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4 years have passed since the last and full of success opus “Walk Through Exits Only”. Since then, the line up of Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals has changed.
As Stephen Taylor (Superjoint) transitioned from bass to guitar, Mike DeLeon (Flesh Horder, Being Killed, ex-MOD et al) joined as a guitarist, and Walter Howard (Grieved, Oppressive Force) took over bass duties. Meanwhile, Jose Manuel “Blue” Gonzalez (Superjoint, Warbeast) held down the drums. Through rigorous rehearsals and writing sessions, a framework for the new music took shape as ANSELMO wholeheartedly welcomed the ideas of his cohorts.
“Their creative input is fucking fantastic,” beams 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.”
“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,” he continues. “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.”
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.
