Phil Anselmo Says He Could Have Been Killed Instead of Dimebag

In a lengthy interview with High Times, the always candid Phil Anselmo made some huge (and f-bomb laden) statements about his former bandmates. Video from that interview has now surfaced.

He spoke about his conditional "rift" with former Down/Pantera bassist Rex Brown, claiming Brown is on a dangerous path with his alcohol addiction given the fact that he has pancreatitis. He also said that he still loves drummer Vinnie Paul, but it's up to him to open the door of reconciliation. Anselmo also said that it could have been him or any other member of Pantera that was killed that fateful December 2004 night in Ohio that the music world lost "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott to a senseless act of violence.

Regarding Brown, who recently split with Down, Anselmo stated, "I've tried. I gave it my all and I love Rex Brown with all of my f---ing heart and soul. But, goddamnit, he will not put down that f---ing bottle for any of us. He is, and has been told, he is going to die. I'm gonna tell you this: He's not gonna die on my time, because he ain't drinking around 'The Kid.' Straight up. And that means he can't be around right now, 'cause he's f---ing drinking. And that's that. That's that f---ing story in a nutshell. And that's it — that's the only rift between me and Rex; other than that, we're f---ing best friends. He just can't stop f---ing drinking, and that's that."

Brown recently formed the band Kill Devil Hill with ex-Black Sabbath/Dio drummer Vinny Appice. The band just inked a record deal and recently embarked on a U.S. tour.

The subject of reuniting with Vinnie Paul is much more tenuous for Anselmo. "My door is open. You hear me? I told you before: I come with love," he said regarding his relationship with the drummer. "That means it's a f---ing open door, man. I doubt that Vinnie Paul will unlock his door. I know him. Fear controls him. It's a shame, but it always has. Fear controls Vince, and I don't know why, but he fears me. And I love the guy. I love the guy. And I would love to have the f---ing opportunity to apologize the way I apologized to my family, to my best friends, and everybody for f---ing losing my mind for a period of my life that I f---ing regret to this second. I would love to have that opportunity. But, like I said, he's gonna drink and go to a tit bar that he probably owns, and be superficial. And that's sad. Therapy don't come out of a whiskey bottle, Jack. He watched his brother get murdered."

Anselmo also said that Nathan Gale, the troubled man who fired the fatal shots at Dimebag, had a vendetta against Pantera in general and it could have been any of them killed that night, since notebooks filled with writings about killing Pantera, the entity, were found at his residence. Anselmo pointed out that he spoke to the cop who shot Gale about the matter, saying, "not once did any of [his writings] name any of us specifically, and if it did, it was all four of us, but it was rare. And so I said to this cop … I said, 'So, then, what you mean is had it been me playing with Superjoint Ritual or Down that night, this mother---er would have come after me?' And he just said 'Absolutely.' As a matter of fact, he was crying and all he could do was nod his head 'yes.'"

In other Anselmo-related news, Down guitarist Kirk Windstein tweeted that the band is working on new material, posting: "DOWN JAM @ NOON ... GETTING READY TO HIT THE STUDIO THIS MONTH!!! KIRK"