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Pantera’s 2023 Reunion Tour to Include Zakk Wylde and Anthrax Drummer Charlie Benante

The band will headline major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts next year.

• By Dave Brooks

Dave Brooks

Guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante will join Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown this summer to tour as Pantera , headlining a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts, a source close to the group tells Billboard .

The lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band’s founders, Vincent “Vinnie Paul” Abbott and “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn’t tour with a reunited Pantera if that were to happen. It’s unclear what changed his mind.

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Wylde has long been the consensus fill-in for “Dimebag” Darrell due to his relationship with the Abbott brothers and his success and stature in hard rock and heavy metal. Wylde is lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and the founder of Black Label Society.

Wylde was close friends with both “Dimebag” Darrell, who was murdered in 2004 while performing on stage during a show with his band Damageplan in Columbus, Ohio, and Vinnie, who died in 2018 from health complications related to heart disease. Prior to “Dimebag” Darrell’s murder, Wylde played several shows with Damageplan for MTV’s Headbangers Ball tour and performed the second guitar solo on the band’s song “Reborn.”

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Wylde is scheduled to tour Europe this summer with Osbourne on his No More Tours 2 outing for approximately seven weeks between early May and mid-June. Originally announced in 2018, the tour was twice delayed due to health issues affecting Osbourne and then rescheduled two other times because of COVID concerns.

Benante’s relationship with Pantera dates back to the mid-1980s, prior to Anselmo joining the group. Benante joined Anthrax in 1983, prior to the release of their debut album Fistful of Metal , and has been the band’s drummer ever since. He’s also a member of crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death.

Artist Group International will book Pantera’s North American dates, with Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo as the responsible agents. The band is managed by Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment.

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Zakk Wylde Confirms He’s Joining Pantera Reunion Tour, but Doesn’t Consider Himself in the Group

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Celebrated guitarist Zakk Wylde has made it official, after rumors and anonymously sourced reports that he was joining Pantera for a reunion tour: It’s all true. Except maybe for the part that he is truly “in” Pantera.

In Wylde’s view, the guitarist whose shoes he will be filling, the late “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, can’t be replaced, so he considers himself more of an auxiliary member going into the upcoming concert and festival engagements.

“Obviously, it’s not Pantera,” Wylde said over the weekend. “Pantera is those four guys — it’s Phil (Anselmo, the singer), Rex (Brown, the bassist), Dime and Vinnie (Paul Abbott, the band’s deceased drummer). But it’s just like when Zeppelin went out with Jason Bonham playing, it was phenomenal. I told Jason, I was just, like, ‘Dude, you crushed it, man.’ It’s a great thing just to hear them play that music again… I’m beyond honored to be a part of it.”

Wylde’s comments were reported by Blabbermouth , and took place in a conversation with Matt Pinfield and Jose Mangin of Danny Wimmer Presents at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio.

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“When Vinnie was still alive, when the fellows were all talking about doing it, I just always told ’em, I said, ‘Of course I would… If you asked me, why would I not do it? I’m gonna honor Dime’,” continued Wylde, who was a friend of the man he’ll be subbing for. “It’s like when we do the ‘Dimebash’ [events], it’s a celebration of Dime’s greatness. It’s a Panera celebration — that’s what it is… You’re celebrating Vinnie and Dime’s greatness and you’re celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered and crushed.”

Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante will be taking the late Vinnie Paul Abbott’s spot on the dates. The drummer died of complications of heart disease in 2018.

An official announcement of the refreshed lineup or any future plans has yet to come from the group’s camp.

Pantera broke up in 2003. The Abbotts subsequently formed the band Damageplan, and it was at one of that group’s shows that “Dimebag” was shot and killed onstage in December 2004.

In the past, Anselmo — who has formed a new band, the Illegals, as part of his solo career — had mentioned his openness to a Pantera touring resumption with Wylde in the guitarist’s seat, although he notes that “Zakk is a busy man” with his own Black Label Society band as well as work with Ozzy Osbourne. Wylde has some experience in stepping into a role established by another famous guitarist, as his Osborne work has him doing his own take on the guitar parts of the late Randy Rhoads.

Last week, Billboard quoted an anonymous source as saying Wylde and Benante would be joining Anselmo and Brown for festival dates and individual concerts in summer 2023, and that the estates of the deceased members had signed off on the idea.

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Zakk Wylde on taking part in Pantera tour: "I think it's a beautiful thing"

"Obviously, it's not Pantera"

Zakk Wylde has spoken publicly for the first time about his involvement in a Pantera tour alongside Phil Anselmo , Rex Brown and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante , saying that he's "beyond honoured to be a part of it." But he's also been quick to state that this is a tribute.

"Obviously, it's not Pantera," he told Matt Pinfield and Jose Mangin of Danny Wimmer Presents at this weekend's Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival [as transcribed by Blabbermouth.net and the interview can be viewed below]. "Pantera is those four guys — it's Phil, Rex, Dime and Vinnie [Paul]. But it's just like when [Led] Zeppelin went out with Jason Bonham playing, it was phenomenal. I told Jason, I was just, like, 'Dude, you crushed it, man.' It's a great thing just to hear them play that music again."

You're celebrating Vinnie and Dime's greatness and you're celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered and crushed

Wylde has always been the favourite to be the guitarist in any mooted tribute tour, and he told Pinfield and Mangin that he was always open to the call. 

"When Vinnie was still alive, when the fellows were all talking about doing it, I just always told 'em, I said, 'Of course I would… If you asked me, why would I not do it? I'm gonna honour Dime.' It could be like Noel Redding and  Mitch Mitchell  asking  Eric Clapton  if he would go out and honour Jimi [ Hendrix ] and Eric playing Jimi's stuff and singing Jimi's songs and they're going out as the ' Jimi Hendrix  celebration.' And he's gonna honour his buddy and he's gonna play his songs. 

"I think it's a beautiful thing," added Wylde. "It's like when we do the 'Dimebash' [annual tribute event], it's a celebration of Dime's greatness. It's a Pantera celebration — that's what it is… ."

