“They’re out celebrating the music”: Lars Ulrich gives his opinion on Pantera reunion
Lars Ulrich of Metallica has spoken out about the reunion of fellow metal band Pantera. The announcement of a comeback of the ‘Cowboys from Hell’ band included Anthrax’s Charlie Benante on drums and Ozzy Osbourne’s Zakk Wylde on guitar, replacing brothers Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, respectively.
When asked about his stance, Ulrich thought that the new lineup is meant to be a “celebration” of the band’s work, telling Revolver: “Think that the idea that they’re out celebrating the music and the magic of Pantera is … I know there’s been a lot of talk in the community about whether people support that or not. I’m always in favor of people following their musical and creative ambitions; so this Pantera reunion, I think, is good. And obviously having Charlie up there is great”.
Pantera originally split up in 2001 after their album Reinventing the Steel, with Paul and Darrell forming the new outfit Damageplan. On their first tour, Darrell was killed when a fan walked onstage during a performance and shot him onstage.
Since then, frontman Phil Anselmo has continued releasing music with Down and Superjoint Ritual, while bassist Rex Brown played in acts like Kill Devil Hill. Brown claimed that Paul indirectly blamed Anselmo for his brother’s death, telling Gibson: “Vinnie would not have anything to do with Phil — period. He thought that that was the reason his brother was dead. I disagree with that”.
Pantera is opening select shows for Metallica on their world tour promoting their latest album, 72 Seasons, which arrives on April 14th, 2023.
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