Phil Anselmo: "I'm The Best Frontman In The World"
In the second installment of Headbanger's Blog's week-long series with DOWN/ex-PANTERA vocalist Philip Anselmo, the pugnacious fighter steps into the ring and talks about why he's the undisputed heavyweight champion of heavy metal and how he’s working with the best band playing today. Watch the two clips below. (Note: Video stream is NOT available to non-U.S. residents.)
In the first clip, Anselmo says: "I just think I'm the best frontman in the world and I have the best band behind and I'm the best at what I fucking do. And I've known most of them since I was 13 years old. That's the magic there. That's longevity. That's a team. That's what got you there.
He continues: "We can't be categorized. We've taken the southern rock thing… We wrote about being southern on our first damn record. On our second record we touched upon the fact… We have transcended the entire thing. As a matter of fact, last night I think I saw a confederate flag for the first time the entire tour and it got yanked down into the crowd and I never saw it again. I stand on no damn flag."
DOWN's video for the song "On March The Saints" will make its "Headbanger's Ball" debut this Saturday, November 17 at 11:00 p.m. on MTV2 (re-air at 4:00 a.m.). This episode will also feature a piece with Phil Anselmo in which he compares the world of boxing to playing music.
The "On March The Saints" clip will make its online debut tomorrow (Thursday, November 15) on the Headbanger's Blog.
DOWN's new album, "Over the Under", was released on September 25 through ILG/Warner Music Group (one day earlier internationally via Roadrunner Records). The LP was issued in Europe as a limited-edition digipack CD featuring the bonus track "Invest in Fear".
Here, the ringmaster discusses the importance of recognizing our gifts and using them to the fullest:
Source: Blabbermouth
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71 Comments on "Phil Anselmo: 'I'm The Best Frontman In The World'"
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Best frontmen? Definately not "all time." Vocal talent, stage presence, song writing, and most important BAND PROMOTION = Greatest Frontman. At best Phil, you have little stage presence, no vocal ability (live), and a minor song writing role. You are, however, great at promoting yourself. DLR, Mike Patton, even Axl blow doors on you. In metal... maybe you're in the top 20. On a good day. Neil Fallon, Chuck Billy, Zach De La Rocha, Devin Townsend... that's just a quick fistful that top you. Ass.
Well I just finished watching Hetfield play Master Of Puppets in 86 on the Cliff Em All DVD (I'm on holiday, yes!) so he's my pick. For anyone else it'd be egotistic but Phil is a god of a man, I'm sure he could crush my mind with a glare. Everything I've seen or read of him he comes off as indestructible.
Now Playing: Kreator - "No Reason To Exist"
Christ...what a pretentious fool. Phil, I love ya. As a singer, you're one of my favs, certainly up there with the best...but this is crazy.
I'm telling you, if ANYONE ELSE said the sh** he's saying now, this site would be crazy with flaming right now...but no. It's Phil, so it's alright. Bullsh** man.
Today, not so much...
I'd have to see him again...He didn't know left from right when he was with SJR a few years ago.
In his prime...Yeah, Phil was it. THE metal frontman. No question.
Now Playing: The Dillinger Escape Plan - "We Are the Storm"....Yeah, I still need to get the Ire Works, for shame.
But is Down metal? Everything I've ever heard and read from him is how metal he is and the heavier it is the better, but his band is really a southern rock band. It's all just lip service if you don't back it up.
Now Playing: Does anyone really care? - Come on!
Phil aint the greatest frontman ever, most of us saw the behind the music where he states something like he had to get drunk off his arse to do his performance or he would be in pain from his back problems so he would be lying down on stage the entire show (im sure its not his exact words but it was along the same line).
I saw Pantera back in 1993 (it was an awesome show with sacred reich on support) but even then I wouldnt have given him the crown of greatest front man.
