Earlier this week, Forbes Magazine posted an in-depth piece on the comeback of vinyl and Record Store Day, written by Tim Clark. In a time where people are quick to label the current state of the music industry as “failing” or “experiencing a downfall”, Tim Clark points out that the independent record store experience illustrates otherwise.

DOWN/ex-PANTERA vocalist and Housecore Records CEO PHILIP ANSELMO was interviewed for the piece, and gave his personal thoughts on the rise in record store activity and how it supports growth in the music business and community. As one of the leading voices of the recent indie label and independent music takeover, Forbes looked to Anselmo has a voice of authority.

From Forbes piece: When he was younger, Anselmo used to constantly scour underground record stores and to this day still believes in the vinyl format. “Record Store Day promotes this type of passion of having the actual product in your hand instead of just a download,” said Anselmo. “I love having the full album, art, lyrics and I think vinyl sounds better. And as a label owner, it makes me happy to see that people slowly but surely want to have this tangible copy in their hands instead of a free [expletive] download, which is driving me [expletive] bananas.”

Record Store Day is now celebrated on the third Saturday every April is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Forbes calls Record Store Day, “an industry phenomenon.”

Read the full article here.

Anselmo will release his career-first solo album, Walk Through Exits Only, on July 16th via his own Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce). Walk Through Exits Only will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl.

Produced by Philip Anselmo and Michael Thompson, and recorded over the past couple of years at his New Orleans studio, Nodferatu's Lair, with his band The Illegals - Marzi Montazeri/guitar, and drummer Jose Manuel "Blue" Gonzales, Walk Through Exits Only is abrasive, aggressive, anthemic and 100% Anselmo. The album's eight songs are as unstrained as it gets, from 'Battalion Of Zero' to 'Usurper's Bastard Rant', to the album's title track that goes against the grain and right through the exits. Brash, brutal guitars cut through punishing percussion as Anselmo screams with uncompromising ferocity and uncontainable fire.

"It wasn't about doing a paint-by-numbers thrash or heavy metal record," Anselmo explained about the project. "It's an angry album that only I could do. I don't see anybody else out there screaming about the same shit I'm screaming about. On this album, there isn't any wordplay, there isn't any hidden message, it's all right there in front of you."

Anselmo and the Illegals will support the new album with a major North American tour planned for this summer. Anselmo, who is up for "Best Vocalist" at this year's Revolver Golden Gods awards, will make a special appearance at that event.

On Walk Through Exits Only and over his entire career, Anselmo hasn't just paved his own path, he's bulldozed it with his bare hands.

Halloween is still seven months away, but the horror is already heating up in Austin as Anselmo and Corey Mitchell’s inaugural Housecore Horror Film Festival (HHFF) continues to release music and film event details for their three-day underground fan fest. Not for the faint of heart, the festival celebrates the best of the extreme and the wicked possibilities that arise when heavy metal and horror movie worlds collide.

HHFF recently announced a very special guest appearance by Brazilian cult horror actor and director Coffin Joe, a first look at some of the film festival screening categories, special events and other programming, and a second round of confirmed bands: EYEHATEGOD and WARBEAST.

Falling somewhere between brilliance and abomination, this horror movie and metal music festival created by famed heavy metal frontman Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT RITUAL) and best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell (Hollywood Death Scenes, Dead And Buried), will descend upon the entire Emo’s complex in East Austin, October 25th - 27th. HHFF will offer fans a mix of live concerts from at least a dozen of heavy metal’s heaviest hitters, and more than 70 screenings of full-length and short horror films, documentaries, true crime and heavy metal films, music videos, and more. Special guest appearances by revered and controversial horror film directors and other notable figures in the metal and movie worlds will give festival-goers the extreme experience they’re craving.

HHFF also announced that Brazilian director and actor José Mojica Marins, better known to horror fans as Coffin Joe, will make a special appearance at the inaugural event, marking the filmmaker’s first visit to the United States in nearly 20 years. He will introduce his classic films At Midnight I’ll Take Your Soul and At Midnight I’ll Possess Your Corpse, with a Q&A; and autograph session to follow. He will also curate a museum-style exhibit of original artwork and posters never seen outside of Brazil.

Coffin Joe will be joining two other special guest directors - the notoriously controversial Jörg Buttgereit (Nekromantik, Nekromantik 2, Schramm) and revered do-it-yourself guerrilla filmmaker Jim VanBebber (The Manson Family, Deadbeat at Dawn).

