Pantera, Lamb Of God Announce South Jersey Tour Date

CAMDEN, NJ — Pantera is reuniting for a new U.S. tour in 2023, and will make a stop in South Jersey along with fellow heavy metal band Lamb of God.

Vocalist Phil Anselmo, who's been with the band since 1986, and longtime bassist Rex Brown are the most well-known members of the current lineup, which was formed in Texas in 1981. It's the band's first tour in the U.S. in 22 years.

Pantera broke up in 2003, with late brothers "Dimebag" Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbot splintering off into the band Damageplan. Anselmo worked on several side projects, with Brown joining his supergroup Down for several years.

Pantera and Lamb of God are playing Camden's Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The show begins at 7 p.m. Fan presale began Jan. 24 with the code "LEGACY."

Lamb of God came up in the mid-1990s out of Richmond, Va. Founding bassist John Campbell is still with the band, as are longtime vocalist Randy Blythe, lead guitarist Mark Morton, and rhythm guitarist Willie Adler.

Anselmo and Brown announced Pantera's reunion late in 2022, playing shows in Latin America.

Touring musicians Zakk Wylde (guitars, backing vocals) and Charlie Benante (drums) will join Anselmo and Brown. Wylde, a New Jersey native, is best known as the lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and lead singer/guitarist for the heavy metal band Black Label Society. Benante is best known as the drummer for thrash metal band Anthrax.

Just this week, two German rock festivals dropped Pantera from their lineups after "intensive conversations" with artists, partners, and fans, per multiple music news sites.

Anselmo ended a tribute show to "Dimebag" Darrell in 2016 " by giving what appeared to be a Nazi salute and screaming 'white power,'" Consequence of Sound reported. The Pantera frontman said he was joking about the white wine he had been drinking backstage, and apologized in a video shortly after.

"...heavy emotions were flowing, jokes were made backstage that transpired upon the stage, and it was ugly, it was uncalled for," he said. "And anyone who knows me and my true nature knows that I don't believe in any of that; I don't wanna be part of any group. I'm an individual and I am a thousand percent apologetic to anyone that took offense to what I said, because you should have taken offense to what I said."