Philip H. Anselmo And The Illegals - Walk Through Exits Only (Housecore)
Phillip Hansen Anselmo. You are not reading this to learn about this man. You are also not reading this to become a fan. You know him, and you know what he is capable of. Maybe. The man’s public struggles with addiction and the dissolution of one of the greatest metal bands of all time – Pantera – made many folks leave him behind and never look back. And that's not to mention the increased incoherence of a once bright star fading.
I never left him behind. I just hoped. I also waited for THAT news. You know the kind. The kind that would make the internet explode with armchair journalists in an orgy of sarcasm, fake-irony (as if they knew the meaning) and “superior knowledge.” Apparently Anselmo’s old slogan rings true though… Stronger Than All.
Starting with Down III (released in 2007, not long after a much-needed back surgery), a revitalized and refreshed Anselmo came back to us. He sounded better and wrote better lyrics. Not that he was ever bad, mind you. Soon after, we got Arson Anthem, which was a tribute of sorts to the hardcore sounds that influenced he and Mike IX. I began wondering how the more extreme elements of his musical language would be expressed vocally, and when.
Earlier this year Phil released via his own label, Housecore Records, a split with Texas thrashers Warbeast. Phil’s side contained the first two songs to be released under the curious moniker Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals. The two songs, "Conflict" and "Friends, 'Family,' and Associates," sound like a straightforward steamroller of extremity. Kind of metalcore, but like the original bands in that genre--Ringworm, or Burnt by the Sun. Especially on "Conflict." We were also informed of a coming full length.
Well, now it's here. Titled Walk Through Exits Only (another Zeppelin reference? In Through the Out Door, anyone? Anyone? Bueller?), this.record.delivers. With all songwriting credited to Phil Anselmo, it brings back the promise of classic Pantera tracks "Suicide Note Pt.2,""Sandblasted Skin," and "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills"--it's hyper-aggressive and contains his signature vocal wipeouts. This record is also steeped in the most severe arrangements we’ve seen from him since Pantera. You can really hear where some of the unhinged influence on The Great Southern Trendkill (my all time favorite of theirs) came from.
There’s grind, metal, and some crazy off-time shit at work here that totally steels my wool. I mean, “Bedridden” has Converge written all over it--until it drops Slayer solo screeches. “Irrelevant Walls and Computer Screens” has a long-ass weird noise outro. The title track is my favorite. It seems to meld all the disparate influences into a singular whole and culminates in Phil spouting, “A comeback doesn’t come gently.” The title track also breaks down the fourth wall by stating, “Everybody ruins music… not just me,” which brings me to the lyrics. Anselmo has crafted in his career a gutter philosophy (like Mike IX) that is built on equal parts hardcore realism, weird metaphors (“Like rabies amongst rats”--title track again), and some kind of funny self-referencing, as stated above.
My main concern with this record is that many will never give it a chance due to the person releasing it, which is a pity for them. Not really. Fuck them. I will be jamming this shit and seeing it live at the Housecore Horror Festival in Austin at the end of October. For those still reading, do yourself a favor and order this album directly from Housecore Records. They deserve the money. The limited red and black spatter on clear LPs are sold out (got mine, asshole), but it can still be had in other formats. And check out the video for "Bedridden" below: