Pantera has been out on the road celebrating their legacy with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde filling in for the late and great Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell. Pantera played their first show back in December 2022 at Mexico's Monterrey Metal Fest, and they've been out on the road ever since. But how'd this all come to be?
According to bassist Rex Brown in an interview with Rick Beato, it all started when he and vocalist Phil Anselmo got together with Terry Date to remix and remaster 2000's Reinventing The Steel. Brown said he and Anselmo started talking about Pantera's legacy during the sessions with Date, and here we are now over 50 shows later into 2023.
"When we went out to make that last record, we wanted to make it full of nothing but anthems," said Brown as transcribed by Metal Injection. "I think that record kind of gets overlooked a little bit because it was our last one and the whole swansong of the [band], and fuck that – if you just go listen to the record… it took me forever to go back and listen to that record after Dime was taken from us.
"This is really where everything started. Philip and I, we were putting that out after the 20 year anniversary and we got Terry to remix it and remaster it, and that's where we had these conversations about what we wanted things to sound like and the start of the legacy, and where do we want to take this and play it again live. Can we do it? Do you want to take that fucking step? And by god, we did it. It's a great satisfaction, but then again you're only as good as your last show , nd that was a big motto of the band. You're only as good as your last fuckin' note."
