"For the brothers. For the fans. For the legacy." Those are the words that Pantera have shared in a new clip posted to their Instagram teasing their monumental return to the stage later this year. Earlier today (August 25th), the band announced that they'll be playing their first shows in over 20 years in December 2022, starting with a co-headlining slot at Mexico's Hell and Heaven Open Air fest, and then a series of performances at Knotfest's South American iterations — Brazil, Chile and Colombia.
As previously revealed earlier this summer, Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante will be filling in for the late Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. So far, vocalist Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown have yet to publicly comment on the reformation, which Wylde referred to as "a Pantera celebration" back in July. "You're celebrating Vinnie and Dime's greatness and you're celebrating all the mountains that Pantera conquered and crushed," he continued.
This new clip features pictures and footage of the classic Pantera lineup and shots of crazy fans, along with the aforementioned words — "For the brothers. For the fans. For the legacy" — that serve as a sort of mission statement for the band's return to the stage. Check it out below via Instagram.
Pantera's appearance at Hell & Heaven fest is taking place on December 2nd, while the the Colombia show goes down December 9th, with Chile following on December 11th and the Brazil incarnation happening on December 18th.
This is the first set of dates that Pantera have lined up in over two decades, with their last set of shows taking place in 2001 in support of 2000's Reinventing the Steel. The group officially disbanded in 2003, only months before guitarist Dimebag Darrell was fatally shot in a nightclub while performing with his post-Pantera group, Damageplan. Founding drummer Vinnie Paul passed away in 2018.
