Let’s face it, metal hasn’t been the same since Pantera stopped playing. Sure things are loud and proud but there was something special that those “Cowboys From Hell” gave us. Talks of reunions have happened for years but the latest just doesn’t feel right to me.
For years people wanted a reunion, even more so after Dimebag Darrell was taken from us way too soon. And while the idea of plugging in Zakk Wylde always sounded right the truth was no one really wanted to see it. Plus Vinnie Paul started Pantera with Dimebag and we all agreed with him that it wouldn’t be right. Even doing it as a tribute tour never felt right to many
Now here we are in 2020, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag are reunited in the next life raising Hell in Heaven with an all new reunion idea floating around courtesy of Dimebag’s long time girlfriend Rita Haney.
She’s recently come out to say that she’d be ok if a tribute tour were to happen. Um, really? The two names that created Pantera are not with us anymore and yet a tribute would be ok when things between Phil Anselmo and Vinnie Paul never got ironed out?
This is without a doubt the craziest thing I’ve ready recently. And while I have the utmost respect for Rita, especially with her newly announced cancer battle, but saying she’d be ok with a tribute now is not only absurd but feels now like a money grab on the Pantera name.
Now if she suggested a tour where Dimebag and Vinnie Paul would be holograms like the highly successful Dio hologram tour then I’d say she’s on to something. But a full blown Pantera tribute now just doesn’t feel right.
Phil Anselmo has his bands as well as Housecore Records, Rex Brown did Kill Devil Hill, and as a fan I don’t think we need to be arguing or thinking about who could fill in for Vinnie Paul and Dimebag when the band essentially ended years ago. There were no one off shows to try to reunite, not appearances at shows where they joined each other’s new band to do a Pantera cover, and no new music outside a few singles on anniversary reissues of albums.
To me the idea of a Pantera tribute tour just feels wrong. We have the albums to spread to future generations and that’s better than trying to replace the two founding members for what could essentially be just a cash grab as well as something many of us might regret.