The former Pantera singer has apologised for his actions, but he has been called to account by fellow metal artists

Metal musicians have condemned Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo after he was filmed last week giving a Nazi salute and shouting “white power”.

Anselmo was filmed by a fan at the Dimebash event on 22 January, a tribute to Pantera’s late guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. He claimed at first he had been making a joke about the white wine served to performers at the event, who included Dave Grohl and members of Metallica, and said: “I fucking love everyone, I fucking loathe everyone, and that’s that. No apologies from me.”

He backtracked on that on Saturday, when he issued a statement on Housecore Records’ YouTube channel, saying:

“Philip H Anselmo here, and I’m here to basically respond to all the heat I’ve been getting that I deserve completely. “I was at the Dimebash, and it was extremely late at night. There was heavy-duty talk between myself and those who love Dime. And heavy emotions were flowing, jokes were made backstage that transpired upon the stage, and it was ugly. It was uncalled for. And anyone who knows me and my true nature knows that I don’t believe in any of that; I don’t want to be part of any group. I’m an individual, and I am a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offence to what I said because you should have taken offence to what I said. And I am so sorry, and I hope you just … man, give me another chance to … just give me another chance. I love all of you. And anyone who’s met me, anyone who knows me knows that I love all of you. Bless you.”

Anselmo has been widely condemned for his remarks in the metal community, not least because he has been linked with racism in the past. In 1994, questioned on MTV about allegations of racist elements in his lyrics, he refused to condemn fans shouting “white power” at Pantera gigs. The following year, after telling fans “Pantera are not a racist band”, he condemned rap artists for “pissing all over white culture” and concluded: “Tonight is a white thing.” In 2015 he expressed his regret for incorporating the Confederate flag into cover artwork for his band Superjoint Ritual.

This time, musicians have come forward to call out Anselmo.

“Seeing Phil’s actions and his cowardly justification is not only disgusting and inexcusable but antithetical to the punk, metal, underground ethos to which we subscribe,” said the metalcore band All Shall Perish. “Racism has no place in metal to me, metal/punk/hardcore/whateverthefuckyoucallit should be unifying,” said Darkest Hour’s Mike Schleibaum.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Watch Machine Head’s Robb Flynn respond to Anselmo’s Nazi salute and shout of ‘white power’.

Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn was one of Anselmo’s strongest critics, uploading an 11-minute video in which he pointed out that Anselmo’s initial explanation was misleading, since white wine was not served to performers. “Only in the metal community is something like this so, so brushed off,” Flynn said. “If this was Chad from Nickelback, if this was Justin Bieber, if this was Tom Brady, if this was Lars fucking Ulrich … heads would roll.”

Flynn said Anselmo had been making racially charged remarks backstage at Dimebash, and had been giving Nazi salutes and mouthing “white power” while Flynn performed.

Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach offered his condemnation via Twitter, condemning racists and those who condone them through silence as “pussies”.

Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) Rock is supposed 2B fun. Perverting music N2 hate? NOT fun. People who say White Power are PUSSIES. As r those who agree. Or remain silent🖕🏿

Evanescence guitarist Jen Majura said: “If this is his real opinion and his real way of thinking, I just have one thing to say: Phil Anselmo, fuck you!”

The Metal Sucks website was among several major metal outlets to condemn Anselmo strongly, noting the pattern in his behaviour over many years. “It’s Mel Gibson Syndrome: the guy works in an industry surrounded by Jews and African Americans, but get enough drinks in him, and he almost involuntarily starts to drop racist and anti-semitic epithets,” wrote Axl Rosenberg.



One of the very few to stick up for Anselmo was Adam Crosier of the Arkansas band Hymns, who are signed to Anselmo’s Housecore label.

“This slanderous attack against Phil Anselmo in the metal media right now is reaching a despicable level of ugly, inept judgment,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “There are no words that can accurately describe how false the racism claims truly are … I know, without a doubt, that Phil Anselmo is NOT racist. This accusation could not be further from the truth.”

Crosier told Blabbermouth: “I think he has just made some mistakes in the past and obviously at the Dimebash – which added together may paint an ugly picture of his personality. It’s very unfortunate, because he truly is a very compassionate and loving person.”