimy clubs of Texas for arenas around the world but whose story would ultimately be touched by tragedy.

KILL DEVIL HILL recently inked a deal with SPV/Steamhammer. The group's debut album is tentatively scheduled for a March 2012 release. The self-titled effort is being produced by Warren Riker, who is best known for his work with DOWN, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, SUBLIME and CATHEDRAL.