DROWNING POOL's C.J. PIERCE Praises PANTERA's Reformed Lineup: They Are 'Nailing' It

Guitarist C.J. Pierce of Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL has weighed in on the fact that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) have united with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Pierce discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in a new interview with the "Brutally Delicious" podcast. Asked what PANTERA was like when DROWNING POOL and PANTERA shared the stage on May 6 at the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally in Panama City, Florida, C.J. said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "PANTERA was great, man. I know people have said a lot of stuff about it. Rex and Phil, it's a reunion of those two guys coming together. Hats off to PANTERA and what it was about. Of course Dime and Vinnie were a big part of that [and were] personal friends. Actually, we toured together back in the early days with DROWNING POOL. And I've known Zakk forever and I've known Charlie forever. What better person to pick. And I was actually hanging out with Zakk."

Regarding Wylde's approach to performing parts originally written and recorded by Dimebag, Pierce said: "It's Zakk Wylde. Dime did Dime, and nobody's ever gonna play Dime like that… And we were talking about it, 'cause every now and then I'll get called up and go on stage and do some PANTERA covers. So I stay up on my chops. But him and I, Zakk and I were talking about certain things that Dime did. And we were, like, 'What the hell is he doing right here? Was he completely drunk or is he just a genius? Why would you do that?' And Zakk's, like, 'There's one or two things I'm not sure what he's doing. I'm just gonna play a solo.' I said, 'It's a guitar solo, man. Do your thing. You're doing it great.'"

C.J. also had strong words for all the detractors who have been posting negative comments online before even seeing the PANTERA show themselves.

"I don't know why you would [talk] shit [about it]," Pierce said. "'Cause the show was great, and you're keeping that music alive. And you're keeping what Dime and Vinnie brought to the stage. And they nailed it, to me. Phil sounded great; he never sounded better. And the show was amazing. They let us use a lot of their toys, so our show was amazing. [Charlie] is one of the best [drummers out there]. And they took time and they nailed it, man.

"Go see the show. Just go see it. You have to see it and you'll know when you're there. It's so great, dude. I hope they keep going with it."

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.