LAMB OF GOD's RANDY BLYTHE Is 'Interested To See' How PANTERA Reunion Goes

LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe has weighed in on the news that PANTERA's surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) will unite 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, will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts.

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 last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Blythe discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Consequence. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have nothing to say about that whatsoever. And that's not me being coy, saying 'I think they should really do it' or 'I don't think they should really do it.' I don't say anything about that because I'm not from Texas or Louisiana. I've never been in PANTERA. I know all those dudes, and I knew Dime and Vinnie.

"As soon as that happened, a lot people [asked me], 'What do you think? What do you think?' I don't know, man," Randy continued. "I'm not the one doing it. I guess, apparently they got the blessing of the estate of Dime and Vinnie, so God bless. Whatever. We'll see how it goes. I'm interested to see how it goes.

"There's a curiosity level, I think, not from me, really, to tell you the truth, because I saw PANTERA," Blythe added. "I don't need to see PANTERA again; I saw PANTERA. But there's a lot of young people that never saw PANTERA. And, of course, Benante and Zakk were friends with Dime and Vinnie as well.

"I really don't have any judgment in one way or the other."

In a 2007 interview with Tartarean Desire, Blythe was asked for his thoughts on comparisons of LAMB OF GOD to PANTERA and specifically him to Anselmo. He responded: "Uh.... I don't really care. Y'know, PANTERA were a great band. Phil is a great singer. Everybody has influences, but, specifically speaking, he was not a huge influence on me directly.

"I think a lot of the PANTERA comparisons are, y'know — you got some groove and there's a lot of aggression to it [in both bands' sound], and, uh, it is what it is," he continued. "Of course, we're all PANTERA fans, but we didn't go out and say "Hey, we're gonna be the next PANTERA" or whatever."

As previously reported, PANTERA will co-headline the first night of Hell & Heaven Metal Fest. The reactivated band will share the stage with SCORPIONS, MESHUGGAH, ARCH ENEMY, EPICA and CRADLE OF FILTH, among other artists, on December 2 at Foro Pegaso in Toluca. PANTERA will also perform at the Monterrey Metal Fest on December 6 at Estadio Mobil Super in Monterrey, Mexico. Also scheduled to appear are JUDAS PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE, BEHEMOTH and STRYPER, among others.

Other festivals PANTERA has been confirmed for are Knotfest Colombia, Knotfest Chile and Knotfest Brasil, all of which will take place in December. Knotfest Colombia is scheduled for Friday, December 9 at Campin Circuit of Bogotá. Knotfest Chile is slated to take place on Sunday, December 11 at Estadio Monumental in Santiago. Knotfest Brasil will follow on Sunday, December 18 at Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paulo.

Talk about a possible PANTERA "reunion" intensified when Anselmo regularly joined Wylde's BLACK LABEL SOCIETY to perform PANTERA's song "I'm Broken" during DOWN's 2014 stint on the "Revolver Golden Gods Tour". That buzz only got stronger after Brown joined the jam on May 23, 2014 when the tour swung through Texas.

Up until his passing, 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.

PANTERA is managed by Scott McGhee of 1 Degree Music Entertainment. The band's legal representative is Nick Ferrara And Associates. PANTERA is booked internationally by Rod MacSween at ITB. Artist Group International will book PANTERA's North American dates, with Dennis Arfa and Peter Pappalardo as the responsible agents.