Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown are reforming Pantera. As Billboard reports, the legendary groove metal band’s surviving singer and bassist will reunite for their first live shows as Pantera in two long decades, with a North American tour in the works for 2023.
The bandmates are linking up with Artist Group International to make the tour happen, with agent Peter Pappalardo telling Billboard, “We are thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans.”
Watch: Pantera – ‘Cowboys From Hell’
It’s unclear at this point which musicians will be joining Anselmo and Brown for the tour in place of founding members and brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Dimebag was famously shot dead during a show in Ohio back in 2004, while his brother Vinnie passed away in 2018 from heart disease.
However, it’s long been rumoured that the pair’s childhood friend, guitar icon Zakk Wylde, would be the #1 choice to fill in for Dimebag on guitar.
“Well, Zakk is a busy man … We spoke about it maybe one time,” Anselmo told Chilean news outlet Humo Negro back in 2019. “If everything was lined up, I would do it, sure. Fuck yeah! Why not?”
It’s also unclear whether the tour would expand beyond North America to anywhere else (*cough* Australia *cough*) but we can hope. We’ll keep you in the loop with any more news as it develops.
Further Reading:
A New Zealand Mum Has Deadset Named Her Three Kids After Iconic Metal Bands
Watch These Kids Absolutely Crushing Pantera Classic ‘Walk’ Live
Pantera Legend Vinnie Paul Died Of Natural Causes, Coroner Says
