PanTerrible: Why a Pantera Tour in 2023 is Troubles Me So
On December 9, 2004, I was in my junior college library researching something or other, when I got the news of Dimebag Darrell’s murder. It happened the previous night at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio, when a fucking idiot moron jumped onstage and shot Dime along with two others. At the time, Darrell was touring with his new band Damageplan, a project born from the ashes of his previous band Pantera, one of the biggest and most influential metal bands of all-time. Both bands featured Darrell on guitar and his brother Vinnie Paul on drums, and while Damageplan was a solid all around band with a solid debut record, I and many others always held out hope, the mighty Pantera would squash their beef and reunite. I myself had been a fan of Dime well before I had even heard any Pantera music. I would see him on the cover of my father’s or uncle’s copy of Guitar World or Guitar Player magazine, his long goatee dyed a bright red as he held his signature Dean ML or Washburn “Slimebolt” guitars.
Then I saw a video for “Cemetery Gates,” on the Rock Show on VH1 hosted by the great Scott Ian. Pantera was on the show promoting what would become their final album together, 2000’s “Reinventing the Steel.” I was hooked by Darrell’s razor sharp tone, his pyrotechnic lead playing and immense presence. Needless to say, Darrell became one of my favorite guitar players. It’s a funny thing finding a band in their later years. You get a plethora of new-to-you music but then they break up and you never get to see them live. That was me. Concerts were a new thing for me in 2000, my first show being the KISS Farewell Tour (which is still going in a round about way), and I was alone in my love for Dime and the Pantera boys. How was I to know the band would break up and my favorite guitar player would tragically pass away just four years later. Alas, I accepted that I would never see Pantera live. That I would have to accept seeing them play live only in the confines of YouTube and on live albums. Over the years, there have been talks of a Pantera reunion with the (then) surviving members of Pantera with Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society fame mashing the ropes in place of Dime. I was skeptical of such a reunion, because to me Dimebag was Pantera, and having anyone else but him, even the supremely talented Zakk Wylde, would just not measure up. Those talks and rumors never came to fruition as Vinnie Paul passed away in 2018, effectively ending the chance of Pantera ever touring. Or so we thought.
Yesterday, it was announced that surviving band members Rex Brown (bass) and Phil Anselmo (vocals), have signed with tour booking agency Artist Group International for a North American tour starting sometime in 2023 under the name “Pantera.” No other details have been released other than Rex Brown stating for the record that Zakk Wylde will not be part of it. As of this writing, we do not know who will be playing guitar and drums for this tour. Also as of this writing, I know that this is a huge mistake and should not exist. It’s simply wrong for Brown and Anselmo to tour under the Pantera moniker. I understand they are two seminal members of the group (both are not original members but have been a part of all the most influential and important Pantera records), however, Dime and Vinnie are the MOST seminal members of the group. You simply cannot have Pantera without Dime and Vinnie Paul. It just doesn’t work. You can call is whatever you want, just don’t call it Pantera. And really what are you paying for here? An aging Phil Anselmo whos best vocals are far behind him and Rex Brown, a fantastic player but nothing to pay hundreds of your well-earned dollars to see. I’m all for continuing the legacy of Pantera because it’s really the legacy of Dimebag, however, this is not the way to do it. I will continue to fly the flag of Dimebag and Pantera because I love them, however, supporting a tour like this just doesn’t sit right with me.
Of course, many fans will go out to see this tour and I wish them well. Maybe it’s a great show. Maybe Rex and Phil get it together and it’s a fantastic time. I never want anything to fail. I want people to do what they want and have the best time they possible can. Life is too short, and there are so many horrific and atrocious things happening in the world around us to even have an opinion such as the one I’ve written above. I suppose it just made me think of Dime. It made me think of how tragic his end was and how much it really effects me still to this day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to KRANK “Far Beyond Driven” and “Get’cha Pull” as Dime would say. Someone pour me a Black Toothed Grin.
