Vinnie Paul says Phil Anselmo has done “a lot of things” to tarnish Pantera’s memory since the band split in 2001.
The former Pantera and current Hellyeah drummer says he hasn’t seen vocalist Anselmo since Pantera’s last gig in 2001 and insists any rumours of a potential reunion with Zakk Wylde filling in for the late Dimebag Darrell are well wide of the mark.
Anselmo hit the headlines earlier this year with his “white power” outburst at a gig in memory of Dimebag, and Paul says the singer has done untold damage to the Pantera brand.
Paul tells R7: “I can’t speak for him. He’s done a lot of things that tarnish the image of what Pantera was back then and what it stood for and what it was all about. And it’s sad.
“But I carry on with what I do, which is Hellyeah, which I’m very, very proud of. And, you know, I can’t control anything that goes on with that dude. I mean, honestly, I haven’t spoken to him since 2000.”
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On the seemingly non-stop rumours that Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde could replace Dimebag in a reunited Pantera, Paul adds: “For me personally, it’s been over since Pantera was over.
“A lot of people don’t understand that. There’s reasons why the band wasn’t together anymore. And with my brother no longer being here, there’s no such thing as a reunion for that band, period.
“I am one 100% dedicated to Hellyeah. I love what I do in this band. I’m really proud of this band. Everybody in this band is such a special person, and the music that we make together, I really believe, is very special and the next level in my life.
“So, for me, I’m not worried about whether people wanna live in the past or not, man. If you live in the past, you’ve got no future.”
Pantera’s Rex Brown: “A reunion? Ain’t happening in the near future”