Phil AnselmoPantera/Down/Arson Anthem/Superjoint Ritrual icon Philip Anselmo has effectively relaunched his Housecore label, which was distributed through Relapse a few years back. The label collects Anselmo's projects over the years, as well as bands he believes in.

It all started in the 1990s, at Anselmo's Colbert Street address in his hometown of New Orleans, where his home was a catalyst for jamming, practicing, writing and demoing for bands such as Down, Soilent Green, Christ inversion, Body and Blood, the Disembodied and Spirit in the Room. Side projects were spinning off left and right outta this creative den. It was nothing if not a place where extreme music was encouraged and fostered.

"It all depends on your definition of extreme," Anselmo told Noisecreep about the extremity of his label's bands. "Extreme bands ... some are metal and some are classified as metal, but they are a whole different breath of fresh air. For me, that would be haarp and Warbeast, who are a pure thrash band that is not all on this 4/4, sound like Exodus bandwagon. They bring so many elements. It's crazy. Then the band Cavalcade from Michigan. They are extreme in their own sense, but they bring a whole new element to the genre. The Disembodied ... it's extreme. It's noisy, garage, lo-fi, but it's not metal. The Sursiks are extreme, but not metal. It's all extreme for sure."

A two-disc Housecore compilation is available now, featuring past work as well as spotlighting a new breed and blood of artists on or enthused by Philip. On April 27, Housecore will issue Warbeast's 'Krush the Enemy' and the Sursiks' 'I Didn't Know What I Was Singing,' which takes 16 phone messages from the machines of family and friends and sets them to music! A new Arson Anthem album, harp and a live Crowbar release are also on the docket.

While Housecore was birthed from the New Orleans scene, Anselmo said that he isn't simply cherrypicking from the swampy region which is known for breeding metal. "There is a band from Japan, Exactly Violent Style, on our compilation and Cavalcade are out of Michigan," Anselmo said. "Of course, the Eyehategods, the Crowbars, the New Orleans bands are welcome. I'd love eyehategod to write a new record so I could put the damn thing out. That's all on them. Crowbar is under contract so I am waiting on them. It's bands that I like. I can't discredit and say I am partial to NOLA bands, but I am. But that doesn't make me put pen to paper or pursue them any further. I've got loyalty."

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