MAMMOTH WVH’s Wolfgang Van Halen has commented on the current PANTERA tour
Wolfgang Van Halen has shared his perspective regarding the collaboration of PANTERA‘s surviving members, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass), who have joined forces with renowned guitarist Zakk Wylde (known for his work with OZZY OSBOURNE and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (from ANTHRAX). This union has led to an extensive global tour carrying the PANTERA legacy.
The quartet consisting of Anselmo, Brown, Wylde, and Benante is set to headline major festivals spanning South America, Asia, North America, and Europe. Beyond festival appearances, they are organizing their own headline concerts. Notably, they’re also participating alongside MAMMOTH WVH and other notable acts to support METALLICA on an expansive North American stadium tour slated for both 2023 and 2024.
Wolfgang discussed PANTERA‘s comeback in a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I know there’s a lot of arguing over that whole situation. And I think regardless of how you feel about it, they sound amazing. And at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters. The justice to the material is there. And they are killing it, man; it sounds so great.”
On June 28th, at the Evil Live festival held at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, Wolfgang, Max Cavalera (known for his contributions to SOULFLY and SEPULTURA), and Mike DeLeon (a member of SOULFLY and PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) united with PANTERA on stage. Their collaboration involved lending their backing vocals to the song “Walk“.
Following this memorable guest performance, the reformed PANTERA commenced their headlining tour in the United States alongside LAMB OF GOD on July 28th, starting at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.
PANTERA‘s current live repertoire features a remarkable addition of two tracks that hadn’t graced the stage since the band’s resurgence the previous year. “Slaughtered“, a song from the band’s 1994 album “Far Beyond Driven,” which notably secured the distinction of being the heaviest metal record to achieve the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Also, “Revolution Is My Name” from their final studio release, the 2000 album “Reinventing The Steel,” has made its way back to the setlist, marking a notable inclusion in their live performances.