Rex Brown Clarifies That Current Pantera Lineup “Is No Tribute Band”
We’ve been told they’re not a reunion. We’ve been told they’re a tribute to the Abbott brothers’ legacy. But in a recent interview with Rolling Stone Australia, Pantera bassist Rex Brown said the current band making the rounds all over the world is the one and rightful Pantera.
According to Brown, who initially joined the band in 1982, Pantera as it stands today is just as legitimate as it was back when the band ultimately disbanded in 2003 because himself and vocalist Phil Anselmo are still around and kicking.
“Two of our beloved brothers that just aren’t here anymore man, that’s life, you know? They’re just not with us man. That’s just fate; it’s the way the ball rolls, dude.
“This is no tribute band — 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 fucking insane, you know?”
Having been around in its current form for nearly two years, fans have been able to see Pantera with Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante behind the kit and guitarist Zakk Wylde standing where Dimebag Darrell once did.
Speaking about how the band eventually came together in its current iteration, Brown said they “knew who would fit and who wouldn’t.”
“We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I’ll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking Pantera song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin’ in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that’s your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that’s all I’m gonna say on that.
“But, man, this band is on fuckin’ fire, and I couldn’t be happier, man. I just can’t explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier.”
