Pantera's Philip Anselmo + Rex Brown Give Rare Interview

Pantera's Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown gave an ultra rare interview as guests on the The Metallica Report podcast, talking about their 2023 tour opening for the metal giants as well as the return of the band overall.

In 2022, it was announced that guitarist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax) were tabbed to honor the late Pantera co-founding brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.

The band has played more than 60 shows in celebration of the Pantera legacy, but the lone remaining classic members — Anselmo and Brown — have been incredibly quiet since, leaving the music and their live performances to do the talking.

Now, they've opened up just a bit on the weekly Metallica podcast, featuring co-hosts Steffan Chirazi and Renée Richardson.

Philip Anselmo + Rex Brown on Opening for Metallica With Down in 2008 vs. Now

"Me and Rex did a tour with Metallica back in the day and we did the arena-sized circle where Lars' drum set was in the center, but it couldn't be moved. So, we had to put [drummer] Jimmy [Bower] off to the side and that was kind of a nightmare stage to navigate," Anselmo recalls of opening for Metallica in 2008 with his sludge band Down (transcribed by Loudwire).

"This time, however, soundcheck... I went up there, I put the in-ears in, I like it! I thought it was going to be bad, but I like it," the vocalist says of the donut-shaped stage Metallica are using on the M72 world tour.

Regarding the current stage setup, Brown adds, "When we got up there and did the soundcheck — of course, there's no people [there] so you can't really tell what's happening. Once you get those people in there, for me, it was like going on a rollercoaster ride that you just kept going on. You're playing your music to these people that we didn't know gave a fuck about it at all. And we just got up and had the best time. I don't think about where I'm going to go, where I'm going to stand — I'm just going to jam my balls off. That's all there is to it."

Anselmo also notes that Metallica have one of the largest fanbases of any musical artist in the world and that he doesn't expect every single one of them to be familiar with Pantera. When the band plays their all-time Vulgar Display of Power hit "Walk," however, he says a sudden wave of realization comes over a lot of fans in attendance and they go, "Oh, this is the band!"

Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Philip Anselmo on Resurrecting Pantera

Anselmo and Brown chat a bit about having Wylde and Benante in the band. Of course, Wylde has everyone laughing, always quick with a joke and his talents are obvious.

Brown calls Benante "the glue" in the band and that "the way he plays Vinnie's parts is uncanny," thrilled to be locking in with him as the band's rhythm section.

And as for the late brothers, Anselmo feels the band is honoring them in just the right way,

"The only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this — hands down," Anselmo assesses, "They would want the Pantera brand of the legacy to go on and I don't know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs up."

Listen to the full podcast:

Pantera Winter 2024 North American Tour Dates With Lamb of God

In addition to more shows with Metallica in 2024, Pantera will embark on a winter headlining tour with special guest Lamb of God at the dates listed below.

Feb. 03 - Sunrise, Fla. @ Amerant Bank Arena
Feb. 05 - Tampa, Fla. @ Amalie Arena
Feb. 07 - Lexington, Ky. @ Rupp Arena
Feb. 09 - Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
Feb. 10 - Memphis, Tenn. @ FedExForum
Feb. 13 - Kansas City, Mo. @ T-Mobile Center
Feb. 14 - Lincoln, Neb. @ Pinnacle Bank Arena
Feb. 16 - Winnipeg, Manitoba @ Canada Life Centre
Feb. 18 - Green Bay, Wis. @ Resch Center
Feb. 20 - Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Van Andel Arena
Feb. 22 - New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
Feb. 24 - Baltimore, Md. @ CFG Bank Arena
Feb. 26 - Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
Feb. 27 - Québec City, Quebec @ Centre Vidéotron