To Hell and Back?

Phil Anselmo's Publicly Lobbying For a Pantera Reunion.

Earlier this month, Pantera bassist Rex Brown finally broke years of silence on all things Pantera, releasing a tell-all book called Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera. Book or not, you've got to respect that kind of restraint.

If only Brown's fellow surviving members of the legendary Arlington-based Pantera were so tight-lipped.

It's only been about two weeks since Brown's book earned its official release, and, already, vocalist Phil Anselmo is back in the spotlight, stealing Brown's shine. Today, the metal blogosphere is ablaze with heated discussion about an interview Anselmo gave this week to Brazilian metal outlet Wikimetal, in which he laid bare his hopes for an eventual Pantera reunion, in which Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society Guitarist Zakk Wylde would step in and play the role of “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, who was shot and killed onstage during a Damageplan concert in Ohio in 2004.

Basically, Anselmo's open to the idea — couldn't be more open to it, really — but he's not getting any sort of feedback on the matter Dime's brother, Vinnie Paul Abbott, the revered drummer for Pantera, Damageplan and Hellyeah, and the owner of Dallas strip club The Clubhouse.

Said Anselmo in his Wikimetal interview: “Honestly — and I've spoken with Zakk [Wylde] about [a potential Pantera reunion] as well — we're very aware of the public perception out there, but honestly, until I speak with Vinnie Paul, which has not yet happened, and it doesn't look like it's going to happen, nothing can happen. Honestly, I tell you, my phone is on the hook, my e-mail is wide open, my door is wide open. I would love to talk with Vince. Honestly, if there were no more bad feelings and we could talk, and we could come to an understanding, I think it would mean not only a lot for me and myself — it would mean the world to me — but it would mean a great deal to the fans out there as well. I think people don't want to see this arguing anymore. It's time for some peace. It's time for some brotherhood. And honestly, we should be setting an example instead of being the opposite. And I'll just say that my door is wide open, and so far, Vinnie's door is closed, and it's a shame.”

There's no response yet out of Abbott's camp on this matter — and there's really shouldn't be anything expected in that regard, either.

Already, back in November, Abbott pretty much shut that idea down in full, while reinforcing his stance that he really doesn't have much interesting in even speaking with Anselmo about the matter in the slightest.

“I don't live in the past, man,” Abbott said in that interview. “I wanna look forward, I wanna keep moving forward. I understand [fans] wanting to see it, especially people who've never had an opportunity to see Pantera, but without my brother being part of it, it just doesn't make any sense. I'm not gonna trample on his legacy to make some people happy. We had 14 amazing years together and we sold nearly 40 million records around the world. That's some pretty amazing stuff… There's plenty of DVDs and videos out there for them to watch… It's [just] rumors, man. That's all I got to say… It ain't gonna happen, man. I have no interest in playing with those guys.”

Still, a metal fan can dream/have horrible, horrible nightmares over this.