I swear u people are f***ing stupid, yea Axel Rose better then Phil, give me a f***ing break. The guys actually has a bigger ego then phil and hasnt been on a relevent album in almost twenty years. And im dam sure the guy means Metal music, not traditional acts like AcDc, and Queen. Comapre Phil to lets say Hetfield, every single Pantera, Down, and SJR album owns the last five or six albums released by Metallica, Slayer(Maybe last two or three), and every other f***ing Metal band out their. The Only guy that even compares to Phil is maybe Max and even he has lost his mind with Soulfly. Phil is still the Best in Metal PERIOD. And if u dont agree with me u can my f***ing a$$hole!!!
@southern: Steven Tyler IS a good frontman. Not the best, but damn good. Good, old fashioned, American rock and roll vocalist/frontman.
@pacifront83: you're like that retard who thinks Tommy Lee is the "end all, be all" of Motley Crue. Grow up, boy. Phil Anselmo? Best frontman EVER? Are you serious? The guy's so far out on left field, he alienates his own fans. Make no mistake though, Phil was my vocalist-god before Reinventing the Steel, but his voice sucks live (except when he does his smart a$$ "we're metal, you're not" routine. Either that, or he's singing sober and clean.) If it weren't for the Abbott brothers, Pantera won't be Pantera. Phil was the face and voice, yes, but Vinnie and Dime were the f***ing heart and soul. If only f***ing your a$$hole won't categorize me as a fa**ot, I'd put my fist right through your fruity little craphole... but I digress...
Phil is definitely top 20. On a good day, he could be top 10. When he's sober and clean, definitely top 5.
Hey Farthhammer you f***ing p***y dont claim to be a hard a$$ on a f***ing internet board u f***ing trash. And yes that makes u a fa**ot for even thinking such things u f***ing loser. Your claims that he alienates his own fans are f***ing the dumbest sh** i have ever heard coming from some nerd behind a computer. give me a f***ing break he isnt your dad and neither is he your f***ing role model you b****. I dont see people judging Hendrix, Cobain in that fashion and those guys smoked and did acid until they were out of their minds. And of course Pantera wouldnt be Pantera without Dime and Vinnie, but Phil is the one who came in after Glaze and changed Pantera for the better, so if Phil didnt step in you could argue that Pantera would have been another lame a$$ Glam Metal band that went into exile like the rest did in the early ninetees.
P.S FartHomo ,And if this message bothers you, you know
Just kiss my f***ing a$$ hole.
pacifront83, you obviously are sucking Anselmo's d*** if you think that Pantera became -better- because of Anselmo. I love SJR and DOWN, but don't you see the logic here? How come PANTERA is the only one that really hit it big, despite all three bands having Anselmo as their vocalist and considering the other two bands have been in the scene for a long while now? So it's just coincidence, huh, you dimwitted retard. If Anselmo's as great as you're making him out to be, I've still yet to see him weave his band-changing magic in SJR and DOWN. And about Pantera possibly staying glam, yeah, that could've been. However, you forget the fact that they ALL decided to go on a more heavier grounds. It wasn't like Anselmo coming in and saying "let's drop glam and do power groove!" and solely providing the light to a greener pastures.
and by the way, no one is judging Hendrix and Cobain for the simple reason that they're dead, and had already had their fair share of criticisms, constructive or otherwise. What's the use of criticizing dead people? It's not like they'd be able to read this sh** and change for the better.
neither am i a hard a$$ on an internet board. i just don't like how you come in here and spit on other people's opinion. if you can't give yours without flaming others first, shut the f*** up. i'd for the record, i -would- cram my fist right through your a$$hole. if only for the morbid curiosity i have of actually proving that I can cram my fist into someone's a$$hole.
Farthammer you have now just convinced me of just stupid you, are, u f***ing uneducated moron. You calling me a dimwit is a compliment from someone who probally droped out of middle school and lives in a trailor. Down hasnt taken off?, are u f***ing stupid?Yes u are! Down has sold over a million Albums, and for a part time band thats f***ing amazing, both Nola and Down II have gone Gold. And for spitting on people opinion i dont think thats possible to do thru a computer, u f***ing Hypocrite. 2ndly Im not the one constantly f***ing Judging peoples f***ing life decisions on this f***ing website so go fist your boyfriend u f***ing closet fag.
aaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahaahahhahahahahaha..
