Metalhead Ned’s View of All The ‘Pantera Reunion’ Chatter

Being a huge Pantera fan, I felt as though I better toss in my 2 cents on the issue. There has been a lot of talk about Phil wanting to do a Pantera reunion with Zakk Wylde on guitar, filling in the spot of the late Dimebag Darrell. Recently, Phil and Rex were joined on stage playing 'I'm Broken' with Zakk Wylde! The only missing living member is Vinnie Paul. Is a Pantera (minus Dimebag) reunion what we want though?

My thoughts...Yes....and....No

Here is the 'YES' aspect of it.

I never got to see Pantera live. Seeing and hearing some of my favorite metal tunes live would be amazing. Pantera just had this amazing energy to them that could rarely be matched. Plus seeing Phil and Vinnie 'make-up' would be pretty unique to see. Dave Grohl and Courtney Love did, so why not Vinnie and Phil? Also, if anyone was to fill in for Dime, it would naturally be his best friend Zakk Wylde. It would be an emotional roller coaster of what made Pantera special. Plus celebrating what Pantera meant to fans, and meant to Dimebag.

Here is the 'NO' aspect of it.

Dime was Pantera, he was a guitar god. Nobody could match the type of 'groove' that Dimebag could do with his guitar. From what I have read, Dime was just a genuine amazing guy. He always had this happy go lucky attitude that really kept everything sealed. He was so awesome that if you were an opening band on a Pantera tour, you had to sign a contract stating that you will party and drink with Pantera and Dime every night of the tour. What more could you ask from a HUGE band like Pantera?

If you read into the back story of why Pantera split, there is a lot of blame to be pushed around, with much of it being aimed at Philip Anselmo. I won't go into a lot detail, but it can get pretty dirty.

Also, Vinnie and Dime were blood brothers, so they had a connection with each other that no friendship could ever match. Just the thought of seeing the person that you shared everything with being shot and killed on-stage in front of you has to be the most devastating thing a person could ever go through. You have to remember, these two are the Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (Ace Frehley if Dime has his choice) of metal, they worked together on everything, and when one sadly leaves, the other has the right to say, "No more Pantera." Vinnie in his interviews has even said, "Without Dime, there is no Pantera." He also went on to say that having another guitarist in the light of Pantera that isn't Dime would tarnish the legacy of the band.

Obviously, the 'NO' outshines the 'YES' of this post, so my final verdict is this...

• If Pantera was to reunite with Zakk on guitar would I go? YES!
• Should they reunite with Zakk on guitar? NO!

The legacy that these guys left on the metal world is perfect for me. I know Zakk on guitar would be awesome, but I have to side with Vinnie on this whole thing. Put yourself in his position, if you and your brother did something together your entire life and he died from horrible causes, would you want to continue without him?

I don't think I would...it's just damn heartbreaking knowing he wouldn't be there.

I love Pantera and I would really like to see Vinnie and Phil talking again, but Dime WAS Pantera...and with no Dime...sorry....no Pantera. It's very similar to the controversy of putting Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer in The Catman and Space Ace makeup actually, but that's another post entirely. I also wouldn't want Pantera to come back and potentially make a new album that could bomb miserably. Like Vinnie said, it could tarnish the legacy that is Pantera. Think about it, Indiana Jones, a beloved movie franchise. Then 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' came out to really lukewarm reviews and really gave the character a bad taste. I would HATE it, if that happened to Pantera. Remember...not everything is perfect even though you may think it is.

Agree or Disagree, it's just my opinion.

Thanks Pantera for everything you did for us and for metal. I say let Pantera and Dime Rest in Peace, and continue to drink Black Tooth's while listening to your favorite Pantera album.