Anselmo and Brown are still yet to comment on the news that the Pantera tribute will play North American tour dates in 2023, with international dates surely an inevitable follow-up. 

Interview: Zakk Wylde on Dimebag Darrell 

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Related tags, zakk wylde on pantera tour: “i’m really happy the fellas put it together so people can still hear vinnie and dime’s greatness”.

The guitarist opens up about being part of the reformed band’s touring lineup.

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Guitar legend Zakk Wylde has shared his thoughts on touring with the reunited Pantera in a new interview.

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The newly reformed band — featuring surviving members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown, along with Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante — played their first show in 21 years at Mexico’s Hell & Heaven Metal Fest earlier this month.

Speaking about his ongoing involvement with the group in a recent chat with The News-Herald , Wylde says that “The Pantera thing is beautiful every night.”

“I’m really happy the fellas put it together so people can still hear [late Pantera members] Vinnie [Paul Abbott] and Dime’s [‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott] greatness.”

And while metal fans have been divided on the reunion since its announcement more than a year ago, Pantera frontman Anselmo has reassured fans that Dimebag and Vinnie Paul would have been supportive of the reunion.

“Only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this, hands down,” Anselmo said on The Metallica Report podcast [via NME ].

“They would want the Pantera brand or the legacy to go on. And I don’t know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs up.”

In related news, Zakk Wylde recently admitted that he was open to extending his role as Pantera’s lead guitarist “permanently”, saying: “Yeah. I told the guys [Anselmo and Brown] whenever… as long as they wanna do it. I don’t know why you would wanna end it, ’cause all you’re [doing is] going out there and you’re just celebrating the fellas. I think it’s a beautiful thing and I get to hang out with my buddies.”

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Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante Open Up About Pantera Tour: “It’s Gonna Be Awesome”

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

The post Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante Open Up About Pantera Tour: “It’s Gonna Be Awesome” appeared first on Consequence .

Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante have opened up about the highly anticipated Pantera reunion tour in a new interview.

Speaking with SiriusXM’s Eddie Trunk, the guitarist and drummer discussed their aspirations for the shows and the legacy of the late brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul . In fact, initial discussions took place prior to Vinnie’s passing in 2018.

“It’s gonna be awesome…,” Wylde said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth ). “When Vinnie was still with us, it was always rolling around that, ‘Zakk, would you honor Dime and all of us get together and do this thing?’ And I said, ‘Fellows, whenever you wanna do this thing, I’ll be over here waiting in the dugout and in the bullpen. And just call me when you need me and I’ll learn everything and we’ll go do this.'”

Eventually, Pantera singer Phil Anselmo gave Wylde the call, and the reunion began to take shape with original bassist Rex Brown also on board.

“Throughout the years, there’s always been rumblings about it, so it wasn’t until, obviously, now… I was speaking on the phone with Phil — we might have been all on a group call — but Phil was just, like, ‘Zakk, would you honor Dime and would you play?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, Phil. Of course. I’ve always said I would. … If you guys wanna go do it, then let’s do it.'”

Both Wylde and Benante expressed the desire to keep the performances as true to the original Pantera as possible. After all, Wylde has first-hand experience with learning another guitarist’s parts from his years in Ozzy Osbourne’s band. Benante, on the other hand, became the de-facto drummer for remote bedroom covers throughout the pandemic, proving his affinity for learning songs.

“Obviously I’ve gotta learn [Randy] Rhoads’ stuff and I’ve gotta learn Jake’s [E. Lee] stuff [when I play with Ozzy], and when I was doing the [Black] Sabbath stuff, you learn it and do it as faithful as you can,” Wylde said. “Charlie’s gotta learn all of Vinnie’s parts. You approach it as if you’re in a cover band.”

Benante agreed: “I can’t go do this as the drummer from Anthrax because it would be a different sound completely. So the way I’m gonna do that is if you close your eyes, it’s gonna sound like it’s Vinnie, basically. And that’s how it’s gonna be… The sound is gonna sound exactly like him.”

Editor's Pick

Pantera’s 10 Best Songs

The drummer also revealed Anselmo first approached him about the Pantera tour last December, but that he initially didn’t take it that seriously. I was talking to Philip, and then he just mentioned this,” recalled Benante. “And I said, ‘Oh, yeah, sure. Whatever.’ And then it became real about January [or] February.”

When asked if he knew when the first reunion show would take place, Benante replied in the negative; however, the initial report stated that the tour would occur sometime in 2023.

You can hear this entire interview from todays #trunknation replay tonight 10-Mid ET @siriusxmvolume 106 or anytime @SIRIUSXM app. Will also replay this Sat & Sun 2-4P ET on 106. Back live Monday 3P ET on new home Faction Talk @SIRIUSXM 103 w/ @bretmichaels ! https://t.co/Jnxsf5Rb4a — Eddie Trunk (@EddieTrunk) July 28, 2022

Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante Open Up About Pantera Tour: “It’s Gonna Be Awesome” Jon Hadusek

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Pantera Reunion Tour: Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante to Play Guitar and Drums

As Billboard   previously reported,  Pantera 's surviving members — Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown — will be hitting the road in 2023 for a long-speculated reunion tour. The news broke with the announcement of Pantera signing with Artist Group International to book their North American dates, with agent Peter Pappalardo saying that he and his partner Dennis Arfa are "thrilled to be working with such an iconic band and bringing their music back to the fans."

A major detail that wasn't included in the initial announcement was who would be filling the shoes of the band's founding Abbott brothers, guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, who've both died in the years since Pantera's last show on August 26th, 2001. 

Now, after rumors swirled, it's been officially revealed that Black Label Society/Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante will be performing with Pantera during their run of 2023 shows. 

According to Billboard , Wylde and Benante's inclusions in the lineup were greenlit by the estates of Paul and Darrell, as well as Brown himself. A source close to the band told Billboard that in 2023, Pantera will be headlining multiple major festivals throughout North America and Europe, as well as some of their own shows. 

