Viking Crown

**Viking Crown** was a raw, lo-fi black metal side project spearheaded by Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down) under the alias Anton Crowley. Active in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the band channeled a frostbitten, minimalist sound that contrasted sharply with Anselmo’s groove-metal legacy. Their discography includes gnarly releases like *Banished Rhythmic Hate* (2000) and *Unorthodox Steps of Ritual* (2001), which leaned into eerie atmospherics and primal riffage. Though often a solo endeavor, collaborators like Killjoy (Necrophagia) occasionally joined the fray. Viking Crown’s music, including the *Innocence from Hell* demo (1996), remains a cult favorite for fans of Anselmo’s darker creative detours. The project faded after the early 2000s, leaving behind a cryptic, underground legacy.