I’m baffled.
Forget everything you think you know about Philip Anselmo. With all due respect to the wonderful musicians and the songwriting and production efforts that went into “When the Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out,” the headline story of this album is Phil. He’s best-known to the world as Pantera’s brash, iconic, tough-as-nails mouth for war - - and also as vocalist for the great supergroup, Down. . . and unfortunately. . . for some stupid behavior (He’s apologized and disavowed it). Those are all topics worthy of discussion, but in this review, we’re just gonna talk about the music on the En Minor record.
At the center of which is Phil.

He’s about 200,000 cigarettes and 10,000 liters of JD away from his high-decibel “Cowboys From Hell” days. His gravelly baritone sounds like a character actor’s Zydeco take on Tom Waits. This isn’t Peter Steele’s booming rumble, this is Phil Anselmo pushing forward through vocal cord devastation. That’s not a diss; it sounds pretty cool on En Minor, actually. He sings/talks with the low, deep gravitas and quiet listenability of a day-drinking old man in a rocking chair.
The songs also have a low-key Tom Waits feel - - absent the high poetry and bouts of ecstatic insanity - - with acoustic guitars that sound like mandolins, shuffling waltzy drums, bass, and cello filling out the shack around Anselmo’s grumbles. Add in a few shakes of Layne-era Alice in Chains/Mad Season and 70s Alice Cooper, and. . . well that’s about as close as you’re going to get to En Minor. This is a unique kind of gumbo.
Darkness abounds, as expected, but the songs are still eerily likable and charismatic, with some interesting riffs and interplays. Much of that charm comes out from Phil. He’s leading the New Orleans funeral procession down your street, a weary twinkle in his eye, drawing the pathos from the tunes, luring you to join in the parade.
I can’t imagine the Pantera faithful will fully embrace this alternative sound from their favorite banshee of yesteryear. It’s much more reserved and introspective music than that. I expect most audiences will view this as a novelty, but it’s an interesting novelty.
In addition to Phil, En Minor features Stephen Taylor (Superjoint, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, Wovenhand, 16 Horsepower), Kevin Bond (Superjoint, Christ Inversion, Artimus Pyledriver), Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Down, Superjoint), Calvin and Joiner Dover (The Dover Brothers), and Steve Bernal (former first cellist in the Temple Symphony Orchestra).
“Mausoleums,” “On the Floor,” “This Is Not Your Day.” Hats off, “you’re standing on the spot where he died.”