The first four dates of Pantera’s reunion tour have been announced, with the groove-metal pioneers’ first shows in more than two decades set to go down at festivals this December.
The first of those festivals will be Heaven & Hell in Mexico, where alongside Scorpions, Pantera will co-headline the first night on December 2. They’ll perform there alongside the likes of Meshuggah, Arch Enemy, Epica and Cradle Of Filth, while other headliners billed for the festival include Slipknot and Judas Priest on December 3, and KISS on December 4.
From there, Pantera will head to South America for a trio of Knotfest events in the region. The first will go down in Colombia on December 9, where the group are billed alongside Judas Priest and Bring Me The Horizon. They’re down as the sub-headliners for Knotfest Chile on Sunday 11, where Slipknot – who own and curate the festival – will take the top spot.
Lastly, Pantera will perform on the Carnival Stage at Knotfest Brasil on December 18. Find ticketing details for that show here, with Columbia’s available here and Chile’s here. Furthermore, tickets for Heaven & Hell can be found here.
News of Pantera’s reunion broke last month, when its two surviving members – frontman Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown – signed a deal with Artist Group International for a series of US tour dates next year. The band’s last official performance came exactly 21 years ago – on August 26, 2021 – at the Beast Feast festival in Yokohama, Japan.
It was later announced that Zakk Wylde, a longtime collaborator of Ozzy Osbourne‘s and frontman of Black Label Society, would be filling the role of late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell (who was shot dead during a 2004 performance with his band Damageplan). Wylde said in an interview that he’s “beyond honoured” to be a part of the band’s reunion, calling the tour “a celebration of Dime’s greatness”.
Meanwhile, Anthrax’s Charlie Benante will perform for the band on drums. He fills the role left by the late Vinnie Paul – Dimebag Darrell’s brother – who died from medical complications in 2018. During a recent Anthrax meet-and-greet, Benante addressed critics of Pantera’s reunion, bluntly telling them: “Don’t come.”
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