The controversial Pantera reunion has hit its first major roadblock as two of Europe’s biggest festivals have decided to remove the band from their lineups.
Organizers for the Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park festivals, both of which take place in Nürburgring and Nürnberg from June 2 to June 4, have decimated Pantera from their lineups. The announcement was made Monday evening on the festivals’ Twitter accounts.
“The band Pantera will not perform at Rock Im Park and Rock Am Ring 2023 as announced.”
This allegedly comes from an incident in 2016 when Phil Anselmo attended a “Dimebash” event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood. The event was to honor “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, but quickly became marred in controversy when video came out of Anselmo apparently saying “white power” and making a Nazi salute during the performance of “A New Level.”
The festivals, which take place June 2-4 in Nürburgring and Nürnberg, will feature appearances from Rise Against, Limp Bizkit, Kings Of Leon, Tenacious D, Bring Me The Horizon, Machine Gun Kelly and many more.
Pantera’s reunion – featuring original members Phil Anselmo on vocals and Rex Brown on bass, with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Bentate filling in on guitar and drums respectively – has proven to reveal very divisive reactions from fans. Many are delighted at the opportunity to see classic Pantera tracks played live once again, while others remain cynical at the idea of any kind of Pantera tour taking place without the presence of the much-missed Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, the latter of whom was vocally against a Pantera reunion before his death in 2018.
