In a story that may set the entire metal world on its ear, several sources have speculated that Pantera may reunite to play a series of shows in 2013. Pantera, whose seminal Vulgar Display of Power record turned 20 this year, have been broken up since 2003. The band was a major force in heavy metal, topping the billboard album charts in 1994 with their release Far Beyond Driven. A Pantera reunion would, no doubt, be the concert event of 2013, if not of this decade.
The rumors began during a conversation last week between my friend Matt and I. We were discussing the merits of “The Great Southern Trendkill” and I mentioned, “Wouldn’t it be great if they got back together!?!?!”
Matt replied, “Yeah! I’d travel anywhere in the country to see them, but Vinny and Phil are on really bad terms since Dime died. No chance.”
I looked at Matt and said, “But there would a lot of money on the table. A whole lot of money. My cousin Johnny ate a bag of thumbtacks once for 20 dollars. He ended up having to have surgery and now he can’t drink milk or ginger ale. He was never right afterwards. Sometimes, he acts like he’s a pirate and digs enormous holes in his backyard looking for treasure. He even makes fake treasure maps and ‘finds’ them in strange places that he hid them hours earlier. The point is, this Pantera reunion can happen if someone, like maybe the Koch Brothers or George Soros or somebody big puts about 100 million in front of them. That sort of cash moves mountains.”
Paulie Reznik, the guy we hired to fix the hole in our roof from last week’s storm, confirmed that a Pantera reunion could happen. “It could happen, man. For sure,” said Paulie, a diehard Pantera fan and owner of nearly 300 heavy metal bobblehead dolls, in a recent interview with Tyranny of Tradition.
However, my wife adamantly denied the possibility of a Pantera tour. She claimed that the rumors are baseless, that I had skipped a dosage of my medication again and that I was ‘allegedly’ pretending that things that I make up are really happening. “Honey, why don’t you go lay down for a while? You’re doing that thing where you are confusing fantasy and reality. Remember last month you thought Picasso had come back from the grave and told you to spray paint the cat orange and speak only in Aramaic? That wasn’t true either. You just need some rest.”
Pantera, for their part, have yet to comment on the rumors. Often, when a person or group refuses to confirm or deny a story it is because there is some truth to it. Where there is smoke there is fire, or so the saying goes. If Pantera continues to refuse to comment on the rumors that I am making up, you can pretty much bet your life savings that they will be back on the stage in 2013. Sometimes silence speaks volumes.
The Tyranny of Tradition 
#1 by Universe Number Five on March 5, 2012 - 11:37 AM
I strongly dislike Pantera, but I strongly appreciate wild tales of thumbtack created backyard piracy and the abstract paths we follow in life and how they give creedence to our need to fix the washing machine just because the kangaroo in the next room flipped the toaster out the window and struck the banana tree.
#2 by Leonardo Castro on March 5, 2012 - 12:32 PM
I hope it happens before December. It’s a well-known fact that we’ll all die a horrible death on Dec 21 as the world gets sucked into a black hole created by the LHC *shakes fist at Europe*. Get them presents early, guys!
#3 by aFrankAngle on March 7, 2012 - 1:41 PM
Nothing like a tour of soups, salads, sandwiches, breads, and baked goods.
#4 by Keith Spillett on March 7, 2012 - 8:01 PM
Pantera has a super tomato and cheese panini as well.
#5 by danieljames86 on March 9, 2012 - 5:03 PM
panini’s should be enjoyed by all.
#6 by danieljames86 on March 9, 2012 - 5:04 PM
I also strongly dislike pantera these days too. But I cannot deny the influence they had on my early metal listening career.
#7 by Rocket on March 10, 2012 - 8:31 AM
That is some of the funniest stuff I have read in a very long time! I nearly choked on my morning wake n bake bowl!! The cat that wrote this is utterly brilliant! I think it’s gonna be more like the 10 year anniversary of Dime’s death that Vinnie Paul comes to the table and at least in public view puts and end to the feud with Philip and Rex and give the fans what they want, for just one last gig… to bring back Pantera w/ a bunch of Darrell’s favorite guitarists filling in for him!!! \m/\m/
#8 by Keith Spillett on March 10, 2012 - 9:08 AM
Thanks sir! It’s particularly an honor to get that from you because I’m very into your site.
#9 by clint on March 11, 2012 - 5:10 AM
You are all idiots if you don’t like Pantera why are you reading this or looking it up? Pantera did things that no metal band has come close to since they took metal to a place that rivals all this so called metal crap that is being pumped out these days. So go some where else with your fake ass wanna be metal crap and be happy with it and leave really metal alone you couldn’t handle it any way. It would be awesome to see Pantera together even though it won’t be the same without Dime but if they got Zakk Wylde that would be cool. Who knows we shall see.
