Legendary metal vocalist Phil Anselmo (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, DOWN, ex-PANTERA) recently spoke with Dr. Metal at Metal Meltdown. An excerpt from the interview transcript is available below:

Q: How do you deal with high expectations for a new project?

Anselmo: "It's not tough for me at all, because all the bands I've been in--I think everybody knows the successful ones or the ones that left a dent. Look at Pantera and Down and SUPERJOINT RITUAL - those are the types of bands I got off my ass and toured with, traveled the world, and made a little bit of a dent for sure. But, you know, all the other bands that I've done, whether it be ARSON ANTHEM or CHRIS INVERSION or BODY IN BLOOD or VIKING CROWN, that was really just for fun, and I never really had plans to tour any of that stuff on a great or grand scale at all. Look, people are always going to remember Pantera and Down and, to a certain level, Superjoint, too, so I guess it comes with the territory. So I don't feel any pressure at all, man. Really, I'm a music fan first and foremost, and honestly everything comes so organically and naturally. I'm just going with the flow, man. So everything feels real, everything feels very honest, and we'll see where it goes from here."

Q: Will there be more Pantera re-issues?

Anselmo: "I would think so. Yes. There's been talk of it, and there is a great, great side of Pantera that is still very much a thriving business and amazingly 20 years later. It's amazing. There's a lot of business there, and I would expect a re-release. Actually, an amazing percentage--I read in an email the other day--52% of all things sold that are Pantera are from people between the ages of 15 and 25. To me, chalk that up to great parenting. Let's hear it for the fucking parents of the '90s!"

Go to this location for the complete audio interview and the transcript.

Phil Anselmo & The Illegals released the new album, Walk Through Exits Only, on July 16th via Anselmo's Housecore Records (MRI/Megaforce). Walk Through Exits Only is 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.

Tracklisting:

'Music Media Is My Whore'

'Battalion Of Zero'

'Betrayed'

'Usurper Bastard's Rant'

'Walk Through Exits Only'

'Bedroom Destroyer'

'Bedridden'

'Irrelevant Walls And Computer Screens'

BraveWords' review of Walk Through Exits Only can be found here.

Phil and his band are currently on their first-ever tour, dubbed Technicians Of Distortion, which kicked off July 31st in Tulsa, OK. Support comes from WARBEAST and AUTHOR & PUNISHER. Tickets are on sale now at this location.