So far, neither Anselmo or Brown have officially commented on the reunion news, nor have Wylde or Benante released any personal statements about their involvement in the project. 

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Pantera 2023 Celebration Tour Will Include Zakk Wylde, Charlie Benante

By Andrew Magnotta @AndrewMagnotta

July 15, 2022

The two surviving members of Pantera will fill out their touring lineup with guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante , as they celebrate the legacy of one of America's most impactful heavy metal bands on tour in 2023.

Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown reportedly secured the blessing of the estates of their late-bandmates, Vinnie Paul Abbott and "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott , to go about the reunion.

Brown insisted as recently as last summer that Wylde would not take part in a Pantera-related tour, but something ( very possibly Wylde's availability ) apparently changed.

Wylde, the longtime guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of Black Label Society , has long been rumored to be Darrell's likely fill in for a Pantera tour. A longtime friend of Pantera's Wylde performed with Darrell and Vinnie Paul's band Damageplan on multiple occasions in the early-2000s and dedicated the 2005 BLS ballad "In This River" to Darrell, who was murdered in a concert shooting in 2004.

Benante's relationship with Pantera dates back to the mid-'80s, when an early version of Pantera opened for Anthrax in Texas. The drummer says the two bands became fast friends and would get together whenever their paths crossed over the next decade-plus.

Vinnie Paul died in 2018 due to complications from a heart condition .

Plans for the Pantera tour were confirmed on Wednesday by the band's booking agents. No dates have yet been announced.

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Zakk Wylde: “The sound of Pantera comes from Dimebag’s love for Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. The playing is rooted in precision”

Is it a reunion or a tribute? If you ask Zakk, it’s simply a celebration of the music, spirit and legacy of his fallen brother. In this exclusive interview, he shares his fondest memories of Dimebag Darrell and reveals the challenges of mastering his iconic guitar parts

On December 18, 2022, about two weeks after playing their first-ever show together since 2001, Pantera are getting ready to tear up the Knotfest Carnival stage at the Anhembi Sambadrome in São Paulo, Brazil. 

Minutes before showtime, the ravenous crowd cheers along to Jackass -style video snippets of Pantera smashing things, blowing up shit, playing practical jokes and performing mind-blowing shows in the Nineties. 

A projection of a silhouette of the late Dimebag Darrell – wearing a Dean electric guitar , fist raised in triumph – and his late brother Vinnie Paul – holding up a drumstick – fill the screens as the band takes the stage to the weird and ethereal Peter Ivers song In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song) from David Lynch’s Eraserhead . The moment the nation has waited more than 27 years for has arrived.

“This is called A New Level ,” shouts vocalist Phil Anselmo, and immediately Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde, Cattle Decapitation bassist Derek Engemann (who’s temporarily filling in for Covid-stricken Pantera co-founder Rex Brown) and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante blast into the chugging opening rhythm of the song as the crowd chants to the beat. Then, Wylde, armed with an orange-and-black bullseye-decorated Wylde Audio Warhammer, doubles the speed of the riff and sparks start to fly – literally and figuratively.

Turbulence and discord were obstacles for Pantera’s return to the stage long before Vinnie Paul died of a heart attack in 2018. Many fans and critics have insisted that booking a “Pantera” tour that doesn’t feature founding members Dimebag Darrell Abbott (who was killed onstage in 2004) and Vinnie Paul Abbott is offensive, even with the remaining Abbotts’ blessings. 

Others claim the real offense would be to bury the band’s explosive concerts along with the brothers, and that Wylde and Benante are the perfect fill-ins (not replacements) for Dime and Vinnie. Zakk and Dime were close friends and Benante was tight with Dime and Vinnie, who were big Anthrax fans and who toured together in 1998. 

“To me, it’s just a beautiful thing,” Wylde says of the worldwide tour that includes U.S. dates opening for Metallica and headlining with Lamb of God, as well as numerous festival appearances.

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“Whenever we do the Experience Hendrix thing, we pay tribute to the amazing music and playing of Jimi Hendrix. And when I’m playing Mr. Crowley or Crazy Train with Ozzy [Osbourne], we’re celebrating the greatness of Randy [Rhoads]. It’s not controversial or tragic. It’s about this awesome thing Pantera created – and this community of people who still enjoy it.” 

We’re up there celebrating Dime and Vinnie. That’s what this is about, and it brings joy to so many people

Seeing the revamped Pantera onstage in São Paulo (or anywhere else), it’s hard to dispute Wylde’s comments or talk smack about the band’s gangbuster performances. This is, indeed, a beautiful thing. Throughout the São Paulo show, Wylde plays most of the crunching rhythms in a partial crouch, biceps bulging, hair swaying left and right, obscuring his face. 

The sound is vintage Pantera – scooped mids, crushing power chords embellished with artificial harmonics, Whammy pedal squeals and jaw-dropping solos. If you close your eyes, you can picture Dime and Vinnie up there with Phil.

Wylde worked obsessively to emulate Dime’s sound and style, and if that’s not enough to convince everyone that this is an act of love for the Abbotts, the guitarist’s cut-off jean jacket cements the deal. It’s covered with orange-and-black patches dedicated to the late Abbott brothers. There are circular patches of their faces, each partially surrounded by “St. Dime” and “St. Vinnie,” respectively. A patch on Wylde’s right shoulder reads “Pantera” and features a line of stars that look like a military insignia. 

On his back, the edges of the CFH [Cowboys from Hell] logo peek out under his studded black strap. And just in case anyone missed the message, a rounded “Pantera” patch is positioned above the back patch and the words “Cowboys from Hell” are perched below. 

On a more personal level, a razorblade dangles from a chain around Wylde’s neck – an homage to Dime’s trademark necklace, which Dime wore in homage to Judas Priest and the iconic cover of their British Steel album.

“We’re up there celebrating Dime and Vinnie. That’s what this is about, and it brings joy to so many people,” Wylde says, adding that playing Pantera songs is just as enjoyable for him and Benante, whose T-shirt displays a Simpsons-style drawing of the Abbott brothers. “For us, it’s really special because we’re commemorating our buddies – the guys in Pantera who we loved – and everything they did for music.”

