Ex-Pantera bandmates Phil Anselmo and Vinnie Paul haven’t gotten along in quite some time, and it sure as hell doesn’t seem like that hatchet is being buried anytime soon either. While Phil Anselmo thinks it’s time for peace, Vinnie feels differently.
In an interview with R7 (below), Vinnie Paul says Anselmo’s actions in recent times have really tarnished what Pantera was about in retrospect. Obviously he’s referring to the “white power” incident, mainly.
“I can’t speak for him. He’s done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what Pantera was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it’s sad.
But I carry on with what I do, which is Hellyeah, which I’m very, very proud of. And, you know, I can’t control anything that goes on with that dude. I mean, honestly, I haven’t spoken to him since 2000. So there you have it.”
Just in case you thought for even once second we’d see those two dudes together and friendly again, you’re probably not.
Though this might be more of Hellyeah trying to get rid of its past and talking about how great Hellyeah is, which seems to be every interview with that band ever.
The reformed band — featuring PANTERA’s surviving members Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — are headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.
It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band’s founders, drummer Vincent “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn’t tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It’s unclear what changed his mind.
Anselmo and Brown spoke about PANTERA’s return to the stage during an appearance on the seventeenth episode of “The Metallica Report”, the recently launched podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA. Philip said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “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.”
He continued: “When we were younger, we were at war and when we were on stage; 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.”
Anselmo and Brown also talked about Charlie and Zakk being part of the PANTERA team. Philip said: “Them two dudes, so enthusiastic.
And they got their damn thing and they got their own damn legacy, both of them, without us. It’s an honor to play with them.
They’re the nicest frickin guys in the world, man. I’m just so… [Laughs] Zakk, he’s a crack-up, man. He’s a sweetheart. And fricking Charlie, we’ve known Charlie since ’87, man. It’s a long time.”
Rex chimed in: “The way [Charlie] plays Vinnie’s parts is uncanny. I don’t think there’s any drummer out there that could play the way that Vinnie did.
I would close my eyes, because I was trying to get tight, and sometimes if I close my eyes, I can hear a little better; I think I can.
And there’d be a tear of joy just coming down, because that was so close to what Vinnie and I used to play. So you have the foundation.”
Philip concurred, saying: “The low end sounds so PANTERA, man. It’s freaking me out.”
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