In just over three weeks, on February 15th to be exact, a band bearing the name Pantera will thunder into town. For anyone who lived and breathed Metal in the '90s, that statement should hit with a mix of excitement, shock, and maybe a touch of skepticism
Because the hard truth remains: two of Pantera’s founding titans are gone. The Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, are no longer with us. Vinnie passed in 2018, and Dimebag’s murder onstage in 2004 was a tragedy that shook the music world to its core. Dime wasn’t just a guitarist; he was a legend, the definitive Metal guitar hero of his generation. His riffs and solos didn’t just define Pantera—they reshaped the very DNA of heavy music. Replacing him is unthinkable, ludicrous. Like trying to find a guitarist to take Angus Young's place in AC/DC.
But here’s the undeniable reality: the music remains. Cowboys From Hell. Mouth For War. Walk. Broken. Primal Concrete Sledge. These songs aren’t just classics—they’re cultural touchstones, forged in fire and aggression. They deserve to roar through arenas, to set pits alight, and to unite generations of fans. Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown, the band’s surviving members, have every right to reclaim and honor that legacy.
To do it, they’ve called in reinforcements. Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante aren’t mere substitutes—they’re warriors stepping into sacred ground. Wylde, with his savage tone and towering stage presence, was a brother-in-arms to the Abbotts, and his guitar work channels the essence of Dimebag without imitation. Benante, a titan of thrash drumming, delivers the ferocity Pantera’s catalogue demands. Together, they form a lineup that feels right—raw, powerful, and authentic.
This isn’t Pantera as it was, and no one is pretending otherwise. But this is something real, something visceral. It’s the closest thing we’ll ever have to the chaos and power of the original, and it’s exactly what these songs—and the fans—deserve. Whether you’re here to relive the glory or to experience the thunder for the first time, this incarnation of Pantera is here to deliver.
Since their return just over two years ago, every review, every show, every scream from the pit has made one thing clear: this isn’t a nostalgia act. This is a celebration. A reckoning. A resurrection. It’s raw. It’s emotional. And above all else, it’s METAL..
See you in the pit!
