PANTERA has released a new video message from singer Philip Anselmo, filmed during rehearsals for the band’s upcoming February 2024 North American tour. In the clip, Anselmo says: “Youngsters have come out in droves to these PANTERA shows, and it has lit a fire in me. I just want to play these shows the best way we know how. I’m looking forward to it.”
Last fall, Anselmo made his first public comments about PANTERA’s return to the live stage.
The reformed band features PANTERA’s surviving members Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass), along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX). They are headlining major festivals across North America, South America, and Europe, and staging their own headline concerts. Additionally, they will support METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.
It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner. According to Billboard, the lineup has been approved by the estates of the band’s founders, drummer Vincent “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who previously said Wylde wouldn’t tour with PANTERA if a reunion occurred. It’s unclear what changed his mind.
Anselmo and Brown discussed PANTERA’s return to the stage during an appearance on the seventeenth episode of “The Metallica Report” podcast. Philip said: “It’s empowering. It is incredibly beautiful, and you feel so much love when you’re up there. These days, that’s where Rex and I get to really enjoy the shows more.”
He continued: “When we were younger, we were at war on stage. Now, the songs are there. I can concentrate on singing, and that’s a relief for me. I don’t have to break my body anymore.”
Anselmo and Brown also praised Charlie and Zakk’s contributions to the band. Philip said: “Those two are so enthusiastic. They have their own legacies without us. It’s an honor to play with them. They’re the nicest guys. Zakk is a crack-up, and Charlie, we’ve known since ’87. It’s a long time.”