Usually, when Wylde talks to journalists, he regales them with hysterical stories about working and playing with Ozzy and Black Label Society. Frequently, he chronicles many of the madcap misadventures he enjoyed and the venues he destroyed when he was living out his rock ’n’ roll fantasies. 

These days, he’s recapping his history and relationship with the guys in Pantera and discussing the tour that many – including Vinnie Paul – thought would never happen. While he’s occasionally self-deprecating and cracks a few good jokes, Wylde is absolutely reverential to everyone in Pantera and talks far less about himself than about the purpose of the reunion and Dime’s groundbreaking playing. 

In addition to addressing how inspiring Dime’s technique was to a legion of fans, he emphasizes how the insight he gained from their friendship keeps him upbeat and motivated today.

“Dime’s attitude was that you should be loving and living life to its fullest every waking moment,” Wylde says. “His and Vinnie’s love for life was totally infectious, and whenever you were around them everything was always positive. Always.”

Following decades of false rumors and dismissed press reports, the first legitimate hint that something was brewing in the Pantera camp came in July 2022, when Billboard reported that Anselmo and Brown were putting together a new Pantera lineup and had signed with Artist Group International to book a North American tour. When it was time to pick fill-ins for Dime and Vinnie, Wylde and Benante were the obvious choices. 

Five months later, Pantera played their first show with the new lineup at Mexico’s Monterrey Metal Fest with Judas Priest. Just as fans in the U.S. were getting antsy wondering when Pantera would rock North America, Metallica announced Pantera as their opening act for a batch of shows that are likely to be some of the biggest concerts of the year. Pantera have also announced headline gigs with Lamb of God and festival appearances in Europe.

Sitting in his studio in Los Angeles a few weeks after a Black Label Society tour with Anthrax, Wylde must feel like a medal-decorated Olympic athlete about to head into his best event. Having won over any skeptics with his fiery, heartfelt performances at the late-2022 dates in Latin America – which were less a trial run and more a trial by fire – Wylde is feeling confident and relaxed. 

Perched before a wall of at least 35 variously colored hanging Wylde Audio Odin Barbarian and Odin Grail guitars, wearing a black ski hat and matching “1998 Black Label Society” sweatshirt (the year he formed the band) and thoughtfully stroking his viking beard, Wylde is effectively out of BLS mode and in the zone for the next round of Pantera shows, which begin in a week, with two dates at the Loud Park Festival in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan. 

It was funny. I said, ‘Charlie, you’re better off practicing to the records than waiting around for me to go over stuff with you.’

Black Label Society recently completed two legs of a tour with Anthrax. Did that give you an opportunity to do some jamming with drummer Charlie Benante in preparation for the Pantera tour? 

“No, because once you get on the road there’s no time to hang out and go sightseeing. Charlie was actually thinking about it. When we did the first tour with Anthrax and Black Label, we were in Vegas having coffee in the morning and Charlie comes up to me and goes, ‘Zakk, you think we can get together and work on some stuff?’ 

“And I’m like, ‘It’s not gonna happen, bro. Just stop. We’ll worry about that when we go to New Orleans.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, but while we’re on tour we could get a practice room and…’ And I go, ‘No, dude. We’re not gonna get together and jam before I get up on stage with Black Label. I don’t even do sound checks with Black Label. It was funny. I said, ‘Charlie, you’re better off practicing to the records than waiting around for me to go over stuff with you.’”

Couldn’t you have made the time to do it once or twice just to get your feet wet? 

“Bro, once the day gets rolling, we’ve got all these things to do, and before we know it we’re onstage again. The running joke is – whether we’re doing three or four shows in a row – as soon as we get up there and Zeppelin and Sabbath are playing over the sound system right before we go on, we’ll do a cheer with the fellas and I’ll go, ‘Didn’t we just do this 20 minutes ago? It feels like we’re back up onstage for the third set of the night!’ So, no, man. There’s no time.” 

How long did you rehearse in New Orleans before the first Pantera show?

“We were there for almost two weeks, just so we could go over all the parts and make sure everybody knew the playbook. It worked out really great. We just made sure everything fit in the right pocket and everyone was on the same wavelength.”

Frankie Bello was like, ‘Zakk, you know all the parts, right?’ I go, ‘No, I don’t know any of the parts. Why would I?’

Was there a learning curve before you found the right groove?

“Not really, because we’ve all been doing this for so long. I think it’s the same way with anything when you’re dealing with professionals. Whether it’s football teams, baseball teams, bands. You got other players in there that know what they’re doing and how to play the game. 

“If you take [wide receiver] Jerry Rice [who was best known for playing on the San Francisco 49ers] and put him on the New England Patriots – so that now he’s with [former quarterback] Tom Brady – once him and Brady go over the routes it’s just like, ‘Okay, Tom, just throw me the ball. I’ll be there.’ He knows the game well enough to play with anybody. It’s the same with music. You learn the plays and then do what you gotta do.”

Did you already know how to play all the songs?

“It’s so funny that people think I’d already played all these songs. On the first Anthrax/Black Label run we did, [bassist] Frankie Bello was like, ‘Zakk, you know all the parts, right?’ I go, ‘No, I don’t know any of the parts. Why would I?’ It’s like if Dime agreed to fill in for me doing a run with Ozzy and I asked him, ‘Hey, can you come up right now and play the solo to No More Tears , Miracle Man or Stillborn ?” He’d be like, ‘Well, I’ve heard the songs, but that doesn’t mean I know how to play ’em. First I gotta learn ’em!’ You have to practice, and you have to work on it to get everything right.”

Was it easy to learn Dime’s parts?

“Some of them. But I had to go to YouTube for a batch of stuff if I couldn’t figure it out. That was definitely a massive help. And then there were still about two or three things where Rex went, ‘Nah, you’re slightly off. Do this’ – whatever it was. And I’m like, ‘Oh, okay. I got it now.’” 

What was the greatest challenge?  

