In a recent interview with music journalist Igor Miranda, Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde discussed the band’s decision to release a live album and whether or not he thinks Pantera is a tribute band.
When asked about his thoughts on the band, he said it was more of a celebration rather than a tribute:
“Yeah, that’s what I feel it is. It’s not even a tribute. It’s more just a Pantera celebration. Like whenever we go out and do the ‘Experience Hendrix’ [tours], which I always have a blast when I do that, it’s all of us going out and celebrating Jimi’s greatness. To me, this is [a] Pantera celebration. We’re celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered. So that’s what this is.”
Rex Brown Thinks The Same
Other members of the band also think similarly to Wylde. Earlier, the bassist Rex Brown refused the call the band a tribute and said Pantera was still Pantera even without two original members:
“Two of our beloved brothers that just aren’t here anymore man, that’s life, you know? They’re just not with us man. That’s just fate; it’s the way the ball rolls, dude. This is no tribute band.”
Rex also stated that he and Phil Anselmo were happy to be playing their songs again after 23 years:
“Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven’t played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what’s happened is just extraordinarily f*cking insane, you know?”
You can see the recent interview below.