Phil you were good, but you have never, eeever been the best frontman in the world.. and you never will be.
For me its Bruce d***enson, because the blokes been doing it since before Maiden, and he is still at the top of his game every performance.
Stick to what your good at phil, smoking weed and not bringing superjoint anywhere outside america.
WHAT ABOUT HALFORD (JUDAS PRIEST), OZZY (BLACK SABBATH), EVIL CHUCK (DEATH), LEE DORIAN (NAPALM DEATH), TOM ARAYA (SLAYER) DAVID VINCENT (MORBID ANGEL) MAX (SEPULTURA, FORGOT HOW TO SPELL HIS LAST NAME) ETC PHIL, IS GOOD BUT, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE BETTER, LIKE DAVE MUSTAINE, PHIL JUST HAS A BIG EGO, NO OFFENSE FANS OF PHIL, HE'S GOOD BUT NOT THE BEST, IT'S OK FOR HIM TO THINK THAT BUT, NO ONE SHOULD EVER GO BOASTING, THAT'S HOW RIVALIES ARE STARTED, ANYWAY, POST 42 BRUCE d***INSON VERY GOOD FRONTMAN, LEGENDARY, BUT NOT TO MENTION HIM GETTING EGGED AT OZZFEST, NO OFFENSE I MAY LIKE d***INSON, BUT, I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD'VE DOWNED OZZY, THIS IS HOW I SAID RIVALIES ARE STARTED, SO PEOPLE SHOULD LEARN HOW TO CONTROL THEIR EGOS, THAT WAY EVERYONE IN THE METAL COMMUNITY, WILL LIKE GETTING ALONG MUCH BETTER
Phil the greatest hmmm I dont think so, not anywhere close, post # 43 is on the right track (just hold off the Caps dude) and # 44 is right as well but it all comes down to post # 7 with the charectoristics of being a frontman ( I just don't agree with his list )
Well for one a lot of you people need to read - The quote clearly says "best frontman in the world" not "best frontman of all time" and the whole quote is
"I just think I'm the best frontman in the world and I have the best band behind and I'm the best at what I f***ing do."
Which sounds like a pretty personal statement rather than some grandiose statement but whatever, I'm sure that the people complaining here never cared what he really meant.
pacifront83, reading your posts is like reading a 6-year old crackwhore. "probally"? And I quote, "And for spitting on people opinion i dont think thats possible to do thru a computer..." Jeez, ever heard of a hyperbole? Metaphor, perhaps?
Just try to compare Pantera with either SJR and Down,and you'll know Pantera'll come out on top. And not because Phil's the best frontman in the world. Down and SJR are good, but not -that- good. If you would only stop giving Anselmo head, you'd understand what the rest of us are trying to say.
But sweetlordalmighty, I think I've made the mistake of actually talking to a retard who talks crap but can't back it up. For the sake of everyone who loves metal the world over, please, PLEASE do not breed. Your offsprings are as important as that white stuff you see in the corner of your mouth when you wake up in the morning.
@Cynic: Good point.
hahahaaaaaaa
I love the phil HATERS keep em commin this sh** is great.....
its good to see people are turning there back on that junky asswipe.........
SJR are SHI-T.......they sound like a band thats got no soul.....just a Drunk a$$ bunch of smack heads tryin to bad ass.....>>>
Anselmo is creating his fans into Enemys>>>.....Aint that right Phil ......
Its funny how f***ing inbred thrash like you (farthammer) have the nerve to talk sh** about people who have done more with their lives then u could even fathom to do with your f***ing pee sized brain. But remember you closet fag, that i still proved your f***ing dumb a$$ wrong. U have no f***ing point in your stupid speil, and have an obvious obsession with homosexuality.
A lot of bark with no bite, pacifront83. Your's is a lost cause. Phil ain't the best in the world. He ain't the best, ever. He IS good. DAMN good. BUT good, nonetheless. Period.
Get over your infatuation.
