In a recent interview with Hot Metal, Charlie Benante shared his thoughts on the future of the current Pantera touring lineup. The drummer, who currently performs alongside classic members Philip Anselmo on vocals and Rex Brown on bass, as well as guitarist Zakk Wylde, revealed that while there are no immediate plans for new studio material, a live record could certainly be on the horizon.
“There was some talk — but nothing, really,” Benante explained regarding the prospect of writing new songs. However, he expressed strong interest in capturing the band’s current stage energy. “I would love to release a live album of this lineup so we can document what we did and just have it. I think that would be a great thing.”
During the conversation, the veteran musician also addressed the ongoing criticism from some fans regarding the decision to tour under the Pantera moniker. The legendary groove metal act was originally anchored by the Abbott brothers, guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, who was tragically murdered in 2004, and drummer Vinnie Paul, who passed away from heart disease in 2018. To honor their legacy, Zakk Wylde frequently refers to the current run of shows as a “Pantera celebration.”
Charlie pushed back against the negativity, emphasizing the positive impact the tour has had on audiences worldwide.
“I feel I was put in this Pantera situation for a reason and that’s why I embraced it so much and that’s why I love it so much, because it’s something bigger than the band. And I wish people nowadays would be more caring and loving towards us all, you know? Not just musicians, but to each other. Stop being so rotten about things, because I’ll tell you this much: [in] 10 years’ time, a lot of this stuff is gone. So if you don’t enjoy it now, that’s it: it’s done.”
He encouraged skeptical fans to experience the live show before making final judgments, highlighting the importance of introducing the music to a younger generation.
“I think in the beginning of the whole thing there were naysayers and all I would say is ‘just come [to one of the shows]’. If you like it, great. If you don’t like it, okay. You never have to come again. But the thing is, the people who were coming were bringing their kids who never saw Pantera before. This isn’t the same. Dime and Vinnie are not there, but we are just playing these songs that need to be played again, and it’s giving people smiles on their faces again and it’s a great thing,” he said.
When asked about the future of the band, the 63-year-old drummer, who has remained a core member of Anthrax since 1983, kept expectations measured.
“I don’t really know. I know we have a few shows this summer and then maybe some shows next year, but that’s as far as it goes,” he concluded.
During a recent interview with “Meltdown” of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Zakk Wylde addressed the question regarding new music directly. Rather than confirming any concrete plans, the guitarist made it clear that his role is strictly supportive and that any decision to move forward with new music lies solely with the band’s original members.
“Everyone’s always asking about something like that, but I always [compare it] almost kind of like if Eric Clapton was playing with [Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist] Noel Redding and [Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer] Mitch Mitchell, and if there was leftover material Jimi wrote that he didn’t record properly or whatever, and Eric is gonna play guitar on it and sing it,” Wylde explained at the time.
He continued: “If it was this unfinished ‘Purple Haze‘ song he had, or ‘Hey Joe‘ or ‘The Wind Cries Mary‘ or ‘Little Wing‘ or something — he just recorded it on a tape recorder, so the song’s all there; it’s just that he didn’t record it. So I think there was thoughts of that, if there was leftover things and then we’ll just record ’em properly. But that’s all up to Philip and Rex. Me and Charlie are just there to support ’em in whatever the fellows wanna do.”
This isn’t the first time Wylde has fielded questions about entering the studio under the Pantera banner. Speaking with Guitar Interactive magazine back in March 2025, he touched on the existence of unreleased material recorded by the late “Dimebag“ Darrell Abbott, noting that Dimebag‘s longtime partner, Rita Haney, possesses a vault of ideas.
“Well, the fellows [Philip and Rex] were talking about doing something, and Rita [Haney, longtime girlfriend of late Pantera guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott] has tons of cassette recordings of Dime writing riffs and stuff like that,” Wylde said at the time.
He elaborated on the concept, again utilizing his analogy involving Eric Clapton stepping in for Jimi Hendrix to finish incomplete works.
“So, I guess if it would be like something like, let’s say if it’s Eric Clapton playing with Mitch and Noel, ’cause if Eric went out and did what we’re doing right now, did a Jimi Hendrix celebration, and Mitch and Noel asked Eric Clapton to come out ’cause he was buddies with Jimi and they were just, like, ‘Would you go out and sing and play Jimi‘s stuff?’ And Eric does it, and then after that, it’s just, like, ‘We’ve got these recordings [that] Jimi never finished, a song called ‘Purple Haze‘ and a song called ‘The Wind Cries Mary‘ and this song called ‘Little Wing‘ or whatever,’ and we’ll properly record ’em [with Eric], because if they were just Jimi just jamming on a tape recorder, just him playing ’em.”
Wylde emphasized that for him, the legitimacy of any new Pantera track would hinge on it being built from Dimebag‘s actual compositions.
“If they were, obviously, Dime‘s original riffs and ideas, yeah, of course. But Pantera is those four guys. You’re gonna call it the Jimi Hendrix band and you’ve got Eric playing and singing. It’s just Mitch and Noel. If it’s Jimi‘s original ideas, and they’re just gonna properly record ’em, take it from the little tape recorder from a cassette, yeah, that would be cool. ‘Cause if it was something Dime wrote and him and Vinnie were working on or whatever…”
