We know that Phil Anselmo is a tortured man. And it doesn't get better as you get older. That's probably one of the reasons why he's been multiplying projects since the end of Pantera. Some cry genius, others madness, but in any case, it's very difficult, even for the hardest fan of the character, to adhere to all his deliriums. One only has to listen to his latest misdeed with The Illegals, the aptly named "Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue" to realize that the fuel for his creativity is neither joy of life nor optimism. In this year 2020 of all dangers, the American returns with the project En Minor, whose style he himself defined as depression-core. And the least that can be said is that there is no deception on the merchandise.
Anselmo may say that En Minor is a project he's been dragging for years, but it's hard not to notice that "When The Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out" clearly follows in the footsteps of Nergal and his Me And That Man. Same style, between country blues and americana, same influences (Nick Cave and Johnny Cash to name but a few) and even uninhibited darkness. But as much Me And That Man is great in the irony and the distance he takes with the dark side of his obsessions (notably on the excellent "New Man, New Songs, Same Shit, vol.1"), as much En Minor is depressing by the poverty of his compositions and the lack of depth of his approach.
Needless to mention the titles of this album, they all look alike, except perhaps 'Melancholia' whose dissonance lets a strange emotion emerge. Let's be clear, "When The Cold Truth Has Worn Its Miserable Welcome Out" is a hard album to listen to, unless you're feeling depressed or a suicide candidate. The tracks are long and repetitive to excess, the chords are minimalist to the point of narcolepsy, Phil Anselmo's voice sounds like a drunk Johnny Cash, and the whole thing gives an irrepressible desire to end the ordeal as soon as possible and go to any dance floor to regain mental health.
Depressing, tiring and deeply boring, this first album of En Minor is an outlet for Phil Anselmo who seems determined, whatever the cost, to inflict his pain and show us how depressed he is. We may or may not buy into it, but ignoring the listener at this point is hardly forgivable.