Pantera is finally preparing for the next week’s Central & South American tour, starting Friday December 2nd at Hell & Heaven Open Air in Texicoco, Mexico. With Zakk Wylde on guitar replacing Dimebag Darrell and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante filling in for Vinnie Paul, Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown are continuing the band’s legacy. And now, Benante has shared photos from rehearsals, sharing those great moments with the fans. Along with that, the Anthrax drummer shared this statement:
“2 weeks in NOLA with these boys, it’s been a lot of work but how, could it not? So much heart and soul is going into it. This is all about the Love for Vinnie and Dime, the fans and the music that these 4 created. I’m really enjoying playing these songs -they sound Great! It’s very emotional and it’s just starting to hit me… see you soon, I need a drink 🥃”
You can check out the post and photos below.
The Pantera reunion — or maybe we should write it “reunion” with quotation marks — has, overall, gotten some positive reactions. But although rarely anyone is against this lineup of musicians doing Pantera’s music together, some fans have questioned whether it should be labeled under the Pantera moniker.
In a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, Zakk Wylde addressed the issue by saying:
“It was so funny, because somebody was like, ‘It’s not Pantera!’ Of course it’s not Pantera. [laughs] It’s Phill, Rex and two of their buddies getting together to honor Dime, Vinnie and all their achievements. It’s a celebration of Pantera and all the mountains they conquered. It’s the way I look at it.”
Benante’s Anthrax bandmate, bassist Frank Bello, also weighed in on the whole reunion thing, telling WIRF’s Riff TV (via Metal Hammer):
“I think it’s a great thing. Can you imagine the people that haven’t seen this are gonna see these songs live? I think it’s great for metal. I think it’s great to pay tribute to Dime and Vinnie. I’m looking forward to it. I think when people see it, they’re gonna bug out, because they’re gonna do it right.“
“It’s, like, ‘Yeah, man, wait ’til you see this.’ This music should be celebrated. We’re part of this metal thing, this metal family.”
“Having Charlie Benante play those songs, I think it’s gonna be great for Charlie. People know Charlie is a great drummer, but the world doesn’t know how great he is.”
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“I want people to put the spotlight on Charlie because I want them to see what I see all the time, how great of a drummer he is. And I’m excited, because I think Charlie’s gonna do it the right way. So is Zakk. So I think they have the right band there. Remember — I’m friends with these guys. Rex, Phil, these are family members to me.”
Photos: MorganaPhotolive (Black Label Society (26643606944)), Ingo Hoffmann (Charlie Benante), Llann Wé² (W0829-Hellfest2013 Down PhilAnselmo 69245), Rexzone111 (Rex Brown)
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