Philip Anselmo has his pick of projects to choose from, but the next thing you can expect to hear is a new release from Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals. The band's sophomore set, Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue, is now on target for Jan. 26 release through Housecore Records in the U.S. and Season of Mist elsewhere.

In addition, Anselmo and his crew just dropped the title track, which you can hear in the player above. It's pure aggression right out of the gate, with dark and driving guitar licks and Anselmo screaming with furious abandon. Simply put, this is a pure pit-starter, with the double-kick drumming, rapid fire licks and Anselmo's guttural approach kicking in. While still heavy, the song turns into a bit of ebb and flow toward the end with the heaviness hitting like waves thrashing back and forth.

Anselmo says of his latest effort, "Our new album, Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue is going to get hated. It's going to get loved. Like every record, I've ever done, I put zero expectations upon my peers, critics or the general fucking public. If you take one thing away from it, let it be this: Do not bog yourself down to one brand, character or whatever. Have the guts to spread your wings and fucking flourish. I can promise you this is a beginning. As my music trickles out over the next two years, it's going to be quite the roller-coaster ride. This new Illegals is just the tip of the whole fucking avalanche."

The Illegals band backing Anselmo has shape-shifted a bit, with guitarist Mike DeLeon, drummer Jose Manuel "Blue" Gonzales, guitarist Stephen "Schteve" Taylor and bassist Walter Howard bringing the new record to life. "Their creative input is fucking fantastic," says Anselmo. "This is something that was very different from the first record where I was very staunch. I wanted it to be ugly. I was very firm that I was writing every fucking note. The thought was, 'This is my contribution to ugly music right this second in a heavy metal vein.' That was great at the time. Walk Through Exits Only made its own little statement that I am a free agent and I belong to no single band. This time, I worked closely with everyone. We tried different ideas together. It made the spirit of this thing come alive even more because of the enthusiasm these guys bring. It enhanced the integrity of the project."

Digital pre-orders for the album will start this Friday (Nov. 24) via the Housecore Records site. You can check out the track listing and album artwork for Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue below.

Philip H. Anselmo + the Illegals, Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue Artwork + Track Listing

Housecore Records / Season of Mist
Housecore Records / Season of Mist
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01. Little Fucking Heroes
02. Utopian
03. Choosing Mental Illness
04. The Ignorant Point
05. Individual
06. Delinquent
07. Photographic Taunts
08. Finger Me
09. Invalid Colubrine Frauds
10. Mixed Lunatic Results

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