Pantera tribute band – consisting of Zakk Wylde, Charlie Benante, Rex Brown , and Phil Anselmo – may release new music, according to the band's longtime producer and collaborator, Sterling Winfield.
The group, which finished a tour of shows in December, including Knotfest Brazil and a show with Judas Priest in São Paulo , will soon be touring North America and Europe. Furthermore, according to Winfield, they may now be creating something in the studio.
In an interview on Reckless Rock Radio , the producer said it's "entirely possible" that Wylde, Benante, Brown, and Anselmo will continue playing together beyond the scheduled tour dates.
Winfield emphasized that nothing is happening at the moment, but said that something could happen at some point. Right now, the group is focused on tours that should take about two years, but then, "anything can happen."
However, Winfield has already said that he would feel uncomfortable if the material were released under the Pantera name and that it should be done "the right way." He said: "I wouldn't feel comfortable calling it Pantera. I don't think it would be elegant. I'll put it this way and leave it that way for now. This lineup can make some really fucking awesome music. And the music is all that matters."
While some of this hesitation undoubtedly stems from a desire to honor the original Pantera lineup – and especially the memory of the band's late guitarist, Dimebag Darrell , and drummer Vinnie Paul – Winfield also said that the remaining members of Pantera may now have developed an entirely new identity.
“[They] are different people now. They are not the same people they were 20-odd years ago,” he explained. “You mature. You grow. You make your mistakes. You move forward in your life. That’s exactly what I see here.”
So far, no member has commented on the idea of releasing new music.
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