In a new interview with Rolling Stone Australia, PANTERA bassist Rex Brown spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of the band, also featuring fellow surviving member Philip Anselmo (vocals),alongside Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) on guitar and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) on drums. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA‘s founders, drummer Vincent “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott.
Rex said: “Two of our beloved brothers that just aren’t here anymore man, that’s life, you know? They’re just not with us man. That’s just fate; it’s the way the ball rolls, dude.”
He added: “This is no tribute band — Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven’t played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what’s happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?”
Regarding PANTERA‘s latest additions, Rex said: “We knew who would fit and who wouldn’t. We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I’ll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking PANTERA song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin’ in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that’s your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that’s all I’m gonna say on that.”
“But, man, this band is on fuckin’ fire, and I couldn’t be happier, man,” he added. “I just can’t explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier.”
Rex previously told AndrewHaug.com that he was “absolutely” open to writing new music with the reformed version of PANTERA. “Yeah, I could tell you more but I’m not going to,” he teased.
Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.
“You can’t see it on the YouTube. You can’t feel that vibe until you actually come to the show,” he explained. “And we haven’t been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It’s not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.
“We’re pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it’s a whole another generation that we either didn’t know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable,” Rex continued. “Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it’s made us tighter. And I’ve been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we’ll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That’s what makes a band tight.”
The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 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.
Asked how it feels playing those “timeless” songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: “You just said it — they’re timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I’s songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they’re with us. It’s just uncanny. That’s the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.
“Look, I’m not some crazy old man, man. I know that we’re here for reasons,” Rex added. “And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I’m very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were…
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