“The hardest thing wasn’t learning them; it was learning the proper way to play them so they sound like Dime – because everybody’s gonna play certain things their own way. I remember when I used to play [Rush’s] The Spirit of Radio , I learned it on the B string and the G string, and I had to do this big stretch. My guitar teacher was like, ‘No, no, Zakk. It’s all open strings. It’s on the second fret on the E and the B.’ That was way easier. 

“I remember reading an article with Al Di Meola years ago, and he was saying that when he was learning all this hybrid chicken pickin’ stuff, he was going, ‘Man, how do they do that?’ There are all these string jumps and he’s just using a pick [instead of his fingers]. 

“He said, ‘Looking back on it, learning it incorrectly helped me with my picking immensely.’ So no matter how you do it, it’s really just a matter of sitting and learning it. You just work on it until you can do it and it sounds right.”

What was your favorite Pantera part to learn? 

“The actual riff that Dime jammed on for Cowboys from Hell was very cool. I don’t know if Dime was doing a finger exercise when he came up with that, or he was just jamming and noodling on and on the way Slash put together Sweet Child O’ Mine – but it’s a really great pattern. Speaking of Al Di Meola, it’s almost like something he would do, but the way Dime presented it, it was totally metal.” 

A lot of people, including artists that have covered it, have played it wrong.

“I mean, there’s several ways you could play it and it’s still the same if it sounds the same. But it’s definitely a signature Dimebag lick.”

The actual riff that Dime jammed on for Cowboys from Hell was very cool. I don’t know if Dime was doing a finger exercise when he came up with that

Were you surprised when Metallica offered you the main opening slot on their tour – or was that in the works for a long time?  

“I have no idea about any of that stuff. I just show up whenever we get these dates in. It’s like being a Navy Seal. You get your orders, and you go, ‘We gotta go kill some bad guys. Let’s do it!’ But no, it’s great, without a doubt. We’re friends with all those guys, so it’ll be a good time.”

Pantera formed in 1981 as teenagers. Were you a fan back when they were releasing their own albums, or did you discover them later in their career? 

“When we were doing the Pride and Glory stuff [in 1994], our drummer Brian Tichy was really into checking out new stuff. He turned me on to Pantera, Soundgarden and other cool bands. So I heard [Pantera’s] Walk and Mouth for War and I loved them. And then I heard I’m Broken ’cause it was on Headbanger’s Ball .”

When did you first meet Dime?

“We played the 1994 Monsters of Rock show at Castle Donington in England. Aerosmith was headlining and Extreme was on the bill. But then you had Sepultura and Pantera. We opened the show, so then we got to watch all the other bands and hang out. That’s when we met all the guys in Pantera. They were awesome guys and, to me, they were the new breed.

“People always ask me, ‘What was Dime’s legacy?’ I always think of Dime in the same way I think of Tony Iommi. He’s just beyond – and loved, obviously. We all love King Edward [Van Halen] And Saint [Randy] Rhoads and everything they did with their chops. But I think Pantera is the benchmark for what they did with insanely heavy metal, kind of how Black Sabbath is the benchmark for hard, riff-driven stuff and just heaviness in general. As far as his riffs and his playing go, I think Dime sits at the table with Tony Iommi.”

If you’re talking about the sound of Pantera, a lot of that comes because of Dime’s love for Eddie and Randy

Dime didn’t just play with speed and flair; he and the rest of the band were incredibly tight. 

“If you’re talking about the sound of Pantera, a lot of that comes because of Dime’s love for Eddie and Randy. The playing is rooted in precision. It’s not sloppy. When you listen to punk, it’s all about aggression. You’re not worried about it being super-tight or musically complicated. You just want the aggression, and the slop that’s there is part of the flavor. But with Pantera, between Vinnie’s drumming and Rex’s tight basslines, along with Dime’s incredible playing, which is also so tight, the band is just a fine-tuned precision instrument.”

Aside from being so tight, what was Dime’s greatest gift as a guitarist?

“The way he played and his core choice of sounds. A lot of them are just for dissonance purposes, and it sounds dirty and nasty, and it screams, but that’s the flavor you want in the soup. There’s a lot of thought and planning that went into the way he chose to go from one chord to another in unexpected ways, and it totally works in every song. Everything he did worked, which is pretty incredible.”

How long was it after you met Pantera at Castle Donington that you and Dime became tight?

“He was super-cool to me from the start. He knew who I was because I had played with Ozzy. But really, our friendship started with us being huge fans of a lot of the same bands and talking about music. We’d always talk about the guitar players we loved and why we loved them.”

There are legendary stories about you partying with Dime and tearing up shit. Is that what solidified your friendship? Or was it more a matter of being in the same industry, talking about guitarists and music? 

“It was a combination of everything. Between the playing, the drinking, how we matched our stilettos and our fishnets with our eyeliner and our rouge – all the typical stuff that brings fellas together. [Laughs]”

Did you jam with Dime over the years? 

“No. Why would we do that? It cuts into drinking time. [Laughs] Let’s see. We could be at an Irish pub somewhere laughing our asses off or we could be working on writing some new music. Hmmmm. I think we’ll be at the Irish pub! [Laughs] “Seriously, man. There was no time to jam. They live in Texas. I was out in California. Whenever we got together it was just to have a good time.”

What’s the first great drinking story you remember with Dime?

“Dude, if I remembered it then it wouldn’t be great. When we started hanging out, of course, we drank, but most of the time drinking with Dime would be over the phone. We talked on the phone all the time for several hours just drinking away. We’d make each other cry, we’d be laughing so hard. But every time we got together it was always hilarious – nothing but pure comedy. And sometimes we caused some mayhem.”

“One time, I was down at Dime’s house and it was like a lost Weekend at Bernie’s down there. I had to make sure I got a flight home to Newark [airport in New Jersey] to help Barbaranne, my wife, with our two newborn kids. They were 15 months apart and they were in strollers. I end up in this drunken debacle, and of course, I miss the flight home. 

