Last month, it was reported that Benante and guitarist Zakk Wylde, along with Pantera’s surviving members, Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, will tour as Pantera, headlining a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts.
Philip Anselmo reveals what would Dimebag and Vinnie Paul think about Pantera
Pantera singer Philip Anselmo recently spoke to The Pit about what he thought the band’s late guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott would say about the band legacy. He said: “Dimebag and Vince always wanted this band to be a legacy band, to be massive, to be our own conduit to success, simply put. I think Dime and Vince — I know Dime and Vince — would want the legacy and the name of Pantera to go on and on and on and in everybody’s damn face. I know that for sure. Abso-f***ing-utely, dude. That would be their biggest dream.”
According to a report by Billboard, Wylde and Benante’s involvement in the project has been approved by the estates of Pantera’s late co-founders, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag.
Last week, Benante was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” when he first got approached about taking part in the Panterat our. The Anthrax drummer said: “Oh, man. December [of last year]. End of December. I was talking to Philip, and then he just mentioned this. And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever.’ And then it became real about January [or] February.”
While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a Pantera reunion, telling Germany’s EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: “People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don’t care what you want. And it’s unfortunate that people go, ‘Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it’s Pantera again.’ No, it’s not, you know. It’s not that simple.
“If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, ‘Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.’ You see what I’m saying? I mean, it’s really selfish for people to think that, and it’s stupid. It’s not right at all.”
It has been also noted that ip until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag’s death.
