ZAKK WYLDE's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Bandmate JEFF FABB On Reformed PANTERA: 'Those Guys Sound Great'
March 16, 2024In a new interview with BODS Mayhem Hour, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY drummer Jeff Fabb was asked to weigh in on the reformed PANTERA, featuring Fabb's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY bandmate Zakk Wylde alongside PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),plus ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante. "Those guys sound great," Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "I just went and saw [the PANTERA concert at] Madison Square Garden [in New York City], and, man, they just sound killer. Everybody's crushing it. Phil sounds great. Yeah, man, it's awesome. And it's a nice tribute to the [Abbott] brothers. The crowd seems to be loving it, which makes it amazing. That place, Madison Square Garden, was packed. [Support act] LAMB OF GOD was killer. And just to look around, I was looking around the Garden. I was, like, 'Look at all these metalheads, man. This is amazing.' Everybody was just loving it and stoked to be there. And it was cool too, 'cause Phil was, like, 'Be honest. Anyone who this is their first PANTERA show, raise your hand.' And a lot of people raised their hand, because a lot of people didn't get to see PANTERA, so I think it's cool for those people."
The reformed band is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.
It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.
According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.
Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.
Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.
Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.
Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.
Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.
Last December, Fabb released his debut solo album titled "Stealing Souls".
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