THE BEAST

An op-ed published by Metal Hammer today (November 15th) regarding Phil Anselmo and the ongoing Pantera reunion has been generating some discussion amid the metal community. Metal Hammer‘s contributing editor Matt Mills penned that piece, which casts doubt on the intentions behind the ongoing Pantera reunion, claiming that the venture in part finds Anselmo attempting to “whitewash his own legacy.”

While not the only questionable incident over the years, Anselmo‘s infamous Nazi salute while uttering the phrase ‘white power’ during the 2016 ‘Dimebash‘ proved to be a disgraceful moment for the metal community as a whole. While Anselmo‘s actions that night did cause problems amid the initial resurrection of the aforementioned Texan groove metal outfit, with shows being cancelled and the like, it would seem that the backlash has largely dissipated since.

Anselmo initially brushed off the ensuing controversy of the ‘Dimebash‘ incident as a joke about white wine being served backstage, and later as a response to alleged racist hecklers in the audience. A series of brief apologies would later follow. Months later, Anselmo would publicly address the incident, offering his side of the matter.

As we close in on over a year of Anselmo and bassist/vocalist Rex Brown‘s reinvention of Pantera with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante in place of the late Abbott brothers, the reunion continues to pick up steam, with yet another headlining tour and additional festival appearances having been announced.

Chief among Mills‘ complaints is that he feels that Anselmo didn’t make enough of a proper effort to atone and for his actions. In part, Mills‘ piece states:

    “This broad acceptance of Pantera’s comeback would be understandable if Anselmo had spent some of the past seven years atoning for his actions. Yet he seemingly hasn’t. When footage of the frontman’s ‘white power’ outburst started doing the rounds on YouTube, he both refused to apologise and drummed up frivolous excuses.”

You can find the entire piece over at loudersound.com. Several musicians have since commented on the piece via social media. See below for those initial replies.

Pantera were one of America's most important metal bands. Now they’re little more than Phil Anselmo trying to whitewash his own legacy https://t.co/Qfm7KE0kVm

— Metal Hammer (@MetalHammer) November 15, 2023

Avenged Sevenfold‘s M. Shadows.

I don’t tend to agree with this perspective but I respect it. The media should make us think and not be blowhards for the artists… again, I don’t agree but appreciate the push back.

— M. Shadows (@shadows_eth) November 15, 2023

Loathe‘s Kadeem France:

Fuck this band https://t.co/NeJ3onbLUJ

— . (@kadeemfrance) November 15, 2023

As you might expect, Anselmo‘s actions and the way he handled the incident and its aftermath remain as divisive today, with users on Metal Hammer‘s social media showing both support and contempt and for the piece.

Via The PRP