Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has revealed in a new interview that he thinks his late bandmates Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell would’ve been supportive of the band’s current reunion.
Appearing on a recent episode of The Metallica Report podcast, Anselmo and Pantera bassist Rex Brown shared their first public comments on the band’s reunion. Anselmo said: “It’s empowering. It is incredibly beautiful, and you feel so much love when you’re up there. And if you take it in, it’s a great feeling, man. These days, man, that’s where me and Rex, you know, we get to dig the shows more.”
Anselmo continued: “When we were younger, we were at war and when we were onstage; we were just angry and at war, man. Now it’s — the songs are there. I can concentrate on singing the fricking songs, number one. Geez, that’s a relief for me, man. I don’t have to break my fricking body in part anymore.”
The vocalist went on to add that his former bandmates – the brother duo of drummer Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, both of whom have died – would have been supportive of Pantera’s reunion.
“Only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this, hands down,” Anselmo said. “They would want the Pantera brand or the legacy to go on. And I don’t know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs up.”
Pantera announced plans to reunite with a revamped line-up back in July 2022 – this saw Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) on guitar and Charlie Benante (Anthrax) on drums joining frontman Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown.
Earlier this year, Pantera paid tribute to late guitarist Dimebag Darrell on what would have been his 57th birthday. The tribute took place during the band’s recent stop in Austin, Texas – the same state in which the late guitarist was born in 1966.