“So Barb is with the babies and they’re crying and I’m not there. So yeah, Barb wasn’t a happy camper for that one. Dime smoothed that one over for me so she wouldn’t yell at me too much. She’s not gonna yell at Dime. He was my guardian angel on that one – my ‘get out of jail free’ card.”

There’s a great story about Pantera trashing producer Terry Date’s rental cars. You had a similar experience with Dime once and you wound up crashing a 4x4 through fences by the road and doing donuts on people’s property, yes?

“That was complete and total insanity. I thought it was a rental car the whole time and it turned out to be his buddy’s truck that we trashed. [Dime’s wife] Rita had to do some damage control and put out some fires on that one. Pretty much whatever we did – and you can see a lot of the kinds of practical jokes on the Vulgar Videos they released – it was all just tons of silliness and stupidity. And thank God, nobody got hurt.” 

Dime and Vinnie had a reputation for being extremely generous. People close to them say the Christmas parties they threw at their dad’s house were legendary and guests would get showered with gifts before they left. Did Dime ever give you an amazing present for Christmas or your birthday?

“Oh, man, it didn’t have to be Christmas or Easter or Thanksgiving. Dime would just pop up all the time and give people gifts. If he knew you were a Judas Priest fan and he got a copy of their new box set before it came out, he would just give it to you. He was Santa Claus with a pink beard. That was one of his nicknames.”

What was your favorite gift from Dime?

“It would have to be the Dean guitars. I’m probably going to break out two of them on this upcoming run, which will be pretty cool.”

Some say Dime and Vinnie were larger than their music. Were they larger than life?

“Oh, man. If you think about them or you want to celebrate them, then treat every day like it’s a Friday or Saturday night because that’s what they did. Don’t feel sorry for yourself for 10 minutes, five minutes, five seconds. You should not be bumming about anything for even one second because that’s not gonna fix anything anyway. They were always having fun and they were hysterical. They videotaped everything, and looking back it’s all just Benny Hill comedy reels.”

Did you ever see Dime when he was down? 

“No, not in person. The only time was when we used to talk on the phone back when he was starting Damageplan. He was upset about Pantera. They had worked so hard to get to where they did and then it all ended, and he basically had to start over again with Damageplan. He was like, ‘Zakk, what am I gonna do?’ That was the only time I ever knew when he was upset or down.”

What did you say to him?

“I was just like, ‘Dude, you’re like Eddie or Randy to so many kids out there. You gotta take that gift and just carry on.’ I had a famous shot of Randy, where he was sitting there looking into the mirror, practicing guitar. So, I sent it to Dime when he was making that Damageplan record and I said, ‘Whenever you’re feeling down, just look at this picture for inspiration.’ Aside from that, he was always a powerful light and a force of positivity.”

There was an incredible connection between Dime and Vinnie, and that was a big part of Pantera’s chemistry. They were closer than brothers. 

“Yeah, well, almost. I remember telling Eddie Van Halen, ‘Ed, you should check out this band Pantera. Dime and Vin are kind of like you and Alex. They’re brothers, and they love you guys.’ And he was like, ‘Oh, yeah? Sounds cool.’ But definitely, man, they were family. They were close, they had chemistry, and that’s always gonna be there in the music.”

Dime was your best friend. How did his death affect you? 

“It was definitely crazy. They had played Seattle [on November 14, 2004] and then they were in Ohio [where Dime was murdered on December 8]. They were scheduled to go to L.A. from there. Not long before the Ohio thing, I spoke to Dime and he said, ‘I’ll see you in about two weeks!’ And I went, ‘Alright, cool, man. We’ll all have a good time.’ And then, suddenly, we’re in fuckin’ bizarre land. 

“I was going to see him soon and suddenly… It was just weird. I remember talking to Vinnie when we were down in Australia in 2014, and he said, ‘Zakk, I can’t believe it. My brother’s almost been gone for 10 years.’ I said, ‘Yeah, I know. It’s crazy, man. It’s just crazy.’ And now Vinnie’s [been] gone [for almost five years]. 

“It just goes to show you how every day is a gift. It really is. Not that you need to see your friends pass away to realize how precious life is. But it’s the truth. Every day is a gift.”

There were reports back in 2014 that you, Phil and Rex wanted to play a reunion tour with Vinnie. 

“I told Vinnie and the fellas, ‘If you guys ever wanted to do it, of course I would be there for you to support you and to support Dime. Just tell me what I need to learn and I’ll learn it.’ There were all these conversations circling around.”

How close did it come to happening?

“I think it was pretty close, but you’d have to ask Phil and Rex exactly what happened – whether they got into an argument or something – I don’t know. I’m friends with all of those guys, and I said, ‘It’s none of my business. I’m just here for you if you want me involved.’”

I’m not saying this [group of performers] is Pantera. I just want to honor Dime and the band

Do you know if Vinnie ever made peace with Phil?

“I have no idea where Vinnie was with Phil back then. Like I said, I don’t get involved with that stuff. I’m not saying this [group of performers] is Pantera. I just want to honor Dime and the band. It’s like asking Eric Clapton, ‘If Mitch [Mitchell] and Noel [Redding] said, Would you honor Jimi and go out and play and sing with us?,’ of course Clapton’s gonna say yes. It’s not even a matter of saying yes. You have to do this. So if they ask you to do it, you do it.”

Considering how much bad blood there was for so long, how did this finally end up happening? How did you get involved in what has turned out to be the greatest possible tribute to Pantera? 

“It was easy. Phil called me up and said, ‘Hey, Zakky, you want to go out and honor Dime and Vinnie?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, when do you want to do it?’ And that was it. We talked about it for a while and then we all got on a group chat and talked about what songs we were gonna do and the tunings and everything like that.”

What’s the highlight for you in terms of doing these songs?

“Just keeping them alive and paying tribute to Dime and Vinnie and Pantera. I just look at it this way. I [imagine] Dime and Vinnie are with us and we’re at the House of Blues, and we say, ‘Wait ’til you see this early birthday present we got you guys.’ And they’re figuring it’s gonna be the ultimate Kiss tribute band because they love Kiss. 

