Philip Anselmo’s recent interview with High Times Magazine added more speculation to Rex Brown’s departure from Down, with Anselmo alluding to his former Pantera band mate’s drinking issue as the source of the problem. However, in Metal Maiden’s recent interview with Kill Devil Hill (also featuring former Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell drummer Vinny Appice), Brown explained that he was the one to call it quits.

You can watch the entire interview in the video above, but around the 11:25 mark, Brown explained he following in regards to why he parted ways with Down:

“I was playing with Down a whole bit and I just kind of got tired of the… You know, Philip and I had been together 23 years. And when I first met these guys [Kill Devil Hill] in January of this year, when I walked in and we played in this rehearsal room, it just clicked. The chemistry and everything that went along with it… I mean, it’s so easy to say that, but really… I just said, ‘To hell with it. This is what I wanna do.’”

When the interviewer mentioned about the announcement of his departure, Brown replied “Actually, I didn’t make an announcement at all; I just quit. [laughs]” It’s interesting to hear Brown say this considering that Anselmo and drummer Jimmy Bower hinted that the split was amicable and was done for the sake of Brown’s health. While it was believable that the bassist’s health played a role in the split (since he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis back in 2009), we were a tad skeptical since he looked and sounded perfectly fine at Kill Devil Hill’s tour kick off show last weekend. And now Brown’s recent statements clarify that not only is he out of Down for good, but that Kill Devil Hill is his main focus as of now (in case their recent signing to SPV/Steamhammer wasn’t enough of an indicator about that).