Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals second album Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue takes the
listener down a thousand mad corridors and guarantees a bumpy ride. This style
of sludge meets experimental death metal works wonders for Anselmo and it feels like here is
where he belongs in his present state, and certainly no one knows that better
than he does.
While I do plan to write in great lengths about Anselmo, the
Illegals are actually the standout contributors to this band and it would be disservice
to ignore what they bring to the table. Mike DeLeon offers a plethora of talents
to showcase in his riffs and change ups as their new lead guitar player. Stephen
Taylor and DeLeon conjure up a wild tempest of sounds that approach the verge
of old school Morbid Angel and even range around the technical versatility of Atheist.
Jose Gonzalez clockwork drumming is impressive, and the dynamics of the band’s rhythms
are upwards of the experimental metal wonders of Mr. Bungle. I’m often left
wondering where the music is going and how many turns the band is going to
take, but somehow it never actually loses focus. If Phil Anselmo weren’t the
front man, every hipster in the scene would love this album for its deranged brilliance.
Although we’ve all laid to rest dreams of ever hearing the
effervescent siren falsettos of Anselmo’s youth i.e. Cowboys From Hell, Power
Metal, Anselmo’s continued use of guttural cries and deep scathing growls can still
pack quite a punch. At times his delivery sounds tired or drained, but it feeds
into the aesthetics of entropy that endear hearts to the sludge metal scene,
and I picture Phil working within this realm for the long haul as years continue
taking their toll. There are definitely strengths that Anselmo is capable of
playing despite the wear and tear. If nothing else, the Henry Rollins influence
on Anselmo comes to life stronger on the Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals
albums than I’ve heard it before, with the frequent use of spoken candor in
each song becoming a credible supplement to enhance his waning range.
Anselmo’s creative versatility and depth has few surviving equals,
given his experience and contributions to more bands than I’ve had warm meals, and
his storied history certainly propels the charm of an occult like myth. His
lyrics can either be brutally forward (“Walk”, “Dress Like A Target”) or
boggling with mystique (“Landing On The Mountains of Megiddo, “Pillamyd”). The
lyrical content of Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue certainly contains
landmines of open accusations, which aren’t deliberate or specific, but
certainly broad and suggestive remarks about the state of culture today. I don’t
think you’re going to get a point on this album that matches the blissful
tranquility of “Jail” or sorrowful acceptance of “Nothing In Return.” Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue is an assault, not a tome.
In many ways, for his fans Anselmo remains the godhead of
sludge, groove metal, and a variety of hardcore styles that intersect with
Sabbath influences. Of course he’s also the subject of so much hostility due to
his steadfast dedication to tongue and cheek humor and a politically incorrect ethos.
His middle finger toward etiquette has on occasion led to quarrels with some of
the more properly behaved and fashionably keen, and Rob Flynn. This air of dimensions and dispositions that enshroud
Phil Anselmo make it impossible to listen to an album featuring the front man
without conjuring an opinion of this notoriety. It is an irremovable blot that
Anselmo embraces and tackled quite well in Walk Through Exits Only, as he does
again with amplified vitriol on the follow up Choosing Mental Illness As A
Virtue.
If anything can be taken from the second Philip H. Anselmo
& The Illegals album, it’s that this old monolith isn’t going anywhere
soon. He has the support and independent resources to continue pissing off his
haters and charming his fans. Love him or not, Anselmo’s ministry continues in
the dark swamps outside of New Orleans, and the force will be heard. The madman behind Nodferatu's Lair and all of its many spawn cleverly manages transformations to overcome each storm he's faced so far, and one should expect the beast will very well do it until he's dead.
Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue was released on January 26th 2018 through Housecore in North America and distributed via Season of Mist abroad.
