Phil Quits Pantera 
Metalindex  report the following (where the quote came from is not divulged). 

Vocalist Phil Anselmo isn't fronting three bands anymore. He's narrowed it down to one, and it's not influential metal band Pantera. He was juggling being vocalist for Pantera, Down, and Superjoint Ritual at the same time and he said that he's chosen to just stick with Superjoint Ritual . "There was a lot of business with Warner Bros. and this and that Down and Pantera and this and that, and etc. etc.... Whatever. Pretty much what I'm doing here is I'm sticking with Superjoint, and I'm not doing f--kin' anything else. This is where I'm most comfortable and this it the type of music that I wanna do, you know?" 
 

Anselmo is proud of what Pantera achieved and is also proud that they pulled the plug rather than faded away. "If you think about it, Pantera never went away until we personally said f--k it." 

Asked if he sees patching up differences and rejoining Down or Pantera, Anselmo said, "Never say never....not right now." 

Superjoint Ritual is currently on a club tour, and its second album is expected in July.

Sevendust To Hit Studio With Butch Walker
Digital Noise Network Reports:

Hard rock gods Sevendust have nabbed producer du jour Butch Walker to record new tracks for the follow-up to 2001¹s highly-acclaimed Animosity. Band and producer will roll into Walker¹s own Ruby Red Studios in Atlanta in two weeks to begin recording. While it's not known how many tracks Walker will helm for the album, Sevendust has twenty demos prepared thus far.

Walker, who fronted the band Marvelous 3 and released his solo debut Left Of Self-Centered last year has made a hot name for himself recently as a producer with work for such bands as Injected and SR-71.

Sevendust¹s as-yet-untitled fourth album is schedule for a fall release.

Hendrix Bassist Passes On
RIFTrock.com reports the following:

Noel Redding, bassist for Jimi Hendrix, has passed on at age 57. Redding played with Hendrix on the seminal album "Are You Experienced". He played a big roll in The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

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