Hey, have you heard “Cowboys From Hell?” Yeah? Then you already know what you’re gonna hear out of Phil Anselmo‘s Louisana drawl in the surprise Instagram post that hit the internet roughly an hour ago. In that time, the post has garnered nearly 14,000 likes and more than 300 comments.
Now, we’re not willing to go out on a limb and suggest tour dates are likely on their way from the Pantera cover/tribute/reunion/whateverthehell, but let’s be real. You don’t post “we’re taking over this town” and not have it mean you’re likely going to post tour dates soon.
To say the conversation surrounding the upcoming “Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, Zakk Wylde, and Charlie Benante play a buncha Pantera songs” tour has been at a fever pitch would be putting it extremely lightly. Everyone from Five Finger Death Punch‘s Zoltan Bathory to Three Days Grace‘s drummer Neil Sanderson to fuckin’ Max Cavalera has voiced their opinion on their excitement level for the tour, whether it’s actually Pantera, and if it should be happening at all.
To their credit, Wylde and Benante, who will be there in place of the late “Dimebag” Darrell and Vinnie Paul, respectively, have been staunch defenders of the show, promising that they will stay as close to the real deal as humanly possible. Still, it’s gotten so crazy that you’ve got Benante even telling internet trolls, “don’t come” to the shows at all, potentially cutting into ticket sales.
Though let’s be real. Most of the haters that actually care all that much about Pantera will consider going. It’s one thing to complain about something on the internet, it’s another to hear Pantera’s catalogue live and in person.
And even though Benante also said it wouldn’t be a long tour at all, instead opting for “select” shows, it wouldn’t surprise us if we actually see a big list of dates.
But who knows? We’ll surely find out soon enough.