And for future reference, read Cynic's post. Over and over. Or print it out and paste it on your head, on your wall, on your front door.
Anyone who says their the best at anything is on an ego trip nothing more nothing less. 'cause theres always someone thats been better, and always someone who wil be better. Theres no the best frontman I dont care what anybody says.....just depends on who you like
SJR is sort of what I would consider situational music. It's not something you'd listen to everyday, because frankly, I'd listen to it when I'm either bored, drunk, or just p***ed. Wikipedia hit the nail on the head when it categorized SJR music as "Stoner Metal".
I'd choose Down over SJR any given day, simply because they have a more diverse metal going on compared to SJR. They have more to offer, is what I guess I'm trying to say.
i could give a f***ing rats a$$ to what makes me more metal u f***ing douche Dark Funeral. And its funny how you have to look up SJR in wikipedia Farthammer, just stick to your Metalcore and then maybe, and just maybe you wont look like a complete moron when you try to write about music.
Here we go and get out your nooses and gavels its time for the witch hunt starring Phil Anselmo and all the haters. I myself am not a huge Phil guy but I like what this dude stands for and the fact that he's got more balls than all these screamo or emo or whatever you want to call these metal frontmen of today with their whiny a$$ angst. I hate to tell you this people but heavy f***ing metal is arogant and brutal. He said some sh** that was controversial and egotistic and everyone is running around trying to list some heavy metal frontmen who are "better". How the hell do you even measure something like that being that it is all relative and a matter of opinion. I mean honestly for all you true blue metal heads that are in their twenties, thirties, or even forties,( c'mon guys I know there are still a few of you around, SPEAK UP!) Vulger Display of Power, Far Beyond Driven, CFH, all these great albums didnt even leave the CD player for the first half of the nineties. And to even mention David Lee Roth, or Roger Waters who last time I checked is the singer for Pink Floyd, a great band but not a metal band, as better metal frontmen in my opinion is completely rediculous! Eddie is a great guitar player and they are superb musicians but you want to talk about an ego maniac there you go D.L.R. I love it and damn it I want to see more of it. All these bands playing metal today sound the same. There is no creativity it is all ripping ideas off of each other and puting out this music that is trendy and fashionable for the Hot Topic crowd. You go out and put that Down Cd in your car or on you Ipod and I garuntee you will not find another band out there that sounds like them(PERIOD) This guy is a f***ing icon in every sense of the way that it is measured. Record sales, merchandise, concert ticket sales, not to mention the countless bands Phil and his projects have influenced along the way.
Post 66, I see where you're coming from, but Phil doesn't say he's "the best metal frontman", just "the best frontman". Therefore, the Roger Waters and David Lee Roth comparisons are valid.
But even so, that point is moot, because as noted in earlier posts, this quote is way too subjective to really be taken seriously anyway. It's like sayng "I'm the best dad in the world".
SJR is sh**e. If you think otherwise, your ears are broken. Oh, and my iPod has already suffered Down's music, (which I downloaded from the internet...FOR FREE!!!!) and it has been subsequently deleted. The only Anselmo related project on my iPod is the only one that should have existed in the first place.
Oh, and it doesn't matter that Roger Waters wasn't a heavy metal frontman. He was a BETTER FRONTMAN, and I'm pretty sure that's what we were talking about in the first place. If you think anything other than Pantera that Phil was involved with is better than David Lee Roth's nut hairs, you're out of your f***ing mind.
Easy now Jingo Jango I never said that he is a better frontman than DLR nor did I say that his side projects are better! I was comparing their over the top personalities. For some reason I consider Phil in a more underground type metal catagory than DLR or Roger Waters. I think we are taking what he said a little out of context. I thought he said I am the best metal frontman today, not of all time. If we want to get in to that I could be here all day listing better frontmen but I am a fan of his music as I am a fan of Pink Floyd and Van Halen. All I am saying is I like his enthusiasm and his unrelenting desire to keep his music heavy and somewhat underground. RIP Dimebag!!!!!!!!
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damn, talk about an ego trip