“The curtain opens up, and it’s me and Charlie playing their stuff with Rex and Phil! They’d be going, ‘I can’t believe what I’m seeing right now!’ They’d be on the floor crying, laughing, high-fiving each other, going, ‘This is hilarious. The guys actually took the time to learn our stuff.’ I know they’d be having the best time. And I can just hear Dime saying, ‘Holy shit, Zakk bought a Whammy pedal for this!’”

Do you ever feel Dime and Vinnie’s presence?

“All the time. And it’s so crazy because when we started talking about doing this thing, there would be constant reminders about it wherever I went. I told Barb, ‘Dime is willing this thing to happen. He wants this to happen.’ I’d just get constant reminders of him all the time, whether it was a picture or something on my phone, or I’d be driving and I’d see a Pantera license plate or a ‘333’ somewhere – that was Dime’s lucky number. I was literally going, ‘He’s watching and he’s here with me.’”

Dimebag was a guitar hero. You’re a guitar hero. But no matter who you are, it’s hard to step into someone else’s shoes – especially when there are people out there who don’t want that. Was there ever a moment when you thought it would be too hard physically or emotionally to get up there and play Pantera songs? 

Dime and Vinnie were literally the Van Halen side of the band – exciting, energetic and always ready for a good time – and Phil’s lyrics and vocals made the music darker and more vicious

“When Pantera released Far Beyond Driven , I asked Dime why he wrote such aggressive riffs, and if he’s a really angry person inside. He said, ‘Dude, I’m not angry about anything.’ I realized Dime and Vinnie were literally the Van Halen side of the band – exciting, energetic and always ready for a good time – and Phil’s lyrics and vocals made the music darker and more vicious. And the contrast was amazing.

“When you look at the bands we love – whether it’s the Beatles, the Stones, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Cream – when you look at them, every one of them had this special chemistry. With Van Halen, you got Eddie and then you got Dave [Lee Roth]. And it’s just a perfect combination. But if you took John Bonham and put him in Black Sabbath, and you took Bill Ward and put him in Led Zeppelin, you’d have two completely different bands. 

“And then imagine putting Robert Plant in Black Sabbath and Ozzy in Led Zeppelin. Completely different. When you talk about all these amazing musicians we love, if you mixed and matched them, it’s crazy to think of what the outcomes might have been like. Pantera were four guys that were a perfect fit for each other – all of them – when they came to the table and made that soup. And for a while it was the best of all possible worlds.”

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Jon is an author, journalist, and podcaster who recently wrote and hosted the first 12-episode season of the acclaimed Backstaged: The Devil in Metal , an exclusive from Diversion Podcasts/iHeart. He is also the primary author of the popular Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal and the sole author of Raising Hell: Backstage Tales From the Lives of Metal Legends . In addition, he co-wrote I'm the Man: The Story of That Guy From Anthrax (with Scott Ian), Ministry: The Lost Gospels According to Al Jourgensen (with Al Jourgensen), and My Riot: Agnostic Front, Grit, Guts & Glory (with Roger Miret). Wiederhorn has worked on staff as an associate editor for Rolling Stone , Executive Editor of Guitar Magazine , and senior writer for MTV News. His work has also appeared in Spin , Entertainment Weekly , Yahoo.com, Revolver , Inked , Loudwire.com and other publications and websites.

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Zakk Wylde on Black Label Society’s 25th Anniversary, Playing With Pantera + More – ‘I’m Grateful Every Day’

"It's pretty insane how time flies by."

On Loudwire Nights Thursday night (Sept. 14), Zakk Wylde took a moment to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the start of Black Label Society .

"I had these conversations with my father when he was 80," Wylde told host Chuck Armstrong . "My dad was like, 'Well, you only turn 40 twice.' My dad would be talking about World War II and Normandy and Omaha Beach and everything like that. But to him, it didn't seem that long ago. My dad could still walk. He still worked at the gas station. My dad still did normal things, you know?"

For Wylde, as he explained, he feels similarly about the history of Black Label. Twenty-five years may seem like a long time to some, but it's a drop in the bucket when Wylde looks back on his entire career, which includes starting his journey with Ozzy Osbourne in 1987 when he was just 20 years old.

And about five years later, he had to think about his next step.

"Ozz was like, 'Well, I'm going to take a break for a little bit, so if you guys are getting offers to do anything, go for it.' So that's when we did the Pride & Glory thing, and then after the beer funds ran out, we did Ozzmosis —we had a blast making that record."

Wylde told Chuck he had also started writing his own material on the acoustic guitar, but he wasn't ready to be James Taylor .

"I wanted to do riff-oriented stuff and I was jamming with the Guns N' Roses guys at the time," he said, thinking about when he auditioned for that band. "It was nothing, nothing came of that. I wasn't playing with Ozz, so it was like, 'Well, what am I going to do?' I was like, I'll just do it myself ... And that was pretty much when Black Label was born."

Celebrating Dimebag and Vinnie in 'The Pantera Celebration'

Along with reflecting on the history of Black Label Society, Wylde also talked about what a joy it's been playing in "the Pantera celebration," as he lovingly referred to it.

"We're having a blast celebrating the mountains that Pantera conquered," he said. "Celebrating Dime and Vinnie and Phil and Rex and everything they created."

Wylde told the Loudwire Nights audience that one of the best parts about playing with Pantera is watching Rex and Phil "crush it" every night.

"I'm really happy for the fellas. It's a beautiful thing celebrating the guys and all the beautiful memories it brings back."

As Wylde thought about what it's like celebrating the legacy of Pantera, he quickly threw in what it's like doing something similar with Ozzy.

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"It's the same thing with Ozzy every night," he admitted, "when we celebrated Randy [Rhoads] , you know, playing 'Crazy Train,' 'I Don't know,' 'Mr. Crowley'—all the stuff. You're honoring Randy's greatness, so now we're just up there every night honoring Dime and Vinnie's greatness. It's a beautiful thing."

As the conversation neared its end, Wylde's gratitude for everything he's experienced and continues to be part of came through very clearly.

