Zakk Wylde Wants Pantera Reunion: 'I'm Just a Phone Call Away'

Since guitarist Dimebag Darrell passed away a little more than 10 years ago, Pantera has remained off the touring circuit. Singer Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul survived Darrell, whose guitar work was key in the development of '80s and '90s heavy metal. While Paul is particularly against the group touring again, many reports have named guitarist Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy Osbourne) as Darrell's replacement in the eventual reunion.

"At the end of the day, there would have to be a meeting at a table between Rex, Vince and I and there would have to be a big time understanding between the two of us [Vinnie and Philip] before anything happens at all," Selway told Ultimate-Guitar. "Otherwise I think there is a great percentage of me that says, "This generation deserves it. Let's do it."

For his part, Wylde is ready to roll.

"It's definitely a good time [when I play with Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown]," he told the Do You Know Jack? podcast (via Blabbermouth). "I mean, if somebody was to say 'a reunion,' I'd go, we'll it's a reunion of Phil, Rex and Vincenzo. But I'm just saying, for me, it's just, it's me going in and honoring and paying tribute [to Dime at the same time]."

It's not as if the musicians haven't been intertwined before.

"Whenever we've gotten together and jammed on tunes ... and Vinnie sometimes is at Black Label gigs and Vinnie has gotten up on drums and jammed a Black Label tune," Wylde said. "And between Hellyeah, we've all [toured] together. So it's always a good time whenever we're all hanging out together"

Pantera helped bring metal to the national forefront a couple decades ago. While their 1983 debut Metal Magic failed to garner much attention, they plugged away with several more projects before breaking through with 1992's Vulgar Display of Power (No. 44 on the Billboard 200) and 1994's Far Beyond Driven (No. 1).

They followed those with two more Top 5 LPs before Darrell's death in 2004. Now, the iron seems hot for some reunion gigs.

"That's all up to the fellows," Wylde said. "But I love the guys and I'm just a phone call away."

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Pantera, Zakk Wylde, Phil Anselmo, Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell