Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals: Walk Through Exits Only (Megaforce, 7/16/13)
From Pantera to Down to Arson Anthem and a boggling number of other side projects, you can always count on Phil Anselmo to bring out the ultra-aggressive tendencies in any setting. His first solo album, Walk Through Exits Only, is no exception — Anselmo gives what is potentially the heaviest material he’s ever put out.
Taking a chugging, rhythmic guitar sound similar to Pantera’s and adding a maelstrom of squealing riffs over the top results in a track like “Bedridden,” which exemplifies the anger that seeps through every track on this record. But that track also is one of the shortest and in no way prepares you for its follow-up — the constantly shifting “Irrelevant Walls and Computer Screens,” which spends its 12-minute running time scraping at the insides of your skull.