"I'm truly blessed, man. Without a doubt. I'm grateful every day, I thank God every day."

What Else Did Zakk Wylde Discuss on Loudwire Nights ?

• New songs he's been working on for Black Label Society and what fans can expect
• The ripple effect of Ozzy leaving Black Sabbath and all the lives it completely changed
• What Jerry Cantrell told Wylde's wife that he'll never forget

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Zakk Wylde joined  Loudwire Nights on Thursday, Sept. 14; the show replays online here , and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app ; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station  and listen to interviews on-demand . Stream Black Label Society's latest album, Doom Crew Inc. ,   at this location and then  check out Pantera's full tour schedule .

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SOULFLY Announces Fall 2024 U.S. Tour With EYEHATEGOD

SOULFLY will embark on the "Superstition" U.S. tour in October. Support on the trek will come from EYEHATEGOD (from October 22 until November 6 only), MUTILATION BARBECUE and SKINFLINT .

SOULFLY is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Totem" , which came out in August 2022 via Nuclear Blast . The follow-up to 2018's "Ritual" was recorded at Platinum Underground in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino and Arthur Rizk with assistance from John Powers . Produced by Max Cavalera alongside Arthur Rizk ( KREATOR , MUNICIPAL WASTE , CODE ORANGE ),the LP boasts guest appearances from John Powers ( ETERNAL CHAMPION ), Chris Ulsh ( POWER TRIP ),and John Tardy ( OBITUARY ). Rizk was also responsible for playing lead guitar on the record. The artwork for the album was created by James Bousema .

"Superstition" U.S. tour dates with EYEHATEGOD (from October 22 until November 6 only),MUTILATION BARBECUE and SKINFLINT:

Oct. 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater Oct. 21 - Wichita, KS @ Wave Oct. 22 - Dallas. TX @ Trees* Oct. 23 - Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live* Oct. 24 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea's Live * Oct. 25 - Ft. Walton Beach, Fl @ Dwntn Music Hall* Oct. 26 - Ft. Myers, FL @ The Ranch* Oct. 28 - Nov. 1 - Headbangers Boat Cruise* Nov. 02 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room* Nov. 03 - Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits* Nov. 04 - Mobile, AL @ Soul Kitchen* Nov. 05 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Midtown* Nov. 06 - San Antonio, TX @ Rock Box* Nov. 07 - Lubbock. TX @ Jakes Sports Café Nov. 08 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace Nov. 09 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater

* With EYEHATEGOD

In a recent interview with Germany's Moshpit Passion , SOULFLY leader Max Cavalera spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming follow-up to "Totem" . He said: "I really liked the early SOULFLY stuff because it was more tribal and more groove. And now because I have [the] CAVALERA and GO AHEAD AND DIE [projects], I can be as heavy as I want with CAVALERA that it leaves me SOULFLY to be something quite different. I can mold SOULFLY a bit different now where SOULFLY is really kind of like more of a groove-oriented tribal band. And I think that's really, in a lot of people's perception, that was the best of SOULFLY was like that. So, it's not that I'm jumping on the bandwagon of nu metal; it's not really that. It's just that I think that the early SOULFLY had some kind of magic that, through the years we kind of lost that magic. And I think we're trying to bring it back with this new record that is gonna come out next year."

Elaborating on what fans can expect to hear on SOULFLY 's upcoming thirteenth album, Max said: "I think it's gonna be cool because it's also influenced by other stuff I'm listening to at the moment, like KUBLAI KHAN and JESUS PIECE and KNOCKED LOOSE , JUDICIARY . So there's really heavy breakdown grooves together with tribal drums. It's gonna be cool, man. It's gonna be a real cool album that I am very excited to create. And, of course, also the fact that my mother passed away last year, I'm gonna make this album for her. It's a homage to her. So it's gonna be also a spiritual record for me because of that. So it's gonna be a special record, for sure. It's been [two] years since 'Totem' . 'Totem' was our last record. I think we are inspired to create something special next year."

This past March, Max was asked by Radioactive MikeZ , host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire" , if guitarist Mike DeLeon , who has been touring with SOULFLY for more than a year, will be featured on the band's next LP. Max responded: "I'm leaving it open for now. Mike is gonna jam with us. We have some festivals in the U.S. I think we're doing, and we're also doing the LAMB OF GOD boat [ Headbangers Boat ], the cruise. That should be fun as hell. And Mike will play with us for that. He's a great guy. I love Mike ."

He continued: "I don't know. It's too early to know where I'm gonna go with this record — if I'm gonna try to find somebody else to record or if we're just gonna roll with Mike . We don't know yet. I haven't even — I [only] have a few riffs written [so far]."

Asked if he writes music for I whatever record or project he is working on or if he puts riffs aside for certain records, Max said: "When I lock in on a project, I get very obsessed with the project. I become so obsessed that everything I'm writing is for this and I know exactly what it needs, what kind of sound I'm looking for. And SOULFLY , I'm kind of planning a little bit of a return to the early sound. The big-groove tribal sound will return to SOULFLY . I think a lot of fans want that. I love that. I think it's kind of like a trademark of SOULFLY that kind of got lost in the shuffle through the years. We went more into the trashier side of stuff. But now I have [my side project] GO AHEAD AND DIE that I can trash all I want in it. I can have SOULFLY be a little bit more what it was in the beginning — more about that, the whole tribal thing, which is really cool and unique. It's a unique thing that SOULFLY has. So we're gonna probably go back more to that, which should be really cool."

Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY , DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo 's solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS , which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri . More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.

In August 2021, SOULFLY parted ways with longtime guitarist Marc Rizzo due to personal differences. FEAR FACTORY 's Dino Cazares played guitar for SOULFLY on the band's 2021 and 2022 run of shows.

In February, Max told Ghost Cult 's Keefy that SOULFLY 's follow-up to "Totem" likely wouldn't arrive before 2025.

Photo credit: Jim Louvau

When you speak, I speak. When you dream, I dream. Superstition tour heading your way! Posted by Soulfly on  Wednesday, May 29, 2024

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