Talking about what has changed, Anselmo laid it all out as a guest on the If I Ruled the World podcast (below). He brought up issues with his back, which have plagued him since he was 24-years-old when he ruptured a lower disc. Until January of this year, when he underwent another back surgery, he said he had been "at war" with this constant problem, that, earlier in his career, caused him to turn to substance abuse to cope with the pain.

 

"If you mix the chronic pain and the Hydrocodone, which is another catalyst for another drug, which would be Xanax — it commonly goes hand in hand — that is a toxic brew in the brain, man. So it's a war," admitted Anselmo, who added, "And I've gotta say now — shoot, man, I am nine months clean and I haven't had a drink in almost three years. Man, I'm feeling better and better."

 

Anselmo celebrated his 50th birthday on June 30 earlier this year and confirmed it was "lightyears" better than his 30th and 40th birthdays. "Just peace of mind and knowing I wasn't gonna wake up the next day with a hangover — that's a good feeling, man, every day," he declared.

 

Ridding himself on intoxicants was just one of the lifestyle changes the singer made. He recently shared a shirtless photo on Instagram (seen below) and the comments rolled in as fans took note of his physique and congratulated him on his efforts. "It is hard work and dedication to get back to a physical point that you're happy with," he said on the podcast "But, man, I'm down to 175 [pounds] from 220 a year ago," Anselmo divulged, continuing, "175 — I'm light heavyweight right now, man. I've been kayaking and rocking the bag for 12 rounds. So I can do all that, man. So I know I just know that the physical part is… I know it's a battle and all that, but it's also doable."

 

PHILIP H. ANSELMO AND THE ILLEGALS are on tour now supporting their sophomore album, Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue. The U.S. tour concludes on September 30.