Phil Anselmo Talks Pantera, Dimebag, Metal and Politics

Hard Rock Hideout recently conducted an interview with current Down and former Pantera vocalist Philip Anselmo. The un-shy frontman talked about everything from the BP Oil Spill to the current metal scene and why it's nonexistent in 2010.

"There are no scenes anymore. Years back it was f***in' magic, man. I'm not saying one time period is better or worse here, only bands are more visible on computers now than on stage. There are not many gigs. There are a lot of MySpace pages where bands flaunt their stuff. If you want to hear a band's music, you have to visit their MySpace page," said Anselmo.

He went on to say that the internet has not only drastically changed the metal community, but it's taken most of the experience out of the music scene as well. He also talked about what made his time in Pantera such a special period in his life and how that band touched so many fans' lives like not many others could.

"I was always talking the s*** to [late Pantera guitarist Darrel Abbott] Dimebag between songs on stage. We wanted the kids on stage with us! Hell, I'd hand the kid who came up on stage the microphone and let him sing and scream into it! It never bothered us. Our interaction with the kids back then was an impressive sight. Damn, you can see it for yourself by just going to YouTube and looking up any live Pantera videos. The videos don't lie and seeing is believing," he said.

Anselmo reflected further on his relationship with Dimebag and talked about his bets memories of the late musician.

"He and I were such creative forces that there would be this butting of the heads that would be healthy. I was this hot-headed motherf****r who wanted the money riffs, wanted the music more loose and I wasn't wild about guitar solos. Twenty years removed, little did I know that Dimebag was to become the hero he is today. The machine-like tightness was a staple of Pantera. I was on this underground trip, with this trio of musicians who were the most talented I've ever been surrounded by," he said.

Leaving no stone unturned, Anselmo also commented on the BP oil spill, proving that not all metalheads are shut off from the planet's current events.

"With all due respect to what other religions other people follow and what they consider to be their god, If I'm going to call anything god, it's this planet underneath our feet. When you stab god in the chest, like a human so much blood is in the body. There's only so much oil in the Earth.

You drill one mile into the Earth here and tell everyone it's foolproof, who's the fool when it breaks? We stabbed god in the heart and it makes me look at mankind like we are a conquering, vicious, breed of life on Earth. We need to take a step back and look at what we have done. We only have one planet. There should be a law of man, a law of mankind, to respect the Earth we live on," he finished.