Pantera, whose lineup is currently vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown alongside Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, has announced their first four reunion shows for 2022. Three of the shows will take place at Knotfest Colombia, Knotfest Chile, and Knotfest Brasil this December. All three shows feature Pantera alongside fellow headlining acts Slipknot, Judas Priest, and Bring Me The Horizon.
Knotfest Colombia will take place on December 9 at the Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campín in Bogotá, Knotfest Chile on December 11 at the Estadio Monumental in Santiago, and Knotfest Brasil on December 18 at the Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paolo. One interesting thing to note about the Knotfest posters is that it uses the classic Pantera logo, and nothing about this being a tribute or celebration.
Pantera has also been announced as a co-headliner for the first night of the Hell & Heaven Metal Fest happening on December 2 at the Foro Pegaso in Otzacatipan, Mexico. More information on that festival is available here.
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."
Benante has also made it known that the Pantera reunion won't be a full on tour, so expect more festival announcements.
