Back in February, PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo spoke to The Pit about what he thought the band’s late guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott would say about the band’s legacy.
Phil said (via BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Dimebag and Vince always wanted this band to be a legacy band, to be massive, to be our own conduit to success, simply put. I think Dime and Vince — I know Dime and Vince — would want the legacy and the name of PANTERA to go on and on and on and in everybody’s damn face. I know that for sure. Abso-fucking-utely, dude. That would be their biggest dream.”
Just last month it was revealed that ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and Ozzy Osbourne/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Zakk Wylde would team-up with surviving PANTERA members Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown for a PANTERA tour. The band will be headlining some festivals across North America and Europe as well as performing some of their own headline concerts.
According to a report by Billboard, Wylde and Benante’s involvement in the PANTERA project has been approved by the estates of late co-founders, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell.
Charlie Benante was recently asked when he first got approached about taking part in the PANTERA tour on an appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk“. He said: “Oh, man. December [of last year]. End of December. I was talking to Philip, and then he just mentioned this. And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever.’ And then it became real about January [or] February.”