Since the reformation of Pantera—featuring surviving members Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown alongside Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante—fans have speculated whether the tribute lineup would eventually step into the studio. While the tour is intended as a celebration of the band’s legacy, the question of recording fresh material remains a hot topic.
In a new interview with “Meltdown” of Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Wylde addressed this question 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 (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He continued, using the hypothetical scenario to illustrate how such a project could be respectful to the original artist.
“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…”
