It’s been a long-running rumor/dream scenario for fans that the surviving members of Pantera would reunite and tour in celebration of the band’s catalog. Having come up multiple times across the past decade or so, the potential reunion was generally pitched with Zakk Wylde in place of the band’s late guitar great “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Wylde was largely thought to be the most logical choice for the role, having been a close friend of Dime and a guitar virtuoso himself.
While the idea came up in the press frequently, it has yet to become a reality. Collapsed relations between frontman Philip Anselmo and the band’s now late drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott ultimately kept the group from ever reconciling during his lifetime.
As you’re likely aware, Anselmo has been paying tribute to his both former band’s works and his late bandmates on the road in the wake of Vinnie Paul‘s June 2018 passing. To that end he has been performing Pantera tribute sets dubbed ‘Vulgar Display Of Pantera‘ with his band The Illegals across the globe.
That catches us up to now. Last week saw Dimebag‘s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney tell Eric Blair (see below) that she would be OK with the surviving members of Pantera reuniting onstage with Wylde to celebrate the band’s legacy and their fallen members. She did make clear though that she didn’t support them going forward as Pantera outside of that though:
“…as far as trying to put Pantera back together? No, that’s distasteful without those other guys. But I think as a tribute, it would be a really great thing because I know, from a fan’s point, if I hadn’t been able to see them play or hear those songs – I can imagine other people as well, I think it’s great that they could at least see it performed, and by people that truly love ’em. So, yeah, I think it would be a really cool thing.”
Responding to Loudwire‘s story on the Haney‘s approval, former Pantera bassist Rex Brown has stated that he approves of the idea, offering:
I wanna make sure that ppl understand what I’m about to tweet.. It’s not up to Rita to say what will happen, only what Philip & I say…I’m in!! Dig?!?!?
— REX BROWN (@REJASFROMTEJAS) March 2, 2020
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