VINNY APPICE Says It's 'Great' To See PANTERA Coming Back: 'It Sounds Like It's Gonna Be Exciting'

Vinny Appice 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.

Appice, who previously played with Brown in a band called KILL DEVIL HILL, discussed his views on the PANTERA comeback in an interview with Rocking With Jam Man. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that's great. I always thought, years ago, when Dimebag passed that why don't they get the perfect guitar player, [which] is Zakk Wylde. But that's when Vinnie, his brother, was still alive, playing drums. And I always thought they should get Zakk, go out and play the music. But it's been so long now, now Vinnie's passed too. And Charlie's on drums, and he probably fits perfect. He's that kind of drummer. So it sounds like it's gonna be exciting."

Asked if he offered to play drums for the PANTERA comeback, Vinny said: "Oh, me? I don't play that stuff. I mean, I can play it, but I don't use double bass. I'm a heavy drummer, heavy player, heavy metal, but it's a different type. I mean, if they asked, I would have went down and checked it out. But I don't think I'd fit."

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.