During a recent interview with Full Metal Jackie‘s nationally syndicated radio show, former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo was asked why a hypothetical reunion of the band’s surviving members would be important to him personally. He responded:
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“I discussed the fans earlier [in the interview], and as a guy who puts zero expectation on every single record he’s ever done — and that’s just a habit, and that’s just the type of [bleep] I am — I would have to take a look at an honest and pure want for the event, number one, and then evaluate it from there. It’s the fans that matter.
“You ask me why it would be important to me? Well, I always tell fans that it’s a two-way street,” he continued. “People come up to me and thank me. Well, right back at ’em, because the band doesn’t choose the audience; it’s the audience that chooses the band. So, really, like I say, it’s very much a two-way street.
“So, if there is any want or need for such a thing to occur, then that would be the only thing that could drag me in such a direction, because, honestly, I am perfectly fine with where I’m at right now, because I’m on a journey. There’s a lot of different records I wanna make, there’s a lot of different music I wanna touch upon, and none of it has anything to do with PANTERA.”
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Anselmo added: “But, once again, I do know that — I mean, real talk — PANTERA is, as far as my life goes, as far as just me, if I’m looking at the big picture, PANTERA is a huge part of that big picture; it’s the biggest part of it. We sold the most records, we were the most popular band that I have ever been a part of. So to ignore that fanbase, or to deprive the fanbase, if this fanbase really wants such a thing, that would hurt my heart; I wouldn’t wanna do that. But once again also, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just keep plugging along and be honest and play honest and just be who you are and make music and move forward, and that’s what I’m all about, man. But as far as what you’re talking about, I say let the fans dictate. And put it this way: if the fans [say] ‘yes,’ then consider me ready to go. If the fans say ‘no,’ then consider me very comfortable where I’m at.”