Rex Brown Announces Solo Album

After years of holding down the low end for the world’s biggest metal bands, Rex Brown has announced that he’s working on his debut solo album. The former Pantera and Down bassist revealed the news to Metal Hammer, saying it has inspired him to play again after burning out from touring.

“I went to Nashville last summer, and I have this good friend who sits in his bedroom and writes incredible stuff. I’d found this tape with about 80 different riffs, so we started piecing together these songs,” Brown explained. “I’ve been going back and forth to Nashville from maybe last September. I think the longest I was there was 11 days, getting a feel for the band. I’m enjoying playing music again – and that took a while.”

While the bassist is notably tied to the metal genre, he describes the project as a rock and roll record that will show more of his earlier influences from Led Zeppelin to Foghat to Tom Waits. “At this point I’ve hit every goddamned peak and valley that you want to hit. As an artist I don’t want to be looked on as ‘just that bass player from Pantera,'” he says. “There are other things in life that I want to do, and this is one of them. It’s not just a fluke – we already have enough material for the next two, possibly three, records. I’m doing a solo record, I’m [expletive] singing on it and you’re gonna dig it!”

The album is expected to be released next year. Brown’s full interview will appear in a future edition of Metal Hammer magazine.