#10 by Leonardo Castro on March 16, 2012 - 1:56 PM
I thought 311 was Pantera’s side project. I didn’t really like them, Dimebag or not.
#11 by Jermaine Sewell on January 11, 2013 - 5:34 PM
Amen! Pantera are where and always will be the best! If ya don’t like them then what the hell are you on here for?
#12 by Jermaine Sewell on January 11, 2013 - 5:35 PM
zakk is the perfect choice
#13 by Ray Tiberia on April 29, 2012 - 8:24 AM
It would be a Milestone But they would be missing the greatest part of the band like it would be Phil, Rex,Vinnie, And Zakk that wouldn’t go well together. No Dime-No PanterA
#14 by Lewis Enfuego on May 20, 2012 - 10:57 AM
Pantera fans!!!!! rumors going around about a possible reunion tour 2012 or 2013 i was instantly like fuck NO you cant cover dime bag songs any better then he played LIVE and the premise being its a reunion tour doing all old hits mostly and some epic dime solo covers of him shredding to a lead guitar solo 20 min instrumental but not even touch his performaces just more shitty band reunions or remakes aka reuinioning dimes epic career in the least little bit thats what i thought in my mind in about 15seconds i was that judgemental about it because i believe they shot the most epic guitar player to ever live on stage doing a show and no1 is good enough to even play a cover tribute/reunion tour…now that pihl the lead singer has his head out of his ass and the heroin out of his veins he decides o shit we can have a reunion/tribute to pantera and ill make some money back that i wasted……not because he cared he was a cause in dimes death IN MY oppinion from all reports the guy was mentally ill and blamed dimebag for killing pantera and HE was the bigggggest fan had to kill dime for killing pantera and starting a new band with his bro…honest truth was dime and his brother vinny started pantera in the 80s together first album was a diffrent lineup only thing standing out on it was there 80 rock mock montley crewish band style with screamy high pitch (1 dimentional average glame rock singer) replaced with philip enselmo a 19 y/o kid out the south audition couldnt hit a note on a scale but hit everything pantera was about to be big for deep growl emtions in his screams and growls raw talent that met pure lead guitar talent Basicly………dime created pantera made them known (his talent mostly stood out) everything else complemented and he wrote most lyrics for phil even him and his brother! never good singers wrote most of there top hits lyrics music composer everything all u do is sing well when his heroin addiction made him no show no call over a year of the band not touring or recording they moved on replaceing phil and there name is it couldnt be the pantera because hardcore fans would not likely to take to dime or phil leaveing pantera the renamed replaced started over FORCED because phil and by them wanting to make music and fucking play shows as brothers and masters of the arts picked a decent replacement singer somehwat a slipknot corey type singer even haveing corey on a track on there debut album they where off the radar small as fuck tour..from scratch not paying well but they had damage plan there new baby they where deffinitely going somewhere sometime with that lineup maybe rival there old baby….YOU CANT paint a better way out then snuffed from behind in the head on stage live playing to your cult following type of fans and not doing it for money or fame or at a hugh bar a small bar in ohio bum fuck nowhere was where dime was taken doing his craft on a much smaller stage with less worries about stage fright and feeling REBORN ANYONE READING THIS RANT IN FULL AND FEELING THIS you HAVE to come see this reuinion tribute farewell tour for the fans i gurantee zak will get as drunk and play at par with dimes show and cover songs everyone would love to hear covered epicly drunk zak wylde true love of dime zak has been drunk since his death but is wiseing up these days level headed enough to know dime rather be gunned down on a small stage then life drag on and on washing up more and more into a nurseing home proves how good hearted dime really was…i dont even need to be paid buy me booze set any bar as a venue ill play opener to a lesser band then my own name i made for FREE and die behind my axe RIP DIMEBAG may your tribute be free just because youd do it for a dixie cup and a fifth oh ya only fame for groupies cept he was married happily to his hometown gurl his whole epic and famous tragic rip dime bro ill appreciate it zak does this and pay to see a tribute to his good friend but phil can fuckoff and die replace him on the reunion and call it the anual dimebag tribute either tour or show play one or 200 but anually zak cover him and you will never get old….phil’s random comments and attitude after his death was really old and cold….heres to you a black tooth grin…cheers to the sky
#15 by Gary Super Macho on June 10, 2013 - 11:53 AM
Do you know if there is any truth to the rumor I just started that Peter Frampton will be sitting in for Dime Bag?
#16 by Keith Spillett on June 10, 2013 - 1:23 PM
Completely true. He’s even going to do the whole talking guitar bit during the solo section of A New Level.
#17 by Gary Super Macho on June 10, 2013 - 1:39 PM
“Squawk Box For War”
#18 by Keith Spillett on June 10, 2013 - 1:44 PM
HA! Yeah. I mean, honestly, I’d kill to see that.