Pantera announced their comeback to the stage last year with Charlie Benante and Zakk Wylde as the new band members, and this year they announced plans for a few joint shows with Metallica on a global tour in 2023–2024. Rex Brown joined the two for an interview with Rick Beato on YouTube ahead of the upcoming performances, discussing the reunion after 22 years by saying: “It’s wonderful to see a different audience, perhaps one that has waited a long time to witness this event in person. The parts and everything that go into it are for us kind of what we want to speak about today as we put it together. even the admirers It’s a total of all the pieces, in my opinion. He continued, mentioning the performances of his new bandmates: It has simply exceeded our wildest expectations. Really, it has, I mean. Particularly with these two guys coming in and immediately nailing these crucial components and making it our own. You know, in the end, it’s all about the legacy, without touching the old.
The bassist continued by making the following remarks about the new lineup: “As long as we became tight, me and Charlie went in and created the drive of what we needed. After that, Zakk entered and placed the Zakk on it. At least, that’s how I see it. It was incredibly difficult to fill Dime’s shoes, yet this young child succeeded. Additionally, our friendship has lasted for so long. Uncannily, it’s virtually tighter than any game we’ve ever played in the past. Although Pantera decided to continue without Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, some fans and notable figures in the business disagreed with Brown’s comments. Justin Hawkins once said the band should have chosen a different moniker for the reunion.
In response to these, Paul’s estate publicly expressed its support for Benante and Wylde’s new lineup on social media, and the guitarist offered the following insight in a conversation with Eddie Trunk: “Everyone was thinking, ‘How can they call it a Pantera reunion?'” Because Phil and Rex haven’t performed together in a while, I respond, “Well, it’s Phil and Rex getting back together.” ‘It’s a Pantera party,’ I say. What it is is that. He continued, referring to Pantera’s comeback as a tribute to the founding members: “You’re paying tribute to Dime, Vinnie, Phil [Anselmo], and Rex—all the guys—and everything they accomplished as Pantera, including all the mountains they scaled. At least, that’s how I see it. I have always viewed it that way. The video below features a recent interview with the band members.
