Phil Anselmo

Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968 ) is an American heavy metal musician best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects.

He is the owner of Housecore Records.

Anselmo is regarded as one of the greatest frontmen in metal history, known for being particularly animated and donning a machismo attitude that became emblematic of the general theme of Pantera.

Earlier in his career with the band, Anselmo took considerable inspiration from heavy metal vocalists such as Rob Halford, singing in full head voice.

However, he later became recognized for a more abrasive style of vocals.

Anselmo was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is mainly of Italian and French heritage.

He is also Danish through his great maternal grandmother.

In 1981, Anselmo co-formed his first band, Samhain (not to be confused with Glenn Danzig's band of the same name), together with friends from around the area, performing vocal and guitar duties.

In 1985, he joined the band Rapid Phaze who would later rename themselves to Razor White, after one of the songs Anselmo wrote.

While they did have some original material, they mainly played cover songs of popular rock and metal bands.

Around this time, Anselmo quit high school to concentrate on his musical career.

After about a year-plus with the band, he became frustrated with Razor White's direction and began to explore other options.

Pantera released four albums via Metal Magic Records, but did not garner much attention, because the band was not signed with a major record label at the time.

Seeking a new frontman to continue down a heavier path, the band's original singer Terry Glaze, who was primarily a glam metal vocalist, left the band.

In 1987, after several meetings, then-19-year old Anselmo was officially added to the Pantera lineup.

Anselmo relocated to Texas to record Pantera's fourth album, Power Metal, which was released in 1988.

Following the release of Power Metal, the band dropped its glam image and adopted a more casual look.

In 1989, after being rejected "28 times by every major label on the face of the Earth", Pantera signed to Atco Records, and released their fifth album, Cowboys from Hell, in the following year, which paved the way towards the band's stardom and defined a new style of metal known as groove metal.

As a tour unfolded to promote the band's latest album, there was documented portions of this tour on their first home video, Cowboys from Hell: The Videos, released in 1991.

In 1992, Pantera released their sixth studio album, Vulgar Display of Power, which featured an even heavier sound than its predecessor.

In 1994, they released Far Beyond Driven, which debuted at No. 1 in the United States.

In late June, Anselmo was charged with assault following an altercation with a security guard when fans were prevented from getting on stage.

He was released on $5,000 bail the next day.

The trial was delayed three times.

In May 1995, he apologized in court, pleaded guilty to attempted assault, and was ordered to undergo 100 hours of community service.

In 1996, Pantera released their eighth studio album, The Great Southern Trendkill. Due to growing tensions between Anselmo and the rest of the band, he recorded the vocal tracks for this album in New Orleans, while the other members recorded in Texas.

In 1997, Pantera released their first and only official live album titled Official Live: 101 Proof. This album contained the two new tracks, "I Can't Hide" and "Where You Come From".

In 2000, Pantera released their ninth and final studio album, Reinventing the Steel. After touring to promote the album, Pantera went on hiatus in 2001.

In 2003, Pantera released their first compilation album, The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits! (alternatively titled Reinventing Hell: The Best of Pantera in Europe).

The album featured songs from five studio albums with Anselmo, and also included three cover tracks.

A bonus DVD was also made, containing all of the band's music videos.

Later that year, Pantera disbanded over communication problems and accusations that Anselmo had neglected the band.

In July 2022, it was announced that Anselmo would be joining bassist Rex Brown, along with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante (as the respective fill-ins for Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul), for Pantera's first world tour in 22 years in 2023.

Following the disbandment, Anselmo devoted much of his time to a longtime side project, Superjoint Ritual.

He attended many schools across Louisiana and Texas, the last of which was Grace King High School in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie, which he dropped out of during 12th grade.

Anselmo's father, Phil, owned and operated a restaurant in Metairie called Anselmo's, which closed following Hurricane Katrina.

Anselmo has said in various interviews that he was the class clown as a child.

As a teenager, Anselmo accidentally started a fire in his parents' house while attempting to prank his sister.

The incident resulted in smoke damage to most of the furniture and part of the house needing renovation.

Anselmo worked on a shrimp boat with his stepfather in his teenage years, and claims to have witnessed a man be poisoned by a scorpionfish.