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Guitarist Zakk Wylde has broken his silence on his inclusion in a 2023 tour with surviving Pantera members Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown.
A day after news broke that Anselmo and Brown were reuniting to celebrate Pantera's legacy next year on tour, Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante were announced as fill-ins for Pantera's late-Abbott brothers, 'Dimebag' Darrell and Vinnie Paul.
The project is proceeding with the support of Darrell and Vinnie Paul's estates.
Wylde, a longtime friend of Pantera, has been linked to Pantera-related rumors before. He told Matt Pinfield and Jose Mangin in a recent conversation that he's always been eager to celebrate his friends' music.
"I think it's a beautiful thing," Wylde said. "It's like when we do the 'Dimebash' [events honoring Darrell], it's a celebration of Dime's greatness. It's a Pantera 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."
Wylde added that he is not a member of Pantera now; that's not what this is.
"Obviously, it's not Pantera," he said. "Pantera is those four guys — it's Phil, Rex, Dime and Vinnie. 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 playing that music again. I'm beyond honored to be a part of it."
Dates for the Pantera celebration have yet to be announced.
Wylde and Benante will be on tour together later this month when Anthrax hits the road to celebrate its 40th anniversary with Wylde's Black Label Society band serving as main support.