ZAKK WYLDE Discusses The Possibility Of New PANTERA Music Using The ABBOTT Brothers' Ideas

Zakk Wylde hasn't been shy about his opinion on Pantera possibly reforming. While Wylde has been a rather recent edition to the Pantera lineup – originally stepping in as a touring guitarist in 2022 after original member Dimebag Darrell passed in 2004 – he said on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk that "you would have to call it something else" if Wylde were to record original material with Pantera.

"Pantera is those four guys. So, yeah, you can't replace that."

But, with Pantera discussing "doing something" with old material according to Wylde, there is something on the cards.

Wylde further elaborates that Dimebag's girlfriend had a series of recordings that contain Dimebag "writing riffs and stuff like that."

Wylde then alludes that the current Pantera situation is possibly similar to if Eric Clapton were to record parts for a record that Jimi Hendrix had already started – "If it's Jimi's original ideas, and they're just going to properly record 'em, take it from the little tape recorder from a cassette, yeah, that would be cool." He then doubles down, "'Cause if it was something Dime wrote and him and Vinnie [Paul] were working on or whatever…"

"How could you call it Pantera unless it was just pre-existing material and we were gonna record it – stuff that was in demo state or whatever, and it is songs that the guys wrote."

But, in terms of new material with Pantera? "As far as new songs… you'd call it something else."

So, it's easy to conclude from Wylde's rather vague meanings that if there's brand new Pantera material, he won't be involved and if he was involved, the band would take on a new name out of respect for Dimebag. But, if he's bringing Dime's old riffs to life in respect of Pantera, well then, he seems pretty keen.