Phil Anselmo says it's 'ridiculous' that people think he's racist

Phil Anselmo says suggestions that he is racist are “utterly ridiculous.”

The former Pantera frontman hit headlines for making a Nazi salute and shouting “white power” onstage at a gig held in memory of Dimebag earlier this year. He issued a video statement following the incident, saying it was an inside joke – but he says critics won’t get anymore apologies.

He tells Decibel (via Blabbermouth): “I do take full accountability. I’m not deflecting at all.

“What I did was insulting, absolutely, and abhorrent, because it did truly upset people, and it hurts my heart that anyone would think that I’m the dreaded ‘R’ word – a racist.

“Anyone who truly knows me knows that it’s utterly ridiculous. But if I did offend my Jewish friends, people I work with, my associates, other people in bands – that’s why I apologised. That apology is there – and no, you won’t get another one ever again.”

Anselmo claims that in the lead-up to the infamous moment at Dimebash, he’d been heckled by a few members of the crowd with “an agenda,” who he says repeatedly shouted “racist” at him throughout the night.

He adds: “I was absolutely smashed drunk. No excuse, but I was. Should I have done it? Hell fucking no. Would I take it back? Absolutely. But my sense of humour is dark and my temper is and always has been volatile, so I reacted.

“I reacted in an ignorant way. I own it. But do I believe in it? That’s ridiculous.”

The interview can be read in full in Decibel Magazine.

Anselmo’s Pantera colleague Vinnie Paul said this month that the vocalist’s behaviour had “tarnished” the image of their former band.

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Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.