In a recent interview with music journalist Igor Miranda, Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde discussed the band’s decision to release a live album and his perspective on whether Pantera is a tribute band.
When asked about his thoughts on the band, Wylde said it felt more like a celebration than a tribute:
“Yeah, that’s what I feel it is. It’s not even a tribute. It’s more just a Pantera celebration. Like whenever we go out and do the ‘Experience Hendrix’ tours, which I always have a blast doing, it’s all of us going out and celebrating Jimi’s greatness. To me, this is a Pantera celebration. We’re celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered. So that’s what this is.”
### Rex Brown’s Perspective
Other band members share Wylde’s sentiments. Earlier, bassist Rex Brown also rejected the idea of calling the band a tribute, asserting that Pantera remains Pantera despite the absence of two original members:
“Two of our beloved brothers just aren’t here anymore, man. That’s life, you know? They’re just not with us. That’s just fate; it’s the way the ball rolls, dude. This is no tribute band.”
Rex also expressed how he and Phil Anselmo are thrilled to play their songs again after 23 years:
“Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven’t played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what’s happened is just extraordinarily f*cking insane, you know?”
You can watch the recent interview below.
