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Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo has little doubts that his late-former bandmates Vinnie Paul Abbott and 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott would be happy to see their band's legend grow beyond their lifetimes.
In an interview given to The Pit this past winter but just released in its entirety on Monday, Anselmo argues that Pantera was always meant to stand the test of time.
"Dimebag and Vince always wanted this band to be a legacy band, to be massive, to be our own conduit to success, simply put," Anselmo said. "I think Dime and Vince — I know Dime and Vince — would want the legacy and the name of Pantera to go on and on and on in everybody's damn face. I know that for sure. Abso-f***ing-lutely, dude. That would be their biggest dream."
The comments are that much more prescient now that it's been confirmed that Anselmo and Pantera bassist Rex Brown are plotting a Pantera celebration tour for next year with Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.
Benante, a longtime friend of Pantera's going back to the mid-'80s, was reportedly contacted by Anselmo about the tour a month or two before making those comments to The Pit.
Anselmo and Brown's tour has the blessing of the Abbott brothers' family, though some fans are skeptical since Anselmo and Vinnie never reconciled after Pantera's breakup in 2003.
While Anselmo frequently expressed hopes that he and Vinnie could repair their friendship, the two never got the chance. Vinnie died from complications of a heart condition in 2018.