In what could be described as the band anticipating a major reunion tour, Pantera Tickets has been preparing for a reunion tour but without most of the original members of the band.
It has been reported that the iconic metal band Pantera is to return to touring in 2023 with a large-scale world tour. This will be the first chance of Pantera to go back to the road since their bitter split in 2003. But astonishingly, the band's members that aren't present in the reunion include Dimebag Darrell, the founding guitarist, who was killed on stage in 2004 and Vinnie Paul, the drummer, who died in 2018.
The reunited band will feature bassist Rex Brown, who was part of the original lineup, while the lead vocalist will be Philip Anselmo. To do the rest on guitar and drums, the band has invited Zakk Wylde, Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, and Charlie Benante, Anthrax's drummer. Some fans have also criticized the fact that no other original member will be participating, despite the fact that both are highly acclaimed metal musicians.
Philip Anselmo is definitely the subject of much debate regarding his actions as a member of Pantera and in the metal community. He was the lead singer for Pantera from the album that put them on the mainstream map up until this point, the band's gritty, growling vocalist with their aggressive stage presence. However, there are some problems that the fans can find in Anselmo's life: alcohol and drug addiction and racism, both in his live performances and posts.
This behavior of his led to Pantera's original breakup and is also addressed in this book. The Abbott brothers (Dimebag Darrell playing the guitar and Vinnie Paul playing the drums) were irritated with Anselmo's erratic behaviors and his tendencies towards substance abuse. These enmities even kept the Abbotts away from Anselmo, even during the time that Dimebag was shot in cold blood.
Some fans have been a little bit doubtful whether Anselmo can put up the kind of performance on tour that he has displayed consistently. As his fans, some claim that his presence is an intrusion and an act of disrespect to the Abbott brothers and Pantera. Nonetheless, Brown and the other new members have assured Anselmo stability at the reunion.
Original member and lead guitarist of Guns N Roses Slash, Zakk Wylde, takes the place of the famous guitarist.
As such, it still remains virtually impossible to replace Dimebag Darrell in all that he was contributing to the band. With his mind-blowing guitar solos, memorable licks, and always being so unpredictably energetic, he was one of the key components of Pantera. However, if anyone is worthy of trying, it is Zakk Wylde, the man who contributed to Ozzy's best albums.
Wylde started his career as a lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne in the later part of the 1980s. He was also a shredding virtuoso and an outlandish performer on stage, which must have been inspired by legends such as Darrell. Throughout the years, Wylde has released successful albums as a solo artist and has also toured with the band Black Label Society. Overall, his appearance, whether in concerts or in recorded videos, looks appropriate for Pantera's energetic performances.
There are rumors that Wylde is working on his own project as well as touring with Osbourne. Some of the fans have said that it might not be possible for Wylde to be fully committed to Pantera. Another source stated that Wylde has said that he has focused on the Pantera reunion and that he wishes to pay tribute to Dimebag.
The lineup change comes as former Overkill drummer and current Anthrax guitarist Charlie Benante joins the band on drums.
Finally, the bassist of Anthrax, Charlie Benante, is also part of the reunion. Before rising to fame, Benante was a member of the legendary thrash metal band, which was famous for its fast drums and thick guitar sound. Similar to Wylde, Benante also comes from an old-school metal background, which should fit perfectly with Pantera's discography.
Nevertheless, as Benante is now around 59, some have questioned whether he is still capable of harnessing the speed to play the Pantera's fast drum parts on the stage every night. Benante, however, has been rehearsing through Pantera's discography to get ready for the contest.
Vinnie Paul is another former member whom Benante has spoken about in interviews about the strong bond they have shared through the years. Both bands performed together often during metal festivals and were on good terms as long as Paul existed. Benante feels that he is doing justice to Paul and, at the same time, being part of putting his indelible mark in the history of metal music.
Finally, the new lineup suggests that there could be creative cooperation between headphones and accessories.
Wylde also added that Benante has implied a concept of new music that the band will work on. There are no expectations, but individual members of the band have suggested optimism for what might be created out of this formation. For many fans, the idea of hearing a band that may include members from Ozzy, Anthrax, and Pantera is a possibility that they might like.
It is also the viewpoint of some fans that this lineup is the best that can be achieved because it is impossible to repeat what Pantera was. While Brown provides the solid 80s metal bottom end on bass, Anselmo has returned to being the vocal powerhouse that made him famous, and the other members of the group all boast their 80s metal cred, fans expect a classic metal moment. The band has mentioned that their concentration is still on the proper playing of those Pantera songs first. Although it should be noted that if everything turns out for the best, new music is not entirely excluded in the future,.
While many talented musicians have been recruited to stand in for the Shermann and the Beavens, some of the metal fans believe that something essential is lost with none of the original members, particularly the Abbott brothers. How can it genuinely be called Pantera, no matter how chemist the participants were?
Some people have argued that a major reunion tour like this seems motivated more by monetary gains than anything else and may jeopardize the band's lofty reputation. While, in the real sense, some fans may not care much about the hiatus but the reunion, others perceive these shows as more of an attempt by Anselmo to make a comeback than anything else.
This is the perpetual dilemma of Pantera: whether to remain loyal to the original line-up and forget about the new members or to try to reunite with the band but with the new performers. In the end, it will be the interaction and flow of onscreen characters that will define the success of the reunion. However, with tickets likely to move around faster despite the bitterness experienced on the internet, fans seem eager to give this experimental lineup a shot.