ZAKK WYLDE On Hypothetical PANTERA 'Reunion': 'I'm Just A Phone Call Away'

Jack Antonio conducted an interview with Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) on the December 11 episode of "Do You Know Jack?" radio show on CKLB FM. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud player below.

Asked once again about the possibility of a hypothetical PANTERA reunion with him filling in for the late "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on guitar, Zakk said: "It's definitely a good time [whenever I get to play PANTERA songs with former PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown]." He continued: "I mean, if somebody was to say 'a reunion,' I'd go, well, it's a reunion of Phil, Rex and Vincenzo [drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott]. But I'm just saying, for me, it's just… it's me going in and honoring and paying tribute [to Dimebag] at the same time."

Wylde added: "Whenever we've gotten together and jammed on the tunes… and Vinnie sometimes is at BLACK LABEL gigs and Vinnie has gotten up on drums and jammed a BLACK LABEL tune. And between HELLYEAH, we've all [toured and played] together. So it's always a good time whenever we're all hanging out together. But, like I said, whenever… 'Cause people always ask me, 'Is it ever gonna happen?' You know, that's all up to the fellows. But I love the guys. [And] I'm just a phone call away."

Vinnie Paul Abbott spoke to Brazil's "Wikimetal" about the persistent talk of a hypothetical PANTERA reunion featuring Wylde on guitar. He said: "The bottom is they call it a reunion, and that means to bring the original members back, and we can't bring Dime back, and he was such a huge part of PANTERA. I don't wanna damage or tarnish the legacy of him or the band. We had 14 amazing years together and it's time for everybody to move on. And I have definitely moved on in my life. I don't live in the past. I like to live for today and what's coming up tomorrow, and I love what we're doing with HELLYEAH. And that's my focus and that's my goal, man."

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Anselmo to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag, who was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Vinnie, who is Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo have not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting 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.