Mark Tremonti revealed in December that he was initially invited by Rex Brown to participate in the Black Panther , but ultimately declined due to his own personality.
In an interview with Overdrive , the Alter Bridge explained the decision: “A few years ago, I was talking to Rex at the Download and he was talking about a possible Pantera reunion. He looked at me and said, ‘You should put your name on the hat,’ and I was like, ‘No way, man.’ You have to have a certain kind of personality to take on that role.”
“It’s not just about playing, it’s very much about personality, and Dime had a huge presence. Put that way, nobody’s going to take down Zakk Wylde on stage, they could very well do it to me, but I wouldn’t put myself in that situation at all.”
The band's current lineup features original members Rex and Phil Anselmo , while guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante replace the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott . Wylde, however, was not the first guitarist considered for the role .
Pantera's reunion tour kicked off in South America in late 2022, including a beautiful tribute to the Abbott brothers . The group even landed in Brazil with a solo show in São Paulo and another at the Knotfest festival , also in the city of São Paulo. The band is also expected to tour North America, Japan, and Europe in 2023.
However, the tour has divided opinions, since Vinnie said before his death in 2018 that he was against a Pantera reunion. The drummer's estate recently announced that it supports the performances as tributes, but does not consider them a reunion.
Finally, in May, Mark Tremonti released the solo album Tremonti Sings Sinatra (2022), featuring songs by Frank Sinatra.
READ ALSO: Mark Tremonti comments again on a possible Creed reunion: "The stars need to align"
