Zakk Wylde has spoken publicly about his role in the Pantera 2023 reunion tour. Wylde discussed the tour during a backstage interview at the Inckcarceration festival in Mansfield, Ohio over the weekend.
Wylde shared his excitement in being included in the tour with hosts Jose Mangin and Matt Pinfield, indicating it is an honour for him to be considered worthy to temporarily fill Dimebag Darrell’s shoes and revealing that a reunion was discussed as a way to pay tribute to Dimebag before his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul also passed away.
“I said “of course, I would…if you asked me, why would I not do it? I’m going to honour Dime.”
Wylde goes on to compare the experience to that of notable acts stepping in to pay tribute to other late guitar legends in the past.
“It could be like Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell asking Eric Clapton if he would go out and honour Jimi Hendrix, and Eric playing Jim’s stuff and singing Jimi’s songs and they’re going out as the ‘Jimi Hendrix Celebration’. And he’s going to honour his body and he’s going to play his songs. I think it’s a beautiful thing. When we do the ‘Dimebash’...it’s a celebration of Dime’s greatness. It’s a Panera celebration – that’s what it is.” "It's a beautiful thing. You’re celebrating Vinnie and Dime‘s greatness and you’re celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered and crushed."
Wylde did go out of his way to clarify that the reunion tour is NOT in his opinion, Pantera.
“Pantera is those four guys - it’s Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, Dime and Vinnie. But it’s just like when Led Zeppelin went out with Jason Bonham playing, it was phenomenal.”
Watch the full Zakk Wylde interview with Danny Wimmer Presents below
News of the planned reunion came last week via Billboard while the line-up which features surviving Pantera members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown, playing alongside Black Label Society's Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, grew from a rumour to a truth at rapid pace over the weekend. Now all that's left for interested Maniacs to do is revisit Pantera's extraordinary recorded catalogue and get ready to "respect Walk" all over again, live in 2023.
The tour announcement comes off the back of Pantera's legendary sixth studio album Vulgar Display Of Power turning 30. The band and Z2 Comics came together to put out the Vulgar Display of Power graphic novel.
Speaking to the release of the novel, vocalist Phil Anselmo said
"We’re really happy and excited to have this graphic novel come out for the fans, and to be a part of something special, as it pertains to its artists and creators"
The Vulgar Display Of Power graphic novel features contributions from a who's who of the metal, art and literary world with musicians Eric Peterson (Testament), Keith Buckley (ex-Every Time I Die), Alan Robert (Life of Agony), Burton C. Bell (ex-Fear Factory, Ascension of the Watchers) joining Steve Niles (30 Days Of Night), Tony Lee (Beartooth: The Journey Below) and illustrators Brian Ewing, Ryan J. Downey, Erik Rodriguez, Ryan Kelly, Steve Chanks, Kevin Mellon, John Pearson, Danijel Zezelj and esteemed tattoo artist Paul Booth in helping to bring Vulgar Display Of Power to life.
Paul Booth shared his thoughts on the project revealing he sees it as a landmark moment for himself to be involved in a collaboration with Pantera of this scale and in this medium.
"I’m not sure I can even express what a tremendous honor it has been to work on this project for Pantera. The first music tour I ever went out on, Pantera headlined. That was back in ‘94 with Sepultura and Biohazard. To this day, I still compare every tour I’ve been on to that one as it really was the most special for me. This project has been an awesome experience and I greatly thank everyone involved!"
Vulgar Display Of Power graphic novel is available for preorder now with a variety of cover alternates available, our favourite of which can be viewed below. There's also a super dope action figure style statue on offer.
Listen to Vulgar Display Of Power now.
