Looks like the Pantera tour dates are imminent. While it's not much to go off of, the official Pantera Instagram account has posted a brief clip of the band's 1990 track "Cowboys From Hell" preceded by what sounds like a re-recorded Phil Anselmo saying "we're taking over this town." And given the hype surrounding the upcoming Pantera dates, this seems like the next logical step. Especially considering Blabbermouth recently reported on a rumor that the first Pantera show will take place at Knotfest Brasil this December.
Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown will unite with Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante to perform the music of Pantera live on tour in 2023. Though according to Benante in a recent Q&A before an Anthrax, the "tour" won't be anything massive. When asked by a fan if the Pantera tour will be a full-blown trek, Benante said "I don't think so."
In a recent and extensive interview with Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Wylde said he plans to approach the music the same way he approached playing someone like Randy Rhoads' parts with Ozzy Osbourne – as faithfully as humanly possible.
"You approach it the same way as you do when I'm playing with Ozzy," said Wylde. "Obviously I've gotta learn Rhoads's stuff and I've gotta learn Jake's [E. Lee] stuff, and when I was doing the Sabbath stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can. Charlie's gotta learn all of Vinnie's parts. You approach it as if you're in a cover band. When we do the Zakk Sabbath stuff. I don't start changing lyrics midway through 'War Pigs.' You learn the songs — so that's what you do."
Benante concurred, adding "I can't go do this as the drummer from Anthrax because it would be a different sound completely. So the way I'm gonna do that is if you close your eyes, it's gonna sound like it's Vinnie, basically. And that's how it's gonna be… The sound is gonna sound exactly like him."