Working in conjunction with the late Sage Stallone’s (son of Sylvester Stallone and godson of Maniac's Joe Spinell) film preservation company, Grindhouse Releasing, HHFF will present several original horror classics, the majority of which will be screened in 35mm. The Grindhouse Releasing Series includes:

- The Evil Dead (plus horror/exploitation reel)
- The Manson Family (Courtesy of Severin Films, with director Jim VanBebber in attendance)
- Maniac
- Zombie
- Cannibal Holocaust
- Cannibal Ferox
- The Beyond (plus horror/exploitation reel)
- Scream Bloody Murder
- I Drink Your Blood
- Cat In The Brain
- Scum Of The Earth
- Pieces

Void Ov Voices - Metal truly meets horror during the one-time special Void Ov Voices screening of the silent horror film classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, with sonic manipulations performed live by renowned Hungarian extreme metal artist Attila Csihar, known best as the influential vocalist for notorious Norwegian black metal icons MAYHEM, as well as his many other projects (TORMENTOR, BURIAL CHAMBER TRIO, SUNN 0))), ABORYM). Using his voice as an instrument, aided by effects and a loop station, Csihar is able to create a bizarre dark ambient soundscape for the legendary silent film.

Other HHFF film programming announced:

Philip's Grindhouse Selections - a large assortment of classic and/or underground horror films, many on 35mm, that have inspired Philip Anselmo throughout the years.

Corey's Crime Scene - a collection of five true crime-based films that traffic in horror, brought to you by best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell.

Heavy Metal Hysteria - a small selection of heavy-metal based full-length films and shorts, from Sundance and SXSW-screened work, to live concert films and documentaries.

Vicious Viscous Videos - music videos with horror themes from any and every genre.

Interstitchials - a disturbingly hilarious and horrific collection of between-film entertainment curated from the dark inner recesses of Corey Mitchell's depraved mind.

Festivalus Horriblus - the best horror films from the 2013 film festival circuit including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, Fantasia, and more.

Fucking Remakes! - in an era of overblown and unnecessary Hollywood horror remakes, there’s no better time to honor the original frightmares including The Evil Dead, Maniac, and more.

Indie Horror - a large portion of the HHFF programming will remain unannounced until closer to the event, as it will be based on direct film submissions from indie filmmakers. HHFF has received over 100 film submissions to date, and fans can expect lots of talent from young and unheard of filmmakers who will be making their big screen debuts during the festival.

Even more metal:

Adding even more weight to the already top-tier metal lineup, HHFF today announces the second round of confirmed artists: New Orleans sludge metal masters, Eyehategod and Texas thrash metal hessians Warbeast.

Eyehategod frontman Mike IX says of HHFF: “As long time fans of old school and new school horror, disturbing documentaries, and the wonderful world of transgressive cinema, our band is truly honored to be a part of this brand new, mind blowing festival. It’s a perfect mix of heavy, messed up music and, an avalanche of twisted, terror-filled filmography, guaranteed to satisfy the most jaded fans of both genres...” He added, “For me personally, horror movies were a rite of passage growing up. Horror and heavy metal go hand in hand – exploring evil landscapes, the dark side of the human psyche and humanity's deep seated roots of unlimited curiosity.”

Discounted HHFF Badges Available: A limited number of discounted three-day All-Access badges for only $175 are now available for purchase on the HHFF website and also through Eventbrite at this location. After June 6th, badge prices will go up to $199.

Filmmaker Submissions: Whether it’s a classic horror film, a big budget blockbuster, an underground gore-fest, an experimental flick, or a quiet chiller, it will be screening at HHFF. Filmmaker submissions are open now, with a regular submission deadline of June 6th. The absolute final deadline will be September 11th. Feature length or short films, big budget or shot on a cell phone - if it’s well made, compelling, and chilling, Anselmo and Mitchell are ready to select it. HHFF is an IMDb qualifying festival, which means that all films in consideration will receive an invitation to create a title page on the Internet Movie Database website.

Films can be submitted here.

HHFF accepts all films under any of the following categories:

- Horror (any and all types of horror are welcome)
- Thriller
- Suspense
- Based on True Crime
- Experimental
- Cult
- Midnight Movie
- Bizarre
- Heavy Metal-related
- Animation

HHFF also accepts short films, mid-length films, documentaries, music videos, and trailers (faux and real).

For complete HHFF details head to this location.