After the passing of the late Abbott Brothers, guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, members of heavy metal band Pantera were hesitant to hold a reunion. With Dimebag Darrell assassinated by a crazed and deranged fan on stage in 2004 and Vinnie Paul dying in 2018 from coronary artery disease, it is understandable that some of Pantera’s surviving members, including vocalist Philip Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, guitarist Zakk Wylde, and drummer Charlie Benante would have some reservations about playing the music that they all created together in public again so many years later without them.

When asked if he would consider touring with Pantera in the case of a potential reunion, Wylde declined, citing Vinnie Paul’s expressed thoughts about the impossibility of a reunion and how selfish it is for fans to want that after Dimebag’s death. According to an article from Blabbermouth.net, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed speculation of any reunion in a 2014 interview conducted by Germany’s EMP Rock Invasion. Paul says that “People are selfish. They want what they want; they don’t care what you want…they call it a reunion for a reason. It’s called bringing the original members back to what it was… they’ve got one dude floating around in them, you know. That’s not a true reunion. With Pantera, it’ll never be possible.”

After such a heartbreaking and traumatic experience as watching Dimebag Darrell’s assassination on stage, it is no wonder why Vinnie Paul would be so adamant against Pantera’s reunion. However, just four years after Paul’s death in 2018, the surviving members have been given the “green light by the estates of the band’s founders,” which include that of both Abbott Brothers, to headline major festivals and solo concerts across North America and Europe under the Pantera name. 

Despite Paul’s clearly expressed reservations, when asked about the ethicality of this decision, Jimmy Bowers of EyeHateGod, the drummer for Anselmo’s Down project, says otherwise and claims that “the Abbott brothers would a hundred percent have blessed it”  and that “I think [the reunion is] beautiful” and “a great way to tribute the band.”

Jimmy Bowers goes on to explain his reasoning in this video.

While the connection between Paul and Bowers is somewhat clear beyond the fact that they have a mutual acquaintance in Anselmo, it is good to note that Anselmo and Paul’s relationship was slightly quaky in later years as Paul allegedly, according to Blabbermouth.net, indirectly blamed the drummer for his brother’s death and thus the pair had not spoken to each other since Pantera’s initial disbandment. 

Whether the Abbott Brothers would actually have blessed this reunion or not, Pantera is set to return to the world stage in December 2022. 

See Phil Anselmo pay tribute to the late Abbott Brothers in a heart-wrenching performance here.

For information on Pantera’s upcoming shows performing at Knotfest Chile and Knotfest Brasil, click on the respective link.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat