Zakk Wylde recently opened up on becoming a part part of the upcoming Pantera tour.
Zakk Wylde is honored to join Pantera
This past week, it was reported that Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, along with Pantera’s surviving members, singer Philip 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.
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, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott.
Zakk went on to discuss his participation in the Pantera celebration tour while speaking to Matt Pinfield and Jose Mangin of Danny Wimmer Presents at this weekend’s Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio.
He said:
“When Vinnie was still alive, when the fellows were all talking about doing it, I just always told ’em, I said, ‘Of course I would… If you asked me, why would I not do it? I’m gonna honor Dime.’ It could be like Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell asking Eric Clapton if he would go out and honor Jimi [Hendrix] and Eric playing Jimi’s stuff and singing Jimi’s songs and they’re going out as the ‘Jimi Hendrix celebration.’
And he’s gonna honor his buddy and he’s gonna play his songs. I think it’s a beautiful thing. It’s like when we do the ‘Dimebash’ [events in honor of Dimebag], it’s a celebration of Dime’s greatness. It’s a Pantera celebration — that’s what it is… You’re celebrating Vinnie and Dime’s greatness and you’re celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered and crushed.”
Zakk was quick to reiterate that Pantera’s upcoming tour will not be anything but a tribute to the music created by the band’s classic lineup.
“Obviously, it’s not Pantera,” he said. “Panterais those four guys — it’s Phil, Rex, Dime and Vinnie. But it’s just like when [Led] Zeppelin went out with Jason Bonham [son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham] playing, it was phenomenal. It told Jason, I was just, like, ‘Dude, you crushed it, man.’ It’s a great thing just to hear them play that music again.”
Wylde added: “I’m beyond honored to be a part of it.”
