Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals detail new album

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Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals will release their new album Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue in January - listen to title track

Phil Anselmo
Phil Anselmo (Image credit: Getty)

Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals have announced that they’ll release their new album early next year.

It’s titled Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue and it’ll launch on January 26 via Anselmo’s Housecore label in North America and Season Of Mist in Europe.

Joining vocalist Anselmo in the lineup are guitarists Stephen Taylor and Mike DeLeon, bassist Walter Howard and drummer Jose Manuel ‘Blue’ Gonzalez – and Anselmo is quick to praise their contribution on the new record.

He says: “Their creative input is fucking fantastic. 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.”

Anselmo adds: “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.

“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.”

To mark the announcement, the band have shared the title track from the album which can be listened to below. Pre-orders begin on Friday (November 24) via the Housecore website.

Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue tracklist

  1. Little Fucking Heroes
  2. Utopian
  3. Choosing Mental Illness
  4. The Ignorant Point
  5. Individual
  6. Delinquent
  7. Photographic Taunts
  8. Finger Me
  9. Invalid Colubrine Frauds
  10. Mixed Lunatic Results

Philip H Anselmo And The Illegals: Walk Through Exits Only

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.