Philip Anselmo Details New Project En Minor Inspired by Nick Cave and The Cure
Philip Anselmo's musical pedigree stretches through many different genres and bands throughout his long career. In a recent interview, he spoke to The Jimmy Cabbs 5150 YouTube Show about what he's got next in the pipelines, and what fans can look out for.
Anselmo brought up his next project, one that fans may not expect. "I have a record coming out that's been finished for two years almost now, of course — just like every other f--king record," Anselmo said. "It's with a band called En Minor. And I guess it would be my, 'Hello, great dark '80s of Sisters of Mercy, of The Cure's Seventeen Seconds record and Faith album. Early The Cure. Early U2. Nick Cave and the f--king Bad Seeds or The Birthday Party. David Bowie… I take all these influences and then somehow we came out with results."
Most of these bands come from '80s post-punk and goth types of music. The genre can be noted for its heavy use of atmosphere to create an outpouring of emotion. It's a smoother, more subdued kind of sound than what Anselmo has grown to be known for from his past in Pantera and Superjoint.
"It is what it is," he says. "I'll let the people decide at the end of the day. And we'll see. But, once again, I'm not shootin' for radio time here; I'm just trying to broaden my horizons, write some harkening songs. But I think they have their own life, honestly. It's retro only to a certain degree, I think, within me, because I know where it's coming from. But I guess when a listener hears it these days, most people react… I hear the word 'cinematic' a lot, and I hear, 'This is the best record you've done in 30 years,' or some s--t like that, something like that."
Anselmo later talks about how his record label is going, and what it's like trying to be successful as an independent artist. "Having a record label right now is a money pit, of course — it's a labor of love," he explained. "People don't buy records anymore; they steal them, and they're used to stealing them. And I'll tell you what: if the laws were passed correctly tomorrow, making it absolutely shut-down f--king illegal — you have to purchase music — there would be a generation of kids who were pissed about it. You know it — because they're so coddled into it now, because of their little devices and machines and whatnot."
"I would love to personally sue the Internet for ruining the music business," he says. "But at the same time, if I can give back in any way, shape or form and leave a dent with one of my bands, or one of the bands on Housecore Records, that'll feel good. And I think maybe long after you and I have bitten the dirt, maybe, just maybe, there'll be a little time capsule carved out, a bas-relief, that said, 'Here lies Housecore Records, and they still owe you nothing.'"
For those who want to catch Phil doing a heavier band, he's currently on tour with Superjoint, hitting his date in Colorado tonight (Oct. 4) and working the band eastward. Watch part one of the interview above, and part two below.
Philip Anselmo Appears on the Jimmy Cabbs 5150 YouTube Show
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